New project - dining room suite

[Ken Weaver]

Daughter needs a dining room suite for their new house so I jumped into the fray (I may regret it).

Went to a sawyer that I've used before and got a little under 300 bdft of red oak for $200. Most of it is 8/4 for legs and chair pieces, along with some 16/4 for table legs, and 8/4 for a table top 1 3/4" thick, 7 ft long and 40" wide. Came in the shop ranging between 18 and 22% moisture so it'll be a while before I get started.

The fun part of the trip was when I started up the hill from the guy's place and the entire load came out (my bed liner is a bit slick). Luckily Ken Massingale was with me and had his truck with Rhino liner so we loaded into his for the trip home.

The guy must have been nuts cause he let Massingale drive the Mizer. I stood well back.

[jeff...]

Nothing at all wrong with driving the mizer, it's fun :-)

Good deal on the red oak, it's great that there are folks out there who mill up lumber and sell to us wood worker folks. You may already know this but if you went to a lumber yard and bought as much as you did you would have been raked over the coals.

[Ray Martin]

Ken,

Nice score on the oak. If I red the numbers in your post correctly, that's a really good price for the wood, even if it does need to dry for a while. Good luck wht the dinning room. ... and don't forget the photos...

Ray

[michaelgarner]

sweet score, What style are you going to go with? Pedestal or Trestle or something else? I have been contemplating making a dining table but I haven't found what I like. I try not to build ordinary run of the mill furniture. I bet it will be treasured for generations I'm sure. Be blessed friend.

[cskipper]

Most excellent score! Can't wait to see progress pictures!

[Ken Weaver]

sweet score, What style are you going to go with? Pedestal or Trestle or something else? I have been contemplating making a dining table but I haven't found what I like. I try not to build ordinary run of the mill furniture. I bet it will be treasured for generations I'm sure. Be blessed friend.

It will be Stickley's 622 trestle table - if everything goes right. I got the plan from Lang's book of Shop Drawings of Stickley's designs. It will be a challenge, but hopefully fun.

Next week we're going back to the sawyer's for a 16' white oak log that we hope to have quartersawn. It will be interesting since all he's used to cutting is standard slabs.

[michaelgarner]

I bet quartersawn would look just grand on that table. Are you going to fume the wood like traditional stickley furniture or are you going to use dye to make the grain pop? I am very interested in following your progress on this. Be blessed friend.

[michaelgarner]

Here is a pic of the table. I had a hard time finding a picture of it. have a blessed day friends.

[sapwood]

Nice score Ken

And it's not every day someone (Massingale) gets to drive a Mizer. Must have been a treat 8-)

Roger

[Ken Weaver]

I bet quartersawn would look just grand on that table. Are you going to fume the wood like traditional stickley furniture or are you going to use dye to make the grain pop? I am very interested in following your progress on this. Be blessed friend.

I'm sure I won't fume it - not quite ready for that at my skill level. Daughter liked the way my end tables turned out with red oak and wipe on poly so that's probably what I'll do. Not sure how much quarter sawn showed up in this batch either so will have to be selective for the table top. I'm inspired by Stickely, but I don't have the skills to replicate his work.

[Ken Weaver]

Here is a pic of the table. I had a hard time finding a picture of it. have a blessed day friends.

If that's not it, it's very close. Gotta love the simplicity.

[michaelgarner]

I'm sure I won't fume it - not quite ready for that at my skill level. Daughter liked the way my end tables turned out with red oak and wipe on poly so that's probably what I'll do. Not sure how much quarter sawn showed up in this batch either so will have to be selective for the table top. I'm inspired by Stickely, but I don't have the skills to replicate his work.

Well friend in the nicest, friendliest, most Christian way I have to call BS on you saying you don't have the skill to replicate stickley work. Those end tables are truly magnificent. You work is very clean and proportioned right. I have not doubt that the table will turn out just as good or even better. Thanks for sharing that link friend. God bless.

[michaelgarner]

Ken,
This is off topic but I saw on your web site your part of the "Department of Computer Science" I am studying for my CCNA and in the future my CCNP and was wondering if you knew of any good simulation/preparation software on the market? thanks for your help.

[Ken Weaver]

Ken,
This is off topic but I saw on your web site your part of the "Department of Computer Science" I am studying for my CCNA and in the future my CCNP and was wondering if you knew of any good simulation/preparation software on the market? thanks for your help.

In SC the Technical Colleges usually offer certification classes and the materials through their 2-year IT programs and most 4-year institutions don't offer them, pirmarily because they're branded certifications. I would suspect the NC system works similarly. If I remember right you're in the service, have you checked with the education office? Sometimes they're able to provide those courses and the supporting packages - not sure what your situation is in Iraq, but it would be worth asking the question. They're available online, (such as whizlab - http://www.whizlabs.com/ccna.html for $45). At minimum, email a Tech College near your stateside base and see if they have a way to get the material to you cheaper, maybe you could enroll in an online course. Good luck - and keep your head down (Vietnam '70)

[michaelgarner]

thanks for the heads up ken, and i will deffinately look into that info. I want to thank you for your service during that time, I know that you were not welcomed by our country back then like how we are now. My soldier heart thanks you and your battle buddies for your sacrifice. Be blessed friend.