Distractions

[mike-rf600r]

Nice , is bit different. Usually a glass top is used. Be good to see it.

My opinion is worthless as I don’t know what I’m talking about encase you hadn’t realised ) I just like that kind of thing, repurposed stuff done well is pukka. :-bd

[alien937]

How about some motorcycle art type of thing. This I was distracted by at the Bull dog bash in 2002, I couldn't take my eyes off of it @-)

[R-dubya]

After the 2015 meet at Nelson's Diner I took a bit of a ride around the local roads and stumbled on the Royal Berkshire County Show

One of the trade stands was using this to attract interest, and it seemed to be working quite effectively

Royal Berkshire County Show, Sept 2015 by roger.w800, on Flickr

[slim]

I would love to have the space & time to build something like the above stuff but sadly don't have enough of either

I have always done stuff like small bikes, trikes & the occasional car or cup for rally trophies, animals & people I find difficult unless its really off the wall oddball stuff that doesn't really have to be a fair representation of the real thing

This thing with stools etc came about just because I had some scrap & wanted something to sit on, suddenly everyone wanted one, a couple are in folks houses as tables to put your brew or ash tray on, one sits in a corner with a lamp I made 10 years ago sat on it & the rest are in various sheds or vans at race meetings

The bench was a case of I'm bored .....hmmm what can I do with wheels ! if I had space I'd get a production line going as everything except the two last stools & the coffee table I am working on has sold straight away

Here is the coffee table , not quite finished yet as the top needs another sanding & varnish due to a bloody spider committing suicide on it but you should get the idea

Thoughts, good or bad are welcome any idea of what I should ask for it even more so as I don't have a clue

[b00geyman]

Thats really nice, as for price, well its a one off, where would you find another one. Gotta be a few hundred, bet that bike shed place in London would have it.

[novocaine]

truthfully?
I love the idea, I love the metal work, but your wood work sucks. 3x2 PAR isn't the best wood in the world, but 10 minutes with a plane and some wood glue could leave you with a top that looks nothing like a jumble of bits of offcut. my bench is made from the stuff, you can see the top in this shot, most are hard pressed to tell me what it's made from without looking underneath.

The bench by David Rees, on Flickr

seriously, get the top right and you could sell it for hundreds to the right person. hell, you'd get a better look from pallet wood (as horrible as that is) and it's free if you ask around, a bit of sanding is all it would take to give it a really good look and you can get away with it being rough as f**k, in fact it looks better that way.

Clock by David Rees, on Flickr

if you want to make that table look amazing without all that messing with dead tree carcass (trees have feelings to you know) how about a walk down the road to find a road works sign, twenty minutes with a pair of snips and a mallet to form it over what you've already got as a top and hay presto (valve) a real talking piece. (note, this sign came from a donor for free, I don't condone nicking a road sign from the side of the road, but they do get left behind occasionally)

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please don't take any of this as offensive, I love the idea and the way you've done it is different to what normally get's touted by "I saw you coming" shops, just a little refinement is all.

also

[slim]

Thanks for the comments guys much appreciated :-bd

B00gyman I'm glad you like the table mate but I wouldn't sell to the brown seat & shiny boot hipster brigade............. ever ! =))

Novo, I get your comments entirely mate & of course no offence taken I used CLS for most of these things rather than deal PAR as its highly rot resistant especially when properly varnished & some of the stuff is used outside a lot of the time, its cheap & strong too

At the moment I don't have sash cramps or a router otherwise I would be biscuit jointing & gluing the tops as I have done in the past when making a butchers block, & table tops I also don't own a sander or money to buy one so super smooth is out of the question at the moment, basically I'm making do with what I have

Anything that needs a plane is done by hand & that's a bitch as I'm waiting for an op for carpal tunnel syndrome, it hurts like feck so I avoid it if I can, another reason for using reasonably smooth CLS

This top is just something different I thought I'd try I'm not sure if I like it myself to be honest but I didn't want to go down the normal route of glass or a chunk of oak which costs more than I can afford at the moment

Like I say no offence taken mate all fair comments but I hope that's answered some of them :-bd

[novocaine]

SO we are talking on the same lines.
all CLS is PAR but not all PAR is CLS.

CLS is Canadian Lumber Standard, it's C16 (C24 for larger stronger members) structural grade (knot count, growth ring and density) kiln dried with with planed faces and eased corners. normally fir in this country but I've seen spruce on occasion in the wood pile. agree it's dirt cheap, I tend to buy a few lengths every time I go to the wood store as it's useful for all sorts of stuff and gets used often in our house so I tend to have 2 or 3 stands in at any one time.

when I said PAR above, I was referring to what you've called CLS but I've also here it called scant. my bench, yep still made from the same stuff, fun sorting through the pile to get the dry stuff that was still heavy.

can't help with the CTS but can see it would be a bitch to hand plane anything but the lightest of edges with the sharpest of blade so feel for you on that one. that bench you see above? all hand planed, with a 5 and a 5 1/2 plane, hence not doing the legs , you can see the table saw in the background, it was used as a bench, everything on that bench was hand cut , including mortise and tenons (in fact there isn't a mechanical fastener in it till I fitted the vices)
My dads old tools.

20180326_205534.jpg

I have the power tools, they don't tend to beat the hand tools very often, the power plane is great for doors and I did an entire floor with it in the last house but it's useless for anything which need finesse.

Agree it isn't worth getting a machine sander/planer for the cost (although I got mine second hand from a booty for under a fiver for both, might be worth a look).

Also agree, a chunk of oak isn't worth it and it's what everybody does, still think that PAR (CLS sorry) with a bit of work could look great, no biscuits required, the glue is more than enough, all biscuits would do is make it easier to line it all up, clamps aren't a stopper either, you've got CLS sat around, a few holes and some wedges make a decent cramp and it's how I do stuff that's bigger than the clamps I have available.

I'd love to have all the bits of bike you have access too, between the two of us we'd have some lovely looking furniture. the missus wouldn't let me have any of it in the house, but that's another problem for another day, she let me have my steel shelf brackets, so thats a win.

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[b00geyman]

Thanks for the comments guys much appreciated :-bd

B00gyman I'm glad you like the table mate but I wouldn't sell to the brown seat & shiny boot hipster brigade............. ever ! =)) :-bd

Spat my tea out at that =)) =)) =)) . Hell, mate, much as I dislike the hipster movement they are the "cats" with the money in their hip(ster) pockets, I would gladly take their cash, with a great big cheesy grin , But I sense a market oppurtunity here, tuck and roll brown leather/vinyl table tops with brass accents lol. If only I could work wood, and leather. I hope you get a good price from someone that appreciates the work and artistry and doesn't have a manicured beard and shiny boots.
RFowners forum, doncha just love how diverse a bunch we are, creative, knowledgable and If ya don't know about something, there is sure to be somebody who has the answer.

[mike-rf600r]

This time next year you’ll be millionaires )

[R-dubya]

My family name is Wood. My Dad like woodworking, from making DIY tables and cabinets to the odd bit of wood-turning with a lathe

In a way I wish I had the same 'affinity' with the material but mostly I prefer fiddling with motorbikes, which don't usually provide much opportunity

[slim]

I started out working on the building with a chippy & learnt a lot from him as he was originally a cabinet maker who's business went down the pan due to his brother being a twonk, he's still one of the few guys I know who knows how to build a roof properly without factory made trusses

Later I worked for Smallbone (look them up) some of the cabinets in bleached oak were £1000 each back then you really don't want to be fecking one of those up ! ) also I worked at a place that made school furniture, stock cupboards etc & after 6 months was setting all the machines in the factory cos nobody else could apart from the gaffer who spent most of his time elsewhere lol

So yes I know my way round bits of wood & enjoy it, I can make nicer stuff & have in the past but the aim here is quick simple & turn it around for a few quid that way I'm not competing with the high end market :-bd

[slim]

Just a couple of random pics of one of the last stools I made, the little one claimed this one & uses it all the time )

[novocaine]

that one I like.
good use of hot cogs too.

still don't like the CLS, but it looks better here. picky fecker aint I.

[slim]

Cheers novo :-bd some turn out better than others & that is one of my favourites, folk have tried to buy it but the little un answers with a resounding NO! )

I get it about the CLS mate but I have it so am using it until something else turns up, I am getting bored with seeing the stuff now to be honest & wish I could plane it smooth but its out of the question for now, might try staining some & see how that looks (prob be crap) :-s

[novocaine]

Shou sugi ban.

Look it up on youtube. You'll love it. :ymdevil:

[jaz66]

liking the stool also slim... :-bd

and Novo interesting point...love that japanese wood colouring when i see it,
and now i know how they do it. i am more in awe at how beautiful it can look.

[slim]

Now that is a real cool finish, I love it :-bd there goes a few hours lost on you tube later today

[slim]

Well I tried shou sugi ban on a table frame I have been messing with for a while & it really suits that particular job its still novo's favourite timber but no longer looks like it ) thanks for the tip mate :-bd

In other news i was given an old yam diff & some other junk so yet another stool is half made, I think it looks good with the big helical gear at the bottom & this one is having the same finish as the frame mentioned above just because I think it will look right

I have tried treating some burnt timber offcuts with oil over the last few days & have also used varnish on some which gives a gloss finish, for both the above items gloss varnish will work better imo so that what I will do, pics in a day or two if I haven't bored everyone senseless by now :ymblushing:

Lastly for now I a mate might have found me a good supply of scrap bike engines from a breaker so I may be able to make something interesting & different again soon

[slim]

Here are the latest two stools



This one is a foot high & the top swivels




This one is 15" high with a fixed top & I tried something different on the edge as you can see




lastly here is the small coffee/side table I started ages ago but is on hold due to lack of angle iron to make hairpin legs & lack of cash for a glass top



Comments good or bad welcome as always

[novocaine]

Like em. Can you set a 45 on your circular saw (the one im assuming you are using to cut the cls)? If you can then bevel the underside of the tops. Will make them look a bit less chunky.

Even wothout that, they look good. brill finish on the wood too.

I dont have access to the bike parts but heres part of my sons birthday present ive just finished, as my additon to "distractions", been told they sell for 300 notes in worse build. Not bad for a pile of cheap decking and a fence post.

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[slim]

Thanks novo you were dead right about the finish I really do like it a lot ^:)^

I'm cutting the cls with a chop saw as my circular way gave up the ghost a year or so ago, not surprising because as a builder I'd abused it for about 10 years, point taken though although, I like the chunky look myself but I can see that others might not, I have used thinner timber in the past & once this damn hand is sorted I might plane a bevel on some to see what it looks like

I really like your own little distraction mate, looks very well made & a load of fun for a little one :-bd i'd much prefer that than any shop bought plastic tat

[novocaine]

Other thing you could think about is making up some dowel (sharp chisel and a drill, bit like a pencil sharpener) to fill the bolt holes. wouldn't suggest you buy a plug cutter as that really needs a pillar drill and they cost spondulics. I can show you how I make dowel if it helps but I'm sure you can figure it out.

none of these comments are in a bad way, more just adding little touches to an already good bit of work.

the bevel is useful because it means from certain distances and heights it looks light but from others it look robust and manly (grrr), also means your eye is drawn to the leg rather than the top, which lets face it, is the point of the design.

I wonder if you could chain drill then trim a top to look a bit like a gear. (I shall now experiment, mwah ha ha ha, I have a solitaire board I want to make and it might be the perfect excuse to do it)

[mike-rf600r]

Looking good lads. Your best yet Tony imo. Love the use of the brake discs.

[slim]

Thanks again guys

All comments & ideas are welcome novo no offence will ever be taken even if you said its all utter rubbish I'd rather folk be straight with their opinions on anything I do that way I will find things I can improve :-bd

I did think of plugging the screw holes but in the end couldn't be bothered to be honest, no worries about cutting a plug though as i have done plenty in the past & i might even still have a plug cutter kicking around somewhere

I like the idea of chain drilling the top & am thinking I would have to dowel or biscuit joint & glue the timber to be sure of not hitting a screw, other than that obviously a single piece of solid timber could work too