Bistro Complete!

That's right, it's done!

I have to say I really like this project. But, I'm also glad that it's finally done!! Here's a full picture of the table. Again, the dimensions of the table are 42"high, and the top is 36"square.

Here are a couple more pictures:

I hope my friend likes it as much as I do... otherwise I'll be building some matching chairs!

Bistro Progress

I didn't get quite as much done as I had hoped for this weekend, but I did just apply the final coat of paint to the top, yeah!!

Since I'm on vacation from the real job this week, tomorrow I will tackle the base.

Prime Time

I like knots. Most people don't seem to, but I do. I think they add character to a piece of wood. Some knots are better than others though. Ideally a nice tight knot would be the best to incorporate into a project.

But sometimes, a knot that isn't so great can be fixed up. The knot on the underside of the bistro table top is the perfect example. I decided to keep this knot in the piece for the simple fact that the table is being painted and it won't be seen.

This knot had some dried and loose pieces in it. So when I first started putting the top together, I used a screwdriver to pluck out all the loose bits out of the knot. This left a nice gaping hole instead. I filled the hole with a mixture of 2-part epoxy and some wood shavings.

I didn't get a before picture (sorry), but I did snap a picture before I applied the primer so I could use this as a bit of education for myself.

I think if I were to need to do this again, I would just use straight 2-part epoxy and skip the wood shavings.

Oh and speaking of the bistro table, I got a full coat of primer on the top tonight, so here's a shot to give you an idea of how the table will look when finished.

Bistro Update

No pictures today, but I have finished the final sanding of the bistro table. All of the corners have been rounded over and the table is now ready to be finished.

I have practiced my finishing method for the table:
1) shellac - applied to seal the knots to prevent them from bleeding through the paint
2) 1st coat of primer
3) wood filler - to fill any imperfections that become visible after the 1st coat of primer is applied
4) 2nd coat of primer
5, 6 & 7) coat of exterior white latex - a light sanding will be done with 220 grit sandpaper after step 5 and 6.

I'll post pictures again after the shellac has been applied and then again when the table is completed.

1st Contest Entry

I've entered the Bistro Table in the LumberJocks Summer 2007 contest!

This years contest has two categories

garden projects and wood joinery.

With this table project, I've had a concern over how I wanted to attach the top. Considering the top is 36" square, I knew it was going to need a system that allowed the top to be removable (if only to get the table out of the dungeon!).

After some pondering, I came up with a solution that allows for a tool-free removal of the top. Here are a couple pictures of how I achieved that.



so basically what happens, is the top is put on a little off center and is then pushed forward so the little buttons on the underside of the top lock on the little tenons that are attached to the frame. With this solution, I've entered the table in the Wood Joinery category of the LumberJocks contest. The contest runs through the month of July and the winners will be announced after the voting in early August.

Wish me luck!

She Must Love Cooking!

This is something that should have been posted a while ago...

One of the girls at work asked me to make a cutting board for her mother's birthday. She didn't want just any cutting board though. She wanted a heart shaped cutting board.

I was a bit skeptical at first even though I told her I would do it. I thought it was going to look horrible. I also thought it was going to be a bit of a waste of time since it is kind of a gag gift. Apparently this girls mom is constantly buying theme gifts for her even though she doesn't like the chosen theme. So to get her mom back, she always tries to find a gift that incorporates a heart... hence the heart cutting board.



To give you a size reference, this was cut from the full size boards I've done, so it's roughly 11"x15"x1.5".

I have been informed that her mom does love it.

Bistro Table

Ok so for anyone that still even looks at this blog, here's a REAL update!

I've got the legs and the frames sanded and I've started to assemble them. I need to make one modification still to the top frame, so that hasn't been secured yet. But that didn't stop me from snapping a picture to prove that I have actually been working on something all this time!

Keep in mind we still don't have a finished product yet. The top has been cut to size, but it still needs to be sanded and have the corners softened.

The stack of crates to the right of the table are just a bit taller than the stools that will be used with the table.

This is a modified design that I got from an article in a recent edition of Wood Magazine. For anyone interested in getting started in woodworking, Wood Magazine has my vote for the first subscription you should get. They have by far had the best projects of any subscription I've had.

Stay Tuned!

While it may appear here that little has been going on, that's really not what's happening.

My little dungeon has had it's fair share of activity lately, I'm working on getting something "post ready"

Stay Tuned...

Cutting Board mini

The last showing of this style cutting board was prior to it receiving it's oil bath. Here's a nice shot of the mini with it's aged oil coatings...


Using a combination of black walnut and red leaf maple and measuring in at 11"x7.5"x1.5" in size, I'm aiming to make this little guy a standard item on the darrylmasterson.com site.

Setting a Standard

My thoughts are this: If I'm going to try and pursue any sort of woodworking business, having a few standard items that customers can choose from would be a good way to start. These next few posts will include a few design ideas for a standard set of Cigar Pens.

I consider the Sapele Cigar Pen the classic or standard cigar pen. Since this was the first style that I had started using and it's just got a nice warm comfortable look to it. I can see that just about anyone could use this style pen.



Sapele, also known as African Mahogany, has a nice rich brown color to it. I've modified my finishing technique slightly on the set that I made tonight. With these, I sanded with 220 and 320 grit sand paper. I then applied a coat of BLO (Boiled Linseed Oil) and wiped off the excess for a total of three coats. I then upped the speed of the lathe to the range of 2500RPM and rubbed the pen down with 0000 steel wool. The final step is to wipe the pen of with a tack cloth. This gives the pen a nice sheen.

The Acrylic

The Blue and White is the first acrylic blank that I started working with and I think it goes fantastic with the platinum hardware. This is another that I'm considering as standard offering.

Bronze Cigar Pen

Here's the second cigar pen that I'm making for my friend. I'm happy with how both of them turned (pardon the pun) out. Of the two, I think the blue is my favorite, though the black chrome kit on this bronze blank looks pretty good.

As far as processes are concerned, I sanded this one with 220 and 320 grit paper and finshed up with a good rubbing of 0000 steel wool. A tac cloth helps clean up the dust.

I've got a couple more acrylic pens to make and then back to some using wood. I got some bloodwood from another local woodturner that I think will look real good.

New Acrylic Cigar Pen

I finally got around to making one of two pens I told one of my friends I would turn for her what seems like a couple months ago...



Hope she likes it!

Completed DVD Shelf

I know it looks like it's floating in this first picture, but here is the now completed DVD shelf hanging on our living room wall. We painted the room back in early December and around the same time, I got a copy of The Family Handyman that had this project. I'm pretty happy with the outcome. I used White Oak, plywood for the back and the molding is Pine with an Early American stain. Everything was rubbed down with a couple coats of Boiled Linseed Oil.



One of the thoughts on this project is to get the DVDs out of the reach of my firecracker three year old. She can still reach them...

And finally here's a shot showing how the shelf is set over the loveseat. We are planning on upgrading to something in the leather line which should go nicely with the warm look of the Oak and BLO combo.

DVD Storage

Right after Thanksgiving I had posted about a new project that I wanted work on. Well I've finally gotten around to put some work into this project. The main case assembly was completed today as well as the sanding. Now I need to make another trip out to Home Depot to pick up some cove molding so I can add the final touches.

Here are a couple of shots of where I'm at today:

Measuring at about 41" in length, this should hold about 75 DVDs. each section is 13" wide, so I'm guessing I should be able to get 25 DVDs per section.

Picture Practice

It's not just woodworking that a woodworker needs to be good at. Apparently we also need to have some decent photography skills as well. So I thought tonight I'd practice a little bit. This is the shot I like the best of the group I took.

The lighting could use some improvement in the shot above. The picture above was taken in the close-up mode on the camera and this doesn't use the flash. Here's a shot that I took to start today's session using the auto mode with the flash.

As far as the cutting board is concerned, this is one of my maple and walnut boards. This is a new mini size that my wife had asked for. It measures 11"x7.5"x1.5". This one here still needs to be sanded and oiled.

Ready to Learn More

Now that I have my second bowl under my belt (and I'm still very excited that I didn't need to glue the bottom back onto this one), I'm really looking forward to the bowl turning group meeting that I'm going to on Tuesday.

My father put me in touch with someone he knows that's in this group a couple weeks ago. I'm also going to meet this fellow turner on Saturday after I finish my morning chores (bringing the trash and recycling to the dump) so I can check out his shop and see what pointers he might be able to share.

Bowl # 2

it might be considered a little on the thick side... but at least it's in one piece!

here's a bowl I made tonight out of a piece of purpleheart. I gave this one a quick coat of mineral oil after sanding it down to a 220 grit.



and another shot.

First Bowl

Now that I'm caught up on current orders, I thought I'd play around a little and try making a bowl on the lathe. A friend of mine picked up a few bowl blanks for me a couple weeks ago, so I grabbed the piece of Sapele and started it up.

I got the bowl to the point where I would be satisfied with it simply being my first bowl... then decided that I would take one more pass with the scraper to clean up this little ridge that was on the inside lip.

the rest is history.





yup that's right, it broke right off.

I'm not throwing it into the firewood pile though... I'll keep it as a humbling reminder.
Right now it's down in the dungeon waiting for the glue to dry the bottom back on.

New Toy

looks like I was a good boy this year after all!!

since it was to heavy for my wife to move on her own, it wasn't left under the tree... instead we took a walk out to the mini-van so I could open this present!



I've got it set up and turned it on as a test, but I haven't run anything through it yet. I should be getting to that in a couple days.