Dispatch #24 Happenings this week

Not much going on this week after the completion of the assembly table. I worked on cleaning up the shop and putting stuff away. On Friday and Saturday I constructed a couple of clamp racks to hang my Cabinet clamps and F style clamps from. Based them on plans from one of my woodworking books. It rack will hold 12 clamps, I mounted them right inside the garage door in what has been wasted wall space. The longer clamps went on the top rack and the shorter ones on the bottom rack. I still need more clamp storage though. When I redo the pegboard wall I plan to install a couple of more clamp racks on that wall in the corner next to where I installed the first two.
I begin taking measurements for my next project which is the pull out drawers for the kitchen cabinets. I will be installing 13 drawers total. I plan on ordering the 100lb full extension slides from Grizzly. Those are the ones I used on the assembly table and they worked very well.
We are going Tuesday over to the Hardwood Center in Scottsboro, AL and select the wood to construct the drawers from. Still don't know if we're going to use dimensional lumber or plywood. More on that later.
That's it for now.

Dispatch #23 Assembly Table - Update

Work continued on the table since my last post. I got all of the finger joints cut and the drawers assembled. I had one snafu when I got one of the deep drawer sides reversed and cut the dado for the drawer bottom on the wrong side. I had to re-make that one. The installation of the drawers slides was not near as difficult as I expected. Using the tips I gleaned from The Wood Whisperer's podcast they went in fairly easy. I did find out why he installed his drawer slides prior to putting the top on. It would have been a whole lot easier to have installed them with access from the top. Especially the top drawer slide, it was tight getting it in to say the least. I wouldn't have installed the top at the point that I did except there wasn't enough room to work with the top on the sawhorses and trying to assembly the cabinet at the same time.
I also cut the two cabinet doors and installed them with the Euro hinges. I previously had purchased a double template jig from Rockler with drill guides. This jig worked really well once I dialed it in on some scrap plywood. I cut the adjustable shelves and installed them. The drawer handles and knobs that I had selected were also installed.
Tonight I started on the final assembly work prior to staining. I cut the walnut plugs from a piece of rough sawed walnut that is about 20 years old. It has been in my basement for the last 10 years. I cut two of the four oak boards for trimming the edges of the top. Tomorrow's project will be to cut the other two boards to length and then rip all four to final width. The countersinks for the plugs and pilot holes for the screws will also be drilled on the drill press.
Recently using a piece of the scrap plywood used on the cabinet I tested all of the stains I had to see how they looked on the Birch plywood. I also tested the recipe mix that was in Fine Woodworking using the Pratt & Lambert gloss poly. The P&L mix was nice but with Tongue Oil it was just too red on the birch. I finally decided on the Minwax Honey Maple. It is a light colored stain with just a hint of maple color and it's the look I was going for.
Pictures will be posted in the Photo Gallery on my website Dave's Saw Dust Pile very soon.

As always, your questins or comments are welcome.

Dispatch #22 Assembly Table - Update

Haven't gotten to work on the project very much in the last week or so. On my two days off this past week I did get to work one of the days in the shop up until about 5 PM. The second off day was spent having a colonoscopy at the hospital and recuperating from the procedure.

I got all of the drawer components milled and the finger joints cut. I glued up three of the drawers for one side. After the glue had dried overnight, I installed the drawer slides and put in the drawers. They all worked out very nice.

Having to work most of the day today and till 7 tomorrow, so won't get much done until my next off day which is Monday.

For updated pictures, check out my photos on the website Dave's Sawdust Pile

Dispatch #21 My New Website

Hey folks, have setup my new website. I will still be posting to this blog, but in the future all of my pictures will be posted on the website under "Photo Gallery"

Dispatch #20 Assembly Table - Update

I continue to work on the table yesterday and again today. Yesterday I finished gluing the main partitions and the stiffener partitions. I also installed the four stretchers across the top.

Today I install the casters. These are the ones I purchased from Woodcrafter. I was duly impressed by these casters when I turned the table right side up. These are the best rolling casters I've ever used. And, the locking mechanism on them are exceptional. Even with top installed the table was easy to roll and when locked I could not get it to move. All I can say is WOW!!, I'll use this type again.

I got the top installed today also. I used 4 Spax screws on each side to attach the top to the stretchers. I think this will hold the table top in place without a problem.

I received my Freud Box Joint Dado blades today so I'll be able to start on the drawer boxes tomorrow.
Here are the progress pictures for today:

Dispatch #19 Assembly Table - Update

Started last evening cutting out the panels for the cabinet that the torsion box assembly table top will be on. I got the 2 end panels and the middle panel cut out. Today, I cut out the bottom and then routed the dado for each side joint and the middle partition joint. Since I'm putting mine on casters, I'm adding stiffeners from the side panels to the middle partition. I routed the dado in the bottom with my router and then used the dado blade on the table side to do the sides and middle pcs. I couldn't use the table saw on the bottom due to it being bowed. Hopefully, I will be able to pull the bow out when I glue up.
I decided to have an adjustable shelf in the cabinet side so I got all of those holes drilled. I then cut the top stretchers. The original plans called for 3 but I decided to go with 4 to help prevent racking of the unit when it's moved. Tomorrow I'll continue the build and hopefully get the carcass glued up. Clickable thumbnails below.

Dispatch #18 New project - Torsion Box Assembly Table

Started on 7/8/08 building a dead flat torsion box assembly table. This will be my primary work surface for building all future woodworking projects. It gives me a reference point to begin with that I know is "dead flat".
The top is constructed out of 1/2" MDF top and bottom skins with the interior honeycomb also being 1/2" MDF. The outside perimeter pieces are 3/4" MDF. This makes for an extremely strong yet light weight (to a certain extent)top. It is 4" thick x 48" x 48". This is the same design used to build aircraft wings.
I will be starting on the base in a few days. Have to work some crazy shifts the next couple of days. Have to work from 10 to 7. Messes up the day on both ends.