Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Not so much a hobby, something that has to be done by the homeowner to keep costs down. Been recycling red oak boards from an old barn that collapsed on my place a couple of years back. The oak boards are over 60 years old, one inch thick by 10 inches wide. I'll put them through the planer thicknesser to make them uniform thickness, some will end up as face frames for cabinets for the kitchen and bathrooms. I also have a workbench to build for my shop, found some "real" 4X6's that when sized, will make up the rails for the bench, it will have oak boards as it's top/worksurface. Looks like there could be some bookcases out of this lot too!! I have one wall that is about 12 feet long X eight foot high that will be a long bookcase to the ceiling. Yep, I have the books to fill it too!! I'd like to design and build a DVD wall mounted frame for our over 300 and growing DVD collection, should be enough oak left for that too! I do have a well equipped shop, 16 speed pedestal drill, shaping machine, wood lathe, jointer, radial arm saw, table saw, band saw, full tool set of power tools including routers. Be nice to get my shop back as a workshop and not a furniture storage shed!!! When I do, I want to get my sign carving machine set up, who knows??? might get some business making signs for folks. So watch out Mick, this is what retirement is all about........ WORK!!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 31, 2011 Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 I do like a nice peice of wood John. And the smell of it being cut with a circular saw I have some floor boards to replace when I get a chance. When I bought this house, I replaced the ground floor total. The house flooded in the big flood of the 40s, It was 3 feet up the walls and the rot had been there til 96 when we moved in. The kitchen floor was filled with hardcore which had retained water all those years, feeding the wet rot, which spreads across the floor like tendrills. Totaly removed a couple of tons of hardcore and all the wood rot that had fallen on to the concrete base. Its bone dry now. Also added a couple more air bricks. Big job but I got the house cheap because no one would take it on. I recon todays value has increased by £100-120k on what I paid. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted March 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well if your retiring over here, chances are the house you get will be all wood. Florida has very strict codes due to the hurricanes. Everything has to be tied together. I just wished we had a Home Depot within easy distance to me, or even a Lowes!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I like wood, it burns well and gives a nice smell Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 1, 2011 Report Share Posted April 1, 2011 I like wood too, first thing in the morning and last thing at night, it doesn't need a lot of work though................. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fernilee567 33 Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 ' wood by name wood by nature' Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted June 25, 2014 Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 I grew up with all that. My Dad was a joiner and built furniture for folk on the side so he could afford to take us on holiday. I quite often found sections drying after gluing in the outside lav. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
siddha 825 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 I need two wooden tool boxes making for running boards of vintage car. Is there any one can do that ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bilbraborn 1,594 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 If I'd only known 2 months ago. I sold two old ones on Ebay. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,160 Posted June 26, 2014 Report Share Posted June 26, 2014 Sorry SIDDHA, never had any tools so never needed tool box Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted July 7, 2014 Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Here is a piece of wordworking, done over 200 years ago in Germany, with hand tools. http://www.youtube.com/embed/MKikHxKeodA?rel=0 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ayupmeducks 1,730 Posted July 7, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 7, 2014 Many, many hours of work went into that cabinet Kath, I can only imagine the cost of such a thing if it was made today. In Fine Woodworking Magazine, there are always a couple of pages devoted to craftsmen and women's handiwork. Most are made traditionally with hand tools, and are works of art. In the latest edition of American Woodworker magazine, is an article about an American craftsman who will restore old houses, right down to very old dolls houses, his workshop is stacked with wood planes, hand saws and other old hand tools he still uses. He works with both power tools and hand tools, also takes wood shop courses and writes books on the subject. There are many highly talented woodworkers in the US, both women and men, many self taught, who's work is sort after. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 It seems our little feathered friend are looking to join the housing market so to give them a helping hand or should that be wing I built these for them out of some scraps of wood that was knocking about in my old shed so a few galvanised nails to prevent rusting and a few pieces of old plastic conveyor belting and here we are,just got to find somewhere to put em now,if I haven't got space in my garden I will have a nip out on me trike and just nail em up on some trees or bushes down the local lanes. Rog 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
carni 10,094 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Love your little houses Rog, great design and very professional looking; fingers crossed the birds will discover them this year. You have a great idea taking them out into the country and down the lanes, we have seen this done in quite a few areas on Cannock Chase, a proper bird watching haven. I hope you can remember which trees you nail them too, so you can check for occupants. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Nice job, I made a couple last year 32mm hole for blue tits Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MargieH 7,600 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 I think you are a man of many talents, Rog! Cooking, bike maintenance and repair, bird-box construction..... what else can you do? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Correct, a 32mm hole for the blue tits,I have a couple of them in the Lilac bushes at the end of my garden,these are 38mm holes for the sparrows (hopefully)sociable little chaps they are so could put a couple together and the others down the lanes,in the old box I put up a few years ago already has a wren interested as it did last year but as we all know Mr wren will build a few nests in different areas and let his potential Mrs choose her favourite (women eh?) I have a picture of Mr wren at the box from the other year I will try and find it and post on here,Thanks for the comments Carni, a few years ago I made loads of the boxes out of recycled pallets from work,I put an advert in the local rag, "Free Bird nesting boxes",people were coming from surrounding villages,even the local school had three,and the amount of people who called me later that year to let me know about their new little residents that had moved in,what a great feeling that was Rog 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Just like to keep busy, but will have a go at most things,you know what they say about a man of many talents,master of ,,,,, well you know Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 Mr Wren outside the old nesting box,he has some nest building material in his beak Rog 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 #13/19 Very nice little abodes, Rog! Last year, I had troglodytes troglodytes nesting in the huge trachycarpus outside my kitchen window. Spent hours watching the parents feeding babies! Love to encourage wildlife. People are an entirely different matter! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,510 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 We've got a wren busily building 2 nests it seems. One about 5 ft up an ivy-clad cherry tree trunk and the other over a security light under the eaves. We had wrens with babies 2 or 3 years ago in the same ivy but the local cats killed them, really upset us. We have lots of different birds in the garden which unfortunately makes it a magnet for the local cats ....... much to the annoyance of our dog. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 A few years ago I made a load of Bat Boxes,same as the bird nesting boxes but without the hole,you leave a 15mm gap underneath for the little fellas to crawl up,always put the boxes up in three's around a tree trunk at different compass points,one for hibernation,one for a nursery and one for roostingI put these up in the trees at work,when the local wildlife expert came to site he asked "who is going to clean out the boxes at the end of the breeding season?" dunno said I,his reply was "You had better not touch them because it's an offence if you have not been trained"and he carried on with all sorts of threats of prosecution and wildlife trust bodies being unhappy about what I had done.I never made any more and as far as I know the old boxes are still where I put them and no one has "cleaned" them out,bats loss,birds gain Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted March 15, 2017 Report Share Posted March 15, 2017 I think he's talking out of his rear end. The RSPB have Bat box plans for DIYers or sell them ready made if you don't want to build one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,597 Posted March 16, 2017 Report Share Posted March 16, 2017 It's not a problem building them Brew, it seems they have to be cleaned out to prevent germs and deseases spreading to the bats,A question I did ask was" who cleans the crap from the roof spaces of properties or other natural habitats?" I didn't get an answer,I was also told I wouldn't be allowed to take a picture of said bats without a license,I think this guy was a joke,(why do all these trust people think they know whats best?)I will post a picture when I find it of a Long eared bat that took up residence in a store room of our offices at work (an old farm house) Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FLY2 10,108 Posted March 16, 2017 Report Share Posted March 16, 2017 Rog, the country is bogged down by uniformed buffoons who think that the majority of the population are mere surfs and plebs, who need to be ordered about, and kept in check ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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