A return to woodworking

[Reclaimer]

Greetings!

I have returned! (cries of "boo!", "dear God, no!", etc)

Sorry to say I haven't stuck my head in here for quite some considerable time,but I'm relieved to see many of the old regulars still seem to be here.

After a VERY long break from woodworking caused by many, many bad things happening in quick succession, I finally picked up the tools again. Being a bit rusty, I thought I'd start again with something pretty simple, a shoe rack. As I'm out of practice, I fancied a simple exercise in accurate measuring and actually cutting straight.

Those unfortunate individuals who are familiar with my previous drivellings will remember the Great Hardwood Gloat of a couple of years ago. This is the first time I've actually dipped into that huge pile and used any of it.

Not many photos as I hadn't intended actually making a WIP thread, but here goes:

I found a few 6' lengths of this nice round-edged stuff with strange routed lengthways slots (at the BOTTOM of the pile!). Being too idle to dismantle the heap, the "easy" way to extract it was to place a long length of 2"x1/2" oak against the ends and bash them through the pile and out of the other side using a sledgehammer. To anyone considering adopting this method, be aware of how close your wife's car is parked to the other side of the pile, because indicator lenses are fragile

Fast forward a bit to the dry assembly... for a quicker build I decided to omit jointing the whole structure and use glue and some nice stainless steel screws I had lying around.

It looks kind of OK but rather than hiding the "decorative" slots on the inside, I wish I'd put them on the outside as they've actually started to grow on me a little. After a few more minutes of contemplation, I decided it looked a bit awkward but couldn't quite decide why. Eventually the penny dropped and I cut the tops of the side pieces to match the slope of the shelves. Surprising how a small tweak like this can make such a big improvement!

For finish, I drowned it in Rustin's Danish Oil.

Yeah, I know- I couldn't even be bothered to hide the screws!

One thing I haven't actually mentioned so far is the identity of the timber- initially I guessed it was iroko, but its quite pale, very easy to work, nice straight grain with none of the tear-out I'd normally associate with planing iroko. It also has a rather nice fleck in it which the oil has brought out rather well. I'll post a close-up of the timber for your perusal as soon as I can get my antivirus from repeatedly kicking me off Photobucket.

 

[9fingers]

Welcome back.

It looks like you have not lost the knack :lol: I look forward to seeing more of your posts.

Bob

 

[AndyP]

Hi, Tim, great to see you have found you woodworking mojo again. You seem to working outdoors. Have you been banished from the house and still without a workshop?

There is a fair chance that the shoe rack will rack over time. Could you attach a back to give it some rigidity?

Looks fit for purpose though.

 

[chataigner]

Good to see you back and working. Like the shoe rack.

 

[Robert]

Welcome back Tim

I've missed your entertaining posts. Must admit I was expecting to see the living room carpet meeting sawdust somewhere but I guess the weather may have been up to working outdoors.

Nice bookcase. Looks like window board to me - the kind of stuff you see as the internal sill in a conservatory etc. should be pretty stable.

 

[Reclaimer]

Andy...I did think about putting a back on it but I liked the airy appearance of the open design. It's only for the master bedroom at home, so if it goes wobbly it's not the end of the world. I might fit some hidden fillets under the shelves to stiffen the whole thing up a bit.

As you observe, no workshop yet. Yes, I know I was supposed to finish it about two years ago but my plans were derailed by (wait for it...) the deaths of my Dad, my mum in law, my sister, my best friend and (worse still) two of my favourite cats. Another sister developed a brain tumour and yet another breast cancer. I had a bowel cancer scare. Add that to the fact my 3 brothers all died before their time and it looks like the curse of Tutenkhamen :shock:

On the plus side.....I recovered from alcoholism and severe depression and I'm STILL sticking two fingers up at life in general and not worrying about the little things. So there. I'll get my workshop even if I have to build it from my own ear wax.

 

[Reclaimer]

Trying to post pics of the grain...

Any opinions on whether this actually is iroko?

 

[9fingers]

Strewth Tim, You have been going through it in spades!!

I hope you can put all that behind you now and start enjoying your woodworking once again.

Are you still shinning up trees for a living? I seem to recall that you wanted to reduce the physical side of your day job? (or maybe i got that mixed up?)

Good Luck

Bob

 

[9fingers]

It is quite similar to Iroko but not totally convinced. Have you noticed fresh cut surface darkening over time? Iroko does that.

Iroko grain can be quite convoluted (and prone to tear out as a result) but somehow your sample does not look that similar to the Iroko I've got here.

I've got a photo somewhere of some drawers I made in Iroko. I'll try and locate it from deep in bowels of Photobucket

Bob

 

[9fingers]

It is quite similar to Iroko but not totally convinced. Have you noticed fresh cut surface darkening over time? Iroko does that.

Iroko grain can be quite convoluted (and prone to tear out as a result) but somehow your sample does not look that similar to the Iroko I've got here.

I've got a photo somewhere of some drawers I made in Iroko. I'll try and locate it from deep in bowels of Photobucket

Bob

Here are some pics of the drawers. Beech sides (apart from the deepest drawer which has Iroko sides too), Iroko fronts - possibly poly varnish finish.












hth

Bob

 

[AndyP]

Strewth indeed.
After a year or two like that I can only expect that things can only get better.

 

[Pinch]

Hey Tim, good to see you on here again. I've seen some of your piccies on FB (very amusing), not that I'm on there much.

Where's your old avatar piccie - the goggle eyed one?

 

[Reclaimer]

Bob-
Yes, I'm still climbing trees for a living, but nowadays I'm more sloth than squirrel. If I can actually get the workshop done, I'm looking to scale back on the bigger climbing jobs soon and spend a couple of days a week topping up my income making shavings. Looking at your drawers (very nice, BTW), I'm inclined to agree that whatever it was I used, it wasn't iroko. It was just too nice to work with and very compliant.

Pinch- amusing Facebook pictures? Would this have anything to do with a certain fat ginger cat with very active swear glands?

I've spent this weekend making a two-drawer base unit to fit underneath the infamous Great Pirate Chest Of Many Ill-fitting Lids from a few years ago. Made mostly of reclaimed old tat and thrown together using some cringe-inducingly poor technique, I'm not sure whether to post a WIP thread in case I get my Wood Haven pass ceremonially torn up.....

cheers!
Tim

 

[Pinch]

Ah ha, that's better Tim - good to see that piccie on here again

 

[Woodbloke]

Greetings!

He says it's a shoe rack. An untruth...now that the 'fine' weather's arrived, this is fact a cat's sunning station. :lol: Pole position goes to His Nibs on the top shelf with the second occupied by MHTB. The rest of the ne're-do-wells and interlopers are on the shelves underneath :lol: - Rob

 

[TrimTheKing]

Wow Tim, that's some couple of years to deal with! Hope things have settled down and some kind of normality returns!

Nice rack Looks like sapele to me, or at least very much like some I have here.

Cheers
Mark

 

[Reclaimer]

Greetings!

He says it's a shoe rack. An untruth...now that the 'fine' weather's arrived, this is fact a cat's sunning station. :lol: Pole position goes to His Nibs on the top shelf with the second occupied by MHTB. The rest of the ne're-do-wells and interlopers are on the shelves underneath :lol: - Rob

If I'd known His Lordship was going to place his ample (21lbs) lardy ginger self on there, I would definitely have rebated the shelves into the sides, Rob. And put fillets underneath.

 

[Reclaimer]

Hi, Tim, great to see you have found you woodworking mojo again. You seem to working outdoors. Have you been banished from the house and still without a workshop?

There is a fair chance that the shoe rack will rack over time. Could you attach a back to give it some rigidity?

Looks fit for purpose though.

AndyP- I'm pleased to say it hasn't racked (yet)

 

[Cabinetman]

A tottering time indeed! Looks a lot like Sepele to me too. Can’t see any fiddleback grain though so maybe some other variety of Mahogany.
Just noticed you’re just up the road - Caistor, that’s when I’m not a lot further away haha.
Ian

 

[AndyP]

Hi, Tim, great to see you have found you woodworking mojo again. You seem to working outdoors. Have you been banished from the house and still without a workshop?

There is a fair chance that the shoe rack will rack over time. Could you attach a back to give it some rigidity?

Looks fit for purpose though.

AndyP- I'm pleased to say it hasn't racked (yet)

Thats good to hear Tim and good to see you here. What else have you made in the intervening years.

 

[Lons]

I remember the physog on that avatar. :lol: Welcome back

I'm re-working some old science benchtops at the minute which I think are likely sepele and look similar to your wood.

 

[Cabinetman]

I remember the physog on that avatar. :lol: Welcome back

I'm re-working some old science benchtops at the minute which I think are likely sepele and look similar to your wood.

Good find! Old science worktops- often Iroko, or if they’re pre ww2? they may even be Teak! I reworked some Iroko ones once, it was hard work with the almost total lack of equipment, but good end results.
Ian

 

[Lons]

I remember the physog on that avatar. :lol: Welcome back

I'm re-working some old science benchtops at the minute which I think are likely sepele and look similar to your wood.

Good find! Old science worktops- often Iroko, or if they’re pre ww2? they may even be Teak! I reworked some Iroko ones once, it was hard work with the almost total lack of equipment, but good end results.
Ian

I've had them for many years Ian, salvaged from a high school when they were ripping them out and throwing into huge skips from the first floor. I got lengths of around 4m x 900mm and it's all 30mm thick. Not the easiest stuff to work and the dust isn't nice but I've used it for loads of projects, still have 3 lengths plus varios offcuts. All complete withe the usual "Joe loves Julia and sir is a cr*p teacher" :lol: Can't write the real words here. I also still have some of the old bunsen burners as well somewhere.