kayak video

Unbeknownst to me, DJ Easy Mac made a sweet video of my kayak launch in August. Currently working on a post for the new kayak and the Aquaponics set up. Stay Tuned!

Bedside Tables From Salvaged Alley Wood.

I saw these 2x14 six foot planks in a stairwell, when we first moved into our apartment in Lincoln Park. They were supes dirty and moldy. I figured if no one wanted them they wouldn't move for a while. So after 2 and a half years, I pounced and brought them to Gurnee for Christmas. 2 days in the shop later, we have some nice bedside tables. Staying true to form I tried to leave out all fasteners, and build sans metals using finger, rabbit, and dado joints. Enjoy.

Toll for using his shop was to help Dad hang panels in the garage. A fee I willingly undertook, however insincere i may have been during photo ops



On to the milling



Custom box joint jig



Planed results...



With the added benefit of a fertilized garden outside around the dust shoot.





Dado's ran, rabbited, and chiseled



Beating the finger joints into submission



Attaching the back





Rabbiting and assembling drawers

















Not bad for free lumber.

Cribbage Board

Decided to make a special someone a cribbage board for Christmas, to go along with her extreme love of the game. I headed up to my dad's shop so i could run loud tools deep into the night without interrupting neighbor's finals studying. The wood is a deep rich red African Padauk, and the pegs and hardware are all brass. A 0.5" magnet holds the whole kit together and keeps the pegs and deck locked inside.



























Test Runs with template





Boat Shoes





Insets Routed



Routing Recess For Each Hinge





Rounding over the top edge 1/4"



Hand-chiseling the recesses to size





Drilling 246 holes by eye



Workshop beer safety limit is 1





Finished Product









Seems Like a Success!

Welp... Its done. I sealed the skin last weekend with urethane, which ended up doing quite a number on the top layer of skin on each hand, but all's well that ends well. Jeff and Colin were on hand for the maiden voyage out into the Belmont Harbor and the Lincoln Park Lagoon. Time to get started on the next project, on slate for September... Homebrewing keg setup.