Project Update: The Saga of the Assembly Table (Cont'd)

I've picked up a nasty virus that started as a stuffy-head cold and has moved into my chest. It's just horrible. I suppose it's my body's way of telling me to slow the hell down, but I'm not one to listen to such drivel. Then again, I really don't want pneumonia, so I took a few days off to get better. This has seriously stunted my progress in the shop and I'm now stressed about completing the electric cello in time (April 9th for my son's birthday). So, ignoring my body's incoherent mumblings, I went ahead and mounted the plywood to the table top and threw it up on the legs that were pointing awkwardly toward the ceiling. Much coughing ensued.

Everything fit nicely. The next immediate step is to fasten it to the legs with lag bolts on the sides, 3" wood screws on the top. I will also be adding lag bolts to the bottom - I'm not sure why I didn't use them in the first place. I guess I'm not equipped to think of everything without using a prepared plan. Once I've fastened everything up, I'll be adding 2x4 cross beams to the legs and the hardened board to the top. The torsion box setup will have to wait - I need to get back to work.

On an unrelated note, I was able to replace my little portable toolbox with a larger, more permanent one. The new toolbox was only $50 - how could I pass that up, right? I paid almost twice that for the old one from a "friend" back in the day when I didn't know any better. Thanks, buddy.

Buddy Special

New Box

I still need to clean the new one up a bit and decide what I'm going to do with the old one. In the interest of keeping the shop clear of refuse and unneeded tools and equipment, I suspect a listing for it will go up on Craigslist next week.

Until next time...

Project Update: Assembly Table Bottom Finished

I was able to get the bottom of the assembly table completed last night with no help. This was not a good idea. The plywood and hardened board were extremely unwieldy and I've decided to wait until I have some help to complete the top. This is holding everything, including the electric cello project up,  but it must be done.

First was the 3/4" plywood intended to provide a bottom shelf and also stability - it's tacked to a 1" lip around the bottom frame.  Then came the 1/8" hardened board.

Did I need the hardened board? Probably not, but it will keep the plywood from wearing and a 4' x 8' sheet is only $9 at Home Depot. If it gets trashed, I can simply replace it with another. I'll use this same configuration for the top and include some additional reinforcement by essentially turning it into a torsion box. I'll be adding 2x4 cross beams to all of the legs once I get the top installed and may even throw some shelves and dividers in at some point. For now, I just want to GET IT DONE!

Until next time...

Project Update: More Table Progress

Yes, I'm still working on the assembly table. As you may or may not know, I'm a pretty solitary guy, at least when it comes to work. Sure, I can yuck it up with the best of them in a social setting, but when it comes to getting stuff done, I prefer to work by myself, for myself. Now, having said that, I can say with complete confidence that it sure would be nice to have some help with this table. Just a little help, not necessarily guidance or screwing and gluing. Someone to hold things straight while I attach parts would be an enormous help. In fact, I have no idea how I'm going to get the bottom and top of the table on given space and lifting constraints, but I'll git 'er dun.

As you can see, I've relied heavily on clamping to assist the assembly process. Who doesn't, right? And I've discovered through this mini-project that my chop saw does not make perfectly straight cuts. Oy. I'll either work to get it calibrated properly or it will have to go. In the case of this table, it's not such a big deal. In the case of the instrument case, it will be, so I'll be looking at that in depth over the next few days. In the meantime, on to finishing this monster.

I'm using the new table saw as a cut/assembly table. This is not my preferred use of the saw, but what am I gonna do? I need to get this done so I can move on to building the case. In the photo immediately above, I've lined out all of the cuts for the sides (the table is 4' x 8' including the 2x4s that line the sides, so the plywood and hardened boards are 93" x 45") and the notches for the legs. This will be the bottom shelf of the table. My intent with the shelf is to get the specialty and exotic woods lining the walls onto it to free up some space around the shop. I'll be lining it, like the top, with a 1/8" layer of hardened board that I can easily replace should it get marred and scarred.

I'm hoping to have this thing completed by this coming Monday. Wish me luck.

Until next time...

Project Update: Assembly Table Progress

I don't have much to report, I just wanted to give an update regarding the assembly table. The table is 4' x 8' and I'm putting it together myself, so my progress is not as fast as if I had a helper or two. I was hoping the shop elves would show up during the night and complete it, but, alas, that has not been the case.  As you can see, I've completed the frames for the top and bottom and am installing the legs now. The intent of this table is to create a sturdy structure with room for wood storage and to act as a table saw outfeed table.

As I was screwing the frame to the leg on the left in the photo above, I broke two Phillips screwdriver drill inserts; they just crumbled. These are generally built to withstand a lot of pressure, but I think the fact that I turned the drill speed down a notch and the screws are three inches long while my drill bit is barely two contributed to the breakage. I use a quick-release adapter for both, so I'll have to adjust to another adapter I have or break down and buy a new Phillips screwdriver insert or six. Either way, thank goodness for quick-release gadgets - they're awesome.

Until next time...

Project Update: An Assembly Table and a New Name

One of the things I've been lacking in the shop is a big, sturdy assembly table. This will be increasingly necessary as I begin the casework for the instrument and it will be nice to have for everything else I work on from time to time. I've been working on a 2' x 5' workbench I purchased at Home Depot five years ago. While it's been nice to have, it's just too small for a lot of the work I now do.

When I initially considered building an assembly table, I thought I might put one together that breaks down easily, but then I would struggle with it not being as stable as I will need, especially for gluing large parts. In the end, I decided to build a 4' x 8' multi-function table that will act as the main fixture in the middle of the shop, as well as a place to store the exotic, specialty and smaller woods that line the shop walls.

The assembly table will act as the base of a go board set up for gluing soundboards and other large pieces. This means I will build a structure mounted to the ceiling that is also multi-functional; it will be the top of the go board clamping system and store some of the larger, longer pieces of wood that line the walls of the shop, as well.

Finally, the assembly table will also act as an outfeed table for the new table saw. I will route a couple of channels into the top and install aluminum (aluminium for those of you in the UK) channels for the miter (mitre for those of you in the UK) gauge and the crosscut sled I will be building soon.

The logical consequence of all this is that my wall space will be increased, minimizing the effects of plopping a HUGE table in the middle of the shop. Once I can store the wood that currently lines the walls in the table/go board setup, I will rearrange the tools and machines to more closely hug the walls. This way, I can make the assembly table the rallying point around which all of my work will be done.

The table is basically a large box with open space in the middle for wood storage. My intent is to not overbuild the structure and I am not gluing the edges because we are renting and I want to be able to break it down and move it without the assistance of four large people. Because we will one day move. I promise.

On an unrelated matter, you are aware I enjoy naming my tools and machines. After several days of intense deliberation I've decided to name the new table saw...Grizz. Yes, it was a stretch, but I'm comfortable with it and the saw doesn't seem to mind, either.

Until next time...

Project Update: A Grizzly in the Garage

I was never so happy to see a FedEx truck in my life. I paid Grizzly for liftgate service - thankfully - and the Cool FedEx Delivery Guy helped me drag the package into the shop.

Grizzly builds their shipping pallets so that only one tongue of the forklift will fit under the pallet, but we managed to muscle into into the shop. Once there, I easily removed the cardboard and...uh oh. I couldn't figure out how to get the saw off the pallet.

After struggling with it for a bit, I decided leaving it on the pallet would be okay, it would just add a little height to the saw, right? I took a break and decided to hit it again and, voila!, I discovered the two bolts holding it on just had hex heads that I could easily unscrew using an Allen wrench. Once the bolts were out, I wrestled it to the floor and started the assembly adventure.

These sorts of things are never really much fun. Hey, at least it wasn't an IKEA product. If it were, I'd still be working on it (after having put most of it together backwards). In hindsight, it was pretty easy to get assembled, though it would have been nice to have had a helper, especially with the wings - they're heavy! Regardless, I got everything put on and even had a few spare washers and screws left over.

By the time I finished, it was so late I had to hightail it to bed without ever starting the thing. I'm trusting it runs fine and will be heading down to fire it up in a few minutes. Then...I shall cut something.

Until next time...

Project Update: Wait for It...Wait for It...

What's a fella do when he's sold his table saw and is awaiting the arrival of his new one? Apparently, he finishes mundane tasks like putting together a lathe stand and taking photos of his empty shop. The Grizzly 10" hybrid is set to arrive today between noon and 4:00 p.m. and I've received permission from my day job overlord to work at home to receive the package. Yes, I work in the data field, yes, it's for a 100+ year-old company, no, they don't let us work at home. Today is a gift for which I am thankful.

I also have the electric cello project pending. Reed's (my youngest son) birthday is just around the corner on April 9th. All of the parts are here, I just need to get cracking on designing, cutting, assembling, finishing - you know, the easy stuff. The body is a nice maple block that I plan on dying and French polishing. As you can see, I've got everything laid out and know what I want to do for the most part.

Until next time...