Archie's Christmas Projects

 Below are a Salt and Pepper grinder made for my grand daughter.  The strips are epoxy paste placed in a grove.  Near white for salt and black for pepper.  The salt grinder has a ceramic grinder while the pepper has a stainless steel grinder.  

The wood is curly maple and each is about eight inches high.  

Below is a train display box I made for my grandson.  He has a large number of wood trains.  I used a router to put track groves in each shelf to help keep the trains in place.  

The 3' wide by 2" high box is made from 1x4 pine boards with a clear coat finish.  I ran out of boards and my neighbor Tom gave me a rough cut 1x5 and I planned it down to the 3/4" of the commercial board and cut it to the correct width and length.  I used a router jig to cut the track groves using a Rockler router bit designed for cutting the track groves.  I used dado blades mounted on my Montgomery Wards radial arm saw to cut the slots for the shelves.  I tried using my router table but could not keep both boards straight.  The radial arm saw allowed the boards to be fasten to the table top for cutting.  Perfect every time.  The top is reinforced so you can hang it on the wall.  The back is 1/8 inch luan wood I got from DoItBest.  On the back I center two 16 inch apart mounting holes partially drilled from the back. 

 Harold Eickhorst has been busy with his carvings.  Below are some of the Santas he has done.  Nice work Harold.  

You will also notice the nice natural edge table Harold has made.  Another well done project.

Steve Promo's Cherry plates

 Steve set out to make 8 dinner plates.  He starts with a Plywood faceplate with non skid rubber shelf liner glued to the surface and pressure friction driving a 10 x 1" cherry plate blank for turning.

 

 

Cherry plate blank is friction pressed to the faceplate rubber surface by the tailstock pressure.
 

First six of service for eight of UP cherry wood was air dried 20+ years (104" x 12" x 1" board for about $40).  What is missing is the turning, getting rid of the nub in the center, flipping the plate around and turning the other side, getting rid of that nub, along with all the sanding and finishing by Steve.  I marvel at his ability to make them all look the same.-ajp2

Here is a closer look of bottom of the 8" diameter dinner plate from the 10" x 3/4" blank.  Made for Steve's son and future daugher-in-law for Christmas.  Oiled with WATCO brand Danish Oil by Rust-Oleum then waxed.  Linseed oil blend paste wax as needed.  Another beautiful job by Steve Promo.-ajp2