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Every fall I think the start of the school year has got to be the craziest time of the year. And every spring I change my mind. Hands down, the end of the school year is the craziest time. It seems like every minute has at least an hour's worth of work to get done.
So after spending four hours of a beautiful Sunday in my stuffy classroom (the air circulation is shut off on weekends), I came home and hid in the shop for about an hour. It wasn't much, but I did make some progress on the candle rack.
First, I had to remember what I was working on - finishing the dovetails. Then I had to double check that I was working with the right parts in the right orientation. All stuff that just takes care of itself when you aren't breaking your project up into tiny amounts of time spread over weeks.
I did the layout on the tops of the sides by eye. If you look closely, you can see that I changed my mind a couple of times:
After cutting the tails, I transferred the layout to the pin board, cut it out and what do you know? It went together the first time:
It was fun to see the case for the rack coming together:
Not much progress, but better than nothing. And a nice hour in the shop with something to show for it is never bad. Actually, an hour in the shop is never bad, whether there is something to show for it or not.
I know how you feel, I've had very little time in the shop, and I've even gotten a bunch of tools that I haven't been able to play with!
ReplyDeleteMy wife was just saying the same thing last night as she got home late from her school. I'll tell you what I told her, at least in the Spring there is a big spot light called summer break shining in your face. Good luck with the last few weeks of school and I agree, any shop time is a good time!
ReplyDeleteBadger - Ouch! I hate when that happens! They sit there and look at you (when you do show up) and silently ask "Why did you bring me here if you aren't even going to use me?".
ReplyDeleteShannon - That's true - but it also has a dark side - the kids see it coming too! I'm gonna need more coffee...
Does this mean that we'll see a flurry of new posts when the school year ends? Here's hoping.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny how shop time comes and goes. There are times when I really do get to work every day. During the last couple of weeks, I haven't, but it might be because I don't have my new project drawn up yet.
Is that a Record 778 lurking in the background of that one photo?
Brian - Yeah, that would be great! I'm hoping for that too!
ReplyDeleteNice call on the 778. I see you retain your Ubergaloot status earned back on the "Bonus Fun" puzzler.
I like that plane, but I still haven't gotten around to fixing the fence problem (it's not square to the sole). I just work around it. One day I'll get to it...
Ha, I'm far from ueber. Plus, I'm not even the one who has all of these tools!
ReplyDeleteI've heard a bit about the 778, but since I've got two 78s (funny how tools can follow you home), I'll probably never bother to get one.
I hear you about getting around to fixing tools. I was just cleaning my shop and pulled out a Millers Falls #22 that's been on my to-do list forever. I thought, "Hey, I ought to get this thing working one of these days." Then I put it back.
Brian - You certainly don't need a 778, the Stanley can everything, but if you should ever come across a good deal on the Record, I think you might really like it. The fence is much more substantial, and with its two arms, much more secure. I just wish it had a skewed iron - then it would be perfect...
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