As I wrote in an earlier post, I am building two children-sized picnic tables for my school's fundraiser, which occurs in February. Out in the Green Barn, I have a nice workroom, complete with all of my tools. However, right now I have a brooder taking up 50% of the floor space, and it is really cold out there! So, I got out my little portable propane heater and lugged everything I needed into the garage. It wasn't much warmer in there!
I cut all of the pieces with my chop saw and then took the first pieces to assemble into the family room so I could figure out how to assemble the table in a warm place. Who writes instructions? It seems as if the person writing the directions for most of the things I have had to assemble has never put one of the things together, or doesn't speak English as a first language. No offense intended to anyone out there.
Here are a few shots of the project:
I cut all of the pieces with my chop saw and then took the first pieces to assemble into the family room so I could figure out how to assemble the table in a warm place. Who writes instructions? It seems as if the person writing the directions for most of the things I have had to assemble has never put one of the things together, or doesn't speak English as a first language. No offense intended to anyone out there.
Here are a few shots of the project:
My favorite construction pencil. I stepped on it. (you could tell that already, couldn't you)
Great inventions. I love my blaze orange square. It's hard to misplace.I have seven tape measures. I guess you could call that a collection.
The table taking shape. I don't know what I needed the flashlight for.Maybe I was looking for a pencil.
Hey, that looks like a picnic table! I don't know how it will look when finished.
The moms of the third grade are planning on decorating it somehow. Maybe they'll paint it, or just stain it. The battery in my portable drill died before I could tighten all the screws, so if you look closely on the table top, you can see a few of the screws needing attention.
I am getting a yen for some warmer weather. Anyone want to join me for a little picnic?
I am getting a yen for some warmer weather. Anyone want to join me for a little picnic?
33 comments:
That's a great-looking picnic table, Don! You should let your students decorate it. What a fun (messy) art project!
Count me in for a picnic. I'll bring the fried chicken. Can we go somewhere warm? Like the Bahamas?
Susan: I normally would love for the kids to put on their messy clothes and get to work! BUT, this is for a fund raiser and we want everybody to want the tables, not just the kid's parents who worked on it.
Our son Peter is flying into Nassau tomorrow morning! Check out his blog called Sparks to keep up with his adventures on the cruise.
Fried chicken!? Count me in. I'll make the devilled eggs.
Sign me up for the picnic...I'll bring everything else if you'll just bring the warm weather!
Ahhh it looks great!
Broken pencil and all,that efforet was worth it.
We are getting 36 degrees here,I will go for "spring" and mabey the odd winter day thrown in....
Agh! This heat is hard going!!!
Lady still on eggs...8 days to go.
I have to agree with the post above we have been getting 36 and 37 degrees C (98F) and one day last week we had 41C (105F), so I'm really looking forward to spring and winter. A picnic would be nice,though but we need cooler days for that, it's even hot in the shade.
The picnic table looks great.
Tracie xx
that's it, I have been wanting a couple of picnic tables and thanks to you, it's going on the honey-do list, I'll tell Mike that thanks to Don, I decided that he [Mike] was up for the job, "if Don can do it, you can do it." :-)
if your ears are burning tonight...
Yeah a picnic!!!
Great job on the table and you guys must hang in there pretty well with all that snow! You're a better man than me, ha!
ooops.
I've just discovered your blog and I am going to coninue following. My oldest son is in 3rd grade and although we like his current teacher I am jealous of your students. He is in bed sleeping right now, but tomorrow after school I am going to show him your blog and we will have a good time learning all about your hens.
Don - good job with that bench fella!
:)
I would be proud to have made that - it looks VERY professional!
...and I would LOVE to come have a picnic with you and yours one day.
I need to start building stuff myself - I have a large shelving/random pidgeon hole creation to make in our front room, I really MUST get on and make a start on it!
:D
hey fun Don we both posted about a table the same day.. also funny how projects have a tendency to move all around the property.. sounds like here.. no wonder you(and us) need 7 tape measures.. one for every spot we stop to work on it along the way...
That picnic table is rather impressive. Good luck with the fund raiser!
i want to go on a picnic with you, papa! what a perfect table, what a craftsman! i can see it in the barn green, that would be soo cool.
i am definitely yearning for some warm weather myself. i miss the green (even tho we don't have much of it in the city) and the flowers.
and i miss you. can't wait to see the final products! lovies.
Oh Don, those picnic tables are a fantastic item for a school auction! i am so sick of the "Market place" flyers they keep sending home with my kids... I wish our local schools would be more creative in raising money like your auction.
What awesome contributions you are making.
Since we are not local and could not bid on those tables, i may have to make one up for my little ones. I am so bad with angles. may have to find an "orange square" of my own. Lost the only one I had awhile back...The tree gnomes must have walked off with it. LOL.
Congrats on the new chicks. Every batch of new babies will bring excitement. And lots of smiles!
You never fail to make me smile with your posts. i feel horrible on neglecting my daily dose of reading.
Life had taken me "away" for a bit, but I am working my way back to my unusual ways and adventures.
Looking forward to reading about how everything goes with the auction, science fair, and new chicks.
Stay warm so far north!
Lol about the flashlight and pencil. Great looking picnic table Don. Suggestion for a color, we have one I got when a place closed down in the mall, powdered blue, initially it looked out of place, but every one that came to our house said it looked cool.
I am so ready for spring and to be able to use our picnic table again!!
Warren:I think it would be fun to actually have a picnic and invite all my blogger friends to come, sit around a bonfire and talk about our lives.
country cupcake: that's too hot!
I hope your broody is successful. I need to post tomorrow about the chicks. They are getting big and frisky.
tracie: a picnic in the shade is just what I want right now.
what do you eat at your picnics?
joanna: if I can build them anyone can! Tell Mike it isn't that bad, and the tables are really solid!
We're thinking about painting some board games on the top, like chess, backgammon, etc.
sandy: the snow is deep and it is cold. I guess that is what we get for living in Michigan!
kasey: 3rd grader?? I think 3rd graders are great. They are at the age when they are just starting to wake up and realize that their brains are working and that the world is a big place. They are nice and thoughtful too.
stiggy: thanks for the compliment, coming from a real carpenter makes me happy. I know about my little boo-boos tho.
What is this pigeon-hole contraption you are going to build? I'll check your blog to see if you are showing us anything about that.
gwen: table serendipity with gwen, I like that!
Your table is a masterpiece as well as functional, the best of everything!
I think you're right about the WHY I have 7 tape measures. If I were a professor, I would be the absent minded one
Thanks Emily, if you're from Okemos, c'mon over and bid!!
lesleyanne: we'll do picnics this spring and summer.
you bring the ants
Unusual: welcome back to the blog world!
I agree with you about the seemingly endless fundraisers that abound in elementary schools. I think the biggest reason is that the feds don't fund all their required programs, the same with the states and then it all trickles down to the local school. We sometimes run out of money to buy paper for the copier! I keep a stash in my closet! Hey! Don't tell anyone...
bob: You must relate to me and my stuff lying around?! Except your stuff is probably telescope lenses, 3D glasses and chunks of meteorites!!
I like the idea of powder blue for the tables. I like that shade and it definitely is a summer color.
I think the ladies are planning on staining.
jen: Let's see, we have 9 days until Groundhog's Day. If he sees his shadow, that means that "According to the tradition, if Phil sees his shadow and returns to his hole, the United States will have six more weeks of winter. If Phil does not see his shadow, spring will arrive early."
(Wiki)
Worst case scenario: spring will arrive sometime in the third week of March. I definitely would be ok with that, as I don't expect warmish weather until the first of April around here!
The funniest thing to experience is getting very small children to help build things. I was building an expanded swingset-adventure center for Abby when she was 2, and told her we were building a plant stand for mommy. She was bowled over when she figured out what it was.
loring: that is hilarious! I laughed out loud at the thought of you,with a straight face, telling an innocent 2 yr old that you are in the backyard building a plant stand. Thanks for the laugh!
You are just way too industrious these days, Don. You kill me!
ginnie: i also just about killed the moms, as they offered to finish the table, with sanding, painting and staining!
it's more work than you think!
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