The bar comes along

So, what a weekend. Between myself and LuckyL we really got a lot done. First was the bar counter. Just to recap:-

I got a buddy to source for me an old school bench. It's at least 50 yrs old, Oregon pine, 30mm thick, 4.8m long and 440mm wide. They stripped off the legs and stuff, made sure all the screws and nails were out, and then cut it up for me into 2 x 600mm, 1 x 750mm, 2 x 1040 mm, and the off cut. (You work it out).

Me and LuckyL then cut it as needed to make the "horseshoe", as per my preferred design, and started glueing the ends together.

All the pieces (bar the off cut) cut, and laid together to check fit, and show the final layout for the bar counter. The idea is that you can have up to 6 people around the bar, and everyone can see and speak to everyone, as opposed to a conventional counter where you all sit in a straight line. Also, I will be adding a removable insert, with green felt overlay (like a pool table has) for the purpose of playing cards (poker / rummy / blackjack).

I bought a biscuit cutter tip for the router, rather than buying a biscuit cutter, and mounted same onto my table saw table. The biscuit cutter, or joint cutter costs in the region of ZAR600 to ZAR2500, and the cutter I bought was ZAR149 plus the mounting plate for the router another ZAR130, so overall cheaper, and works just as well, if not better.

Here is the router, with biscuit cutter bit installed, mounted onto the table saw table. Works like a bomb!

We joined the 2 first pieces with 2 x lemelo biscuits, and Ponal wood glue, and clamps to test our skill and design.

The first two pieces, joined together and clamped to set.

More pieces into the puzzle, glued / joined / clamped.

I've never done this before so it was trial and error, but it worked. So over the weekend we did the other pieces, and by Sunday afternoon we had the whole thing assembled / glued / setting, so we can start with the sanding and then the routing of the edges this week working evenings.

4 pieces joined / glued / clamped together on the left, and the other 2 pieces on the right.

All the parts now glued / joined / clamped. Waiting overnight to check how it set. On first measurement it seems we are slightly out of square, but then it's made by LuckyL and i, so it's probably not going to be perfect, but it will be different!

It's really starting to look good. I managed to use the off cut as a "side leg" to the bar counter. This will give it a ? shape, but adds some under counter cupboard space, and also makes it a bit more different (as if it needed more)!The rest of the design is still in my head, and is dependant on what I can get for free, and what I have to buy.

More to come.

Salagatle!