Carpentry Class: Term 2, Week 3

I left my run a bit late this week. Admittedly I have had many many other things on my mind, and pulling apart another pallet hasn't been high on my list of priorities.

So after realising early this afternoon that it was indeed Wednesday - how it got to this late in the week already is beyond me, quite frankly - I started wondering out loud about exactly what I could make tonight.

I trawled through the plan catalogue on Ana-White.com and decided on this 'Vintage Step Stool' - something for the kids to use to help with baking and cooking in the kitchen. Heres hoping it's not used more for reaching the biscuits from the top shelf instead!

So, after a quick visit to Mitre 10 Mega, I had some dressed pine and a large tub of 50mm screws. I decided I'd just use the last piece of ply I had sitting behind the door in the hall way for the sides.

Vintage Step Stool

All the cuts done

Safety first people - ear muffs and protective glasses before we have fun with the bandsaw ;)

I managed to lose my pencil (ok - I lost it last week, and forgot to find another one) so it had to be pen to mark out where to cut. 2 pieces of ply stuck together to cut the identically.

Oooooh! Bandsaw!

10 minutes later - all cut out. Apparently I'm a 'wildcat' - quote from Robert there haha

Oops - I forgot you're not supposed to file your knuckles - just the wood!

Two sides all ready - filed and sanded.

The two bottom supports attached

The two top supports attached as well.

I really could have kicked myself! I picked up the wrong width of pine for the tops of the steps! So I needed to improvise. I used ply instead. It looks OK, but I'm not as happy with it as I hoped I would be. Never mind - kids won't care!

All done - side view!

I need to figure out what I'm going to make next week. This took only an hour and a half - and had I not needed to wait for the table saw to make the cuts for the tops of the steps after realising I had the wrong size, it would have been about 15 minutes less! Super-easy project, but will be very handy in my kitchen!

Carpentry Class #5

Last night went FAR too quickly! I came home absolutely covered in white sawdust. It was fantastic!


So after cutting almost everything I needed last week, last night I got to use the table saw all by myself to cut the last piece (MDF for the top, as it won't be seen) That was great fun!

I spent most of the rest of the night sanding. First I was using the belt sander, then I finished off with hand sanding - I actually preferred the feel of the finish it gave after I had hand sanded.

I made a bit of a mess...

I got FILTHY!

I drilled holes ready for screwing the seat together next week. *Note to self, remember to sort out screws for next week!*

Two boards clamped together, marked and holes drilled ready for assembly next week.

Second Carpentry Class

I have realised that I didn't blog about my second week of carpentry class - when I finished my cooling rack/trivet.

I can't remember exactly, given it was 3 weeks ago, but I remember I drilled holes then spaced out the slats and then nailed it all together. When I brought it home, I oiled it, and I have been using it at dinner times when I have a hot dish out of the oven to put on the table

My first project, complete!

More on the gate!

Yesterday morning I didn't manage to control myself in the swearing department when I looked out the window before I took the kids to school. My gate was lying on the footpath!

I knew that the bottom packer had split a bit when I screwed it on, but I had hoped for the best. So before I met my Mum for lunch yesterday, I hot footed it to Mitre 10 Mega and bought a 650mm piece of treated decking timber (the same stuff I used on the gate frame). When I got home, I broke out the circular saw, cut off a 1 inch strip, then attached the remaining length to the gate post. I then attached the hinges to it - one gate, hung, better be for the last time, or I'll spit!!!

Right, gate, thats the last time I hang you!

With the 1 inch length I cut off, I screwed that to the opposite gate post, on the outside, as a stop. With the child-proof magnetic latch, when it is closed now, it closes with a distinctive 'clunk' so I know that it is closed!

The stop on the outside of the gate.

I don't think it will dare come off again! It would have ME to deal with if it did! I have certainly learnt a LOT while hanging this gate!

Halfway: Carpentry Class #4

Carpentry class tonight was fantastic! (I have just realised I didn't write about the second class, will do that later)

I started off the class by screwing my tray together, took me about 15 mins (with Robert showing me what he wanted me to do) I had to mark and drill holes and then use the drill to screw it all together and give it one final sand to take off the marks left by the clamp and a few machine marks on the base.

One tray - all done! 

Pine sides and ends, MDF base.

My handle makes me happy, it fit around my fingers jut the way I imagined it would.

After the tray was all done, I broke out my plan, which has had to be altered slightly as I'm now doing it in plywood. 

My sheet of ply, had to be cut to fit in the car. 

All ready to cut even more!

I got to use the table saw to cut the lengths to the correct width, then I got to use the drop saw to cut those lengths to the correct size for ends and dividers. I also used the table saw to cut the 20mm trim for around the top to stop the squab cushion from sliding off. It was great fun using all these machines!

Then I made a template for the 'feet' at the ends, penciled that on to the wood and cut it out with the bandsaw! While trying to clear under the blade though, I managed to take a slice out of it where I wasn't supposed to - bugger it! But it was fixable - Robert buzzed of along the bottom where I had sliced it, so it will be vaguely shorter than first anticipated, but I purposely made it a bit higher, just in case - clever me ;) Then I filed down the rough edges, sandpapered them and then... it was time to pack up and go home. I really really really wish I had my own workshop space right now! I really did NOT want to stop!

I had to make a slight adjustment to the height of the box, just because of the size of a piece of wood that was left, so it has gone from being 450mm high to 440mm high. It was really of no coincidence  - it just meant I needed to make the dividers 440 high as well. 

Robert said that I should be very proud of what I have accomplished tonight - and I am! Others in the class said it was really ambitious and that I was very clever. These things all make me very happy.

Next week I will take in the large sheet of 12mm MDF I have left, which will form the seat part of the box. I decided to make that part from MDF, as it won't be seen, with the cushion on the top. It may yet become the bottom of the box. We'll see :)