Layout: Blank Works Grass
i began woodworking for one reason, to build furniture that i can use. along this path i have taken a lot of pictures, please enjoy!
this tool was a great purchase and i have greatly increased my output quality of every future project using this single tool!
the features of this tool fit my needs well, and its small size (54" long) and easily movable base make this perfect for my small shop.
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
i needed another lumber rack, and created this unit in the likeness of his bigger brother! the larger lumber rack is HERE.
some might say i have too much lumber, but i have been going through it fairly steadily! every stick is awaiting its appropriate project and i am always grading, sorting, searching, sifting, and flat stacking!
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
i found this olde work horse online and have begun the process of tuning it up to become a top notch jointer plane.
the complete unit has been disassembled and cleaned to become a bench tool, this begins with 'honing' all parts, followed by masking, painting and finally registration.
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
this tool trued out to be very accurate and a major improvement over my current miter gauge setup! there were a few problems getting to this point however!
i have taken a few good photo's of the good and the bad aspects of this product, please read the full review...
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
i have been working on this project for quite some time, and have finally gotten it working very well and wish to share my simple design.
this is my first version, and already i have plans for the second! some things need to be improved, but realistically this unit works really really well!
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
this great beast of a tree fell into the road in front of our home and required removal. most of it will become very beautiful firewood, and a few lucky pieces will end up as some fine furniture!
it was a ton of work getting these sections up from the gully at the base, but we got them all out without incident!
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
made from scrap fire wood, the heads are white ash, and the handles are cherry! these two mallets should work well for my chisel and jointing needs!
i finished these mallets with three coats of water based Polycrylic, they turned out good and have little to no wear marks after a few weeks of use!
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
another successful cull pack project, this time sawing stools! sized perfectly for hand sawing at my knee level and joined using pocket hole screws.
i really like the pocket hole screws for shop projects. if something should happen i could easily reclaim the screws or repair the piece simply by unscrewing!
MIKE HACKER WOOD WORKING
my lumber rack made from cull lumber, glue, and screws allows me to safely store tons of dimensional lumber.
it also allows for safe storage of sheet goods, oddball sized lumber, pipe clamps, and the list keeps going. did i mention that its freestanding?
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
i completed my contest entry, and it turned out better than i could have ever expected!
the two tone finish sets off this 42" Pub Table which was built entirely from one 8/4"x10"x10' hard maple stick! Aside from sawdust, the scrap plate you see is all that was left over from my 17 board feet!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
the bottom section of my pub table is complete, and these are pictures of its construction.
the legs and stretchers are assembled using hidden mortise and tenon joints, and the top is secured to bottom section using homemade dowel pins.
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
handmade dowel pins using a dowel plate and chamfer block from the very same hard maple board! These really helped me flatten the table top out perfectly!
the top is complete, and looks amazing, come look for yourself! The legs will be completed in the next installment.
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
homemade biscuits for my breadboard top, another first for me! These biscuits were cut from scrap strips off the stretches of my pub table, and still all from my original ONE BOARD!!
i did have some issues with my new glue which required me to again do something new, separate two glued joints and that worked out great! In the end the top has been glued together using my homemade biscuits, it looks great and its damn near flat!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
the piece i decided to build is a 40" Pub Table, and in this installment the top of the table gets cut to form breadboard ends!
i have not created a table like this before, but i have cut many a mortise and tenon, and my design exploits what i have learned thus far... come take a look!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
my very first contest entry is fine piece of furniture indeed! I have been VERY EXITED about this project for a long time, and i have begun to detail my design and entry.
stay tuned for further updates and more pictures, complete project details will be posted on www.lumberjocks.com under My Projects!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
i took each of my four planes for a long journey across a short piece of glass, and was left with a really tuned tool that exceeded all my expectations.
i own two Chinese planes, one from India and one made in the USA, each of the steel blades is also from their respective source, and all performed well one properly tuned.
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
this old plane was a deal sweetener in a recent tool barter with a fellow woodworker, it needed some serious cleaning and tuning. i cleaned it the best i could, then had a pro 'honed-it' aka media blasting, purchased a Hock 2" blade, and refinished the original handle and knob. i spent a bunch of hours tuning, now this old tool is ready for service!!
this plane says "MADE IN USA" but has no manufacturer name, i wonder if the lever cap was replaced? it arrived with a Lakeside blade installed, but the last user didn't sharpen it properly and it has a nasty bevel on one side, would this make a good scrub plane blade? If you can help me identify this plane i would appreciate it.
this plane is sized like a jack (14x2") yet has a 4 1/2 marking making it a smoothing plane, the frog sits at 45deg, but has no adjustment screw, also the frog only makes two contact points with the body... still a bit confused on this guy!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
this coffee table is the second piece of my original design for 'The 45 Collection'. the coffee table is the center of the living room and often serves as both a laptop table, eating table, foot stool, and other various tasks. this design includes additional storage space, special purpose shelving and a large drawer to store stuff.
this prototype was also made from ultra select pine, in much the same manner as the previous piece. the legs were made much thicker, and given a unique 45 degree profile to integrate with the piece. This project was truly about the finish, and this piece out shown any expectations i could have had for durability, and general appearance. time was taken, accuracy was paramount, and the results are in the piece. it may be pocket hole joinery, but its some damn fine woodworking!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
this was an important project for a number of reasons. it was my first project using the pocket hole, my first original design, and it will become the first piece in larger collection i am calling 'the 45 collection'. this entertainment center is in use in the corner of our living room, it saves space and looks great!
this particular piece is the prototype and is made of ultra select pine. the legs were laminated, re sawed and then given appropriate angles to accept the side rails. its a very simple and strong design, and took only two nights work! in its current state it needs a few additional tweaks before i finalize the design, stay tuned for this and other 45 collection pieces!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
this is my first real woodworkers bench, and a mighty fine one indeed! my design takes most of its direction from the good and cheap workbench plans available online, sized to me and only took a few weeks of nights to complete.
my bench is very solid, and has been updated since these pictures to include a tail vice, and i built a couple bench dogs!
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
my shop stool is technically a 'musicians stool' and was the first fine woodworking project i completed. i cannot take credit for this design, it was created by another woodworker named mike, he has an excellent website with some great woodworking tips.
all pieces are cut from one 8' 4x4 fence post, and joined using through tenons, and reinforced using only dowels and glue. the seat section is only glued together because the large surface areas provide enough strength, it is rock solid!
i cut two of these stools, but using hand tools to cut the mortises is not fast, the second stool is half-completed, when i get some spare time i will finish the pair.
//\//\IKE //~//ACKER \//\//OOD \//\//ORKING
