Staining my Adirondack Chair

I spent some time this morning staining the chair I made yesterday.  I have done the underneath and seating area so far.  Need to stand it up and do the back.

Built an Adirondack Chair over the weekend

I had one of these but have been wanting to build a companion.  This one I changed up a little bit by adding cup holders into the arm rests. 

I used Cedartone PTL for the legs and Cedar for the rest.

I just to to stain it today and it is ready to go.

Mark

Fixing a headboard on a sleigh bed

A friend referred her friend to me to see if I could fix her headboard.  She went to move the bed and the side rail pulled out from the headboard and tore a chunk of wood right out.
Nothing too major but how the heck does this happen?

So I cut out the bad section and replaced it with a new piece of Oak, used some Gorilla glue and screws to put it together.  I don't think it will come apart now.

A little stain and finish and it is good as new.

The customer is happy and I was happy to do this for her.  I also told her that the wood is really, really dry and needs to be oiled at least every 3 months to get it recovered and protected moving forward.

Adirondack Chair

(3-16-15)

I spent some time over the weekend working on an Adirondack chair.  First time I ever made one.  It is modified a little bit but is really comfortable.

All Cedar with a Cedar tinted Thompson's Water Seal finish.

Toy Truck

(3-7-15)

Today I am working on a toy truck.  Just an idea I came up with and thought it might turn out ok.  I still need to add finish the axles and add a bed to it and I will work on that later today or tomorrow.

Mark

Banks, the necessary evil?

I have never been a big fan of banks.  It is my money and they make it hard to get to it.
I appreciate that they are protecting me, in the bigger picture, but I just want to cash a check.

==========================================
I received a check made out to the business.  I go to the bank to cash it.
"You can't do that Mark", they tell me.  
"Why?" I ask.

"Well Mark, the check is written to the business and since the account is not set up as a dba account you can't cash the check".
 <look of confusion> 
"But you can deposit the check and make a withdrawal".
<another look of confusion>

"I can withdraw this money right now with no waiting period?" I ask excitedly.

"Yes."

"OK, let's do that".

I then casually mention how screwed up this process seems to me and the reply is "that is how it works".

=========================================
I have nothing left to say.

A Wooden Helicopter

(3-5-15)
I was playing around in the shop the other day and had an idea to create a toy helicopter.  This is the result:

The body is 5/4 Pine and the rest is 3/4 Pine.  All of this was leftovers from other projects and couldn't see letting it go to waste.
It is finished in mineral oil.

Business Card and Pen holder

(3-2-15 update)
This is the finished product.  Three coats of satin poly really help the birds-eye pop and the walnut looks great.

(3-2-15)
I got this idea from Drunken Woodworker and I thought it was pretty cool.  The base is 3/4 inch Walnut and the box and card holder are made of 1/4 inch Birds Eye Maple.

This picture is right after I shot it with come poly and it sure makes the features of the Maple jump out.  It will need a couple more coats before I ma please with it.

This was a fun little project to make.

Another timing gear clock

I tried something a little different with this clock.  Previously I have made a timing chain clock using both gears and the chain so this time I thought I would just use the can gear.

What do you think?

Accepting payments using your phone or tablet

This discussion on going on in one of my Facebook groups and there are a lot of options and opinions so I thought I would take a minute and try and document 3 different payment systems and their features and fees.

Currently I use Square.

Vendor	Square (www.squareup.com)	PayPal (www.paypal.com)	Amazon (www.amazon.com)
Fees with card present	2.75%	2.70%	2.50%
Fees without card present	3.5% + $0.15	3.5% + $0.15	2.75%
Fess for getting a card reader	Free if you order online. $10.00 if you purchase the reader in a store but you get a $10.00 credit to your account. Up to 10 days to receive in via DHL.	Free when ordered online. You can get a reader at Staples. It costs $15.00 but they credit your account for that amount once you register online.	The Secure Card Reader costs $10. Order online. They credit your first $10 in processing fees. Includes free two-day shipping.
Getting your money	Square will transfer your money to your checking account in a couple of different ways. Standard Option - based on the time of day that the transaction occurred. Sunday 5 p.m. PT to Monday 5 p.m. PT. Money transferred on Tuesday morning Monday 5 p.m. PT to Tuesday 5 p.m. PT Money transferred on Wednesday morning Tuesday 5 p.m. PT to Wednesday 5 p.m. PT Money transferred on Thursday morning Wednesday 5 p.m. PT to Thursday 5 p.m. PT Money transferred on Friday morning Thursday 5 p.m PT to Friday 1 p.m. PT Money transferred on Monday morning Friday 1 p.m. PT to Sunday 5 p.m. PT Money transferred on Monday morning You can also setup a payment schedule based on your "Close of Day". Does not have Daily Deposit limits.	PayPal will transfer money to your checking account when you initiate the request. The transfer can take 3 - 5- days. With swiped cards and PayPal Payments you can use your PayPal debit card for immediate access to your money.	In order to ensure that funds are deposited to your bank account on the next business day for swiped transactions, you must set up automatic daily transfers or manually transfer the funds from your Amazon Payments account to your bank account by 4 pm local time (4 pm Pacific for AK and HI). Up to $1000.00 per day for manually swiped transaction are available for next-day deposits. Amounts over this have a 7-day clearing period.
Devices supported	iPhones, iPads, Android 4.0 and higher	iPhone and iPad running iOS 6.0 and later. Android 4.0 on phones. Samsung tablets are supported.	iPhone 4 and higher. Android phone - Samsung Galaxy S3, S4, S5. iPad tablets and select Fire tablets.

All of these vendors have accessories like stands and registers and printers (check Android printing requirements per vendor).

There is a lot more information available on the respective vendor sites as they have store options and inventory options and reporting options, etc., etc.

My focus in this blog was to highlight the card readers themselves and their fees.  I do not endorse anyone in particular even though I use a Square.  You have to decide what is best for you.

Remember, if you are going to use one of these at a craft show or some other event you will need access to wi-fi or some sort of hotspot for real time transaction processing.

Mark

Walnut Business Card Holder Desk Clock

(2-21-15)

I made this Business Card Holder Desk Clock today.  It is Walnut, finished with satin poly.

I love it!

I love it when you are working on a project and you think it is going to turn out looking pretty good, then once you apply the finish and stand back and look at it and say "Holy shit, that turned out nice!"

Kind of makes my day.

Getting ready for the craft show

I am heading out to Diamond IL tomorrow for a Craft Show and built this display rack for my wall clocks. I think it will work out just fine.

Any Pool Sharks out there?

(2-19-15)

This is a new clock I made with a Pool Table theme.  I hope you like it.

Timing chain clock

(2-19-15)

I know this isn't a "wood working" project but I thought it was a cool idea anyway.

I had this old timing chain set lying around and turned it into a clock.

Mark

Contemporary Mantle Clock

(2-17-15)

This is a clock that I designed and made.  I was looking at Classic Mantle Clocks, which I like and will make one soon, but I thought why not make something a little different?

So I took a paper and pencil and starting sketching ideas and this is what I can up with.

It is made out of Oak and has Walnut braces in the corners to make sure the joints stay nice and tight over time.  It is finished with a satin poly.

Desk clock/Business Card holder

A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked me if I ever made a business card holder and I told him "No, but it is on my list", and now I have one.

Oak with a clear satin poly finish.

Approximately 12 inches wide.  The clock is about 5 inches tall.

I think it turned out quite nicely.

Mark

I picked up a piece of Walnut today

(2-8-15)

Menards had this 4 ft long 1x6 Walnut board on clearance for quite a while and it kept calling my name and today it got the best of me :)

I see a clock in it's future.

Basketball Clock Update

(2-5-15)
I made a basketball themed clock a couple of weeks ago but am considering 'enhancing the look'. What do you think?

No logo

With logo

looks like a good day

I have some interest in a couple of my clocks so it looks like I will need to make some replacements in my inventory.

I am cool with that.

Snow, Snow, Snow

I was out in the shop working on a new clock all afternoon I opened the door to come in the house and I was surprised.  The #ChicagoBlizzard is in full force.

Snow drifting and blowing everywhere and 2 of my neighbors have lost tree branches.  I had to go through a 2 foot drift  just do get out of my shop door.

When I was working I could hear the wind but didn't think too much of it.  I was "in the zone".

Hopefully everyone is home safely and not driving in this mess.

Burnt my cookies today

I thought I would try my hand at making some chocolate chip cookies today since the wife is out of town.

Big mistake.  While I didn't burn them I sure over-cooked them.  Thank goodness I like milk with my cookies.

Chicago Blackhawks Clock

(1-30-15)

This is a 12" clock I made for you Blackhawk fans out there.

A clock for me

(1-25-15)
Clock update.  I cut out the wood around the letters last night using my Dremel with a ball bit.  I like the rough cut look of the wood and the rough edges of the words.
Today I put the clock movement in it.

The board is a 2 x 12, twenty inches long (wide?).  I used my router to create a hole in the back for the clock movement to fit in and the hole is deep enough that the clock doesn't stick out the back.

I painted the letters and shield black and I will let it dry overnight and see if I need a second coat.

I think it turned out pretty nice and I can use it as advertising at craft show booths.

I think I am just going to let it age naturally versus applying a poly spray finish. 

I am also not sure if I need some kind of embellishments on the left side.  What do you think?

(1-24-15)
I am working on creating a clock for myself and incorporate my logo into it. Logo on the right and the clock will go on the left.

I laid out the template and then took my Dremel and started cutting away.  It is still a work in progress and may be a little hard to see but hopefully tomorrow I can get more done.

Mark

Pop goes the ballast

I was working in the shop this evening and I hear a large POP and one of the fluorescent lights goes out.

Crap.

I am hoping it is just the fuse to the ballast and that I don't have to replace the whole light.

Basketball Clock

I am working on a basketball clock since I have done 2 baseball themed clocks so far.

No pictures yet but I think if will turn out pretty good.

Little shelf with some hearts

This is a little shelf (15 inches wide) that I rescued from Goodwill and refinished and enhanced with some hearts.

It was in rough shape when I got it but some sanding and finishing and I was done.

Mark

Before

After

Happy Saturday!

The temperature is supposed to be in the mid forties today and no snow so it is going to be a great day!  I will be out working in the shop making some clocks today.  Make sure you get out and have some fun!

A couple of shelf projects I am working on

A couple of days ago I blogged about projects I found at Goodwill.  Here is one shelf that I refinished and a couple more I am going to start working on.
The first one is 31 inches tall and 12 inches wide and has double-doors that swing open.  It was a light colored pine unit but the finish was worn and needed to be redone and some structural repairs made to it.
I tightened it up and stained it Red Oak and then sprayed it with a satin poly to finish it off.  I think it turned out pretty nice.

This one is next to be finished.  The only thing it needs is to be finished sanded and sprayed with a poly finish to protect it.  It was like someone made it, sprayed a finish on it and then quit working on it.  It is 18 inches wide.

Then I will work on this little magazine rack.  It is about 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide.  the little heart is going away and I will stencil on something that will take up more space and fill it out.  I am thinking of a bird sitting on a branch.

This rack is kind of dirty so it will get a good cleaning with Kramer's Antique Improver and it should be good to go.

I am also working on a Chicago White Sox clock but more of that later.

Waiting, waiting, waiting

I have 2 projects in the garage that are drying.  It sure seems to take a lone time, you know, watching paint dry!  I crack myself up sometimes.
So now I am looking for more product ideas while I want for the paint to dry.

Chicago Cubs Clock

This is a Chicago Cubs clock I made.  It is 12" x 12".  Next up is a White Sox clock.  I don't pick sides on the teams :)

Buying, Refurbishing, and Selling

I try to look at all avenues of woodworking, from creating new to buying used, to getting free stuff from the curb.  I find it amazing what people throw away!

Recently I have stumbled across a great source of inexpensive used items.  This source is called Goodwill.

I have never really spent much time in a Goodwill store, or the Salvation Army for that matter.  I am usually dropping off old clothes and books but a few days ago I stopped in to look around the Goodwill store and I was amazed at the things they had for sale that were very inexpensive and only needed a little TLC and cleaning to make them useful again.

For $20.00 I was able to fill my cart with 10 wooden items, shelves and small cabinets, things like that.  there is no way I could make any of these new for this price.

These items also gave me ideas for other items that I can make.  It was a truly wonderful experience.

So now I have have been spending some time cleaning, repairing and refinishing some of these items.  My wife has laid claim to a little shelf unit once I am done with it.

So bottom line, check out your local resale shops and you may be surprised at what you find.

Once I have them refinished I will post them for sale.  I have had good luck selling on Craigslist so I will pursue that avenue as well as crafts shows that are coming up this year.

I just wanted to share and encourage all of you.  Have a great day.

Mark

Notebook/Tablet Stand

I have seen several of these ideas and decided to go ahead and make one.  1/2 Oak strips, a piece of Luan for the drawer bottom, some small hinges and latches and I was done.

It is multiple position so you can tilt your tablet to a comfortable position for you.

Working for the Man today

I have to work for today and then the weekend.  It has been an enjoyable 2 weeks of holiday.

It is a New Year!

Happy New Year everyone.  

I hope everyone was safe last night.

I am looking forward to a Great 2015.  New job, new attitude and more woodworking!