Large Flower Pot Cover

  Few things are more enjoyable than making something that someone needs.  My daughter has a container plant on her deck that gets blown over regularly so the request was made for a large wooden box to contain the plant pot and ballast against the wind.

  The only thing more enjoyable than making useful things is making it with the help of a Grand Kid. This weekend my grand son and I used reclaimed lumber to make a big box.

The base of the box is 15 inches square with 15 inch sides. 

 The skids I picked up last week are now turned into something useful. My grandson did the majority of the work on this project. He cut a skid apart and did most of the measuring, drilled all the holes and drove all the screws. 

 

  My role was to be the extra set of hands that held things while he drove screws, or measured. This was a great project in which he added the use of two new tools to his experience.

  I introduced the bandsaw and drill press a few years ago but this time I thought he was ready for the sliding mitre saw and belt sander.

  

 My grand son is a big boy just finishing grade seven, also he is thoughtful and cautious, so I am pretty comfortable showing him power tools, knowing his nature.  First we talk about safety, what to do and what can go wrong.  Then I give him a slow motion demonstration of how to use the tools.  On the sliding mitre saw for the first few cuts I held the wood for him so he could concentrate totally on the blade. By projects end he was making cuts by himself.  Things aren't to the point that he can use those tools alone in  my shop but I'm confident that he can manage without me having to hover over his shoulder.

  The belt sander smoothed the worst spots on the box and we then used gel stain to sort of even out the colour.

  Not only was this a great way to spend a while in the work shop it continued Kieran's  workshop evolution.  In the past he was impatient to finished and never bothered to sand or stain/varnish his work.  The sanding wasn't great but it is a step toward greater pride of purpose. 

  Next time more attention to detail will make for a more attractive result, I am sure.

cheers ianw

  

Found Wood Project

 The other day I picked up wood on the side of the road.  Usually the wood lays around until a project comes along.  This time I was inspired to use some of the wood right away.

  I decided to make a corner flower box to sit on our deck.    Preparing the the wood did require some edge trimming but not much else.  

Several of the boards had 45 degree ends and so I decided to use the already cut wood.  I used a combination of Kreg Pocket Holes and screws to put it together.  The were a few rotten spots  I had to work around but I like the result.

  I cut the mitre using my sliding mitre saw and measured the lengths I needed  once I fit the corners.  This found lumber is cedar and nice to work with.  In the fore front of the photo is my try square.  This try square is from my late Grandfather's wood shop. I'm not sentimental but....I could never replace Grampa's square.

   I think I will paint or stain the project, after it gets a little bit of sanding.  It will look nice on the corner of the deck with flowers next summer.

 cheers, ianw

    

summer flowers

Latest News and Small Project

   Last Thursday I resolved to clear  my 'to do'list.  My list had many little tasks that I had been put off or ignored for a long time.  As I was crossing off these listed items many others things rose up.  After the 'to do' was complete I then spent two more days on shop related tasks arising from 'to do'.

   What were the tasks?  A couple of hours were spent sorting through my wood rack and collected off cuts.  Over time lumber had been stacked, piled and thrown into the back corner of my shop creating chaos.  A bonus for getting organised in the back corner was the rediscovery of floor space.

  While clearing and re-stacking  I also  vacuumed the entire shop.  Of course serious vacuuming meant that all the dust collectors had to be emptied and all the filters cleaned part way through the process.  When all was said and done there was nearly a bushel of stray saw dust collected in my vacuum cleaners.

  For a break while cleaning and sorting I gave Captain  his spring re-fit.  Captain will float in our water feature and provide sunning space for frogs again this season.  Kieran and I made Captain during K's Thomas Tank Engine fan boy days. 

    Another undertaking over the two days was sharpening.  I touched up shop knives, chisels and block planes, now all of those tools are ready for action again.  I used a combination of my " Work Sharp", ceramic stones and  the "Scary Sharp" system.

   The biggest job was sorting my collection of loose screws, bolts and other bits and pieces.  Many shops have one or several large jars with mixed screws etc. in them.   I do not...I used to have such jars, but now I collect the bits and pieces for a few months and then sort them back into their appropriate place.  To do that job I pour all the weird  and lonely fasteners onto my work table, this time it filled the entire table top. First I gather all similar screws together, before returning them to their respective boxes and tins.  This way I save dozens of screws for future projects.  Next bolts with nuts, nuts alone, then plugs, marrettes and things related to electricity etc. Lastly all the weird craft items, wheels, bells, bits of wire and general miscellanies are sorted, sifted and put into jars, boxes and drawers for future use.  Since I began doing this when I moved into this new shop (new house) ten years ago I have been amazed at how many things have been saved for further use and how much money has been saved.

   Another project that I did to take a break from the domestic chores of spring cleaning my shop, properly was an eight sided box to be a plant pot.

   This rough looking piece is a 'proof of concept'.  Four of the section have 90 % edges and four have 45% edges.  The 45% pieces fit proud and are then sanded flush.  If the material is thicker and the project large enough the pieces can be connected using pocket hole screws. There is a special jig you make to aid in clamping your work.

  This piece is only 3/8 inch thick, so too thin for pocket holes. Also the material is too thin to cut the 45% edges with my mitre saw, I discovered. Since I had to cut across the grain I wasn't able to plane the angle on a shooting board either.  For my next attempt I have a table saw fixture in mind that will make accurate and controlled cross grain cutting possible.  Once this project is fully sanded and finished I think the grain will make it acceptable as a flower pot.

  Pots like this as well as small boxes are going to use up various bits of lumber that I discovered while sorting the lumber rack.  I have a number of nice but orphaned pieces of lumber that will make a  small project.  

  Anyway, now my shop is much a nicer and easier place to work.

cheers ianw

'A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum'--workshop actually

  This morning after breakfast I went down to the shop to do a small lathe project.  I have got three cute little bottles and decided that I should make some lids for them. I had decided on three lids with the same shape from three different woods.  The bottles could be used for something stylish like fancy salts or  spices. 
  On my way to turning the lids two bowls and a spindle got in the way, and the lids are put off until tomorrow.

  The bowl is maple and turned out pretty well. I turned it using a variety of my carbide tipped scrapper chisels.  Initially I used the monster roughing gouge that I made a couple of years ago at a blacksmith work shop.  Once I got the lump of wood round I switched to my 'Easy Wood' tools and then used bee's wax as a finish.  I guess the bowl can be used for keys or spare change or something.

  Why did I make a bowl, when I wanted to make three lids?  I found that my face plate was screwed to the wood and I had begun shaping the bowl, last winter, I guess.  If I took the face plate off I might not get it remounted accurately later so I decided to turn the bowl and be done with it.

  The spindle was the result of me changing my mind once the bowl was done and planning to make all three lids the same. Sadly, once I got the interesting piece of fruit wood round, it was just a little to small to be used for the lids. Now the spindle is in a bin awaiting an unknown future purpose. Man turning it made a mess.  I started with the bark on, for future reference, that really cries out for serious dust collection.  

  My other face plate had a small bowl on it.  It was an experiment to see how small a bowl I could turn on my face plate.  I am trying to avoid the cost of a multi jaw chuck, so far, I've managed but......

I do like playing with my lathe.  I should also buy a dust hood , by the time I was done playing today I was covered in chips and dust.  I did wear a dust mask and safety glasses, they increase health and safety but won't reduce cleaning time.

  Last week David and I made a flower trough/deck planter.  

  Since we began with a carefully drawn plan, we ended with excellent results.  Nice finishing job guys.

cheers, Ianw

Re-claimed Flower Box and a Boot Clip

  I finally got around to making the flower box that was to use the re-claimed wood. In the process of making the box I used a tool that I reach for a couple of times a year. Every time I use my bevel gauge I pause for a minute or two. The bevel gauge in this picture is from my Grandfather's woodwork shop, it came to me from my Father's workshop, there is no doubt that is gauge has been copying angles since before I was born, maybe since before my Father was born. My Grandfather build several wooden boats, all of which are gone, but I know this tool was used in that process. I hope a whole bunch of years from now one of my Grandchildren reach for this tool occasionally and pause too.

  All that day dreaming aside, there is no tool better for copying and transferring angles.

   There above is the box unfinished and below the flower box heavily soaked with old style oil finish. I sanded the box enough to knock off sharp edges and some of the tool marks but mostly left it rustic. I made the wood box to hid the plastic one. At this point I think it is going to be used as a small herb garden, whatever it just looks better than plastic. 

  The other thing I worked on today was a tuning fork, well not actually a tuning fork, it just turned out looking like a large tuning fork. What it is is a boot clip.

  I made a few of these a couple of years ago and...no one showed any interest. Recently my niece asked for two. I like making things that people find useful. The next clip has some carving on it, so it is not finished yet.

  Unrelated to workshop time but very related to summer time. I was out riding my bike the other day in my high-vis shirt and I noticed how many people are on the road or working near traffic in low vis gear. For heaven's sake don't give the driver the chance to say 'honest officer I didn't see him'. 

 Work safe, play safe, live long.

cheers Ian W

KREG KTC5750

    I have been a big fan of pocket-hole joinery since I learned about it fifteen years ago.  I had the good fortune to work for the KREG company for nearly five years some years ago, and over that time I used all their products with great satisfaction.  When thetoolstore.ca  showed this all inclusive pocket hole jig kit I was blown away by what was included for the money.

   The following are some photos of pocket hole projects that I have done over the last few years, from simple to complex, some obvious and some unexpected.  Pocket holes made all the work easier and quicker.  There are woodworkers that "only use mortise and tenon", or "dowels" or what ever.  I don't think it is wise to exclude any technique from your bag of tricks.  

    I made two side tables like this and two cabinet doors and a panel, my wife painted them in these "Mexican" colours as part of the décor in our television room.

    Legs on this table are true 2x4s and are attached to the top with 2 1/2 inch pocket hole screws.  I bought four rough slabs like this 10 years ago and still have two left.

  The standard flower box, I made a bunch of these.  The pocket holes keeps the fasteners out of the rain and eliminates rust issues. 

    This is an ottoman/storage unit that I made for our living room, the design is to complement our Mission style furniture. 

 
    A few years ago I made this sofa/hall table using pocket holes.  The top is held on with pocket holes screws, driven in tight, then loosen half a turn to allow for wood movement.

  The last example is the classic KREG foot stool, showing the pocket holes filled with contrasting wood.  I have made dozens of these over the last ten years.


   If you read last entry, I am half way through a dovetail box.  As much as I like pocket holes, it is wise to work on dovetails to hone those skills too. The grand kids are here for the long weekend and the grand boy is sleeping in the family room next to my shop so wood work is on hold.  When he is awake I am busy with other things and when he naps, I can't work in the shop for fear of messing up his nap time.