Dispatch #11 Den Remodel Project - Update

Work continued this week on the den. Haven't had much time to work on things due to my work schedule. I was able to trim out the doorway from the foyer and the doorway into the hallway. Debra has gotten nearly all of the door frames and the french doors primed with the Kilz. Today I'll be installing trim on the right set of french doors and have to plane the edge on the french door going to the sun room. Won't be able to do a whole lot since I have to be at work at 1:00 pm. My next off day is Tuesday, so hopefully I'll be able to attack at full speed.

Dispatch #10 Den Remodel Project - Update

Monday, May 26, 2008 was a milestone in the den remodel project. I completed the installation of the hardwood flooring. Now the trim work begins.
I had to mill several 1/4 x 3/4 strips to flush out the door frames. Since the original walls were of 1/4" paneling, all of the door casings had been installed to flush to it. After I installed the 1/2" Sheetrock this would have left a 1/4" gap between the door casing and the door molding. So, to the table saw I went.
I picked up a piece of 3/4" S4S clear pine at the HD last week just for this purpose. I ran both edges across the jointer several times to true up the edges. I then started ripping 5/16" strips off the edges. Then these 5/16" strips were run through the thickness planner and milled down to identical 1/4" thick strips. They were cut to proper length and using glue & brads installed on the door casing. As soon as Debra gets the door moldings painted I will be installing that. She has the baseboards painted and ready to install, but I have to wait till the door molding is installed.
In the mean time, I will clean my shop area up and get ready for the next steps.
On another note, Friday, May 30, 2008 is our 17th wedding anniversary. Seems only yesterday that we were installing a new deck on the house in Chattanooga and took part of a day to go get married. Tried to get Debra to make our celebratory trip to Loews today, but she didn't want to get out in the rain. We're going out tonight to celebrate since I have to work closing shift on Friday evening. We have reservations at the Marriott 360 Grille. This should be an event to remember since we've not been to the tower since the Marriott took it over.

More later.

Dispatch #9 Den Remodel Project - Update

Yesterday we completed a couple of punch list items such as deciding on the molding required to trim the edge of the den wall where it abuts the breakfast bar area. We settled on a 1-1/4" shoe molding to make the transition.
The laying of the laminate wood flooring was began also yesterday. I got about of third of it down and had to stop until I got the door frame from the den to the hallway cut off. I tried out my Rotozip with the flush cut attachment for the first time on this task. It worked great. Wouldn't quite cut all the way through the thickest part of the frame, but that was easy enough to chip out with a chisel.
Have to go back to work today, from 7 till 3, so won't get to work on the flooring until late this afternoon.

Continued to work on the flooring when I got home this evening. Got about four more runs installed. Had to take my recip saw and cut some more wood from the door jams so that the flooring would slide all the way underneath it.

Dispatch #8 Den Remodel Project - Update

Crown molding has been installed and caulked. Still have to touch up some nail holes and seams but it is looking good. Started yesterday planning for laying the hardwood floor. The transistion strips between the tile and the hardwood are going to be a PIA (pain in the ass). They are designed to be held in place by a plastic channel that is attached to the floor and in which the wood strip snaps down into. Not a very good design for floors that are not dead level flat. I'm going to modify them and use countersunk trim screws to hold them down. I'll then use oak plugs to cover up the screw heads. I thought about using my air nailer to install them but don't think they will stay in place with just the nails. The strip is going to get a lot of traffic across it so it can't be popping up everytime you happen to step on it.

Debra continues to work on the french doors. She has them fairly well sanded and was working on the edge next to the glass yesterday. Next step will be to start applying a couple coats of Kilz primer and then the final semi-gloss white enamel.

Dispatch #7 Den Remodel Project - Update

Work is progressing on the den remodel project. The sheetrock is finished, two coats of primer and the first coat of paint was applied tonight.

The crown molding has been painted and is ready to install as soon as the final coat of paint is applied.










Won't be able to work any more on the den until next Monday. We are heading out to Nashville this weekend to visit my sister.

Dispatch #6 Safety Switch on Table Saw

Got the new safety switch in yesterday from Grizzly. Installed it today. Had to fabricate a couple of brackets from some 1/8" x 1-1/4" flat stock I had on hand. Picked up a deep plastic conduit box and mounted the switch in it. It works great and in case of an emergency I can bump it with my knee and it'll shut the saw down. I tried it a few times and it works great. A excellent upgrade to my table saw.
This the location of the new switch









The new switch from the left side showing the rear mounting detail.









And from the right side

Dispatch #5 Delta Table Saw Mobile Base Fix

Recently purchased a Bessy Fence for my 10" Delta Contractor table saw. After I installed it, it created another problem as to what to put under the extension wing table legs. I purchased a 20 ft lenght of 1" x 2" 14 ga tubing and a 20 ft pc of 3/16" x 3" flat bar. Cut it to my design lengths using a Ryobi 14" metal chop saw. Then welded it with my 115 volt wire feed welder. Got some splatter on it and the some of the welds look like pigeon poop but over all it came out well.
I designed the mobile base addition to mirror the existing Delta base and since it was so long I designed in a flexible tail end assembly so that it could flex with out getting hung if I need to roll it out of the garage. My garage floor has a slight elevation change from the driveway to prevent water from flowing into the the garage during heavy rains. It works great but has always caused a problem getting the table saw in and out.
I plan to build a cabinet that will set between the table saw base and the extension wing legs to hold my extra saw blades, dado blades and my cutoff sled.

This was the problem:


The process of solving the problem

Frame welded and laid out


Details of wheel well brackets


The finished solution

Dispatch #4 Monday, May 5, 2008

Went today and purchased the crown molding and baseboard for the den. Got the wrong crown and had to take it back when I went to work and exchange it for the right molding.
When I got home this evening, UPS had dropped a couple of goodie packages off for me. I got the top for the stage one part of my dust collector (DC) for the workshop. It is the black top on the garbage can. This allows larger pieces to drop into the can before going into the DC.

I also received the jig from Rockler to drill the holes for the European Hinges that I plan to install on the cabinets I'll be building.


























Worked from 3:30 pm till 9:30pm at the HD BORG.
All in all a good day.