Thursday, December 27, 2012

Drawing Center


My latest project was this "drawing center" for my daughter. They have a table at school that goes by that name so that is what she asked for. This is the second project that I have done without plans. I made some drawings on the ipad using the Paper app.


The aspects of this table that are new to me are the tapered legs and the red oak top. This is the first hardwood that I have used in any project. The legs are poplar and the aprons are pine. The apron is attached to the legs with mortise and tenon joinery. The top is attached to the base with shop made fasteners that I made out of the red oak. They fit into a slot in the apron.

The top is a glue up with biscuits. Concerning the finish, I know very little about finishing wood projects. To be honest it looks a little overwhelming. Another art all in itself that I don't have an interest in learning right now. So I took a scrap of the red oak and wiped it with Johnson's Paste Wax. I use that everywhere in my shop for protection from glue and it makes most wood look nice. It looked great on the red oak so I used it. It is easy to reapply when needed.


You can see the slot in the apron for the table top fasteners. I also added dowels to the apron so that she can hang supplies there.


Me and the boys were a little tricksy to my daughter. She would actually be out there while I worked on the table. And sometimes even helping. We called it the nothing table. So that she wouldn't know it was for her. The big payoff was Christmas morning when she realized it was for her. "Did you make this for me?" "Yes." She ran into my arms and thanked me. Perfect.



Thursday, February 9, 2012

My Review of KREG 4-Piece Bench Dogs, Kreg# KKS1070


Functional and affordable.

By P from Florida on 2/9/2012

 

5out of 5

Pros: Strong, Works Effectively, Versatile, Lightweight

Describe Yourself: Avid Do-It-Yourselfer

Primary use: Personal

Great idea to add more function to a typical bench dog. The rubber gromments at the top hold workpieces securely for routing or sanding. They also have a point on the top to hold a workpiece for finishing.

(legalese)

My Review of Wonder Pup


Great Product

By P from Florida on 2/9/2012

 

5out of 5

Describe Yourself: Avid Do-It-Yourselfer

Primary use: Personal

This is a great product. I have a workbench with a face vise but no end vise. I drilled dog holes down the length of the bench. Using a dog on one end and this as my end vise I can work on a long board securely.

(legalese)