new arrivals

I was on a walk today with the dogs and took notice of a few new arrivals.  Actually I heard a house wren before I went for a walk, as I was working in the shop this morning.  There is usually a nesting pair in the little patch of woods in our alley.  On the walk I heard a chipping sparrow in the distance.  I heard more that one during the walk but not very many.  This must be the first few of the year.  I also saw and heard some brown headed cowbirds.  There was a song that I was hearing in the distance that I just wasn't able to put my finger on.  I was thinking it was a cardinal at first but then moved on to thinking catbird or brown thrasher.  Thrashers have been reported in Duluth already so that would be a reasonable guess.  I'm thinking its still a little bit early for catbirds.  I've been asked again to be a leader at Boulder Birding  Big Day in a couple of weeks so I best be getting out and doing some bird watching to refresh my memory on songs and keep track of the new arrivals.

The Cradle is starting to take shape

I finished fine tuning and fitting all the slats for the sides this morning.  Its funny, I spent all that time fitting them in nice and snug and then lining them all up to get the sides dry fit and assembled and now I have to take it all apart to finish sanding, roundover, and possibly finish the slats.  I haven't decided on what, if any, parts I'm going to prefinish before assembly.  For that matter I haven't even decided what I'm going to use for a finish.  Maybe a couple thinned coats of shellac and then varnish?  This will be my first project in cherry so I'm open to suggestions.  

Once I got both sides fit together I couldn't resist putting them in  place.  Nothing is fastened yet, it's just held with a couple of clamps but it was still exciting to see.  My wife was ecstatic to see some progress that moved towards finished form.   

I also spent some time working on the mortises on the legs that will fit into the feet.  I realized I should have cut them to thickness before I cut the curves because now I don't have a square surface to register on the miter fence.  It's not a really big deal, just going to take a little more setup to get things squared up and held tight.  Some of the next steps on the basket assembly will include fine tuning the joinery and trimming any proud ends, putting a radius on the corners of the end panel frames, fastening the sides to the ends, and putting a slight roundover on all the edges.  I'll also need to get the legs and feet put together and build the lower stretcher.   A couple more good sessions on this baby and I'll be on to finish sanding.  

   

Slow and steady

Progress on the cradle continues... slowly and steadily.  I know I said I was going to post some pictures of the process of cutting out the side supports, but I guess I lied.  I was so excited when the router bit came and was under the gun before work, I just plum forgot to snap any pics.  You'll just have to trust me that it worked great and they turned out great.  See for yourselves.  My wife laughed at me, but I find the sweeping curve and that hip at the top very pleasing, and dare I say sexy.?.?  Hopefully once the whole thing is assembled they won't be overtaken or out of place with any other elements.  

My current task is getting the sides done.  It is a very slow and painstaking process.  I had to cut about 50 little pieces to fill the grove between the slats.  It would seem like one size should fit all but unfortunately that's not the case.  My router table setup leaves a little to be desired when it comes to repeatability of a cut after an adjustment.  It's a combination of the insert plate and the lack of precision between the motor and the base.  One of my next purchases really should be an aluminum plate with a router lift.  With that said, I did get the pieces all fit and glued.  I made an effort to match grain pattern to make them inconspicuous but I could only do so much.  At this point I need to get all the slats cut to length and fit in the rails.  I'll have to decide if there is any particular arrangement that will give a pleasing look.  I have a feeling that they'll just be random.  Once I have these sides done it'll be time to start some dry assembly.  

Cradle? Oh yeah I'm building a cradle.

It's has been quite awhile since I last posted an update on the cradle for our brewing baby.  I was stalling on some parts until I could use a good band saw and milling the lumber for the workbench pretty much tied up the shop for awhile.  The bench top is all milled and on hold for now and I finally got a chance to visit a fellow woodworkers shop for a little tool time.  I got the feet cut and sanded and the curves on the end support cut out.  I only did 1 of 4 cuts on the supports but I have a good plan for the rest that will make them identical.  Using a flush-trim/pattern bit in the router I will use the already finished support as a template.  I'll cut one side of the second support, flip it over and use it to cut out the second side of the first support.  It sounds more complicated than it will be.  I'll post some pics once I get underway with it.  I had to order a a longer bit so it'll be a few days.  

I also spent quite a bit of time on the end panels.  It was a little stressful but I got the chamfers all cut,  the curved one was the scariest.  I was worried about it being wavy because neither the jig nor panel was sanded smooth.  It just came to me one day to use one to sand the other and vice versa.  I stuck some sand paper to the curved edge of the panel and sanded the jig.  Once the jig was nice and smooth (and free of the waves that a spindle sanded will leave when you're new at it) I used it to sand the panels. Another nice thing about this method is that the curves end up being identical.  Here's the jig i used per the specs in the plans.

As I said, I was really nervous about this but It couldn't have worked better.  Everything slid smoothly and I just snuck up on the thickness.  Doing the other 3 sides was a breeze after this.  The next, and time consuming, step was to fit the panels nicely into the frames.  I had to lots of fine tuning with my smoothing plane and sandpaper on the bevels but all is well.  I'm very happy I decided to go with the raised panels for then ends.  They look so much better than a solid panel.  

Besides the end supports, the next step is more work on the sides.  I have to cut all the little filler pieces to go in the groves between the slats.  

Duluth Audubon Society Grant

I got some great news this week about a grant proposal I wrote for the Duluth Audubon.  The DNR decide it was worth funding.  It is approximately $13,000 to start restoring a section of forest here in Duluth, along the Kingsbury Creek.  This is such an exciting opportunity for the DAS to get involved in some "on the ground" work in conservation and for myself as an aspiring grant writer.  The project is going to be a lot of work but I think I assembled a great team of collaborators that will make it go smoothly.  I will go into more detail and post lots of updates here as the project progresses.  Right now I'm just waiting for more info from the DNR about the next step.   Here's the grant narrative to give an idea of what's going on.  

KINGSBURY CREEK FOREST RESTORATION NARRATIVE

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The presences of appropriate native forests on hillsides and along drainages help to perform a myriad of ecosystem services. These services include improving water quality, supporting wildlife habitat, mitigating erosion, and even slowing climate change. In order to ensure a healthy environment for years to come, these ecosystem services should be addressed and restored whenever possible.  The landscape around the lower stretches of Kingsbury Creek is an area in which these services have been greatly diminished.  Natural regeneration of key plant species is almost absent due to past disturbances, lack of parental stock, competition from nonnative vegetation, and browse pressure from deer. These factors are why key species such as white pine, red pine and cedar are lacking from the landscape.  The first and most prominent need of this project is a native, diverse tree community which can perform valuable ecosystem services. 

A second need of the project is to address the water quality of Kingsbury Creek.  The creek is a designated trout stream but according to the Stream Management Plan (DNR Fisheries, 2011) the water regularly reaches temperatures stressful to brook trout that are stocked yearly.  In fact, the MN Pollution Control Agency recently announced that Kingsbury Creek has been added to the State of Minnesota list of impaired waters due to lack of macro-invertebrate and fish assemblages.  The lack of tree cover to slow rainfall and snowmelt contributes to increased erosion and resulting sedimentation. These factors negatively affect habitat in the stream and at the mouth in the St. Louis River estuary, which is a US Environmental Protection Agency Area of Concern.  The mouth of the creek, according to the Stream Management Plan (2011), could be used as a quality nursing and spawning area for fish in the estuary if sedimentation were reduced.         

Finally, this proposal addresses the needs of the future.  There are many more acres in the adjacent landscape that are disturbed and suffering from reduced ecosystem services.  This land is all under public ownership and could potentially be restored to a more native forest type.  In order to keep this and future projects a permanent part of the landscape, Duluth has a Natural Areas Program that can grant permanent easement status to parcels of land.  To gain protection for this project and to expand it to the rest of the area, a long range management plan must be developed.  As this and future restorations take shape it is important to educate the community about restoration efforts and why they are necessary.  The education department at the Lake Superior Zoo will develop a program that addresses subjects such as basic forestry and wildlife principles in the context of a restored forest.  Finally, in order to follow the progress and effects of the restoration, biological surveys need to be established.  These will include breeding bird surveys, vegetative survival and regeneration surveys, and water quality analysis.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of the proposal is to begin restoring ecosystem services to the lower reach of Kingsbury Creek. The Duluth Stream Corps will perform all the site preparation and planting. A variety of trees that closely resemble a native forest will be established.  Species will also be planted that will ensure the restored forest is prepared for the predicted climate change and to increase diversity and wildlife benefits.  In addition to the already present paper birch and aspen, historically native species to be planted include white pine, red pine, northern white cedar, white spruce, and yellow birch.  This conifer component is significant for reasons such as thermal cover, slowing rainfall, and creating wildlife habitat.  Thirty five Species in Greatest Conservation Need are found in this type of forest.  Of these 35 species, 20% are considered specialists, meaning they use two or less habitats.  Transitional species such as red oak and eastern hemlock will be planted to diversify the forest and ensure its viability in the event of a warmer climate.  A diverse stand of tree species and ages provide more habitat opportunities for a greater number of wildlife species.  The diversity also makes the forest more able to survive pest or disease outbreaks without significantly diminishing its benefits to the landscape. 

Another objective is to improve the water quality in Kingsbury Creek.  This will be achieved mostly as a by-product of the overall planting.  There will be a specific effort to plant appropriate species directly in the riparian zone to shade the stream from solar radiation and reinforce stream banks.  The plantings in the adjacent landscape will also help water quality by slowing runoff from heavy rain events and spring melt.  Overall, this should result in lower water temperatures and less erosion and sedimentation. 

The final objective is to ensure that restoration of the sensitive landscape will be permanently protected, monitored, and used to educate the community.  Input from qualified professionals will be sought to develop a long range management plan so the land can be protected under the Duluth Natural Areas program.  Professionally accepted survey protocols will be used to survey planting health and survival as well as to monitor the changing bird and wildlife community.  The education staff at the Lake Superior Zoo will develop programs for all ages to educate the community about basic forestry and wildlife principles in the context of a restored forest. 

Another overall objective of the project is to contribute to the further rehabilitation of the St. Louis River estuary and the surrounding upland habitat.   Some past successes include work by the DNR and EPA to restore habitat and clean up the legacy of the harbor’s industrial past.  The river and estuary are important to this community for many reasons, not the least of which is for wildlife.  Its importance to birds was recently recognized by Minnesota Audubon Society as one of the state’s newest Important Bird Areas.  This project can be one of many more future efforts to rehabilitate this valuable landscape.

METHODS

Tree species to be planted will include conifer species and deciduous species. Trees will be planted at a density of 100-200 trees/acre, depending on site conditions and current vegetative cover. Site preparation will consist of clearing an area with either a brush cutter or weed whip. In most sites, a 3`-5` diameter area of vegetation will be cleared down to within 1`` of the ground. In some areas, a larger diameter area (up to 10`) will be cleared to remove competition from woody species such as honeysuckle, buckthorn, hazel, or alder. 
Trees planted will be sourced from local nurseries and in most cases will be containerized seedlings. A weed mat is placed around the seedling and anchored using ground staples. Weed mats serve to eliminate competition immediately around the trees and help prevent soil water loss through evaporation.
In order to deter predation from white-tailed deer and rabbits, cages will be installed around white pine and white cedar. Cages are made from 6` high welded wire fencing and are 3` in diameter. The dimensions were chosen with advice from forest management professionals from the Natural Resources Research Institute, South St. Louis County Soil and Water Conservation District, and MN DNR. Cages are secured with a 6` t-post, a 1` lawn edge stake and 3 fencing clips.  Marginally susceptible trees such as red pine will be bud capped in the fall to deter browse. 
Deciduous trees generally need to be protected from mice and vole predation, in addition to deer.  Vented tree tubes will be installed to maximize survival. Tree tubes are 5` in height and are secured using an oak stake. Tree tubes include a bird net stretched over the top to discourage nesting.
Development of the long range management plan as well as performance of the vegetation and wildlife surveys will be contracted to a qualified and experienced professional from the community. 

The jointer is TIRED!!

That pile of lumber has now been turned into row of nicely jointed and planed boards that is starting to resemble a benchtop.  It was no easy task running those long boards over my 6in jointer.  I tried a few times in vain to run the full board over before I came to my senses.  I was just too excited to get started i guess.  The first thing i realized is that I should rip the boards down to a near-finish width.  This both makes it more manageable on the jointer and it gives the effect of a flatter board.  The circular saw did just fine for the ripping.  My next challenge was to support the ends of the board on the infeed and outfeed sides of the jointer.  This was easily enough accomplished but lots of screwing around getting them both level and flat with the jointer bed.   And finally, I needed to keep the boards flat on the outfeed side of the jointer.  I started with one feather board clamped to the fence but soon realized I needed to spread the downward pressure across more of the board so I stacked a couple of feather boards.  It was quite the setup but it worked.  

a serious hill of shavings!!

All of the boards planed down nicely but some of them are even less that an inch think after getting them milled flat.  Oh well, nothing a gallon of titebond won't take care of.  I stared to edge joint on the machine but again realized the boards were just tool long for my small jointer. It looks like I have a few more hours of jointing by hand!!  I just picked up some 800 and 1100 grit sandpaper so my plane blade will be honed to a mirror and make easy work of these narrow boards.