Ama TANSTAAFL58

[TANSTAAFL58]

Have you taught your GS how to play hockey?

Do you like American football (NFL)?

What other winter sports do you enjoy?

The little guy loves basketball. Go figure. His prized possession is his Kyle Lowry Raptors jersey. He will watch hockey if its on but he has no desire to play. That's good. He's built like a goalie and the equipment is very expensive.


I used to watch a lot of football. I was a huge fan of the Canadian Football league and my NFL team was the Vikings. I just kind of lost interest a few years ago.

My favourite winter activity is snowshoeing. I used to ski, but I find snowshoeing more relaxing. I must be getting old. I was hoping to try Curling, because my GS curls, but the Junior season is on hold for now.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

I'm curious about your new bench. What's its form factor: Roubo, Scandinavian, English, Shaker or? Did you devise your own plans or follow someone else's? Whart lumber species did you use? What kind of vises did you install? Do you use other work-holding items like holdfasts or planing stops?

Signed
A Guy Who Needs to Build a Bench

The top is three layers of 18mm Baltic Birch plywood glued together with construction adhesive. Regular carpenters' glue has too much water in it and it could warp the plywood. Construction adhesive will also move well. The very top is a piece of 1/4" hardboard held in place with carpet tape so it can be easily replaced if it gets paint or gouges. Overall thickness is 2-1/4", with a frame of 1x3 poplar. The bottom sheet is 30" and the top two are 24", that way there is a tool trough at the back. The frame is Cedar 4x4s and the legs are PT 5x5s They are old PT so I am not worried about toxins, and the whole thing is sealed with shellac and spar varnish. I have a cast iron 8-wood jaw front vise on the left front and a full-width tail vise on the right. I put a roll of butcher paper on the left to cover it for finishing work. There is a shelf at the bottom and I am building bins for underneath. I did not make the legs flush at the front because I never used that on my old bench. I have a removable prop aligned with the front vise ways for long stuff. Its all butt joints, lag bolts and Simpson Strongties.

I am still thinking of where to put the holes in the top for hold downs etc.

Its about 500 lbs and I can plane figured wood without rocking it (a chunk of Birdseye maple planed like butter).

BUT

Consider an English Joiner's Bench. There 's one in Woodsmith this month (Its a bit ambitious) and I think Fine Woodworking had one earlier in the summer, Or, I'll send you a link in a PM to an excellent option on YouTube.

 

[midwestyankee]

The top is three layers of 18mm Baltic Birch plywood glued together with construction adhesive. Regular carpenters' glue has too much water in it and it could warp the plywood. Construction adhesive will also move well. The very top is a piece of 1/4" hardboard held in place with carpet tape so it can be easily replaced if it gets paint or gouges. Overall thickness is 2-1/4", with a frame of 1x3 poplar. The bottom sheet is 30" and the top two are 24", that way there is a tool trough at the back. The frame is Cedar 4x4s and the legs are PT 5x5s They are old PT so I am not worried about toxins, and the whole thing is sealed with shellac and spar varnish. I have a cast iron 8-wood jaw front vise on the left front and a full-width tail vise on the right. I put a roll of butcher paper on the left to cover it for finishing work. There is a shelf at the bottom and I am building bins for underneath. I did not make the legs flush at the front because I never used that on my old bench. I have a removable prop aligned with the front vise ways for long stuff. Its all butt joints, lag bolts and Simpson Strongties.

I am still thinking of where to put the holes in the top for hold downs etc.

Its about 500 lbs and I can plane figured wood without rocking it (a chunk of Birdseye maple planed like butter).

BUT

Consider an English Joiner's Bench. There 's one in Woodsmith this month (Its a bit ambitious) and I think Fine Woodworking had one earlier in the summer, Or, I'll send you a link in a PM to an excellent option on YouTube.

Rob Cosman did a bench with layers of MDF like you didcwithbthe Baltic Birch. Weight matters and 500 pounds ought to be enough for even Mongo to work on it.

 

[ultramarineblue]

I'd love to do a "Scottish Dirk" (a single edge short dagger knife), or a Khukri (the forward curved weapon of the Ghurkhas) or a Cutlass. But like everyone who appears on that program, what I would love is for Doug Marcada to say "It will kill" after destroying a ballistics dummy.

I have restored a few old damaged rusty knives over the years.

That sounds like it would so interesting and rewarding to create. Making something from truly raw materials is an incredible experience. How do you sharpen your woodworking tools?

 

[cookiecat]

Where would you like to travel?

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

That sounds like it would so interesting and rewarding to create. Making something from truly raw materials is an incredible experience. How do you sharpen your woodworking tools?

(I was busy for a couple of days)

I have an inexpensive Japanese water stone in my kitchen for when the kitchen knives need attention. (Only my ham knife and bread knife match: the rest are from different manufacturers and cost between next to nothing and holy crap that's a lot for a knife).

For chisels and plane blades I have used wet and dry sandpaper in various grits glued to plate glass. I have grits up to 10000. I recently treated myself to a set of diamond plates that I will be using for plane blades and chisels.

Carving knives have odd shapes, so I tend to take some of that wet and dry sandpaper and wrap and glue it to dowels of various sizes so I can follow the contour of the blade.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Where would you like to travel?

Aside from the Caribbean, I'd love to see Scotland and Ireland, not JUST because I want to drink a Laphroaig on Islay and a Guinness at the brewery. I have traveled a bit in the US on business and I'd like to revisit my favourite American cities (Charlotte NC, Memphis, Chicago, Long Beach CA) as a tourist.

I would like to go back to Cozumel (technically the Caribbean)

 

[JerseyJade]

Are you still smuggling in people from over the border? It's been a long time since I seen Antonio and his 6 naked brothers and I would like to see them again.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Are you still smuggling in people from over the border? It's been a long time since I seen Antonio and his 6 naked brothers and I would like to see them again.

Hehehe. Well, anything is possible.

I am proud of the fact that I kept up an old family tradition by smuggling booze to the US. I may be the first person to smuggle whisky INTO Tennessee. Okay, I brought duty-free Canadian Rye to and American buddy who couldn't get his favourite after he moved from Michigan.

 

[seela]

Do you have a song, smell, food etc. that always brings back a memory of a very specific, but utterly mundane moment?

If yes, what's the trigger and what's the moment?

I'm going to ask everybody this question, because among my friends I'm the only weirdo to have lots of mundane connections like that and everybody else only seems have these triggers for meaningful things. I refuse to believe I'm the only one.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Do you have a song, smell, food etc. that always brings back a memory of a very specific, but utterly mundane moment?

If yes, what's the trigger and what's the moment?

I'm going to ask everybody this question, because among my friends I'm the only weirdo to have lots of mundane connections like that and everybody else only seems have these triggers for meaningful things. I refuse to believe I'm the only one.

You aren't weird, and you aren't alone.

Scent: A campfire of birch logs. It takes me back to a camping trip at a Scout camp when I was 13 (~). We cooked over open fires, and the breakfast on the second morning of a canoe trip / backpacking trip on a small lake featured perhaps the worst oatmeal I'd ever eaten, cooked over a fire comprised mostly of birch logs. Birch has a very distinct aroma when burned, and every time I smell it, I'm on the shore of Holland Lake, mist rising on the still water and a bowl of warm wallpaper paste in my hand.

The song "Long may you run" by Neil Young makes me think of my first car: a 1968 Chevy Bel Air, nicknamed Annabelle. Old Neil wrote that about the Cadilliac Hearse he drove from Ontario to California. I drove mine from Boyhood to Manhood. Damn I miss her. (A woman never forgets her first love, and a man never forgets his first car).

 

[midwestyankee]

If you were given $500 to add to your collection of hand tools, how would you spend it?

 

[BlackCaramelCreme]

What was the last done for your wife as a cute sign of affection?

When was the last time you gift wrapped a gift?

What is your fav TV show that you NEVER miss?

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

If you were given $500 to add to your collection of hand tools, how would you spend it?

Clamps. Lots and lots of clamps.

Just kidding.

Tough call. I just used my retirement bonus to buy some long-wanted tools including new chisels and a couple of Japanese saws. I have a problem with buying planes. I just got my dream plane: a Veritas bevel up jackplane. I bought three vintage Stanley number 5s in the spring (1918, 1939, 1946), and a 1950s vintage 4-1/2 for $10. So I would spend part of that on buying more vintage Stanley planes (a number 4 and a number 6 plus a Veritas Apron Plane). I'd likely spend the rest on a decent Western dovetail saw.

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

What was the last done for your wife as a cute sign of affection? Flowers. Every week. Because she puts up with me. Oh, and a bottle of really nice Scotch for her Yoga Instructor

When was the last time you gift wrapped a gift?I put stuff in gift bags because my wrapping skills are non-existant. I did wrap a gift for my son once by using ONLY duct tape. Quite a lot of it actually.

What is your fav TV show that you NEVER miss?

Forged In Fire (mentioned above as well)

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Where ya been?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov4epAJRPMw

Hehehe

 

[ultramarineblue]

(I was busy for a couple of days)

I have an inexpensive Japanese water stone in my kitchen for when the kitchen knives need attention. (Only my ham knife and bread knife match: the rest are from different manufacturers and cost between next to nothing and holy crap that's a lot for a knife).

For chisels and plane blades I have used wet and dry sandpaper in various grits glued to plate glass. I have grits up to 10000. I recently treated myself to a set of diamond plates that I will be using for plane blades and chisels.

Carving knives have odd shapes, so I tend to take some of that wet and dry sandpaper and wrap and glue it to dowels of various sizes so I can follow the contour of the blade.

Thank you! I've been having trouble remembering questions I've asked and what threads I need to look back at recently.

 

[midwestyankee]

Have you ever driven a dog sled?

Ever been arrested by the RCMP?

 

[wicked woman]

Have you ever driven a dog sled?

Yank, we live in Ontario not Alaska!



(She says having ridden in a dog sled in Quebec City)

 

[ultramarineblue]

What super power would you like to have?

 

[midwestyankee]

Yank, we live in Ontario not Alaska!



(She says having ridden in a dog sled in Quebec City)

Thanks for validating my query. Besides, plenty of Ontario is every bit as rural and friendly to winter as Alaska. I know this because Sergeant Preston told me so.

 

[ultramarineblue]

What is a question you would like to be asked but have not been?

 

[cookiecat]

Do you ever suffer from insomnia? If yes, how do you get back to sleep?

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Have you ever driven a dog sled?

Ever been arrested by the RCMP?

Yank, we live in Ontario not Alaska!



(She says having ridden in a dog sled in Quebec City)

WW is correct admonishing you. I live in a modern town and work in a high-tech industry. Dog sleds are an artifact of the nineteenth century -

Okay, yes I have been on a dog sled, in Minden Ontario.

There is a local guy, now retired who regularly drove a dogsled to the office. There are even special "Dogsled Area" signs on the county road.

The RCMP has a very minor presence in Ontario. The Ontario Provincial Police handle police work that the RCMP handles in other provinces. I usually only see an actual Mountie on Canada Day. My small town holds a parade and celebration on Canada Day every year, and we are issued 1 (one) RCMP Officer, typically below the rank of Sergeant, in Full Dress Uniform, no horse. (I think it would need to be a bigger town to rate a horse too).

 

[TANSTAAFL58]

Thanks for validating my query. Besides, plenty of Ontario is every bit as rural and friendly to winter as Alaska. I know this because Sergeant Preston told me so.

Highway 21 , near where I live, runs from the border at Sarnia / Port Huron. It is I believe the most frequently closed road in North America (lake effect snow squalls off Lake Huron cause lots of drifting and blowing snow, with total whiteout conditions)