A Learning Adventure in the Workshop

"Lowering" the bench

Before getting on to my next project, I spent a few minutes modifying my workbench. 

For a while now I've felt that my woodworking bench was:

1. too high and
2. too wobbly

So, to improve its stability I removed the industrial casters that I had installed when I made the bench.  I've learned that casters on a woodworking bench are just a bad idea.  You need maximum stability from a woodworking bench and no matter how "industrial" casters are, they will allow too much movement.  Plus, I've found that I almost never need to move the bench.

More importantly, I "lowered" my bench by about 7 inches.  I found out via Internet research that a woodworking bench should be about the height of your palms held parallel to the ground while standing with your arms straight down by your sides.   I made this modification, and I love the new height.  Perfect.  It looks too low to my eye, but feels perfect when I work at the bench.

2006 Garden Railway Expansion Breaks Ground

This past weekend we "broke ground" on the Spring 2006 expansion of our garden railway.  As I noted in an early post, we intend to run our second line from within our detached garage, through a small hatch, and then along the entire length of our backyard fence and then returning via a reverse-loop type arrangement. Probably in the neighborhood of 130 feet of new track total.

This weekend, we installed a treated wood 2x4x8 vertical ledge with a 2x6x8 horizontal treated wood trackbed onto our existing treated fence about a foot and a half above the ground.  This forms a shelf that will be the straight trackbed. We've installed a total of about 88 feet so far.

Last night I ordered 90 feet of new Aristocraft-brand straight track from Trainworld to mount onto the new trackbed.  The plan is to start with this straight "point-to-point" type operation while I make and install the two reversing-loops on either end using the "ladder method" that I used last year.

I went with Aristocraft track rather than LGB brand track to save money on the expansion this year.  I have never used anything but LGB track, so this will be a bit of an experiment.  I hear that the Aristcraft track is every bit as good as LGB, but it stays shiny brass colored longer.  I like the dark weathering of LGB track, so hopefully the shine doesn't last too long.

Bandsaw box complete!

 

I flocked the inside of the drawers of the bandsaw box this morning (green) and put on the final coat of Waterlox. Other than engraving a message to my wife on the bottom, this project is complete!

The flocking process was very easy.  I used the DonJer brand system that I bought at Woodcraft.  Just put a thick coat of emerald green flocking adhesive paint onto the wood, and then while still wet (15 minutes) spray the loose flocking through the DonJer sprayer ($4.95...basically two cans placed on top of each other, one can with holes in the lid and one can that contains the flock with no holes) with a pumping motion.  The flock is forced out in a fine mist of fibers and coats the wet paint.  12 hours later, vacuum off the loose fibers and you are done.  Easy and professional looking.  I really like the results. Simple, cheap and effective.

Box is mahogany with ebony pulls and Waterlox finish.