Beginnings of a work bench

[tablesawtom]

I posted earlier about braking down Ash boards. Well the reason I was doing that is because I am starting to build another work bench. And I wanted to show that braking down plywood or heavy timber the process is the same. It is just getting it into usable size. And I wanted to say I am very happy not to live in a place that has covenants.  In fact stay tuned.

My wife is having a garden club meeting at out house tonight and we had a big storm come through about a week ago and she wanted me to take sticks and branches it out to a friends burn pile and while I was there I decided to get some more Ash. It was cut a couple of years ago and it was at 10 % I unhooked my straps and removed 4 pieces and bundled it back up. This is the first wood I have gotten and I was surprised on how flat it stayed.

   

   

   

Anyway on the way back I stopped at the Little Brown Church and took a couple of pictures. I think it was finished in 1864  It is quite famous and even had A song written about it. The Little Brown Church in the Vale. It is an active church today. Lots of people from all over come there to get Married. Sue and I were married there 55 years ago this coming June 21st.  The couple visiting inside said they were Married there 47 years ago. Anyway I write this because it is where all the ash came from. The church lost 11 ash trees And all the ash pictured came from one tree.

   

   

I took it home and proceeded to cut it into usable sizes so I could get it on my table saw. one of the pictures show 3 knots and otherwise the boards are clear. I also showed the split at the other end. Each board is book matched to the one under it. I was one of the grunts when it was sawn. And we handled it that way.

   

   

   

And then I decided to test the waters and took the last board to my shop. So I cut the last board right in front of my shop, right down town on main street. There was a nice breeze so I didn't even sweep up the sawdust.

   

   

Did I get away with it? People waved as they drove by. Going to do all my brake down on Main Street from now on. The Little brown church is level, just poor photography.

I hope you enjoy how I spent part of my day.

Tom

[jteneyck]

Good story, Tom.  Why do you have a shop downtown?  I thought those pictures I've seen before were from your home shop.  Or perhaps you have two shops?  And where do all these workbenches go?  A man only needs so many, as my wife reminds me when I tell her I'm going to build another clock.  

I love ash.  A much-underappreciated wood.  The sawable trees around here are all dead now, thanks to the EAB.   

John

[tablesawtom]

I was braking down the plywood and the 2 inch ash at home and then I Asked my self why? This is Nashua and it is 17 miles from the nearest stoplight.  I switched to a battery circular saw so I don't have to hunt down an extension cord. The saw is a lot quieter than its corded counter part, and no body really cares anyway.

It was cheaper to buy a building on Main Street than it was to build a two stall garage. My building is 44 wide by 88 feet long.  My shop is about 44 x 44.

I have built all the furniture the house can handle as well as anew kitchen so I build work benches. I sell them  and I will deliver them anywhere for a price.  So if anyone wants a work bench built to your specifications let me know.

Tom