Bourbon bottles typically include some amount of paper labeling. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. Which is a problem, since I place the bottle under running water when I drill the hole for the cord (to keep the area cool). This is why I avoid full-paper bottles, like E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch and BasilContinue reading “Preparing the Bottles”
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Thanks West End Tavern!
Special thanks to the West End Tavern in downtown Boulder for providing a rich haul of bottles for my next round of lamps! Ashley was so generous with her time and support. And our curbside takeaway lunch was delicious! A couple of bottles are already spoken for, but I’m thrilled to have an inventory toContinue reading “Thanks West End Tavern!”
Dust Collection
I agonized over the best way to handle [saw] dust collection. Should I invest in a centralized dedicated 4″ cyclone system with a venting network, or keep it simple by using a portable dry vacuum on steroids? I opted to go with the vacuum since it offers more flexibility and consumes less dedicated space. Specifically,Continue reading “Dust Collection”
Sanding Time. Yay?
Time to start sanding the Salon table. Which is my least favorite phase, but I’ve come up with a few tips to make it easier: Friction Pad: It’s also used as shelf liner, and it keeps the wood from slipping on the table when you sand, finish, etc. I also have a workbench with benchContinue reading “Sanding Time. Yay?”
Roll out the Barrel!
Wow, I forgot to include the bourbon barrel liquor cabinet on the carpentry page. Egads, such an oversight! It’s there now along with a link to the build history. I also refreshed the text on the ‘Home Improvement‘ page. It’s a bit clearer with a few more details. Some details on the liquor cabinet… TheContinue reading “Roll out the Barrel!”
Lamps 7-9 & Hole Details
I’m proud to announce 3 bouncing baby bourbon bottle lamps (well, maybe not bouncing). And drilling has gone well since the first two mishaps. And how does one drill a hole in a bottle? Carefully! Use a “Diamond Grit Hole Saw Drill Bit” and place the bottle in the sink under running water (to dissipateContinue reading “Lamps 7-9 & Hole Details”
Barrel Shavings
It was time to restock on Bourbon Barrel shavings yesterday (lamp filler). Which meant taking an authentic barrel stave and drilling it with a Forstner bit repeatedly until there was nothing left. Put a couple of large plastic bins under the drill press and a use bit of elbow grease… and eventually you have enoughContinue reading “Barrel Shavings”
One of these things isn’t like the others…
Starting my next round of lamps. But the question: One of these stands out? Which one and why? In any case, these will be lamps 6 – 8. I successfully drilled holes in bottles 1-5, so wish me luck drilling these (esp. with the Blanton’s!). Hint, I just drilled the Blanton’s, and it was fine.Continue reading “One of these things isn’t like the others…”
Active Project: Salon Table
I started building the salon table around December 26th. You can catch progress photos HERE. As of this posting all of the wood has been cut! Now it’s all about sanding, finishing, and assembling. I learned a lot from the first project (Bathroom Vanity). How to oversize / glue the pieces then use the planerContinue reading “Active Project: Salon Table”
Why a blog?
Why create a blog? Primarily it’s to keep in touch since I’m not on social media (much). And I have a number of active projects, including furniture building, home improvement, lamp making, and photography. Plus I have thoughts on retirement funding, technology, and travel. So why not create a site for sharing and staying inContinue reading “Why a blog?”
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