Still On The Road

My best guess is another week before I head back to Tucson, maybe longer but we will see. Internet and cell phone coverage is spotty on the Oregon coast. In addition because of the trees satellite coverage is hit or miss as well. It is amazing how well you can survive without either.

See you guys on down the road,

ken

Juneteenth

Time for my Juneteenth post. I just saw on MSNBC that a group of congress critters were going to introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a national holiday. It is about time, Juneteenth is the day we kinda started to live up to our talk, 160 odd years later we still are not walking the walk but there is hope. Tomorrow remember we can be better.

ken

On The Road

Two days of hard driving and one not as hard and I can say "I'm cold". We've made it to northern Oregon which is as far north as we plan on going this trip. While traveling in the motor home is much slower than by car or motorcycle it is the only way to go.  There are no public heads or hotels to deal with and a good meal, as an example one of our lunches was fried shrimp with rice and a salad, can be available at almost any wide spot in the road. When you are ready to shut it down for the day all you need is a Walmart or Indian casino's parking lot and no bag drag is needed.

I did not pack the workbench, just a shavehorse and some spoon making tools. I may end up regretting leaving the bench behind.

This trip is pretty open ended,  I expect it will be at least a month and a couple of different State Parks before I pat MsBubba on the butt and Sweet Maggie Dog and I head back to Tucson. MsBubba may stay until October before I drive back to pick her and the Fit up. Back in the day, I would do the shuttle with the motorcycle. 

See you guys on down the road,

ken

Bogger Eating Replies

I've tried two different browsers with the same result. Hit "publish" and the reply flashes on the screen and then disappears.  Sorry, some of the replies were just brilliant, damn I hate that when it happens.

Bob, I tried there times, of course each got shorter.

ken 

Table Finished

The fat lady is going home and I've put my tools away, this sucker is finished.

One more:

And the last one:

As with most big projects, it was not finished when planed but unlike most big projects it had no cost overrun and I'm tired of fooling with it. But on the other hand last night after MsBubba went to bed I set at the table for over an hour running my hand along the surfaces, looking, and thinking this is good.

ken

First Coat of Finish

The first coat of finish is drying:

I'm using Waterlux Original for the slab and tung oil for the base. The Waterlux is supposed to look like Tung oil when finished, it doesn't, but it resists water stains and is easily repaired if needed. I used in on my bathroom vanity and after three or four years it still looks good.

It normally takes 3 or 4 coats and needs 24 hours to dry between coats so it will be the weekend before the fat lady breaks into song.

BTW, I decided on belts and suspenders.  I added "Z" clips as well as pegs to hold the table top. Prophylactic taking care of the problem of the top coming lose when MsBubba moves it around the house, which happens often and I would hear about it each time it came loose.

I will not know for sure if I met my design goals until it is in use but I think it will. I wanted a smaller but sturdy table, one that is good for 2 couples and maybe a third in a pinch. I wanted a vernacular, outsider, rustic (whatever you want to call it), look. One that after several years of abuse still looks ok.

ken

In The Short Rows

This time the fat lady is truly in the building. What is left is blind pegging the slab to the base, putting a small chamfer on the lower surface and breaking the edges. Tung oil on the base and maybe a Waterlux finish on the slab.

Side view:

From the end:

I expect by the weekend this sucker will be in the kitchen and in use.