Watcha Makin'?

[tule peak timber]

Tomorrow the torsion box skin goes on.

 

[JRWoodchuck]

On the mitered counters you don't find that the back bevel causes the counter to 'peak' once they're brought together tight?

[Tom K]

No, you don't cut the bevel steep enough to make it want to push up. You want the bevel just enough to make sure he top surface touches before the bottom of the joint. 

The method used for the joint would depend on what material your counter is made of. My earlier post was assuming you were talking about a laminate countertop, which is what the brackets Dough poster are intended for. With a wood countertop the full spline method Tule posted would be the best.

[doc henderson]

Tule is the torsion all solid wood or is there some ply stuff in there for stability?  looks great.

[JRWoodchuck]

Gotcha these are solid wood walnut counters. Thanks for the replies. 

[tule peak timber]

Tule is the torsion all solid wood or is there some ply stuff in there for stability?  looks great.

The bottom and top skins are both 1/2" thick with the top 1/2" being 3/8" walnut veneer and 1/8" mdf. The bottom is splined together Russian birch plywood. There are 2" of Russian birch around the edge, most of which will be routed away for a flying saucer look and 1" of Russian birch in a mounting bolt pattern, surrounding the center. The additional 1" from the mounting pattern to the bottom of the mdf is structural foam, as are the rays of structural foam at 2" thick. No water based or gas emitting glues as this becomes a closed chamber. The little bit of structural adhesive I used, I let gas out for several days. This will be a torsion box with the appearance of solid walnut at 3" thick, 7' in diameter and 2 people can pick it up.

[firefighter ontheside]

I'm building this console table.  I'm not a welder, so I had someone weld up the base.  The top and shelves are red oak.  I cut off the end and glue underneath to make it look thicker and then add some other pieces on the side to give it depth all the way around.  This will be stained a dark brown color.

 

 

[tule peak timber]

Nice clean look ! I sure like the light /dark contrast

[firefighter ontheside]

Thanks Tule.  I finished the table today and will deliver it tomorrow on my way to work.  I think it turned out pretty nice.  I wasn't happy with the black paint that I sprayed on the base, so I brushed minwax polycrylic on it and I like it a lot better now.


 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

I started working on a table out of ash.  This is the first time I've really worked with ash and I like it so far.  Seems to be machine well.  I just finished drying a bunch of 8/4.  The wood dried nice and straight and flat.  This will be a 42x42 farmhouse table, bar height.  The legs will be two pieces of 8/4 glued up.  The top will be 6/4, which means I have a bunch of planing to do.


 

 

[Larry]

Table looks good.  I like the finish you used on the red oak.

I used ash for bathroom cabinets in the shop and get lots of compliments on them....of course some have said they would look better painted. ???

I posted about a combination sander I've been restoring a few weeks ago.  I put it all together and it would not track the belt.  The problem was the casting was broke that held the tracking mechanism.  Two solutions, build up the casting with braze and re-machine or machine a part to replace the cast iron.  I chose to machine a part which is on the left.






Every shop needs a Bridgeport sitting off in a corner.

And the mostly completed restoration.  Runs great, and I fiddled with the dust collection so its ok with that also.  Huge improvement over the Grizzly that I used to have.

[JRWoodchuck]

Larry I think I have the same sander sitting in my shed that I got from a school tool purchase that is missing a few things. Haven't got around to seeing what all is missing but your post has me excited about it so thank you for posting!

[WV Sawmiller]

 

 
I finished another simple raised planter today to replace one that was damaged. I did some minor design changes. Added the 2X2 blocks in the corners. Previously when I built one I used the same fasteners to hold the legs and the bed together. In this case I just made a box and then added the legs. I can see benefits to that as it will stack easier because I can build the planter, store the legs inside and install them at the side with a cordless drill. 

I need to make some for consignment at local store who sells several every year. I also need to take some to the place I get my gravel as they do a lot of plant and outdoor sales. 

[Don P]

We started one today, it sounds high class but sorting the wood coming out of the kiln, I think there is enough "planter grade" walnut to make a couple, and walnut is rot resistant. My wife got one of those "Don't order from that catalog", catalogs the other day. Planters started at a SGU.

[caveman]

I threw a couple together Saturday afternoon.  I'll probably add a brace/support under the boards between the legs.  We should have planted vegetables two weeks ago.  These are to replace the one I built for my mother two years ago. 

 

[firefighter ontheside]

I glued the legs up yesterday and then jointed and planed them to 3 1/2".  2 out of 5 table top boards were flat and 3 were not.  I used one of the flat ones as a sled to flatten the others in the planer.  I got them glued up and tomorrow I will pretty much have the table built.  Then a few days to get it finished.  I think it's gonna be a really nice table.  It's the first one I've made that's counter height.  Gotta figure out a stain that's gonna be as dark as the customer wants.


 

[doc henderson]

I have used a stain called ebony and it is nearly black.  of course you can add more layers to make it darker.

[Texas Ranger]

MinWax makes a Special Walnut that is plenty dark.  And  gets darker with more applications.

[Don P]

One of the furniture shops I worked at bought it by the tanker. The driver fell asleep one day while filling our tanks and my truck ended up somewhat special walnut  :D. Dark walnut is their next shade darker IIRC.

We finished up the first planter today, I think there is enough to do a 6', this is a 4' and then recycle through and there probably enough for a couple of 2x2's. As close as we could get to a late winter glamour shot for the ad  :D

[Old Greenhorn]

Ah spring is truly in the air when the planter photos start showing up! 8)

 I made one last year from leftovers and put it on the lawn for sale. No bites, still have it. But the saw horses I put out sold in an hour.
 So I am thinking about planting somethin in it this year. Can I ask the assembled brain trust, does these things help discourage small critters from nibbling on the pants. It's my majot problem here. Anything that I manage to get through the bug, too much/too little rain, hail storms, pestilence, or what ever until it gets mature packable veggies gets stolen or ruined by critters. Wondering if the elevation helps at all? I really need a small mesh fence dug 6-8" into the ground to keep them out, but I have limited garden time available.

[Don P]

Whadoikno, The design committee here said if I cut off the legs and knock the bottom out I can give her one  :D

[Old Greenhorn]

OK, I'm lost. What? :D

[doc henderson]

I think the benefits of a raised bed garden box for me is as follows.  you do not have to bend over or get on your knees.  the soil can be amended with water reserving stuff, organic material, fertilizer and water in a container.  Mine do not have bottoms, so very sturdy and too much water/rain drains easy.  I can mow and weed eat along the edges, and they look nicer in my yard.  They are cute and look organized, and all the "rage".  It made it easier to attach a trellis for my tomatoes.  no decrease in bugs, and my German shepherd developed a liking to green tomatoes and could get her front half into the vines, after some shaking of the tomato forest, out came her front half with a look like a kid with a hand in the cookie jar, and a tomato in her in her mouth.  they can have clear plastic stapled to the top and germinate and kill weed seeds.  I worry with the ones with legs, when filled with wet soil, that a bonk from a riding mower might wrack them to the side.  Not sure what the min. depth of soil required for different plants is.  I think squirrels and birds can have at it, but the wood beds are more easily adapted to netting of fence.

I would develop a general design and place them at locations, then take orders to fill to spec, with maybe some standard sizes for the folks that have to have one on the spot.  In town I would not try to sell to the farm stores, as they have cheap ones out.  The local true vale and ace stores are more like a mom and pop store here in town.  also we have a renues-it store and they have high end clients buying old looking or rustic stuff.  We also have a Smith's market and they sell old style food and games.  worn hardwood floors.  they sell lots of squirrel corn on the cob ect.  Places were folks shop looking for charm, not the cheapest deal in town.  

[doc henderson]

I would use a glue and screw method with Titebond 3 or construction adhesive.  these can be as simple as a 2 foot square open bottom box, made with slab wood with bark on to set on the ground and fill with amended soil.

[aigheadish]

I love the idea of planters for the sole reason of not having to bend over. My buddy bought a whole bunch of cinder blocks and made a several raised beds, that are probably 3' high and it appears to make it very easy to grow and pick your produce. We're not quite there yet but I imagine we will be, but we'll have to fight off the deer. 

Previously, in other houses, squirrels were an issue. My stepmom suggested I drape dog hair over all the plants and it did a beautiful job of keeping the critters at bay.