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Jonathan's Shop

That is really sad, I'll not get into why it is happening, too political a topic for a woodworking forum, but it is sad.

This is why I have so much respect and admiration for someone who teaches kids, like Jonathan, sure he is teaching them woodworking, but hes also teaching them other lessons that need to be learned that are not in books.

Cheers!
 
Stu,
Your right it is sad. One of the many things I learned from Sam Maloof was his love for teaching and passing along what we Know to the next generation. I feel an obigation to do the same thing I love teaching and many a time I feel I choose the wrong profession. I will do all I can do keep the crafts going.
 
Don Baer said:
Larry,
I can believe it. Some time ago when I lived in Cali. my neighbor asked me if I could tutor her brother in math. He was a senior in High school.I figured it was algebra or some such. I sat down with him and looked at what he was trying to do. He couldn't do simple word problems. I remember one problem was if a car drives 250 mile and uses 10 gal of gas how many miles per gallons of gas does it get. he had no idea how to do the problem.
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Yep, I understand completely, hey, no need to learn that anymore, vehicles display if for us right?!
 
Stu, Don and rest, yeah, pretty hot/political topic generally and I am not trying to make it into such here. There is a basic lack of understanding and it is like building a house of cards. Now, there are as many things right with education as there are wrong. So it all isn't crumbling. I am not the smartest person in the world, many of the students I have are living circumstances I would never have dreamed of living, yet they attend school and at least try. Back to a good situation, many of my pen turning students are lethargic/non interested students. Yet the pens and work they are turning out (pun intended!) are tremendous. So yes there is hope. We just have to figure out how to activate their brain/interest. Don, don't teach in a public school setting, it is impersonal, cheap and you the "shop" teacher are dispensable. Funny how the "guidance" dept. thinks my students and I are not "smart" yet who do they call on whenever anything breaks?? I had to point that out to them one or two or many times. The trades, HVAC, diesel/auto tech, they literally keep things running. Oh well, enough of this. It is Saturday morning, I am dragging, caught a cold (kids are sick, on my route I haul 54 students, Wednesday 21 stayed home due to being sick. I disinfect my bus each night. But, still got it, so am going to rest easy for a while, hauled the pumpkins up last night in the stock trailer so have to unhook that, wife and oldest daughter are going to town to shop. Otherwise, plan on going out to the shop and I have boxes of pen parts in bags that need to be put away in the sliding tray bins. Be a good job for today. Probably no pictures, but who knows. Will take the camera just in case, til then, :wave::wave::wave:.
 
Jonathan Shively said:
John, man that is a crying shame for sure. Eventually they will have to come out with a digital ruler/tape measure to offset this loss.
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An example of this is the Wixie digital read out I have on my Unisaw. It helps me with a problem I have with my glasses seeing the measurement where just changing the position of my head can make the measurement change a little either to be right or wrong. But the Wixie helped make this easier for me to see.
 
Bart Leetch said:
It helps me with a problem I have with my glasses seeing the measurement where just changing the position of my head can make the measurement change a little either to be right or wrong.
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The plexi-glass sight that you line up with the ruler on the beam is pretty easy to make stupid proof. Get some 3/8" plexi glass. Cut it to the size you want. Cut a line, (not all the way through), on the table saw for the notch where it hangs below the edge, finish it off with a router and a straight bit.
Now mark/make a line with a utility knife. Do the same on the top side. Now you have a transit that you have to shoot in order to get a repeatable result.

I bought a used Biesmeyer fence for my Delta saw, the sight was no where to be seen and I had to make a new one. Version two was made this way.
 
Just Caught Up

I don't wander over to this forum very often, but had some extra time today and decided to stroll on over. Jonathan, this thread is fantastic ! What you have done with an old corn crib is just wonderful. :thumb: I have been reading this thread for over an hour and am amazed at what you have accomplished. I really like how you used so much "repurposed" material and kept it affordable and PAID FOR ! You have made yourself an incredible space to work and socialize. I am very happy for you to have such a great place to do your thing. You are obviously a very hard working person and have a super family for support. Farming is hard enough, but working full time on top of that AND building a shop is above and beyond the call of duty. You certainly set a fine example for your students. If the rest of the world was more like you it would be an incredible thing indeed. More "gitterdun" and less "gimme" would be good all over.

It would be an honor and a privelege to shake your hand someday.

Enjoy your new shop !:wave:
 
The 2 teachers that I remember the most were my shop teachers. In Junior High it was Mr. Stone. He was the most patient and inspirational teacher I ever had. He would make us draw and figure the BF of every piece we made. My HS shop teacher was Mr. Dodge another patient and talented person. Both teachers made us do almost everything with hand tools and wouldn't let us progress to the next step until we did it perfectly. To this day I remember almost everything they taught me and think of them often.
My history teachers, math teachers, science teachers are pretty much a blur but these 2 men had a memorable impact on my life.
The guidance councilor wanted nothing to do with me when I told him I was joining the Marines after graduating in 1967. He couldn't understand my desire serve my country. Mr. Dodge shook my hand and told me that he was proud to know me.
I don't know you Jonathan but I have the feeling that you are quite a bit like Mr. Stone and Mr. Dodge.
 
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Don Orr said:
I don't wander over to this forum very often, but had some extra time today and decided to stroll on over. Jonathan, this thread is fantastic ! What you have done with an old corn crib is just wonderful. :thumb: I have been reading this thread for over an hour and am amazed at what you have accomplished. I really like how you used so much "repurposed" material and kept it affordable and PAID FOR ! You have made yourself an incredible space to work and socialize. I am very happy for you to have such a great place to do your thing. You are obviously a very hard working person and have a super family for support. Farming is hard enough, but working full time on top of that AND building a shop is above and beyond the call of duty. You certainly set a fine example for your students. If the rest of the world was more like you it would be an incredible thing indeed. More "gitterdun" and less "gimme" would be good all over.

It would be an honor and a privelege to shake your hand someday.

Enjoy your new shop !:wave:
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Well Don, the shop isn't completed as of yet (are they ever?). I have shaken a few hands of Family members and proud of each and everyone I have shaken! Yours I hope to add to the list some day! Thank you for the kind words, glad you found it enjoyable, in someways it doesn't seem like a long time, in others it seems like it has taken forever. But it has become the go to place (maybe because if they can't find me anywhere else, they now have a specific spot especially now that cold weather is coming on!!). Glad you found the build suitable, check in now and again, will keep the "door unlocked" for you my friend. And I look forward to the day of shaking your hand!
 
Bob Gibson said:
The 2 teachers that I remember the most were my shop teachers. In Junior High it was Mr. Stone. He was the most patient and inspirational teacher I ever had. He would make us draw and figure the BF of every piece we made. My HS shop teacher was Mr. Dodge another patient and talented person. Both teachers made us do almost everything with hand tools and wouldn't let us progress to the next step until we did it perfectly. To this day I remember almost everything they taught me and think of them often.
My history teachers, math teachers, science teachers are pretty much a blur but these 2 men had a memorable impact on my life.
The guidance councilor wanted nothing to do with me when I told him I was joining the Marines after graduating in 1967. He couldn't understand my desire serve my country. Mr. Dodge shook my hand and told me that he was proud to know me.
I don't know you Jonathan but I have the feeling that you are quite a bit like Mr. Stone and Mr. Dodge.
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My three teachers of memory, #1, my Grandmother, she was my first grade teacher. #2, my Ag teacher, many reasons just because I do things opposite of the way he did. #3, my Advanced PE teacher, retired military, taught 5 PE classes, three advanced, two underclassmen, one typing class. Each and every PE class, he led calastentics by example! If the class assignment was to run the cross country course two times, he ran it with you. He did this for each and every PE class. He led by example. Gave me a paddling one time for fighting in PE class, there isn't much padding with a PE attire! Only did that one time!!!! His off school job in the fall, shoveling corn for the local farm bureau, the used a rectangular building and he hired students and he himself shoveled corn into the corners to fill the building correctly. In the spring, he shoveled corn, that's right, had to empty the building completely. Now he was an inspiration. Don't think I can live up to his examples. But honestly, am not trying to live up to anyone's. Just trying to do what is right, give my school board an honest day's work for the honest day's pay they provide me. I do enjoy my job and glad some find it enjoyable to read about. I thank you Bob for the kind words and hope they are spot on. Now, back to the shop build!!:thumb:
 
Here's what I have been up to!

Cabinet.jpg
Okay, started my kitchen cabinet practice. This is a cabinet I built for over the gun bench in the shop. It hangs on the North wall. Two shelves, quite a bit of room for stuff. Some shop/hunting/project magazines. Predator calls, ammo, reloading stuff.

Cabinet I.jpg
It is on the angled part of the ceiling, I created the top two boards for hanging some of the swords I own back from my knife dealer days. Let's just say I have a couple to hang up ('member any of them Larry?).

Danger.jpg
DANGER!!!!!!! DANGER!!!!!!!!!!! I read from someone on here about the age to stop climbing a ladder. Well, 47 is the age to quit using a metal milk crate for a step stool!!! That thing flipped on me, about broke my leg, took two weeks for the purple/yellow/black bruises to show up from knee to ankle. It took hide off as well as making a dent and one heck of a tennis ball sized knot on the front of my leg. I have not had as much pain making me sick to my stomach for years. Shop manager, Lilly, kept her eye on me and seemed quite concerned.


Ladder.jpg
This my friends, this is what I use now forever as a step stool in the shop. Little bulkier, but very nice steps and wide platform.

Floor under workbench.jpg
This is a shot of the floor under the workbench on the West side. Under the OSB is the pier I got for free this summer. So the entire pieces of pier are either covered with OSB or the rolled rubber from an old converyor belt at our local NIPSCO coal fired electrical plant.


New Furnace.jpg
This is a shot of the wall I extended. Behind that wall is the door to the outside. It provides the privacy for the gun bench from prying eyes while I am not home. The extension also provided a nice place to hang the new LP furnace (vent free). It is not completly hooked up as of yet. The kerosene heater is keeping the shop comfortable. If I leave it on low overnight, the shop will stay around 45 degrees, then can get it up to 53-58 degrees during the day. Man I love my new shop!!!!


New Furnace III.jpg
This is another shot, a little more to the right so you can see the light from the door glass. With this wall in place I can easily carry in 3/4" sheet of OSB as well as a 16' treated 2x12. So all is good yet!!


Support post.jpg
Remember way back, I discussed needing to put at least one support post under each beam. The North beam obviously has its post at the end of the wall on the East end of the gun bench. So catty corner (opposite corner) I put the other post. So this one is under the South beam about 1/3rd of the way back from the West wall. This wall (the South wall) is going to be home to the two lathes I own even though only one has made it to the shop.


Moving equipment.jpg
Okay, around that post I built a table for some tools. 4x4 legs, 2x12 top, built to last. Yep, Eric still helps from time to time!! He is a worker.


Tool Table.jpg
This is a preview of the tools to go on this tool table.


Have a few more pictures so will post another set of pictures soon.
 
So Jonhatan! you've been hiding low and working extra hours, don't you?

Well... I must say that the result must fulfill all your expectations, when are we going to start seeing the results of having such a great place to work?:thumb::thumb:

Or will you tear it down and start another one ?:rofl::rofl:
 
Ok I think I'm all caught up.:thumb:
Looks real good Jonathan:thumb:
As for fetch n wormy wood once you get it on the trailer your best bet is to just plan drive it right to NH I'll give ya directions and even hep ya unload.
 
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Toni Ciuraneta said:
So Jonhatan! you've been hiding low and working extra hours, don't you?

Well... I must say that the result must fulfill all your expectations, when are we going to start seeing the results of having such a great place to work?:thumb::thumb:

Or will you tear it down and start another one ?:rofl::rofl:
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Yes Toni, it has taken a little longer since I am back at school as well as trying to do some hunting, all I accomplished this year, a lot of sitting in trees watching squirrels chatter and run. Still nice to wind down and enjoy nature as God provides it.

I actually made three antler pens for a customer the other day. Quick turnaround so no pictures. I have decided to create work areas and move things and put them in place after using them in a certain position. I like the flow pattern around the lathe, need to drop it 12 inches, I put it to high. But the pen wizard will stay that height so I can sit on a stool and work there. So a couple modifications and still a table behind the table saw as well as making a SCMS station.

Goodness no!!!! No tearing it down and doing over!!! I have the corners to finish on the big barn lean tos, have a lean to to build onto the long narrow corn crib so my three gooseneck trailers are under a roof. Then, the summer after, I plan on starting another shop build, this will be for my metal work, forge, vehicle lift, welding area, all the things that would cause this shop to burn down. We'll see. I turned some pens, have about ten antler pens drilled and tubes glued in, have an order for 15 so will try to finish them up tomorrow and get pictures before they are sent out. Have a Happy New Year!
 
It's looking like a real shop Jonathan, warm and cosy and getting some of the owner's personality too! I don't see any chairs in there yet, as you've had no time to sit down, but you might want to have a couple handy, as I think you'll be getting a few visiting Family members as time goes on.

I hear you on the "time to stop climbing a ladder" thinking. Glad there were no injuries from the milk crate tumble. Don't toss it just yet though. If you recall, Stu transformed a couple of similar ones into a neat little low "scaffold" for drywall work etc. I don't think I'll be able to stay on the ground for awhile yet. Restoration of my old wooden buildings has been gaining on me the last couple of years.

You've done a great job. Thanks for posting your progress.

All the best
Peter
 
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