Work table and other plans

Hi Everyone,
Well, I need a work table and I've begun working on one today. Here we go:

I got a bench-top sander over the holidays and I'm really excited to begin using it (no more hand sanding-yea!). And I also have a bench grinder to sharpen my tools with. These two tools together are very heavy and I need a strong table so I can bolt them down and use them. So after some serious thought and a cup of coffee I decided to make a table using construction braces.

There is a company called Simpson Strong Tie and they make a whole array of different types of construction connectors: http://www.strongtie.com/. They also have produced several diy-type projects using these connectors and one of these projects is a heavy-duty table. You can see the plans for this at: http://www.strongtie.com/ftp/fliers/DIY-PROJECT08.pdf.

So, I went and I bought some connectors and some 2x4s and began cutting and planning:

I cut 4 legs that are 33 1/4" long, 4 rails that are 45" long, and 4 rails that are 16 3/4" long. 

I also purchased some self-tapping screws:

And I purchased 4 connectors:

I should have purchased 8 connectors ( but I made a mistake. I'll have to go and get the other 4 connectors tomorrow).  You can see that the connectors are pre-drilled so you can easily screw them down to the 2x4s. 

As it's beginning to get really cold in the wood shop, I'm going to stop there and work on this tomorrow when it's forecast to get up to 30 degrees-it's about 10 degrees right now. 

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As soon as I get this table made, I'll set up the rest of my equipment and begin working again on all sorts of different stuff. I have a young friend who is getting married later this spring and I'm going to make her a wedding present. I bought a large block of mineral-stained poplar and I'm going to shape it into a salad bowl. As the wood is unseasoned and she's getting married in a couple of months, I'm going to make this my first project of the year so the bowl will have time to dry out. This should be a really pretty bowl.

So grab some coffee and fire up the computer and drop by the wood shop. We have more adventures ahead and I think it's going to be a good year for Selkie Wood Works. 

See you tomorrow.

VW