Recovery day.

After spending some time getting some half laps done and moving around those 6 x 6's to do it I need a day to recover.  My knee does not like going for a long time and reminds me of it. I shot some video of cutting the wood and the camera ran out of batteries.  I did manage to get this though.

I know my videos are not very much in length or production value, but I am still learning.  I like keeping them kind of short.

I went out today with Sally and did a bit of shopping.  One of the things I bought was

I will be keeping the old B&D but this one is easier to adjust for height and angle.  It was on sale and I ended up paying about $68 with tax.  I couldn't say no.

Yesterdays work included cutting the 10' 6 x 6 in half in order to make pieces to lengthen the 16' ones to 20'.  I did this by cutting 1/2 lap joints with the old circular saw and the reciprocating saw.  Not the best cut joinery ever.  I coated the raw wood with end cut preservative and fastened the joinery with 1/2" x 5" galvanized lag screws.  The wood is pressure treated and requires an ACQ rated fastener.  I also added PL Premium construction glue to the joints.  These things will not be coming apart.  I have used PL to hold a concrete base of a fountain together.

I have said for a quite a while now that I can still do a good days work, it just takes me a week to do it. 

I have Sally's camera charging, and some more half laps to cut.  I am hoping to make a video of cutting the joints with the machines, vs cutting them with the hand saws.  I did have to clean up the joints I made with a chisel and plane a lot because of how bad the cuts come out with a reciprocating saw, so it may turn out easier to do them with hand tools if they go together right off the saw.

So, until next time

Thanks for dropping in.

The shop build...Delivery 1

I finally got the old shed empty and every thing stuffed into the portable as best I could.  I tried to keep the things I am likely to need up front.

I have all the shelves down in the shed, and the windows out now.

It truly is in sad shape.  The floor is bulging up and there are many gaps where the light comes through (and weather, and bugs, and mice).

I got the first delivery of lumber today.  Consisting of:

2    6 x 6 x 16'

2    6 x 6 x 12'

1    6 x 6 x 10'

18  2 x 10 x 12'

2    2 x 10 x 10'

and added to that was 12  3 x 5 x 8' landscape ties so Sally could make a garden around the tulips.  All pressure treated wood.

I said I would try to get some video yesterday.  How's this for quick delivery.

This will keep me busy for a while.  It will be the base and the floor framing.  I am going to cut the half lap joints with....

The old work horse.  I don't know how old it is.  I got it about 20 years ago for free as the previous owner made the switch get stuck.  I took it apart and gave it a squirt of WD 40, put a longer cord on and a carbide blade and it has run like a champ ever since.  It is all metal and a 13 amp motor.  Kind of a bear to adjust height, but a pair of pliers helps.  I was looking at a new one and just may still.  A new blade at the very least.  

The saw benches will earn their keep very soon.

Coming up, some half lap joinery.  Until then,

Thanks for dropping in

Starting a new plan

Happy Mother's Day!

I got a good deal on a canvas shed.  It is like a heavy duty tent with no floor and it has screw anchors that hold it down.  It was less than 1/2 price at Canadian Tire so I grabbed it.  I don't think it was made anywhere that English was the primary language.

Since when is there an "A" in "SHED"?  Sally and I put it up today.  Weird instructions, they get you to put things together only take them apart later and then reassemble.  But we got it done.

The roll up door has a nice loop in the hem at the bottom, so I stuck a dowel in there to make it easier (or possible) to roll up.  We set it a little back of the old shed.

I got some of the tools and some of my few nice pieces of hardwood moved.

I have to keep in mind the tools that I will need for the build.  There is a lot of sorting and boxing that has to be done.  The old shed is getting empty, and you can clearly see why it needs an upgrade.  1 x 4 framing 24" O.C. is not a good building practice.

Sometimes they didn't even get them that close.  Just look behind the tool box.

The walls have to be completely re-framed.  The roof is the same wood and spacing, it leaks and it is surprising that it is still up.  The floor is framed with 2 x 6's over a 12' plus span.  Some of the joists are coming up through the floor.  I am not sure how the whole thing is supported.  I can see 6 piers of concrete block along the outside, but underneath there are discarded tires, so I can't see.  So until I rip it up, I have no way of telling.  I have some pressure treated 6 x 6's and pressure treated 2 x 10's coming tomorrow.  Code for a 12' span is 2 x 10, so it should be a good solid base for the rest of the repairs to the shed.  Still waiting on some galvanized nails for the framing gun.  They are required for ACQ pressure treated wood.  Today I went in and bought some 5" long 1/2" galvanized lag screws and some PL premium construction adhesive to put together the 6 x 6 base with half lap joinery.  Not exactly timber framing with mortice and tenons, but it will be effective.  I also have a whole bunch of 3/4 crush gravel from another project, some landscape fabric and some 1/4" hardware cloth.  This is going to be a big job, and will take a while.  I am wondering about the electric and heat hook up, the extra distance will make it more expensive, but we will cross that bridge when we get to it.  I am still pretty upset at the circumstances, but this cheers me up.

That is a happy puppy!

OK, OK, the kerfing plane.

That old saw I bought that I showed you last time I was talking about the plane gave up its blade and I took all the set out of the teeth.  I put it between 2 boards, then added a third, taller board to act as a fence and put the whole works in the vice.

This gives me a nice way to guide the plane over the blade.

I slowly worked a narrow kerf into the body of the planes, pausing now and then to raise the blade.

So now I have a saw plate that I cut out of the old saw plate

and it fits in the body of the plane.  Notice the orientation of the rounded part.

Now that I have the plate fitted I took the blade out and filed the opposite side of the plate in a rip pattern with 7 Points Per Inch (I think it was 7)  and about 5 degrees of rake on the teeth.  I then used a tip I got from RogerT over at the Woodwhisperer irc chat.  After I drilled the holes in the plane, I inserted the plate into the body and used the drill bit to mark where the plate needed its holes.  I chucked a piece of wood into the drill press and, on high speed, bore down with it right where the plate needed drilling.  After a while it will heat the steel in a small area and take the hardness out there.  Then it can be drilled easier.  Once drilled, it can go together again, this time with bolts and the rounded part to the front.

and a little special touch with brass thumb nuts.

So I took a bit of the still damp spalted maple I saved from the wood pile and tested it.

It cuts straight and true.  Now, if I were re-sawing this board, I would do this on all 4 edges, giving my rip saw excellent registration to follow.  It needs a fence to guide it for different width cuts and that is to come.  It is where I am at now in the build, so you are all caught up.  One thing, I did start to make a fence, had a nice piece of wood too.  Looked great with the walnut.

I treated it with a wood petrifier to stabilize it. 

 I messed the piece up. 

 All my fault, I made a mistake and ruined the piece.  So now I am working on a new piece.  I have not taken a picture of it yet, we will wait until we get a bit more work on it......which will be a long while yet, because now I am making a more suitable area in which to continue.  Next time there will be some big pieces of wood, and, I want to try to make another short video.  So, until then...

Thanks for dropping in!