I've put together the basic components of the bench top router table and put it into the shop last night. I didn't do much in the shop, just kinda took a look around and assessed a few things. I've decided that I'm going to need to build a cabinet that's going to be tall enough to house the bench top router table.

Since the bench top router table is 14" in height, I'll have to build a rolling cabinet that is 24" long x 14"wide x 24" high. I'll also have to factor the height minus the height of the locking and straight casters that I add on. The casters will make the cabinet portable and easier to position around the shop. I have a preliminary design build in mind but I'm going to research around a little more in order to start shopping for materials. Unfortunately, the weather has not subsided and the temperatures inside my shop remain deadly hot. I'll have to do this build late in the evenings and possibly outside.

Away for a while.

It has been over two weeks since my last post. I have been forced to take a break from woodworking due to the extreme heat. I've been mostly taking it easy, I've floated the river a couple of times and it's been good for me to just keep cool. My shop temperature mid day is around 110 degrees, at night it's usually still holding at 100 degrees. Not a very safe temperature to be out there.

I have made some new editions to the shop in the time I've been away from it. I have purchased and installed a new metal tool stand for my table saw. This has eliminated the need for the portable folding stand that came with my table saw which was unstable and took up too much space. The new stand is sturdy and strong and has a small footprint. In a small shop like mine, space is valuable.

Besides the new table saw stand, I have purchased a sign maker's kit and a bench top router table. I am anxious to start using the sign makers kit as well as the new router table. I was really happy about the fact that I purchased both at an incredible price.
I'll focus on getting familiar with how these two things are set up before I get the chance to really go crazy with them.

Another thing I have to ad to my shop list is to get out and shop for wood for future projects. I'm completely out of hardwoods and have only a pieces of scrap softwood laying around. I also have to shop around for a good project to work on too. In the mean time, I'll patiently wait for it to get cooler outside.

Weekend Update.
I had a rad weekend. I'm so stoked that I got so much done and I logged a couple of hours in the shop. It was a hot and sweaty time in the shop, I mean sweat was pouring off of me. But that's a good thing in my mind - it's like working out, ha ha ha. I maintained drinking a lot of fluids so I was okay. The shop thermometer read 100 degrees yesterday, we got up to 102 in Bastrop just yesterday. It was our first triple digit weather day.

Sliding Tool Cabinet Project
I'd say that I am on the last leg of this project. I have the cabinet base attached to the bin shelf and that entire component mounted to the wall. I have attached a few photos and it's looking really really good. It's been a few weeks of hard work on this project and I am very proud of it. I was very careful of it's quality and craftsmanship, What remains of this project is the construction of the sliding doors, a layer of finishing tongue oil and maybe a few spots to be sanded. Also, I'd like to make labels for the bins and have them organized. Tonight, I'll begin the door frames... hopefully... if it isn't too hot... Enjoy the photos!!

I don't have much of an update for last night. I cut a few of the dividers, the top and the bottom for the bin shelf. The awesome thing is that I got my order for the custom bins themselves in from Grainer.com last night. They are going to be perfect for my sliding shop cabinet!! Kind of the finishing touch if you will. The piece de resistance, ha ha ha.

Today I'll go and purchase the remaining things I'll need to wrap up this project soon.
- detail sander
- detail sanding sheets
- 48x48 pegboard sheet
- 12" or up clamps

After that, we should be in business...

I spent a few hours last night attaching the pegboard backing with screws. I took my time in order to ensure that everything properly fit together and remained square. I was mainly focusing on the detail work, I also did some hand sanding to smooth out some rough spots and a few saw marks that I found. I realized quickly last night that I was going to need an electric hand sander and soon. I postponed the sanding until later.

Next, I proceeded to cut the pieces for the face frame stiles and rails, the shelves, and stopped after the door stops. It was already late and I had come to a great stopping point. After finishing the face frame stiles and rails, further sanding a few of the rough spots, adding a slight chamfer around the edges, construction of the base should be complete with the exception of a few laters of tongue oil.

Tonight, I'll glue on the face frame stiles and rails, sand some more, cross cut and rip the pieces to begin assembly of the door frames and bin shelf. Once I'm done with that, I'll mostly concentrate on the construction of the bin shelf tonight as I'm out of the pegboard I need to place into the door frames.

Bin Shelf.
The bin shelf will be a very interesting assembly using a few rabbets and repetitive dadoes. The bin dividers will be the most easiest as they will simply be repetitive cross cuts. I'll also have repetitive cuts to make for the bins stops I'll be inserting into a kerf I'll make into the bottom piece of the bin shelf. I have pre-ordered 16 yellow bins to size from Grainger that should be mailed to me any day now. Once all the cuts have been made, I'll dry fit everything just to make sure everything fits snugly together - after which I'll begin gluing everything together carefully.

Working Late.

Sliding Cabinet Update.
I spent a lot of time working late last night on the sliding tool cabinet. I realized a few days ago that I had made a mistake on the two side pieces and had drilled the shelf pin holes too far apart. A rookie mistake on a very intricately designed piece. I don't have a very good explanation as to why I did what I did - I must have just made a blank mistake, I wasn't paying attention and it certainly costs me time. I went back and spent time catching up and had to re-do those two pieces entirely.

After being stoked about catching up, I began to dry fit, glue and screw the pieces for the final assembly of the cabinet base. Much to my excitement and surprise, everything fit squarely together - it was a pretty smooth operation considering how much I had to toil to catch up. The cabinet base frame is now successfully assembled and is pending the pegboard and back cleats. The Back cleats will secure the pegboard onto the base frame and also serve as the method by which the cabinet will be secured to the wall. The back cleats will be very easily installed and will sit flush to the base frame.

Assembly of the sliding cabinet doors, the door hardware and handles, followed by sanding and prepping with tongue oil will be all that remains for this piece to be finished completely.

Conclusion.
I am happy about how everything has come together and how the white coated pegboard looks as a back drop to the cabinet itself. I think it's much better than the usual brown colored pegboard. I am confident now that the doors will come together nicely as well. The base frame put up some resistance due to some places where care and attention had to be dedicated in order to assure a correct fit. I think this lesson has only added to my experience as a whole - I shall only learn from it.

Been Awhile

Well, it has been sometime since my last post. You'll have to forgive me as I have been very busy. I'll try not to let that hinder my blog. The mini-shop has had quite a few changes, I've also made progress in the sliding shop cabinet project.

Blue Birdhouse Project.
On Saturday, I got sidetracked as I helped my father build and complete two cedar birdhouses for his home. What was expected to be a simple Saturday morning project put up a little fight and took longer than expected. But what matters is that we built two of them and they are good to go. They are pending being mounted to a few of the tall fence tops which should be a perfect place for them.

Mini-Shop
We began the layout of Phase 2 for the Mini-shop this past Saturday. First, we positioned and buried the three support columns that will hold up the South end of the roof, the North end of the roof will be attached to the South wall of the Mini-shop. The North end of the roof will be supported and held up using Simpson rafter ties. After setting the three support columns in concrete, we continued Sunday to put up the rafters and roof sheeting. All that remains now is the lattice wall that we'll put up on the west wall of it, tar papering the roof, installing the roof shingles, and wiring a light fixture and outdoor socket for electrical accessibility.