Starting up the shop projects again.

[dbhost]

Got the pantry door finished in the camper. Adjusted the strike, and tested. Good and secure. Fun part is coming up. Drill and fill the flip up counter extension... And install the fridge.

[dbhost]

So I took the 2x6 milled cutoffs from what had been the drill press mobile base foot, and realized, gee, this would make a perfect top for a workstation to hold my Wen sharpener. so the 2 pieces that are edge jointed, just never glued, are now in glue, clamped up and drying.

I will fill the 3/8" bolt holes with some dowel stock shortly and start rummaging around for some 2x4 or 2x2 castoffs to make the frame. I figure 2 shelves under the main table should be more than enough to house the jigs for it, and some adjustable / leveling feet to keep it solid on the ground. I do not want to make it too big and suck up excess floor space, but I also don't want to go too small and risk it tipping over...

Waiting for an Amazon delivery of tail light lens assemblies and LED bulbs so I can finish the lighting upgrade on the van, and then all of the old incandescent and halogen bulbs that are floating around the shop go into the trash bag.

I intend on having a mini split before next summer in and done, so I am seriously considering just sending the portable AC to the curb and be done with it. I could use the floor space.

[capncarl]

Curb is a good place for the portable ac. People don’t realize that the heat from the ac compressor, fan motor and heat from condenser consumes most of the ac’s cooling.

[dbhost]

capncarl no doubt. It worked, not nearly as well as I would have hoped, but it worked for 15 years, but is just hanging by a thread now...

[dbhost]

Need to send the camper back to the shop that just did the work on it. Radiator and thus the transmission cooler were replaced, and I now have an ATF leak at the radiator. The belt noise is still there, they were supposed to fix that and in all fairness it DID get quieter, but not quiet...

While it is out, I will be stuck around the house due to work stuff, so I will be spending more quality time shop cleanup. Been a bit since I did any and it is time to get busy again...

[dbhost]

Aaaand some simple cleanup. Stuff like.... Those pliers go here, that hammer goes there, those cans of automotive chemicals go into the shed etc.. Sigh....

Another FINALLY incoming as I do the cleaning. On order is a Cooper & Hunter 18K BTU mini split A/C / Heat unit and mounting brackets. So now the timetable just shortened up, a LOT... Get the mini split installed and setup, get the old portable GONE...Only problem is mini split is going to have to live where I have storage stuff hung, OR where the main branch for the DC goes up the wall... Need to finalize that for install and avoid the wire bundles that go to the sub panel...

The unit is a smart unit that will integrate with Alexa and my Hubitat home automation. So if I decide while I am in the office I want to cool the shop off for when I get home, just send a signal...

[dbhost]

Still digging junk out of the shop. this weekend won't give me much of any time to work on the shop, but getting there. Need to dig more of the trash out. I have lots of extra, well junk to get rid of still. Finding more than a few aerosol cans that have no propellant left. Chucking them too...

[dbhost]

Foam blocking for the sander and the cardboard out. old portable AC out, forgotten battery powered leaf blower out, stick lamp restoration project out. Ajustable tent poles stashed where they belong although then need a bit of a swipe with some sandpaper and WD-40. Can't get these Coleman adjustables any more and these things are stout. That is a quick repair I don't have time for. Finding a LOT more lawn and garden that needs to get moved. WIll roll the hand truck up to the shop with a couple of large totes tomorrow and IF I have time get the L&G stuff moved over. Some of it is just trash and needs to be handled as such but my cans are full at the moment...

[twistsol]

It is amazing how junk seems to accumulate over time with no effort.

[dbhost]

It is also amazing how much space I bought back by taking that portable AC and its hoses out and kicking them to the curb. When I got up this morning, the portable AC, and broken lamp were gone, Both of my trash cans are full, and my recycle bin is about 3/4 full. My waste management folks are NOT going to be thrilled iwth me.

[dbhost]

Once again forced to stop working on the shop cleanup due to the limitations of my trash cans.

Not sure if I mentioned this but I have one too many physical corded drills with a Craftsman 3/8" VSR corded drill from the 90s, a blue so aughts, Ryobi clutch driver drill. Love the clutch chuck, prefer the handle on the Craftsman. I bought the Ryobi when my Craftsmnan had been on a long term loan to a friend that was in the Navy at the time, we both forgot about it, he got deployed, I then needed a drill. Yay fun...Both are in cases and i prefer to keep it that way. I am funny that way.

Of course there is the Drill Master 1/2" Hammer drill that does different work than either of the 3/8" drills, and does it a LOT less gently.. No case.

And lastly my Ryobi One+ cordless that seems to have supplanted both of my 3/8" corded drills after years of me swearing mostly at cordless tools due to prior experience with Skil, B&D, and Drill Master examples of that category of tool...

Well the drilling cabinet is not quite large enough for all of that, and I can either take the 3/8" drills out of their cases (blasphemy!) or hang one of the cases, but where?

Amazon had these heavy duty magnetic garage hooks on sale. I saw something similar at Walmart locally but didn't pick them up so just ordered the Amazon pieces...

Screw the magnet to the hooks base plate and slap it on the side of the steel cabinet, and hang the Craftsman drill on the side of the cabinet. Now all of my drilling is in one place nice and tidy.

The top shelf for the sharpenting station glue up is done, now I just need to fill the 3/8 bolt holes so some drill & fill is in order.

Need to run to Home Depot to pick up 3 2x4s as straight as I can get them. And some lag bolts.

Going to make a lag bolted and glued base for my sharpening station, on each leg below the stretchers will be a series of shelf pin holes, and the shelves will simply hold the boxes of jigs for the sharpener. And yes like the other shop fixture projects, hunter green paint is the call of the day...

[dbhost]

Trash cans are empty. But time is at a premium today. Will likely have to wait until tomorrow night, but diving in head first to more cleanup!

[dbhost]

I worked all weekend long last weekend so I had comp time I had to burn up, so today I am off. Not to mention I have a Dr. appointment this afternoon that I was going to take sick leave for... But I digress...

This morning has been picking up and moving around in the shop. I found a couple of things...

First I have multiples of the same lawn and garden stuff. Specifically Snake Away, basically granulated mothballs... I have 3 very partial containers. Going to compbine the 3 into 1 and chuck it in the shed...

bags of fertilizer, in the shed, bags of mulch, you guessed it, in the shed. Slid the wide drum sander to its intended location, albeit still on the pallette but it is where it is supposed to be, and takes up less floor space than I expected. I am sure there will be more once I move the thing onto the long delayed mobile base.

Found an unfortunate amount of evidence of rodents, need to set some traps out there I had a bottle of fogger juice, which smells a bit sweet, would not be shocked if it had something like Ethylene Glycol in it... anyway chewed through and empty, and fertilizer pellets same thing...

So as I clean and purge, get the space cleared, there WILL be traps set out there as well as in the shed just to be sure. That is the problem with having a creek less than 100' from your property...

I am working to clear the floor of the trash and debris and make a space for the new mini split heat pump that should be delivered tomorrow. The brackets arrived today...

I have been watching the old New Yankee Workshop episodes, and I clearly remember saying to myself. "If I had those tools I could build all that cool stuff." I now realize that not only do I have those cool tools, I am set up much more like the late seasons except I don't have the Unisaw he had... Or a Radial Arm Saw... But hands down for the first few seasons I am MUCH better equipped than he was, and nope. Still not up to his skill level.

In all honesty I don't make a living doing this, so I haven't taken the time to build up the skills like he has. I mean I can build stuff, nice stuff, but I am super slow doing it. Takes me forever to properly set up the Dado stack to cut dadoes or rabbets etc....

I think I would end up starving if I had to make a living doing this...

But it still is fun, and a lot cheaper than regular therapy.

[dbhost]

Okay so my status on this since I started this thread is as follows...

- A Wen low speed sharpening system, Tormek clone and associated jigs replaces the Ryobi 8" bench grinder and Wolverine jig system.

The Ryobi bench grinder has been retrofitted with the standard Aluminum grit stones like the factory ones. Trying to figure out where i put the tool rests... I'll get there. Unmounted it and moved it to the shed for now.
The Wen sharpener is now on the sharpening station stand.

Need to figure out storage for the jigs for the Wen sharpener, but have an idea just need to get up off my tailbone and do it.

I need to box up the Wolverine system, varigrind and extra jigs including the chisel platform. Those and the white oxide stones gotta go. Will post a for sale here when I am ready.

- My Sunhill 6" bench top jointer was replaced with a MUCH higher quality Wahuda 10" bench top jointer.

Still need to build a new flip top stand for this and my 13" lunchbox planer.

The Sunhill needs to find a new home. Anyone vaguely local-ish have an interest? Getting rid of the jointer, and 2 sets of spare knives.

- My Harbor Freight 12" sliding compound miter saw was replaced by a Metabo HPT 12" double bevel front slider. The Diablo 12" 80T blade was sharpened up and swapped onto the Metabo, the Metabo OEM blade on the HF saw and the saw was gifted to a friend.

My friend is getting a TON of use out of the HF slider for his house siding / trim work. He has a 12" non slide Ryobi he fitted with an abrasive blade and is using it for a metal cutting chop saw now.

- My Northern Industrial 16 speed 13" floor model drill press was replaced by a Bilt Hard 12" digital VS bench top drill press. Aside from the belt shroud this DP appears to be the same machine as the old Ryobi 12" variable speed DP121L that I missed on clearance when I go the Northern Industrial...

I gifted the Northern Industrial to another friend of mine, another one of the group of old college friends. The Bilt hard has been fine aside from one very serious user not realizing when the stop is trying to make me stop and I broke it. I found parts for the Wen 12" are a direct fit thank God... WIth the various small doo dad projects I am doing for the camper, this poor drill press is getting a workout.

- Benchtop drill press mounted on a Husky 4 drawer tool cabinet with maple top to stiffen it up. So now I have drilling machines and accessories all in one place yay me!

My old Ryobi built Craftsman and my old Ryobi corded drills both managed to finally let out the magic smoke and ended up with the recycler. I am down to the HF 1/2" corded hammer drill, and the Ryobi One+ cordless, and so far no problems.

- A Grizzly G0458Z 18" open end VS drum sander was added.

I finally got the mobile base AND the extension rails. Still working on assembling it all.

- A Craftsman 52" tool cabinet and chest replaced my 27" Craftsman 9 drawer tool cabinet and Stanley Proto chest for automotive and woodworking small tools.

The old Cratsman / Proto cabinet and chest ended up in the shed housing plumbing tools, bits and pieces, as well as parts for yard tools etc...Overall very happy with the Craftsman 52" combo. A friend of mine asked me why I didn't go with a US General 72" and honestly, too big... The 52 is perfect sized...

- The Dust shroud on my miter saw stand needs serious modification as the Metabo slide mecahnism and saw haead are MUCH larger than the HF unit, Basically scrap the existing dust shroud and make a new one. You folks have given me great ideas on what to do... Once I get the new hood made, I will do some replumbing to it as I have the parts waiting to go.

I've not done this yet, so what does not get picked up by the built in dust port just pukes everywhere for now.

- Getting the mini split installed here soon. Put it off too long, need the space in the shop though.

- Continue moving non shop storage stuff into the shed in the back yard.