What's on the bench.

[wtnhighlander]

Now that is an interesting way to solve a problem!

[Chestnut]

Nice solution to the problem.

[legenddc]

Has anyone used these bed rail brackets or something similar they could recommend? I might be making a bedframe to go around one of those fancy adjustable beds to connect to an existing headboard so this wouldn't be support any weight.

[treeslayer]

2 minutes ago, legenddc said:

Has anyone used these bed rail brackets or something similar they could recommend? I might be making a bedframe to go around one of those fancy adjustable beds to connect to an existing headboard so this wouldn't be support any weight.

You might touch base with @CoopI think he has used them or something like that 

[Coop]

Mine were heavier as they did support the mattress and were mortised into the headboard.

[Robby W]

I used a set of similar brackets. Mine were flat steel and set in mortises. The entire weight of mattress, box springs, people and assorted bedtime activities were supposed without problem.

[Bmac]

I'm as crazy about surf fishing as I am about woodworking. This winter I decided I would make a bunch of Classic Striper Coast surf lures, what better way to join together 2 hobbies. So after a bunch of research I got started and now I'm addicted. A lot of these classic wooden lures sell for $20 plus, and there is a growing group of independent producers cropping up all along the Northeast Coast. I don't plan to sell anything, but my fishing buddies are super excited that I plan to share my creations.

Here are some classic designs, the Habs Needlefish, the Canal Hawg and a new classic the 2T Pencil;

Some more Canal Hawgs, 2T Pencils and smaller Albie Pencils;

A small school of Squids waiting to be employed;

And finally, a production line started;

So production starts with the design, then make a turning blank, thru drill that and then turn. Drill out you holes for hooks and weights. A dip in wood sealer, paint, coat of epoxy and then put together. It is very addicting!

[Chet]

@Bmac do you use a specific wood because of the weight factor?

[Bmac]

You really can use a variety @Chet, depending on which lure you are making and what you want it to do. Lighter woods give more floatation and in some respects more action to a lure. Surface lures are often cedar or pine. I used paulownia (left over from surf board builds) for a lot of my lighter surface lures and weighted them. The big time makers swear by Alaskan White Cedar. Maple and birch are common more dense woods used, these are for lures you want to work below the surface, from there you weight them appropriately depending on the desired action. I used maple for quite a few and am trying some cherry also, alittle less dense than maple so it should have a little more floatation.

I plan to move into some lipped lures next, studying those now, they are alittle more difficult, where and how much you weight them is critical.  

Since these are used in the surf you are really not looking to get a lot of depth, action of the lure is more key. With surface lures the way it sits in the water, depending on where and how you weight them, is also key. 

Here's a how to article from a plug maker, I'm making a bunch of these, it's pretty interesting and you can follow the process;

https://www.thefisherman.com/article/plug-building-1-the-habs-needlefish/

And here's a link to a page with a bunch of builds;

https://www.thefisherman.com/category/plug-lure-building/

[JohnG]

Quick win project between rounds of playing in the snow with my kids. We recently upgraded my middle kid from a toddler bed to a twin bed. We found a decent used wood bed with drawers below. One of the center support/guides for a drawer was broken so I made a new one. It was a nice opportunity to try out my new shop layout and DC setup.

Broken piece had some crazy grain.

 

New one made from a scrap piece of maple.

Edges eased with my little stanley. Then a quick coat of shellac and then wax.

 

In place and back in service!

[Chestnut]

On 1/15/2022 at 3:44 PM, Bmac said:

I plan to move into some lipped lures next, studying those now, they are alittle more difficult, where and how much you weight them is critical. 

If you make some lipped lures share. I could easily get into this. I'd probably try and make shad style lures, which aren't expensive but home made sounds like a lot more fun.

[JohnG]

This didn’t actually touch my bench but I made a cabinet for our new double oven today. Our old oven/cabinet were narrower. 

My track saw got a lot of use.

[Coop]

@Bmac, are the hooks on a lure connected to each other and the front eyelet via an internal wire or are they independently screwed to the body and are only as strong as the screw itself? I suspect the later? On bigger fish, that just seems like a lot of stress on a small screw. 

[curlyoak]

@Bmac, This time of the year we are catching pompano. Are they available for you in the Summer? 

[BonPacific]

Not so much on the bench, and finished this yesterday, but it will function as an interim until I get back to non-shop projects.

Whipped up a quick-and-dirty torsion box assembly table.

[Bmac]

On 2/5/2022 at 7:51 PM, Coop said:

@Bmac, are the hooks on a lure connected to each other and the front eyelet via an internal wire or are they independently screwed to the body and are only as strong as the screw itself? I suspect the later? On bigger fish, that just seems like a lot of stress on a small screw. 

Great question Coop, all these plugs are thru-wired, no screws. I thru drill the blanks prior to turning on the lathe and a hole is placed mid-lure for a swivel. Hooks are then attached to the tail loop and the swivel hanging from the thru wire. Screw in hook hangers/eyes can be done but you are correct they are not as strong.

On 2/6/2022 at 12:46 PM, curlyoak said:

@Bmac, This time of the year we are catching pompano. Are they available for you in the Summer? 

Boy, a real tasty fish for sure. We get a few up into NJ in Aug/Sept, much more in the Carolinas. Not enough to usually target them in NJ. 

[legenddc]

Anyone familiar with the kids books If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? Pretty much defines my woodworking lately.

Yesterday I modified the holder I use with my dad's taper jig. I think I'll need to take the time at some point to make an adjustable one. Got it done, tested the taper on a spare leg and got approval from the boss. Of course the offcut fell into the slot and shot down into the saw. Thankfully I was aware it could happen and was well out of the way but wasn't about to test my luck with 8 tapers.

Cut out a rough blank for a new ZCI. Installed the new router I bought at the end of the year into the router lift and got that ready for tonight to cut it to size. Will have to route out the protrusions on the saw as well before work can proceed. And will need to put on a dado blade to start the slot.

[gee-dub]

On 2/9/2022 at 11:18 AM, legenddc said:

Of course the offcut fell into the slot and shot down into the saw.

Wait, people on here run saws without ZCI's???

[legenddc]

On 2/9/2022 at 4:02 PM, gee-dub said:

Wait, people on here run saws without ZCI's???

Yup.

I think since I do crosscuts with an Incra Miter Express I've avoided making one. Maybe? Just too much to do and I've been trying to focus on furniture not shop things. Might have to take a break and crank out some shop stuff here soon.

[legenddc]

Took longer to make the ZCI then it did to cut the tapers. 

[Chestnut]

The off cut is part of the reason i cut tapers on the band saw. I usually cut them freehand to the line because I'm too lazy to make a jig.

I've learned that plywood for ZCIs is the way to go. I kept getting my solid wood ones stuck in the opening in the summer when the wood would expand. My only other hangup is that I have a hard time getting all my inserts to sit flush with the cast iron.

[legenddc]

That makes sense. I cut them once on a bandsaw but it was pretty early on in my woodworking hobby. I need to figure out why my bandsaw doesn't cut very smoothly and fix it.

Fortunately I was able to use the dado ZCI to set the depth of the router bit for this one. I'd like to find a negative form of the saw protrusions so I could use a flush trim bit and crank any future ones out quickly.

[JohnG]

I should be getting my bigger bandsaw soon!  Looking forward to moving more operations to the bandsaw, even though I do love my TS.

[JohnG]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:35 AM, JohnG said:

I should be getting my bigger bandsaw soon!  Looking forward to moving more operations to the bandsaw, even though I do love my TS.

Speaking of… I just got notification that it shipped! Ordered a resawking blade for it, too. 

[legenddc]

On 2/10/2022 at 4:32 PM, JohnG said:

Speaking of… I just got notification that it shipped! Ordered a resawking blade for it, too. 

What kind are you getting?

Went to a fairly new lumber yard/sawmill this weekend. They've only been in business for 3 or 4 years but have a ton of equipment, lots of inventory and ability to mill things. Starting to have things S3S ready to be purchased for the same price as rough. 

Biggest downside besides being just over an hour away from me is most of their boards are 12' and my wife's SUV only fits 8'. Need to plan ahead some for that as I'm used to boards being closer to 8'. They were nice enough to cut them down for me on a miter saw but I bring my cordless jigsaw just in case.