Time for a workbench.

For quite some time I have been thinking about building some sort of work-bench that would be more stable the table's I currently have, particularly for hand work.  My parents got me the hardware to build a vise for christmas which was the prodding I needed to actually make it happen.

The legs and short stretchers are 4x6 douglas fir timbers that are  joined with mortis and tenon. These are the only joints I have glued as I want to be able to re-configure the bench as better I understand what my needs are.

One leg assembly dry fit.

Shop with the parts in process on my temporary bench.  I think this shop layout is the 5-6th one in the last 6 months.

And here is the bench with the vise installed.  I still need to  find a better way to secure the leg assemblies to the top, I think I'm going to try some carriage bolts.  The top is two layers of MDF with a gap down the center that I have filled with a strip that can be used for holding tools, or flipped to act as a planing stop.  If I remove the filler strip I can clamp through the center of the bench which has already come in handy.

Back to the window seat

Back to the window seat project.  Here are the end cabinets with some finish on them.

And doors...

Glueing up the panel for the cabinet tops.

Flattening and smoothing on the custom bench-hook. I really need to get a larger  plane for panels like this.

We decided to go with the end grain to the front to keep the grain flow from the cabinet doors and to expose more of the spalting.

Time for some drawers.  1/2" birch plywood with a quick coat of shellac.

Last weekend I finally dragged all the pieces into the house and got the all screwed together and attached to the wall.

Then we upholstered the cushion.

The drawers are already in use.

Today I got the table tops cut from the large panel and routed to match the templates  we had decided on.  Not I just have to finish the tops and add the trim along the floor.

Storm Windows

Another side project to get in the way of finishing the window seat.  With winter, finally, rolling in I needed to build a storm window for Nick's bathroom window.  The glazing was the only part that didn't go as smooth as I would have liked.

Now there shouldn't be a breeze blowing through his window.

Next on the list was one of the windows in our bedroom.  This window is quite a bit larger so I built the storm window in two parts.  I was able to get storm window hardware from Amazon, poplar from the hardwood supplier, glass from Home Depot...total cost was about ~50....including the 3rd pane of glass to replace the one I broke while cutting it.

I didn't take any photo's while I was building the frame but they are through mortise and tenons that are glued.   The inside edge is chamfered.

The outside got a rabbet for the glass.

After the primer dried, the glass was installed and then after the glazing cured the frames were painted for installation.

Lower window has hooks to secure it from the inside so that it can be opened for ventilation come spring.

Storm windows installed, just in time.  It was well below zero the next few nights.  Our bedroom is quite a bit warmer, the frost is now on the storm window instead of the bedroom window.