What's in the scrap bin?

Here are a couple of small projects for those lockdown Microsoft Teams meetings, Zoom sessions and FaceTime catchups.

Both made from scraps of oak and jarrah, and hinges recovered during a 1960's kitchen renovation we did in 2009 (I knew they would come in handy).

The Mark 1 (left) is shorter in stature and perfect for the not-so-busy engineer to chat while he pretends to work on his PC.

The Mark 2 (right) is higher for a more flattering camera angle and can be brought up to the vertical with the aid of the stylish recycled window stay.  Perfect for those yoga sessions and live workouts.

On sale now soon one day when we all emerge from our hibernation.

Barstool Upgrade

I bought a cheap second-hand barstool on TradeMe a few years ago for my standing desk.  Lately, it has migrated to the workshop to give a bit of relief from standing in there all day.

It works ok, apart from the sound of plastic creaking and cracking every time you go to sit down or stand up - a little bit disconcerting.

Maybe I could make a wooded seat using some of the 'macrocarpa shorts'.

I made an MDF pattern from the old seat and cut enough lengths, either full 90mm width or ripped in half.

The boards were then ripped to the approximate angle to form the profile of the template.  To make the seat comfortable, I decided to make a circular depression and marked this out while the boards were temporarily clamped together.

Using a curved template with a radius of 800mm I then cut the curve in each board with the bandsaw, with the blade angled to form a series of faceted curves.

Now the boards could be glued together.  Just a few clamps should do the trick.

 Next, a custom made sanding block was made, cut with the same 800mm radius template.

Once everything was sanded, planed and rounded over, the seat got two coats of Osmo Polyx.  This is a natural hard wax flooring oil and is very durable.  Our floors inside still look great after nine years.

The oil dries to a satin finish, nice to touch, and to sit on.  Now that the upgrade is finished, the question is does the barstool stay in the workshop or go back inside?

Locked down but not out (of wood)

A while ago the macrocarpa sawmill down the road was selling pallets of 'shorts' (less than 1m long) that were no good for regular sale.

I nabbed a cubic metre and put them away for a rainy day.

Fast forward and these short lengths are perfect for another couple of Adirondack chairs.

Finished with some leftover decking oil, the macrocarpa grain really 'pops' as they say.

The perfect place to sit and contemplate the end of the world as we know it.  Now, what else can I do with those shorts...