A Grovey Weekend

Actually it was a tongue and grove type weekend. After getting the router table setup with a new table insert, fence extension for the feather boards, it didn't talk long getting the tongues and groves milled into the boards. Saturday I did the groves, and Sunday the tongues. It was very labour intensive because I had to keep the boards firmly pressed to the table and fence to ensure a strait, clean cut. And of course it takes a bit of effort pulling 11 foot boards through and pushing them out of the router table. Anyway here a couple of boring pictures of the this part of our floor restoration project completed, which according to my account took 28 days and they look fantastic.

Getting Ready to T & G

As with most woodworking projects setup is very important, and as I get ready to cut the tongue and groves in the floor boards I want make sure I can do the job properly and safely. Remember most of them are 11 feet long and can be a bit tricky running though the router table. So I had to make an addition to my router table fence so I could add feather boards to keep the boards firmly to the table, so the cut will be the same on all boards. I will be making the cuts good side down so if there is a slight variation in board thickness it won't be amplified on the good side of the boards and they will be even when we lay them. Here are a few pictures of my set up, I will be starting the floors tomorrow so wish me luck.

All set up to cut the groves.

My first cut was the tongue, I wanted to make sure it was the right size and positioned properly, then I cut the grove. The tongue is a ¼ inch deep and a ¼ inch from the top, leaving a ¼ inch for bottom. The grove is a little deeper then ¼ inch, I want a tight fit, and leave some room for expansion.

A good fit, we didn't want the joint with the usual small 'v' grove, just clean lines.

You may not be able to read or see what is written, I wanted to make sure I followed the same setup when cutting the floors as the test pieces, so what better place to record it then on the test boards them self.

Still Working - Haven't Given Up

I haven't posted an update since the 14th and I don't want anyone to think I've given up. What we have been doing is de-cluttering ReBecca's lower studio and making a few runs to the house with boxes. As well I have been filling in nail holes and with knotty pine boards comes loose knots. Then comes the sanding, and with a couple of palm sanders it kicks up a bit of dust and takes a little time. The floors look good and are not perfect, ReBecca keeps reminding me, we still want to show some of the original character and charm of these century old floors boards, and she got it. So no pictures of wood fill or pine dust today, just of the cause of this latest step in restoring the floors.

Remember this picture from an earlier post, these leave a few hole that need some attention.

And a fraction of the knots that fell out. I suppose after a 116 year it is natural to dry up and fall out.

Making Shavings

Another great day in the shop and more shavings made, in fact that should be it, at least for now. I hope. All the boards have been run through the joiner and table saw. Next step to fill the holes and sand them.

Here is the last bunch completed, I was running out of room in the shop to put the boards. Luckily I don't need the work bench at this time.

After the boards came off the joiner, and squaring them up on the table saw, this is all the came off the rough edge. It wasn't as much a I expected, all though there is a 3/4 full bag of shavings that accounts for the edge we don't see here.

Making Progress

I've run a few more boards through the joiner, table saw, and squared them up nicely, only when I cut in the tongue and groves and lay them will I know. Besides, once they are down I have to remember, they are 116+ years old and if they aren't perfect, we did want a little character.

A look at my joining set up, I'm standing by the in feed roller.

This is a great start, I'll have to put the rest on the work bench. I think my saw horses are at there max. The green tap is holding a glue job in, I what to save as much width as possible. Again it adds character.

Spring is coming

With yesterday being very warm +10°C and the rain, it looks like spring is around the corner. We can only hope.

The little snow we had is leaving.

Our future pond is taking shape, I hope we can make it permanent.

Squaring things up

Now that the floors board have been planned, it's time to start squaring them up. Several passes on the joiner, then onto the table saw to make sure they're parallel. I was a little amazed that most of the boards were out of parallel by about a 1/4 inch. It didn't talk long to get this pile done, then again they were only 3 and 7 foot long. I suspect it may take a bit of finesse to run the 11 footers through the joiner. One step at a time I keep reminding myself.

This is what I was able to complete this morning.

Done

Well the planning is done, at least for now anyway. It took a while, as we thought it would, but it did go a bit quicker than my first estimate. I must say my little 12 inch portable planer did a great job, I kept the planer knives sharp, and the shavings flew. Here is the final look at what I did, now to joint on edge, size and square up the boards, cut in the tongue and groves, fill the holes, sand them, install them, stain them, and apply poly to them. Nothing to it, I hope.

A nice little stack of wood, waiting for the next step.

A little every day

Some days it doesn't seem like I accomplish much but I do. A little bit every day will get the job done, and not fell too overwhelming. So here is another pile of floor boards done, this is the last of the 11 foot boards, now I'm working on the upstairs hallway.

All the 11 footers, done.

Things are looking up. The 7 footers are on the rack to be done and then these 3 foot board remain.

A Plain old day

Well this was a great day, I managed to get another group of floor boards planned this morning. I did keep ahead of things, by changing the planer knives more frequently, before they got dull. I was amazed how fast it went. Here is what progress looks like, in my shop anyway.

The pile is getting bigger. Excellent.

These old 116 year old pine boards look great. Much more work ahead of us, but it's worth it.