Norms coupe

[Don Coatney]

Where were you for the past few days? I thought you might have froze to death sitting in your car after it stalled at the end of your driveway knowing that you will not make repairs on the side of the road (or driveway) and wondering if your neighborhood watch program had collapsed or become inoperative due to severe weather that I have not seen in my part of the country as have several other forum members not seen as we live in a warmer area geographically than you do as you live in Wisconsin and many of us live south of the Mason Dixon line and the weather is not nearly as cold nor severe as it is in the geographical area where you have chosen to spend your working and non working days. :confused:

[Norm's Coupe]

Don, too many questions there. But.........to answer your question I have been busy spending my time with family and friends during the holiday season. Did dig out a path to the shed the other day though to get another 50 lb. pail of ice melter out of it. While doing so I'm sure you'll be happy to know I started the coupe and let it run in the garage. Started right up as usual.

After the holidays I'm reclaiming my extra time from this computer too. Have a woodworking project to start on. Will get it all cut out ready for assembly in the spring. If I assemble it in the basement shop, I'd have to lug it up the stairs, so will just make the kit for now. So........with that in mind I'll be spending less time on here. Have other things I want to work on too. So, if you don't see me posting so much on here, I'll be having fun. And, of course while in the process of building the project, it will require the coupe to be out of the garage. So, it will go in and out, in and out, in and..................

This is the woodworking project I'm starting next week, after the holidays. Still have a few get together's to do until after the 1st.

[Plymouthy Adams]

come on Norm..we all big people..you can say the honey-do list is snagging your pants...

[Don Coatney]

I'll be spending less time on here.

Yea yea heard that before:rolleyes:

[Norm's Coupe]

come on Norm..we all big people..you can say the honey-do list is snagging your pants...

Tim, that is not a honey do project. Have been slowly building up woodworking & metal working equipment for the last 15 to 20 years. It's time to start using it now. The coupe doesn't require that much work anymore. Don't have room to build another car and keep the coupe too. So........building stuff like the bench will be just as much fun. Of course, you can only build so many things and you also run out of space to use it. So.........when I get to that point, I can still build stuff. What we don't use or need, I'll either sell or give it to the church for their annual rummage sale.

As Bob Westphal also mentioned, we are both into Mandolin's. Want to spend more time learning it better too.

As Don Coatney mentioned one time, "He with the most toys wins". Well.......I really don't agree with that. However I do say, he who has a broader interest and more hobbies is the real winner.

By the way, I also have another project that involves metal and woodworking and is car related for the yard. That one required me to make up my own blueprints, which I did some time ago. Just never got around to building it yet. It's almost as large as the bench. Maybe after I do the bench, I'll start on it. That one should be of more interest to those on the forum.

[Don Coatney]

The coupe doesn't require that much work anymore.

Duh...why is that? Best check your tires for excessive wear. And check your driveway for excessive tire rubber deposits:D Also best check your disc brake pads as they surely are close to replacement time after all the trips in and out of your garage:eek:

[Plymouthy Adams]

Hey..I am with you on the wood projects..every once in awhile I will grab an old piece of furniture and refinish it..been in the shop cleaning up..I was looking real close at the radial arm saw I bought at auction and cleaned up..I need to put a table top and back rail on it..was hoping my brother could have done that when they came for Chrismas but plans fell through. He is the real wood worker in the family..he does the intricate fancy stuff..I build shops and shop additions...lol

[Rodney Bullock]

Hey Don, leave Norm alone:) everybody can't be the great traveler and explorer that you are, besides who doesen't like the smell of freshly cut wood and seeing a project come together. I am with you Norm after you build the car, you don't keep making changes to it until you can't recognize it. I bet the "Doc" in "Back to the future" just was not satisfied with owning a Deloren he had to make it a time machine! good luck on project Norm.

[PatS....]

I agree, Norm...more to the shop than the old Mopar.

I got the plans a few years back for "Norms" Adirondack chair. After some modifications because the plans are quite inaccurate, I have done about 20 of them and given them to friends and family.

This year, when I can, I'll be trying to build "Jakes Chair" (google it for free plans) Chairs that don't fall apart are tough to make

(pic from the net)

Hopefully I can build and sell some of these ones...we'll see. Lumber is very expensive.

[Norm's Coupe]

Rodney, that was the point I was making. Keep messing with the car after it's done and you end up messing something else on it up. Once it's where you want it, it's no different than maintaining any other car.

Tim, I won't rule it out, but don't plan on building any type of real nice furniture. Just things like the patio bench and other yard art, or crafty type things. I like the woodworking part but don't like fine finishing it. So, for the most part will stay with things that don't require a fine finish.

By the way, careful where you put that radial saw. To be fully useful it needs to be in the middle of the room somewhere, not up against the wall on a table. I know you have more garage space than I do, but you also have all those cars to get in and out. When you build your table you should think about putting it on locking casters so you can move it into the middle of the room for use, then back up against the wall when not in use. That's how I have my table saw, it's more functional that way. Also have the router table set up that way. I know one guy here that put his radial saw on a nice heavy bench against the wall. Now he complains about not being able to get large pieces of wood through it. So...........he's going to put it on a lighter table with wheels so he can use it more.

[Plymouthy Adams]

In my shop in Charleston I built a huge counter to mount the radial arm saw on dead center of the back wall...24 foot wide building..next I framed around that and put windows to the left and right side of that exact height of the table top...so I could technically run a piece of lumber in what length I needed and trim/square the end...later I added to the left of the shop 12 foot..and at that time I took the radial saw out...in this shop there are no windows..zero..none..decided not to waste money on them...with three walk in doors, 10 x 10 rollup and 7 x 16 garage door..plenty of flow through ventilation....

bigbutt get rolled into the paint booth..no..not for paint..well sorta..will do around the glass openings so I can install the glass...

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by Plymouthy Adams

[Norm's Coupe]

I agree, Norm...more to the shop than the old Mopar.

I got the plans a few years back for "Norms" Adirondack chair. After some modifications because the plans are quite inaccurate, I have done about 20 of them and given them to friends and family.

This year, when I can, I'll be trying to build "Jakes Chair" (google it for free plans) Chairs that don't fall apart are tough to make

(pic from the net)

Hopefully I can build and sell some of these ones...we'll see. Lumber is very expensive.

Nice chairs Pat. When I first bought the house, I was cutting out walls in the house among other things. All I had then for a saw was a saber saw and a circular saw. Even cut a large tree down with that circular saw back then. (Have a chain saw for such things now;) ). Built a 7 foot long picnic table back then too, like you see in the parks out of 2 x 4's. No plans, just cut and threw it together. Was slightly too high when finished, so had to chop off the legs a little. Then since I didn't brace it properly it was like a seesaw when people sat on it. Then it was back to the drawing board for the necessary braces. Once I fine tuned it, it lasted many years before rotting out. That thing was so sturdy I once used it paint the trim on the house. My 16' ladder wouldn't reach the peak, so I put the ladder on top of the table for the extra height needed to get to the peak. Used it as a scaffold to paint the back of the house trim. Think I almost gave my neighbor a heart attack when he saw me with the ladder on top of it and me on top of the ladder.

As for lumber being expensive. Well...........how much are our old car parts? Think of it that way and lumber becomes cheap. I'm going to use Douglas Fur for my patio bench project. Haven't priced it, but don't think the total cost of lumber, screws, etc. will be over about $50 or $60 total. To buy a bench like that already made would cost around $200 or more. Guess the price of lumber comes down to the same as what it does with the old cars in the end. It's not so much the cost, but it's a hobby so really don't look at the cost. It's worth it for having the fun building whatever it is we're building.

[eric wissing]

Pat, My brother sent me plans for the same chair. I made one and I find that if I sit in it for more than 10 minutes I will be asleep. Something about the arms being elevated and the angle of the back? Eric

[PatS....]

Asleep in 10 minutes? I fail to see the downside :eek:

[PatS....]

As for lumber being expensive. Well...........how much are our old car parts? Think of it that way and lumber becomes cheap. I'm going to use Douglas Fur for my patio bench project. Haven't priced it' date=' but don't think the total cost of lumber, screws, etc. will be over about $50 or $60 total. To buy a bench like that already made would cost around $200 or more. Guess the price of lumber comes down to the same as what it does with the old cars in the end. It's not so much the cost, but it's a hobby so really don't look at the cost. It's worth it for having the fun building whatever it is we're building.[/quote']

I made the "Norm" chairs from Western Red Cedar and the lumber alone was $100 per chair. The first 4 were spruce and I wasn't too happy with them, but they are 4 years old now and seem to be fine...my sister painted them white marine enamel.

If I can find 5/4 stock in something other than Cedar, I'll try that but that size is pretty rare here.

Gotta wait until my arm/hand is better first anyway

Gettin cabin fever real bad

[Plymouthy Adams]

5/4 getting harder to find about anywhere these days...

[Frank Blackstone]

If you think the price of lumber is high in Canada you ought to price it in Kansas. Dogs hitch rides to find trees to water.

[PatS....]

If you think the price of lumber is high in Canada you ought to price it in Kansas. Dogs hitch rides to find trees to water.

Ya, the trees are here, but we pay the same as you pay...sometimes more:(