Working Together

In the past week and a half, I noticed how a community can come together for the good of everyone there.  I am speaking in reference to the events of Hurricane Matthew.  This storm barreled into Georgia, where the last major hurricane hit in 1898.  The communities in southeast Georgia needless to say were not prepared.  

During a time in our country where it seems that everyone is not working together or after publicity and fame, we needed to see togetherness.  Well the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, communities came together as a whole to help each other out.  Some areas did not see Red Cross relief or aid until seven days after the storm, so neighbors relied on neighbors.  

I remember a time when neighbors would help neighbors without being asked and not wanting compensation.  In my neighborhood I saw that come to pass.  There were days of seeing neighbors working together to cut up trees that had fallen from the winds and water soaked ground.  I saw neighbors sharing water and food.  This made my heart happy to see the togetherness.

When we work together as a whole, amazing things can happen.  It is important for everyone to be able to work together and help each other out.  Remember we are not here on this Earth alone, there are people who would be willing to help, if not give you the shirt off of their own back.  Take care my friends.

Table Saw Project Part 3 Building a Counter top

And repurposing an old dresser.

 

           So this is part 3 to our table series.  The first two series covered table saw safety and how to rip boards with a table saw.  Well this is about bringing the two together and building something from it.  I know you will see that I have used other tools and an old dresser as well, but that is the beauty of woodworking.  So how about we get this show on the road.

 

           So the first step to this project is make sure you have all of the right tools and supplies.  I used 10 boards of various sizes, a dresser, a table saw (with a make shift guide), biscuit joiner, biscuits, sander with sand paper, wood glue, and what ever varnish needed. After setting all of this aside I began inspecting which side of the wood was going to be the top and which was going to be the bottom.  Of course, the nicer side is always going to be my top side. 

          The next step is to rip the boards.  I wanted to rip .25 inches from each side of the board so I would have a flat smooth edge.  I would measure from the side of the blade the majority of the would will be on to the guide rail from the front and back side of the blade so I would have an accurate cut.  After I lock my guide into place I would then begin ripping my boards. 

 

           After ripping all of my boards I will line them up so that I can mark where I need to place my biscuits.  It is important that the cuts for the biscuits are lined up so when joining the two boards together they would be the correctly join.  So to do this I used a pencil and marked each board as they were lined up so each mark corresponded with the mark on the board next to it.  And then since I was using biscuit size 20, I selected 20 on my biscuit jointer and then began making my cuts.

 

 

          Then next step is to line the boards up and put the biscuits in them and glue the boards together.  By gluing and joining the wood with the biscuits, the wood gets strengthened.  And of coarse it definitely helps the bonding process when you clamp the boards together and let them sit and cure for at least 24 hours.

 

 

           The next step is the part that starts the finishing process of the counter top.  First, I removed the clamps and then began sanding.  I used a coarse grit of 36 with my belt sander and the final sanding was used with 320 grit with an orbital sander.  The 320 grit made the wood feel like glass (meaning it was incredibly smooth).  After the sanding I put the varnish of my choice on the wood and then let it dry.  While letting the varnish dry I began working on the dresser that I was going to repurpose.  I knew there was a section of shelving that needed to be removed which I did by using my hand saw and a mallet.  Once that was done, I had to play the wait game for the varnish to dry.  Once the varnish dried, I moved the counter top to the dresser and placed it on to and securely fastened it with screws from the bottom side of the original top of the dresser.  And this is how I repurposed a dresser to become a sewing table.  Hope you all learned something and enjoyed it.  Thanks for reading and take care.

 







What do I do with ash from a bon fire?

           Well the title of this blog was actually messaged to me from Will in American Fork, UT.  So I figured why not lets touch on this subject.  Everyone loves a good bon fire, but afterwards there is that pesky ash just sitting there as an eye sore to everyone.  So before you can do anything with this ash you need to make sure that it is not hot.  You can do this pour water over the ash, if it sizzles then it is still hot, if it doesn't then it is ready to be used.

 

            Ash from a wood fire contains Potassium Carbonate (aka potash) and Calcium Carbonate.  These two elements are great for enriching soil.  You can take the ash and spread it around your yard or your garden.  Some people even fertilize their pecan trees with the ash from a wood fire.  I knew one farmer who would store all of his ashes from his wood burning stove and in the spring when he was tilling up his garden plot, he would spread the ashes around the plot and then till the ashes into the ground.  And he produced some of the biggest tomatoes I had ever seen. 

 

            You can use the ash to neutralize acidic soils.  If your plants don't need an acidic soil, meaning a pH of 6 or lower, then spread your ashes around them.  It is good to keep your soil between a pH level 6 and 7.5.  If below 6, then the plants will not receive the right amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.  And if above 7.5, then the plants will not receive the right amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, and iron.  So ash can help stabilize the soil for you.

 

           In states that do have freezing weather, you can use the ashes to melt ice and snow.  This is effective due to the potash in the ashes.  And this has three huge benefits: 1) potash doesn't corrode or helps the breaking of metal and concrete, 2) it does not add salt to fresh water when there is run off from the melting ice, and 3) it helps create traction for vehicles.

 

           A few other things that wood ashes help with are enriching compost, removes oil stains on concrete, deters pests like slugs and snails, and it helps get rid of odors.  So there are several different things that can be done for the unappealing ash pile after a bon fire.  Use them and you might be amazed at what your garden and yard might grow into.  Enjoy my friends.

How to Rip a Board with a Table Saw

          There are times when people are building objects/furniture and they need wood to be exact widths. There is a couple of options to make sure this happens. One, you could go to a lumber yard and buy some wood the proper width, or two, you could rip the board yourself.  If you have any extra lumber around you could easily re-purpose the wood by ripping it.  

 

          So there are a few steps to ripping a board.  First is set up your table saw.  Make sure the saw is on a level surface.  This is important, so the saw can make an accurate cut.  The next step is that you have a guide for the saw and make sure that the you measure the distance so there is an accurate width for the cut.  You always need to measure the front part of the blade and the back part of the blade.  This is the best way to make sure the distance between the guide and blade are the same distance.  

          

          The next step is to make sure the wood is lined up perfectly up against the guide.  This is to assure that you will have a proper cut with the right distance.  And when you are pushing the wood through make sure you use a push guide.  This is important so that you do not cut any fingers or other parts of your body when the wood gets close to the blade.  

          And when your cut is complete and if there is not any other wood to be cut, turn off your saw.  This is a good thing to do because sometimes accidents do happen.  So it is better for the saw to be off just in case you trip or accidentally place your had on the saw.  And the piece you ripped off the board could be used for other projects around the house or it can be discarded.  My sliver of ripped wood is going to be used as a trim piece for my screen porch..

          I hope you enjoyed this blog.  There is more to come with this little handy table saw project that I have just begun.  I am re-purposing this wood to use as a counter top for my wife's sewing table.  So I look forward to you reading the next blog.  Stay safe and enjoy my friends.

You can also view my wife's blog at mossandsaltwater.wordpress.com. 

Table Saw Safety

            So this week I have been working on my table saw.  I am in the process of making some new furniture pieces and modifying an old dresser into a desk for our arts and crafts room (which will be another blog).  So I thought, "what the heck let's do a safety blog for table saws."  And why not, even on farms you have to build stuff.

                 So some of the key things you need are safety glasses, ear protection, some people like gloves, and a guide.  It is obvious that wood pieces do fly around when they are being cut especially when you are ripping wood, so have some safety glasses on your face to protect your eyes.  Ear protection is good to help protect your hearing.  I am not a big fan of gloves; however, they could help keep you from getting splinters.  I like to use a guide, especially when the wood is getting close to the blade.  This helps from you getting your fingers cut off.  

                 When you are cutting wood and the cut is complete, remember to never walk away from the saw while it is still running.  Sometimes accidents happen and you could slip and fall into the running blade.  Always cut the saw off when you are not actively cutting wood.  Always think safety first whenever you are using any power tools.  Stay safe my friends.  

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More than Farm Life

            So I have had some messages in my inbox today asking about why I wrote about sitting by the fire, instead of something about farming.  It is simple.  Life on the farm is more than just about farming.  It is about life in general and in some instances the circle of life (no not the Elton John song from the Lion King).  

            So being on a farm isn't necessarily sitting on a hundred acres, it could be sitting on half an acre.  That half an acre could be one of the most lucrative micro-farms in the area.  Life on the farm is about family and watching kids learn and become fascinated with nature.  My two youngest kids love animals and would give their left arms for any animal.  Farm life is about that quality time you spend with your family and animals.  It is about those little moments in life where you have your A Ha moments.  

            Life on the farm is about watching both the birth of an animal and the death of an animal, whether it is for food or from old age.  It is about replenishing the Earth's soil with crop rotation and adding nature's own fertilizer in the mix.  While farm life can be hard and grueling at times; however, it can be most rewarding as well.  

           Remember it is how you choose to make your life, whether you have to overcome adversity or everything is kosher.  Be happy, live life to the fullest, and spend that quality time with the ones or animals you love.  And remember the farm life is about more than just farming.  Take care my friends. 

Check out other blog and products at https://mossandsaltwater.wordpress.com.

Sitting by the Fire

         As a kid growing up, I always enjoyed the time I would sit by the fire no matter whether it was with family, friends, and a group of people from church when we would go camping.  It always brought fun times of story telling and s'mores. I mean who doesn't like a good s'more, I know I still do.  Sitting by the fire was just simple fun.

            Now as an adult, I find myself reflecting more about life when I sit by the fire.  I noticed this change when I was a Specialist in the Army on a recon team sitting in the middle of Ft Hunter Liggett on a very chilly January night.  As everyone would speak it seemed that more times than not we would just stare into the fire and think about stuff, whether it was back home or when we were kids.  And then sitting in a field in Iraq waiting for the Chinooks to come pick us up on a deserted Iraqi Army base.  The whole company sat there talking and reflecting about the brothers we lost on that deployment or what it was going to be like when we got back to the United States.  

             I have made a designated area for my burn pile.  My family will sit there and the kids will make s'mores and tell funny stories. And I catch myself watching the flames dance and flicker into the air. I think about the times when life was carefree as a kid and how I enjoy my time with the kids as they goof around and tell these tall tales.  Life was definitely simpler then.  Sometimes I even catch myself think about what will the future hold and how to deal with certain events of life.  

             So if you have moments where you need to reflect and you just can't seem to do it. The answer is simple: sit by the fire.  Let the dancing of the flames help you reflect and relax.  I guarantee you will be able to reflect, reminisce, and relax.  And heck go ahead and make yourself a good s'more or two. Enjoy my friends.

Check out other blog and products at https://mossandsaltwater.wordpress.com.