Watcha Makin'?

[firefighter ontheside]

That's a neat bench Tom.  Good job cutting that.

[firefighter ontheside]

I'm one of those forget to actually post the picture guys

[trimguy]

Tile peak, on your countertop it looks like your walnut transitions into something else. Or am I seeing it wrong ?? How did you make this joint, if it's not a secret?

[Old Greenhorn]

I always sweat out those blind splines, but the truth is those 45's have to be perfect and need more attention. 2 years ago this week I was building another of these from a slab off the same log. That one was longer, this is just 36", but this one has a tiny twist in the top I couldn't plane out. I nailed the 90° joint on one leg by clamping, but of the other I am a little bit off. I'm probably the only one who will know. ;D I also had to do a little tweaking on the leveling for this one and didn't touch the last one. It's funny how just being 1/32" out will make it rock so much.
 Right now I am working on all the little epoxy pours to fill in tiny gaps before I get into the finishing. Headed back to the shop now to see if I can flip and get in another pour tonight.

I'm also working on a small service bar I started about a year and a half ago.


 

And yesterday I finished off a hat rack I started 2 years ago.


 

 Trying to stay busy.

[Wlmedley]

 

 Firefighter,I have some similar walnut slabs I cut this summer.How long did you let yours dry before using it.Kind of wondering what to do with mine.

[tule peak timber]

Tile peak, on your countertop it looks like your walnut transitions into something else. Or am I seeing it wrong ?? How did you make this joint, if it's not a secret?

The countertop is a bookmatched pair of walnut slabs from a 65 year old orchard, originally from the CA Central Valley. The darker wood is claro walnut with a graft line going into Franquette English walnut where the flames are. I'm doing a bit of a back splash at one end with the flames climbing up the wall so to speak. This type of log is typically used for high end gun stock wood and cut at a 45 degree angle (my cut is 90 degrees) is referred to as marblecake. There is a matching countertop across the galley from this and I will show it in a later post. 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

I air dry it til it gets to about 20% or less and then I moved it into my drying shed.  That got it down to about 7%.  

[Ljohnsaw]

The darker wood is claro walnut with a graft line going into Franquette English walnut where the flames are.

Interesting how straight the graft line stays (or at least looks to in the pics).  Is there a natural weakness at the junction?

[trimguy]

Thanks, I remember you posting when you got the stumps/ logs. I like it.

[trimguy]

Tom, am I understanding you correctly, you used epoxy for " glue" on your miters ?? Is that because it's stronger than glue or to fill voids in ?

[Old Greenhorn]

Both, and neither. :D Yeah, I think the epoxy is a little bit stronger, but just slightly if I recall the numbers I looked up a few years ago. But I really like that it comes out clear, but because their is not light source behind it, it looks dark (dark clear?). I don't get the discoloration you get with glue which really doesn't accept finishes well. When I get to finishing, you will see the the 'glue line' with epoxy comes up really shiny and looks like a dark 'accent line' as opposed to a yellow line you would get with glue. Finally, I am not Rob, so getting these joints spot on perfect is nearly impossible. and there will be a line and it will not be straight all the time. If it looks good, it is appealing, if it looks like a glue gap you filled in, it is 'unattractive'. At least that is where my mind is at.
 As far as real world strength goes. I took my first test bench and tipped it up on one leg and bounced on it with all my body weight trying to break the joint and there was no give. I did have a bruise on my chest for a week or so though. I think the blind spline buried in there has a lot to do with it.


 

WLmedley, you've got some great leg stock there. I be perplexed about what to do with them too. Between you and Bill, you have made me think about some maple pieces I have had staring at me for 3 years now and I think I will have to do something about that soon.

 Rob, that graft joint is fascinating! I will never come into wood like that. DO I understand your corner at the joint is a 90° joint and not a miter, or did I read that wrong?

[trimguy]

That makes sense to me. I might just have to try that.😁  Wait ,I need a work bench first. Trying to build stuff without a decent work bench is nonsense.

[tule peak timber]

The darker wood is claro walnut with a graft line going into Franquette English walnut where the flames are.

Interesting how straight the graft line stays (or at least looks to in the pics).  Is there a natural weakness at the junction?

On this kind of graft, the junction is as strong as the parent wood. There is another type of graft used with nails and I try to avoid it by cutting it out during milling- which is how I got into the cookie business!

[Old Greenhorn]

HEY! A workbench, that's a neat idea! I should make one too. :D I do have a bench in the shop, it's down on the main floor and it is the 'repair bench' where I do mostly mechanical stuff, saws, small engines, pumps and whatnot. The wood stuff is done upstairs and I have a makeshift 'bench' which is a very old Formica countertop laid across some wooden boxes. I don't even know where that countertop came from, maybe in the garage when we bought this house. Anyway, it's not flat and surely not solid or secure. I call it my 'finishing bench' because that is mostly where I do small stuff and apply finishes. I can't really 'work' on it. For 'work' I use whatever, mostly other projects in work at the time. If you go back to the post with the full bench shot you will see it sitting on a couple of glueups for a truck box I am working on, or I use the table saw top, or the RAS, or the router table, downstairs I have a bar that has been wanting my attention for almost 2 years (the client keeps asking also) that I have been using up until yesterday as a tool bench when I started on it again. Planks on sawhorses also get a lot of use here. 
 Yeah. I should make a bench too. I really should, but space is quite the issue. I don't think I have ever heard anybody say 'my shop is too big'. ;D

[aigheadish]

Nice looking stuff guys!

Tom the bench and coat rack look great!

[mapleack]

I just finished a curly maple and walnut side table to use in my living room.  It turned out pretty well and most of my mistakes are hidden.  Learned some new things and got to enjoy my new router table.  Finished with Arm R seal satin.

[Walnut Beast]

Looks great! Nice job

[firefighter ontheside]

Here's my little table top sitting on the base that was the inspiration to make the table in the first place.  My coworker at the FD is also a scrapper.  He found this stainless steel stand at a University that he gets a lot of scrap from.  I saw it in his truck and asked if I could have it.  It was the perfect size for making a top out of some short slabs that I had.  Now I'm gonna try to sell it.  Maybe $500?


 

[Crusarius]

that looks like stainless? if thats the case I would trim the angles to match the top or be below the surface than try to give it a nicer brushed finish and depending on your area $500 could work. my area I be lucky to get $200 for it.

[Old Greenhorn]

I concur with Crusar, cut those side pieces down if you can find a way. Stainless is tough, and that looks like 304. An ROS will do wonders to give you that random brushed finish, then I little spray lacquer to keep it that way.
 As for price, it's worth that I think in the right decor such as modern or an office. It will take time and some good marketing to find the right buyer. Finding the buyer is always an issue. I am hoping for a similar price on the above bench, but marketing will take time.

 Pretty table for sure.

[Crusarius]

I did forget to say that I do like the table alot. looks nice. I have actually been really enjoying a nice satin black set of legs more than the stainless though.

Keep up the good work.

[firefighter ontheside]

I assume I can cut it with an angle grinder with a thin abrasive wheel.  

[gspren]

I assume I can cut it with an angle grinder with a thin abrasive wheel.  

Sure can.

[bigblockyeti]

I did forget to say that I do like the table alot. looks nice. I have actually been really enjoying a nice satin black set of legs more than the stainless though.

Keep up the good work.

I've been getting black satin legs from Amazon.  Sometimes hairpin legs and sometimes something a bit more creative but not too distracting, the slab on top is what it's all about!

[Old Greenhorn]

I wouldn't buy anything from Amazon unless I have a gun to my head. ;D There is an internet company called "hairpinlegs.com" or something like that which has good prices and regular sales which I have bought from. But I really don't like hairpin legs very much too modern and too simple, and too wobbly. If the client requests them, they get whatever they want. I did use a leftover one as a third leg on a waterfall lamp table I have in the living room, the wife likes it. It was a test table from a cupped slab.
 Yes, the top is the focus...for us. But you have to keep the client in mind and they tend to look at the whole thing (silly clients). I suggest Ritelegs to my clients when we are planning a table and they really make the whole thing pop in my opinion. Plus I can get matching bench legs.

 Bill, how thick is that SS stock? If it's 1/8" a cutoff should work OK, but if it's 3/16 or 1/4" you are going to have to work at it a bit. ;D