a table and shou shugi ban

The shop display room needed another table.  I went to my favorite diy furninture designer Ana White's site and looked at plans.  So the first table was a bust.  Even if I had gotten it completely square, it was not sturdy enough for the life it would have led with the boyos.  Think knives, cutting boards, and many knife crazy people.  It was not going to work.  So, it is now in the leather shop being a surface that we do not have to worry about knocking over.

I looked further and decided to use her farmhouse console table as a go by.  I used the dimensions we were needing.  I added another shelf.  Instead of running to the hardware store, I used wood from other projects.  Not bad if I say so myself.  It is not perfect.  I learn something new every time.

One of the new things I learned was the shou shugi ban technique.  It is a Japanese wood burning technique that is used to preserve siding.  But of course, people have taken it other places.  One of those is ax handles. 

How does that piece of information relate to this table top?  The top was used as an experiment and an example of shou shugi ban for people who may want it used on there ax handles.  That very in thing right now about throwing them while drinking.  Some of these people like how it changes the grip on the handle.

I sanded the top whole down to where I wanted it.  Then I burned the top.  Sanded it a bit more so the charcoal would not mark anything else and oiled it.  I am very pleased with how the top came out.

I stained the bottom with a vintage white stain.  I was planning on coming back from my travels and applying polyurethane.  It is in use already.  I might get a chance.  I might not.

Would I build another of these tables?  Yes.  It would be better too but I know I would make different mistakes.

Plans get turned on my head

Thursday, I am finished errands and planned to work on the sharpening truck.  As I was walking into the house, my Beloved waylays me and asks how would I go about building a display for knives for the Butchers' Ball.  He has sent me lots of examples but I am not sure I realized that a display was needed for this Sunday.

I took a mesquite log, an old walnut cutting board that was just too heavy to use, and some knife magnets.  I did a lot of sanding, cutting, and gluing.  There was some frustration.  There were questions in my head if I would get anything done in time.  But by this afternoon, I had a display built.

I took the mesquite log and sanded the heck out of it.  All the way up to 2000 grit.  I really wanted it to feel like a knife handle the boyos make since it was going to display their knives.  I then wiped it down with beeswax and mineral oil and sanded at 2500 grit.  The piece of wood turned out lovely.

I took that old walnut cutting board and cut it in half.  Then, I cut it with a 15 degree slope to one edge so the log would lean.  I sanded this a lot too.  But when I put up the two pieces of walnut, I realized that the were much too large for the log.  So I cut them kind of in half and glued all four pieces together.  Today, I sanded the heck out of them.  

I screwed and glued the strange walnut block into the back of the log.  That was frustrating.  I had two of the pieces of walnut split when I tried to screw them in.  Predrilling and a bit more patience made it work.  But that meant more sanding.

To hold the knives to the display, magnets were the choice.  But one old magnet needed to be cut in half.  The other old magnet needed to be shortened.  Again, I cleaned them up because they had been sitting in the shop for two years but then they needed to be cleaned up again after the magnets were cut.  More sanding!  My Beloved screwed them to the mesquite log and I sanded some more.

I wiped the whole display down with beeswax and mineral oil again.  I had done so much extra sanding today that it made sense.  But this is the finished display.  The boyos seem pleased.  Hopefully, it will show off knives well at the Butchers' Ball.  I will be coaching so I will not know.

I actually do enjoy the sanding.  I just wish I had had more time to think this out better.  But in the end, it looks nice.

and the truck slowly moves forward

I keep slowly working on the sharpening truck.  The floor is actually finished.  Even though this picture does not show it.  I have the frame for one side up and am working on the other.  At least to the top of the bed.

I try to keep moving forward with it but it has been slow.  My body has said no.  I am appear to be very allergic to tree pollen.  After Imelda, there has been a lot.  Friday night, my eyes started to ooze.  Saturday, my left eye was swollen shut.  But I rested, iced it, and took meds.  I was able to coach Sunday.

I actually feel better today.  I again took life slowly yesterday.  But both my eyes are swollen today!  Lots of ooze and redness again.  Which made the boyos wish to kick me out of the shop when I went to sharpen.  I am still learning.  I think I am getting better and then I do not feel like I am.  Again, I need to be patient and take life slowly.

I am going to ice my face again today before I go coach.  It means I probably will not to get to work on the truck today.  Which is a little bit frustrating but healing is the point.

I am giong to ice and bake cookies.  Maybe they will be at a point where I can get an hour in today.

I saw some pretty cutting boards on line this weekend.  Now I want to play instead of working on this project.  And get the dye pot going.  And print with leaves.  And.  And. And.  Life.  It is just life.

a honey dipper

While I have been learning to sharpen, I have been building the sharpening truck and occasionally gotten given a task by the boyos.  This honey dipper came into the shop that needed some tender loving car.  It is used to dip honey out of a vessel and dribble over lovely things.  It is like my crochet hooks.  If it had been given a bit more care, it would have been lovely.

I started at a 120 grit sandpaper and worked all the way up to a 2000.  Then I added a mineral oil and beeswax mix.  I rubbed it in all over and let it dry a bit.  Sanded it with 2500 grit and then did it again.  I thought it turned out lovely.  It was much nicer then when it started.  

I do enjoy these small projects.   I will get cutting boards made someday.  And I will be well.  This crud is hanging on a long time.

breakfast nook and table

I have been having a difficult time figuring how to blog when I am working on a carpentry project.  I think there is a definite bit of I am not used to that energy being used that way.  I am also not used to being outside in Texas heat for hours.  By the end of the day, my brain cells do not rub together let alone what to make words.

But yesterday, all the benches were taken away an dthe table was finished.

The funny thing was that I was given the wrong dimensions by the boyo who I was building this for.  So, I built three storage benches instead of two.  And the new one was huge!

I never did get a chance to take a good picture of all three together.

But the storage works.  They work as seating.  Hopefully, they will survive two small boys.

Then, there was the table to build.

The whole thing took over 40 hours to build over about three weeks.  The original time estimate I saw was 20 hours.  But I put bottoms and backs on the benches which were not part of the original design. There were three instead of two.  The last bench was almost seven feet long.  And I do not think the original estimate included the table.  Basically, it was $100 and 10 hours per item.  It probably would have been more if I had done each individually.  Or used better wood.  This was just from Home Depot.  Which I may not go to anymore.  Bleah on the CEO!

I was still trying to do other work.  Other home stuff.  Coaching.

I did buy myself two new tools.  A new hammer and a new table saw.  The table saw is because I hurt myself on our old one and I keep thinking about small boys helping me.  This one has technology that will stop it from cutting flesh.  The hammer is because my old one needs to be rehandled and has not been yet.  

What else took time away from this project was I am learning to sharpen knives the way the boyos wish it done.  I am going to be runnin the  mobile sharpening truck.  After I build it.  Guess what I get to design and build next.  Ideas are welcome!