The Conestoga Wagon build

Kenbo said:
Brink said:
????? Filled them with.....?
Click to expand...

13 are filled with dried, ground corn cobs, 1 is filled with rice, and 1 is filled with a mixture of rice and corn cobs.
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Missed an opportunity to get rid of some of the sawdust hanging around the shop. At least it would have made a small dent.

:lol:
 
kweinert said:
Kenbo said:
Brink said:
????? Filled them with.....?
Click to expand...

13 are filled with dried, ground corn cobs, 1 is filled with rice, and 1 is filled with a mixture of rice and corn cobs.
Click to expand...

Missed an opportunity to get rid of some of the sawdust hanging around the shop. At least it would have made a small dent.

:lol:
Click to expand...
Not so grasshopper, Kenbo doesn't let dust collect in his shop. Now my shop, that's a whole nuther topic of discussion. :sarcastic:
 
kweinert said:
Kenbo said:
Brink said:
????? Filled them with.....?
Click to expand...

13 are filled with dried, ground corn cobs, 1 is filled with rice, and 1 is filled with a mixture of rice and corn cobs.
Click to expand...

Missed an opportunity to get rid of some of the sawdust hanging around the shop. At least it would have made a small dent.

:lol:
Click to expand...


Tried the sawdust. It didn't allow the bags to sit properly. I guess the sawdust didn't have enough weight to it and the bag looked "fake". The rice sat the prettiest when it was lying flat, but when sat up on end, it all settled in the bottom and made the bag look terrible. The ground corn cobs sat nicely when flat and when sat on end, they did settle on the bottom, but enough stay throughout the bag to make the sacks look right. Believe you me, I thought about the sawdust. I obsess over this project. I think through things all week long. There has been many thought processes rifled through my head long before the wood touches a blade. I've been thinking about the cargo now for about a month. The ideas I came up with were definitely not spur of the moment. I obsessed over the fiddle for weeks as well before I took the plunge and tried to make one. Once I got the template made for that, it was smooth sailing (sort of). Tomorrow's crates should be a walk in the park, now that I have the basic methods in place.
Stay tuned guys.
 
I put in another 7 hours on the wagon yesterday and didn't get very far. I continued on the crate making and I will hopefully get them done today. Here's hoping.

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I thought you where the scroller and Mike was the box maker. :sarcastic: Now Mike has bought a scroll saw and you are making boxes. :sarcastic::rofl2: Funny stuff for sure, Great work Ken.:good::good2:
 
Once Ken hooks up a pair of oxen to that yoke he's going to be a teamster on top of already being a seamster.

:mocking:
 
Kevin said:
Once Ken hooks up a pair of oxen to that yoke he's going to be a teamster on top of already being a seamster.

:mocking:
Click to expand...

:rotflmao3::rotflmao3::rotflmao3:
 
Spent another day in the shop today and got all the cargo made and loaded into the wagon. These crates are very time consuming as each one takes 30 slats. I cut each slat on the scroll saw to give them an imperfect edge. Considering that there are 21 crates and each one has 30 slats, I cut 630 individual slats. It took way longer than I had anticipated but I think it was well worth the effort. I'm happy with the way they turned out. I also put a finish on the guitar and fiddle, but they were still wet when I left the shop so I didn't get a photo of it. This is where we are at now. The cargo is done. For those who are interested, I did the math and so far, I have logged in 202 hours on this project and that doesn't include the time researching, planning and drawing out templates/patterns. That's a lot of hours for sure.

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When you first started this I thought "this will be cool". But every time you post an update it keeps exceeding my expectations. This is one of the coolest projects I've ever seen.
 
And just for the record, these home made TNT crates are touchy. Fragile doesn't begin to explain it.


 
Kevin said:
When you first started this I thought "this will be cool". But every time you post an update it keeps exceeding my expectations. This is one of the coolest projects I've ever seen.
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No kidding! I totally agree. The hours really don't mean anything except a timeline and Kens amazing speed. It's a labor of love and just way too cool for sure. You continue to blow me away Ken.
 
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And with that, I call it quits on this build. The only thing that I have left to do is add the hay to the feed trough. I have to say that I am extremely pleased with the way it came out. I love the canopy and the cargo. I had a blast sewing and I guess that my scrolling skills really came in handy when it came to working with the sewing machine. Thanks to Mrs Kenbo for teaching me how to set up and use the machine. Now, after seeing my straight hems, she wants me to make some curtains for my youngest daughter's room. I'm not so sure about that one. I had a fantastic time with this build and I enjoyed every step along the way. There were plenty of challenges, from figuring out how to make the wheels, to making the barrel and miniature fiddle. The challenges and thought process are what makes these builds fun. A huge thanks to everyone on the forum who followed this thread. Without your encouragement and kind words, it just wouldn't be as much fun. All of your input is much appreciated and it is fine people like you, that make me strive to improve what I do in the woodworking world every time I step into the shop.
Without a doubt, the most challenging part of this build, was the wheels. What a nightmare figuring out the heptagons. (I still love that word). One of my favourite things? The fiddle. I love the way it came out and I might even make another one for a Christmas tree ornament. I also loved the sewing. Very, very cool stuff. Another great part of this build was the research. I learned a lot about the history of the wagons and what their purpose was and how they play a very important part in North American history.
I would love to hear some of your feedback. What was your favourite part of this build? I know that my least favourite part, is the fact that it is over.
Thanks for lookin' in guys.

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I just don't have the words for how cool this is. MAGNIFICENT!!!! Still doesn't fit. I have enjoyed this build and journey very much, thank you Ken for sharing with us all. It is us members that are blessed and inspired by the great projects that you share with us. :drinks::biggrin::good::good2:
 
Favorite part?? the fact that you took the extra time it takes to share the journey with all off us. Quite a project-beautiful result!!!!!
Other favorite part- the wheels- they are amazing!! THANKS :yipee::yipee::yipee::yipee::yipee::drinks::drinks:
 
I'm actually kinda sad that you've reached the end of this one...it sure was a blast to 'see' the various steps in making that opus of a Conestoga! Thanks again for sharing it with us as you went. Very instructive, and extremely inspiring! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Sean
 
I think my favorite part is how well you documented the journey. It was not overly detailed nor overly vague. It was like a good movie - it just kept sucking you in... and about when you though you had your head wrapped around it there was a new twist... a new level of detail that pulled you in further. Before you knew it you were completely submersed! (A lesson for me in the value of detail - Thank You)
Scott
 
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