Some progress piccies ... as promised.

[joeblade]

As promised, a couple of piccies. Whats there is a weekends worth of effort.
We have a few other panels cut up, but not yet assembled (CP, back, marquee etc).

We (dad and I) started with sheets of 16mm MDF and the plans, after a trip to the hardware store and some effort we ended up with what is shown.

I hadn't originally intended on building a frame, but after reading some posts on this forum (the general gist was < 3/4", use a frame). Plus I generally feel more comfortable the monitor not relying on the side panels for support.

Minor cock up on the base. I wanted some extra support for the castors (i.e. get the castors off the MDF), and made a slight calculation error so that we ended up havng to use 3 pieces of the Meranti (man wood is expensive, this was the cheapest, most solid I could find) for the front castors, to ensure they had clearance from the side and front panels.

The castors are huge ! The front (rotating) ones were freebies, hence the inclination to use them. The back I bought and are non-rotating.

I have to admit, I must have been in dream land prior to the weekend, I thought we could have fully cut and assembled all panels in the time we had. My dad was more realistic, and he was impressed with what we did manage to get done.

At the end of the day, I am more than happy with the progress now. I just need him to come back down with his tools so we can finish the job. I told some mates I would have *something* going by the English FA Cup (22nd of May) night (traditionally I have a party for the FA CUP, 8 player Fifa on the Playstation, a few beers, watch the match etc).

Cheers

 

[joeblade]

Piccy 2

[joeblade]

Piccy 3.

[SNAAAKE]

HOLY SH!T you caught a ghost on the second picture
Cab looks great so far

[joeblade]

Well spotted. I hadn't even noticed that  ! Thats my dad ...

And thanks for the comments.

 

[Santoro]

Looks really nice so far.

Couldn't help noticing, is that solid mahogany you are using for the frame?


[edit: looking again it could just be red oak.  still expensive though.]

[joeblade]

From memory, it was called meranti (or something like that).

It was the cheapest - hardest looking wood I could buy at the local hardware store.

I assume from your smiley, that mahogany is an expensive wood ? (please excuse my ignorance, I know nothing about wood).

[Tilzs]

Hehe. I think good old pine would have done fine in that situation but your call

[joeblade]

Interestingly enough, and my father mentioned this before we got there, the pine was dearer than the meranti.

The meranti was about $au6 per metre, and the pine was about $au10 per meter.

One of my work colleagues when I showed him the piccies and mentioned this to him, was also suprised by that fact. Me, as mentioned previously, don't really know one wood from another.

[Brax]

Normal construction grade lumber is spruce not pine....... #2 spruce to be exact.   (at least around here it is)

[Santoro]

From memory, it was called meranti (or something like that).

It was the cheapest - hardest looking wood I could buy at the local hardware store.

I assume from your smiley, that mahogany is an expensive wood ? (please excuse my ignorance, I know nothing about wood).

Last I checked it was 3-4x the cost of regular pine here in the states.    Not sure what Meranti is, but it sure looks like light Mahogany.

I used to use Mahogany for making new benches in my 13' Boston Whaler (boat).   I recall it cost an arm and a leg.  It is my favorite wood because when varnished it has a "shimmery" property that I find attractive.

[ErikRuud]

Santoro,

Is it hard to sale that boat with only one arm and one leg?  

Or did you use someone else's arm and leg to pay for the Mahogany

[ErikRuud]

Just an FYI on Meranti.

http://www.mtc.com.my/publication/library/drm/drm.htm

http://www.encyclopedia.com/html/m1/meranti.asp