3057 Franklin

16" Crescent jointer

2011-11-26T10:14:00.001-08:00

I recently picked up an old jointer, it is 3 phase and has a converter that came with it. I actually used this to flatten some 14" wide redwood I had bought from an old cask outside of Stockton a few years ago, but the owner was moving to Arizona and taking little with him do I purchased this even though I
have no space at my house for it.

I researched this a bit and found it was part of a multi machine that once had a bandsaw, table saw attached. It cuts extremely well and has an extra wide bed 20+ as it also can house a shaper head on the outfeed bed.

Inca 710 band saw with spacer block

2011-10-04T20:46:00.001-07:00

I've been a bit sick over the last year which has kept me from doing any significant wood work. But after the long process of tests and treatments given by UCDavis doctors I have come something like full circle.
With good things come sometimes more good things. I found an inca 710 with nearly no use, extension rails new, new additional extension tables ( in original bags) 9 blades new stuff all over. The owner didn't know how any of it really worked except the standard fence I guess. It has the 2" riser block taking resaw capabilities to 10", and which requires 9 ft long blades. I ordered the woodslicer blades from highland hardware that are 3/4". I use the 1/2" woodslicer on my inca 340, and I can make veneers it cuts so nice. Hoping to rearrange a smaller room that houses my laundry and my water heater, which can be used as a workspace for the winter, until I turn it into another bedroom, a new bathroom or an office.
The photos are of me cutting a western red cedar round that was in a pile of oak firewood so I jointed and face then edge and resawed a bit with a crappy blade I had, but even this cut pretty sweet. I'm using the stock rip fence that must be 2" tall on a 9+" thick piece and it cuts surprisingly easy and straight...

I don't have much room at my house for all my incas so I'm looking at what's going to have to go, likely at least a 340, and now I think I can get away with selling the 259 table saw as well.

The 150 table saw I have is so nice and compact that I can use it for model making and kumiko on shoji screens and it is housed in a 10x 12 shed anyhow. But I may part with some accessories in the near future so look out....

Gearing up for a few projects indoors, shoji screens, maybe a few sliding shoji doors, and I'll be learning how to put up American clay walls in December to add to my kitchen and maybe other walls

I also just picked up the iPhone blogger application so I should be able to get some posts up in a more reasonable time these days.

Glad to be back

The new porch mission style old doug fir

2010-08-06T23:00:00.001-07:00

I'm building a porch that has sucked the life out of me as it is mortise and tenon. Who really would be dumb enough to do this by hand.....

It is built with the interior of my former barn, 6x6 posts and 2x6 rails all old growth Douglas Fir. A pain to chisel as it tends to splinter ( it is over 100 yrs old though) but the cream like color is just amazing.

Imperfections allowed to stay, even the 6x's are not really that square, but with the nail holes and all I still like it.

At the left is the flooring, as it goes down as a test. The side rail not complete yet, I just had to see what the redwood I reclaimed over two years ago an milled and stored would look like. I think it is a fine mix, and it was a common mix in N. Cal for many years. The flooring is from the late 70's so it does not have the total chocolate brown that can be found in great old redwood. It is still in progress, I am using an Alaskan mill tomorrow on some oak in the event that I use them for the step in the house and just maybe the steps up to ( just not sure how the weather will treat them)

The fence at Merritt

2010-08-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

A long time late, but with everything going on I just have little time to do much and I've been lazy on the Blog. Anyhow, here is a photo of the Merritt Fence on the South side, as we spent most of the day piecing together. We had a few problems...Somehow we had different thickness stringers so when we went to put in them in the mortises that we all the same size... we heard loud cursing.

Thanks to the quickness of a slick and we were back to normal. Notice that the 4x4 on top is set to an angle so that the roof can just be placed upon it and share its angle. Good idea, but a pain to cut mortises in. As van Arsdale says " I did not learn that from a book" so true, and good that we have the ability to both experiment and accept the outcome, and still go with it. The bad part about this section is the garden admin did not like the standard Japanese fence we were making and wanted to "open it up a bit so they could see through it" . We left spaces between the 1x's and I think it does not carry the class the original section holds. Typical admin bad ideas though. But what do we know we are just building it for free......

I only took this picture with my phone. When time allows we hear that there are a ton of photos headed to daikudojo.org cjeck it out anyhow if you have yet to.

Shoji

2010-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:00

I finally got around to putting together a shoji screen that I had rough milled months ago. I actually rough milled quite a bit of rails and stiles, as well as kimiko from some 3" thick redwood I bought in bulk ( Some over 15' long and all old growth) from a man in Stockton that hoped to use the wood he bought nearly 30 years ago to make some furniture. He actually only used some for the bottom of his fence around his house - 12" wide boards...

The kimiko into the frame were just a little to loose for my liking. I did not do a "weave" just a simple half lap, but it still should have been tight. I cut on my marking lines this time and I should have left a bit to pare away. The problem is more the kimiko fitting to the shoji paper as the lap joints do not want to sit perfect ( wood and its movement). I wedged the frame with some doug fir wedges I made in bulk a while back. The only glue is on the paper.

I also had some problems with the rice glue I had ( new stuff) that had a ratio of water to powder that was wrong. I had to throw away some paper and try again. After thickening up the mix I used a small paintbrush to wet the frame. I then stretched shoji paper across the screen and taped it down with blue painters tape. After it is dry you then mist it with water and the paper tightens up like a snare drum. It was rainy and cold today and my paper did not tighten though.

I sat it next to my furnace though and it quickly dried out and tight. It is hanging in my window and I wedged it in the frame. I plan to drill holes in the sides and place earth magnets in the frame. It will stay locked in by the magnet.

Jay Van Arsdales class begins (see daikudojo.org) again this weekend. I thought I needed to get ready for it by doing some work anyhow and I saw how rusty I have become with my hand tools after not using them for the last month - I work for UPS... I was busy.

Ill have to get a camera too these photos are terrible.

Birthday

2009-11-28T16:10:00.000-08:00

As I approach my birthday I had planned to rent a beach house with my twin around Bodega.
Brother had other plans ultimately and I wondered if I would go anywhere. I then found a place to spend a few days and happily found a wonderful Asian art store just a few steps from my little villa.

This table at left was about 10 feet long and 6 feet wide. You can see tenon in the corner. What you miss is where the two pieces of the corner meet. There at the 45's and from the center of the edge going in is a key. When the corner is put together a pin is inserted to pull the pieces together. It is such a great joint but I cannot think of the name right now.

The store Orientations located in Monterey, Ca. had some nice Asian art pieces. An old building that was always an Asian store, Orientations has both a Chinese and Japanese garden on its grounds. In addition to the art there was another interesting thing I had found. The owner designed the carpet to mimic tatami mats. But, this carpet will have no issue with wine, nor much else that comes with shows and customers. The staff was extremely helpful, yet left me alone to view the pieces without standing overhead.

I'm minutes from a bit of yoga, then a glass of 05 Robert Foley Merlot. Somewhere I'll get a piece of cake in advance for tomorrow.

Fence pogressing

2009-11-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

Since we are always a bit behind on the gate project (we just assume since we have a year, but want to be ready if we are real slow...) we had a mid week meeting to try to work out some fence issues.

The small group of us mortised all of our remaining (for this span) sections of fence. I pared some 2x4 runners that their tenons will be placed into the 6x6 and 4x4 posts. These also will be what we will nail the cedar planks for the vertical fence boards against. I adjusted the majority of the tenons to fit easily into the mortises. These are not compression fit like most of our joints which makes it easy to do.

The photo at the left shows a 6x and some of the 2x4's I had been working on. Notice the handy little saw horses. These are only about 15" tall which allow me to sit with the beam between my legs and a foot resting on the stringer below. After using these at Laney I rough cut a set out at home and just have a few hours work to finish them.

Test fit of post and rail

2009-11-16T10:56:00.000-08:00

The first section of fencing for Merritt is to be assembled in the next few weeks. We have done some test fits so far. It is difficult sometimes because we have various people working and simple things like leaving too much material after a saw cut can lead to quite a bit of work paring away with your chisel.

I took a quick picture of how a post and top rail fit together. Turning the 4x4 on its edge gives natural slopes for the little roof that will be housed a top, but is a lot of work and required some angled holds while sawing and chiseling.

We should have about 16 feet installed in the next few weeks. It is really slow going, but doing it all by hand is very time consuming. It does really become a meditation while working, which is good for the soul I think.

An interesting challenge

2009-10-12T13:00:00.001-07:00

As an exercise to work out some details in the large fence project the Daikudojo folks are beginning for Lake Merritt in Oakland Ca, we discuss some of the ways we can use different joinery in the building process then work out rough test pieces on joint models.

One interesting challenge came as a few of us questioned a joint that had two 2”x 2” crossing on edge. The fence we are building will have a top piece on edge ( a 4”x4”) which will act as a roof for the top of the fence. There will be pieces added that will be inset in the 4x4 that will act somewhat like truss arms ( for lack of a better work and being tired and on a 13 hour train ride) where we will then add a 1” thick maybe 8” wide cedar board on either side.

The "assignment came about as fellow students of Van Arsdale Jim and myself were looking at a joint Jay had come up with as a possible candidate for out fence project joint. The joint was made of two pieces crossed on edge (think diamond) and then a mock up post where the joint was to sit upon. After looking the joint over for a while Jim and I talked about the difficulty of this joint and also this is a 200 ft fence which means a LOT of these things. We both went off and started drawing while dumbly looking around. After a lot of “how do I even mark this thing up let alone cut it” thoughts, I just started trying to be logical and wondering why I did not take geometry again in college. 
Adding to the idea is that the post would come to rest below the side wings of the 4x4 ( think of the top pointing up). The example in the photo shows the two pieces and what
the 6x6 would like like ( it is a joint model as well) after it is cut up.

Adding another challenge was the idea of making the center piece of the post a tenon that would go through the 4x4 ( Im not making this up....) and be wedged at the top (all covered up by the top so no rain issues on the end grain.

In the end it looks like we are looking at a different option to affix these pieces together in the fence. I guess the fact that we have until 2010 to finish and not 2015 might be a reason. The interesting thing about Jay VanArsdale is, that with a background in sculpture, he tends to see joints that we have trouble picturing. Not that he invents these joints, some we have seen before some not, he is good at getting us to think when we see a joint together about how it may be put together.

An example of this is when I first saw the Japanese temple base joint where there are 4 goosenecks. You think wow pretty, then you wonder HOW it works finally then you find it slides at an angle and your head stops that ache you get when you use it to think.

Ill work on trying to follow our progress through this blog or I may even focus a blog on that specific project as it is a 14 month project.

Give this joint a try. There have to be many ways to attack this thing.

a roof for the Bonzai garden

2009-10-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

The Bonzai garden at lake merritt has a board to post what is going on for the day. It was made by the Daiku Dojo members a few years back. The top piece was really just a straight board. While we were waiting for our cedar for our big fence project, Jay thought we could give the post it board a little more flair. Jim has been working on this and the picture at left shows the new piece. Angles cut on top and the wings are single pieces cut by hand and the edges of the wings have carving mimicing the curves.
What I really like is that this is a pretty simple was to add a roof (small) to something and have it look really sweet.

Kitchen cabinet doors

2009-10-08T14:06:00.000-07:00

In taking off the paint on my kitchen cabinets I found that I had three different types of doors. It looks like at least 4 of 6 had been replaced but possibly even up to 4. The larger cabinets were old doug fir plywood, which I thought would look bad in a natural finish. below the sink the doors had a piece of pine added to the inside edge to make them 1/2 wider, I figured these were just some replacement doors that were fit and likely cheap. The last 2 doors were likely original and were tung and groove doug fir. I had initially planned to just replace the under the cabinet doors with a bit of a Japanese influence, but as I was to takle all I realized I had better think my plan over.

After tearing down my barn, I had a stack of old growth doug fir, nail holes and all, some a bit cracked, these seemed to be the logical replacement. In a standard frame offset with furniture grade vertical grain plywood, I think the new doors are simple and a nod to both old and new.
After installing the doors, I still have yet to add handles of some type. I had thought a nod to Krenov might be a nice touch.

inca planer blades

2009-07-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

Quick post here. I happened to find some new old stock inca blades in the UK on ebay. Since they are a pain to get and Eagle never seems to have them in stock I was happy to get them delivered and all for about 50 bucks.

And they shipped on Monday and I received them on Sat. I could not even get the mail from NYC that fast. I'll be sending these to my uncles shop to have him draw up CAD plans for them and make me a few sets out of high speed steel. If all goes well and there is interest I'll have a run made and sell them. The CAD drawings alone will be great as any good shop can cut them at that point and have them heat treated.

A great community project

2009-06-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back, the Japanese woodworking group I am a part of, finished and installed a Cedar gate at the garden in Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. It began like all community programs -gifted monies and we work for free through the guidance of Jay VanArsdale

Originally designed by Jay, the gate did change when a student made a series of errors on a 10"x 10" from a 1000 year old cedar tree. In the Japanese tradition, one must never waste wood, but work around any error. Additionally in the same tradition it seems that a teacher knows that mistakes will be made and that is part of the process of learning ( It still does not keep one from getting spitting mad). Originally the gate frame top piece would have been a roof on its own. After the damage was done, a new idea was conceived to add a roof of cedar to cover the error.

The picture is of the finished gate when we were able to assemble the structure. Many students worked on this project in varying degrees, both in time and skill level. I have no name list and do not want to leave anyone out, so Ill just not metion anyone by name except for Jay. Jay spent class time assisting and coaching as well as many hours at home to get the gate ready for the 5oth anniversary of Lake Merritts Japanese garden. There were many pictures taken of the process which was a great learning experience. Although they are not posted yet (All of the website time is unpaid) the pictures will be posted likely by end of the summer at Daikudojo.org

If you are in the bay area and interested in woodworking by hand I urge you to look into these classes at the Oakland community colleges. I travel 100 miles to attend these classes that are on the weekends. Many travel similar distances. If you are at a distance further, I suggest you just focus on the website, there still is much that can be learned from the site and int wealth of information. Also every semester there are beginning classes available if you have little or no experience with wood. These classes focus on making a joint for the duration of the class day , learning sharpening, plane - set up and proper technique. If you are more advanced Jay will gladly give you a joint to do that is much more complex and the class has many examples of joints already made that you can take apart and get a good look at.

The gate in the picture was hand built. The finish is Bioshield penetrating oil. We took a Makita 5" power plane to the top to try and fix some errors, but besides some screws in the roof that are hidden the gate is just joints and wood set in the ground surrounded by tightly packed rock.
This is the beginning of a the larger project of replacing 200 feet of fencing and adding a few more gates in the garden if we get funding through a grant this fall. Ill keep you posted.

ReFind wood

2009-04-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I often read of people worried about running "old wood"through their Jointers or planers for fear of damage from unknown objects. What they miss is some of the finest woods that may ever grace their shop bench. I have a metal detector, and a craftsman jointer, planer that I use for nearly all my found wood needs. The metal detector finds those BB's fence metal and old nails deep in the wood the eye misses. My blades on my craftsman are about 35.00 a set of three and I gladly let them become nicked and cut in the cheapest way to get wood around.
Recently I was hunting on a property in Woodland. There sat a 6x6 about 4 feet long. The classic greying of the oldgrowth lumber that long long ago was a fence post in a large field. Now turkeys are wadering around (The reason I discovered the wood) the posts as well as a 10x10 and a few other scrap redwood pieces. Often on old fence is replace either in front or back with a new metal wire fence leaving the old one in place. Some land owners are happy to part with the old fence and most of the posts 4x4 and larger are solid from the ground up so it can be a win/win if you just go and ask about the wood.
Most of the redwood I find looks like a milk chocolate bar, brown but in a lighter shade. Add some bio-shield ( I love that stuff) or lindseed oil and it can darken up like the deep browns of walnut.
I often think that many fear the nicking of a blade, but one can certainly find a cheap jointer or planer (mine was 100.00) to take one for the team if needed. Even among other woodworkers I often have them wondering what wood I am using. Nearly all of my fir or redwood is over 100 years old when it was initially milled. While there are imperfections, nail holes and cracks all this can be over looked in many applications.
I have made boxes, yoga blocks, trimmed a bathroom out, made flooring, made benches and on and on. All at little cost ( I even sold some milled redwood to the nieghbor to cover new manufactured beams in a beatiful house from the 20's) I can say there is nearly no way to tell that the beams are not massive redwood timbers covering as well a stove pipe.
So when in the country or near those old houses that are being ruined ( I mean remodeled) remember that you can grab windows, doors, 2xs and anything else the contractor is " fixing"
Even a deck from 20 - 30 years ago has prized timber compared to the garbage you will find at the local lumber yard.
So joint, or cut off that paint if it is there. And get that timber rolling in your shop.
And remeber some of that wood has been in the rain for a 100 years off and on. I sticker it mill it after a while then bring it into the house and stack it (like a good unmarried guy can do).
Nearly every board I cut would cost more to buy than a set of blades costs me. For me the decision is easy.
Now start looking for those nuggets in the rough.

The difference the wood makes

2009-03-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend about mortising last weekend while we were both in the process of cutting them for different projects. He, not having a mortising chisel, was taking a very long time cutting a slot for a Japanese plane blade which got us talking of woods and how they respond to the magic of Japanese Woodworking.

I use redwood primarily since I have a ton of it, and it being the majority old growth it has its own issues compared with new growth. That said, often we see the classic mortise that is so beautiful and really clean cut by the Japanese carpenter. But often the quality of the wood and type really allow the worker to shine more than if they were trying to cut and plane oak. Now I do not mean to seem like the wood makes you a better woodworker, but when you try to plane port orford cedar and it has this great straight grain and the plane shavings come off like art in itself, it can make you feel like your such the champion, then you chisel and pare and have a similar result. Wow you feel like your doing it right! Then you grab some redwood that when you strike it with your chisel it compresses really unevenly inside the mortise, but you are still pretty happy with you planing though the shaving does not come as clean as with cedar. The old growth tends to be brittle but burnishes really well with the hand plane.

When I made instruments many years ago for a bass maker, we used a ton of hardwoods: purple heart, wenge, cocobolo, maples, and exotics that had their issues. But when using machine tools you do not get the same feeling of this change as with hand work. Sure you feel the drag of the cutter as it works through the wood, the hardness, and the pinch of carbide on your wallet. Really some of these hardwoods should have little to do with the Japanese hand tool craftsman due to their difficulty. Almost purely for the amount of hair you will pull out just in working with them.

You find you would like to have a plane blade angle that is different, a saw that is more akin to hardwoods etc.

Often I find many of the people who are interested in the Japanese woodworking (by hand) have not a lot of experience with hand work, I still feel that way as well. Even when you have the right tools, and the right wood (something nice and straight grained) it still can be difficult to even saw straight, but just keep working at it and keep in the cedar family, poplar and pines especially at the beginning and you'll feel much better about your progress away from the machines.

Japanese Saw Horse

2009-02-06T20:05:00.000-08:00

I have been using a slab of redwood on some metal horses from time to time to do work with mobility. I decided to make a Japanese styled bench with 2 saw horses and using a plank or the table. I also just thought it would just be nice using a furniture grade bench in the house.

This is actually completely made of recycled redwood. The posts were all from a fence in Woodland Ca, that had rotted and I had replaced them and the other fence members. There was still a few feet of usable (not rotted or bug eaten) wood that, while not the deep dark brown redwood of some of the old wood I have reclaimed, is still tight grained and was easy to work with. This is the first of the two horses which I based off of the one in the The Workbench Book by Scott Landis.

For the top I have a 2" slab of Doug Fir around 12" wide and a 4" thick piece of Fir that will make up the top. The larger slab will be more of the work surface and the thinner piece will tend to hold my tools and such.

I did everything by hand which was a good way to break in my Mitsukawa Ryoba saw that I bought at Hida Tool in Berkeley a while back. Although my specific saw is not on their list of tools on their website, I find that if you chat with them they will find something that will suit your needs if you are looking to purchase something that may hurt your wallet, but feel good in your hands.

I do have a cheaper Hardwood Ryoba from Mitsukawa with a replaceable blade, that I also very much recommend.

In addition there was plenty of mortise and tenon work practice I was able to get in.

I am again working with Jay Van Arsdale, with others doing community work for the Japanese Garden in Oakland. While we are just ramping up the project it seems like it will be a joy for all those around. For info and a site with a lot of information see DaikuDojo.org

Sorry about the terrible photo, I cannot find my camera, and this is my iphone still. Weak I know!

Slabs of redwood siding

2009-01-11T00:05:00.000-08:00

Today I removed the last pieces of siding from my barn. It is crazy seeing 17 1/2" wide 18' long boards, but I have them. Most of them are 12" wide, some various sizes, but many long. Still being able to see the saw blade curvature in the face and edge of the boards, it seems that the saw blade size was over 5 feet in diameter. Sad as I am to see the structure coming down I now have a lot of 1" siding. The skeleton is all old growth doug fir so now I have more 2x6 than I know what to do with. And to see 1x4's that are over 24 feet long is pretty amazing as well. Anyhow all the 1x is fire wood now as I cut most of it up due to the hundreds of nails per board.

Ill have some 8x8's that will become part of my porch and gate that Ill built once my knee completely heals from May's surgery. I have had some help on the barn demo which helped and 100 year old lumber is pretty light - even the fir. Too bad I had to tear the barn down as I now have all my Inca tools in the front room waiting for a new home that I'll have to build. At least I have the lumber to make something nice.

Went by Eagle Tools today

2009-01-03T18:42:00.000-08:00

I went to Eagle Tools in LA today as I was in So. California and was close. I checked on 510 jointer blades and they were out till spring. I think 10 weeks out was the quote. I checked as there was a post on the inca groups on yahoo that talked about blades from a company in NY that were throwaways and an easy set and the ones that were at Eagle. I asked about the 8" 410 jointer blades and they were coming in the spring as well. They also do not have any saw blades pre drilled for the 20 mm arbor Inca 259 saw, but that can be done on a standard saw blade by a few companies if you ask I hear, I just thought I'd check.

I actually did not need either, but thought it may be nice to have an extra sets around. Anyhow I did need a couple of parts which they did have and I bought a few manuals just to have.

Eagle seems to have quite a new and used selection of INCA parts that are not really cheap, but all in all reasonable. I actually expected to pay more, as I had been told that the prices were high.

I have seen though, that there are a few things that could be made if you have access to friends and the equipment to mill and I am having a few simple parts made since I have an aerospace company in the family and an access to aluminum plate and full service milling dept. As for parts and jigs of course you could use standard nuts and bolts instead of some of the actual knobs etc. which will save some money, but it also is nice to have original parts. Although I did not have my parts wish list, and I forgot some of what I wanted to inquire about I did buy a few items.

I bought an in-feed knob adjuster that originally was plastic, but Eagle is making them out of aluminum, a knob for the cover on the bandsaw, and the protective guard that goes over the blade on the jointer suva guard.

It seems that the best way to get the parts from Eagle is to use the specific manual and reference the part numbers ( obvious I know) which you could email or call in. While many people talk about Jesse as the one to talk to at Eagle, I was helped by another gentleman who knew his way around the Inca world pretty well so I'd bet holding out really may not be needed.

Inca 150 table saw

2008-12-30T18:10:00.001-08:00

I added an INCA 150 table saw to the family of INCA machines I currently own. I now have the INCA 150, the 259 table saw with mortiser, the 510 and 420 jointers and the 34o band saw.

I added link belt in place of the regular v belt and I cleaned the saw up a bit as it was in pieces. The arbor had a bit of a wobble, but there was some debris and an almost paper thin shim that was causing all the problem. I had decided to have a new arbor made after having a CAD drawing of the part done at an aerospace firm in LA owned by a relative, but lucky me I saved the cost. And now have a great saw for doing small model work. I may do some tenon work with it now that included in the box of goodies I received with the saw was the missing piece I had from the 259 saw ( they just interchange the top part with the table grooved part on the tenon cutter). I do have an awful lot of shoji to make and have spent all my downtime getting my INCA's all tuned up and now I have the barn in the prior post that has to come down.

Anyhow

I also bought a 5/8 saw blade from Sac Machinery a former customer and made a shim for the blade to accept the 15 mm arbor that the INCA has.

Included was a molding cutter and a bunch of other gadgets. I have been able to figure out what a lot of them are by referencing the inca machinery handbook that I found off of Amazon, but as it is out of print you have to go through one of the book dealers that Amazon works with. Well I just checked and it looks like there are none at this time but keep looking it is not a bad book at all.

Hit me with an email if you have one of these and if you have any tips tricks or just good knowledge for this saw.

redwood kitchen shoji

2008-10-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

I finished a shoji for the kitchen window today. I found some synskin at Tap plastics that replaces shoji paper in areas that could get wet. Wanting to just add a bit of privacy to the kitchen from the neighbors house I just went with a single sash shoji. I used old growth redwood from a large tank (the pieces initially were 3" thick) I used the clearest and darkest for the stiles and rails ( the outer frame) of the screen. I then cut numerous kumiko ( the cross pieces) from various boards I had at 1/2 and 3/4 inches thick.

I bunched together all kumiko made from the same piece and used painters tape to keep them together for future use.

After choosing the bundle that would waste the least amount of wood I cut them to size roughly 1/2 longer than the inner dimension of the frame. The 1/2 is the 1/4" that the kumiko will be mortised into the frame.

After choosing the weave of the kumiko, marking and cutting the half laps with my Ryoba saw on the kumiko a rough test fit can be made and any adjustments made. Mortises then are cut on the rails and stiles by japanese chisel to take the kumiko tenon in.

Just before you assemble the finished frame, cut notches for wedges in the tenons which will be used to keep the whole frame together- look ma no glue! By not using glue here you can go back and fix a broken piece and just by chiseling out the wedge your up and running.

Not to mention that it is just so cool to have something joined seemingly so primitively work so well and not have to clean up a huge mess of glue.

Now to add the paper, well fiberglass paper in this case. I used a glue that Tap plastics recommended for joining material. I am not too happy with how the glue went on to the frame though ( clumpy) so I will look for a different product to try out. It seems to bind ok, but the final drying time is 3 days. It seems some people just staple the screen paper on the frame, but while I might try to use the staple as a way to add a holding point I could not think of trying to make a nice screen, and then stapling it together...

The paper was pretty easy to cut and I was able to sizeand cut it with my japanese knife

Vote

2008-10-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Off topic, but I received my absentee ballot today. I removed it from my mailbox, opened the envelope, filled out the ballot then sealed, signed and stamped the ballot envelope.

I'll be placing the ballot in the mail at the post office shortly. I cannot think of a more important time to vote than in today's world. Whatever your beliefs and party affiliation, hopefully you will take and do your part in these next few weeks. Then when the vote are in impress upon the newly elected to follow the will of the people.

It is a beautiful day in California even though the world is unsure.

Bringing out the clear Fir in the kitchen with a planer and saw.

2008-08-24T00:12:00.000-07:00

After removing all the paint from all the trim in one bedroom and spending an eternity to accomplish that task I switched gears a bit. After removing all the paint on one window's trim, I still had one window left.

I decided to act like the trim was damaged on the surface and was too much to salvage. So I decided I would flip the boards over. Now the plan was to use a wire wheel on a hand held tool to remove excess paint and working carefully I was able to do this to an extent. It is very important to remove any over paint drips on the now new side and on all edges.

When this is done you can take a table saw and cut the very ends off. In addition now you can rip both sides and remove any leftover paint etc. You will now have boards that are a bit smaller than you started with, but this is usually not a problem. After I did this I used my trusty belsaw planer/molder placing the painted surface down and planed a new clear clean surface off the fir trim. Old Growth fir sure looks Sweet. It is a shame so much of this wood is hiding under layers of paint in almost every house one can find it in. And since I plan on Using American Clay on my walls in a month or so, it makes NO difference at all that the wood is a bit smaller than when it started its life out nearly a hundred years ago.

As I have in the past on projects I will use bioshield on the surface of the non painted surface of the fir to keep dirt and moisture out. This may have to be repeated every few years, but it is really not much work for the joy that wood grain gives.

The Photo shows the original painted (Copper penny color- every piece of trim in this house had this color UGH!!) upper panel that goes above the window frame. On the right of that is the lower piece that goes below the window frame .

As this process is easy with the side pieces it is NOT with the ledge of the window. Since in the sash type window this piece has a few levels to it it could be difficult to plane and cut so go old school on this piece, use solvents ( I use Soygel) or heat guns etc.

Ill get through the rest of the kitchen in the month of Sept if my bad knee lets me.

Redwood Flooring

2008-08-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

I laid some redwood flooring in my hallway. As this was really supposed to be more of a blog about the house I return to that purpose again and I am sure to meander away just as quickly. I just have my hands in too much I guess...

Anyhow last year it seems I posted about this big old pile of redwood in Woodland Ca an old farming town off Interstate 5. Next to a 16000 acre ranch I sifted for days on end looking to find anything to salvage. Because the structure had long fallen there is little siding that can be claimed for lengthy pieces. But I did find a decent amount of pieces anyhow. I planed some boards and actually looked for imperfections in them as I have always liked those old New England floors that have missing knots, scrapes, and cracks. I kept the flooring thick 3/4" as floor the in the hallway is a bit crooked. So after laying down some plywood over the red fir sub-floor, I ran the boards under the floor trim that I had cut first with a circular saw then chiseled out. Or I just used a japanese hand saw to remove the material. I know that redwood is NOT the greatest choice for flooring, but pine is common and really as this stuff is old growth redwood it is pretty tough at times. In addition my bungalow is built of redwood and red fir so it make sense in the mix of things and when I get to planing a large number of boards I'll finally get my front porch done with a great redwood frontage. It is just so strange at how that being from a tree 1500 or so years old gives such a deep dark mix of colors. At first glance you may think you are looking at Walnut, but the grain is so very tight that at close inspection you realize it is not so.

I have to do some more window work on the sashes today. I usually break the glass, but the hardware store at 1710 broadway 95818 is a great source and a small happy hardware store.

Japanese tool box.

2008-08-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

All reclaimed old growth redwood from a woodland barn went into the making of this box. Although the japanese rarely used nails in their joinery work it was very common for them to butt joint and nail a toolbox together. Odd it is!

I based this box off of Toshio Odate's plans in his book Japanese Woodworking Tools, which can be found on my Shelfari bookshelf at the side of the blog.

The top slides open and only from one end. This one is a gift, but the other one that has no top yet is for my Japanese tools that I carry with me. Just nails and wood. Simple and quick....

Make a Shoji

2008-08-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

Almost no power tools were used on this shoji and absolutely no sand paper.

Initial rough milling done by table saw and planer. All other work, chisels, Ryoba saw and Japanese hand plane bought at Hida Tool in oakland. The "finish" is done by using a Japanese smoothing plane which burnishes the wood and no finish is applied. You can get shoji items from here as well.

I spent a few evenings over the last month working with Jay Van Arsdale in Oakland at Laney College. The plan was to learn how to make shoji screens, get to know more about them and understand the different ways to mount them. Shoji is the common way to cover windows for privacy in Japan while letting in light. In the US there has been quite an interest in them for their beauty, clean lines and amazing amount of ways they can be used in the home. Want one that slides on a rail? Can do. Swing open like a cabinet? No problem. Open like a sash window? Yep! You get the idea. While some of these applications are not traditional Japan, Arsdale tends to fall back on the simple, "since we are not in Japan..."

The picture is of my first Shoji, small but done to go through the motions of constructing a screen and I have a little window at a friends where it will find its home. The screen is mortise and tenon with a haunch ( a small nub that keeps the joint from twisting and allows for a small through tenon) for the frame, half lap joints for the kumiko ( the lattice like interior pieces). Once you have done the fitting of the kumiko, it is final assembly time. In the tenon you saw kerfs to allow for wedges which will pull the structure tight and lock it into place with NO glue.

Remember that heavy handed Americans break things. And having a frame that after removing a wedge with a chisel you can replace a piece and reassemble is a huge plus. Once the frame is together you can add the glue for the shoji paper and after it dries you are ready for installation.

In the event you want to make a shoji, Jay's book can be linked to below in my bookshelf.

It is a great source of information and and endless source of ideas.

INCA Jointer Table Saw and Band Saw

2008-08-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

I ended up buying a 410 inca 8 inch jointer, a 259 table saw with mortiser, and the 310 bandsaw. The model numbers it seems were given to them by their American distributor and do not match the model numbers on the plate. For a great source of info try the Yahoo Inca woodworking group

The tools were in Portland and after securing that the owner would not sell them while I found a pick up to drive to Portland ( over a 1100 mile round trip) I was off . After driving all afternoon I was able to pick them up when the owner drove a 100 miles to meet me that evening!

As I am still recovering from surgery I have done little work with the tools and have spent most of my time with hand tools. I will say though that it is a pleasure to work with these tools. The Inca 259 table saw is small yes, but cuts like butter and as most of what I am working on in the near future ( shoji screens, and small red wood items) is reasonably small and almost always old growth redwood. Although I am doing mortise and tenon work on the shoji's I doubt Ill be using the mortiser. However I have seen that people use the drill attachment with a sanding pad and the mortiser and that seems interesting...

As for the Inca 310 band saw I like it, but I had some trouble with the blade adjustment initially. I need a wider blade to do some re-sawing with as well, but I am happy with the accuracy and size of this little band saw.

As for the Inca 410 Jointer, I already have a 510, but the thought of maybe just using the 510 as a finish jointer made me buy the 410. I again am happy with this little Inca brute. The cuts are so nice and clean, and I have to say having a small tool light etc that Ill be able to throw in my 1959 pick up in the future after its restoration will be a great thing. It may not be for everyone due to its size. I think if Jim Krenov was able to use a similar jointer, most anyone could do just fine by one. This jointer also came with the planer attachment, but I may just post it for sale as I now, have two Incas and two Belsaw planer molders.

The picture is of the INCA's after I unloaded them in the back yard.

Barn wood entrance table

2008-06-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

One of the pieces of barn wood that I recovered from the old barn in Woodland just had a good look just as is. I slopped a bit of linseed oil on it to give the top some "wetness" so it would not just crack, chip, or crumble when I chiseled on the piece. I had found that wood that has been sitting for over 30-50 years in a big pile had become very dry. The cells in the wood just do not cut right and it compresses really easily. In one way the rough look will lend to my usual errors of the mortise and tenon, I tend to leave gaps in odd spots, but in another the weathered barn wood look has an appeal. One thing is for certain: One can always mill this wood further if looking for the refined look, but you cannot go back to the weathered look very easily.

I cut the mortise and tenon late in the evening ( really early in the morning). I used a rough center line through the whole piece and worked off of that since the sides are not even by any account. I decided that since the "legs" were rough stock as well ( weathered, nail holes, and bug eaten) I'd put a shoulder on the tenon and decided to go with a 1Sun ( japanese measure - about an inch) double square tenon which allowed me the use of my 1Sun chisel. It is usually a good idea to mill you stock to a specific size chisel to ease in the hand work that will follow.

The table needs a lower piece to pull it all together but after a rough fit I have left it this way for a few days at least until I can get back to the project. I plan to place wedges in each tenon and either flush cut it or just leave a nub sticking out.

less than a week.

2008-04-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

O.K I am super busy trying to get as much as I can done before I have knee surgery. I have been planing boards as much as possible and making a tool box. I am still in a search to find a good set of chisels as well. I have made a sharpening table out of a 4x4 and a 1/2" piece of redwood set in a slot ( just so the material has something to hold it). I also am using a similar set up with a 3" redwood slab that is 12" wide. It allows me a good surface to set on a couple of 6x6's and I can just sit in the living room.

I also still have to get the barn ready for demolition - not sure if I made that update, but it is classic bureaucracy.

Until next time.

getting back

2008-04-17T17:03:00.000-07:00

I've been away for a bit. Making a fence and fixing tractors and just not being around to get enough done. I 'll be home for the next few weeks then it is Operation time.....Hopefully the knee will be better after and I can get back to riding my bike again. Lately I put new blades in my Planer, milled a bunch of redwood and have just about gotten my plans for a new porch railing as well as gate and fence, done.

The porch will have a slight Japanese theme ( although it will work with the Craftsman style O.K) with a sage kama joint holding the porch rails together.

The picture at right is a David Fay work, but this is the similar joint. Check out David's work it is great stuff.

I have ti finish a bench that has been on the back burner while I have not been home. It too will use a similar joint to hold a cross beam out of redwood to the legs which are from the same piece as the top.

Cope at the Independent

2008-03-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

I Ended up in S.F. a day early and saw Citizen Cope. Forgot my wallet, but looked old enough to get in the show. Anyhow as Cope has such a strong set of tunes it was great times for all there.

It was hard to watch Cope at times only as there was a lady who danced in front of me that had such a bad sense of rhythm that it was shocking. At first I thought the lady just was joking, then I assumed she might be mentally challenged. WRONG. Wow I wish the Iphone had video...

Cope does get a little bummed that people never seem to know when he wants them to take over for him and sing a line, but it seems to happen a lot so I guess he is getting used to it.

Cope has that good rock star look and enough presence to keep people interested while he just stands and lightly plays his guitar.

By going to the show I was able to get to a new venue that have yet to experience. The Independent is a nice small venue that has a " private " upstairs area that allows you to not feel like a sardine on the floor. Good for people who are midgets like me. Tonight is the Bob show and it should be a very good time....

Whew.....BOB to the rescue!

2008-03-19T01:05:00.001-07:00

Just spent a HUGE amount of time discussing the U.S. economy, gold, Mexico and the surf, derivatives, and just what the F is going on worldwide and what we should brace ourselves for.........

On a better note we also talked about Bob Schneider. Genius, who just wants everyone to have a good time. So go buy some Bob and stimulate the economy!!!.

INCA 510 Jointer/Planer

2008-03-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

I have just become a member of the INCA family. I've been looking for an INCA for a while and after missing a few and after arranging to pick one up nearly a 1000 miles away, one popped up pretty close to home. I spent a bit of time in the evening getting to know this new machine. Although now I have effectively 3 planers, I'll most likely sell one soon and only use the INCA as a jointer. I left a dollar just to show how small these units are.

The 510 has a 10" jointer blade. HUGE compared to the size if the machine. The INCA is all aluminum and although parts are very scarce you can get some at eagle tools. Also there is an INCA site in France, Inca machines. Not much information, but it seems they might be making the 510 again which true model number is 343.190 and they have a manual to download.

There is a German company ( I think) that has parts BUT will not ship to the US. Dobeli Holz

The great thing about these tools is the serious craftsmanship. I, for a long time now, have given up on owning junk. I have nice japanese chisels, saws, custom guitars, amplifiers, and the list goes on. This tool, like all great things BEGS, you to use it. I also found a helpful INCA book as well on Amazon

When I finally have my barn completed, I'll have a nice small area for a shop. No doubt this tool will be a centerpiece. Now I'll have to get a table saw and band saw.......I'll keep you posted.

Farmall cub

2008-03-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

Spent Sunday with my father working on a tractor. A 1954 Farmall cub with a loader. The day started with my father and I and finished with my brother and I installing a sickle mower unit.

After putting an Ebay found PTO on the Farmall, the attempt was made to add a sickle mower. Now since I am not very good at the mechanical things I get heckled a lot from my father while I am working. Anyhow, the PTO went in fine ( it leaks though now), and the sickle seemed to go on all right. However after giving the tractor a go, and seeing the sickle work ( Christ is this thing dangerous) we found that there are some points where the tractor pully is rubbing. After many attempts at reworking the sickle we put the tractor to bed to try again next weekend.

Photo is for reference, mine is a bit more weathered.

Day two vegas and Im thinking wood shop.

2008-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

Day two in Vegas. I have have a delay and have some time so I am at the Hida tool site looking at hand planes to buy.

I do have a couple already, but need a scraper plane. I have scoured the daikudojo site for information too. It is a pretty nice resource for all the japanese tools and such. I found a nice link to a museum in japan for hand tools. Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum has some nice photos and a bit of history, although I suppose one needs a better knowledge of the Japanese language to really get the most from the site.

I bought a few items from Hida weeks ago and am happy with what I have received and they go WAY above in the quality of shipping. It is nice to have that for sure.

Now I am in Vegas.

2008-03-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

I'm in Las Vegas NV. I decided with my uncle to come to a conference at the last moment, making the plane reservation by noon yesterday. It is 70 degrees, just about what I left in Sacramento today. I am happy with the room at the Hilton as I sit on the 26th floor. This is the view just to the left in the photo, but the view to the east is just homes until you reach the mountains to the east. Wide open for miles. I've never been at this height in a hotel before.

It has been more than 15 years since I last stood on the strip. Although I am not a gambler, I do like to get away. And with a couch in front of a big LCD, I will get some nice relaxation in before I get to the convention tomorrow.

Now I have to go get my package from the front desk and get some grub.

whole lotta sorting

2008-03-02T16:02:00.000-08:00

I have been back to the barn pile that I have gone through over the last months. I finally found the ground in the middle of the pile. There were two doors stacked upon another. Too bad I have gotten here so late as much of the wood has rotted or warped excessively due to the weight of the barn itself. While there are hinges on the doors I found too a rolling door roller bracket, which is actually very similar to the one I have on my own barn. There is still much to get through with the hope that there is still some good wood left. I hope to get 1/2" of thickness out of some of the 1" siding, but since there is twisting checking and rot, ill see what I can maximize. Although I would rather keep the siding at its current width, it is rather impossible so I may even cut it in much smaller widths, trying for a minimum 4". I would likely use this wood for my new porch, and flooring.

Take a look at the pile in the photo......a big mess.

The front porch /gate project

2008-02-27T15:41:00.000-08:00

I have finally closed in on a rough idea to replace my porch railing. In learning to make a new mortise joint and seeing an example used on a gate. I am almost finished with the initial drawing mock ups. I have some 30 year old deck redwood 2x6 lumber that is in a pile in back that will begin to be milled in the next few weeks. I hope to get this out of the way before knee surgery happens in the next month. I still will be able to work on the gate/ railing while I am down, but I sure think that it is going to be difficult. Here is a pile of old decking redwood in the photo at the side.

Japanese chisels

2008-02-27T15:28:00.001-08:00

I have continued to find old chisels and import them from japan through the magic of Ebay shopping. It is an odd thing that I can buy and chisel and have it shipped from Japan in this economy and get it cheaper than I can ship across state lines. Anyhow I had been told that i would find chisels I like more than others and stones to sharpen more than others. This is very true. I have learned that I have bought many chisels that had not been taken care of for a long time and were in need of serious rough stone sharpening. This has made me much better at sharpening though and patient too. This is a typical sharpening session. I watch a movie as I do this.

I tape my finger tips with athletic tape ( the white stuff) and I then can be a little less liable to lose some skin as I may rub skin on the stone.

I have been using 2000 grit and a 8000 grit stone. Keeping the stones flat on a 180 grit we dry paper placed on a large chunk of granite I have. A safety glass piece will do just as good, is cheap and mobile as well.

PINERWORKS and the barn

2008-02-27T15:19:00.000-08:00

I met with Matt Piner and his associate of Pinerworks in Sacramento, Tuesday to review the barn structure and to see just how to proceed. They agree the barn is in sad shape. Matt refers to it as a post and beam barn with very few beams... Anyhow we have agreed that the critical elements are the exterior structure for historical and overall look. The interior we have some leeway as to how to proceed to shore up and strengthen the structure with concrete piers and added posts and beams. Most of these old buildings are getting torn down and used as a source for old growth redwood. This is great if the structure cannot be saved. But I firmly believe that the most environmental and correct overall choice is a rescue and return to its former purpose.

Matt is on board for the most simple method of rescue, which is most cost effective and will do the necessary job.

Japanese joinery

2008-02-13T20:57:00.000-08:00

I tend to get geeked at times. I am super geeked on japanese woodworking. My feelings tend to be fanatical about music, but I have gone way back in the time machine and have begun to work with wood again. Chris Owen, would surely be pleased.

I spent my high school hidden in the wood shop at Nevada Union, making the required projects( and sucking) I moved on to advanced wood shop and progressed enough to build a guitar with the help of luthier Ken Donnell and then a double neck in the new class guitar making, the only one in the U.S.!!!!!! Anyhow I would run off to LA as soon as I left high school then I met Mike Tobias and worked on a trial basis for a week sanding basses for him. I sucked at sanding and it probably did not help that I really needed glasses. The shop was supposed to have increased in size, but the landlord did not clear out the space. Due to this ( and likely the hope Mike could find someone else in the next months) I was told that there was not enough room for me at Tobias Yet. After Mike called again, I started as a polisher ( trained part of the day then the guy training me just quit) then went to woodwork, as I had experience in this department and was not too scared of wood machines. Tobias' machines were all smaller than any I had ever used anyhow. Although I loved the work, I made more money elsewhere ultimately this is why i left. Mike did ask if I wanted to go to Nashville when they were going to move there. Life sure would have been different if I had gone.

Until now I had not worked with wood in a long long time. Now taking a class in Oakland on Japanese woodworking I am both amazed and thrilled that I am trying this great art.

Ill write more about Japanese joinery as surely this will influence my future house projects.

Plumbing.

2008-02-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

The plumbing had been great.

When I bought the house it had old plumbing. I replaced nearly all of it. I ran out of money and patience and have a TON of copper under the house. I should never have said, I need water every evening. I should have just went to my girlfriends to shower. Anyhow, all except a bit was replaced and now I have an issue with the sink drain... Ugh, I knew this would happen though. So I started the assessment and gathering of my ABS to go in and out of the house often to fix this six feet of pipe.

As I looked under the house I saw the tub drain was not done right so ill have a future fun project to come. Maybe i'll just cut the floor out, rip out the wall and be able to get close instead of crawling and trying to find a way to solder a fitting in some odd space.

If I had a nickel for every project I am involved in right now, i'd at least have a dollar.

e

barn update.

2008-02-13T20:34:00.000-08:00

The city left me a note about my accessory building in the back. To sum it up quickly I read, " tear it down or build it. You have three days to reply".

That will get you moving. First though is that the structure is a barn, nothing less. Second I have always wanted to fix my barn.
Lately I had been harvesting barn wood from Woodland. I love old houses barns cars and now Japanese tools. Anyhow, a few calls to the city and I have a jump on preservation. There just are not too many barns sitting in Sacramento these days. Especially near Land Park Curtis park.

I am sure that a neighbor called to say hey that structure looks old. Make em tear it down. Typical. If i had been more made of money there is no doubt that I would have fixed that structure after I bought the place. There is almost no roof. Four years ago the roof was covered in ivy. It held the roof on. I got rid of it cause I thought it was tearing the structure apart. It likely was BUT it also was keeping the rain out. So up went plastic, then tarp, then another tarp. The weather was bad this year and tarps kept tearing ( I admit after looking at how to put a tarp on for a hurricane I failed miserably) so I let it go. I tore my knee then a few days later was in a car accident. Talk about slow any home projects down to a crawl.

Well the barn looks like it is getting a push.

Lets see how far we get this time.

Barnwood

2007-12-20T12:54:00.000-08:00

I have been sidetracked with many things these days. One is a stack of barnwood I have been going through in the search for what is salvageable. Although a very big barn in length it was rather small in depth and sat along a slough. It fell sometime ago- perhaps over 50 years ago... While much of the barn is no good there are pieces that I can bring back to life. I have plans already for some plank flooring in the bathroom and hall way. A table perhaps? It is worn and windblown, but is old growth redwood and THAT is enough to save as much of this treasure as I can... I left my camera in the rain, now I need to buy another one.

closer.....

2007-11-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

I seem to be closing in on the combination for removing paint off my windows and trim.
Soygel.....leave it on for at least a day, in the hotter weather cover with plastic so the gel does not dry. I bet if my house was only 50 this would be easy....,but boy do I have a lot of paint on this place.
Anyhow leave the gel on to work use a scraper to get the big stuff off then, hook your hose up to the hot water for your washer, and spray away. I then use the heat gun to get the smaller stuff off. i know most people want to avoid using heat guns, but at this point there is little to get off so it works great.
REMEMBER THOUGH...

This stuff takes a ton of time. This would be great for the teenagers in your world. Unfortunately it is just me.

I also have come to the conclusion that as soon as you can get the glass out the better.

I am also changing a lot of the glass out with new glass. Not planned though I just cannot seem to stop breaking them. It usually happens when I nearly have the glaser points and most of the old putty removed....GRRRRRanimals.

i do love this work though. I need a shop though. Which makes me look at my barn and go argh!

On a good note- I today received my Japanese saws. Geeked I am about this whole japanese woodworker style.

I hope to get in a class in Oakland for the spring.
I hope I can make the time.

the hunt?

2007-11-11T22:07:00.000-08:00

I spent the last two days on a ranch with my dad brother friends labs and a bunch of guns.

The last time I fired a weapon Reagan might have still been in the white house.....

Anyhow. After a few safety issues ( the shotgun's safety really liked to stay engaged) I actually took a few shots to get the feeling back in my veins...With doves, quail, rabbit and pheasant (why we all went out as it was opening day) we had a bunch of wildlife to view. We took a break to buy a sickle bar mower in Woodland from a guy who has 100 tractors.........yes thats 100.

Anyhow if you say I collect something it often is no big deal if you have 100 - " Hey I have 100 nickels" ...not too impressive BUT when the item is tractors you must have ( a bunch in a few barns too) a wad of cash and Cooter Brown like mentality.....

So dad and I spend 450.00 and get a mower for dads 1954 Farmall tractor. Its raining and mud is everywhere, but dad decides to go home and we to pick up wine. LOTS of cheese and wine.

My body quits at 1030p.m. I don't even say I'm going down. It is lights out in London! I had called another hunter ( Rich) to meet up on Sunday with his friend ( now my attorney) and his son and their two dogs. We follow the labs around flushing up pheasant and they also ruin our chance at the wood ducks.......oh well. We are very surprised though at the end of the day when we run the property later and come upon a bunch of turkeys. I later talk to Rebecca, and say " Do you have turkeys?" and she replies, No.
Uh well we just shot one.......

I am going back next weekend for sure. I was going surfing but there was this tanker accident that has a lot a oil in the SF bay. Unbelievable.

Anyhow. Although I never killed anything ( the little doves were just too little) I hope to get a turkey, duck or pheasant.....
Now I want to get a deer in the winter as well. A far jump from the vegi i had been for 10 years.....

Whats this got to do with 3057?

This weekend was lost to an adventure. I never got to work on the house. I did a few times feel bad, but I though hey i could work on the house in the rain another time. It was sunny today....It was a great day BUT i should have been working on the windows in the kitchen. Bad homeowner.....

and then he said goodnight.

SOY GEL the second coming.....

2007-11-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

I ordered some new soy gel and have begun the fun again. At some point Ill have this all down. I've learned sometimes you cannot be so rough removing trim. And even when you try real hard you crack a piece only to find there were so many nails you could not see from all angles that is is a wonder you did not end with only splinters in your hand.

I love this stuff though. I love working outside with it ( I remove the trim from the wall, but others apply on the wall when it stands) even though it is non toxic and all that----NOTE if you get it on your skin though and only wipe it off you'll have these nice red marks that are really called chemical burns to the trained professional. Wear gloves.

I pulled screen door out of the barn. It had a great green milk paint like color on it. The side of my barn has this same look. I guess it went with the barn and maybe a little room that once lived off of it. But I have a few doors that have come out of the barn and who knows where they really came from.

I have the windows in the kitchen out getting Soygelled right now in the back. Working outside in CA rules!!! Especially since it is probably 70 degrees and it is November!

I'll get some pictures up here one of these days. Actual photos express the fact that although the house looks fine, it is not the future that I want and so to me the house looks very undone. Now that the green room just needs paint in some spots and a bit of electrical work I do feel so much better.

The heater stopped working though and although I am not freaking out yet, I will be. The heater definately was not in any budget real or imaginary.

I'm going back outside now.

The green room

2007-11-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

The green room is getting its finishing touches on its trim now. I'll pull the doors off and look to the kitchen for the next project.

I used a simple stain on the red fir trim in the green room that with all the bumps and bruises it gave me that good old weathered look i was aiming for. Their had been cracks and scrapes and nicks and nail head holes. Some I attempted to cover others not. In the end though it worked out. I learned that SOYGEL is pretty cool, but pricey and bought another gallon to work in the kitchen with. I hope to have a more refined kitchen look-cleaner I guess. I plan to rip out a window adding a door in its place. I am unsure if I want to use american plaster ( I think thats what it is called) to soften the look of the walls. I will be using concrete for the counters and this winter I'll see how that goes. Any how thats it for now its been a while ( i forgot I had this thing)

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The never ending story.....1912 Sacramento Bungalow

2007-07-11T15:28:00.001-07:00

Already many hours into the "green room" re-do, I am still going. The Energizer bunny I am not!
After first removing the Berber carpet and laying down a Hickory floor, I coould not wait to get all the paint removed from the trim.

First I scraped with a heat gun..........After getting sort of somewhere I ended up with a pile of all the trim on the kitchen table. I ignored the stack knowing that even looking at it for a period of time would make me annoyed that it takes so long to get the paint off.

I became inspired again last week and broke out the heat gun and sander. Many layers of paint and belts later I had barely made a dent. Some of this trim has over twenty layers........I guess intead of washing the trim the former owners just painted it witha a myriad of colors...

Next try....Citris based remover. Not bad, faster YES! But MESSSSSY. Ugh, I have piles of paint all over the porch. It has become very hot in Ca as of late and a sweaty messy job is not the best when you have to wear gloves that become caked with remover and paint and get slippery constantly.

Next try after an online search..... Soy based stripper.....

It does work much better though. You can with hot water ( hook up the hose to the laundry connections) squirt off the soy based stripper. It makes an easier clean up no doubt......i just did a door like this thought.