July Workbench

[Eric Patterson]

Seems like the July Workbench thread relocated to other forums. No problem, there's room for one in every forum.

I've grown tired of gathering up tools to take to the hunting property and still not having what I need. Then I have to put them up when I'm done because I don't have a good place to store them in my truck bed. I looked into getting a Decked system but no way I'm spending $2k for one of those. I decided to make my own. Total cost will be somewhere under $500. I'm kind of making up the design on the fly. I've watched a ton of YT videos and got a lot of ideas from them. Most of those guys aren't wood workers and use butt joints and pocket screws. I'm using more traditional cabinet maker joinery in hopes it will hold up to field use. The carcass and drawers are mostly done. Now I've got to make drawer glides, latches, tool trays, etc., and put a finish on all the surfaces.

One more thing to mention. Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine I can't get baltic birch plywood. The stuff I'm using from Indonesia is shit. Voids and delamination are a normal thing these days. Not much I can do about it but hope my supplier finds a better source.

 

[benp]

Ah, sawdust on Eric's shop floor. I feel better now seeing a "mess" in your workspace. All those pictures of your clean and organized workspace was giving me anxiety.

Those will be the finest truck bed storage system in the state for sure.

 

[Eric Patterson]

Ben

Trust me, it gets messy when a project is underway. I do clean the shop after every project but in the midst it's like every other wood shop. Dust and tools scattered everywhere.

 

[Michael McCord1]

Gotta counterbalance Eric’s perfect workspace with mine. Made a “last grouse” bookmark for one of my hunting mentors today after the passing of his Gordon setter last month. This was from her last bird. I encapsulate the feather, build it up, sand, and finish.

 

[RM Anderson]

I'm using more traditional cabinet maker joinery in hopes it will hold up to field use.

Epoxy fillets for added strength?
RM

 

[Brad F]

When I grow up I want to be just like Eric. )

 

[Eric Patterson]

Epoxy fillets for added strength?
RM

I think it will be strong enough without fillet joints.

 

[Kris Schaumburg]

I really like the feather. That would be a cool way to memorialize a turkey without taking up a lot of space.

 

[Michael McCord1]

I really like the feather. That would be a cool way to memorialize a turkey without taking up a lot of space.

I tried it with a feather from a mallard wing speculum but the feather lost its iridescence when I saturated it. There might be a way to coat it on the front end though.

I’d probably use a rump feather on a turkey since it will have more interesting patterns and distinctive tips by subspecies

 

[Kris Schaumburg]

what kind of wood and approximate thickness

thanks

 

[Michael McCord1]

what kind of wood and approximate thickness

thanks

I used a piece of aspen my guy brought back from up north since it had some significance to the project but you could use about any kind you want. I made a couple others with curly maple. The resin does a decent job of stabilizing it. I’d go with as thin as you can with the bandsaw and still have enough to sand the kerf out.

Wood is about 0.125 and max thickness with feather and resin is 0.20”.

Here it is in a book.

 

[Michael McCord1]

I’m using a hard set UV resin and building it up in coats. Getting it smooth and level is the challenge. Next one I’ll probably try doing a skim coat thinned with the heat gun before sanding.

 

[Rick Hall]

Using what Mike Gould called "influence training" in his book The Labrador Shooting Dog to bend even distant coyotes to his desired directional changes had enough similarity to something I was then doing with cattle that I began what turned out a good bit of correspondence and friendship resulting in his sending me a copy of his (non dog) book "Plateaus of Destiny" with a blue grouse feather bookmark. I found the book sadly indicative of a troubled author, reminding me of my father's battles with depression, but thought the feather's inclusion a wonderful touch. And you've managed to one-up it.

 

[Brad Bortner]

Eric, I made a version very similar to your design years ago from MDF with melamine surfacing. It was heavy as could be but functional. My drawers were also similar but made more traditionally with doug fir sides and front and back, same lock joint joinery and a red oak face. The lock joints finally gave out at some point but I think your with plywood will hold up better. I hope you can find drawer slides long enough for those drawers. The second version I built was made to be lighter and covered the entire 8 foot truck bed. I made I beams of oriented strand board and 2x3s. I used these to support the top and for the drawer sides to slide on. I found some teflon type glides that worked ok in lieu of actual drawer slides.

As for baltic birch plywood, I can find non-russian birch plywood at my hardwood supply place in Portland. It isn't cheap but it is good quality. I am not sure I'd use it for a truck bed system at more than $100 a sheet.

 

[Brad Bortner]

Even though it isn't duck or boat related I will share the latest from my workshop. A hickory coffee table to go with the hickory floating shelves and cabinets I have done for my son and daughter in law.