My little boy Eli has entered a “banging” phase in his toy usage, and my wife Sarah suggested I make him a hammer for Christmas. Here it is (he doesn’t read this blog, so no surprises will be spoiled). The head is a scrap bit of Oregon black walnut, and the handle is a turned and carved bit of basswood, so it has a nice balance and isn’t too heavy. I used some mineral oil for a finish in case he chews on it. Merry Christmas!
I’m co-organizing an “adult Pinewood Derby” for the Portland Advertising Federation with a few friends. For those of you who weren’t in the cub scouts, it’s a chance for boys (and usually their fathers) to take a simple block of wood, and turn it into a car that gets raced against other boys’ cars on a sloped track.
This version is called the “Stumptown 40,” a reference to the length of the track (40 feet) and one of Portland’s many nicknames (Rose City, PDX and Beervana being among the most common). I haven’t started working on my car yet, but I did get a chance to make some of the trophies last week. First, second and third prizes are being given in the “speed” category, and attendees will vote for the “most creative car” award at the event, for a total of four trophies.
My friend Drew gave me a box of old wooden type before he moved to Brooklyn; given the wood cues in the event itself (Stumptown, Pinewood), and the audience of professional communicators, using the antique printing relics seemed a good choice.
For the “Creative Car” trophy, I tried to do something a little different. I used a short piece of some massive, old-growth Douglas Fir I had laying around for the body. The wheels (used on the other trophies as well) are actually the scraps left over from using a hole saw (the holes from the Labyrinth project, in fact) that I stained with vinegar/steel wool aging mixture, and screwed onto the body with rusty screws. The type atop the sculpture rests on an old wooden spool. Thin strips of recycled Doug Fir provide a resting surface for the letters, which are held together with glue and a little bit of hope.
Hey there, blog. Been awhile. Sorry about that.
I have been working sporadically away on the attic, trying to wrap up some details like painting trim (apparently the only problem with pre-primed trim is that it looks almost done), and trying not to think of the tile job that lies behind my custom door.
Tonight I installed something I’ve been excited about for some time – a built-in, Shaker-inspired desk I made over the last couple of weeks, using flooring we pulled up from the attic. We had originally intended to re-use the old flooring, but some miscalculation, haphazard removal techniques, and a fair bit of lead paint prevented our doing so. Still, I saved all the nice, clear vertical grain stuff that didn’t have lead paint on it, imaging a re-use just like this (and I have a few more ideas to come). It was also my first time turning drawer knobs – not a bad first effort if I do say so!
I really, really fought the finish on this project, though. I saw Norm Abrams fill nail holes with black-tinted epoxy once. What I didn’t see was how difficult the invariable drips are to remove, particularly from a wood as porous as Douglas Fir. The surface is far from flat where I sanded too long – I call it “rustic.” Next time, I’ll mask the area around the hole with tape before filling with epoxy.
Then, I appled a couple coats of danish oil, hoping to get some nice finish depth, but after two coats, decided it wasn’t going to provide the moisture protection a desk beneath a skylight might require. So I applied some water-based polyurethane. I’m not 100% sure that’s what caused the finish to craze, but I suspect that a water-based finish over an oil-based one is not a good idea in general. I also failed to recall what a bubbly mess polyurethane can be. More sanding, and I ended up reverting to Daly’s ProFin, my old standby.
I really like the look of the finished piece, though. It’s rustic, time-worn look is a good match for the door I finished a few months ago, and it’s nice to give an old material, native to the space, some new life.
This is a disc golf cart that I have been working on for a while and I finally got around to finishing it. It is designed so that I can take Ethan out on the course!
Well, the clock is ticking away, but it feels like the attic work is finally moving forward again. The rough stage turned out to be a little trickier than I thought – there were a few things I didn’t know needed to be done (fireblocking the wall at the level of the tub surface), and a few things I thought I did right, but didn’t (used caulk to seal the shower pan membrane as a book recommended, but should’ve used the manufacturer’s supplied sealant).
But, we passed on electrical, plumbing, framing and that pesky shower pan. It even holds water without leaking!
As we await a new opening in our insulation contractor’s schedule (they’re blowing in expanding closed cell foam), I’ve started thinking harder about the finish surfaces, and it’s this I’ll share today.
Here’s a poorly-done aerial view of the bathroom, looking North toward the new window. I’m planning on wrapping the tub sides and the vanity cabinet in some reclaimed Douglas Fir floorboards that I ripped up in the demo phase. The main floor of the bedroom will also be Fir, and it should tie the two areas together nicely.
The vertical surfaces will be either painted a kind of blue-green color, or covered in 3×6″ subway tile. Horizontal tiled surfaces (including the shower basin and floor) will be in some cool Ann Saks penny round tiles that Sarah picked out. I’m hoping they are forgiving; I’ve never tiled anything before!
Here’s another view of the vanity I’m making. The top surface will be a black paperstone (looks like stone, made of recycled paper, and can be cut with woodworking tools), with an undermount rectangular sink. The cabinet beneath will have one large door, and three drawers on the right side. I’m still working out the mechanics of this, but I want it to have a really clean look with as many unbroken horizontal lines as possible.
