wedge

Workbench restore thread 1.

Project unfolds in 3 stages (as it stands): trestles, long stretchers, top. The last will be complex, certain.

Process, barring unforseen issues: plug, patch, replace the unusable, tighten, and generally clean it up.

Goal is not to make it look new. I couldn’t do it if I tried. Dings, dents, deep scratches, little cracks and chips… that’s all part of the history. My ameliorations, too, will become a part of the bench’s history.

The initial bench for reference.

I started restoring this ‘ciseaux bedane’ a while back and got sidetracked. Still some hand grinding to do on bottom, but it was almost there. These chisels are meant to be whacked hard, and I’ll need to put a handle on it with two ferrules, so I bumped it up as my test for using threaded brass plumbing fittings as ferrules. Strong.

Today’s exercise, wearing respirator: lug 32 stacks of 25 clay tiles out of the south grenier (future upstairs bedroom) and into the yard, somewhere. No clue where. No good place to put them. Definitely not going into the garage or the abri.

Can’t stay put. They’re in way of finishing the video installation tomorrow (and future renovation).

Lots of ads in Le Bon Coin by people trying to give these things away and can’t.

I might return to the idea of using them for raised garden bed walls.

I love this tree in the neighbor’s yard. I’m hoping they don’t prune it anytime soon. A merisier, I think. Not certain. The blossoms are just starting. This will explode into a pink fireball in the next days. Branches disappear.

Have to put the chisel on hold until CA glue is acquired. I hate when materials are a hold up.

So, jumping back to the desk for a while. I need to get this done, out of the work space, and into use.

You may recall (some older photos here) I made new drawer stops; did those screw-line crack repairs with dowels, and one with patches where there was blowout; removed broken locks and patched those holes, etc.

I’ve a few more places to patch before refinishing.

In the hunt for a wide-brimmed hat for yard and trail.

This guy sounds like the kind of milliner to get one from.

https://www.agnoulitahats.com/en-eu/pages/about-our-story

But my budget is much less these days, and so are my style needs.

Damn hard to find a decent hat, though.

Electrician on way again. Video cameras should be going up, if it’s not too noisy of work. Some quick drilling should be all.

Our community, Alsace in general, has a pretty strict noise ordinance policy for holidays and Sundays. No power tools. No construction (e.g. loud hammering all day), etc. I sometimes hear distant lawn mowers on Sundays, but construction work is what people are likely to turn you in for.

I’m good with the surrounding neighbors. Should be okay.

Famous last words.

Remember this rickety mofo? I finally got around to turning it on after 13 months. 😂

It does, uh, run. A helluva loud noise, and the blade seems to be slighty kissing something somewhere unseen.

Besides that, I still can’t use it. The riving knife does not line up; veers off to a side in the back. Probably why former owner had removed it.

. . .

Chauffagiste came back yesterday after a winter hiatus. Spent all day and nearly finished the job, but then fucked up at the end; realized, of course, when we added water and tested pressure. 😣

Turns out their was a mismatch between the power crimper jaws and the elbow joints or hose or something. Had to make a run for different elbows, but still ended up short, plus some electrical hookup on the boiler still to finish.

He’ll be back tomorrow for one more hour, hopefully.