Watcha Makin'?

[beenthere]

On the other hand, I find most of what I need, or want to buy, on Amazon. I enjoy having a "shopping" trip last just a minute or two long from my "thought" to having it "on the way". Saves on fuel to get to a store, spending time to find it, and then to learn that it isn't in stock. I like short shopping trips.  ;D

Also, small business's are surviving, I believe, because they sell products through Amazon. Does put a bind on the Walmarts, Target, and many other large outlets. 

Amazon, I think, has been a life-saver for the USPS and l'd expect is holding shipping costs via USPS down.. but have nothing to prove that as USPS shipping is expensive. The USPS delivery trucks are full of Amazon boxes. 

If I want to gift my kids, my grand kids, or my great grand kids.. Amazon will deliver to their address and I can track the delivery to their door. 

And Amazon return system is great, IMO. No fuss, take a pic of the return code and drop off at the UPS Store or other places not too far away. Money refunded within minutes of dropping the item(s) off. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Yup, I fully agree that from the consumer standpoint they are GREAT! But check out how they treat their employees and their response to union drives in their facilities, which could best be represented as "slightly less than legal". The work hour practices are way over the line, their safety record is lower than terrible. In todays age anytime you can even get to a union vote tells you something serous is going on in the company that probably ain't good. Yeah, I've talked to folks working there, and no it is not good by a long shot, but they need to eat, so they keep working. That is their daily threat "wanna eat and pay your rent? then shut up and get to work."
 I have also talked to (OK, maybe I was screaming at them, I don't recall) their drivers who are driven to make fast deliveries to the point of driving dangerously and cutting through private property to save time. They aren't in a great spot either. 
 So companies like that, I can live without. I too like short shopping trips and buy a fair amount of stuff online, but in the last 10 years I have entered 1 order from amazon and was not happy about it at all. That's my choice. Everybody gets to make their own. I still don't like hairpin legs. :D

[Larry]

Last year I bought 3 different treadle sewing machines at auction.  Think something like $50 each.  Sent them off to my friend to sandblast and powder coat.  Think that may have been $85 or so.

We have been making tops for them.  This is number two.  My friend does most of the work, I just kibitz.....




This is number three and just went out a few days ago.

[beenthere]

Not my experience talking to the Amazon drivers. No one has complained. Deliveries have been great. Courteous too. Sorry to hear you have bad vibes. 

Plenty of places looking to hire people, so not like they don't have choices as near as I can tell. People these days are expecting to be taken care of when they hire on. Not all bad, but then it used to be that one had to work and often work hard to earn their keep and keep their job. 

[Magicman]

Amazon, I think, has been a life-saver for the USPS and l'd expect is holding shipping costs via USPS down.. but have nothing to prove that as USPS shipping is expensive. The USPS delivery trucks are full of Amazon boxes.

A bit of searching will reveal that we are paying for Amazon's USPS shipments by paying higher USPS shipping/mailing rates:  LINK  I had been told by my USPS carrier that they actually get about $1.00 per package and often times have to make an extra route to deliver them all.  Yup, Amazon wins and we loose. 

[WV Sawmiller]

Larry,

  I love the table. I am constantly looking for those old cast iron Singer and other brand sewing machine legs. My problem is I do not have the heart to throw away the machine and cabinet just to get the legs on many of the ones I see. I keep passing hoping someone will buy and restore the machine to proper running condition.

  I am like a friend up mine who was  hot rodder and found a pristine Model T in great running condition for about $4000. He said he just did not have the heart to buy it and chop it up into a Hot Rod.

[Old Greenhorn]

I just finished a curly maple and walnut side table to use in my living room.  ....

@mapleack I've been meaning to ask, how did you do the joint on the waterfall side of the table? Is there a spline in there, biscuits, or just a very careful glue-up?
 It looks beautiful! The base you made and the nice design of the bottom shelf makes it a real winner with the contrasting color and top wood that I can never find.
 Nice job!
----------------------
beenthere, not to belabor this but my position is not based on my conversations with workers and drivers alone. It has been well documented for years in many press forms as well as agencies seeking to correct and penalize them for their practices. An amazon warehouse worker is twice as likely to suffer an injury as a worker in any other warehouse system. When they get hurt, they get 'released'. I found an article that might give you and idea, but you can do your own research if you like. CLICK HERE.

[Crusarius]

stainless is pretty easy to work with. that looks less than 1/4" so a simple cutoff wheel will do just fine. try not to get it red hot because it gets pretty hard to work with at that point. Plus it will start to blue if you overheat it. Which is also a cool looking finish

if you use the RO sander to put a nice brushed finish on it I would also recommend a clear spray over it just to protect it. You can use whatever sheen you like for very different results.

[firefighter ontheside]

Another consideration is that the top has just a little twist so it rocks a bit.  If I raise it up a bit I can account for the twist.

The sewing machine base is a neat idea for tables.  I will have to look out for them at auctions.

I'm working OT as a captain today which means I have less busy work to do.  That translates to take all the parts for cabinet doors to work and clamp them up at work.  I've been doing 4 per hour which is just enough time to let them cook and then take them out of clamps.  I only brought 4 sets of clamps with me.


 

[Crusarius]

so you need to drill and tap some bolt holes and then you can just adjust the bolts to take the rock out. When drilling stainless be extremely careful to go slow and not heat up the material. If you get it red hot it turns into a nightmare to work with.

[firefighter ontheside]

I have some adjustable feet I'm thinking of putting on bottom of tabletop at corners.

[Crusarius]

That works to. I have been using carriage bolts for adjustable feet quite a bit. The round head makes a nice foot for going to the floor and the square under the head works for adjusting height with a wrench. Just to add to it I used a piece of 5/4 composite deck material and put a divot in the top for the carriage bolt head to sit in.

The composite decking keeps it off the concrete and makes the table slide pretty easy but still not slide unless you want it to.

This is a fancy version using a threaded nutsert that I had laying around.



 
 

 



 

 

 

[Crusarius]

Just leave enough space to get a wrench in there

[firefighter ontheside]

I bought a bunch of hardware at auction, which includes a bunch of those nutsert things and the threaded feet.  It should work out well.  I will probably let the top just float in there.

[tule peak timber]

The entry doors are starting to pop ! A couple more coats then the glass goes in.

 

 

[Walnut Beast]

Looks beautiful!!! What finish are you using?

[Walnut Beast]

The only problem I see is people are going to be so mesmerized looking that they won't come in or leave 😂

[tule peak timber]

Wipe on GF AmrSeal since the doors are in a protected area. Two coats gloss with a satin top. Simple pimple. The customer runs a 120-employee architectural wood working company and came to me for his home doors. Single log used in both doors with the rails showing an open "challlis" figure on each side of both doors classic Roman entry style. Triple rip-flip glue up on the frame for stability. I'm pretty happy with how they are coming out.

[mapleack]

I just finished a curly maple and walnut side table to use in my living room.  ....

@mapleack I've been meaning to ask, how did you do the joint on the waterfall side of the table? Is there a spline in there, biscuits, or just a very careful glue-up?
It looks beautiful!

@Old Greenhorn Thanks for the compliment.  The waterfall edge is just a careful glue up since it's not structural.  I'd like to do a waterfall bench or Consol table out of something 8/4 and would figure out how to use dominos for that.
Thanks,
-Andy

[Old Greenhorn]

.....I'd like to do a waterfall bench or Consol table and would figure out how to use dominos for that......

Dominos? Not sure I have seen them in use, or even seen them. What's a domino? (Not talking about the game.)

[Andries]

OG : have a look at Festool, Domino and Track Saw.
It's German, imported, precise and pricey. Cheaper in Canada cause we have a closer relationship with Europe than the USA does.
The track saw is set for a 45 degree cut across the end, the dominoes are let into the end grain and glued. If you're using the hardware right, it results in perfect waterfall table tops every time. No gaps or wobbles.
Say it with your best Cherman accent: achhh, so preesize !

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah, I did go look at a demo video. It's a no go for me because I am not a furniture builder and the price is a killer. I use long blind splines 3/8 think, planed to match my router bit snugly, either red oak or ash and put the slots in on the table router pretty easy and they match up perfect. I don't see that the domino cutter likes working at angles but it would be do-able anyway. The issue I see is that I set the spline in an odd place from the edge based on material thickness and that is problematic with the Festool. You would have to make shims and play some games. Again, do-able, but a bit of a pain. I think there is a picture of my spline before gluing on a previous page in this thread.

Another point, with a waterfall joint is you are limited in the depth of the spline or domino because of the angle. Too deep and you go clean through or weaken the parent wood. So I prefer one long spline that comes within about an inch and a half of each edge or if it's like 20" long, I will put in 4 splines about 4-5" wide.

The only thing I need to improve is the precision of my 45° angle cut on the wood and that just means I need to focus more, that's all.
Always looking for new ideas though, and always learning.


This was one of my long ones a year or two back.

[Larry]

Another point, with a waterfall joint is you are limited in the depth of the spline or domino because of the angle. Too deep and you go clean through or weaken the parent wood. So I prefer one long spline that comes within about an inch and a half of each edge or if it's like 20" long, I will put in 4 splines about 4-5" wide.

Always looking for new ideas though, and always learning.

The way around that is to use a "L" tenon.  Here is a link to learn from.

L tenon

I've never made one as shown in the video.  The ones I have made used angle iron or aluminum angle.  Super strong. 

[Walnut Beast]

Wipe on GF AmrSeal since the doors are in a protected area. Two coats gloss with a satin top. Simple pimple. The customer runs a 120-employee architectural wood working company and came to me for his home doors. Single log used in both doors with the rails showing an open "challlis" figure on each side of both doors classic Roman entry style. Triple rip-flip glue up on the frame for stability. I'm pretty happy with how they are coming out.

I'm sure he will be very happy! Looks Awesome! If you get another picture when done please post!

[Old Greenhorn]

Yeah Rob, that door is gorgeous! I don't understand a lot of your description, but I'm used to that. Wondering what a 'triple rip flip' is. I have no idea, but it sounds cool and would love to try it sometime just so I can use the expression. :D

 Larry, thanks for that fine video. Never saw that before either, but I am no woodworker. I was taken by the number of steps and the amount of layout involved, holy cow. I think I still prefer the straight grained hardwood spline, especially for long edge joints. He spent a LOT of time make those tenons one at a time, I would have done them in a gang method, but to each his own. 
 I suppose if you use metal, you have to make it a driving fit in the mortise because glue and epoxy won't make it tight?

 I guess there is lots of ways to make those joints. I am throwing an idea around in my head for a table or chair that will use those joints, but at very different angles such as 30 and 60°. Been thinking on it 2 years now, nothing has 'stuck' and I need some wood to use for it.

 Learning all the time.