Thread: The Outdoor Workbench

Originally Posted by Berlin

Jeez Paul, I'd never compare you to a cockroach, you're a mate! I was comparing you to an insane Bohemian existentialist. You're Kafka all over.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=k...w=1304&bih=706

Need I remind everyone of the 'log tied to a palm tree' videos... ?

Hey yeah ... so that's TWO things bloody palm trees are useful for.

Cheers,
Paul

PS ... I'm worried ... I'm starting to identify with this ...

This gate exercise is being very instructive, I think, as far as mortice & tenon joints go.

Going from theory to practice is quite a step. Some points that have come up ...

- sawing to a line is *very* useful.

- learning that you can make measurements and trust them is a new one for me, but worked really well here. The first tenon I cut oversize all the way around and it was a huge pain in the asset. The following ones were SO much better to fit.

- thinking about the whole thing is kinda daunting ... the width both ways of the tenon, the offset which relates to the reveal or flush to the stile, whether it is in line with the rail, and if when inserted it will tip the stile left-right, in-out, or rotate it out of the plane of the gate.

- having the morticer took away probably half the potential problems. Fortunately in setting it up I had already got the chisel square to the table ... and had picked up enough to reference the same side off the back of the vice each time.

- having a routine approach would probably help with the tenons ... labelling faces and ends, etc


So after a bit of a clean-up all round, the outside face is looking not too bad ... and planning the slats and supports.

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For the sake of proving some activity ...

I rebated 3/4" square all around the inside of the gate. Started with a router ... but after 1 10mm pass on one rail decided that was for mugs and used the table saw.

Rough pine ... smoother pine ... 20140105_160944 (Medium).jpg 20140105_160932 (Medium).jpg


Old gate ... getting there gate ... 20140105_193509 (Medium).jpg 20140105_193909 (Medium).jpg

I'm not sure what is wrong with a gate held together with string

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

I'm not sure what is wrong with a gate held together with string

Yep. Mustabeen a farmer at some stage!!!

"That's no farmer, that's my mother!" (boom-tish)

Relevant link: https://www.woodworkforums.com/f213/o...finish-139796/

Originally Posted by artme

Yep. Mustabeen a farmer at some stage!!!

Nah would have used baling twine

Originally Posted by Sawdust Maker

Nah would have used baling twine

True!!!

The bench will need a place to sit ... and I have these pavers, see ...
and hopefully I can improve the run-off ... cos the driveway slopes down more than a metre from the road 30+ metres away ... and sudden rain-bursts create a pooling torrent that wants to sneak inside the garage occasionally.

20140109_113941 (Medium).jpg 20140109_114010 (Medium).jpg

Although I can't see any reason why the water wouldn't be wicking away through the concrete-like mixture of blue-metal, charcoal and palm-tree roots.

Originally Posted by pmcgee

The bench will need a place to sit ... and I have these pavers, see ...
and hopefully I can improve the run-off ... cos the driveway slopes down more than a metre from the road 30+ metres away ... and sudden rain-bursts create a pooling torrent that wants to sneak inside the garage occasionally.

20140109_113941 (Medium).jpg 20140109_114010 (Medium).jpg

Although I can't see any reason why the water wouldn't be wicking away through the concrete-like mixture of blue-metal, charcoal and palm-tree roots.

"nother task!!! Just enjoy it!!!

Originally Posted by artme

"nother task!!! Just enjoy it!!!

Yeah ... 44o today (Sat) ... I was in and out like a cuckoo clock.


Between digging this stuff out and a bore/retic pipe targetted by fencing guys ... I am 4kg lighter in 3 days.
Apparently I need to do more 'gardening'.


I had a bit of fridge radiator that I had 'field surveyed' to put into a rabbit palace (for 1 rabbit) ... but it did a great job sieving dirt.

20140111_140645 (Medium).jpg 20140111_140728 (Medium).jpg

I got a decent fill into the section I had cut ... and started a test-fit to gauge the area required ...

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That quickly turned into deciding to call it quits here for now ... job well started, but enough time spent on this stuff.
So no levelling, or compacting ... I filled them in and did some sweeping and hosing.
I did have the idea in my head that this might be enough to work with ... and that was competing with the fact that I had more pavers.
In fact it is plainly not enough, and there is enough for three more rows.
But this will do for now.
Interested to see what happens in a quick, heavy downpour.

Cheers,
Paul

Not Convinced ...

The Council Surveyor is wondering where he will scratch out a hole to lie in now.

... inconsiderate bloody people. >: /

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Really it is up to you but for me I would go the extra three more rows. If this also stops water coming into the garage then all the better.

Christos is right. It would be a shame to have done all that work and for the sake a a little
more effort and money not finish the job.

I can imagine the angst later when, inevitably, what has been done is demonstrated not to
be sufficient.