First "not for work" project

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Well not the very first, but first in a while.I am ill equipped at the house to handle any sort of welding project, as I'm without a welder. But as I have recently switched employers, I have been granted use of the shop for personal projects.  Hoping this will be one of many to come.I'm building a nightstand for my oldest boy that will also double as a locker to keep his stuff safe from his younger brothersI will be completing this for his Christmas gift, so I'm foreseeing some long hours Monday and TuesdayFrame is made of 1"x1"x16ga mild steel tube. Expanded metal is 16ga 304 Stainless all TIG and external welds are silicone bronze. The open areas of the frame are going to be filled with 16ga hot rolled mild steel and stitch welded in with sil-br. Not sure if I want to do the cross break on the sides as well or not. The front door in the pictures is not fully complete as I am going to do the full perimiter of the steel center panel in the sil-br The top of it (I'm waiting on the glue to dry as I type this) is 1" rough (knotted up and full of grain) pine or oak; not a carpenter and was pallet wood from a stainless delivery. But anyways it will be mounted flush to the top frame and hinged to allow for a "secret stash" underneath it. Finnish on the wood is going to be a dark "espresso" stain from minwax with a clear in it.Please go easy on the weld critiques of the sil-br, as I'm still learning with this stuff. I'm hoping to be able to buff out some of the impurities that floated to the top while brazing with it. Final finish on it will be done in a simple clear coat (just to take the metal feel away) More to come as I get time to finish it. Deadline is Tuesday
Reply:And since I can only do 10 images at a time:
Reply:Good looking welds. Nice work.ChrisAuction Addict
Reply:Very cool idea and work. The push is on for Christmas!
Reply:Originally Posted by Canadian WeldingVery cool idea and work. The push is on for Christmas!
Reply:Looks a awesome.  That is something he will keep forever.  When he reaches the teen years, he won't think twice of that gift. However, when he's an adult and dad is now "grandpa," that night stand will be with him and his memories forever.Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:Nice job, he's gonna like it. Nightstand, you can use that at a circus for the elephants to stand on.
Reply:Thanks for posting. I always see something new when I watch projects like this being built.Some day his new wife will be saying, "you're not putting that steel locker in our bedroom are you"?  Then the fight started....  Keep posting...
Reply:Very cool...That night stand will last forever and I'm sure your son will appreciate it even more as he get older. Good job.
Reply:dcoff; nice. good fit-up and nothing wrong with those welds.i.u.o.e. # 15queens, ny and sunny fla
Reply:Nice work.  Be nice to see what blackened steel and bronze or sil-bronze joints would look like some day."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Thanks for the compliments everyone. I'll be spending most of the day in the garage pretending to be a wood worker and finishing the top to this thing. I may be able to post some pictures of that later tonight. Tomorrow after work I'll be able to get the rest of the panels in and possibly even get the lock and top installed. Tuesday will be clear coat in the morning (in a very warm shop with a few heaters around it to help speed things up. Wednesday is D-Day And as for using it for an elephant stand - it probably could hold up a Buick. I mis-typed; the tubing is actually 14ga not 16ga as I typed
Reply:Originally Posted by dcoffmanjr it probably could hold up a Buick. I mis-typed; the tubing is actually 14ga not 16ga as I typed
Reply:I've always let my employees use the shop for their own projects.  I figure they learn a lot on their time.  It costs me some materials, but I think it's worth it.
Reply:That's awesome.  Lots of comments on "night stand", so I'd throw in my 2 cents worth.  Call that bad boy a life-stand, cuz that's AT LEAST how long it'll be around.  Good work!-AaronJet 17.5" Drill Press1942 South Bend 16x84 Lathe1980s Miller 320A / BP --- 2013 Power Mig 2562012 Jet 7x12 Horizontal BandsawVictor O/A Setup
Reply:Alright - I have a new found appreciation for woodworkers. Never realized how much work goes into making a piece of wood flat and smooth. Especially when I'm armed only with a small hand plane, a bottle of glue, some clamps and a 1/2 sheet "jitterbug" sander This was the wood I scavenged from a pallet at work. But due to not having a tape measure when I cut it, I did not get enough to do a full wood top on this night stand  So after talking to the wife, I'm going to do the top in both wood and metal. The wood plank is 16" by 10.75" leaving me with a hole 16" by 5.25" this will be closed up with 16ga hot roll. The wood part is going to be hinged with a hidden hinge setup so as to keep the "secret" in secret stash spot Anyways here's the pics - please forgive the horrifically untidy workspace. I'm still trying to get organized after moving in 9 months ago LOLAfter gluing and hand planingFinish of choiceMy selection of wood tools - got that when I was 10 years old - now 28 LOLFirst coat
Reply:Coming along nicely!
Reply:Good cuts on the steel tube frames. Nice band saw on the background. Welding job is a top notch. You definitely nailed it.PlasmaCam CNC cutterLathe and Band SawClamps
Reply:It all looks good, even the wood top.I have a small pallet my mom gave me to make a small table out of.  (have to add legs, stained with deck stain)  Pallet wood is cheap wood, my mom's little table was smooth.  Now stained it is fuzzy.On the other hand I made a metal framed table with a piece of oak plywood setting on it for a top.  Couldn't ask for it to be any smoother.With use it should smooth out more if you did not get it do completely do so.
Reply:Well, the recipient of this table decided that he wad going to have a seizure as I was on my way home from work this afternoon. First one ever, and nothing triggered it. So, we are sitting at the hospital right now. He came out of it I'm well enough health, and the paramedics had stated he was in good health for me to drive him,opposed to am ambulance ride.But as I wait to be seen with him, I figured I'd post the final results of this thing. I've only got to hand plane and sand the wood for the interior shelf. That will stay in a natural finish as it contrasts the dark inside.Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk Attached Images
Reply:Sorry to hear about your boy, hopefully that doesn't become a reoccurring thing.  That nightstand looks great.
Reply:Very nice nightstand. I hope your boy is alright. Hopefully was just the anxiety/anticipation leading up to the holidays.My wife twice has had seizures in moments of great anxiety.wRMiller TrailBlazer 301Miller 12rc feederMiller ShopmasterMiller 22a feederPlasmaCam CNC TableHypertherm 45 cutterDrills, saws, blast cabinets etc.
Reply:That looks really niceMiller Maxstar 200 SDPiperliner #10 Gold
Reply:Nice nightstand and hope everything is well with your son.Sent from my Nexus 7 using TapatalkWill   Supports Autism Awareness                            My ToysBobCat 225 PLusMillermatic 130Miller Spectrum 300 CutmateEverlast Power Tig 185 Micro April is Autism Month .
Reply:Same here, hope your son turn out and stays in good health.You can tell with the inner shelf unfinished how much work went into finishing the top.I really like the whole design and I will pray for your son's health.
Reply:Thanks every one. Home from hospital now. All tests came back fine (I know, surprising, isn't it)They suspect that his recent round of immunizations could have triggered it. But we will be taking him to little rock (4 hours one way) next week for an EEG just to be on the safe side.They suspect the tdap vaccine to be the culprit. Just a heads up to parentsSent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk
Reply:Very nice work. If ever you need wood work tools to use call me. That's what I do for a living. Prayers sent from Carroll county for your son and family.
Reply:I like it - interesting design Best wishes for your son's health Dave J.Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance. ~George Bernard Shaw~ Syncro 350Invertec v250-sThermal Arc 161 and 300MM210DialarcTried being normal once, didn't take....I think it was a Tuesday.