What did you do in your shop today?

Finally unpacked the new compound miter saw. Very cool looking, can’t wait to use it. Already thinking about upgrading the blade. Didn’t think it would sit in a box for a year!!!

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Well I finally got some shop time today, mostly just cleaning up and putting stuff away.
The workbench and outfeed tables where covered with stuff, got it all put away.
I really haven't been in the shop much over the last year, (work sucks) and I noticed some very light surface rust on the table saw, so it was time to buff that off with an ultra fine scotchbrite pad and then give it a coat of paste wax.
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All done. I use minwax pastewax for machine tables and ways as I find it to be harder and longer lasting than Johnson and Johnson paste wax. But it's a bitch to buff off, so I use a turtlwax buffer to help with that.
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Then I noticed the dust collector drum was almost full so I emptied that so that when I actually get some time to make something the dust collector will be ready
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Then I scrounged up some 3/4" round bar to make some cutting tools for the newly aquired hollowing rig.
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Now I need to machine the end for a carbide cutter and figure out what I'm gonna do for a handle. @Courtland its a start.
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Then I got my ebike back in the shop so I can do some work on it before spring. You can see a fender on the shop stool, thats what I'll be working on. I never liked the fenders on the bike, they look nice but dont work well to keep the crud off the bike or me so its time to fix that.
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@woodtickgreg Give the hollowing bar a try without a handle. I've never used mine with one. I just let the bar extend a couple inches behind the swivel holder and grip the swivel head when hollowing. You really don't need much leverage, and to me, a long handle just gets in the way.
 
woodtickgreg said:
I use minwax pastewax for machine tables and ways as I find it to be harder and longer lasting than Johnson and Johnson paste wax.
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Maybe I’ve been under a rock, but I just learned that SC Johnson Paste Wax, something that has probably been in every home for 75-100 years, was discontinued at the end of 2021. You can still find a few cans - on eBay if you have $75 burning a hole in your pocket. There was one can available for $35, but it wasn’t full.

Learned this because I too was cleaning and waxing table saw top and lathe ways and my can is almost empty.
 
trc65 said:
@woodtickgreg Give the hollowing bar a try without a handle. I've never used mine with one. I just let the bar extend a couple inches behind the swivel holder and grip the swivel head when hollowing. You really don't need much leverage, and to me, a long handle just gets in the way.
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Interesting.........I could actually just cut the round bar a little longer for kind of a mini handle.
 
Tom Smart said:
Maybe I’ve been under a rock, but I just learned that SC Johnson Paste Wax, something that has probably been in every home for 75-100 years, was discontinued at the end of 2021. You can still find a few cans - on eBay if you have $75 burning a hole in your pocket. There was one can available for $35, but it wasn’t full.

Learned this because I too was cleaning and waxing table saw top and lathe ways and my can is almost empty.
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I did not know that, lol. Guess my can is worth something, lol. I find the SC Johnson stuff to be softer even in the can, must be more solvent in it.
 
woodtickgreg said:
Interesting.........I could actually just cut the round bar a little longer for kind of a mini handle.
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Give that a try, I would guess most people use a handle, but for me, I think it gives me a better feel for what is happening. If I ever wanted one, would probably make it only 6" long or so, just enough to wrap my hand around.
 
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Tom Smart said:
Maybe I’ve been under a rock, but I just learned that SC Johnson Paste Wax, something that has probably been in every home for 75-100 years, was discontinued at the end of 2021. You can still find a few cans - on eBay if you have $75 burning a hole in your pocket. There was one can available for $35, but it wasn’t full.

Learned this because I too was cleaning and waxing table saw top and lathe ways and my can is almost empty.
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Didn't know that either.

FYI, got an unopened (NOS) can sitting in my shop that I bought a while ago and haven't needed yet. I'm not greedy, so bidding will start at $50... :lol2:
 
Tom Smart said:
Maybe I’ve been under a rock, but I just learned that SC Johnson Paste Wax, something that has probably been in every home for 75-100 years, was discontinued at the end of 2021. You can still find a few cans - on eBay if you have $75 burning a hole in your pocket. There was one can available for $35, but it wasn’t full.

Learned this because I too was cleaning and waxing table saw top and lathe ways and my can is almost empty.
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Nooooo!!!!!!! If I'd have known they were discontinuing it, I'd have bought a couple/few cans... I've got about 1/2 a can left right now.
 
We just got home from spending a couple of days in East Texas with friends. My buddy set aside a crotch section of a tree he was cutting up for firewood. Oak, Red Oak I believe, and dead for at least 2 full years. I put it on the lathe this afternoon and found all kind of character in it.

Finished with 1 coat of Tried & True so far.

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Yesterday I finished up the lathe restoration I posted a thread on. I also finished up a bar top for a friend. I was in charge of getting it all glued up and cut to length. He's in charge of finishing it and figuring out how to compensate for the awful twist a few of the old boards he brought me had in it when they put it in place. I had to reinforce one of the glue joints with pocket screws, otherwise the twist in a couple of the boards was going to pull the glue joint apart. It'll be a nice looking bar top and I did what he asked me to do - and I gave him a hard time for the crap boards he brought me, lol.

I got to spend nearly all of today in the shop. Today was a cleaning and maintenance day. Had some metal items for scrap taking up a bunch of space, so made a listing, offering it free for anyone who would come pick it up. Within 30 minutes of posting it, had someone on their way to pick it up. Got stuff put away and organized in the shop. Cleaned up. Waxed cast iron surfaces of my machines. Put new blades in the planer and rotated the carbide cutters on the jointer head. Have a few things I need to move to the shed later this week; for example, no need to keep the H frame press my dad passed on to me in the shop when it's something I won't use but on occasion.

No woodworking got done today, but right now the shop is ready to go for whatever project I want to start next. It feels good to have the shop ready to go whenever I'm able to get out there again to get into a project.
 
I did a similar thing Matt, it does feel good doesn't it.
 
JonathanH said:
We just got home from spending a couple of days in East Texas with friends. My buddy set aside a crotch section of a tree he was cutting up for firewood. Oak, Red Oak I believe, and dead for at least 2 full years. I put it on the lathe this afternoon and found all kind of character in it.

Finished with 1 coat of Tried & True so far.

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Pretty wood! Looks like you have at least one serious crack in it, unfortunately. Chuck
 
Nature Man said:
Pretty wood! Looks like you have at least one serious crack in it, unfortunately. Chuck
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That crack on the rim is the only one. It blew a chunk out during turning which shortened the bowl by at least an inch. I elected to leave a small part vs making the bowl into a saucer. It seems solid. Time will tell.
 
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