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.  

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