Kurt’s Workshop

I know some people don’t like poplar, probably because it’s not a true hardwood. It exists somewhere in between, sort of like aspen. But I love the stuff and for the rght application it can be stunning in a way that other woods cannot. The heartwood can be all different colors, from gray to brown to purple to green and lots of things in between. When clear finish is applied overtop, it makes the colors pop, and you get something very special. This photo is not clear coated, but you can imagine what the colors will be like.

When you find very expensive handles like these on sale, you don’t ask questions. You buy them, and then figure out what to put them on later. I bought a few sets of these in varying lengths to make trays and other fun gift-like things out of.

A quick net search shows that a lot of people are wondering how to put together a decent outfeed table for their TS3650. I myself was hoping to find a ready made product, preferably a fold down style table that I could bolt on. No such luck…so I came up with basically an assembly table that fits snuggly to the rear of my saw.

This saw has several issues that you have to consider before drawing out your plan. First, consider that this is a contractor saw, which means that the motor sticks out the back. Secondly, it has both a front and rear rail for the fence. This means that any table must not touch the rear rail or else the fence will not slide. I think commercial setups don’t have this problem because their fences are usually a true t-square design. Luckily, Ridgid appears to have considered this little problem, and have conveniently notched the fence, right near the back, so you can get a properly adjusted table a little bit closer.

Tomorrow I will rout two grooves in there to account for the miter guage slots. I stole some leveling feet off another tool…to which I wanted to add casters…and added those so that I can level the table at the corners. A simple block of wood with a hole drilled seems to do the trick.

Here are a pair of chairs I tentatively call the Popsicle stick generation. They are obviously very simple in design, but are a great exercise in figuring out how ADK chairs work.

Two things: One. It has come to my attention that if you search for a certain type of paint which appears in one of my photos, Google in it’s infinite wisdom will bring you to my blog. I was not expecting this, nor do I particularly care, but I fell I should say a few words about why I hate the stuff. Basically it’s like trying to paint with some kind of watery baby powder. I tried rolling, brushing, and spraying the stuff. It’s bad, and the words fast hide on the label I feel are very misleading. On the other hand, it’s just about the cheapest thing you can buy in 5 gallon buckets at Lowes. So perhaps it’s my own fault. Speaking of my own fault…Two. Here are some pictures of what happens when you sponge tinted shellac on pine. It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that I’m not sure about it. And yes I know that pine typically stains in this fashion (the technical term would be blotchy) without the use of a pre-stain agent.

I suppose it does have a certain charm abut it.

Here is a project that a very dear “client” of mine has been waiting on for some time. It’s a classic oak organ bench styled similarly to modern Allen benches. It’s not an exact copy however. The height, width, finish and general appearence are tweeked just for her. This was my first time using shellac, so I hope it stands up to a least a little punishment.

These are the raw components being prepped for basic assembly.

And voila! You have a spiffy new bench. It’s a good thing the finish is dry, cause that’s my dog licking it in the bottom right hand corner. Cheers everyone.