What's On Your Workbench?

[charlie monroe]

Lol, centerline mark for template alignment.
Wax pencil shows so much better than graphite does on dark wood

Oh, I figured it out, but the fact that I even wondered means it was too early

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Oh, I figured it out, but the fact that I even wondered means it was too early

Only 4 here now, too early indeed.

 

[Dean N]

On my garage workbench is a thermometer telling me I'm nuts if I spend time in there today.

 

[Jimbob Jones]

That's not a comfortable working environment in ºF or ºC!

 

[Jeff Siddall]

On my garage workbench is a thermometer telling me I'm nuts if I spend time in there today.
View attachment 4170912

Well... it hasn't been that warm in my garage since November! But I agree with you that it is nuts spending time out there.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I've been running a space heater in my garage for months now. I'm scared to ask about the power bill, but the wife hasn't complained yet so I'm not changing course now.

I wouldn't say it's "warm" in there, but it's warm enough I can work with just a t-shirt on, so that's good enough.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I've been running a space heater in my garage for months now. I'm scared to ask about the power bill, but the wife hasn't complained yet so I'm not changing course now.

I wouldn't say it's "warm" in there, but it's warm enough I can work with just a t-shirt on, so that's good enough.

work harder and build up a good sweat :/

 

[TerribleTim68]

So currently on my workbench is this -

I know, not bass related. But it's on my workbench. It's also a good piece to practice some things on.
So here's a little back story: This cutting board was built by my older brother back when he was in high school shop class. So he is 51 now, that would put this cutting board at something like 37, maybe 38 years old. Our dad left it in his garage, leaning against a wall, where it stood in a puddle of water for a little over 2 years before I found it last weekend (long story). The end grain sitting in the puddle was pretty rotted, as you would imagine, seen on the right -

My plan was to cut the rot off, taking about 4" of length out of the board -

Run a router bit around the edges to clean that up (this was a good practice routing project with my router, since I'm still new to that) -

And then we'll do a TON of sanding -

....before we apply a finish to this thing. I'm still not finished sanding, so no pics of the finish for now. I'm also filming this for my YouTube channel (it's a woodturning & woodworking channel, not guitar building, separate channel for that content), thus the pics of me working, these are all screen grabs from the video editing software. Look for said video eventually, I think I've got videos queued up each week for like the next 2 months already.

EDIT: So my plan is to resurrect this cutting board and return it to my older brother, because apparently our dad, at 73 years old, isn't interested in it if it sat in the garage for over 2 years. I'm guessing my brother would like to have it back, as much as I'd love to keep it myself.

Okay, back to my day job and work. I've got a hotel lobby bar to design today for the Mercantile Hotel in Missoula!

 

[dwizum]

@TerribleTim68 do you do a lot of designs for hotel bars? I used to travel a lot for work. I wonder if I've wasted any midweek evenings sitting in one of your designs!

On my bench right now, some tiny little solid body ukuleles. One is destined for an acoustic-style bridge, a piezo pickup, and nylon strings, the other will get a magnetic pickup, brass bridge, and steel strings.

 

[TerribleTim68]

@TerribleTim68 do you do a lot of designs for hotel bars? I used to travel a lot for work. I wonder if I've wasted any midweek evenings sitting in one of your designs!

We do, and you may have!
As a firm we've done plenty all over the world. We kind of cover all segments so not just hotel bars. We do hotel kitchens (the back kitchen that would serve room service and banquet catering for the large banquet halls) and the lobby restaurants/bars, we do a LOT of Business & Industry (campus dining like Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, that sort of thing), we do a massive pile of education work, mostly K-12 school district stuff, we do a large amount of Casino work as well (including casino bars and buffets) and we do a small amount of restaurant work (but not chain restaurants, we only do the independent one-offs). For anyone who lives in the Laguna Beach - Seaside Florida area, we did Amigos 30A and Amici 30A. We've been doing the Hilton brands prototypes for years which includes all of their brands; Hilton, Hilton Garden Inns, Hampton, Embassy Suites, Doubletree, Canopy, Tru, Homewood, Home2 and Curio. So if you've ever been in one of those the foodservice portions is our work. We also do a ton of work for Hyatt and Marriott as well and that stupid new "Aman Hotels - New York, Crown Building" thing (Aman New York – Luxury NYC Hotel & Residences Opening 2021 – Aman) if it ever gets opened. I'd say my personal crown jewel has to still be "The Lakehouse" in Bellevue, Washington. I got to work with a 3-time James Beard award winning chef to create a really unique dining experience. We even custom designed a grill that ended up being on the trade show floor at our annual giant trade show before being installed, so I got to brag as my fellow industry people drooled over my custom grill and say "Yeah, that's going in my project....."
You can check out that design in this article, where I managed to snag part of the cover as well! -
FCSI Project Showcase 2019 Page 46


Altho, we recently worked on the new Food Network test kitchens in New York, which is also super cool for me to know that there will be a day where I'm watching Food Network shows and seeing them in my test kitchen. And there's a local casino here in Tacoma that just opened and that was my main focus for the past (almost) 3 years - ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]). I did all of the foodservice spaces on that project, including the buffet, the casino center bar, 5 gaming floor support bars, 2 arena support bars, the green room (yes, we put food and drink in the green room), the high limits bar, a sports bar and sports bar kitchen, a deli-cafe with kitchen, the main production kitchen, the 24-hour restaurant kitchen, employee dining hall and the massive food warehouse. My scope on that project was something like $6mil dollars. By far the largest project I've done to date, and the biggest pain in the butt. But I'm way more proud of The Lakehouse.

 

[dwizum]

That's really cool! I bet most of us have seen something your firm has worked on then! And my wife and I are huge food network fans - you'll have to let me know when your kitchen is on a show and we'll keep an eye out for it!

 

[TerribleTim68]

Here's an update on the cutting board. I sanded it as far as I wanna take it, went up to 320, then put a coat of Odie's Oil on the back. We'll let that dry for a while and then flip it and do the front.

I went a lot lighter than my brother did. I think he had some sort of stain on it, I like the lighter, natural look for my cutting boards, let the wood shine.

I'm pretty happy with this. It's not 100% perfect, but I think my brother is gonna be happy with this effort. That's all I'm after here.

 

[Ripthorn]

I'm a little crazy in that I am always trying new things, even if they are REALLY new. For example, a few months ago I thought "you know, I've never even so much as touched a mandolin. That must mean I should build one!" a couple months later and I have this guy, the Dipole mandolin that I wrapped up about a month ago. I even wound the pickup and designed/machined/plated the bridge myself. Yeah, I need help...

 

[chinjazz]

This is more of a “what’s around my workbench” post - I’m finally getting a dedicated shop! Still kind of small but vastly better than an open car port with a closet filled with big tools on wheels.

I’m getting a 10x16 TuffShed - since my tools are on mobile basses, it’ll be easy to configure as I go.

I can’t wait to get my setups normalized so I can just walk up and work!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

This is more of a “what’s around my workbench” post - I’m finally getting a dedicated shop! Still kind of small but vastly better than an open car port with a closet filled with big tools on wheels.

I’m getting a 10x16 TuffShed - since my tools are on mobile basses, it’ll be easy to configure as I go.

I can’t wait to get my setups normalized so I can just walk up and work!

I hear you! Mine is only 10x10 so I envy the space! I am going to leverage a deck that I'm building next to it. The dustier processes can be conducted out there.
Shop is fairly incomplete - but insulated r13, clad with 5/8 ply. Will have A/C.
8 foot walls. Still need shelving cabinets and more worksurfaces: in progress.

IN my shop and ON my bench
A special design Walnut "Jazz"

 

[Jeff Siddall]

I hear you! Mine is only 10x10 so I envy the space! I am going to leverage a deck that I'm building next to it. The dustier processes can be conducted out there.
Shop is fairly incomplete - but insulated r13, clad with 5/8 ply. Will have A/C.
8 foot walls. Still need shelving cabinets and more worksurfaces: in progress.

IN my shop and ON my bench
A special design Walnut "Jazz"
View attachment 4176553
View attachment 4176554

Looks great!

"Special" == pickups pushed further apart? Curious how that sounds. I am considering pickup positioning for two of my upcoming builds.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Well, that's the starting "special" feature.
It will be super contoured.
Build thread: Tasty walnut Jazz
@StereoPlayer has a full bubinga fretless neck to mate with the body, and some "different" electronics config that's going in.
I'm making Walnut and Bubinga nuts to install in the neck.

 

[JIO]

I hear you! Mine is only 10x10 so I envy the space! I am going to leverage a deck that I'm building next to it. The dustier processes can be conducted out there.
Shop is fairly incomplete - but insulated r13, clad with 5/8 ply. Will have A/C.
8 foot walls. Still need shelving cabinets and more worksurfaces: in progress.

IN my shop and ON my bench
A special design Walnut "Jazz"
View attachment 4176553
View attachment 4176554

Looks like you are going for a north-south pu arrangement lake a loot of basses from the '60s.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Looks like you are going for a north-south pu arrangement lake a loot of basses from the '60s.

Yup, like a Rickenbacker 4005 and many more. It will be wired stereo.

 

[chinjazz]

I hear you! Mine is only 10x10 so I envy the space! I am going to leverage a deck that I'm building next to it. The dustier processes can be conducted out there.
Shop is fairly incomplete - but insulated r13, clad with 5/8 ply. Will have A/C.
8 foot walls. Still need shelving cabinets and more worksurfaces: in progress.

IN my shop and ON my bench
A special design Walnut "Jazz"
View attachment 4176553
View attachment 4176554

That walnut jazz is going to be great M3phist0! I can't wait to hear it!!