Small Projects and an IKEA knock off

  My Grand kids were here for a couple of days on the weekend and as well as rambling adventures in the 'Dark Forest' behind our house the kids worked on various projects with Oma and I.

  Clara and Oma cooked, they made home made pasta and pizza including the dough and cup cakes, (from scratch).

  The batter and icing was filled with orange zest, those were not ordinary cupcakes.  Clara also has learned how to crochet slippers.  She has learned that things you make yourself bring the most satisfaction. 

  My grandson arrived with a project plan in mind, including dimensions.  He wanted a shelving unit upon which to display his many LEGO projects. He wanted a unit 75 inches long, 31 inches high with three shelves.  Once we seriously examined his plan it became clear that the unit would not fit into any of our cars to deliver it to their home.  We redesigned the unit into two pieces and then cut out all the sections, drilled the necessary holes and even counted out and packaged the screws.

  This project was a useful  learning experience for us.  The young fellow learned how to be a good table saw helper . Safety and operating procedures  are important things to learn from the very beginning.

  We are trying to keep a low profile and stay close to home and so it is a good time for maintenance and improvisation.  I have been sharpening tools as well as culling old finishes and lumber.  It is also a good time to replace glued sanding disks.

   

  My father made this sander/grinder for his shop when I was a kid. On the right side is a aluminium disk I bought in a tool store years ago to replace a plywood disk.  I have been using the sanding disk for a long time cleaning it with a crepe block. Finally I used my heat gun to loosen the glue and replace the paper.

  On the left side is the original sanding disk, a plywood disk with a 5/8 centre hole.  I had stopped using the wood disk, it flexed.  I decided to improvise and so found an old 7 inch saw blade, a plywood blade with lots of little teeth and glued it to the plywood disk.  Now I have two grits available to me 80 and 150. 

  I am working on 45 degree jigs in my shop now.  I have a couple of mitre corner boxes I want to make from thin wood, too thin to cut accurately with the mitre saw. I plan to rough cut the wood to length and refine the 45 degree mitre using hand tools.  The glue is setting and the jig will be in use tomorrow.

  I am a home body and so don't find the current situation a strain but if you do.  Hang in there, this is a short term aggravation  to avoid long term unhappiness.

cheers, ianw