Slow Goings & Fond Memories

It has been a slow couple of evenings around here lately. I have all of my boxes built, and have a little down time before I start a few more projects this weekend. Last night I did not even feel like making a post after watching yet another horrible brewer game. I can barely believe I am posting tonight after the loss again today. Four losses to the cubs...ouch!!

Last night we did accomplish one very important thing...check out the picture below.




This is a bug-shield off of my G-Pa Kwakkel's semi. He drove his old Ford 9000 tractor trailer for around 10 years for Plywood Oshkosh. He hauled lumber and plywood around the state. It is a great honor to get this from my G-Ma after Gib passed away. My shop is filled with little tidbits from both of my grandfathers. They are a huge part of who I am today, so it is great to have pieces of them surrounding me when I am in the shop. I know they both would have been very proud to see my shop today. Although I know they are watching, I wish I could show them in person. I did get the privilege of making the Urn that will cradle my Grandpa Kwakkel forever, I am so happy to have that honor. His Urn was the very first project to come out of this shop. Not only do I have the bug-shield from Gib, I also have many pieces to remember my G-Pa Arden Stobb by as well. I have a large tool cabinet that he made with his own two hands, and many of his hand tools as well.

Easy evening in the shop.

It was a pretty easy evening in the shop tonight. We ended up just hanging out and watching the disappointing brewer game.

Finished the night by putting the last coat of polyurethane on the boxes from last night. Walked home from there, and here I am now, telling you about my not-so-exiting night

Check back again soon, and I am sure I will be up to something exiting tomorrow night, besides watching the crew again.

Shadow Boxes and Brewers

Full bags of wood chips and dust means you are busy!

When I am waiting for glue, or stain to dry I am usually watching the Brewer game. We were in the shop until the end of the game tonight, unfortunately we lost to the Cubs in a very important game.

Here I have two shadow boxes in progress. One is in the band clamp, and the other looks like a big mess of clamps holding the edging on while the glue dries.

While we wait for the glue to dry, Ruth, our "creative department manager", works on a new logo for S.C.W. Check back later for what she came up with.

We ended the night with a coat of stain, and the first coat of polyurethane. Tomorrow we sand the first coat, then apply a second final coat. Then these boxes go off to Mary and Mike at Memories Preserved Enterprises, where they are used to preserve somebodies special keepsake.

New Box...and TRIPLETS???

I started a new octagonal shadow box this evening. Here is the miter gauge I use to cut perfectly matched pieces to assure everything lines up just right.

Here are all of the pieces with the angles and biscuit slots cut on the ends, and the rabbets cut on the edges.


Ruth is using a Q-Tip to clean up the excess glue on all of the miters. This makes for less sanding when it is all dry, and the band clamp is ready to come off.

I looked out the window tonight, and the doe was out back with her very rare set of triplets!
It is very cool to see them to this day, even though we see them every night.
They are now just starting to lose their spots.
Forgive the "fuzzy" picture, I had to really zoom in to get a close shot.
Stay tuned to see them grow up, hopefully they all stick together.

The latest "Shop Project"

Here is the outfeed table I was talking about. Every time I think I am done with projects for the shop, I think of something else to make. It is a never ending work in progress, I occasionally find time to work on actual projects!!

My First Entry

Hello everybody, I just added this blog to my website as a way for people to see whats happening around the S.C.W. shop. As I get busier, and as more people check this out, it will get busier, and have much more content. I just got up this morning and decided I wanted a blog. I will be heading over to the shop as soon as I get some much needed coffee in my system. I will post some pictures of the shop, and maybe some of the project I am working on. I added a sweet outfeed table to my table saw yesterday, maybe even a picture of that. Check back later!!