I'm doing my end of year numbers for the shop and last year I turned just over 4200 items. It adds up quick when a customer orders 500-1000 of something at a time.
What did you do in your shop today?
- Thread starter woodtickgreg
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Today was all flat stuff, Went through some boards to find stuff to make more boxes (I'm down to two on the shelf, they've been way popular as urns for both pets and people, A little depressing but after a person buys it, It's theirs to do what they want to do with it) Planed down some Walnut, Butternut (Recovered from a building built in the late 1880's), Birdseye maple, and some Coffee Tree. Ran them through the drum sander and then cut to length. While I was ripping and cutting cut all the pieces for the doors for the icebox too. Set up my sled and started cutting the 45's on the ends. I will say the digital angle gauge has been one heck of a purchase and makes setting the angle on the saw blade almost idiot proof although I'm sure I'll find a way to screw it up sooner or later, This is some of the best fit I've ever had on my joints. Hopefully I can get them all finished on the cutting and the bottoms cut and most of them glued up tomorrow. While I was at it I took some inspiration form the restoration threads @Brink has been doing and got the bars cut for some vintage clamps out of some Maple that had a little checking on the face that made it unusable for anything else I wanted to do. next step on those is to make the dogs for the other end and cut a series of grooves on the bottom of each for the adjustment.
It's been a while - 2 or 3 weeks - since I've had any actual, serious shop time. I've spent a few minutes here and there in the shop, but not enough time to do anything. (Save for organizing a new tool box for my turning corner - which is now permanently situated in the basement.)
However, yesterday morning and this morning I've been able to get some shop time in. Yesterday I turned a number of handles for seam rippers and bottle openers - my wife wanted me to maker her a seam ripper (and I figured I'd make a few more for some family members) and I gave away my last bottle opener I made not long ago, so it was time to make more of them.
This morning I started turning a small (7") plate from a piece of crotch mahogany. Man, what a nice piece of wood! Hopefully Friday or Saturday I can get back on the lathe and finish it up and post some pics when it's done.
However, yesterday morning and this morning I've been able to get some shop time in. Yesterday I turned a number of handles for seam rippers and bottle openers - my wife wanted me to maker her a seam ripper (and I figured I'd make a few more for some family members) and I gave away my last bottle opener I made not long ago, so it was time to make more of them.
This morning I started turning a small (7") plate from a piece of crotch mahogany. Man, what a nice piece of wood! Hopefully Friday or Saturday I can get back on the lathe and finish it up and post some pics when it's done.
Working on a pile of knuckle busters today. Got the backsides all roughed out, now to start on the front sides.
Spending some quality time with the drum sander!
I'm not quite sure what to make of that toe shot!! But the boards are cool
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I actually got a little shop time last week. A guy I work with makes his own books and had me make him a binding press. It was pretty simple and I'll get pics up eventually. I am bummed I forgot to get pics of the back I put in 2 dovetail splines just because I wanted to do it and used my new chisels to clean up the channels. Was a cool project, I made $25 but I'm more psyched that he is going to make me a book of some kind with it. Knowing him it will be something to do with eastern spirituality which I'm cool with.
Almost a year ago I bought a delta mini with the intention of setting it up for my three youngest kids who are 7, 10, and 12. Finally today my 10 year old and I built a bench sized slightly tall for him. All three should be able to turn now.
Nothing in the shop today - got hit with whatever bug our 2 year old has been dealing with since Thursday - but I did get some shop time Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. No pics of them yet, but I managed to get some pens made and also disassembled a couple of my earlier pens and refinished them. Refinishing them made them into whole new pens! Got a few more I want to try and disassemble and refinish sometime.
woodtickgreg
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Hope you feel better soon Matt. My problem lately is just no time.
I spent today cutting up boards that won't get used for anything else into pen blanks, cut about 500 or so, Then figured I should work up some samples to show what the material looks like if I decide to put any of those blanks up for sale (Plus I can add them to inventory after the photos are done) so I got about a dozen made, polished, and assembled.
The three on each outide end are laminated bamboo from counter top cutoffs cut with the grain, crosscut, and then cut at a 45 degree angle. I have to say that once you get past the slight learning curve for the splintery stuff it makes some really nice pens and I have enough to cut blanks for the next 10 years
I'll set up the photo cube tomorrow and get some good close up shots.
The three on each outide end are laminated bamboo from counter top cutoffs cut with the grain, crosscut, and then cut at a 45 degree angle. I have to say that once you get past the slight learning curve for the splintery stuff it makes some really nice pens and I have enough to cut blanks for the next 10 years
I'll set up the photo cube tomorrow and get some good close up shots.
Ooops...
Was roughing out a bowl this morning so I could set it aside to dry. I was getting a little too aggressive with my cut and got a catch. The blank shifted on the chuck, but the tailstock kept it from flying off. The top of the tool rest flew into the garbage can, which was right next to the lathe. At least I was able to switch to a different tool rest and finish the roughing out - this time with less aggressive cuts. The rough out is now in a paper bag with its own shavings to dry out. And, since it was a piece of camphor and my lathe is in the basement, our whole house smells awesome.
Ordering a new tool rest tonight...
I went down to my shop, plugged in my lathe, turned it on.let it run for a minute, turned it off. went back upstairs, my neck started to pinch real good while I was looking at it. So...needless to say I won't be on it this week either...
I went down to my shop, plugged in my lathe, turned it on.let it run for a minute, turned it off. went back upstairs, my neck started to pinch real good while I was looking at it. So...needless to say I won't be on it this week either...
Marc, I hope you heal up soon.
me too...
woodtickgreg
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Matt, get me some measurements of that old rest. I need the diameter of the post, how high from the bottom of the post to the top of the rest, and how wide is the rest. I might be able to help you out.
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Marc, are you nutz, there is no way you should even be thinking of doing anything in the shop except watch t.v. Help me out here @DKMDI went down to my shop, plugged in my lathe, turned it on.let it run for a minute, turned it off. went back upstairs, my neck started to pinch real good while I was looking at it. So...needless to say I won't be on it this week either...
I'm bored out of my gord sitting /walking around. I can only watch so much tv and xbox. I needed to at least try....no?