Hanging Totes

Early this afternoon I started work in the garage.

It took me over an hour put up the rail that is left of the blue tote.  I had to make two rails for the green totes several months ago.  Today, I used scrap material I had in the garage and a 2x4x44 inches long from the greenhouse.  I ripped both sides of the 2x4 so both sides were flat and three inches wide so it was a 2x3.  I screwed the long piece of plywood to the bottom and three short pieces to the top in which I would screw it to the bottom of the trusses.

I got a folding ladder to make a scaffold that I could stand on to help me attach the rail to the ceiling.  I screwed the north end into the first rafter.  I then braced the south end to the ceiling with a long furring strip.  I finally finished.  The totes are empty.  I will fill them another day.

I glued these pieces together to make the foot and top rail of the bench.  I tried different ways to remove the dried glue.  I used the belt sander which was not very  successful.  The scraper was a little better.  I ran the big piece through the thickness planer.  That worked.  

Next I ripped it into four pieces.  Two for the foot and two for the top rail.  I ripped them again to have them about 2x2x12 inches.  The four pieces are shown below.

The belt on the belt sander broke.  I put a new belt on it and that also broke.  The picture is above.

I put on new sanding pad on the orbital sander.  This worked much better than the belt sander.

Above is the top rails.  The bench top is not flat but slightly bowed.  I use the planer to remove some of the crown so the rails would fit with out rocking.  I planed only the area below the two rails.



Comments and questions are welcomed. 

Robert, Frank, & Ceiling Storage

This morning I began working on the hangers, or whatever they are called.  They are built a little like and I beam.  In the picture they are right side up.  The cross pieces are to be attached to the ceiling joists.  The cross pieces rocked some.  The 2x4's were ripped to have one smooth edge.  I took them apart and ripped them again so both edges were smooth.  I put them back together again.  It was hard to the 2x4 centered on the plywood strip.

Carol and I drove to Fillmore for some supplies and groceries.  Robert called while we were there.  He and Frank came to work in house two.  When we got home, Robert, Frank, and I had a discussion on the direction that the nursery should go.

We built another raised bed.  Robert is attaching the end piece to the side pieces.  We then put the other piece on the north end.

Robert is filling the new raised bed with used potting soil.  It took four trips with the wheelbarrow and another four trips for the compost.

Both beds are finished.  Robert and Frank went home.

I put the first track up for the two totes.  Standing on a ladder I was able to hold the track against the ceiling and then drive a screw through a predrilled hole into the ceiling joists.  I lined it up with the line between the two wall boards.  After I got it pretty straight, I drove more screws into the ceiling joists.

Putting the right side up was more challenging.  I put a screw through the piece.  I did not tighten it.. Then putting up the tote it seemed to be right.  When I slid the tote to the south end, it was two loose.  I had to undo the center screw and move the south ends closer together.  After it was like I like it, I predrilled more holes and put more screws into the joists.  

Here is another angle.  

Comments and questions are welcomed.        

   


  
 
  

Frame Almost Finished

You Tube video showed how easy it is to build a set of blocks to hold mitered edges together while the glue dries.  I built a two pairs of blocks.  It didn't work.  I tried everyway to hold them together.  I put the clamps on and it twisted the frame.  I gave up and used another approach. 

This is how it looked when I gave up. It looks like a pile of firewood. I put the clamps away.  I put the blocks away.

Yesterday I glued a side and top together and the other side and bottom together. I put glue on the four miters and clamped part of it to the table.  With a 1/4 inch bit I drilled a hole through one corner into the end.  I put glue on a dowel and inserted it into the hole.  I did the same for the other corner.  

We have had trouble with the TV signal that the county provides.  I got on the roof to see if there was some problem up there.  Some of the plastic items on the antenna were crumbling some, but I couldn't see how that would affect the signal.  I wrapped the connection area with electrical tape.  We haven't had much problem today, but there were a few time that we lost the signal.  

I worked on getting the picture, backing, and Plexiglas to fit the frame.  That problem is solved.  I painted it with varnish.  The can says fast drying, but being as cold it wasn't dry when I quit working.

Last week I bought two totes.  I will hook the to the ceiling.  I made a couple of rails that I will screw them into the ceiling. The lip of the totes will slide on the rails.  I will put light weight things in them.  A label with be put on the end of each tote naming what is on the inside.  

Comments and questions are welcome.