Old guy found a litte cherry log: Pics tomorrow

[woodshop]

What's one of them widget's goes for?

I sell those nutcrackers for $6, but sold a ton of them last show, so think I only have like 20+ left. Between now and this coming Thanksgiving weekend show (my biggest show) I plan on making another run of 75 or 100. Using jigs designed just for that item, if I make a run of at least 30 at a time, I can get it down to about 15-20 minutes per. That's from rough lumber in back shed to finished nutcracker packed and ready for next show. Just to show how efficient jigs make things, if I was to make just a single one of those from scratch it would probably take me couple hours.

 

[dustytools]

Woodshop, I would like to see the tools used to make the threads (male and female). Thanks.

 

[CaseyForrest]

Hautions....NICE table!!!

Hey WS...where did you get the idea to make a nutcracker like that??? Thats sweet.

 

[woodshop]

Hautions....NICE table!!!

Hey WS...where did you get the idea to make a nutcracker like that??? Thats sweet.

...somebody showed me a wooden nutcracker they bought in France, but it had a round body turned on a lathe I would guess, and also had a rather small round knob on the end of the screw which was difficult to grasp and crank. I just kinda improved on that theme, but mine is much easier to use. At shows, I have a sign that says "CRACK A NUT WITH A BOLT... TRY ME NOW" with a bowl of nuts there. Even little kids can work the thing because the six sided hex both body and knob are easy to grasp and crank in your hand. Many ask if it ever breaks, being wooden. I actually wanted to find out myself how much it would take to kill one, so I put several in the vice and tried to bust them by trying to "crack" a solid chunk of metal. I couldn't do it by hand, had to put a wrench on it to make it fail, so the rock maple threaded dowel in the hardwood body are plenty sturdy. I don't use softer wood like pine or poplar though for the body, I don't think they would hold up.

dusty, I use a Beall threader (www.bealltool.com), which is basically a threadbox you attach a router with a carbide bit to, and run dowel through it. For the tap, its just a metal tap like any other.

 

[dustytools]

Thanks for the link Woodshop,I have an item that I make from time to time that I think you would be interested in. It is an oven rack puller/pusher.Its very popular with the ladies and though Ive never sold any I have had to make several for friends and family. I think it would be a hit at your shows. Just as soon as the wife gets her new cam in I will send you some pics and try to dimension them for you if youre interested. Thanks again.

 

[woodshop]

Thanks for the link Woodshop,I have an item that I make from time to time that I think you would be interested in. It is an oven rack puller/pusher.Its very popular with the ladies and though Ive never sold any I have had to make several for friends and family. I think it would be a hit at your shows. Just as soon as the wife gets her new cam in I will send you some pics and try to dimension them for you if youre interested. Thanks again.

Thanks dusty, always interested in new product to make. Ya never know whats going to take off and sell, and what just sits on the table. That cracker holder I posted a pic of recently was an example of something I made on a whim, that turned out to be my best selling item at shows. The ladies can't walk past without picking it up. Who woulda thunk.

 

[hautions11]

Cherry

WS the Cherry I used for the table was a real find at the time. My normal wood source had a lot of 4/4 cherry, but I wanted the table to finish at 1 or 1 1/4. I saw an add in our local paper for cherry lumber. A tree service guy had taken a number of logs and had them band sawn. He also set-up a nice 20" planer and planed a lot of boards to a cleaned up stage. He had several hundred feet of planed 1 1/2" boards 8' long. I don't remember the exact number, but I think I paid $2.50 to $3.00 a bd foot. I could never find that again.

 

[woodshop]

...but I think I paid $2.50 to $3.00 a bd foot. I could never find that again.

That's for sure... cherry around here, especially if it's more than 4/4, is pricy last few years, and getting more so. This in the state that mills more black cherry than ANY other state. In fact I read somewhere that PA is the source for about 70% of the WORLDS black cherry.

Well... speaking of which, I just got back from milling a good 150 bd ft of cherry, milled most of it 6/4 and 8/4. Another deal where a cherry blew down in somebody's back yard, and they wanted it out of the way right away. Didn't have time to mill today, but went for it anyway. Now I'm dead tired already and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon. When it comes to cherry, ya gotta get it anytime you can.

 

[curdy]

Well... speaking of which, I just got back from milling a good 150 bd ft of cherry, milled most of it 6/4 and 8/4. Another deal where a cherry blew down in somebody's back yard, and they wanted it out of the way right away. Didn't have time to mill today, but went for it anyway. Now I'm dead tired already and it's only 2:30 in the afternoon. When it comes to cherry, ya gotta get it anytime you can.

Hey Dave, ya know in the headhunting industry I typically charge at least 20% for a referral...

What's that = 30 bd ft?

Just kidding, glad you were able to get it!

PS, floor is in and everything should be done by Christmas.