Fixin' up the Bungalow

Stickley Dining Table 622 Reproduction

2008-07-21T14:14:00.001-07:00

Stickley Dining Table 622 Reproduction
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I finally finished it! Three years later. My version of the Stickley no. 622 Dining Table. Quartersawn Oak.

More pics at Flickr or Lumberjocks.

Finish Inspector

2008-07-20T09:26:00.001-07:00

Finish Inspector
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I finished the dining table "finish". The boss came out to inspect.

We will put it together today!

A Great Arts and Crafts Woodworking Blog.

2008-07-11T08:14:00.001-07:00

treefrogfurniture.blogspot.com

Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I had been running into posts from this blog while researching fuming and arts and crafts finishing techniques.
Since I have been using Google Reader I decided to subscribe.

I am reading all of the entries.
This blog is as good as any book on Arts and Crafts furniture.

Beginning with a trip to the Stickley museum, he writes about style, construction, the designers, techniques. Quite well researched and clear too.

I am not a fan of the light text on black background, which is probably why I never wanted to read the site, but in Google Reader I view it as black on white.

Check it out. Something for anyone interested in Arts and Crafts furniture or woodworking.

Get it done with Zoho-Projects for Free.

2008-07-06T08:22:00.001-07:00

Zoho-Projects
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

For those of you house restoration geeks who are also computer geeks. (You know you are...Hint ....you are reading a blog right now.)

Zoho is an online documents package similar to google docs, but offering a useful project management software. The free version allows only one project.

Here is how I use it:

1. Create milestones for the different sections of my house. Example: Kitchen to be finished by August 24.

2. Add tasks with their own to do dates to the milestone list: Cabinet doors.

3. Add sub tasks to the the task.: Stain, Hang, Install Hardware.

You can view all of your tasks on a calendar, set up the program to email you when tasks are overdue, and view your to-do's anywhere you have web access.

The pay version allows you to have multiple users. Then you can assign others tasks. If you are restoring a bungalow you are probably a control freak and won't need this feature. Just walk that lonely road.

http://projects.zoho.com

Mission Furniture: How to Build It.

2008-07-04T10:17:00.001-07:00

Hall Chair
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

If you have never checked it out.. This book is in public domain and can be found on many e-book sites. http://books.google.com/books?id=q1lC8JaCUGcC&pg=PA111&dq=mission+furniture+hall+chair&ei=ywZtSLO6LoLqsQPL3Yi2Bg&client=safari&sig=ACfU3U0dylHcBh79HazRMUzUnaufTJOnNQ

I completed a sketchup of one of the projects.

Hipsters Wanted.... Lake at Walnut

2008-06-24T08:47:00.001-07:00

Standard Pacific Homes - New Homes in Pasadena at Lake at Walnut - Community
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

This is funny. Sorry Hipsters

If you have actually been to this location, it is miles of asphalt with a view of the Ralph's parking lot on one side and the 210 on the other.

Boutiques? (Does the 99 cent store count?)

Saunter to the news stand? Nobody saunters on Lake. It's Hell hot.

Little Journey's

2008-06-22T21:56:00.001-07:00

Little Journey's
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I finally finished the Little Journeys Bookstand!

This project is from Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture by Robert Lange. I have much more about its construction detailed in my blog .

The finish ended up being fumed followed by tinted shellac and dark wax. I like it.

This project looks simple, but has a ton of handwork including the 16 through mortises.

A few pics

A shot of the top in the sun.

Close up on the tusks and through tenons. All handwork.

Looking up at the figure eight clips.

And now a look at the books. The piece was originally made by Elbert Hubbard to display a set of books called Little Journeys. I bought a set on e-bay and they have really cool covers and spines. They include titles like Little Journeys to the Homes of ….. Famous Women or English Authors

Shellac

2008-06-09T06:16:00.000-07:00

Shellacin’
I cleaned up 90% shop dust by vac and broom and then run the overhead air filter for a bit before finishing. I protected the workbench with plastic. The panels are raised up on scrap sticks. You can see a bottle of Transtint (Dark mission brown) in the foreground.

I add denatured alcohol to a container and then add the shellac to the consistency of a 1lb or so cut. Very thin.

I am padding on the shellac with a clean t-shirt scrap wrapped around another scrap. I also used a glue brush and a larger brush.

I work from the middle out to the ends to avoid over collecting on the ends.

After one coat (Still wettish)

When the first coat and on are dry I sand with my little worn spongy sanding block to knock down the dust nibs /level the surface. You can do this with very worn sandpaper too. If I have nothing else I take a piece of 320 and rub it against itself to break the grit down to a softer texture.

I feel the grit of the finish with my hand and then sand very lightly until It feels smooth. The goal is to remove that grit feeling and nothing more.

Tint it
On the second and so on coats I added the dark brown dye to the shellac to add a little more color to the project.

Shot with final coat of tinted shellac

Finally I tackled the sapwood by adding a few more drops of the dye to the shellac. The sapwood lacks that tanins that enact color change via fuming. (By the way I find the liquid dye WAY easier to work with than the powdered).

I brushed the concentrated color/shellac mixture onto the sapwood only.

Before:

Brushing Shellac/Dye..

After blending with my shellac pad..

Better I think.

Dry time
I really want to finish this, but I am going to wait a few days to let the shellac cure before I wax it.

Watch the shellac dry.

Next time Wax

In Which I Fume Oak for the First Time.

2008-06-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

I had a little more handwork to do on the Little Journey’s Bookstand. I fiddled with the tusks a bit.

I originally sanded the piece to 400 but decided to sand to 220 this time. The loose tenons/tusks took forever to sand and detail.

Fuming Time

I have always wanted to try this. Two years ago I had a student whose dad owned a blueprint shop. He gave me a large bottle of super strength ammonia. I had bought an ammonia respirator in preparation for the job.

I build a simple tent from pine scraps and then stapled plastic to the outside.

I donned long sleeves, my respirator, chemical gloves, and goggles.

I poured two bowls of ammonia.

and stuck them under the tent.

The color change happened almost immediately.

We kept watch over it and then after about 3.5 hours we removed the tent.

I poured the spent ammonia into a large bucket of water.

I took the piece back to the shop to air out for the night. That stuff is wicked! Even with a respirator.

In the finewoodworking article, author Kevin Rodel indicates that the final finish will darken the piece while warming it up.

We will see. I plan on shellac and dark wax.

Fir Joists! Yeah..

2008-06-07T07:47:00.001-07:00

Fir Joists
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

My neighbor is rebuilding his porch and for reasons I don't understand replaced the original douglas fir joists with new ones.

So I sauntered over with request.

There are 2 x 6's about 14' long.

In total over 50 board feet or old growth doug fir. Sweet.

The collection grows!

Roycroftian Repair

2008-06-01T07:14:00.001-07:00

Catch up
This is a project I started from quartersawn white oak scraps about three years ago. However, I got involved in other things, so it has been bouncing around in storage getting slightly damaged during the interim. I took it out to inspect it and start the finishing process; aka actually completing the piece.

This is from “More Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture” by Robert Lange. The Little Journey’s Bookstand was originally made by Roycroft to to hold a set of books called “Little Journey’s”. (I have a set of the books now… thanks to ebay).

I used the project to prepare for making a large dining table that is not finished yet either. This was the first time I cut through mortises and angled through mortises. For a small project there is a lot of hand work, 16 though-mortises, besides the eight housed mortise and tenon joints. I also hand chamfered the tenon ends. I drew out a full size pattern for the foot.

Figure Faults
Time for inspection. I still liked the overall piece and most of the wood selection. The top in particular I remember book matching.

I was not very happy with my some of the workwork. At the time I built this, I had only been woodworking for about a year.

Here were some of the problems…

The tenons were too deep to cut out with a tablesaw, So I cut them on the bandsaw, freehand. Unfortunately I nicked the actual shelf.

You can also see that the shoulder is not sitting flush to the leg.

Also seen here…

Corrections
A new friend who is also a pro woodworker came by and I was showing him some of the problems I found in thei piece. He gave me a bit of good advice to fix the bandsaw nick. “Trim the entire shelf,” he said. He then gave me a great reminder that it is often easier to have an offset than to try to get parts flush.

So yesterday I knocked down the project and began by trimming both shelves.

I then decided that I now had the knowledge and skills to better square the tenon shoulders along the ends of the shelf.
I used a crosscut sled to square the shoulders closest to the shelf edges. I should have done that the first time!
(no pic)

Then to handle the middle section (between the tenons), I clamped on a straight edge t-square and got out the flush trim bit.

I routed the middle section flush staying away from the tenons.

I chiseled the corners clean.

Since I had changed the tenon depth, I had to recut some of the trough mortices deeper.

I have a few more to go, but was very pleased with the repairs so far. Check out the fit of the shelf shoulders now….

Next up
A few more mortises and re-sanding.

Good neighbors

2008-05-31T23:15:00.000-07:00

The Trade
On Wed. Night I did a talk for my neighborhood association’s general meeting on our house restoration and my furniture projects. I talked in length about using recycled wood.

Afterwards a neighbor contacted me and offered some wood that had been stored in his garage for 20 years. At the time that he bought it, it was milled from old growth fir.
I took home a small stash of fir, including a few 12” wide boards…

and a 7/8” thick, 14 footer.

Hmmmmm. possibilities…

In return

He asked if I could help him with reproduce some shoe molding that had been missing from his house for 20 years. He seems pretty meticulous about records and had a sample scrap of the original molding. I was expecting something with a radius and was surprised to see a simple little beveled molding.

I found some of my nice recycled stock and planed it down to a matching 1”height.

I used the sample to set the blade at six degrees to cut the bevel

I needed a way to rip away the edge of the board at a consistent 3/8” so I made a little jig consisting of my miter guage with a feeler block clamped to it.

I set the sample piece against the blade, touched the feeler to it,and then clamped it in place.

Then I set the fence using the jig. (I saw a variant of this in a youtube video.

I ripped the stock and dropped it off to a happy neighbor. He just e-mailed me to offer some 6×6’s..

I’m gonna need a bigger rack.

How to make a pushstick

2008-05-25T08:19:00.001-07:00

Here is a sample of the types of videos I have been making for lumberjocks. How to make a pushstick (a tablesaw essential).

Join in and make one

Blog Direction

2008-05-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

I am looking for input on this blog. Currently I post most of my woodworking projects over at lumberjocks. I am thinking about either 1) Posting most material here.or 2)Cross posting I am not sure if people are interested in the cross postings or the woodworking. As I start to finish the house and move towards furniture building, I would like to make this more of a how-to/ woodworking/ restoration blog. Let me know your thoughts. Hello... Bueller?

I have a home.

2008-05-25T08:09:00.001-07:00

I have a home.
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

Just in case you were worried about the old stove, my neighbors Hans and Veronica bought it.

Hans used a dolly and rolled it up the hill to his house.

Pictured here is his restored vintage fridge next to our old stove.

Last night in Maui

2008-05-25T08:04:00.001-07:00

Last night in Maui
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

We did manage to get away for a bit this spring. One week in Maui was very relaxing.

Life has been a bit crazy around here now and home projects have otherwise ground to a halt.

The Bungalow Heaven Home Tour came and went. We had an open house featuring our halfway done projects.

Today is the Sunday before Memorial Day and I hope to get out to the shop and make some dust.

Great new home remodeling site.

2008-04-05T09:08:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Your Online Home! | HomeRefurbers.com :: home improvement, remodeling and building community
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

HomeRefurbers.com is up and running! This is brought to you by the same great folks as Lumberjocks.com. It is an easy way to get a home blog started: post projects, blog entries and more....

Check it out.

Woodworking Gallery

2008-02-21T18:10:00.001-08:00

Very cool feature from lumberjocks. My woodworking projects projected as a 3d gallery. Check it out. http://lumberjocks.com/galleries/gizmodyne Also join Lumberjocks if you have any interest in woodworking.

Bookmatched walnut box

2008-02-11T18:31:00.001-08:00

bookmatched walnut box
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

Another woodworking project and gift for my wife.

Made of bookmatched walnut and mahogany. More pics at my flickr page.

L. & J.G. Stickley No. 110 Nightstand Reproductions

2008-01-09T17:23:00.001-08:00

L. & J.G. Stickley No. 110 Nightstand Reproductions
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I finally finished the nightstands. They are very cute and we are looking forward to having two nightstands. We currently have only one.

These are made from solid mahogany with 2 dovetailed drawers and a shelf. I am glad to be done!

Who wants an awesome stove?

2007-12-28T18:37:00.001-08:00

wedgewood stove
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

Apparently no one on craigslist.

We bought this beauty for 800 bucks and only used it for about 2 years.

It is in great condition, retrofitted with gas shut-offs.

Oven and broiler, Plus Lid Storage!. Griddle in the middle, Shelf!

Clock and Timer!

Someone buy my stove. $400.

Los Angeles Area

Installed Window Screens

2007-12-27T17:44:00.001-08:00

Window Screens
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

Finally got around to staining and installing the window screens for the back porch/ soon to be breakfast room.

They are made of recycled douglas fir and finished with Early American Minwax Stain and Marine Varnish. I painted the hardware with a metalic paint.

Bungalow Style Cabinets: Tilt Out Trays

2007-11-21T22:50:00.001-08:00

tilt outs 1
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I installed the tilt out trays today. It took about 4 hours for the first one (which barely works) and 20 minutes for the second one. The challenge is getting these to work with inset drawers in a confined space.

Custom Bungalow Style Dishwasher Panel

2007-11-15T21:37:00.001-08:00

Dishwasher Panel 3
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

I finished 99% of the dishwasher installlation.

The whole story is here:

Great New Garden Blog!

2007-11-12T06:38:00.001-08:00

Gardentenders.com
Originally uploaded by gizmodyne

Kris joined Gardentenders.com. It is a sister site to Lumberjocks.com. It is just getting going, but I predict that it will be a great site. All user created content. Facilities for garden blogging, posting garden pics, a forum for questions, and a simple interface.

If you are interested in even the littlest bit of gardening check it out.