Thread: My first project - hardly Krenov, but still...

Originally Posted by Handyjack

It looks great!
So the measurements are out a bit here and there - I can't tell. (One of the bits of trim at the bottom is missing though.)
A (circular) saw connected to a dust extractor (vacuum cleaner) makes working conditions more enjoyable and reduces clean up. One of first purchases 30 years ago was a pair of folding saw horses. I still use them today.
Your boss is giving you lots of encouragement and I hope you enjoy what you make.

I actually quite enjoyed doing all the cross-cuts (of the cladding) and mitres by hand, it was admittedly extremely frustrating ("Why?? Why does my hand not obey my brain??!") but very satisfying in those few moments where feet, arm and wood sang in harmony... I actually borrowed the outlaws' circ saw the other day, and didn't even get round to using it - I must confess, I was actually a little apprehensive - get it wrong with a carcass saw and you need a plaster; get it wrong with a powertool and you need a new finger! As an accident (not with any kind of tool) a number of years ago left me with limited movement in my middle and ring finger on my left hand, I am reluctant to lose anything else

Some kind of dust extraction would be a boon however, no matter how careful I am in the cleanup there is invariably a fine layer of wood dust on an eggcup at the back of a cupboard (or somewhere similarly inaccessible) that catches a certain sharp eye...!

Have been thinking about getting some sawhorses, but as with everything there is a considerable range in price (and presumably, quality!) and it's always hard to know where I should be aiming - like on this site: you can get drawn in by the fantastic amount of knowledge so many of the members have - especially those who who work with wood for a living - and start thinking that the same issues will apply to you. That's not very clear, is it?? As an example, whether it's the difference between honing to 8000 vs 16000 on Shaptons, or this trade brand versus that one, practically speaking, as a bit of a novice it's unlikely to make a noticeable difference to you. I do not need a Festool circular saw, for example, but if you spend long enough in appropriate section of the forum you can find a justification for it! Ditto a Bridge City plane, or a Shapton Reference Diamond Lapping Plate, or a...

I am indeed grateful for the encouragement and support being given by Herself, it makes life a lot easier!

Thanks for all the words of advice and encouragement, it's very heartening!

Originally Posted by dr4g0nfly

Looking Good and a nice WIP.

So the necessary questions;

1. Does the 'Minister for Domestic Affairs' like it, and
2. Has she placed her order for the next 'I would like...', and
3. Does the next (something) require an exciting addition of the tool collection...?

Cheers! And the Relevant Responses:

1. She is "very proud" (she's almost overdoing the moral support, I wonder what she's up to... )

2. There's several options apparently vying equally for her attention, she's changed her mind at least three times already! Current alternatives include a set of nested tables, a bookshelf, and another piece of outdoor furniture (of an unspecified nature), this time with built-in little separate sleeping spaces for our two extremely Nocturnally-Annoying, pesky cats

3. I am sure that, whatever it is, there will be no feasible way of completing it without SOME awesome new tool!

Seriously though, this is actually part of the compact - when I finish a project, I am allowed to get a new tool (this is one of the foundations of the Inter-Departmental Alliance!). Ideally, of course, this will be something that will aid in the next project, and therefore, in the quest to learn a new skill/technique...

I may well be asking for advice on good purchases, once the Project Selection Committee has deliberated further...

Originally Posted by Christos

Might suggest to place a drop sheet on the floor next build. That way some of the dust remains in close to the work area.

Genius.

I seriously had not even considered anything like that.

We are looking to move at some point later on this year (hopefully), and I am very much hoping any future premises includes a space that will be dedicated as a shop (a couple of places we have been looking at have had workshops, she saw the gleam in my eye), but in the meantime anything that keeps the rest of the house tidier is a big plus!

So this is after an application of exterior oil - I used Organoil Garden Furniture Oil, I think it's basically tung oil with a few other things thrown in.

The boards used for the top were planed with a 4 1/2 smoother, while the rest of the cladding was sanded to 180 (I didn't see the point of going any higher, it's outdoor furniture, and the wood used for decking doesn't tend to be the highest quality anyway, does it?)

Very nice! That came out really well bud!

[QUOTE=Needles;1545821]So this is after an application of exterior oil - I used Organoil Garden Furniture Oil, I think it's basically tung oil with a few other things thrown in.

Lovely work with so few tools. Looks beautiful with the finish.

Top marks for ingenuity.\
Cheers
Wolffie

That has come out very nicely
well done
and one must applaud the alliance

Originally Posted by Needles

...
So I just used some 8mm dowelling for the plugs for the top, and a crappy Bunnies flushcut saw (which is already pretty much trashed from the one project, all bent out of shape!)

...

Might I suggest that the veritas flush cut saw might be a better option

That's come up looking very nice.

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Might I suggest that the veritas flush cut saw might be a better option

It's currently sitting in my shopping cart on the Carbatec website!

I should point out, I continually torture myself by having a 'wish list' of things I have convinced myself I require in order to continue my journey into the world of wood sitting in my shopping cart, when I actually make a purchase most of them are reluctantly [temporarily] deleted in favour of those immediately needed/that are affordable! I have often wondered if the website admins monitor that kind of stuff, they must constantly think there's someone about to drop some serious cash on them (and be just as constantly disappointed).
It's rare that my Carbatec shopping cart has less than three or four hundred dollars' worth of stuff that I will probably never get round to actually purchasing!

Luckily for me, LN does not save your cart contents (Offhand, I reckon I could spend two thousand dollars in 30 seconds on LN gear... Tom, you do make beautiful tools... )


The alliance is holding together well, despite an uneasy moment when I put a scratch in the floorboards with a sneaky screw that hadn't been filed flush enough. I also have extra CP (Claire points) anyway at the moment as it is our third anniversary on Saturday and she is feeling appropriately mushy.

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement, it is extremely heartening. I may well quote you all, particularly gems such as "Lovely work with so few tools" (thank you Indranil!) that justify further purchases - clearly, if she desires plugs on the sides as well, the Veritas plug cutter and flush cut saw will not be deleted from the Carbatec shopping cart in the next order!

Originally Posted by Needles

Assembled (no hinges or feet yet)...

Hi Needles I reckon your outside bench come storage box looks pretty sharp
Looking forward to some more of your projects…. so that my minister for everything can organise some for me.
Colbra

Excellent finished product there Needles! Well done champ

Awesome job there mate, i love how it looks like you've been pushed into different rooms during the projects advancement hehe