My Garage!

[Cam]

The house we bought has a ~700 square foot garage with a high ceiling. Pics will come soon. As I already mentioned in the tools thread, I plan on populating it with woodworking tools and pretty much making it a woodworking shop. However, first we have to actually close the deal, then move in before I start making it into something. It will slowly come together. Watch this space! :D

[Kchrpm]

Once other things are sorted I look forward to my first purchase of a Cam-tastic wooden thingamabob :up:

[FaultyMario]

Congrats and enjoy!

[thesameguy]

Begs the question - what type of stuff you like working on? Purely artistic things, practical things, small things, large things? I mean, now that you're going to be working on them in YOUR BRAND NEW GARAGE, what can we expect? :D

[Cam]

Practical things first, like a work bench or two, maybe book shelves. Any home upgrades that need doing. For example, there is a bar in the new place with a formica top. I would like to see a nice wood top on there. Once the shop is set up, I plan on doing artsy stuff, small and large, as well as making picture frames for any 2D stuff.

[thesameguy]

Very cool - we too have a bar in our house, but our surface isn't formica it's a sweet, sweet '70s stone arrangement! We've been discussing doing something in wood to replace it, but then the conversation spirals out of control to refurb'ing the whole thing - it's finished with - not being sarcastic - awesome '70s wood panels... and I kind of like it... but a rustic-y surface would clash with Nixon-era swank. Still working on it!

Also going to do some shelves - we have a pseudo laundry room with some shallow shelves opposite the washer and dryer. The layout of the shelves is a mystery - like they were made for very specific things the POs had, but we can't figure out what they might have been. So the whole thing is poor organizationally and a poor use of space. I'm going to take them out and do something in natural wood... final decision point is whether I too make something custom for us, or try to work in some adjustability. I'm thinking about drilling out holes and using big, beefy dowels to hold shelves - it just might be too country for me. I'm just torn on the aesthetic compromise that comes with adjustability. ;)

[novicius]

Very cool, Cam! :up: :up:

I'm looking forward to seeing what you do with it!

[tigeraid]

I was always one of those car guys that DIDN'T get angry when they saw a garage or shop converted into a full-on woodworker's dream. Look forward to seeing the progress.

[21Kid]

Nice. :) Sounds like you have a good plan.

[Yeti]

Going to get a better electrical service installed in there, or is it already set up electrically for a shop of some stripe?

Amazon has great deals on LED lighting, btw. I'm a major convert to LED now that we've got it installed in pretty much all of the boiler/chiller/mechanical spaces where I work.

[Cam]

I HAVE to upgrade the electrical system to accommodate, at the very least, the lathe. I want to get LED fixtures installed for more light. I would need to hire someone to do this, of course.

[Cam]

This is what it looks like right now. Not a bad space. Alas, the floor is sloped to the left side. I like the already built-in shelves, but you need a ladder to reach the highest ones. It's nice to have the windows. Annoyingly, the garage door opener install hangs down several feet from the ceiling. Why would they not be installed closer to the ceiling? :mad:

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[thesameguy]

The opener has to be in plane to the top of the doors - there's a limit to that height discrepancy and it isn't much.

Looks like a great space nonetheless - some natural lighting and the high ceilings are great!

[Random]

This is what it looks like right now. Not a bad space. Alas, the floor is sloped to the left side. I like the already built-in shelves, but you need a ladder to reach the highest ones. It's nice to have the windows. Annoyingly, the garage door opener install hangs down several feet from the ceiling. Why would they not be installed closer to the ceiling? :mad:


Long term, if it's a really problem, do some research on "jackshaft" garage door openers.

Or put loft storage above the doors. Wood rack? :)

[George]

That's a wicked-sweet garage there, Cam!

[thesameguy]

There are also chain-drive setups with mid-chain pulleys. Gets expensive quickly, for not much practical gain. Next time I am up in Tahoe I will try and snap a picture of the opener at one of the partner's houses... it's nuts.

[Cam]

Alrighty, I will live with it. :)

[speedpimp]

Nice garage.

[novicius]

She's a beaut, Cam! :up: :up:

[Cam]

Lori and I dropped over $500 at the hardware store for home improvement supplies. We got: jigsaw, orbital sander, shop vac, shovel, hedge trimmer, axe, plus a few bits and bobs. Our first task is to fix the leaky toilet. Then, we will build shelves in one of the closets. Next, we are going to remove some of the vegetation out back. The previous owners had a rat problem that they "fixed" simply by spreading poison around with a shovel. They did not address the gaping holes in the foundation vents. :rolleyes: So we are having someone do some exclusion work to the house to seal up the holes where critters could get in and clean up the disgusting amount of feces in the crawl space. It is a nasty job that we are happy to pay someone to do.

[Cam]

Lori went out to get beer today and came home with an 8 foot step ladder and a wheel barrow. :lol:

Oh, and beer. :hard:

[Random]

She's a keeper! :D :toast:

[FaultyMario]

2371

[Cam]

Doing house things. I replaced the locks on four doors. Replaced some light bulbs that required a ladder to reach. Built shelves in a closet. Fixed two drawers. Trimmed trees and removed bushes. Converted the leaky toilet to a dual-flush mechanism. Disassembled an ornamental well in the yard. Removed a door. Etc.

Lori is painting the living room. She installed a new dryer vent. Dug up the roots of the bushes I cut. Installed the security system.

[thesameguy]

Jesus, you guys don't mess around!!!

[Cam]

Disassembled an ornamental well in the yard.
This took tenacity. It was over-engineered and the support posts were put in with poured concrete. It was pretty much a critter hotel, so it had to go.

[Cam]

Bought some rough-cut, aged lumber off Craigslist; cherry and walnut for an excellent price. Also got a load of oak for an awesome price from a whiskey-barrel maker. :)

[FaultyMario]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

[Cam]

Lori: What are you doing?
Me: Taking a photo of my wood to show the guys. :P

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[Random]

:lol:

:toast:

[Cam]

Scored a few logs of sweet gum. I was cutting them up with my electric chain saw and I think it busted. :(

[thesameguy]

The chain or the motor?

[Cam]

Not the chain or motor. It sounds like the motor still spins, but the chain stops moving once I try to cut. Something in the drivetrain, maybe? I haven't taken it apart. It's more than a year old, so I assume the warranty is expired.

Edit: It's a two year warranty, but I can't find the receipt.

[thesameguy]

Is there a safety brake that needs to be reset? Seems an unlikely thing in an electric, but I've never used one so I don't know. :)

Had to break out my chainsaw over the weekend to modify a cork oak. I hate cutting down trees, but cork oaks sure are neat inside. If you end up replacing it, I've been very happy with my gas Poulon... it's been very reliable and wasn't all that expensive.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Poulan-Pro-42cc-2-Cycle-18-in-Gas-Chainsaw-with-Case/3693568

[Cam]

Gotchya, ya doity rats.

2389

[FaultyMario]

Yuck.

[thesameguy]

:sadbanana:

[Yeti]

This does not expand dong.

[Cam]

I got a 16"... chainsaw. I took it apart and easily spotted the problem. The plastic drive gear is completely stripped. Seems to me like a terrible design flaw to use a plastic part in a place that will get hot. :?

[Yeti]

Yeah, I've got two cheapie 'Remington' chainsaws like that. If the oil isn't feeding and you're working it hard, those things will disintegrate themselves immediately.

[JoshInKC]

I got a 16"... chainsaw. I took it apart and easily spotted the problem. The plastic drive gear is completely stripped. Seems to me like a terrible design flaw to use a plastic part in a place that will get hot. :?

Could be a "feature." Newer Kitchenaid mixers have a single plastic drive gear in them that'll strip out and disintegrate, and the company views it as a sacrificial part to prevent 'real' damage to the motor and rest of the drivetrain.

[thesameguy]

As long as the gear is replaceable and available, seems dumb but fair. If the gear is not replaceable or not available... well, then.. , caveat emptor? I don't know.

[JoshInKC]

Yeah, I think its a pretty cheap and easy replacement on the mixers. Apparently, its the most common single reason that kitchenaids get disposed of, so you can pick em up on craigslist for next to nothing, fix them, and resell at a profit.

[Cam]

The chain saw is less than two years old, but the manufacturer has stopped producing the part that I need. :erm: Luckily, I found one still available from Sears.

I was forced to dispose of the wood I was cutting. There were some kind of boring insects in the wood. I feared it was termites.

We're still working on taking care of our rat problem. The crawl space was smelling pretty bad and stinking up the house. I went into the crawl space today to have a look around. It was pretty filthy with feces. Obviously, there has been a critter problem at this property for years. I am angry that the previous owners did not reveal this information before we purchased the home. Jerks. I found the dead rat that was the source of the stink. Looks like it died a few days ago. The rat got caught in one of the traps, and dragged it for about five metres before it died. Gag-worthy. We're going to need to replace the insulation sometime in the near future because of the extensive critter damage.

We talked about installing an AC/heat pump in the garage, since I will be working in there. It was not obvious if the garage was insulated. I cut a hole in the fake wood paneling to check. Great news, it's insulated! Lori asked, "What about the ceiling?" It does not make sense to me that someone would insulate the walls and not the ceiling. The garage doors, however, are not insulated. We'll have to get some foam-core-like stuff to stick to the inside. I haven't researched it yet. I have no doubt someone here can make a suggestion. I also would like to get some film to go on the windows to reduce the heat from the sun shining in the windows. It's nice to have light, but not heat.

I was checking out the LED shop lights at the hardware store.

More to come...

[JoshInKC]

Regarding the rats, I'd spread poison around liberally if you don't have pets that can get to the poisoned areas. I can't remember what it's called, but they make some which basically desicates the pest and turns it into a little mummy - then the bodies don't smell.
You are correct that it doesn't make sense to insulate walls but not ceiling. That doesn't mean anything though - I'd check it out if I were you.
As far as insulation for the doors - they do make foamcore-type stuff for that purpose. Before you go buy anything though, I would check out the specs on the garage door openers and the doors themselves. Make sure that the openers aren't at the edge of their weight lifting capacity as is before you go gluing any extra deadweight to them.

[Cam]

There is poison spread around liberally. Clearly, we can see how that is working.

[Kchrpm]

Time to hire a Rat Hunter.

[thesameguy]

Or get a cat?

We didn't have "rat problem" but they were in the yard, the garage, and we saw them scurrying on telephone wires. Big fat cat fixed that, and he was a delightful companion. Best cat I ever knew. Sad my roommate kept him when she moved away.

[Cam]

There are two entrances to the crawl space. There are several rat traps set near both entrances. One of the traps was missing from one entrance. I looked in the other entrance and I could see what looked like a rat dragging the missing trap that it was caught in. I did not have my glasses on and I could only see the silhouette. It was near where I found the other dead rat.

[Cam]

I put reflective film over the garage windows today to minimize heating from the sun.

We want to get caught up on debt a bit before we start making the garage a shop.

[21Kid]

This feels like the homeowner's thread. ;)

[thesameguy]

But it's actually the garage owner's thread! :D

[FaultyMario]

Putting it out there, are bait stations worth the extra $ over traditional spring traps?

[thesameguy]

I can't deal with the guilt over killing rats. The few times I've had to deal with mice or rats, we use humane traps and release either by the river or up north in the farmlands. Definitely worth the extra money and time for me.

[Cam]

I have no problem killing the little bastards. However, the spring traps are not as effective as I would like. The traps are disturbed/sprung every night. It has been two weeks. Only three rats were killed so far.

Kid, I talk about garage stuff in here... sometimes. ;)

[Godson]

Mice and rats are pests by definition. I have no problem ending them. Rats especially, as they carry many diseases and are generally unclean.

Spider and snakes are my friends. I won't kill either, because they keep the pest population under control.

Then again, so does Murphy...

[Cam]

Beside the garage, there is a storage closet. It's not quite big enough to house our bikes and yard equipment together. It could be one or the other. (We will probably buy one of those prefab backyard shed kits eventually from the hardware store.) Unfortunately, moisture has rotted the bottom of the door and frame. I plan on fixing it. Alas, the door is an odd size. I had to buy a new slab door with the intention of cutting it to length. I was waiting for the weather to improve to work on it. The forecast looked good for the next few days, so I went at it with the wrecking bar. We planned on buying the stuff to build the new frame later today. Alas, we got a few thunderstorms this afternoon, wetting down the exposed studs, etc. I know this is not a big deal, but not the situation I was hoping for.

[thesameguy]

:sing: Cam came in like a wrecking bar! :sing:

[Cam]

Just got an estimate to install an AC unit for the shop. It will not happen right away, but in the near future. Now to contact an electrician.

[Cam]

Got the first major tool for the shop: a dual bevel compound sliding mitre saw. It should help with making the new door frame for the storage room.

[Cam]

I insulated the garage doors with a roll of lightweight insulation. Luckily, it was exactly the right width for what I needed. I simply cut it to the right height for each panel. It is staying in place pretty well simply with friction, even with the door open. However, some two-sided tape would be ideal.

[21Kid]

Carpet tape? Or just simply glue it?

[pl8ster]

Oh man, that sounds cool.

[Cam]

The replacing the door project is going slow. Over the past few days, I cut the pieces to size and painted them. I assembled the frame today and tested the fit of the door. It is not perfect, but good enough.

[Cam]

Just finished staining the deck. My back hurts from leaning over.

[Cam]

Finished the storage door yesterday and it went well. I surprised myself that it works good. :lol: I was feeling bold, so I switched the swing of a different door today, so it does not compete for space with the washer. It also went well.

[Yeti]

I HAVE to upgrade the electrical system to accommodate, at the very least, the lathe. I want to get LED fixtures installed for more light. I would need to hire someone to do this, of course.

Back to this topic, yesterday I installed 4 50w (250w equivalent) Hyperikon LED flood lights in my parents' garage. Very happy with them, especially for only $43 each through Amazon Prime.

They'd probably work very well in your shop. Lots of even, bright light.

[Cam]

Excellent recommendation. Thank you. Can you just plug 'em into a normal wall socket?

[Yeti]

No, they're a hardwired light out of the box.

They come with a 4' whip on them and the wires have tinned ends so you could either install your own plug (easy!), or cut the tinned bits off and hardwire them in place of the old lights with junction boxes and wire nuts like I did.

And if you need more light from less fixtures, Hyperikon makes larger ones too.

[Cam]

The chain saw part had not shown up, so I checked the status of my order. Their system tells me that the part is no longer available and that I will be refunded. However, the very same system allows you to still order the part. :rolleyes:

[thesameguy]

You should order it and begin a never-ending cycle of order/refund just to annoy them. :D

[21Kid]

Just finished staining the deck. My back hurts from leaning over.
I thought you were supposed to use an extender? Like the pole used to paint ceilings or high walls.

[thesameguy]

He used the extender between his shoulders and his ass.

[21Kid]

That's... not where that goes. :eek:

[Cam]

That's what she said!

[Cam]

Lori bought more paint to redo the walls in several rooms. I spent some time in the last few days hole-and-crack-filling the walls and door frames in preparation. I sanded the patches today. Lori is still taping the trim, getting ready to paint.

The other day, I had the idea that I would make some bar stools for the breakfast bar in the kitchen. However, I just do not have the proper tools at this point. Soon. SOON!

[thesameguy]

I have the tools (I think!) and have been meaning to do that for seven years. SEVEN YEARS IS NOT SOON.

[speedpimp]

Just finished staining the deck. My back hurts from leaning over.

Had my deck(6x9) installed in May '13. Stained it a year later. Used Thompson Water Seal, a paint pan and an extended pole to do it. Three years later and the staining is still holding up. I also invested in a power washer(which I used two or three times before it wouldn't start anymore and then had to get it fixed(bad carb)) and it kicks ass and is easy to use. It makes keeping the deck nice and pretty looking very easy.

[Cam]

Cool. Lori considered renting a power washer to clean the siding and trim on the house. I feared it would force water into the attic through the vents under the eaves. Anyone else try this?

Lori got me to help her tape and paint today. We did the guest bedroom, hallway and we're still working on the kitchen. Lori is working on a second coat now. The main portion of the kitchen is taped up and ready for paint. We have an eat-in area that's painted already. Lori claims it will be done by tomorrow night, when we have dinner guests. :eek:

The critter service has finished their work including a disinfectant fog in the crawl space. However, there is still a very musty/strange smell from the crawl space several days later. I fear there still may be a dead rat in there somewhere. :(

I bought some wood chisels at the hardware store. They certainly were not the best, nor the worst. However, they were dull as a turd out of the box. After watching several videos about tool sharpening, I had a go at putting an edge on them. Alas, the best I could do at this time is sandpaper and a piece of glass (flat surface). I've watched some dudes sharpen their chisels up to, and over, 10,000 grit, plus hone them with a strop to get a razor's edge. The best I can do right now is 600 grit sandpaper. Still not the best edge, but at least they're kind of sharp... sort of.

[Cam]

Aw heck with it. I don't necessarily want this to be public (it's unlisted), but I don't think it will hurt to share with this little community. Here's a video I made to show a quick look at the house to share with our family. I consider you guys family. :) After I made the video, I realized that I forgot to show the master bedroom and bath, which is to the left of where you see the washer and dryer in the video.

Edit: Link removed.

[Random]

Just don't shoot water straight in the vents, and you'll be ok. :)

[George]

Nice digs! Thanks for the complete tour. :up:

[novicius]

Honestly looks great so far, Cam! :D :up:

[21Kid]

Nice! I like the layout! :)

[Cam]

In order to start making stuff, I need a few more items. The first thing I need is a work bench. I plan on making one. To do this, I ordered a hand saw, a bench plane and a vise for the bench. I have some of the wood already, but I need a bench top. I do not have long clamps at this point, so it is cheaper for me to buy an already existing counter top at a local salvage store. It is just a matter of arranging with a friend with a truck to help.

[Kchrpm]

Wait.

In order to build things, you first need a work bench.

You're going to build the work bench.

http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/tim-and-eric-mind-blown.gif

[JoshInKC]

Build a Roman Workbench (https://lostartpress.com/products/roman-workbenches-letterpress-edition)

[Cam]

I know. Doesn't make sense. :lol:

Yesterday, I watched a series of videos of a guy making a workbench in his back yard using only hand tools; a plane, a hammer/chisel, a saw, a knife and a combo square. (he also had large clamps to glue the top together, but I am going to buy a top.)

[Phil_SS]

Best workbench is an old bowling alley.

BTW, do you have a Construction Junction (https://www.cjreuse.org/) style place in your area? Might be able to pick something up cheap. Old kitchen cabinets are great for a workbench as well.

[Cam]

I recently saw a work bench that was made from a bowling lane. :up: Hmm... where was that? Can't remember at this time.

I think the closest we have to CJ here is Habitat for Humanity. There is a place called Southeastern Salvage nearby where I was going to buy a wood counter top for the bench. It's not really a discount store, despite the fact that they try to make themselves look like a discount store.

[Cam]

Had a vise for the work bench, a block plane, and a hand saw delivered yesterday.

[novicius]

How's the friend with the truck coming along? ;)

[Cam]

Lori and I went back to the "salvage" place today. The price on the counter I was going to buy went up by about 50%! :eek: We agreed that it would be worth my while just to buy a bunch of clamps (that I will use in the future) and bulk wood from the hardware store (2x4s or 2x6s) and make my own bench top.

I spent a significant amout of time in the past two days flattening the bottom of my new plane. What a PITA. It works great now though.

[George]

We agreed that it would be worth my while just to buy a bunch of clamps (that I will use in the future) and bulk wood from the hardware store (2x4s or 2x6s) and make my own bench top.

/changes mind about posting pics of workbench my father and I built an OSB top and shelves. :eek:

[thesameguy]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Mine is probably 50 years old and so poorly assembled it hurts. But big and it's old, so whatever! :D

[George]

Oh, I'll post them eventually. I just need to find the "before" pictures when it was a bare wall with a doggie door in it from a previous owner. I got to thinking about this when I recently came across my hand-drawn plans for it on a piece of paper in a desk drawer. I knew those high school technical drafting courses would come in handy for something.

[Cam]

Today, I worked on building a bar stool out of some rough-cut walnut. I was using a hand plane for hours. The garage is not air conditioned yet, so it got warm in there and I was working hard. I was literally dripping sweat on the wood. At one point, I started to get a headache and felt nauseous. I figure I got overheated, so I quit for the day. Now I am sore all over, especially my hands. I got quite the workout.

[thesameguy]

You are dehydrated! Gotta take breaks and hydrate when you sweat that much. Bikram woodworking isn't a thing. Pick up some Pedialyte or Gatorade to help get you back together.

[Cam]

I agree that I did not drink enough water.

[FaultyMario]

Water works fine. Avoid corn syrup as much as you can.

[Godson]

As long as you don't have potassium restrictions, I'd recommend a small bottle or two of Pedialyte instead of Gatorade. Gatorade is loaded with sugar and sodium, Pedialyte leans more towards potassium. Our diets in the US are already massively weighted to having too much sodium, no need to load it with more.

[Cam]

I never drink that stuff.

[George]

Obviously, a kegerator in the garage is needed to prevent future mishaps of this nature.

[Cam]

Agreed.:toast:

[Cam]

It's mofoin' hot in there, 35C+ (95F+). I worked in there for about 45 minutes this morning. I wasn't even doing anything strenuous. I started dripping sweat, so I came back to the air conditioned comfort of the house. :o

[dodint]

Best workbench is an old bowling alley.


:lol: What?

Why not an air hockey table?

[Random]

Some shop thoughts: http://www.core77.com/posts/66915/Hand-Tool-School-34-Four-Things-Id-Do-if-Building-a-Shop-from-Scratch

[Cam]

Let's build a work bench! :hard:

2415

Probably skirting the realm of safety this trip.

[thesameguy]

Oh yeah! Looking forward to this!

[Cam]

The small, rickety work table I was using in the shop literally fell apart today. :lol: (I should be able to glue it back together.) Fortuitously, one of my neighbours threw out an old, solid work table, so I perloined it. It is slightly bigger than the one I was using. Very soon, I will have three work tables/benches! :)

[novicius]

Improvise, adapt & overcome! :up: :up:

[Cam]

The free table has oil or something soaked into the top of it. The was a piece of 60 year old linoleum nailed to the top of it. Linoleum was left in the curb where I got the table. Removed nails. Attempted to sand the top of it, but it just clogged up the sandpaper.

Did a lot of planing in the bench lumber. I glued up two sets of six boards so far. Once I have three, I will plane the surfaces again for gluing. Then I will have one giant slab 8' x ~28" x 6". It will weigh several hundred pounds. Final exact width is yet to be determined. I may add another couple of boards.

[thesameguy]

Can you just get a sheet of ply and screw/nail/construction adhesive it to the new table? I've bought birch (IIRC) ply for a few garage surfaces and been happy with it - it's reasonably durable, extremely smooth, and not overwhelmingly expensive. It allowed me to use or salvage some things that otherwise would have been difficult.

Here

https://1drv.ms/i/s!AqwvoBt9ZBp2gfA2zQGErOWtPPZWrw

I used it on top of an old metal dresser (I think that's what it was intended to be) because the surface was so thin the monitor arm wobbled around. Worked great, now the monitor arm is rock-solid and the working surface is great.

[Cam]

Yeah, probably. I do not believe it is necessary at this time. I have some nice maple plywood already, but I wanted to use it for another project. There was a broken plywood shelf under the table that I want to replace at some point. I would use the plywood I have now, but my biggest piece is not quite big enough. A couple more 2x4s would probably do. Lots of things I want to do, but not enough resources. :lol:

Six 2x6es glued together weighs ~75 lbs. So the table will probably weigh ~300 lbs once it is together.

[Cam]

Just the one router bit on the left cost almost double the boxed set. :eek: The one bit to rule them all!

2419

[Cam]

My Garage update:

Finished gluing up three sets of 2x6es. I'm considering putting two strips of walnut between my three glued up sets, basically making two darker racing stripes down the bench top. I think that would look pretty sweet. The problem is, I do not have size-matching pieces of wood. I certainly have enough walnut. Alas, I would have to plane multiple pieces by hand (I do not have a thickness planer) to make all the lumber the same dimension. Then I would have to mate pieces to fill the gaps. It would be a ton of extra work, but doable. A shitload of extra work simply for a superficial addition? What y'all think?

Now that we got some router bits, we can use the router we bought a few weeks ago. The expensive (1-3/4") bit will be used to flatten the work bench top once the glue-up is complete. I can then use it later if I want to flatten large slabs.

I half-assed fixed the fell-apart table. I turfed the old top and simply used a piece of maple plywood I had lying around for the new top. Now it's the mitre saw table. :)

I added a piece of 2x4 to the base of the oil table to make the legs sturdier. I have another piece of maple plywood that I could just lay on top of it for a clean work surface, but the plywood is not quite the right size. The table is about 3x5 and the plywood is 4x4. I will put a new surface on it eventually.

The walnut bar stool is on hold for now. I would like to get my work bench built before putting the finishing touches on it. My joints really sucked at first, but it is turning out pretty nice.

There is still a lot of clutter in the garage right now; bikes, canoe, wheel barrow, and other assorted brick-a-brack that I would like to go somewhere else.

We have to put a moratorium on buying stuff for a little while though. The credit card has smoke coming off it. :lol:

I wish I had more light, but that can wait.

[21Kid]

I imagine you are going to keep that table for 20+ years. I think a few extra hours making it look A+ would be warranted.

[Godson]

I do bullshit superficial stuff that only I know the difference on all the time so.....ask someone else?

[21Kid]

Racing stripes are not bullshit!!! :mad: He'll get at least +15hp to his workbench!!!

[Cam]

I'm sold. Racing stripes it is! :hard:

[Cam]

I mean, it just looks fast.

2422

I'm effing exhausted.

[novicius]

That is one hell of a workbench. :twitch:

How do you maneuver such a beast by yourself??

[Random]

TWSS.

[thesameguy]

That is one hell of a workbench. :twitch:

How do you maneuver such a beast by yourself??

x2!

[Cam]

Moxie. :rawk:

(I don't know.)

[Kchrpm]

The Force #darthmaul

[George]

I mean, it just looks fast.

Yeah, maybe, but how's the tone? Solid-top acoustic guitars generally sound better and are louder than ones with laminated tops.

I think it's obvious that the same would be true for workbenches.

[Cam]

I plan on adding a fx-973 pinnacle resonator, harmonic flange bt-55 pickups, three m-2 modulators, dual ne plus ultra h2o cams, and quad intake srb-47 flanger.

[George]

I'm sure that's all well and good, but without a Mojo Enhancer, I think you're going to be a...



:sadbanana:

[21Kid]

Cam works out!!!


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j12/codman123/2012-lmfao-im-sexy-and-i-know-it-i-work-out-music-video_zps3d6e8a29.png

[Cam]

I had a setback with the storage door. Water soaked into the bottom and it swelled up, perforating the bottom edge. :( I removed it and took it inside to let it air dry for a couple of days.

I put a few coats of exterior latex on it. Clearly that was not enough. I need options for waterproofing it. GO!

[21Kid]

Something oil based, like Kilz?

[thesameguy]

That'd be my suggestion. Hopefully it's not too warped!

[Cam]

I kind of miss pushing pencils. Building a shop is hard work. If I keep this up, I will be fit in a few months. :D

Made a router sled to flatten the surfaces of the work bench top. It worked well, but made an awful mess. The router got really hot. I plan on doing the other side tomorrow.

I made an oversight by assuming my rough-cut walnut was the same thickness all the way down the board. I just smoothed it enough to glue it. I have about a 1/16 inch gap in a couple of spots. Hopefully, I can fill it with epoxy resin.

2423

[thesameguy]

That's pretty cool - nice work!!

I really enjoy the time in the garage, and most of the time I'd rather be there than at work... but after a lot of being in the garage I do end up happy to go back to an air conditioned office and sit on a comfortable chair and push keyboard keys for a while. ;)

[21Kid]

That's a lot of router-ing...

[Cam]

Epoxy fail. I was not liberal enough with masking tape. My epoxy pour leaked out and made a mess. :(

[thesameguy]

I suck at masking type. I always make the girl do it or whatever it is ends up in disaster.

[Cam]

I triple-taped it and its still leaked. Propped up a piece of plywood under it and that seemed to help. The gap was larger than anticipated. I fear the plywood will be stuck to it. Nothing a chisel and mallet won't fix though. I need to buy more epoxy. I used more than anticipated because of my previous blunder.

Lori and I have been taking care of stuff in the yard. We cut down and dug up the roots of some bushes that lined the rear of the house. There was a three-tier, mortar bird bath in the front yard. It is so big, I can't move the whole thing. I took the wrecking bar to it and broke off (pretty easily) two of the three basins. The remaining mortar is too large and heavy to move.

I put silicone caulk on the storage door to seal it up better. Now, to put a few more coats of paint on it. I would like to have it back in place ASAP, especially considering how much it has been raining in the last week. It was nice most of today, but now there are thunderstorms.

A friend came over today and we made a bed frame for the back of his pickup. He wants to do a cross-country road trip and use his pickup as a camper. Now he's got a sturdy, plywood-and-2x4 base to put a mattress in his truck bed with room for storage underneath. I wish I took a picture of it. It turned out pretty solid considering I eyeballed most of it. :lol:

[Cam]

Did I mention that Lori replaced an old light switch with a new, motion-sensor light switch? She's pretty handy to have around. :D

[Cam]

Scored another free table from a neighbour. It is a near perfect workbench; heavy, solid, metal frame. Lori and I could barely lift it into the Forester. It has large, threaded holes in the top, leading Lori to believe it used to be a display table for a clothing store or something like that. I'll post a pic later. Regardless, it is a sweet score.

[Cam]

Aforementioned table:

2431

Lori and I did a thing! Canoe was taking up too much space in the garage. We made a pulley system to haul it up to the ceiling for storage. At first we used one pulley on each end and a thin rope, but it was too difficult due to the stretch in the rope and the weight of the canoe (60 lbs). It took the both of us to haul it up. We added another pulley on each end and stronger rope to make it a two-to-one system. Now I can hold it with one hand. It was satisfying to get this done. :D

2430

Also, that old, broken ceiling fan? DELETED.

[Cam]

I forgot to mention that I bought some special concrete/garage floor paint. The final assembly of the work bench will be on hold until I paint the floor. It's a special two-part epoxy paint. Alas, I have to scrub the entire thing first with a wire brush and a cleaning chemical that came with the kit. Tedious job, for sure, but I hope the end product is worth it.

I think I want to paint the brown walls and shelves to be white to reflect more light. It's so dark in there right now.

[21Kid]

Cam = Doin work!!!

[dodint]

Haven't clicked in here in a while. So much work done, looks great!

[Cam]

Thanks guys.

Minor setback, I realized last night that we cut the excess rope for the canoe hoist too short. :o It's an easy fix though.

More back-breaking work today. I applied the cleaning solution to the garage floor using a mop. Then, I scrubbed it with a wire brush. Finally, I rinsed it with the hose. Alas, there's not really a way for the water to drain. The garage floor is almost comically sloped to one side, so the water puddled into a corner. I soaked it all up (three 4-gallon buckets worth) with an old towel, leaving a pile of toxic sludge. I scraped that up, now the garage is air drying. Thankfully, the humidity is a mere 42% today and there is a nice breeze blowing through. Once it's dry, I will sweep and vacuum it for the paint application.

Yesterday, I finished the storage room door. I put silicone caulk in the gaps and holes, then repainted it with two more coats of paint. We mounted it back in place and voila! Hopefully, it will last a bit longer this time.

Also yesterday, I installed a dead-bolt on the back door. Up until now, you could have opened it with a credit card.

Gettin' shit done is satisfying. :D

[Cam]

Got the dehumidifyer running in the garage to ensure ultimate dryness for painting. I'll let that go overnight and paint tomorrow.

[21Kid]

<-- feels like a slouch compared to all the shiz you're getting done. :o

[Kchrpm]

Imagine how *I* feel :D

But Cam has always been a different kind of cat, and we love him for it. GROUP HUG!

[Cam]

Floor painted. I was concerned that I would not have enough paint, so I spead it thin. It ended up being too thin. Coverage is inconsistent. There are visible lap marks and light and dark areas. I have a little left over, but it is two part epoxy paint. It will harden before I am able to use it.

[Kchrpm]

Possible solutions? Make an art thing out of so it looks intentional?

[Cam]

I got an idea! Cover it with tables and tools! :D

[21Kid]

But you'll always know that it's there!!! :finger:

[dodint]

Of *course* you have a canoe hoist. :lol:

[Cam]

Us voyageurs have to keep our canoes somewhere. :hard:

I did not mention that I have been taking videos of the stuff I am doing with the intent to publish online videos. I have not started editing yet.

[dodint]

:up:

[Cam]

Legs installed and tail vise attached. Just gonna let it sit overnight for the glue to dry.

2435

[speedpimp]

Very nice progress.

[Cam]

Mostly done. It's usable now, at least. I would like to add a few more things eventually. I'm pleased with the result considering I did not do much planning. :toast: :toolbox:

2436

[Godson]

That looks great!

[21Kid]

:cool::up:

[novicius]

Really nice work, Can -- you are gonna blow away your previous earnings as a professional doodler!!

[Cam]

Installed a paper roll holder on the end of the work bench. Took me about ten minutes.

My next project is a piece of mid-century modern furniture that we bought from CL. It's a designer oak dresser that is in great shape that we got for a mere $100. Alas, the finish is very faded and dull, so I am going to refinish it.

[Cam]

I made this, almost completely with hand tools.

2440

[thesameguy]

That's really nice! Watching you do this stuff is kinda making me excited for winter - hopefully I can become inspired!

[Cam]

Edit: Link removed.

[Cam]

Refinished this dresser. I forgot to take a before photo. This photo does not do it justice. It turned out really nice.

2449

[novicius]

Yep saw your FB update yesterday -- liked and subscribed! :up: :up:

[21Kid]

8=====D

[Cam]

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[speedpimp]

Very sweet.

[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[21Kid]

:lol: AHHHHHH!!!! The world is flipping upside down

[Cam]

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[novicius]

:D :up:

[George]

Great stuff, Cam. And after just coming back from a long weekend in South Carolina, I'm even more impressed. I had forgotten just how miserable the heat and humidity is in July there. It's one thing to remember it but another to experience walking into the wall of humidity that awaits beyond every exterior door. 97 degrees F in Denver is downright pleasant by comparison.

[speedpimp]

Very sweet.

[Cam]

Fixed the storage door for the third time. I removed the door and cut off the damaged bit. Luckily, I saved the bit I originally cut off to make it fit this odd size frame. I simply epoxied it back on. I basically soaked the wood in epoxy. That should make it waterproof. Then I painted it and reattached it. Lori got a gutter at the hardware store and we attached it above the door to minimise the water splashing on it.

2492

[Cam]

Edit: Link removed.

[Cam]

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[21Kid]

I was hoping you'd plane the handle down. :p

[thesameguy]

https://ci.memecdn.com/6297437.jpg

[21Kid]

exactly. :D

[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[21Kid]

So much wood!!!




:D

[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Godson]

Excellent work

[novicius]

Yep great work, Cam! :rawk:

(On both the bar-top and all the videos!)

[Cam]

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[21Kid]

Last update: 2 weeks ago




:(

[Cam]

I've been away. :p

[21Kid]

Slacker! :finger:

[George]

That's not a workbench.

This is a workbench.


http://i.imgur.com/jEO8osw.gif

[Cam]

Edit: Link removed.

[Cam]

Got this yesterday.

2573

Now I need to have a new electrical system just to run it. :lol:

[Cam]

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[novicius]

600+ pounds?! :eek: #dickjokes

[21Kid]

Is that new CG graphic just for that one video? ;)

[thesameguy]

I really wanna know how much that awesomeness set you back.

[Cam]

That information is not difficult to find on the internet. Look for Powermatic 3520B. It was on sale for 20% off.

Edit: Link removed.

[Cam]

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[thesameguy]

:lol: @ glue!

[Cam]

The first bottle was some three-year-old craft glue. DELETED. The wood glue cap would JUST NOT BUDGE! :lol:

[thesameguy]

It's so hard keeping adhesives and stuff usable. I wonder if storing them under vacuum would help... like, a box you could vacuum out to keep things you use infrequently but otherwise dry out in good shape.

[21Kid]

I thought the same thing. ;)

Deleted! :lol:

Only you would think of vacuum sealing a bottle of glue SLM. :lol:

[thesameguy]

What.

Do you need help not swallowing your tongue?

[Cam]

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[novicius]

<3 :up:

[thesameguy]

Needs more hooks or d-rings though, don't you think?

[Cam]

Next time, I'll remember not to look like such a dirtbag.

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK.

Got this workhorse on sale for $50 off.

2625

[George]

$50 off?

That's a stihl!

[Cam]

:lol: Good one.

[Godson]

Be diligent about the age of your gas.

[Cam]

The sales rep said the same thing.

[Godson]

He wasn't kidding. 2-stokes are very picky about the age of the gas because of the Reed valves getting sticky and nasty. When that happens, the engine can't build compression or get the right fuel/air mixture. Leads to a no start.

[Cam]

Finally got 220V power in the garage, yay! Had the lathe running tonight just to test it. :rawk:

[thesameguy]

Welcome to the 220 Club. It's like heaven!

[Cam]

...but with more power! :rawk:

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[Cam]

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[novicius]

Damn camera battery -- I missed how the magic is made!! :angry:

:lol: :up:

[Cam]

There will be more very soon. :D

[21Kid]

A lot more. ;)

Very cool stuff! :up:

[Cam]

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[novicius]

The marbling of that wood was amazing -- too damn bad the bugs got to it first. :(

[FaultyMario]

:up:

[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[21Kid]

Is it going to be a "S"?

[thesameguy]

I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!

[Cam]

Put this in your face until then.

Edit: Link removed.

[thesameguy]

Looks great - is that urethane you're coating it with?

[Cam]

It is an oil-based varnish. I will try polyurethane in the near future. Polyeurethane is a great, durable finish, but it does not colour the wood vibrantly like oil does. I may try a combination of the two in a future video, so keep watching. You won’t believe what happens next! :p

[thesameguy]

Yeah, durability was my concern. The few things I've made or improved I've used urethane to help withstand use. I'm really interested in finishes that would be suitable for use with food - the bowls you've done are gorgeous.

[Cam]

I use Minwax Polycrylic (polyurethane) because it easily cleans up with soap and water. No harsh cleaners needed. :up:

I've heard multiple people say any finish is food safe, as long as it is properly cured. Although, some are more durable than others. Shellac can easily be dissolved with alcohol, for example. Poly is your best bet for general use, in my opinion. Spar urethane is better for outdoor use.

[Cam]

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[21Kid]

I was hoping to see you chop wood. That was a tease at the end, right? ;)

[novicius]

:lol: :up:

Well-told tales, Cam!

[George]

Mr. Famous has people to chop his wood now.

It's neat to see the saw moving around while idling on the ground.

[Cam]

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[Cam]

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[Cam]

Adventures in click-bait. :lol:

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I may have to start just posting links instead of embedding video, lest this thread get bogged down with thumbnails.