Making it through another year '21-'23

[Ljohnsaw]

Yeah, I thought about that, too.  Maybe make the first layer with a good gap, say 1/2" between the boards?  Maybe use Tyvex since it is water vapor permeable and *should* dry out.

[Old Greenhorn]

Well I cut the lumber from a dead standing EWP, but of course it is not fully dry. So my plan is to butt the boards up tight and I now they will shrink and open gaps (part of the reason for two layers rather than making the top from a single 2" layer.) The bottom cabinet will have a covered tote in it for tools and materials storage so if water leaks on through, it should be ok. I'd like to make it 'mouse tight' but don't think it will ever be water tight. I may make a removable ridge to hold a tarp pitched over it like I did for the inoculation tables. That would be something I would do it it were mine for holding over winter when it is not being used at all. I believe I will be painting/sealing this. So water running through is better than water sitting. My other thought was that if/when the top rots, it won't be hard to tear it off and screw a new one on.

[WV Sawmiller]

Tom,

   Just remember the design improvement team is standing by any time you need our help. ;)

[Old Greenhorn]

Yes, thank you. That is an ever present fear comfort in the back of my head. ;D

[WDH]

Speaking of the Devil, putting the two top pieces cross-grain from each other is a woodowrking no-no, like gluing a breadboard onto the end of a tabletop instead of letting it have some room for cross-grain expansion/contraction like with a tongue and a groove.  1X12's will move a lot between dry and low humidity and wet and high humidity. 

If you do orient them cross-grain, and if you screw the two layers together from below, and if you leave the hole for the screw shaft in the bottom layer one drill bit size larger than the shaft, and if you use a pan head screw like a pocket screw with a flat washer between the screw head and the wood, there will be just enough slop for the two layers to move independent of each other since the flat pan head will slide on the washer and let the forces balance out.  

I made this outdoor table for my bonsai trees to reside on 15 years ago.  They still reside there.  The top is made with ripped slats with spacer blocks between them to let water drain through rather than pond on the surface leading to rot.  The table is weathered gray now, but still solid with no rot.  The spaces also allow air to circulate so that the top dries out quickly after a rain.

Offered in the spirit of a committed Design Team Member. 




 

[Old Greenhorn]

All great points I now have to ponder. It IS a workbench, not a finished table. However, that does not change the physics. Since I will have the dado blade set up in the RAS, I may just make it into a lap joint top. I have time to think on this a bit more. The frame will take me a while first. Possibly I MAY go with a hardwood top. I have some 2 year drying YP on the rack I could use.

[doc henderson]

I would either glue and seal it up tight with no cracks or leave a gap so dirt and bark trash cannot get in there and hold moisture for a while.  I use the plastic totes with lids for BSA stuff and my logging.  It could be a more expensive one with a hole for a padlock and be slid out when needed.  I know how you like complex unnecessary design elements, so consider incorporating a chess board into the top for down time.  ;) 8) 

[doc henderson]

very nice table Danny.  Is it Cypress?  I got a few books on wood science and ID.  I still cannot ID all wood, so I guess I will have to read them.   :P :P :P   :-[   :D :D :D

[WDH]

Yes Sir.  It is cypress.  

[Old Greenhorn]

Man, I wish I could get my hands on some cypress or osage, but I am really not worthy of it. ;D

I forgot to mention is previous posts that when I was down at the mill Friday I had the muffs on (still won't wear ear plugs till that ear is 100%) I heard a new and odd noise over the engine noises. I could not place it and got concerned, so I let the mill idle down and took off the muffs. Sure enough I hear the dull 'whumping' noise. So given my still addled brain functions I begin walking around trying to change the angle and narrow down this noise all the time thinking "What NOW?". Well I finally figured out it wasn't the mill and I traced the sound to way overhead.


 

It appears that pileated woodpecker found the brand new pole and has/is whacking in some exploratory holes. That is pole number 3 in this spot, all replaced for woodpecker holes. ;D

 I got back to work and finished milling and shut everything down for cleanup and stacking. Took off the muffs again and now I hear a strange tapping noise which I traced to this bark bucket.



 

 I walked all around it and saw nothing, but clearly the noise continues. Finally I spot the source and got a fuzzy photo as she emerged:


 

 This chicken who comes down to visit me often climbed into the bark bucket and got underneath all the bark looking for bugs. She was in there for a while, just glad she got out OK.

 Yesterday morning I found this guy when I went out for the mail, no idea what species he/she is but it sure didn't seem in a hurry to go anywhere.


 
-------------------

 So yesterday I threw myself into the bench build and cut all the frame wood. I set up the dado blade on the RAS and set up stops to whack out the lap joints and there are a lot of them. So I got those all cut, but the ones that went through the lower part of the legs I could not quite get the depth I needed, the saw would only go about 7/8", so I finished all of them, then set up a router to take the last 1/8" of depth on those 8 slots and cleaned the corners with a chisel.
 I whacked it all together and it fit pretty good.


 

 That photo is with no screws, just the joints holding it. Once I confirmed the fit up, I broke it down and carried it downstairs and assembled it on the floor as I squared things up. By then it was a full day, so I sat down to catch a breath and look it over.
 (At this point I should switch to the 'I did something dumb' thread.) As I am looking at it and enjoying how nicely the joints fit up I thought to myself "Doesn't that look a little small?". Yeah. I built a 2x3' frame when I think the customer wanted a 3x5' bench. ARRGGHH!

 Well I could still do a 3x5 top with 6" of overhang on the front and back and a foot on each end, but that would still make for a too small cabinet underneath. 6" of overhang all around would be best, which means a 2x4' frame. I put a call into the client to confirm size, but he is traveling right now. I have a call scheduled for today.
 I quit for the day at 5 and got cleaned up and changed to take the wife out to dinner for our 45th wedding anniversary. The client texted back that he thought maybe he could work with 2x3 but I am thinking on it and realize I need to fix it. I have to remake the long stringers (4) to 4' and that will give the 6" overhang and a proper sized cabinet. It will just cost and hour or two to do it right.

 Today the wife has a craft show and I have to go help her setup and break down, so not sure what I will get done in between. Ah well, the price of education is not cheap. Fortunately this time I have enough lumber on hand to cover my mistake. ;D
 It's another day!

[terrifictimbersllc]

You are surely qualified to start using your earplugs again.

[WDH]

I can see now that the Design Committee has been shirking their responsibilities  ;D.  

[thecfarm]

You have all sorts of animals around you. ;D

[Old Greenhorn]

You have all sorts of animals around you. ;D

Yeah, but I try to work with everyone. :D
 That silly checken follows me around sometimes and runs out in front of the toolcat like she is leading it on. One of these days I won't see her under the mill or something and she might get whacked. The engines and noises don't seem to bother her. Bill has about 40 chickens there, but this one follows me, the rest don't see the attraction. ;D
---------------------
 Not to worry Danny, not your fault. I know I wrote down the table size when I talked to the client, but I can't find the notepad I wrote it on. I deserve the pain, in fact I earned it. :D

[Old Greenhorn]

Dennis, I thought about your ear plug comment today and you may well be correct. My ears stopped popping yesterday and today felt pretty darn normal. My brain, not so much. When I get back to the mill I may give them a try because we are getting into sweat season and the muffs get slippery even if they are easier to pop off for breaks.

 Thanks to WDH for saving me from my own overdesigning ways. Last night I settled on two layers of shiplap offset by half a board width. But first I had to fix my faux paus. I followed my wife to her craft show this morning and loaded in for her and helped set some of the basics up until she dismissed me. ;D I grabbed a quick breakfast at my favorite diner across the road, then headed back to the shop. I took the 3' stringers off and cut new 4' ones, then setup the dado blade again and made the lap joints (I'm getting quicker) and reassembled the bench to proper size. Now I have a 2x4' base with a 3x5 top and a 6" overhang all around.

 Then I set to work on the top. Somehow my brain was not functioning properly and I mis-cut several pieces. My son and his boys showed up to do spring yard cleanup and I think them coming and going and asking lots of questions distracted me, but I am not blaming them. At one point I quit for a bit and bucked up some down trees for them to cart off. Then I tried again and was having trouble with the math and screwed up a few more cuts. But I got the top done. Danny, I screwed the two layers together thinking shrink would be about the same, hope that's OK. I like the way the edges look.



 

I may or may not cover the edges with some trim pieces. I dunno yet. I will sand the top and cover it with poly to help it withstand the weather better.
 Around 3pm I had to shut down, do a quick beer run then help the wife load out down in town. It was a poor show and she made just a little more than table costs. Oh well. Got her home and unloaded, then back to the shop.
 I cut the pieces for the floor and did the corner notches around the legs. I didn't shiplap these parts because if any water gets in, I'd like it to drain out through the small gap. I was gun shy at this point and had to cut and trim a couple of times until the boards would drop in nice and snug. So that is done and it was dinner time. I realized I had never stopped for lunch. It was a longer day than I thought. It seems to be back on track.
 I'll say one thing: This sucker is HEAVY! Holy cow, I can't hardly lift it to move it. Solid too. The client can use it for a dance stage if he likes. ;D



 

 Now I have to do the sides and doors. I should probably get some of that hardware stuff for the doors or something, right? I am not so good with these 'door thingies'. I am running short on 1x material so I may be cutting up everything I have in the shop and using narrower wood. I can use up the mis-cut stuff also, but I may still wind up short. I might have to run to the mill where I have a bunch of 1x10's I could steal from. I'll figure that out tomorrow, right now I am working on some hard earned (cheap) beer. None of that fancy stuff like Doc and FFOTS drink for me. :D

 Funny I had the shop door open while working today and my son was there. I saw a 20' trailer headed 'out' on the road loaded with stickered lumber. It seemed to me that must be wood I made. A little while later I got a text from Bill with a photo of that trailer which he had just loaded. So I guess I have some more working room around the mill now.

 So not a bad day. I did waste a bunch of my time doing stupid stuff, but I made up for my mistakes and the client will get a nice product.

 Tomorrow is another one.

[WDH]

That top should work nicely.  All the top shrinkage now is in the same direction.  An edge strip on the end grain pieces will create another cross-grain situation that will be difficult to engineer without issues.  That one shelf board with the blued edges is super cool.  That is a fine work bench, Sir. 

[Old Greenhorn]

Well, if I do put edging on it, it will be thin stuff and it might be hardwood, which of course will complicate things. Knowing it will be problematic as it all dries, I won't put much effort into it, for sure.
 About 4 years ago I mad an outdoor workbench for my first mill site. I used lumber I cut from a long dead standing pine thinking it would be pretty much 'dry'. ;D It was just in the pre-rot stage at that point. I fitted up the 2x10 top boards with tight butt joints. Man was I surprised at the shrinkage in under a years time and the boards gaps. That learned me up a lot. That bench still sits down in the woods, partially covered, I should go check on it. 6x6 legs on that one. It served well as a beater bench.

[Hilltop366]

The opposite experience I had when I put some t&g pine that had been inside for a year or two on a shed floor, it was exposed to the weather for a bit while I finished the shed. The floor got bigger than the shed so I had to re trim the edge and run the circular saw down the middle a few times to get t to lay down flat again.

[WV Sawmiller]

I can see now that the Design Committee has been shirking their responsibilities  ;D.  

Danny,

   I resent that remark and if you look through the earlier the comments you will see we graciously and sincerely offered our assistance and the comment was something to the effect "Don't call me, I'll call you" although maybe a little more courteous. ;)

   I guess watching Tom build his projects is like watching your grandkids learn to walk. You want to reach out and help but you just have to watch them stumble and fall and pick themselves back up. :D

Tom,

   Good looking bench. If anyone complains about the weight tell them that is part of the Federally mandated Wellness and Fitness program and that you are doing your part to keep Americans in shape. :

   OK, 'nuff said. I'm gonna pack up my frozen Ga Hoppers and head back for WV and hope my wife does not get them mixed up with the trail mix as I am driving.

[aigheadish]

You said you had some time to make this bench OGH, then next thing I know it's done. I was, if I stop by your place in a few weeks, going to offer to bring some osage logs for you. I don't know if they hold bugs but I've got some decent sized logs out there that would likely have some 1x6s in them at least. I'm not sure I'm strong enough to move a 5' long log though and I'd hate to cut it myself, with the chainsaw mill as I don't imagine I'd do it right.

Happy 45th anniversary!

@WDH You hit a nerve with me with bonsai, got any pictures?

[Old Greenhorn]

Aigheadish, are you saying you would stick a log in your camper with your family and live with that log in there for 10 days before dropping it here?! That's really thoughtful but in the interest of your families vacation enjoyment, I think maybe you should reconsider that. ;D I would love to have the log but not at that cost. Also, that could be a fair amount of extra weight you don't need on board. But thank you for even considering that!
 Second, that bench was no where near finished in the photos you've seen so far. But I gave it another 12 good hours today with none of those mis-cuts that Howard enjoys so much.
-------------
Now Howard. Really, I never said anything about not wanting your advice, just that not all suggestions are applicable given my client requirements. I realize you take some level of offence at that, but the client pays the bill after all.
 As far as watching me make mistakes you think you can predict, might I suggest you go back and re-read some of your build projects. Where do you think I learned those tricks in the first place? Not everybody nails it right the first time and many give up. I keep at it until it's as right as I can make it. If others find entertainment in that, so much the better. Just another free service I provide.
 As for the weight on that bench, it is actually a security feature. Anyone attempting to steal that bench will likely require medical attention before they get it on a trailer. In fact, I am not yet certain how I am going to deliver it off my trailer. :D
-----------------
 Back to the current subject. I gave it a good solid 12 hours today. I cut all the siding boards and was running a bit short on 1x material so I scrounged a few pieces I had around the shop. It will all look the same when it's painted. I made the doors and ran out and got hinges, a hasp and bolt, plus some more screws, and the dreaded paint. Hanging doors in not my forte' but I got them in and swinging fine. I installed the rest of the hardware, hung all the siding boards and most of the battens. I need a half dozen more to finish the construction part off tomorrow.
 The (is it's OK with the committee), I plan to sand the top smooth, nothing fancy, just the top and edges. then poly the top with exterior oil based so the wax they spill should clean up easy. everything else will get painted, this time on a nice day with a spray gun, after it sits in the sun for a while to dry out some more. I don't think I need to delver it before June, but it takes a lot of room in the shop.


 

 The client is very happy with the prelim photos.


 

 I hope he is as happy with the invoice. ;D :D
 Today was a long one and tomorrow is another one.

[aigheadish]

Looks great Tom!

Yeah, man, I figured the RV has got one of those trunks I could stuff a log into so it wouldn't just be rolling around inside... We don't have that much stuff to pack. We'll see. My bigger concern is moving bugs but I don't know if that's an issue with osage. 

[WDH]

If the bench sits out in the weather, varnish will turn black and peel .  It may take a few years to do that.  Tung oil, liberally applied, will not peel and will be easier to maintain by simply adding a new coat every year or so to keep the water beading up. 

[Old Greenhorn]

I'm sure you are right Danny. But I have had good experience with oil based exterior polyurethane in outdoor applications on hardwood. Of course there can be no voids or air pockets  under the finish or it will blister. I have one sitting out in the weather 3 years now and except for darkening, it looks just fine. I haven't used varnish in a very long time. I think the owner is going to put a tent cover over this anyway like we did with the inoculation benches.

 There is only one way to find out. :D

[WV Sawmiller]

   I am making no further comments on the very nicely done bench until it is painted. The final color used will tell us all we need to know. :D