It’s been a great week at the farm, complete with several NCWW member visits!
On Monday and Tuesday we fired up the sawmill and generated a couple of days worth of 8” x 8” and 6” x 8” red oak beams for a local customer. The customer even treated me to lunch at Skippers in Apex!
Also on Tuesday I completed the last bit of wiring to extend internet service to the shop! This was a fun project, involving 600’ of buried cable and Ethernet to DSL to Ethernet converters (I’m using DSL technology using my own converters over the buried cable since ethernets’ limit is 100 meters). Old skills involving wiring were dredged up and utilized in the construction of my telco boards for shop and house. Boy, is it great to have internet access from the shop, as this represents another milestone in my quartersawn oak business.
Wednesday, NCWW member Donn Ward stopped by to pick up some QSRO for a project that he’s building (sorry, no pix…, but THANKS DONN!), and this same day the revisions to the dust collection discharge system and dump truck were completed, and I’m glad that’s behind me! The modifications included the installation of a 3 hp blower to directly discharge into the dump truck (along with the 25 hp system). No more barrels of dust to dump – yee haw!
On Thursday NCWW President Doug Robinson stopped by to show me his collection of lathe tools and to walk me through how to make a pen on my new Delta 46-460 midi lathe. Uh-oh… this can be addicting. Last night orders went out to Penn State and Lee Valley for some project components. Here is "our" pen - Thanks Doug!
Yesterday and today we started back on the “big” dust collection system, extending the final run to the 4 head moulder and the Mattison straight line rip saw. The 12” diameter portion of the run was cut, fit, and welded up on Thursday, and today we installed it and started working on the drops off of it. Tomorrow I plan to complete the last bit of welding for the ends of the drops as well as the connection to the Mattison. Here are some of the larger system parts laid out on the shop floor prior to cutting and welding:
After that it’s time to jump over to the “small” system and start cutting, fitting and welding up about 180’ of metal tubing. Most of my fitting were salvaged from an old furniture manufacturing plant and I’ve been cutting them to fit, grinding off the galvanizing and then welding them into the system. This will involve several more days next week to complete. Here are some of the "piece parts", being guarded by Ricochet the "Shop Dog", and also 100' of new 6" tubing:
Today, NCWW member Jerry Craig from Greensboro brought out one of the church pew’s that were advertised on the Greensboro Craigslist (and posted on NCWW by a member). Apparently another church snapped up all of the pews save for the one that Jerry got. He was planning to cut it up for the wood, but when he heard that I was interested in it as a seating surface he kindly offered it to me and even brought it over. Needless to say, he left with several rift and quartersawn red oak boards to use on a future project at home! It was great to meet Jerry (what a neat guy - I think that we could have used the entire day to talk shop, flying, and a myriad of other topics, but unfortunately work intervened… I sure look forward to our next visit though.
Here's Jerry and I sitting on the pew:
And here we are with Jerry's new QSRO stash.
On Saturday NCWW member Tiffany is bringing some doors by to slip into the kiln for sterilization, and NCWW member Steve Wedge is driving down from Mebane to pick up some oak.
Also, NCWW members Lloyd P, Steve W, and Drew Moore have contacted me recently and are planning to stop by soon for some oak and machining.
All in all, life is good! Thanks all for the business support – it is greatly appreciated.
Scott
On Monday and Tuesday we fired up the sawmill and generated a couple of days worth of 8” x 8” and 6” x 8” red oak beams for a local customer. The customer even treated me to lunch at Skippers in Apex!
Also on Tuesday I completed the last bit of wiring to extend internet service to the shop! This was a fun project, involving 600’ of buried cable and Ethernet to DSL to Ethernet converters (I’m using DSL technology using my own converters over the buried cable since ethernets’ limit is 100 meters). Old skills involving wiring were dredged up and utilized in the construction of my telco boards for shop and house. Boy, is it great to have internet access from the shop, as this represents another milestone in my quartersawn oak business.
Wednesday, NCWW member Donn Ward stopped by to pick up some QSRO for a project that he’s building (sorry, no pix…, but THANKS DONN!), and this same day the revisions to the dust collection discharge system and dump truck were completed, and I’m glad that’s behind me! The modifications included the installation of a 3 hp blower to directly discharge into the dump truck (along with the 25 hp system). No more barrels of dust to dump – yee haw!
On Thursday NCWW President Doug Robinson stopped by to show me his collection of lathe tools and to walk me through how to make a pen on my new Delta 46-460 midi lathe. Uh-oh… this can be addicting. Last night orders went out to Penn State and Lee Valley for some project components. Here is "our" pen - Thanks Doug!
Yesterday and today we started back on the “big” dust collection system, extending the final run to the 4 head moulder and the Mattison straight line rip saw. The 12” diameter portion of the run was cut, fit, and welded up on Thursday, and today we installed it and started working on the drops off of it. Tomorrow I plan to complete the last bit of welding for the ends of the drops as well as the connection to the Mattison. Here are some of the larger system parts laid out on the shop floor prior to cutting and welding:
After that it’s time to jump over to the “small” system and start cutting, fitting and welding up about 180’ of metal tubing. Most of my fitting were salvaged from an old furniture manufacturing plant and I’ve been cutting them to fit, grinding off the galvanizing and then welding them into the system. This will involve several more days next week to complete. Here are some of the "piece parts", being guarded by Ricochet the "Shop Dog", and also 100' of new 6" tubing:
Today, NCWW member Jerry Craig from Greensboro brought out one of the church pew’s that were advertised on the Greensboro Craigslist (and posted on NCWW by a member). Apparently another church snapped up all of the pews save for the one that Jerry got. He was planning to cut it up for the wood, but when he heard that I was interested in it as a seating surface he kindly offered it to me and even brought it over. Needless to say, he left with several rift and quartersawn red oak boards to use on a future project at home! It was great to meet Jerry (what a neat guy - I think that we could have used the entire day to talk shop, flying, and a myriad of other topics, but unfortunately work intervened… I sure look forward to our next visit though.
Here's Jerry and I sitting on the pew:
And here we are with Jerry's new QSRO stash.
On Saturday NCWW member Tiffany is bringing some doors by to slip into the kiln for sterilization, and NCWW member Steve Wedge is driving down from Mebane to pick up some oak.
Also, NCWW members Lloyd P, Steve W, and Drew Moore have contacted me recently and are planning to stop by soon for some oak and machining.
All in all, life is good! Thanks all for the business support – it is greatly appreciated.
Scott
