Friday, March 30, 2018

Rot Repair, Sanding, and More Priming

This weather just isn't cooperating.   Nice sunny skies but cold, very cold.  I was able to finish priming the second set of shutters.  But now I am just waiting for a day where the weather is sunny and at least 55 degrees before I can even think about putting two coats of semi gloss paint on them.  We have spent a lot of time making these shutters and hunting down the hardware for them so the last thing I want to do is rush the top coat.  This will be a test of my patience but I must resist the urge to paint before the weather is warm enough.
Best way to resist the urge?  Move on to another project.  I started raking the flower beds around the garden shed because that is where R was working and I like to get the hosta beds raked before they start growing.  None have pop through yet but I did find some tulips and hyacinth bulbs that are starting to come up.  Also the daffodil bulbs that R and planted last year under the hedge row of lilacs out by the street have popped up.  We can't plant tulips like we want to, due to the fact that we have a lot of black walnut trees that are toxic to a lot of plants.  Tulips don't do well but daffodils do just fine and they are more deer resistant, too.  So to add some variety I try to plant different daffs every year.  This fall I am going to plant white or very pale yellow ones.  AND more hyacinths....love hyacinths.....the scent...is only second to lilac.  Love them both.

R has spent the last two days working on filling in the rotted window sills in the garden shed with universal filler.  We have used it before and it holds up to our extreme winter weather.  Should we have cut out the rotted sills and replaced them?  Probably, but this is a garden shed and we have bigger fish to fry then to do a restoration on the shed.  We have made big strides with the garden shed that everyone said "tear it down!"  So for now, filling in the sills with filler is just fine.  It is not like George Washington slept in our garden shed.

On Thursday, R put the first coat of filler on and today he sanded and shaped it, and then refilled again.  It's a process of layering.  
R touched up the flower boxes with the sander before he put it away.  Depending on the weather on Saturday, I might start priming just the inside of the flower boxes.  I can do that in the work room and not have to worry about the cats stepping on the wet paint.  I probably just jinxed myself and the cats will all decide that they must sleep inside the flower boxes.
Within the next month, we have a tree trimming crew coming for 8 hrs to trim our large trees.  We have a very large ash tree that has two large low limbs that need to be removed and also a few dead limbs that are too high for us to get to.  They will also remove two black walnut limbs over the sun room and remove all the small limbs that grow downward.  The bulk of their work will be on two huge silver maple trees that have a lot of storm damage.  These trees are important because they are situated where they give us our afternoon shade in the summer.  Do I wish that they were not silver maple and maybe oak or sugar maple?  Yes, but I cannot go to the nursery and buy a 100 year old tree.  So we are making these trees work by removing limbs that will cause us problems in the future or limbs that could compromise the health of the trees.

I am currently collecting bits and pieces for a focal point design piece for the back of the house.  There isn't a rush on it because we have to reshingle and hang eave troughs first.  Here's a hint...it involves our scrap pile....Surprise!!

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Thursday, March 29, 2018

Priming Shutters,Cleaning Gutters, and Flower Boxes

Yesterday (Wednesday) was cooler than forecasted but I did get a few things accomplished.  Number one on my list was to prime the shutters that will go on the house.  One set was primed both sides twice the other day.  But yesterday it was cooler without any wind so I was only able to get the backs of the second set primed twice.
  We, also, cleaned out the eave troughs on the garden shed while waiting for the primer on the shutters to dry.  It rained Wednesday night and on and off today (Thursday) so the eave troughs got a good rinsing out.  These eave troughs are directly under a very large black walnut tree and it requires cleaning out at least twice a year.  It seems like something is always falling from that tree.
The flower boxes arrived safely on Wednesday, so today we added the trim to the back of the flower boxes so that they look pretty on both the front and the back.  These flower boxes will sit on the deck railing on the back of the house.
Added a little glue before nailing the trim.
We then cut the short pieces for the ends and will sand before we prime.  These will need two coats of primer inside and on the outside.

We also made a trip to Ace Hardware and purchased enough  fertilizer/weed killer for our houses, my son's house, and the lawns that R takes care of during the summer.  Ace Hardware currently has an instant rebate on your first two bags of Ace brand fertilizer.  That is a $6.00 savings for the large bag.  The regular price of the Ace brand is $43.99 for the large bag - the $6.00 instant rebate= $37.99 per bag after savings.

The fertilizer is for later in April but I had an expiring 3X points coupon that expires on the 31st and I really hated to see all those possible points go to waste.  Points=Cash coupon to use for anything at Ace Hardware. I accidentally let an Ace $10 reward expire last month because it slipped behind a credit card that I never use.  That won't happen again.

The table saw wrench that I bought last week arrived today.  This wrench makes it easier to change the blade because it is very thin and long.  $10.65 including shipping.
We are still waiting for the two washers and the nut for the arbor to come in the mail.  

I am going to turn in early tonight so I can get an early start on priming shutters on Friday.  R will be busy fixing the rotted window sills on the garden shed.  I will write more about that later in the week.

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Monday, March 26, 2018

Faux Decorative Hand Hammered Strap Hardware Part 1

In yet another attempt to get something done while we wait for the snow to melt and for the temperature rise, we started another project.  Another project!!!!  Yes, another project.  

Let me catch you up on the status of our already started projects.
Shutter project.... Today I primed twice, both front and back of the shutters that will go on the front windows of the library.  That would be the bank of three windows on the right side of the photo below.  It is suppose to rain all day tomorrow but nice on Wednesday so I will prime and paint more shutters on Wednesday and Thursday.
Table saw project...I have ordered several parts and they should arrive sometime this week.  We are at a full stop on this project until it warms up enough to spray paint the housing of the saw.  Once the housing is painted we can bolt the saw to the wooden base and then reassemble.
The new project is to make more faux wrought iron straps like the authentic ones on the front door.  I have search high and low for more vintage wrought iron straps in this design but have not found any.  The straps I did find were over $200 a pair and of a different design.  For this next project, I need 7 straps, 4 for the vintage French doors and 3 for the barn loft door. 

We made faux wrought iron straps for the garden shed doors and so far no one has suspected that they are anything but original.  Those that I have told of their fakeyness, didn't believe me, even after close inspection.  The photo below is of those faux wrought iron straps.
As a bonus....these straps cost $0.00.  The straps are made out of Hardy Board clapboards.  My son's neighbor resided his house and put all his scrap pieces out to the curb on trash day.  We happen to visit on that day and I had R bring home the longest pieces.  He, of course asked "for what?" and I said "I'll think of something."
There is only 4 long pieces left in our Hardy board siding stash.  We can make 2 straps per piece so that leaves us with only 1 spare, so we can only break one piece.


I traced an original wrought iron strap with pencil onto the Hardy board on the rougher of the two sides.  Now comes the slow and tedious part.....cutting it.  We have tried everything we can think of to cut it and we get the best results using a saber/jig* saw with a carbon steel 12 teeth per inch blade.  The 8 teeth per inch is too coarse and causes the board to break off in chunks.  The carbon steel blades seem to last longer.

*FYI....jig saw and saber saw are terms that are used interchangeably.  I, also found reference to jig saw being referred to a saw with a finer tooth blade and the term, saber saw used when the saw uses a rough cut blade. So I think it is 6 of one and 1/2 dozen of the other.

R was able to cut out just one strap today.  It is a slow, tedious  job.  Tomorrow while he cuts out a second strap, I will work on putting the edge detail on the first strap.  In the photo below you can see the scalloped edge.  I use a pneumatic pencil grinder with a barrel bit to achieve this same look. 
 The trick to making this faux strap look real is to randomly scallop the edge.  You want the scallops to overlap and occasionally skip a section.  Some scallops are deeper and some are shallower.  I usually make a couple of passes around the entire edge before I am satisfied.

Cutting cement board puts a lot of dust into the air so use protection.  R uses a dust mask and googles. 

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Saturday, March 24, 2018

1960's Craftsman Table Saw Refurbish Part 8

If you are new to this project and need to catch up, just click on the links below.


Today I could finally read the model number on the plate on the back of the saw housing.  The model number is #113-27520.  Knowing this model number has allowed me to get a more accurate age of the saw.  This model number was used on saws in the 1950's and 60's.  It appears that the mechanics of the saw stayed the same and they just changed the graphics and housing design (purely aesthetic).

My husband thought that his father bought this saw after they moved into the house where he grew up.  His best guess was 1956 and it looks like that is exactly the time period of this saw.  The 1960's saw has more modern graphics on the front of the housing.  I might go back and change the title of this series of post to reflect the actual age of the saw so that someone searching for the #113-27520 will find these posts.

Also knowing the model number has allowed me to track down a download for the Owner's Manual. This gives us diagrams and what accessories were available.  R wants the sanding disc attachment and I have already found one online. 
 Before cleaning
After cleaning
 Last night I was able to get the adjustment handles cleaner that what they were but not perfect.  There is some pitting in the chrome plating but that will not interfere with the operation of the saw.

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Friday, March 23, 2018

1960's Craftsman Table Saw Refurbish Part 7

You can catch up by clicking on the links below if you are new to this project.


Brrrr it was cold outside today.  It was actually deceiving from inside the house.  All bright and sunny and then you step outside and get hit with a blast of 38 degree wind in your face.  The wind was coming out of the north and I really thought that the deck would be warmer because it faces south and is protected from the north.  But it was windy on the deck, too.  It is March and I have to keep telling myself  "it's March, slow your roll because it will be 80 degrees before you know it." 

R worked on sanding the 2 window boxes that my dad had built for my mother.  They are painted black and had some peeling paint so he hit them with the belt sander because I want to paint them white.  Then he decided to replace one little end piece that had some rot....then he decided to replace the bottom as well.  
Before cleaning
After
I worked on cleaning the table saw.  I used a little brass bristle brush on the inside to loosen dirt that looked like old saw dust mixed with oil.  Then I used a little lacquer thinner to wipe down the outside of the saw and it really brightened up the front of the saw and now you can see the design in the metal.  It ruined my manicure but the saw looks better.  I also removed the two adjusting wheels because the gunk just wasn't coming off.  Easy peasy...two set screws per handle holds the handle on.  Good news...didn't drop any of them and all 4 are in the handles and accounted for.
This is the nasty gunk that I'm going to work on getting rid of tonight.
Out in the bright sun the paint color on the outside of the saw, looked like it was dark grey in some areas, then teal grey in other areas, and finally there was a small area of actual teal color.   We decided that we will paint the outside dark grey.  
 It's going to be a little tricky taping up this label before I paint.  I could always drill out those rivets and then replace with small screws....hmmmm,  I think I will try to tape first, then see what happens. Trying not to let this project spin out of control.  We just want a nice old working table saw, not a museum piece. 

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Antique Dining Room Set.

My intention was not to buy a dining room set right now but when you come across a full vintage dining set, that isn't painted, and it is the correct era that you are looking for, then you must strike while the iron is hot.  But what sealed the deal for me were the chairs.
The set consists of a table with a very interesting table base. I love these ornate table bases.  There are 6 chairs with one being a captain's chair.  The chairs are very different with their oval backs when most of the time they have high rectangular backs.
The china cabinet has a piece of patterned glass in the door.  I'm not sure that the glass is original or not.  I will have to investigate that a little more.  
The buffet is quite long with 2 big drawers and 2 little ones.  I should have enough space to store my table linens all in one location.  There are also two cabinet doors where you can store tall items.

The only piece that is missing is a server.  But I am actually not too disappointed.  I think that the dining room would be over saturated with wood pieces of furniture if there was a matching server.  Instead this will give me the opportunity to find something different and paint it. I am against painting perfectly fine wood but this is a chance to paint a piece that isn't necessarily in perfect condition but still beautiful.

My photos are not the best because we were pressed to get the U Haul truck back before 7PM and by phone's battery died on top of it.

For the time being we are storing the set in the sun room until the plaster is repaired and the floors are sanded. 

Tomorrow's agenda is sand 2 old window boxes that my father built about 18 years ago and then maybe prime some shutters. 

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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

1960's Craftsman Table Saw Refurbish Part 6

If you are new to this project, you can catch up by clicking on the links below.


Today I put the final coat of clear poly on the wooden saw base.  This is where I hand off the project to my husband.  If you are familiar with mechanical objects and taking them apart and reassembling them,  then you know it is always best that the person who disassembled should also be the person who reassembles that object.  
When I told my husband that the project was now in his court  he walked over and picked up the saw and put it on the project table.  We looked it over and decided that the inside of the saw is quite dirty and needs to be cleaned before reassembly.  I stopped by Ace Hardware today and picked up some steel wool and brass bristle brushes to use when he starts cleaning.
Many of the people on YouTube that have refurbished these Craftsman table saws use the V groove plastic belts and replace the stamped pulley with a cast pulley.  The plastic link belts are quieter and the cast pulley runs truer with less wobble.  Our saw already has a cast pulley but we will need to buy a plastic link V belt for our saw.
I purchased a plastic bin with a top that snaps shut to keep out the moisture and dirt.  This fits perfect under the saw and on the shelf that we added and we will keep saw blades and saw related inside the bin for safe keeping.
The budget for the saw exceeded the $100 mark.  I underestimated just how fast the cost of little things add up.

Cost to complete project so far....

$60.00   Repair original electric motor
$29.64   4 castors including tax
$  5.69   3 ft of trim including tax
   $  3.22   16 lag screws including tax
      $12.62   1 can of Fluid Film
            $10.99   1 can Bostick Glidecote
$  1.49   Switch box including tax        
$  1.05   Cover including tax          
$ 3.17    Switch including tax         
  $ 1.39    Plastic putty knife including tax
    $ 15.89    Plastic storage box including tax

Total cost as of 3/21/2018
$145.15

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Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Before & After Work Mate Table Redesign Part 2

You can catch up by clicking on the link below, if you are new to this project.


I thought I was done with this project but after using the table for awhile now, I realized that it could use some doodads and thingamajigs.  
R said he had a broken tape measure SOMEWHERE and I finally found it. We drilled a little pilot hole every 3 inches in the tape measure by placing it on a scrap piece of wood so as not to ruin the project table.  The tape didn't pucker when we nailed it because we drilled a pilot hole first. 
I purchased the little nails at Ace Hardware and they are twisted.  I am hoping that this will keep the nails from coming out.  They should do a good job because they are meant for holding down metal trim.
So now we have  a place to measure something without looking all over for the tape measure.  COST zip, zero, zilch, $0.00
Next on the doodad list is a place to cut your sandpaper pieces.  It is less expensive to buy the big sheets and cut them to size but have you ever tried to cut sandpaper?  

If you use the fold and rip method, then you know that you rarely ever get a clean edge on the more coarser grits.  If you used a pair of scissors then you know that it was very difficult on 80 grit and now you have ruined the good sewing scissors.  Hurry up and put them back before your better half finds out.  Seriously, if you have good sewing scissors then you will understand.  I sometimes hide mine so well that I can't even find them.
We added an old hacksaw blade to the table by placing a small washer under each end of the hacksaw blade and then affixed the blade to the table with the little metal trim nails or you could use little screws.  Bring on the sand paper.  Cost zip, zero, zilch $0.00.
And finally I had to spend some money.  I bought a Rubbermaid plastic paper towel holder.  It came with the two screws so there was no need to look around for little screws.  Cost $5.29 including tax.

We are really getting a lot of use out of this project table.  It is big enough to handle pretty much any project without being too big and in the way.

Total cost of the project table $16.72

Broken Work Mate style table $5.00 (garage sale)
Rubbermaid Paper Towel Holder $5.29 including tax
Small package of metal trim nails $3.17 including tax
4 nuts to fit the original bolts and two large hooks for $3.26 including tax.

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Monday, March 19, 2018

1960's Craftsman Table Saw Refurbish Part 5

If you are new to this project, you can catch up by clicking on the links below.


The top looks great considering it was built with scrap lumber.  I was planning on giving the top at least one coat of poly today but the top felt a little tacky so I thought I'd wait another day.
 We did attach the top to the base and it is a vast improvement over what it looked like when we started.
Before
Now

I sanded the small shutters today but it was just too cold to prime them.  I'm getting antsy to put them up and it's getting harder and harder to look at them without wanting to put them up.

The project table that we made out of the broken workmate table received several updates today and I will cover that tomorrow.
I need help finding another one of these lights.  I paid 
39 bucks for this one.  Someone on eBay is selling one for 800 bucks...holy cow.  There is an amber color version but I need clear glass.  I used to see these all the time and now that I want two, I can only find one. 

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1960's Craftsman Table Saw Refurbish Part 4

If you are new to this project just click on the links below to catch up.


Another beautiful day.  Tomorrow's forecast is for cooler temps so we will be inside tomorrow working on the saw base.

Today started out with un clamping the saw base top from the work table and taking it outside.  We used a belt sander to get the used boards looking a little better.  Then we used the router with the round over bit to make all the edges more uniform.  
We put the top on the saw base to layout the pilot holes and where the cutout for under the saw.  We used the old saw base top to know how big the cutout had to be.  We then took the top back to the saw horses.
R used the circular saw to cut on the layout line and then used the oscillating saw to finish the corner cuts.  I did a little more sanding and then blew off the sawdust with the air gun.
While I prepared to stain the top, which really means I looked for the can of stain EVERYWHERE before I found it.  R, in the meantime, ran to Home Depot to get more of the trim pieces for the saw base and the window/flower boxes and more belts for the belt sander.
I used Special Walnut by Minwax to stain the top.  I was just finishing up when R arrived back home.

We cut and nailed the last piece of trim onto the saw base.  I needed the saw base back on the saw horses so I could give the base a second coat of paint.  We moved the top inside to the project table and then put the saw base back up onto the saw horses. The first coat that I brushed on yesterday really soaked into the wood.  The second coat today looks much better.

By this time it was 5:30PM and the temperature was starting to drop and we called it a day.

Tomorrow's agenda is to install the base top onto the base.  Then brush on a clear coat on the top.  I have two choices.  I can either put a clear coat of poly or use spar varnish.  I'm leaning towards the clear poly because it dries fast which means I can get several coats on it in one day.

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