What's On Your Workbench?

[RichterScale]

All kidding aside, I struggle with staying on task and tend to have too many unfinished things going on at once. It seems like nothing is ever truly finished and now, instead of getting better, I've graduated to bigger things. On top of all my small projects, I have 2 whole houses that I'm working on.
I joke about the Adderall but I used to have a coworker who had a high dose prescription for it and he needed it. A few times we worked on a project together and he gave me 1/4 of a pill. Not sure how it affects others, but for me, I felt no effects. Zero. However, after a few hours I realized that I was super focused and working on things until complete, as opposed to bouncing all over the place. I was getting things done in a few hours that would normally bleed into 2 days. Point is, I may actually be a candidate for a prescription but haven't bothered. For me to focus like that on my own, it is a superhuman display of sheer willpower. Like the basement cleaning project. About 100 times I could've been easily sidetracked into side projects with all the stuff I was unpacking and finding. But I've fought and forced myself to stay on it to completion before I touch the bass.
Point is, when you're like me, it's tough, but you can make yourself do just about anything.
So, I also envy those who can stay on task without much effort.
Then again, they probably envy me because I'm so cool and funny and charming. So it kinda evens out.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Adderall

I need it ;/ just don't like meds.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I need it ;/ just don't like meds.

Still needs organization, but cladding walls with whiteboard.
Mounted the drum sander to a tool chest. Built more shelves.
Moved the file cabinet into place.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Still needs organization, but cladding walls with whiteboard.
Mounted the drum sander to a tool chest. Built more shelves.
View attachment 4319413 View attachment 4319414 View attachment 4319415 View attachment 4319417

Looking very nice!

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I just got back from an exotic hardwood score!
1 board 1.5" x 6" x 5' purple heart.
1 board 1" x 7" x 5' zebrano
2 short boards of Yellow heart
1 board 4" x 2" x 3' lace wood
1 board 3/4 " x 4" x 3' Padauk

The purple heart has strong curl

The Zebrano is straight with bold grain.

Going to resaw it all for tops / fretboards.

Also have a 10/4 15" x 4' piece of hard maple (needs milling pretty raw, reclaimed from an 1800' church that collapsed.

I've got 1.5" x 1" x 8' flame maple.
This is going to be fun.

Wood. Still have about 4 feet of 8/4 Walnut from the tasty build.

 

[StereoPlayer]

Wood. Still have about 4 feet of 8/4 Walnut from the tasty build.View attachment 4319520 View attachment 4319521 View attachment 4319522 View attachment 4319523 View attachment 4319524

Sweet!

 

[RichterScale]

I don't quite get the 1/4 designations for lumber. I mean, I get it, but it seems like it's a nonsense, grandfathered way of referring to it that seems more just people are used to using it than it's because it's useful.
Is it different for hardwood than other lumber? Is 8/4 actually 2"? Unlike decking, which they call 5/4, instead of 1-1/4, but is only actually 1", so it's doubly nonsense.

 

[Beej]

My understanding is as soon as it's S4S (surfaced 4 sides), it should not be marked or counted in quarters. At least that's how I was raised as a carpenter way back in the 80s/90s. Quarter counts indicates rough sawn lumber. As soon as you get into S4S, it's usually referred to by the inch, and it's assumed everyone knows it's smaller than the inch measurement as that was the rough dimension before being S4S. Mileage (or kilometreage) probably varies everywhere.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I don't quite get the 1/4 designations for lumber. I mean, I get it, but it seems like it's a nonsense, grandfathered way of referring to it that seems more just people are used to using it than it's because it's useful.
Is it different for hardwood than other lumber? Is 8/4 actually 2"? Unlike decking, which they call 5/4, instead of 1-1/4, but is only actually 1", so it's doubly nonsense.

In this case it was sawn, 8/4 or 2"

What befuddles me is " board feet"

 

[RichterScale]

Oh,...I have those!

 

[TerribleTim68]

Being an ex drywall finisher, I still have a habit of calling everything out in eighths, and we never even used the “eighth” word. It was just stuff like “36 and 5” or “42 and 7” and you had to just know that it meant 42” and 7/8. So yeah, 8/4 doesn’t bother me so much. Needing to be more precise than an 1/8, that’s a struggle.

 

[CryingBass]

In this case it was sawn, 8/4 or 2"

What befuddles me is " board feet"

Crap. I always thought it was Broad Feet. Lots of wasted wood...

 

[Bruce Johnson]

I don't quite get the 1/4 designations for lumber. I mean, I get it, but it seems like it's a nonsense, grandfathered way of referring to it that seems more just people are used to using it than it's because it's useful.
Is it different for hardwood than other lumber? Is 8/4 actually 2"? Unlike decking, which they call 5/4, instead of 1-1/4, but is only actually 1", so it's doubly nonsense.

At the lumberyard, you can get boards Rough or "S2S". S2S means Surfaced on two Sides; the front and back surfaces are planed smooth. Most hardwood boards on display for sale are S2S, because customers buying small quantities of wood would rather have them do the planing, and be able to see the grain more clearly when buying. If you are buying larger quantities, you may prefer to buy it Rough, for a lower price, and do the planing yourself at your own shop.

8/4 lumber, in Rough form, measures 2" thick. However 8/4 lumber, after they've planed it to S2S form, measures just over 1 3/4" (Usually 1 25/32" by spec?). So, when you get 8/4 lumber, it will normally be about 1 3/4" thick.

Likewise, 6/4 boards in S2S are just over 1 1/4".
5/4 boards are just over 1".
4/4 boards are just over 3/4"

Some lumberyards will also offer Dimensional boards. For example Mayan Hardwoods, my usual supplier, offers walnut in 1" and 1/2" thicknesses, in addition to 8/4, 6/4, and 4/4 S2S sizes.

It's a little confusing, but that's the way it is.

 

[dwizum]

I like the quarters system. It makes it more metric in that the numbers are sequential and there are no larger or smaller divisions. Just a number (of quarters). 4 is one bigger than 3, and there is nothing in between. For me, that's easier mentally than processing fractional measurements.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I like the quarters system. It makes it more metric in that the numbers are sequential and there are no larger or smaller divisions. Just a number (of quarters). 4 is one bigger than 3, and there is nothing in between. For me, that's easier mentally than processing fractional measurements.

Except for the part where 4 sometimes means "bigger than 3" and sometimes means "only slightly bigger than 3".

 

[dwizum]

On a different subject, which I think this crowd will appreciate. I just ordered a pint kit of TotalBoat's version of CPES on Amazon, and it prompted me with a "subscribe and save" discount opportunity.

 

[Bruce Johnson]

On a different subject, which I think this crowd will appreciate. I just ordered a pint kit of TotalBoat's version of CPES on Amazon, and it prompted me with a "subscribe and save" discount opportunity.

Yes, I bought a kit of TotalBoat's CPES a little while back, but I haven't used it yet. I'm planning to try it in comparison to Smith's CPES, mostly for potting pickup coils. The internal potting of the wire coils themselves, not the encapsulation of coil assemblies into housings. I've been using Smith's for years, but it has nasty fumes. The TotalBoat CPES supposedly is nearly odor-free. And it's cheaper. We'll see how well it works for coil potting. I've got a batch of pickups coming up.

 

[dwizum]

I've used real CPES but not in several years. I'm also not a fan of the odor, and I don't like that it doesn't come in smaller/cheaper sizes. The totalboat stuff has lots of good reviews, and they claim that it can safely be thinned if you need even lower viscosity than it comes out of the can. I may try it for coil potting but my intended use is to harden a punky piece of buckeye burl. Then I'll fill the voids in it with normal epoxy. I actually bought a kit of TotalBoat's 5:1 epoxy, which is supposed to be a close copy of West 105, so we'll see how that compares too.

 

[TerribleTim68]

I've used real CPES but not in several years. I'm also not a fan of the odor, and I don't like that it doesn't come in smaller/cheaper sizes. The totalboat stuff has lots of good reviews, and they claim that it can safely be thinned if you need even lower viscosity than it comes out of the can. I may try it for coil potting but my intended use is to harden a punky piece of buckeye burl. Then I'll fill the voids in it with normal epoxy. I actually bought a kit of TotalBoat's 5:1 epoxy, which is supposed to be a close copy of West 105, so we'll see how that compares too.

I know the woodturning world tends to really love TotalBoat. Tons of big time turners swear by it, especially for things like punky spalty wood.

 

[TerribleTim68]

On a good note, the insane heat has backed off up here in the rainy PNW. The last couple days have been low 70s around here, rather welcome after that slow cooker thing we had going on.
I managed to get that salt cellar I was working on done, so I can present it to my friend next week.
I'm hopeful that I'll get a little work done on Lucifer this weekend. I've got 3 days off and we are staying home. I am planning on hitting Rockler tomorrow, couple things on my "wish list" I want to see about. But other than that, it's pretty much a long weekend of nothing planned. So maybe I can focus on that thing for a bit.

EDIT: here's a pic of said salt cellar -