Barn wood bed - headboard II

All of the mortises have been drilled, cleaned-out and fit with the slats, as shown. The next process will be to rout out the corresponding mortises for the top of the headboard. As the top is in halves, each will be routed exactly half of the thickness of the slats to form the mortises.

It'll have to wait next until next week as I have a red oak built-in to fabricate for a client in Ankeny.

Barn wood bed - heardboard

Here's a mock-up of the headboard. The slats are 5 1/2" - 6" wide with a thickness approximately 1". The top of the arch sits at 58 1/2" right now. It will get a 1/4" x 1 1/2" piece of steel to cap the exposed, sawn top. The next step is to attach some cleats to the side rails and throw down some hardwood mattress slats. The box spring will barely be above the side rails, so there's no need for skirting...It's finally coming together...

Barn wood bed - II

Work commenced on the barn wood bed this morning. Finally, it's a standing frame with all of the mortise and tenon joints complete. The posters will be joined together with 3/4" round hammered steel rod. The footboard will remain as is, structurally. The headboard will receive an arched top with board slats placed vertically...if you're lost, I'll post when it's finished.

Lumicor - Mobile privacy divider

4'x4' Lumicor panel

Lots of things got done today in shop, but alas, no new pictures. This is it.

I dropped off a donated table to the Young Women's Resource Center and met up with Bethany to celebrate St. Chelsea's Day at Fongs. Actually got to drink in front of the pagoda I fabricated last fall.

This picture makes me pine for a new beginning...something better on the horizon. I don't know what that is, or when it will arrive...but I'm hoping it's soon. I'm ready to stretch my legs, find my stride and run free...

Cheese

I did make some other things today, including the pedestal for the last Lumicor frame for Complete Spine. But none of those photos were that interesting. Perhaps tomorrow I'll have some better shots of it all mocked up.

This was a Kraft Singles (American cheese) and Muenster on whole wheat with Picket Fence butter on the bread. Hells yeah, it was good! Bethany and Nacho are in the background...

Cafe in the Park - Adel

This pretty much summed up my Saturday with Beth.

Vintage book

Closure - Lumicor frames

After a few construction pains, the panels and frames are up; large and in charge. I can't thank Dr. and Mrs. Davis enough for allowing me to do these pieces. I'm very, very happy with how they turned out. Like a proud father with two new twins.

L Y C I A

People that know me well or have known me for a long time know how in to this band/project I am. It's ambient/darkwave/ethereal/goth etc. On rainy days when I'm feeling down at the shop, I'll blast this...it keeps me down. "The Morning Breaks So Cold And Gray" will be played at my funeral...

Barn wood - mortises

I HAVE been doing something since I got back from Phoenix. Here's an example of the mortises that mate with the barn wood tenons. The mortising drill is probably the coolest carpentry tool I've yet to use. Call me old school, but I love a pinned mortise and tenon joint. The detail looks cool and they're super strong. (The bed is getting a 3/8" lag pin.) Maybe it's the sideburns that brings out the Amish in me...I was wondering how the hell those dudes built barns without a machine like this using those joints. Very cool.

The bed should be standing in the next day or two depending on tomorrow's Lumicor frame installation. I'll be spraying polyurethane here pretty quick with hopes of a late install tomorrow night. Seriously, the frames are gonna rule...

Old Timey aka "Senior"

Every shop has one; a "senior." I've known Big Kevy my whole life. I used to refill his mug with beer when I was 5 years old during the Madrid Beer Drinkers Association parties years ago. Now, we just call him Old Timey.

Lumicor frames are back!!!

Fabrication is about finished with the Lumicor frames for Complete Spine and Headache Center in Ames, IA. Dimensions have been double-checked, the frames have been dry assembled and will be glued up tomorrow. All that's left is gluing up some caps for the top and recessing some stainless steel discs that will function as a subtle detail to the maple construction. With any luck, I'll have these in a polyurethane state before I leave the shop at night. Then all that's left, is the actual Lumicor itself...AND some creative installation! Thanks again Tony and Kel Anne.

Pliers

Yesterday I got back from Sioux City after running some steel up to Valmont Coatings for Artistic Iron Works, my former employer. My old bench is still there over by Kevy's area. I found these and was elated, for I hadn't had them in months since leaving. I shared my elation to Kevin who compared me to "Senior." Every shop, well, every "old" shop has a "Senior." He's the elder of the shop that was, until last year, coming in everyday to "work," at the age of 88. All the tools were very sentimental to him. I often laughed at him for it. He had a story for every piece of steel, machine or miscellaneous piece of shit in the shop. But, I can somehow relate to him now. These were my first "welding" pliers I purchased for my first welding course I took. They grab hot metal, loosen nuts, cut wire and loosen nozzles tips on a mig gun. As a welder, here's my favorite tool.

Kevin's just jealous...cause he doesn't have a pair. Or a pair of pliers either...