Building my workbench and other items.

Buenas diás from Costa Rica

It is another sunny 70 degree day here in CR. The rain has really tapered off and so I think it is safe to say we are now in dry season or summer, as the Costaricans would say. I wasn't able to get back to the blog for the last week for various reasons, but I guess that doesn't really matter as no one is really reading this blog. Of course there are so many blogs and You Tube channels that I guess you really have to find a nitch to get noticed. Oh well, I will keep writing and building and see where it goes.

I wanted to show you all a small version of the conversion of my shop to a hand-tool only shop which is mainly the building of my version of the Roubo workbench built by Chris Schwarz. I built it out of a wood called Melina, which is produced here in CR. I bought 4 x 8 3/4 sheets of it and ripped it into strips of 3" for the stretchers, 4" for the top and 5" for the legs. I think it turned out well and I really like it. I didn't have a tail vise or screw for the leg vise but had two faces vises from my previous work bench. So I installed the face vise, which racked horribly but served it's purpose. I then used the other face vice and came up with my own version of a wagon vise. I did a reverse with the plate that is usually mounted underneath the top and the face jaw. I mounted the face jaw where it wouldn't move and let the plate float underneath. It's not pretty but it works great. One day I was trying to figure out how to use the other face vise as a tail screw for the leg vise. I didn't want to take it apart or cut any metal, but one day I was ruff cutting some wood on my sawyers bench when I look at my vise with my head cocked to one side. Suddenly the lights went off and I realized I could turn the face vise sideways, take out the supporting bars and mount the guide plate behind the leg. Again it isn't pretty but works great. Originally I used a piece of 1 1/4 thick wood for the vise but that bent horribly in the center so I laminated another piece to it which thickened it up and works great now. You can see in one photo the make shift bench I built on my table saw which I used to plane wood but was horrible as the table would move and I ended up chasing the table around the shop.

The other photo is of the project I am currently working on  for a fellow missionary in San Jose. He has a place out on the western side of CR near Dominical, a famous beach for surfers. He has a small bathroom and in one corner wants a small vanity top for his sink. He wanted it to be a floating top with a butcher block look. So here is what I came up with. This was my second completely unplugged project. He also want a shower floor built which I am currently working on designing.

On the subject of the rocking chair you can see Christmas came early with the arrival of some tools and products I have been waiting for. I got the hide glue which I am looking forward to working with. I also got a pound of shellac flakes, I am currently searching for pure alcohol here in CR, I think I might be able to get it at the pharmacy. Most people will say use denatured alcohol, one, they don't have it here in CR, and two, I was watching a YouTube video on guitar making, weeping Z guitars, where the guy had a video on french polish. He made the statement that he didn't like the poisons they put in denatured alcohol to make it undrinkable and preferred to work with a more pure safer product. He was using 95% alcohol. Another guitar builder on YouTube, Obrien guitars used Everclear which is 95% alochol with out the dangerous poisons. I also got some pumice for filling the grain, a scorp, drawknife, and some leather with some green sharpening compound to make a strop for the scorp. I am still waiting on one more package which should arrive next week with some items I need for working on the seat of the rocker. Hopefully next week I can pick up some wood if the funds permit it. Well, my friends take care and let me know what you think.

God Bless
Mark