Any woodworkers?

I understand all that, but composite decking is more plastic than wood and that's why it last so long. But wood post on the ground or even in concrete will not last that long. It's too bad they don't make a composite post to go with the decking.

 

My original posts are holding my deck just fine. The posts and the cross beam (Two 2x12's and 3/4 inch treated plywood - all glued and nailed/screwed together) are the only parts of my old deck that we saved. The old deck was treated 2x8 s (2x10s on the new) and a little smaller. Old was approx. 12x18.5 and the new is cantilevered out a bit further to be 14X18.5. The post were originally set down 2-3 ft in concrete footings and there is another 4 inch concrete drive/ patio over that. The support system is rock solid and is 35 years old. I had 3 professional builders inspect the support system before building on the old. The old deck was Redwood, which of course needed maint. every two years. We had been using a high quality solid color stain for the last 6-8 years, and that worked great. I hated to see it go, but it had served us well for 35 years. My professional carpenter salvaged the pieces of the redwood he could use. He was the expert and I was the designated gopher/payer! We have been in this home for 49 years The new Fiberon decking looks alot like walnut lumber and my maintenance sessions are done forever. A lot of people around here are going for the concrete decks. To me they still look like concrete even if stamped and stained. A near neighbor put on a new one and just left it plain gray concrete. Looks like they are going outside to "relax" on their concrete driveway! Cold and boring in my opinion. Oh well!!?? Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

You did extremely well to have a deck survive for 35years. Mine was 15 years old when I decided to rebuild it. It was pressure treated lumber and after the first year, I hated it. We have high humidity year round. Never again will I use pressure treated lumber for a walking surface. This time I used a butyl barrier between the floor joint and the decking surface to prevent rot from trapped moisture. The synthetic (plastic) lumber is the way to go. Just wash it with soap and water and it looks new again. No annual scrubbing, scraping and staining involved. The biggest fall back is the price of the synthetic stuff.

 

Finally got the dado throat plate insert for my laguna saw. It wasn't supposed to be in until the end of August but it came in early!

Now I'm waiting for the zero clearance insert to become available.

 

Make one

 

I thought about it but this insert would be kind of a pain in the a$$ to do due to the levelers, lock, and kickback pawl guards. Besides I've got better things to due with my time. I'll just take the easy route and buy one when they become available. I've got plenty of other things that need to be made before I spend my time screwing around with a finicky throat plate, lol.

 

I probably should have done the butyl barrier on the new deck, but what I did do is, I pre-stained all of the treated wood BEFORE we put down the new Fiberon decking. I used Cabot solid color stain that very closely matched the Warm Sienna of the Fiberon decking The Cabot stain went on when the wood was fairly wet , but after a year I have seen no signs of problems on the stained areas of the deck structure. The one thing I did splurge on is the hidden/exposed plug system for the steps and the areas where one can't use the slotted fastener system. My whole step system is face screwed with this plug system. This sysstem is worth the extra. The company that does this for the various mfrs. (not just Fiberon) cuts the exact plugs from the identical decking you are putting down. On mine you have to get down to within 6 inches to find the plugs. Of course I was picky and aligned the grain pattern of the plugs with the decking material. That helped a bunch with the "look".

$136 Pro Plug System for Fiberon Ipe Decking - 100 Square Feet - Epoxy #10 x 2-3/4" Screws

Pro Plug System for Fiberon Ipe Decking - 100 Square Feet - Epoxy #10 x 2-3/4" Screws: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

This is the plug system I used --only warning is -do not drop them they are small/expensive and hard to find back on any surface especially dirt/grass. I actually put mine in a flat cake pan to find the best color match. Warning!! -- don't try this when drinking beer. Use the right size drill bits(diameter -I think I went very slightly smaller than reccomed. and gently tap them in with a light weight ball peen hammer.

 

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...^^^... I wish you lived closer ... I would gave you a deal on a 30 year old cast iron Craftsman than was used only once and still has the OEM protective wax on the table surface.

It's an extra belt driven 10" table-saw that I never used ... super heavy too.

 

I had a jet. That thing was heavy

 

...^^^... A Jet is heavier for sure ... stand and table.

 

I need a shop..again...maybe someday.

 

I finally got ahold of someone at laguna, they are having phone issues, lol. But my zero clearance plate is on order.

 

...^^^... I have remodelled and/or updated every house that I have lived in until now ... needed many tools to do that.

Bought my first new house and now have no need for a shop or many tools. One of the hardest things in my life is selling off and/or giving away my tools.

I have collected good tools (all types) all my life and now is the time to start getting rid of them. ie, I sold a 20 year old Honda EB-11000 generator (bought new) that had less than 4 total hours on it. The buyer didn't believe me at first until he saw the OEM paint still in the exhaust area.

I sold a 20 year old (oil lubed) heavy duty cast iron, 30 gal commercial air compressor that was barely used to a guy who flew his plane in from FL and to pick it up. I picked him up at PDK airport, we went to lunch and then back to PDK and loaded up his air compressor. The cool thing is I am meeting some unusually and cool people selling all of this stuff. The air compressor buyer had a bunch of planes and made his money in the "Car Gray Market" importing cars from Europe 30 years ago. He had a shop and liked old fashioned American made tools.

I sold a 20 year old giant hand made S/S bird cage to a lady in FL who rescued birds from the controversial "Tiger Guy".

I will keep a few tools because as I get rid of some things, I find that I need it the next week ... lol

Such is life ...

PS ... I am watching my Ex-FIL's super machine shop (wood and metal) go to nothing because he went in the hospital for only a day and is now in extended living for the rest of his life.

I am sure that his very expensive, high-end tools (that he babied all his life), will be sold for peanuts. He has Bridgeport Mills, CNC tools and etc and was a 1 man shop making specialized parts for aircraft. Everything from C-130's to F-22's.

Moral of my story ... go for your next shop and enjoy it for the rest of your life ...

 

Got an antique sewing machine table. One that flips open with machine inside.

The top laminate is wavy, detaching, and splitting.
Would you guys advise trying to scrape it off and do new laminate, totally replace the wood, or is there some other option? Maybe some glue with a heavy weight on it but that might not resolve the cracks.

I'll get a pic this evening.

 

That's probably what will happen to all of my tools as I have no one to leave them too. But for now I'm hoping to upgrade all of my tools before I retire while I'm still working and can afford to do so, and hopefully I'll get to enjoy using them before I die. Now what happens to them after I die I really don't care, if my girl survives me she can auction it all off.

 

reminds me of this commercial. Every place we have owned we made better also. ive downsized a lot.

 

The Craftsman that I have is 47 years old and is a cast iron top as well... turns out I'm just an idiot and I got it to make the 45 degree cuts I wanted.

 

Does anyone have building plans for some cedar tree boxes like the ones used at tree nurseries? I've got a 30-40ft section along my back wall that I'd fill in with some sort of privacy hedge plants and possibly some semi-dwarf crape myrtles. Problem is, the pool decking runs almost to the back wall, so the plants will need to be in planters. I'm also thinking about building some castor dolly's for underneath so I can move the plants around a little bit if needed.

Most of the places I've found local only sell tree boxes in bulk to nurseries or will only sell the boxes if you buy the tree that's already in them. I suppose I could use oak wine barrels, but I like the idea of building something custom that would hold up longer.

Any suggestions?

 

YMMV but if when you start seriously thinking about where things go when you're gone and there is literally no-one you can think of that would want them, consider having them go to a local school districts shop program. Here's hoping those things still exist that far in the future, but I know up here at least the funding for them in frankly pathetic and having quality tools donated could be just as appreciated as $$