What's on the bench.

[wtnhighlander]

Picture frames are anything but 'simple'! Yours look really nice, and the artwork is cool, too.

[BonPacific]

Thanks. I think I'm converted to the simple halflap frame instead of fiddly miters, which is good because I need more frames. I think we bought this art something like 5 years ago on a trip, and they've just been sitting in a drawer or moving box until now.

[Chestnut]

It'd be kind of fun to do the half laps in a stair step around the frame so no on edge extends full length.

I really like the look of splined miters and figured out a good trick so they are pretty easy now. Gluing is the only sucky part, I only have 1 picture frame clamp.

[legenddc]

Looks great! I made my first frame with half-lap joints. Need to start on some mitered ones soon. Some jig making is in my future.

[JohnG]

I’ve had good luck with the tape method for mitered picture frames, but it is a bit fiddly. Tried a band clamp a few times but hated it. 

On 1/5/2023 at 8:15 AM, Chestnut said:

It'd be kind of fun to do the half laps in a stair step around the frame so no on edge extends full length.

I really like the look of splined miters and figured out a good trick so they are pretty easy now. Gluing is the only sucky part, I only have 1 picture frame clamp.

I’ve wanted to do this half lap method too. I’m sure you’ll get around to it long before I do.

L-Fence is fantastic for trimming the splines, if you haven’t used that method before. 

[Chestnut]

2 hours ago, JohnG said:

L-Fence is fantastic for trimming the splines, if you haven’t used that method before. 

I indeed use an L-fence method. It's not an L-Fence per which ever woodworking magazine has presented. I just have a 1"x1" hardwood block with holes in it that I attach to my fence above the table of the table saw. It does the same thing but it's easier to joint a board and drill 2 holes than make the complicated fence contraption. This is tongue in cheek because the L fence isn't complicated. I just didn't have the time to make it but had the 1x1 already jointed and milled and just had to drill 2 holes for my fence clamps.

This is a picture of what I'm doing, ignore the operation I'm doing here but it is the only picture i could find. I have a different piece of milled hardwood instead of this piece of plywood. Also instead of being on the table it just gets clamped with a space underneath.

[Tom King]

Thinking about that vacuum bagging setup, I was checking on release fabric for doing fiberglass work in it.  Rudders are no longer available for our Hobie 21, and I was thinking about pulling a mold off of one of the rudders we still have on it.  It wouldn't be too hard to make some really strong ones with carbon fiber layup, but about the only good way to do it is with vacuum bagging.

Found a bunch of choices right off:

https://www.westsystem.com/tools-supplies/vacuum-bagging-supplies/release-fabric/

[Chestnut]

I was thinking about doing some fiberglass work beings that I have the bag now. I was stumped on what to use to get the epoxy to release from the bag and that answers my question. There is a good manual on west systems website covering the process.

[BonPacific]

Been working on a design of small hexagonal box (a dice box if you play any tabletop RPGs). So I spent a good chunk of today knocking together and tuning a hexagon-cutting sled. Took a little shimming and testing, but I got it dialed in.

[Coop]

Tease! 

We want pics. 

[BonPacific]

Ha, just for you @Coop I went back and took some pictures.

Pretty bog standard sled. Hardwood runners on a small chunk of scrap plywood since I'm not planning anything bigger than a few inches per side. Old plane handle, and the angled fence set to 120*, then a removable stop block cut to the complementary angle (the block doesn't need to be as precise, just enough to lock the piece). The farthest screw woth the washer is in an oversized hole and was my pivot point. I then loosely (so it could still rotate) screwed a backing block on the left side behind the fence, and used a standard wood shim and squeeze clamp to dial in the angle. When the 6-cut test came out good I fixed the fence down with a few screws and removed the adjustment block.

You can see the giant pile of test pieces in the back.

The lower box is prototype #1, made with unknown softwood, filled with some failed dice castings, cut pretty inconsistently with the miter gauge and with the lid fit with some questionable router work.

Top box is prototype #2, made with a chunk of scrap butternut cut on the new sled. Also has a completed set of my dice. I'm going to try out magnets for the second box, rather than a lipped lid.

Hard to see here, but I've lined the bottom of each hole with a punched out disc of leather.

And a related cherry and leather rolling tray I got into clamps. Have I mentioned I don't enjoy fiddly miters?

[Chestnut]

I have too many dice.... I'd need about 50 of these boxes. I played a LOT of MTG and got a lot of dice from taking part in events. Often if you place in the top 5 you get some sort of prize.

That's a cool idea though for the standard set of D&D dice. My mind first went to the way more complicated version of making a hollow hexagon with a top and bottom and then cutting an insert to fit using the insert to hold the lid on. Kind of like a lined box. Hitting the hexagon miters might be harder though.

[BonPacific]

The backside of my tablesaw blade was out about .005". First time I've had to align the table on this saw, and man it's nice using well-designed tools. Took longer to make a new miter-slide for the dial indicator (couldn't find whatever I'd cobbled together during assembly) than to true up the saw, though I did have to grab a breaker bar for a couple of the factory bolts. Marc was right about the SawStop set screw adjustments.

[BillyJack]

 

..

 

[roughsawn]

After advice from you guys, and some of my own ideas...I got started on my rolling workbench. It will be a cabinet style, with a 32"X6' top. Laminated 1"X2" red oak. All the lumber is cut to rough length for the cabinet...and I just finished the top(along with first coat of BLO).

How many coats of BLO would be appropriate for this top?

[wtnhighlander]

BLO on a work surface is one of things that just gets better with age. The only advice I have is to go light with the first few coats on red oak. If you flood it on like many people say, you'll find it weeping out the pores on the underside within a week, Don't ask ....

[roughsawn]

OK, thanks. Yep, I went light on the first coat. There really wasn't anything left to wipe off after 20 min or so. The light coat had already soaked in. I'll give it another coat tomorrow, then get started on the cabinet.

Will 2 coats be enough?

[wtnhighlander]

How much is "enough" depends on your goal for the finish. If you just want to seal the work surface against glue drips and such, 2 or 3 is probably good. But on a surface that sees a lot of contact, BLO wears away. The rule of thumb is to apply one a day fir a week, once a week for a month, once a month fir a year, and once a year thereafter. 

That is a good rule for tool handles, probably overkill for a benchtop.

[roughsawn]

Thank you for that. Never heard that rule of thumb.

[drzaius]

Just a caution that more layers of BLO will make the surface slicker. I sanded my bench top to 80 grit and then applied one coat of oil. That provides enough protection to let glue be easily popped off, but doesn't leave the surface too slick.

[roughsawn]

I only sanded to 120. It was slick for 3 days, and on the 4th day I rubbed in some sawdust, then cleaned it off. A week later, the shine is gone, and it is a nice working surface. Not slick, but not grabby, either. Been using it to build the cabinet on, and all is well. The cabinet is built, and dry fit. Dado's and rabbets turned out nice.

I have to mill the lumber for the back now, and glue it up. It'll be a solid oak back...about 52"X 31"X3/4". I'll set it into a 3/4" deep rabbet all the way around the inside of the back of the cabinet. Unless someone has a better idea. It's one of them things I've lost sleep over...lol

[BonPacific]

Sigh

 

[Coop]

That doesn’t sound like a sigh of relief? Not being a turner but you probably didn’t want a hole in the bottom of your bowl unless it is a funnel? How do you recover? 

[wtnhighlander]

Looks like an opportunity to make that into a 2-species project!

[Chestnut]

I'm having a lot of fun making simple quick things that are used by hazel. One idea we got from our daycare was to make a bar with mirrors so she can work on standing and moving. The mirrors give us the ability to stick on suction cup toys but also provide Hazel entertainment. The little girl in the window is her best friend right now.

I was considering something free standing but decided it was easier to just clamp it to our railing. This also allows it to be removed and stored when she's done using it. How ever I'm now short 2 clamps that i use pretty regularly.

Next project aside from the chair project is filling in between the balusters. Currently there is a 6" gap between them and we can literally pass Hazel through this railing with no issues.