Hand Tools

 A nurse from the VA called this AM and my wife took the call. She answers all incoming because one, I don't have my cell phone surgical implanted on my hip, and two, I can't hear/understand on cell phones. I can with my hearing aids in but I don't wear them everyday so my wife is constantly in the batters box for this. I'm also glad that she answered it and not me.

Firstly the nurse was calling to cancel the appointment I had with urology today at 1500. She was also calling to tell her that the wednesday appointment for the foley removal was also canceled. The earliest appointment to remove it was now on friday, maybe. My wife told her that I had been told the foley was coming out on wednesday vice monday and she wanted an appointment for that on wednesday (wednesday's appointment was canceled because the clinic isn't there on wednesdays).

I would have been a very unhappy camper if I had to keep the foley for 2 1/2 more days. I have an overflow appointment for 1400 on wednesday. It may take a while before I'm seen but to me the important thing is the foley is coming then or I do it myself.

primer coat done

This was all I got done today. Tomorrow I'll do the first top coat on the bottoms.

I have to sleep on my back which I do not like doing. I also have to sleep close to the outside edge of the mattress because the hose for the big collection bag is on the short side. I went to bed at 2200 and I only woke up once and I didn't have to watch YouTube to get sleepy again.

I did kind of sleep though the night but there were a few tugs during the night that woke me up. I was able to drift off again after repositioning myself. However, the tugging, pinching, grabby feeling didn't go away at during the day. That is why I stayed topside and watched Monday night meatloaf episodes. I tried to start with #1 or #2 but I couldn't find them. I think I started watching them about the #80's. I'm not sure and I'm going by if I liked them or not. At the rate I'm going I'll be caught up by friday.

foam ring inserts

The ring slots are precut 'H' shapes. There are 72 slots on each of the 3 foam holders. These are much nicer than the chinese crap I bought the first time. They came today and I can finally finish the ring box. On the flip side I have a lot of material for which I'm sure there will be at least one oops.

from ABE books

Don Williams posted about this book and I went to the authors site to buy one. First printing was sold out along with the 2nd one. No hint of a 3rd printing. I looked it up on ABE books on a lark. I wasn't expecting the book to be available so soon as used. 

This book was listed as used but it has zero wear and I would have bet a lung that I was the first person to leaf through it. The quality of it is as good as any book done by the Lost Art Press. It has a ton of japanese joints in color. The book isn't a step by step how to but the info presented seems adequate for a woodworker with some hand work experience. I have long been fascinated with this glue/nail less joinery and I'll pick out a easy one to try and see how well I can do on it.

accidental woodworker

I bought a suit recently. No, it’s not denim, although had I had time I might have considered one being made to fit. Finding a tailor to make it might be a different matter, not an easy one. Suits are not generally my world. In fact, where I go, I rarely ever see one. The...

Source

Sash Saw  Karelian Masur Birch350mm long78mm deep11 TPI croscutPedderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692353908068506678noreply@blogger.com0

As I continue working on the multitude of details getting the greenhouse ready, Mrs. Barn’s flower garden, carved out of the rocky hillside next to the cabin, has erupted in an explosion of colors as the poppies have burst onto the scene.  In a couple months the daylilies will emerge, and in between will be a host of other rainbows of flowers I know nothing about beyond appreciating their beauty.  To say that she revels in the beauty of nature and especially flowers would be an understatement.  Today is our annual Mrs. Barn’s Birthday Safari to Millmont Gardens to load up with beautiful plants.  She has free reign to get whatever she wants, the space in the back of the CRV being the limiting factor.

As for the greenhouse itself, we have begun to finalize the interior layout and some seedlings are underway.   I have removed much of the construction supplies and tools, bringing a sense of order to the space.  Lately we have been scouring the University of Youtube to garner the best information on building self-watering planters.

We have passed through asparagus season, having freshly-picked shoots with almost every meal for more than a fortnight.  The bed is now proceeding to the “bush” phase and in short order the asparagus bushes will be 8-10 feet high.  She says this is the key to an established perennial asparagus bed, and since it has worked here for two decades I rely on her judgement.

I can just now glimpse returning to the workbench on the horizon.  First project is to make a new, sturdier cover for the hydro capturing trough that a bear (?) tore up last autumn.

Feeling much better today. I wasn't as tired and ragged out as I felt like yesterday. The desire to occupy space and expel carbon dioxide in the shop returned but I took it easy. I did one thing in the shop and another out in the yard. The rest of day was spent binge watching 'Monday night meatloaf' with Tom Lipton. I've been following him for years but now I'm watching his vids from 11-10 years ago.

You'll hear no more whining from me about the foley. I was crying because I had no shoes until I met the man with no feet. I am fortunate in that I won't be wearing a foley for the rest of my life. Thanx to Diego for making me see the light.

I am not driving as long as I have the foley in. Nor will I be walking post lunch. I will also miss going out to breakfast tomorrow along with missing my lunch of fish 'n chips this past friday. I hope to resume the lunch date part this friday.

painting prep done

I was going to poly the kitchen ladder after this but that didn't happen. I'll deal just with the coasters and the holder first. This will be done in a couple of steps. The bottoms first then the tops. The last step (or two) will be applying the top coat(s).

 

taper pins

I have made bookshelves with the same joinery as this holder. A couple of them developed some gaps in the shelf/dado connection. I'm not sure that will happen with this but a couple of tapered pins in each side can't hurt the cause.

after lunch

I was hoping to get the tops done in the PM session but I wasn't happy with how the paint felt. It felt dry but it was also cool to the touch - its an oil based primer. All the coasters and the holder felt the same. I'll give them overnight to cook and set and I'll check them in the AM.

yard work

I didn't experience any hiccups, pain, or weird sensations painting but I was expecting maybe something doing this. I sawed up a bunch of fence pickets that are destined for the land fill. I sawed up about 20 of them without so much as a whimper.

All the movements I made sawing I thought would translate into the foley singing arias to me. That didn't happen boys and girls. I felt more hiccups walking about in the backyard than I did sawing.  

Used it to test myself too on sawing square and plumb. I did reasonably well on the square cuts but most of the plumb cuts were angled. I tried to correct it and I managed to saw a couple plumb but I drifted back to angled ones. I have yet to use anything sawn square/plumb off the saw. As it is now I plane my edges square and plumb after sawing them.

accidental woodworker

If you’ve ever dealt with a wooden plane that keeps clogging up with shavings, you’re not alone. It’s a common frustration for many woodworkers, but the good news is that it’s fixable. I’ll show you a simple and effective solution to stop those jams and get your plane working smoothly again.

One content creator asked me once “how come he doesn’t get long shavings from his wooden jack.”? Well, there’s alot more to it than just using steel wool and flattening the sole. In this article I’ll deal with those frustrating jams when shaving get’s hung up in the mouth, builds up and then clogs.

First step is to inspect the mouth for burrs or rough spots. If there’s a burr, nick, or rough patch at the frontedge of the mouth especially where the blade meets the mouth, it could be catching the shavings. This is especially troublesome with thin, deliberate shavings that are more prone to snagging.

Use a small file or fine sandpaper around 400-600 grit wrapped around a thin stick or dowel to gently smooth out the inside of the mouth. Focus on the leading edge and any rough or uneven spots where the shavings might be getting caught.

Also, if the blade isn’t perfectly flush against the bed of the plane, thin shavings might be slipping between the blade and the bed, getting trapped. This happens when there’s a tiny gap due to a warp or obstruction in the bed. Remove the blade and inspect the bed where it sits. Ensure the surface is smooth and there’s no debris or roughness. You can lightly sand the bed to ensure a better fit.

Check the mouth clearance. If the mouth is too small relative to the size of your shavings, even with the cap iron moved back, the shavings can get compressed and stuck. This is especially true if the openings is tight at the front and creates a funnel effect. The mouth on mine is too wide to do any fine work, but it is well suited for rough work. I didn’t open the mouth, I bought it like that. To get back to the issue at hand, try carefully widening the mouth just a tiny bit more, especially toward the front edge. Aim for just enough clearance to let thin shavings pass, but not so much that you lose control of fine cuts. You could use a file to make this adjustment slowly.

Ensure the blade is set to take only the thinnest of shavings. Try retracting the blade more than usual and take a test pass to see if it reduces the clogging.

Second final step is to check the inside path of the mouth. Shavings that do not curl properly or get enough momentum to clear the mouth, they might be bouncing up and catching. Thick shavings don’t face this issue because they’re stronger and curl more naturally.

Check how the shavings are curling as they leave the mouth. You may want to make sure there’s nothing obstructing their path i.e. inside the mouth or just above the blade.

The last thing that’s just come to mind I have no photo of so you will have to mentally visualise it is to check if the walls of the mouth are touching the edge of the blade. Even with planes that are new, nearly new or in mint condition, the mouth is always exactly the width of the blade. That makes it impossible to adjust the blade side to side, and sometimes the shavings get stuck between the blade and the mouth wall. If you widen or lengthen the mouth, it’ll stop the shavings from clogging and give you the ability to adjust the blade laterally.

If you follow these steps and your blade is razor sharp you should get shavings like I do.

Goodluck!

My latest eBay listing - a Veritas Inlay String Thicknesser, apparently I purchased it before Veritas renamed the name, it is now called an Inlay String Scraper!

Lightly used, near mint in original box with wrapper and instructions. Aluminum body with brass hardware and hardwood handles. Scraper blade has original factory grind marks on bevels with original blade protectors. A great tool for someone who wants to get into string inlay techniques!

 I had grandiose ideas for working in the shop today or so it seemed. The plan was to go slow but get a few little things done. As the time in the shop progressed I lost all interest in being there. I spent the majority of my day sleeping at my desk instead. Anesthesia has proven to play havoc with my ability to sleep. I didn't get much sleep last night and I watched You Tube twice  during the night. The cat got a little bent out of shape each time I did that but he got over it. Based on what happened to me during the daylight hours today I will probably be watching more You Tube tonight again.

I am not in any pain per se. The foley catheter is only an annoyance and it is a big one. It says hello even if I blink my eyes. Walking isn't painful but it is something that I try to avoid. That had a lot to do with me parking my cheeks on my desk chair all day. One day down and 4 more before it comes out. 

On a positive note my urine is clear. I didn't see any evidence of blood in it at all. However, the doc told me that it will be 4 to 6 before I'm fully healed.

its had plenty of time

I clamped this up the day before the TURP so it should be more than ready to come out of the clamps.

layout

I tried laying out a circular cutout but I didn't like the look of it. Instead I went with an oval-ish one to better match the tilt of the shelf.

coping saw work

This was a bit awkward due to the short stroke I could take with it. It was enough to do the cutout though. My first one was a wee wonky and the second one was a lot better. In hindsight I should have done a warm up cut because I don't use a coping saw often.

rasp and 120 grit

One side is a few frog hairs larger than its sibling. Not a deal killer because there is no way to focus on both at the same time to compare them.

the larger cutout

The height is about the same but it is about an 8th of inch longer. 

This was my output today and I didn't last an hour in the shop. I wasn't having any pain or discomfort doing this but the desire to work just wasn't there. After this I had planned to paint the holder and the bottom of the coasters and then call it a day. Maybe I'll get around to that tomorrow.

accidental woodworker

I have listed one set of Lie-Nielsen bed/tenon floats, one push float, one pull float. Both are mint, unused, never sharpened, in their original wrappers with original instructions. I don’t know when these floats went out of production, these have been sitting in my tool chest for nearly ten years, time for them to go to a new home.

For years now I’ve been sharing what I know. I’ve passed on the craft, offered tips, explained techniques, and helped anyone who wanted to learn. I’ve written guides, shared my process, and answered plenty of questions. Not because I was chasing popularity, and definitely not for money. I’ve never done this for money. Not once. Not ever.

I started making videos on YouTube too. Not to become a content creator or an influencer, but just to teach, show the work, and keep the craft alive. That’s it.

I’ve given freely. And I don’t regret that.

But recently I asked for something small. Just a favour. Help identifying a bit of timber. Nothing technical, just a moment of someone’s time.

No one replied.

Not a word. Not even a wrong answer.

That silence said more than any comment could.

It made me think about how often people are happy to take, but rarely give anything back. I’ve seen content with no depth get more attention than anything I’ve written. I’ve seen tool collectors gather likes, while people who actually use those tools go ignored. I’ve seen misinformation spread like wildfire while the people sharing real knowledge sit in the background unnoticed.

This isn’t a plea for attention. It’s just the truth.

If you care about the craft, if you respect real work done by real hands, don’t just scroll past. Say something. Share something. Ask something. Community isn’t built on silence.

That’s all.

I wasn't expecting to be kept overnight. According to the doc, 90% of the people getting this procedure do go home. Just my luck that I was promoted to the 10% group. The doc said that he had a lot of problems slicing and sealing one side of the prostate. The fact that I take Eliquis didn't help things neither. So about an hour into my stay in PACU (patient after care unit) the output going into the collection was the color of Hawaiian punch. 

I was flushed with saline from after I left the OR until 0735 the following morning. The doc stopped it so he could evaluate what the color my urine was. It turned out to be mostly clear to a pink grapefruit color. Regardless all 5 docs loved that color and signed the order so I could go home.

I was totally unprepared for this unplanned hospital stay. My cell phone and hearing aids both went dead and I couldn't sleep because the anesthesia screws up my sleep cycle. I'm hoping to get 40 winks tonight in my own bed.

Because of the too bloody of a discharge I have a follow up appointment on monday but the foley catheter isn't coming out until wednesday. I wasn't expecting the catheter to be the size of a fire hose and I have two collection bags. One is for walking around during the day and a big one for night time. The doc said it was almost impossible to fill it up overnight. Fingers crossed on that not happening.

Needless to say I won't be going balls to the wall in the shop. It isn't a particularly pleasant sensation walking around with thing. But I only have to put up with it for 5 days. I have some painting and poly work I might be able to do without it being too uncomfortable. Stayed tuned, updates and pics on the 11 o'clock news.

got some new reading

I haven't made a chair yet and I think making a bulls%$t chair is a good starting point. I'll read this and I will probably make more than one to build up some proficiency before I tackle making a real chair.

walking around bag

The tubing on this one is "u" shaped while the foley catheter tubing is round - it has about a 1/4" ID and about a 3/8" OD. The doc told me it will be 4-6 weeks before I fully heal and stop passing blood and possible blood clots. No matter how it shakes out I don't see much happening for the next few days. Even I'll concede on that.

accidental woodworker

The folks at The Babylon Bee did it again.  When you contemplate the difficulty of consistently creating great satire in this clown-show world, you know these guys are the best.

Jesus’s Parents Realize He’s Divine As He Completes Carpentry Project Without Going Back To Home Depot A Single Time

It’s long overdue, but at long last I have some images of the finished modular tansu cabinets to share. I finished this project up back in February, but that was followed by crating and shipping which was a bit of an ordeal, and I was hesitant to share any images until the cabinets were safe… Read More »Modular Tansu – Final Post

The post Modular Tansu – Final Post appeared first on Big Sand Woodworking.

Over the weekend, a friend and I headed to the Allegheny National Forest, less than a two-hour drive from my home in western Pennsylvania. We hiked up along a small stream, fishing a little along the way. A steady light … Continue reading →

This is Mrs. Ralph. Ralph will be back to doing too much in the shop, even though he's supposed to be resting, later today. Wishing you all happy woodworking.

 

It’s just a hammer. Nothing special, just a 20 ounce Stanley claw hammer made in England and bought by me for £1, which was almost two days pay for me back in March 1965 when I bought it new. The hickory shaft is still the original, the hammer face has never chipped, and the claw...

Source

 Tomorrow (today as you are reading this) I'm the lead off for getting sliced and diced. I have to be at the hospital at 0630 to check in. I should be home around lunch time - fingers crossed. I go back on monday to get the catheter out. I'll ask again but the I'm sure the doc said I could do my normal routine. For those not in the know a TURP is a transurethral resection of the prostate (resection is a medical term for surgery). It is basically a rake and scrape of an enlarged prostate. Not looking forward to the procedure but I am towards having it over and done with.

glad I'm a pack rat

The tile layouts are set for each of the 7 coasters. I'll put them in these bags until it is time to set them. The coasters don't care which tiles they get, I asked.

the bottom one

That is the one I had to trim to remove an out of square corner. The opposite one was rounded due to me dropping it on the deck. I had to saw an eighth of an inch off.

odd looking but......

There is a pattern to it. I went back and forth on removing the middle one and making another sized like the others. Decided against that and this is what Amanda is getting.

too thick

This was a sliding lid for something that I'm repurposing for the shelf for the coaster holder. I am thinning it down to 7/16" thick.

Lee Valley scrub plane

I don't use this much as I prefer the Stanley #6. This one is a better choice for doing small scale stock like this. It is about 3 1/2" wide and 5 3/4" long.

snug fit

I am finally getting a consistent snug fit with this joinery. It has taken me a lot of years to get here. One down and one more to go.

shelf dry fitted

Got a snug fit with the other stopped dado. The next batter is the back stretcher above the shelf.

blind mortise

After I had seen the dry fit I saw that I should have put the stretcher on the outboard side of the line. No hiccups chopping the two blind mortises. I knifed the perimeter, made a knife wall, and chiseled out the area between the outside walls.

self supporting

It is a wee bit snug but that is what I wanted. I find it easier to under size the mortise and then plane the stretcher to fit the mortise.

first one done

Achieved a snug fit with the first one. It was a bit awkward getting it to depth. The router I used left a hump in the middle but it got both ends of the mortise flat and in the same plane. I chiseled the slight hump off and I will rely on the ends for seating the stretcher on.

starting the 2nd one

First step is to define the perimeter with a knife wall. That virtually eliminates me being ham fisted and accidentally making chisel marks on the perimeter.

first dry fit

Happy with the fit and the overall look. The sides are square to the shelf and the stretcher. Both the stretcher and the shelf are the same length and feel/look like they are fully seated in their respective dadoes and mortises.

too much wiggle room

I didn't think I had left this much wiggle room for the coasters. This is too much and I shortened the stretcher and shelf by 3/8".

better look at the gap

My first thought on seeing this was to make another coaster but nixed it. I want to be over and done with this and move on to something else.

better looking gap

The gap now is 3/16" which I am ok with. None of the tiles extend up past the banding so they won't or shouldn't get banged or hit moving in and out of the holder.

rounded the tops

I free hand drew a gentle curve from the front to the back. I also did a small round over on the front corners of the shelf. I was going to leave this natural but instead I'll be painting it. This way everything will be a match for each other.

oops

I forgot to do the cutout for the bottom edge of the holder. Not a horrendous me-steak but it would have been easier to cut it out before I glued it together. I'll have to do it with a coping saw after this has cooked.

accidental woodworker

I’ve got this piece I picked up ages ago from Lazaretes, or however you spell it, back when they were still around. I never found out what species it is, but I’ve got a hunch it might be QLD walnut. I put it next to a piece of QLD walnut I already have to compare, but the sample’s too narrow to really tell. They actually look pretty different anyway. Funny thing, yesterday I was at a medical centre and saw flooring that looked exactly like this piece. Thought about asking the receptionists, but figured they’d have no clue. So, any idea what it might be?

 Rain, rain, and more rain. I couldn't stroll yesterday or today because of the rain. And that sucks because the exercise I get from that definitely helps me out on sunday when I weigh my tonnage. After 3 weeks of zero weight loss this past sunday I dropped 3 pounds. I would like to stay on losing side of things with this. I'm hoping to stroll tomorrow because the weather seers are predicting sunny/cloudy conditions.

nope

Shifted and moved too much to correct. This is one of the two coasters I glued up yesterday. Neither one of them are usable and have been tossed in the 40 gallon circular file holder (aka shitcan).

nail pin box dividers

The size of the pin nails go from 1/2" up to 1 3/16" by eights. 

new bandings

I bought three, 4 foot long pieces of 1/4" poplar. From one piece I got 44 bandings. I double, triple checked myself to ensure that these had enough length to allow for shooting the miters on the jig.

I only got grout at Lowes (and I got the last tub). I looked at the sealer and it was too high in price. I'm into these tile tables for a pretty shiny penny. Wood, paint, mastic, grout, and tiles have set me back about $350.

ready for poly

I sanded both parts with 320 and I used up a lot of calories doing it. I found waterfall drips in places I hadn't seen yesterday. Wiped it off with a rag and then used a tack cloth on it.

coaster work

Gluing them with the band clamp wasn't working out. Instead I glued and pin nailed the bandings on.

3 done, 4 to go

This is going quicker than I thought it would. 7 is an odd number for a coaster set but I am not buying anymore tiles to make an even numbered set.

woodworking done

This what the seven will look like. One of these I had to trim a wee bit off  the base because one corner wasn't square. I can only pick it out if I put between two other coasters. I will be adding making a holder for these - can't give them to Amanda loose like this.

Next step with these is to apply a primer coat and then the topcoat. Which will be the same as the tile tables. Setting the tiles on these should be a lot easier along with grouting them. Hopefully Lowes will have another tub of 'warm gray' grout back in stock in case I need it.

used it

Christened this yesterday and it worked. I thought there might have been a hiccup with extending the line from one face to the other - would the break for the hinge leave a gap? Well boys and girls it didn't. Each part of the saddle gizmo allows you to run the line right to the edge. That was pleasant surprise and it may turn the tide for me liking this new toy.

double drats

 The plan was to apply poly to this as the last thing I did today in the shop. That didn't happen boys and girls. All the waterfall drips were smooth and flat to the touch but I could still see them in raking light. Poly doesn't cover up sins like this with subsequent coats. So instead of applying poly I used the card scraper to remove all the waterfall drips on both parts.

pin nailer box

Flushed the bottom and the tops of the dividers with 80 grit and the LN 102.

OCD already kicked in

I started getting the heebie jeebies about filling in the empty slots with pin nails. I've had this pin nailer for over ten years and the nails too. I thought I had at least one more size but as usual I came up empty searching for it. If I remember I'll stop in to Horrible Freight and buy some pin nails when I'm in that neighborhood.

no brush work

I was careful brushing the poly on but I'm getting old and slipping. Instead of brushing the poly on I'm going to use a balled up rag. I used a shop towel to see how well it would work. Way back in the dim mists of time when I used poly exclusively I used a foam pad and T-shirt rags to apply it. The only downside to T-shirt application is you have to apply 4-5 times as much as brushing it on. But it was exactly as I remember it being.

no more haze

Another thing that slipped in the queue to be done today. I should be able to finish grouting both of them tomorrow. Fingers crossed with that happening.

Ending with a rant about belts. I have a 35" waist according to the jeans I wear. However, a size 36 belt, IMO, is too small. I bought one at Wally World and it fits but only on the very last hole in the belt. Bought a 38" belt made by the same mfg that made the 36" one. I thought I would catch a hole at least a couple away from the end one but it too only fit on me in the very last hole.

 I am of the opinion that a belt caught on the last hole in it looks like crap not to mention there isn't a lot of wiggle room if your weights balloons in the wrong direction. I'm in and out of Wally World at least once a week and the next time I'm in there I'll try on a 40 and 42 inch belt and see how they shake out. Rant over.

accidental woodworker

 I got two pairs of cargo shorts from Carhartt on sunday. Size 35 and I was excited about trying them on. I could barely get the top ends to meet let alone button it. I checked my jeans and all 3 of them (which fit) say they are 35 waist with a 29" inseam. Based on how the jeans fit and how the Carhartt shorts fit, I would have to buy a size 38 Carhartt? I didn't want to risk buying them and have them be too big or fit tight.

On the flip side the return of them went off without a whimper of trouble. I snapped a pic of the QR code on my phone and brought the shorts to the nearest Whole Foods store. The guy scanned it and said have a nice day. Quick, easy, no wait, no fuss, and I was in and out a few minutes.

I went to Wally World after the return adventure and I was disappointed at the offerings in the shorts department. Again, nothing in size 35 and no odd sizes above 36. I tried one size 36 and they were snug. A 2nd size 36 was loose - they wouldn't stay up on their own. Contemplated trying on more but I was getting pissed and frustrated. I think I'm going to buy some regular jeans and find a tailor to make them into shorts. That will take some doing because the tailor I have used in the past retired. 

sigh

Not only aren't the tiles square, they also vary in size and thickness. The row above the perimeter was the last one I did. It really doesn't blink like a neon light because the margins vary in width and none of them run straight and true. 

some curve slightly

I checked each tile individually to make sure they were stuck fast. None of them budged a frog hair and all felt secure. At least that worked out for me as I was concerned due to the first batch of mastic I used.

putting the ladder together

Putting the cover blocks on along with all the screws. I have some work to touch up on the edges. I saw a lot of waterfall drips on both parts of it. 

done

The last pieces of hardware are the bolts and nuts for marrying the two of them together. They will go in/on after I'm done with the touch up poly work to come.

ran out

Got the 2nd table 99.9% grouted. I think I got most of the bubble holes on the first table done too but I'll have to eyeball it seriously in the AM. I didn't have enough grout to finish either table so I'll be making a road trip to Lowes tomorrow.

The haze on the table is after the first run with the sponge. It took me well over an hour before the table appeared to clear and haze free. I checked it again just before dinner and looked clear.

left over tiles

I don't think I'll use these tiles for anything else so I decided to make some coasters. I had enough to make 7 coasters with 2 tiles left over from that.

enough for 4 coasters

Found some leftover poplar from banding the two tables and sawed out banding for the coasters. I will make them the same way I did the tables.

good fit

I didn't allow enough length when I roughed out the bandings. The coaster pad is 3 1/2" square. I shot two of them on the 45 jig and they ended too small. This is the fit of the bandings as they came off the saw.

)@&)%)@Q*%Q_@_ gaps

The first one looked good and this one ain't. It will be painted but this gap would still be visible through it. I have to go Lowes tomorrow so I'll add a couple pieces of 1/4" thick poplar to make new bandings.

last thing for today

Decided to make a box to hold my pin nails. I dropped the 5/8" ones and I no longer have strips of them but a pile of little ones. I should have done this a bazillion years ago. After this one is done I'll be making another for my 18gauge brad nailer.

The box is simple stupid in construction. Rabbeted joinery with 1/8" plywood dividers. I will glue a piece of 1/8" plywood on the bottom but no lid.

5 slots

The dividers are in there dry, no glue. They are helping to keep the box square as it cooks. I am planning to do a cutout on them to help with getting the nail strips out of the box. I'll do that in the AM.

an hour later

The grout is still leaving a haze on the tiles. I sponged this again and I was still dragging a wee bit of grout. I had to wait for the grout to set up more before the sponge stopped dragging grout out of the margins.

hmm......

All the perimeter tiles had some grout build up against the banding. No problems scraping that junction clean with a chisel. The tiles being glass made for an easy clean up of the grout on it. The grout didn't seem to want to stick this side of the tiles.

cleaned up

I will be scraping each tile individually. I tried a few of the interior tiles and they all brightened up after scraping them with the chisel.

accidental woodworker