All~


Wow! October 7 and no Work Bench posts yet...too busy gunning?


As you may have seen, I have gotten (partially) back from NDR World. I rehabbed a dozen Bean's Coastals:








I am making a bunch of various boat parts for a variety of vessels, but took a few hours to make this shelf for our living room:






I have made quite a few of shelves like this over the years - but tweaked the "scantlings" just a bit.


The brackets are made from 5/4 stock and the shelf has a lip so looks thicker. I am not sure yet whether or these changes are improvements.....








All the best,


SJS







Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

SJS
Been waiting for you to start the October thread
I'm Just trying to paint some of this years rig. I'm learning, just not patient enough yet.
Not quite an MLBob or Mr Hillman paint job. But I'm having fun.

Patrick,
You have a very unique style. I like the Merganser and Goldeneye. Very Cool!!!

Tom

Hoping to have a workshop ready by winter & being able to have a project on the workbench.
Also hoping to be in southern Ontario in 10 days, to spend a week duck hunting.
Good hunting to all this season!
Bruce/Erie, PA

Tom
Thanks. You still researching the PP breeders? Mines back from the trainers she loves the dog.
Trained for waterfowl and upland.

A former coworker of mine called me the other day to tell me he had dropped a few trees. None of what he had down, was of any real interest to me, but I did take a couple pieces of Basswood home to play with.

This piece will be going back to him as a gift.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

 
Dave,

Two thumbs up!

For Basswood, of various types, that grain is as good as it gets IMO.

Ya brought out the hidden beauty that nature provided, and that few see.

It will be a wonderful gift and family heirloom.


Best regards
Vince











"Art does not reproduce what is visible - but makes things visible." ~ Paul Klee, artist, 1920

Something on my bench, and something under it.

A quick little project was turning a mallet from Bois D'arc for a froe and restoring an old camp axe that I bought in 1990 and kept in my first truck for many years. From there is was relegated to a dark corner in the shed and covered in cobwebs. Pulled it out and remembered just what a handy size it was so the handle was sanded and refinished and head sharpened like a razor and protected with a new sheath. It and the mallet/froe combination will see plenty of use this fall splitting firewood at the Ryan brothers duck cabin adjacent to Jackson County WMA where we hang out leading up to a during the season.



Secondly, I am in the home stretch of the drawer project I started last month. I opted for hardwood runners after pricing bearing slides for these 24x30 oversized drawers. It would have been over a grand so there you go, good old wood runners. Funny thing is when waxed they are just as easy to operate and I find them more pleasing. All that is left is to machine and attach the pine fronts and then the handles. Should wrap it up this week.

Eric,

Nice work on everything. I have a full size axe which was new around 1964. It still has it's original handle, which tells one it has not been abused too much. I need to make a good sheath for the head. The edge and face has been polished and lapped to a mirror finish. Now I just need to teach my grandson how to swing it.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

Man Eric, You are going to love those drawers. Very jealous.

Dave

I thought you were going to say you'd replaced the handle three times and the head once :) Making old axes and hatchets look new again, or even better than new in your example, can turn into a hobby in-and-of itself. I have four really cool old Boy Scout hatchets made by Brideport (the same folks that make the famous end mill) awaiting restoration. Maybe a project for this fall or winter.

Eric

Tod

Thanks. The long workbench with drawers was in my mind at the very outset of the shop construction project. That was over seven years ago (holy crap I didn't realize that much time had gone by since I broke ground until I just now added it up) and finally is about to come off the "to-do" list. The drawers will really consolidate a lot of tools into one easy to get to location. Thus, removing the need to climb a ladder on the other side of the building for a tool that should be at hand.

Eric

My drawers are DONE. Time to get ready for duck season.

Almost forgot. I made a little flashlight rack between finishing the drawers and sweeping up. Got tired of flashlights falling over. Problem solved. Simple dovetail construction and stuck to the wall with a couple pocket screws.

Sometimes it is the littlest of things, that can just make your day.


I had some aluminum sheet. Cut a 2 inch by 12 inch strip and did some bending.
No more, will I worry about a full drink cup, rolling around on the floor.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

Dang Dave, those bends look true. I like it. You use a brake?

Eric

Eric,

Nope. Made a cereal box cardboard pattern to get the bend locations. Clamped along the bend line with a hand clamp for wood working and just used raw muscle against a open wood surface to generate the sharp bends. For the large round bend around the cup, I did a series of hand bends over an "anvil" (my 3/4 diameter tool rest on my wood lathe). Just kept going back and forth closing the radius as I went.

Pretty soft aluminum but stiffened up well with the finished form.

PS. Missed your last couple postings, Nice work yourself.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

Finished up a challenge. This piece of wood was cracked and soft from rot. We woodworkers refer to that as "spalting", sounds better than rotten wood.

It will have to be purely a decorative piece for someone. Made from one of the varieties of Maple. Turned to a 10 inch diameter and 3 3/4 inches deep.

---

Take care, Huntindave McCann SHELL ROCK IA. ,,,,,, "As sailors grow older, the wiser ones move to smaller boats." Thomas Firth Jones, Multihull Voyaging

Good morning, Dave~


Great alchemy! Making beauty with cereal boxes and rotted wood - good stuff!


As usual, I have projects on many fronts. These enormous Wave Riders are steadily becoming Hens.






I am also making parts for 3 different South Bay Duckboats. Here are 3 Motor Boards and 5 Backer Boards - with sealing coats of epoxy curing by the stove.






I also laid up 3 "XL" spray shields over the past several days.







Because I use polyester resin for any all-glass lamination, I do it outside. They are curing and off-gassing in the sun and rain.






Later today I will use that jig to laminate some Mahogany thatch rails for the shields. And, I will gluing up a pair of 12-foot long thatch rails (to be attached to the decks) , making some flotation for the Scull Boat, and beginning some flapper boards for 2 South Bays.....


All the best,


SJS




Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

All~

I enjoy seeing everyone's projects.

Slowly working on adding a deck to the garvey. This is being traditional built with a Atlantic White Cedar deck.

Rick

I enjoy all these posts. True craftsman and artists. Lovely work! I have little wood working skills, and really appreciate these posts and fabulous work done!
My skills are more mechanical, and not picture worthy.





Oxford, CT

Nice work on the Garvey.


Joe

Good morning, All~


I'm still puttering away on batches of duckboat parts & pieces in the shop...


But, From the Bench of George Williams comes these Woodlies....






All the best,


SJS









Steven Jay Sanford
Pencil Brook Farm
South Cambridge, NY
http://www.stevenjaysanford.com

George did some fine looking work on those woodies.

 
DMM,

That's a mighty fine rig of "Acorn Eaters", especially the hens.


Best regards
Vince











"Art does not reproduce what is visible - but makes things visible." ~ Paul Klee, artist, 1920