New Project

[JohnDB]

That table is keeping you very busy. I didn't realise all the different tasks involved. You've got on very well with it. What happens next with it?

Sanding...lots of sanding and getting ready to stain and polyurethane.

That's going to keep me busy for a while.

I have a few little things to do though.

I have to mark out and drill pilot holes for where the fence will attach to the legs. Then barely get about half of the forstner bit into each of the pilot holes. This will give me a place to put oak buttons on top of each screw so you don't see them. Also keeps the oak from splitting when I drive the screw into the leg when tight.


I mocked it up tonight for my wife. (Just placed the pieces together as if it were finished. It was upside down though.

She got all excited even though it isn't finished. She's already planning on it coming with when we move one day. (No plans to move)
I have no idea if we'll be able to use it when one day we do move.

But it will be a custom piece of furniture...and nice. Last one I made was a piece of junk I made out of cheaper materials...but it lasted almost 20 years. This one will be a lot nicer and built to last longer.

 

[Tessa]

Don't know what a forstner bit is. It all sounds very involved. You have opened my eyes to how much work goes into making a table.

 

[JohnDB]

Forstner bit...for making flat at the bottom holes in wood.
They go up to 3 inches wide. I'm using one only 1/2 inch.

 

[Tessa]

Thank you for explaining

 

[JohnDB]

The weather is looking great today...no wind.

Meaning that I will be getting out the sand paper and "new to me" palm sander and doing a lot of sanding today...
Followed immediately by cleaning and wiping down of all the sawdust...lots and lots of cleaning. That stuff gets everywhere and is difficult to get rid of. But it must go.
Then staining. Then polyurethane.

 

[Tessa]

Up to this point I wouldn't have had a clue what to do. Sanding is fun but can be dangerous to your eyes and lungs. Do you wear some protection?

 

[JohnDB]

This table is rather a simple piece by far comparison of what a lot of master woodworking Craftsman make. From ornately carved legs that have wonderful designs and curves...to carved edging on the planks that makes the top. And let's not forget the inlays that are possible with various woods.
Also unique designs in drop leafs and slides that allow extra leaves to be added to the table top.
I have no real idea about how any of that stuff is done. Those guys are master Craftsman making heirloom pieces.
My brother can do some of that sort of stuff. Not a lot...but I've seen some of it over the years...I have a real end grain butcher block cutting board that he made for me. It's lasted for 20 years and still looks great. He is much more the master wood and finishing Craftsman than I'll ever be. And he has all the great tools for doing it. I'm a hack working out of my apartment...no spray booths, or carving chisels. I have no idea how to make some of the finishes that he makes...where the colors explode and change when the light hits them.

I'm having fun. I wear all kinds of protection...I have nice safety glasses with readers built in so I can see and if the dust gets too thick I grab a mask (just bought last week)

Those guys do wonderful things...makes my stuff seem almost like junk...but it isn't. Not to us at least. I'm taking my time. Making it as best as I can. As serviceable as possible...and it should be just fine.
I'm imagining my wife hollering at my son when he does come over...it's not going to go well for him if he scratches the table. LOL.

 

[Tessa]

it all sounds wonderful. I just know the finished product will be great.
Those craftsmen have a marvellous gift. When I was looking for a new coffee table I spotted one in a charity shop. It was , and still is beautiful. It has the ornate legs and edgonhs round the top. Beautiful colours. I just had to buy it.
You better warn your son before he arrives

 

[JohnDB]

To me,
All this hand made stuff are keepsakes of love. Someone that I know and love made it with the best skills they had. They took their time and made something good and usable with it. That kind of stuff is priceless.

We all have hobbies that make things...
Knitting, sewing, leathercrafts, jewelry, mechanic/automotive, fly-fishing, writing, scratching, and painting...to name a few.

With all the extra time with the quarantine...why not? It's better than catching up on my television watching.

 

[Edward]

Those craftsman do have a marvelous gift. I know I couldn't even come close to that level workmanship. So, I don't try, lol. I'm no carpenter or wood craftsman! I am in the process of building a work bench though. Man, these existing work benches here in this 116 year old house might be 75 years old. Way past their prime.

So I'm concentrating on making them solid and sturdy rather than extra nice. There will be no staining or even paint. 2X4 construction with 4X4 legs and a plywood top. So no need to worry about scratches or anything.

Carpentry can be exacting. Either my Lufkin lies or my saw is a rebel because I cut it three times, and it's still too short!
I find these projects to be the most difficult at home, the wood working, drywall stuff like that.

 

[Tessa]

To me,
All this hand made stuff are keepsakes of love. Someone that I know and love made it with the best skills they had. They took their time and made something good and usable with it. That kind of stuff is priceless.

We all have hobbies that make things...
Knitting, sewing, leathercrafts, jewelry, mechanic/automotive, fly-fishing, writing, scratching, and painting...to name a few.

With all the extra time with the quarantine...why not? It's better than catching up on my television watching.

I Completey agree with every word you have said there.

 

[JohnDB]

Those craftsman do have a marvelous gift. I know I couldn't even come close to that level workmanship. So, I don't try, lol. I'm no carpenter or wood craftsman! I am in the process of building a work bench though. Man, these existing work benches here in this 116 year old house might be 75 years old. Way past their prime.

So I'm concentrating on making them solid and sturdy rather than extra nice. There will be no staining or even paint. 2X4 construction with 4X4 legs and a plywood top. So no need to worry about scratches or anything.

Carpentry can be exacting. Either my Lufkin lies or my saw is a rebel because I cut it three times, and it's still too short!
I find these projects to be the most difficult at home, the wood working, drywall stuff like that.

Work benches are supposed to take a beating. They get burns, grease, gouged, and paint all over them.
Level? Eh.... maybe. Although level does help with a lot of projects.

I am wondering about boat making though...seems almost within reach but also a bit of witchcraft involved too.

 

[Edward]

Level? I'm not going to level it, I'm going to cut the legs all the same length and let the floor do the rest lol. I figure it'll take a beating so I went for 3/4" plywood top. It'll be nice and solid. Oh I'm making a cheap shelving unit for it too. I got the cheapest 1X6 white board that they had and enough for 4 shelves. It will work out fine.

Them buttheads at home depot gave me a box of star bit screws. Curbside pickup my butt. Luckily I have a star bit, lol. Don't even try to use curbside pickup. They sent a text saying my order was ready to be picked up...and it hadn't even been pulled when I got there. It would have been 3 times faster if I had picked it myself.

 

[JohnDB]

Level? I'm not going to level it, I'm going to cut the legs all the same length and let the floor do the rest lol. I figure it'll take a beating so I went for 3/4" plywood top. It'll be nice and solid. Oh I'm making a cheap shelving unit for it too. I got the cheapest 1X6 white board that they had and enough for 4 shelves. It will work out fine.

Them buttheads at home depot gave me a box of star bit screws. Curbside pickup my butt. Luckily I have a star bit, lol. Don't even try to use curbside pickup. They sent a text saying my order was ready to be picked up...and it hadn't even been pulled when I got there. It would have been 3 times faster if I had picked it myself.

They usually include a star bit inside the box of screws...all you really need is an apex to put it in.

But I've usually needed to put on feet to keep a table from wobbling. Even cutting the legs all at the same time... clamped and everything to keep them even the darned thing still wobbled on me.

Today when staining the top I found a boo boo.
Apparently I ran the sander too hard opposite of the grain. There was streaks everywhere.

So I got a scrap block and a piece of paper and began sanding again. Gotta get them streaks out. I'll be staring at them for the next ten years at least.
Got it about 3/4 done with sanding by hand...

Got a bit more to go. Just came in to get a drink of water.

 

[Edward]

No bit in this box. It's not going to wobble though, this work bench is 8 foot long by 2 ft deep. I've made this type bench three times before out in Colorado For my reloading bench to mount my presses to and they always was fine. And I only used 1/2" plywood for tops on them on those ones. I'm just not fond of moving them once their built so the last three places I lived in C. Springs got to keep new benches downstairs, lol. It's just too easy to build new ones.

I should be putting in new kitchen countertops and cabinets but they're expensive too and I never reall did a counter top. I've set many bathroom vanities but not an entire kitchen. But I need to ditch that single bowl sink! I'm sure it was nice when it went in...60 or 70 years ago, lol.

 

[JohnDB]

Well I got it sanded down again.
Whew!
That was some work. So tomorrow either before or after Class...I'll stain them all again. Both the fence and the top.
The fence is a different type of oak that is pinkish in color and very hard. It didn't take to staining very well so I'll hit it with a second coat and it should blend in a bit better this time. (No streaks on those boards today)

So...I think that the stain on the top will be a bit richer for the stain and sand and stain again. That's usually how it goes...but with stain it's so marginal so why bother.

But the top did match the legs perfectly... except for the streaks. So tomorrow we will stain it all again and think happy thoughts.

 

[JohnDB]

So...
Two coats of stain on the top today...
A second coat of stain on the box/fence the top rests upon...they look great.

When the top finally dries I'll pull it in for the night. Which will be around sunset anyway.
We got some rain but then afterwards the wind picked up. Blowing all kinds of stuff into the air. Total bummer.

So I gotta be patient.

 

[Tessa]

Hey you've nearly finished.

 

[JohnDB]

Hey you've nearly finished.

Oh I've got days of finishing yet to go...
Days and days of it.
And the buffing between the coats of polyurethane.

And I have to wait on the weather too.
Need days without a breeze.

 

[JohnDB]

Well,
After yet another trip to the hardware store to get some more brushes....

I got the table top fixed up and drop cloth set up in my kitchen. There's just too much going on outside between random bugs and dessicated flower petals for me to do this outside...

So I opened the windows and turned off the AC. And began to put on the first coat of polyurethane.
This is going to annoy me for a few days.