October is a busy month for us every year. It is the first month with cool weather after our long and hot summer. We try to catch up on camping and fishing and cycling and all the other outdoor activities we enjoy. I did not include disc golf because we play that all year, hot or cold, wet or dry!
October is also the month of my birthday! I tend to celebrate most of the month. You can do that when you get older. Other family birthdays in October include my son and his mate, my grand daughter, two of my nephews, a niece, and a nephew's wife. Yeah, we have pretty much re-named the month to Partytober.
This year we also mourned the passing of my better half's dad. He also loved to be outdoors every minute he could.
This year, my son and his wife came to our house for a long weekend of various outdoor activities which included disc golf in the dark. We had lights that attached to the bottom of the disc and lights on the baskets. This was our second experience at night disc golf and I never get tired of watching the discs in flight with the strobe lights attached.
Needless to say, we didn't have a lot of time for attending to our blog and other social media sites as we barely managed to stay on top of orders with all that partying going on. But, we are getting back in the groove now.
We just got a load of beautiful walnut in and have begun processing it for various projects. Of course, the band saw quit again and I just now finished repairing it. The blade somehow got out of alignment and was moving forward and backward in the cutting area.
A new sanding box has been added to the shop. It works like a dream and is so much better than what we were using. We made a top for it rather than using pegboard, and added a baffle system to direct suction to the shop vacuum.
The next shop project I would like to construct is a clamping table. I'm thinking about 6 feet long with clamps every foot or so. Presently, I put six bar clamps on a 6 foot folding table. It would be much nicer to have a permanent table that I did not have to assemble and disassemble each time I used it.
Tomorrow I will be on the planer. All day. I hope she let's me take a break for lunch!
Have a great weekend.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Monday, October 5, 2015
Milling Lumber
We have been busy milling lumber here the past few days. My dad had a barn full of rough sawn maple that we picked up in a couple of loads. Now, we purchase a lot of lumber from the sawmill and it is considered rough sawn too, but we found that some rough sawn is rougher than others!
My dad's maple comes from some trees a logger cut down for him. They were rough sawn in the field with one of those chainsaw mills. The pieces were curved in many directions and in all kinds of widths and thicknesses.
We first had to cut the pieces at the curves and knots to end up with some straight and usable lumber. Most of it was 10 feet long to begin with and some was 12 feet long. It was so rough that it had to be resawn to over 3/8 inch to get 1/4 planks. It ranged in thickness from just under 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches. The 3/4 inch boards planed smooth at 1/2 inch.
Most of the sawmill lumber we get is uniform in width and thickness and although it all has to be resawn and planed, the settings don't change a lot between pieces. This wood we got from my dad was a totally different story. Constant changes in settings for the equipment meant that processing this wood took a lot longer than normal.
I am happy to report that we are nearly through, and it is getting easier as we started with the worse pieces. I am very happy to report that the finished product is beautiful. This wood had been in his barn for 10 years or more and is absolutely dry. It is very hard but it sands and works pretty good. We are exited to begin working with it.
Our first project will be our take on some very old asian style lunchboxes. The small lunchbox will have three smaller boxes inside. Two of these boxes are sandwich sized and they fit on top of a larger box. This larger box is big enough to hold a drink and a banana. These boxes are held in place by a sliding door.
The larger model will also have two sandwich sized boxes and a drink box. In between these will be two boxes large enough for 2 sandwiches or an apple or orange.
The lunchboxes can be used for other things and one of our family members has requested a small one to carry a few extra diapers, wipes, and other baby stuff for a short outing. Our son wants one for a toolbox for his smaller tools used to work on computers.
We will post some photos shortly.
My dad's maple comes from some trees a logger cut down for him. They were rough sawn in the field with one of those chainsaw mills. The pieces were curved in many directions and in all kinds of widths and thicknesses.
We first had to cut the pieces at the curves and knots to end up with some straight and usable lumber. Most of it was 10 feet long to begin with and some was 12 feet long. It was so rough that it had to be resawn to over 3/8 inch to get 1/4 planks. It ranged in thickness from just under 3/4 inch to 1 1/2 inches. The 3/4 inch boards planed smooth at 1/2 inch.
Most of the sawmill lumber we get is uniform in width and thickness and although it all has to be resawn and planed, the settings don't change a lot between pieces. This wood we got from my dad was a totally different story. Constant changes in settings for the equipment meant that processing this wood took a lot longer than normal.
I am happy to report that we are nearly through, and it is getting easier as we started with the worse pieces. I am very happy to report that the finished product is beautiful. This wood had been in his barn for 10 years or more and is absolutely dry. It is very hard but it sands and works pretty good. We are exited to begin working with it.
Our first project will be our take on some very old asian style lunchboxes. The small lunchbox will have three smaller boxes inside. Two of these boxes are sandwich sized and they fit on top of a larger box. This larger box is big enough to hold a drink and a banana. These boxes are held in place by a sliding door.
The larger model will also have two sandwich sized boxes and a drink box. In between these will be two boxes large enough for 2 sandwiches or an apple or orange.
The lunchboxes can be used for other things and one of our family members has requested a small one to carry a few extra diapers, wipes, and other baby stuff for a short outing. Our son wants one for a toolbox for his smaller tools used to work on computers.
We will post some photos shortly.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
JellyBean Bakery
Folks that know me will tell you that I don't really have a sweet tooth, what I have is a head full of sweet teeth! Yes, I am a connoisseur of sweets. I have tested sweets from coast to coast and in several foreign countries. I can tell you that without a doubt, the best cupcakes I have ever enjoyed came from JellyBean Bakery in Princeton, NC.
I must disclose that the owner, Jennie Bailey, is married to my nephew. However, I can assure you that neither he nor I know anything about making cupcakes, but we are both pretty good at eating them. Matter of fact, the whole family does a pretty good job at putting cupcakes away. At one time, my son had the nickname of "cupcake" after an afternoon at his grandmother's house when he ate about a dozen or so. We couldn't figure out why he was sick until someone opened the cupcake box and discovered they were gone!
We just returned from Fresh Market grocery store, where I saw a cupcake with chocolate icing, yellow cake, and bavarian creme filling. It looked as good as it sounds! Naturally, I added it to the cart. I could hardly wait to get home to try it! Well, they nailed the bavarian creme part, it was very good. But, the cake was course and dry. The icing tasted like icing from a can. Mind you, this cupcake looked the part of a world champion cupcake. Sadly, it performed like a 1st grader!
I probably wouldn't have been as disappointed with it had I not been given the opportunity to try some of Jennie's cupcakes. Her's always look absolutely great. But it don't stop there. The cake has a consistency that is "just right" and the moisture is perfect. But the best part is the icing. I don't know how she does it, but she makes the creamiest icing I have ever enjoyed.
The latest of her cupcakes that I have tasted was lemonade flavored pictured above. She hit the flavor perfectly! Some of her new flavors that I can hardly wait to try are strawberry cheesecake, banana pudding, Oreo, and chocolate peanut butter mousse.
If I didn't live so far away, I would think up reasons to drop in just to see what new concoctions she might be working on. I wonder if she needs a cupcake tester?
I must disclose that the owner, Jennie Bailey, is married to my nephew. However, I can assure you that neither he nor I know anything about making cupcakes, but we are both pretty good at eating them. Matter of fact, the whole family does a pretty good job at putting cupcakes away. At one time, my son had the nickname of "cupcake" after an afternoon at his grandmother's house when he ate about a dozen or so. We couldn't figure out why he was sick until someone opened the cupcake box and discovered they were gone!
We just returned from Fresh Market grocery store, where I saw a cupcake with chocolate icing, yellow cake, and bavarian creme filling. It looked as good as it sounds! Naturally, I added it to the cart. I could hardly wait to get home to try it! Well, they nailed the bavarian creme part, it was very good. But, the cake was course and dry. The icing tasted like icing from a can. Mind you, this cupcake looked the part of a world champion cupcake. Sadly, it performed like a 1st grader!
I probably wouldn't have been as disappointed with it had I not been given the opportunity to try some of Jennie's cupcakes. Her's always look absolutely great. But it don't stop there. The cake has a consistency that is "just right" and the moisture is perfect. But the best part is the icing. I don't know how she does it, but she makes the creamiest icing I have ever enjoyed.
The latest of her cupcakes that I have tasted was lemonade flavored pictured above. She hit the flavor perfectly! Some of her new flavors that I can hardly wait to try are strawberry cheesecake, banana pudding, Oreo, and chocolate peanut butter mousse.
If I didn't live so far away, I would think up reasons to drop in just to see what new concoctions she might be working on. I wonder if she needs a cupcake tester?
Friday, August 14, 2015
Cigarette Cases
We have been busy making some cigarette cases lately. We also made a couple of cigarette boxes for a coffee or end table. The cases are of several different designs. I really like the ones with the magnets, they are quite durable.
The table top box has room for cigarettes and a small lighter.
Check these and others out at Lucy Hardware. We are taking tomorrow off, going to play some disc golf. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
The table top box has room for cigarettes and a small lighter.
Check these and others out at Lucy Hardware. We are taking tomorrow off, going to play some disc golf. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Sweet!
Check out the new tissue box covers soon to be listed at Lucy Hardware. They took some time to get the pattern correct and make the correct cuts, but I think they turned out very well.
I generally rely strictly on math to make cuts for patterns in constructing projects like these, however, I found with these boxes that the math didn't always work out right. I didn't have to be off much on a piece for it to compound and ruin the design.
I eventually went to the "doing by the old eyeball" method. It was a little nerve wracking at first, but it worked out well. I suppose I like the math method because it is logical and I feel secure in what I think the end result will be. It works for me every day. But it failed again and again on these boxes.
Many more years ago than I care to admit, I done a lot of projects by the eye. Heck, I didn't have tools that were accurate. I didn't even have squares or measuring devices that were accurate. I was pretty comfortable eyeballing it, drawing a line, and making the cut. It always came out close enough that the belt sander could fix it.
Now that investments have been made in real tools, and we have spent a lot of time using them and learning to trust in the results, it is pretty scary to go back to the eyeball method. Oh, I am sure I could figure out where I went wrong with the math, but with the results above, I think I will carry on with the eyeballing.
I generally rely strictly on math to make cuts for patterns in constructing projects like these, however, I found with these boxes that the math didn't always work out right. I didn't have to be off much on a piece for it to compound and ruin the design.
I eventually went to the "doing by the old eyeball" method. It was a little nerve wracking at first, but it worked out well. I suppose I like the math method because it is logical and I feel secure in what I think the end result will be. It works for me every day. But it failed again and again on these boxes.
Many more years ago than I care to admit, I done a lot of projects by the eye. Heck, I didn't have tools that were accurate. I didn't even have squares or measuring devices that were accurate. I was pretty comfortable eyeballing it, drawing a line, and making the cut. It always came out close enough that the belt sander could fix it.
Now that investments have been made in real tools, and we have spent a lot of time using them and learning to trust in the results, it is pretty scary to go back to the eyeball method. Oh, I am sure I could figure out where I went wrong with the math, but with the results above, I think I will carry on with the eyeballing.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Down Time!
Was re-sawing some of the lumber we picked up from the sawmill the other day and things were going really well. I had all the lumber separated and stacked according to the order I needed it and how it would be stored when completed. I had tuned up the band saw and had the fence set just right for the majority of the lumber. The table saw was set to rip some of the wider boards and the planer was just outside the door with a wheel barrow in front to collect shavings.
I started with some cherry and re-sawed four boards. I put the 5th one on the band saw table, hit the go button, nothing happened. Only heard a slight buzz from the motor. Dang, I got wood all over the shop, can't do anything else until I get it out of the way. Heck, I just got it off the rack and spread it out!
Checked the switch on the saw and the capacitor on the motor, both were good. Off to the electric shop for repairs.
Back at the shop, I finished a couple more tissue box covers and a double deck playing card box. Thought I would work on some walking canes, but I need the band saw for that. I could work on the shot glasses, but I need the band saw for that. Seems like everything I had in progress would need the band saw next. I didn't realize how much it was used. I would guess that behind the sander, the table saw was used most, now I have my doubts.
So, a thorough and complete cleaning of the shop was next. Everything was dusted and put away. Then we pointed all the fans to the doors and used a leaf blower to blow out the entire shop. We left the fans running and blew the area out two more times.
Then we cleaned all the saw blades, router bits, and drill bits. We organized the junk drawer and the scrap lumber bins.
Tomorrow we will work on the computer with some designs for new items we have had in mind. I'm getting tired of this busy work. Hopefully, the motor repair man will call!
I started with some cherry and re-sawed four boards. I put the 5th one on the band saw table, hit the go button, nothing happened. Only heard a slight buzz from the motor. Dang, I got wood all over the shop, can't do anything else until I get it out of the way. Heck, I just got it off the rack and spread it out!
Checked the switch on the saw and the capacitor on the motor, both were good. Off to the electric shop for repairs.
Back at the shop, I finished a couple more tissue box covers and a double deck playing card box. Thought I would work on some walking canes, but I need the band saw for that. I could work on the shot glasses, but I need the band saw for that. Seems like everything I had in progress would need the band saw next. I didn't realize how much it was used. I would guess that behind the sander, the table saw was used most, now I have my doubts.
So, a thorough and complete cleaning of the shop was next. Everything was dusted and put away. Then we pointed all the fans to the doors and used a leaf blower to blow out the entire shop. We left the fans running and blew the area out two more times.
Then we cleaned all the saw blades, router bits, and drill bits. We organized the junk drawer and the scrap lumber bins.
Tomorrow we will work on the computer with some designs for new items we have had in mind. I'm getting tired of this busy work. Hopefully, the motor repair man will call!
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Playing Card Boxes
Just added some playing card boxes to our inventory at Lucy Hardware. We have single and double deck versions in two styles. The boxes below are constructed from Ash and are sized to fit Bicycle brand playing cards. We will be glad to construct your card box to fit whatever cards you want. Check us out for more options.
We have also added a slim tissue box cover that fits Kleenex 85 count boxes. The one pictured below is constructed of cherry with walnut strips. We have several in inventory but will be glad to make you one to your specifications.
We have also added a slim tissue box cover that fits Kleenex 85 count boxes. The one pictured below is constructed of cherry with walnut strips. We have several in inventory but will be glad to make you one to your specifications.
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