Do it yourself

Sometimes DIY implies a solitary workman in a home garage working on rather small projects yet often the projects can be humungous. Some hippie 'acquaintances' have just completed a Colin Archer made of aluminum clad Spruce. It was recently escorted by the police to a launching ramp two hundred miles from its construction site and, much to the relief of the amateur builders, it floated fine. They will continue with larger versions of the same boat and then expect to branch out to other boats as the 'hippies' select.

I think it all starts with the confidence of a small DIY project.

Quote: Fleastiff

I think it all starts with the confidence of a small DIY project.

Small projects are both confidence building and addicting. This thread among other sources is both inspiring and dangerous. The whole butcher's block discussion has me on a tear. I have already made a chess board years ago which is the same process as they are made, so I am good there. Found one on eBay for about $350.00, MADE IN CHINA! Surely I can do a bit better and get around $500?



Make a real block on top, about 6-7", the rest is easy. Drawer hardest part.

This was the kind I was around, sturdy enough to throw a hind quarter of a beef on. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Antique-Primitive-Butcher-Block-Table-/171985874173

The one you posted is way more attractive and I like the utility of the wheels, which are on all shopping carts. : )

Drawers aren't hard, [ boxes can twist up your noodle though ] but for me I don't see the need, unless it is going in a really small kitchen drawers? To me, they are a magnet under a cutting table for bacteria.

If building drawers, the roller slides are worth every penny. Handles I have made from oak, with a router, or seen antlers used?

If you want to build drawers, build dressers? Or shop cabinets, those are wonderful, I notice you have some bare walls in your garage where cabinets would go nicely.

Quote: petroglyph

If building drawers, the roller slides are worth every penny. Handles I have made from oak, with a router, or seen antlers used?

Beat me to it, so I'll just +1. It doesn't matter if it's reclaimed mahogany or shit box particle board. A bad slide = a bad drawer, period. Also +1 on unique handles. Deer antler, animal bones, polished driftwood... I never come across sheds, but I find skeletons all the time. Ribs, jaws, radii, ulnas, vertebrae. If you had any interest, it'd be nothing for me to pocket some, clean em up, and send a pic for possible shipping. It's also hunting season with several more weeks to go. Just about any deer part you wanted, I imagine I could get it.

Also pay extra mind to the type of wood used, ESPECIALLY for the legs. Rolling casters often have quite a thick bolt (>1/4"). If you ram a 5/16" bolt into a 1" x 1" leg, it doesn't take much lateral force to split that leg right to hell. As I've found using fir, just the resistance of carpet is enough to snap the wheel right out of it. If you care about quality and reputation, DO NOT skimp on the legs.

Quote: Face

Just about any deer part you wanted, I imagine I could get it.

Put me down for 6 backstraps : )

If you can get around the water where old boats are being junked. There is a wealth of Teak and stainless and brass. Also some cool brackets and hinges.

The best carpentry I have ever seen is done by shipwrights, take a gander sometime at how well jointed boat carpentry is, years after it is built.

Quote: petroglyph

Put me down for 6 backstraps : )

Lol sorry, I don't hunt anymore and I'm not risking getting shot by taking another man's straps ;)

Quote: petro

If you can get around the water where old boats are being junked. There is a wealth of Teak and stainless and brass. Also some cool brackets and hinges.

The best carpentry I have ever seen is done by shipwrights, take a gander sometime at how well jointed boat carpentry is, years after it is built.

You got me looking. My mail route is in a developing area. I've seen no less than 8 houses go up in just the short time I've been on the job. Pallets for days. Tons of remodels and all the old stuff gets left at the curb. We're ramping up and the next two months are going to be hell, but come the new year, I'll have a bit of room in the truck. Totally plan on garbage picking while on the job.

I nabbed two broken hockey sticks curbside yesterday. I need about 70. Between the route and the reffing, I hope to be able to start building soon...





If I can make some connections and somehow source these, I could fetch hundreds per creation. All for garbage. I just need an "in". Perhaps I can get the rink steward to set up a barrel on-site for people to deposit their broken clubs...

Quote: Face

If I can make some connections and somehow source these, I could fetch hundreds per creation. All for garbage. I just need an "in". Perhaps I can get the rink steward to set up a barrel on-site for people to deposit their broken clubs...

I bet if you were willing to donate a small percentage of the profits back to a good cause like youth hockey they wouldn't have any problems putting out a broken stick donation barrel.

Quote: Face

Beat me to it, so I'll just +1. It doesn't matter if it's reclaimed mahogany or shit box particle board. A bad slide = a bad drawer, period. Also +1 on unique handles. Deer antler, animal bones, polished driftwood... I never come across sheds, but I find skeletons all the time. Ribs, jaws, radii, ulnas, vertebrae. If you had any interest, it'd be nothing for me to pocket some, clean em up, and send a pic for possible shipping. It's also hunting season with several more weeks to go. Just about any deer part you wanted, I imagine I could get it.

WTH, send some pics. Might go well on a farnhouse coffee table as well. If you can sort of stage them showing what you mean even better. I'm not quite getting it just yet.

Quote:

Also pay extra mind to the type of wood used, ESPECIALLY for the legs. Rolling casters often have quite a thick bolt (>1/4"). If you ram a 5/16" bolt into a 1" x 1" leg, it doesn't take much lateral force to split that leg right to hell. As I've found using fir, just the resistance of carpet is enough to snap the wheel right out of it. If you care about quality and reputation, DO NOT skimp on the legs.

If I do the butcher's block I plan to do 4x4 legs and make it super-sturdy. As was said above, enough to throw a whole cow on and not damage it. But this is jumps ahead. First an easier winter project. Not sure how it looked, but the garage is not all that light and I am not in the mood to put in a pile of shop lights right now. Still balanced dangerously financially here.

Quote: AZDuffman

WTH, send some pics. Might go well on a farnhouse coffee table as well. If you can sort of stage them showing what you mean even better. I'm not quite getting it just yet.

Well, here's an example. I know (or at least, knew a few months ago) where I could find three partial carcasses. The vertebrae are pretty common (or maybe, just easier to detect because of their shape). Perhaps if cut in half, it would give a smooth back with which to attach, and have the gnarly shape to serve as a good knob. I also just found a near perfect lower jaw with almost all the teeth just a few weeks ago, but it may have been lost to the recent crick rise. Skulls are much harder (and probably not of much use), and the leg bones also a bit more difficult (blend in as sticks or are taken by 'yotes). But if I can't find it by hiking, now would be the time as everyone is harvesting deer. I don't suppose any of the local processors would give half a hell if I picked over discarded bones.



Even those ribs, if trimmed for length, might serve as a handle due to the bend right where they attach to the backbone. And of course, they all break apart into individual pieces. I wouldn't have to send you an intact spine lol. I think I recall that bone can be worked similar to wood, at least as far as sanding / smoothing. But you're gonna burn up some bits if you need to drill screw holes, and that process smells pretty bad. Like a hair fire, I'm told =/

Quote: Face

Well, here's an example. I know (or at least, knew a few months ago) where I could find three partial carcasses. The vertebrae are pretty common (or maybe, just easier to detect because of their shape). Perhaps if cut in half, it would give a smooth back with which to attach, and have the gnarly shape to serve as a good knob. I also just found a near perfect lower jaw with almost all the teeth just a few weeks ago, but it may have been lost to the recent crick rise. Skulls are much harder (and probably not of much use), and the leg bones also a bit more difficult (blend in as sticks or are taken by 'yotes). But if I can't find it by hiking, now would be the time as everyone is harvesting deer. I don't suppose any of the local processors would give half a hell if I picked over discarded bones.



Even those ribs, if trimmed for length, might serve as a handle due to the bend right where they attach to the backbone. And of course, they all break apart into individual pieces. I wouldn't have to send you an intact spine lol. I think I recall that bone can be worked similar to wood, at least as far as sanding / smoothing. But you're gonna burn up some bits if you need to drill screw holes, and that process smells pretty bad. Like a hair fire, I'm told =/

Maybe for next year, I need to learn one skill at a time. First is how to adjust the infeed side of the jointer.