to buy
- #8 1½” screws
- small brush for cleaning plane
- [o] 2” engineer square
- 24” rule
- compass
- ¾” drill bit
- Winding sticks
prepare
- #task Buy tools and materials [scheduled:: 2026-01-17] [completion:: 2026-01-17]
lab notes
2026-01-10ish
- Cut up board for parts (crosscuts), but got stuck at needing to true them up. Board is cupped. Detoured into making Bench Hook
2026-01-21
- Stock is cupped and truing it is a nightmare - #4 plane, no planing stop, pine grain has alternating texture and non-uniform direction, KNOTS
- Reddit and LLMs suggest just making the bench mostly without truing. The book barely mentions it and ChatGPT insists that is intentional because the simple design and joinery doesn’t require it.
- Resurfaced the side I made a mess of trying to flatten it. (It’s actually quite flat now.)
- Ripped both sides to width.
2026-01-23
- All components cut to width, rough length.
- Surfaced stretchers, tops.
2026-01-24
- Cut one side to “final” length to clean up ends and match side lengths. Aimed for 19”, but…
- Somehow it came out at 18 13/16” instead
- Flat reference edge wasn’t actually flat, so my beautiful straight square line cuts weren’t parallel, and board now trapezoidal
- … but only by 1/16” across a 10½” width, maybe it’s fine?
- One side has a jagged split due to a knot, trying to shore it up (and straighten) with glue
- Next: actually surface sides (rough edges at least, and establish a reference), redo crosscut, match other side
2026-01-25
- Cut other side to 18 13/16”. Decided to leave the angle on the other board - it’s perceptible but small and the tops are not totally flat anyway
- All components surfaced (best-effort), chamfered and ready for joinery (hopefully)!
2026-01-27
- Cut out notches for joints, dry fit
2026-01-28
IT DONE#ppp