Some good friends of ours are turning 50 and Mrs. McGinty suggested some corn hole boards. Who doesn’t love holding an alcoholic beverage in one hand and tossing a bean bag into a hole 30 feet away until someone scores 21 or you both are too drunk to remember the score (my preferred way to play). Corn hole boards are easily made with a 2 foot by 4 foot piece of plywood. Or is it 2 feet by 4 feet? I say “foot” in this case, but would say “feet” when referring to an individual side – “it’s 4 feet long this way, and 2 feet long this way.” Maybe if we went to the metric system this wouldn’t be an issue. Where was I? Oh yeah, then you use 2x4s for the frame and to prop it up so that it’s 12 inches high in the back. I don’t know if you have followed the price of limber lately but the materials needed to make two cornhole boards would have cost tens of thousands of dollars (probably). So I went to my scrap wood pile.
One of my first projects was a patio dining table out of cypress. I over estimated how much wood I needed and was left with a 14 foot long 1×10, a couple of 42 inch long 1x10s, and some various other pieces. I had enough to build one out of cypress but not two. I was off to the lumber yard for some cypress when Mrs. McGinty says “maybe you could use some of your other scrap pieces and make it work without buying more wood?” Challenge accepted.
I realized that if I cut the boards down into 3 inch strips about 20 inches long, and then ripped those in half to 3/8ths thick I would have enough surface area for two boards if I glued the strips to some plywood. Fortunately I had some shitty B/C (or worse?) plywood that was in the way. So I cut it down to two pieces, each 2 feet by 4 feet. Feet seems to work better here than foot. Anyway, after piling up the boards I noticed that some of them have some nice grain details. Cypress tends to have interesting and boring wood grain details, often in the same board. So I laid out the boards in a mirror image chevron pattern where each cornhole board would have a mix of interesting and boring wood grain –
This picture is before I realized I should do the mirror image, so I spent a few minutes trying to match up the boards after mixing them up. The blue chalk line is the center of the board.
Then I cut a 45 degree miter in each end and lined them up to see how it would look –
Very nice! Now to glue them down. I used a straight piece of primered trim to line everything up, spread a bunch of glue on the plywood, then set each board down using a speed square to help with the 45 degree alignment. I keep a bunch of weight lifting plates around to help hold pieces of wood together where clamps won’t do, and used an old shelf that had poly on it so the glue wouldn’t stick –
I was able to match up the mitered ends pretty well with minimal gap between each piece –
After a couple of weeks of gluing (had to do the smaller pieces for the corners separately) I had two cornhole boards. I trimmed off the excess with my track saw and made extra effort to get everything square –
The next step was to mount some boards along the side. I didn’t have enough cypress for this so I used some 1×3 select grade pine. In order to make it more rigid, I cut a rabbet around the edge of the cornhole boards and a matching dado lengthwise along the pine –
I bought a set of Freud dado blades and I was super-impressed with how smooth the cut quality was. The glue spot is from a screw hole where I had used the plywood for a previous project. Like my dad used to say, “it’s still good!”
Here are the sides getting glued up –
The hole for the bean bags is 6 inches across, and is 9 inches down from the top and 12 inches in. I don’t have a drill press to make this so I bought a 6 inch hole saw bit and decided to do it free hand. I already had a pilot bit so I just bought the hole saw bit. Here’s a handy tip for you: the pilot bits vary among manufacturers –
This one (DeWalt) was short and wandered a little when I tried to make the hole. The one I should have used (Milwaukee) was a quarter inch longer –
There’s a “size matters” or “just the tip” joke in there somewhere. The shorter DeWalt pilot bit did work on one hole oddly enough, but wandered a little on the second hole –
I was pretty livid after this since it’s basically done and sanded smooth. I don’t remember cypress wood being so “white” either? Is it racist? Anyway, this close-up of the wood grain looks great and it really came out how I was hoping. I swapped out the pilot bit and drilled the hole and while the above picture looks nasty, it really wasn’t bad once the hole was cut. I looked at it for some time, then decided I would do a ¼ inch round over with my router and sand any remaining blemishes. The router took care of pretty much all of it, and after a little hand sanding touch ups here is what it looked like –
Can’t even tell and crisis averted! Next came 4 coats of flat finish poly (maybe 5? I lost count), sanding between coats to make it as smooth as possible. I thought about a coat of paste wax to make it slick but the flat sheen was very smooth. The final product, complete with folding legs attached with lag bolts and wing nuts so they can tighten the legs without tools –
I thought the cypress wood would finish more orangy-brown but this looks good. I think the chevron pattern was a design win, and even acts as a target line when we tested them out at the birthday party.
I also worked on this at the same time –
It’s 3 drawers to go under the right side of my table saw, made with all scrap wood from a back porch we had built last fall. They were just going to throw it away so I went and grabbed all of the useful pieces, which was a lot. The drawer front was made with one sheet of plywood so the grain matches up, and the rest is just glued up mortise and tenon joinery, rabbets, and dadoes for the panel sides. I used heavy duty drawer slides so I should hold all of my tools that I want to put in them. I have a bit of a storage and organization problem.
The end.
Woodworking is my worst subject. I salute your excellent work!
Thanks R.J. It tests my patience every now and then that’s for sure.
Did you twist your wrist with that 6” hole saw? I did that once when the thing wandered and bit in sideways. Nearly flipped me over.
No but it sure liked to grab if you weren’t careful.
Yeah, when I freehand holesaw cuts I always like to use the highest speed with the lightest pressure I can manage (barely “kissing” the material being cut). The worst thing I ever did was lean into these cuts — almost a guaranteed disaster, ’cause you’re really unlikely to be able to hold the bit absolutely perpendicular to the work surface. Grabby grabby!
Nice work.
Thanks UCS!
That is beautiful. You’re going to get a lot of compliments and a lot of “how do I get a set like that?”
I thought about doing a run of 10 sets and selling them to see what I could get. Maybe this winter and spring.
That’s awesome!
But is it ACL approved?
Just $230k?
Hrmm… How’s the town?
Property in PA is dirt cheap.
The property taxes tend to make up for that.
Despite being not far from there, I don’t know much about it.
It’s got Crystal Cave is the most I could say.
Kutztown has a college with simple fair farmer’s daughters.
I’ve been to the Kutztown Fair.
Good food.
Kutztown has a nice USPSA club nearby. That’s all I remember.
The decorative moldings and the exposed vault door are giving me a giant nerd boner…
I knew a guy years ago who bought an old fire station and was rehabbing it to live in. He was leaving the ground floor wide open – very industrial dude-bro. When I lost track, he was planning on leaving the massive second floor bathroom alone as well. With the kitchen and bunkrooms already upstairs, it was surprisingly livable while he worked on it. Looked like it was going to be really cool when he was finished. I wonder how it turned out . . . .
There is an awesome bookstore here in a bank building. They use the vault for the rare books.
Barnes and Noble opened in an old bank building after their WTC location was destroyed on 9/11.
Long gone now, I wonder what is there now. Probably a Duane Reade.
Another awesome PA bookstore is Baldwin’s Book Barn in Chadd’s Ford.
Kutztown is a small college town with a great combination of Amish, drunken co-eds, and a fair share of stuff to do. Quaint looking as well.
Thank you.
Heating and insulating that beast will cost you in the winter. We have a great French Bistro built into a big old bank like this, I’m pretty sure the owner is going broke from the HVAC expenses.
You need a bank to pay for it.
*sigh*
Messed that one up.
Yeah probably not ACL approved, but certainly “backyard half-drunk cornhole league” approved.
When you linked the bank this morning, that website blew a hole in my day…
https://www.oldhousedreams.com/misc/offbeat-unique/
Churches, schools, jails, etc.
That’s fucking awesome. The jail on page 2 is amazing.
I’ve always dreamed of living in an “unconventional” house.
plenty of guest rooms!
Damn you! 😉
Kinda pricey, but a really good value considering all the bathroom space.
Indoor range!
That art deco school – I have an actual chubby right now. I used to live in an old “one-room” schoolhouse in rural WI – it had been rehabbed (poorly – we redid it) and had an exposed basement downstairs. The stone work was very reminiscent of the Oklahoma library on that site.
The historical site.
Recent listing. The work we did is mostly intact.
I like that.
Very nice.
The ultimate Glib retreat.
Allah only knows what it would take to finish that thing. I’m guessing you’d be in it for 7 figures, easy.
It’s not on the market 🙁
I figure whichever one of us hits the jackpot makes the initial investment and gets installment payments from guests. Sort of like a members-only resort.
I’m a little irritated seeing that Christian Science church selling for less than my house. Admittedly, the commute from Glens Falls wouldn’t be ideal, and the heating/cooling costs would be a bitch.
Most places selling for less than my house would at best be generously referred to as “fixer-uppers”
and not just for the plutonium. Missile guidance parts are really hard to come by these days.
We’ve got more than enough expertise around here to build a missile guidance system that works.
Beautiful! I love the craftsmanship around here.
Thanks Mojo!
That is amazing.
Thanks CA!
Darn pretty! and an excellent use of existing materials,
Thanks for showing your work.
Thanks Yusef!
That is stunning. Nice work!
Thanks Sheldon!
Your work with wood is impressive.
Thanks Jaime!
Which of you morons… was raped by a female sasquatch.
https://youtu.be/5cwha1bfHT0
I can neither confirm nor deny the rumors of strange happenings at a dorm party a few decades ago.
Hawt.
I am in awe of people (like you) that can build things like that.
Thanks Robo! Everything is pretty much the same cut, whether it’s cornhole boards or a bookshelf. I do spend a lot of time thinking about how I want to finish and then work backwards.
Seconded. I love to try to build stuff with wood, I’m just not that good at it.
Fantastic!
I really like the cypress.
Whenever I have to use a giant hole saw, I break out my corded Milwaukee Magnum HoleShooter with the handle. Much more controllable and minimizes that infuriating wander.
Thanks for sharing your projects!
Tundra, did you ever lock up a Milwaukee Hole Hawg in a stud wall? standing on a ladder no less?
/Good times with drill motors!
No, but I was on a ladder driving huge lags into redwood when the fucker bound. Almost pitched me off!
Honestly, power tools want us to die.
Drilling holes in studs to pass electrical line, got a little off ‘true’, almost ripped my arm out of the socket. Hurts like hell, but for some reason isn’t as cringe worthy as that damn spinning blade a few inches from your fingers, especially after seeing the aftermath.
Speaking of which, how is [sorry forgot the handle] doing with recovery after chopping fingers? Haven’t seen the cringe-worthy avatar in a bit.
I have a corded drill with a lot more torque. It has a handle that screws in on the side for stability. I’ll definitely use that next time.
That is terrific. I am allergic to saws and other sharp implements; I keep winding up in the ER every time I go near one.
Thanks Ghost! Other than dings on my hands and arms, my only other injury has been a brad nail through my thumb.
Suh-weet. The roundover on the hole is probably a crowdpleaser anyway, since I bet it makes it easier to score. Did you do that on both? Or did you rig the game by only doing one?
The picture doesn’t do the round over justice. It actually looks really good in person. I ended up doing it to both boards so they would be the same. If I built another set I might do a 1/8th round over and see how that looks.
I saw Freud Dado Rabbets at CBGB in ’83.
I never heard this called ‘cornhole’ around here until like 6 years. It was always just beanbag toss. I blame Trump!
Same here. Except for the Trump part.
Here it is still just called “bags”. BTW, CPRM – your latest is up tomorrow night.
We could just throw them in buckets, like you clowns from Illinois.
Bozo….gone but not forgotten!
The ones I see around here have multiple holes – off center – and worth a variety of points.
Maybe it’s a different game? Seems like they are shorter as well.
Baggo here. Cornhole is a recent addition.
I also like ladder golf and Washer toss.
Gorgeous work!
Thanks ?!
Very nice, though now I wouldn’t want to put it outside exposed to the elements and beer spillage!
I think the next project is a gun cabinet – closet is full and cases are spilling out onto the dining room table….
Have you built anything like that, have any pointers?
Ha! That is one on my list. I thought about doing something that mounts to the wall and folds down to show a tray of guns laying on their side. That way when it’s folded up it’s only a few inches thick. Traditional gun cabinets can be big and bulky. Security is a concern though. Maybe something with a deadbolt for a lock. Hmmm…
One of those regular curio cabinets with a secret gun compartment would be sweet.
I saw a handmade gun cabinet once that had a tambor like a rolltop desk. Looked really nice, but it took up a lot of room.
But enough about the Glibs dream bunker.
Getting to wear a duster?
Amazing, IB.
My dad could do some basic carpentry and I used to love helping him when I was a kid. That work (to me) feels like “real work.” I don’t really have a clear definition of that, but “lawyering” is most assuredly not “real work.” Don’t ask me for details, and no, I don’t loathe myself.
I think it’s time that I started to acquire the tools and other implements to “make things.” IB, do you have any recommendations on books, or other online resources, or any other guides to beginning carpentry – including where to start for the DIY enthusiast?
including where to start for the DIY enthusiast?
Uh, youtube. You can find videos of people making amazing things from wood all over youtube.
I got a big book several years ago, something along the lines of “guide to woodworking” or whatever. It describes all of the cuts and how/when to use them. Magazines and TV shows are okay but they gloss over some steps. The Woodsmith Shop on PBS shows a lot of gluing for some reason. Like Kinnath says, mostly YouTube videos for me now.
This may be more on the joinery side rather than carpentry, but Rex Krueger has a whole series on YouTube called “Woodwork for Humans”. He did this entire project where he started with a couple of very basic, inexpensive tools and made a workbench, jigs, fixtures, and tools out of just those. It’s great if you want to learn to do hand tool woodworking “from scratch”.
If you’d rather do things the powertool way, Jonathan Katz-Moses has some good material on that.
I can second Rex and his works. I do a lot of hand tool work as I have a small shop, and he really shows a lot of tricks that make it work.
I highly recommend this book.
I’ll never use a fraction of the techniques, but it is a fantastic reference.
Nice job, I’ve only ever built to bare bones plywood and 2×4 variety. I do replace the 2×4 legs with a piece of 3/4 ” plywood attached to the inside back frame with hinges. This “flapper back” keeps any swishers under the board, eliminating the drunken arguments about whether the bag went in or over the back. I also toyed with the idea of putting an eyelet on each flapper at a spot that a cable of the right length could be attached to each and passing it through the holes would make set up and alignment automatic.
Kids slang these days…
Thanks Hyp! I like the cable idea. Just stretch them out.
Lol, I haven’t seen a “reply all” cockup like this in more than a decade. Somebody from the Singapore fab managed to include apparently everyone in North America. Including non-GF people.
In the last reply-all storm, someone from a helpdesk tried to flex on everyone saying replies were now disabled to the thread – but only disabled replies to their own email, and the storm passed them by from responses to earlier emails in the cascade.
It was funnier than the storm itself.
Stop replying all!
That should fix it.
How many girlfriends does s/he have?
All of them.
I did a reply all to send my complaint about treatment of part-time employees to management at the radio station (on purpose), it’s why I was fired. But, I heard from a guy that’s still there that they are now treating part-time employees better. And I’m making more money at the new job, so I’d call it a good decision.
Those are purty.
As a one time framing carpenter, I was never any good at making things look that nice.
If you were a good framing carpenter, you absolutely did. Straight walls are gorgeous!
Wallophobe!
I believe the correct term is homoteichophobe.
I was good at that.
Glad I don’t do that anymore.
The thought of walking on top of the walls to nail on the top plate like I used to gives 50 year old me the willies.
Thanks Ron!
Good stuff, IB. Nice save with the router. I like the idea of these bag holes or bean portals or whatever they ought to be called in my part of the world.
Thanks Limey! Call it “Ye Olde Bean Sack Tossaroo?”
So it shall be.
That’s awesome McGinty. My carpentry skills are not good. We’re doing a complete gut and rebuilb on the kitchen, and my main focus is to not screw up the new butcher block countertops. I’ll be hiring out most of the work out least.
Do you have any suggestions on a paint stripper for wood trim? The EPA removed methylene chloride last year and it sounds like Citristrip and similar products no longer work well.
I hate methylene chloride. I’m requesting hazardous waste pickup to get rid of what I have left. There was similar legislation here some years ago but you can still get the methylene chloride-based paint stripper (the brush-on gel) by signing some sort of waiver that may or may not stand up legally. It’s going to cost me more to dispose of than it did to buy, but I don’t want it around. I’m sure there are a lot of people who would just bag it and dump it, or tip it into a waterway or something terrible.
Ps – butane torch and a scraper?
“butane torch” – but how is shinning light on the paint going to help?
You could use a 14lb sledgehammer to drive a small nail…
Feed it to your orphans.
Once you use gel- based paint stripper, you can paint the toilet seats at work with it. Everyone will appreciate the pretty glitter pattern of paint crumbles mixed with buttock sterilizing tingles!
R.J., GlibFlick will return on October 7th!
You stealin’ my spot?
I knew I shouldn’t have done an episode with boobies… Lost the family rating?
It’s going to cost me more to dispose of than it did to buy, but I don’t want it around.
You could probably sell it on craigslist for a 3x premium over the safe stuff.
Good idea on the butane torch. It can leave scorch marks though, so it probably wouldn’t work here since we’re staining instead of repainting.
Whats the trim like? Is it even worth salvaging?
I ripped out everything and just replaced it all with a really cool craftsman style.
It’s nothing special and you’re right that it’s probably not worth salvaging. There’s a lot of trim around the doorframe that seemed easier to strip than replace, but it would probably be better to replace.
That still leaves a nice wood mantle and brick fireplace to strip though. The previous owners painted over it with a white paint.
We used a citrus based stripper on something several years ago and it worked pretty good. Needed a second coat. After most of the paint was scraped off some sanding fixed the rest. We repainted instead of stain and that helped hide the blemishes.
I’ll probably give the citristrip a shot at least on the mantle and brick. Your right that sanding will help too for the mantle. The trim is currently painted brown now, but needs to be stained to match the butcher block.
We sanded down some maple cabinets (painted) and stained them. We had great luck with this product.
Good luck!
Awesome, thanks. It looks like a store not too far away has that stain so I’ll check it out.
I’m a cheap bastard and hate those stripping compounds, so I just use a cabinet scraper to remove old paint, stain etc. Takes a number of passes, but it does work.
What do you do for weird spots where a paint scraper can’t get, such as around chamfers and those decorative router channels that are sometimes cut into the front of dresser drawers?
Sandpaper, Dremel, beveled sanding sponge all work
Great stuff!! Good looking set.
This gives me an idea to do a similar set with cheapo tongue and groove decking. I need to redo a side porch’s decking and I could make a set with the leftovers. I will need to do a different pattern as I don’t have a router table.
Thanks Time! If the wood is in great shape then reuse it.
I don’t have a router table.
Yet.
I have an old router I need to start using, but I need a separate garage, which is my next big step.
Governette Hokum demands that she be worshipped:
https://twitter.com/GraduatedBen/status/1442604025954799618
That’s… that’s….
Wow
It’s nice of her to call Trump “God”. Most Democrats are more partisan than that.
That is…
Disconcerting…
Hmm… Some of my “progressive” relatives hate Christianity so much that I bet they’d really have an inner conflict if the vaccine were more widely marketed as “a gift from Jesus”.
She’s a real piece of goddamn work alright. Bring back Cuomo, I’d rather have a run of the mill handsy thug than a psycho bitch with delusions of grandeur any day.
The God/State absolutist called her out right? RIGHT!?!
“I need you to be my Apostles”:
I’ll second the Freud things that cut. I use a router for dado cuts
and the Freud router bits are really good. I have a blade for the
table saw as well, which is pretty nice.
I’d like a wider coffee table, so I keep wanting to build one, but
I really don’t have the time.
Thirded
Most of what I have is Frued, with a few Yoniko router bits. They all cut great. Never tried a cheaper bit like Harbor Freight.
Never used HF, but I have some Rockler ones that work fine.
Nice work, McGinty
Thanks Scruffy!
Awesome! I have been trying to get to a spot of actual good work building things that are nice in wood, as opposed to restoring antiques. Which I like, but the wife is always going on about “why don’t you use the tools to make something I like?” So, what are you gonna do?
I like the cornhole board, but if I built one I would have to find friends to play with. And we know that ain’t gonna happen!
You should get your wife to play with you. Also a euphemism.
I’ll tell you what. Nearly every service industry I’ve attempted to deal with in the last six months has been abysmally bad. Poor communication, poor follow-up, and just generally slow as shit.
Whether it’s attorneys, internet service, social services (yeah, I know), vehicle buying, etc…, it’s hours on the phone, a bazillion emails, and god-awful results.
When people are being paid to stay home, it’s hard to fill possitions, so managers are reluctant to discipline or remove underperformers, who have more tasks on their desks than normal because the rest of the potential staff is at home on unemployment.
I was reading this AM that a lot of police academies are having a hard time getting recruits. Well, this will lead to worse people being hired who don’t have a great track record, and they will cost more. A win for the idiots of defund the police!
It’s harder to get much worse than what the police already have.
*points to Australia*
I had to get rid of someone last week.
Turned my +2 into a net of +1, but we’re still much better off.
He sleeps with the fishes?
Appropriate response.
The Aquarium House was the cheapest.
Bank of America’s service has really gone in the shitter. Half the branches are closed. The ones that are open have reduced hours and reduced staff. Appointments are booked weeks in advance. Chase on the other hand has acted like they actually want my business.
Similarly with insurance companies. I have to collect a bunch of paperwork to file with the IRS for my dad’s estate. Paperwork that I requested a month ago still hasn’t been sent.
It just feels like things are falling apart and it’s being actively encouraged by a big part of the population.
Anarchy!
Wooooooo!
I think it is more like Kevin Bacon at the end of Animal House: “Remain Calm! All is Well!”
These idiots really thought they could micro-manage the economy, the workforce, supply lines, the whole damn shebang, and it turns out just like every fucking economist thought.
You can’t.
“Thought”? Shit, they still think they can manage the economy. They just need to do it harder.
Nice work!
Thanks DEG!
Very lovely! I hope the beanbag tossers appreciate the quality of the target boards. 🙂
Thanks Hayek! They were a big hit.
I don’t think you could handle working with my wood. It’s too heavy.
I’m sure he could just cut it in half.
It’s too hard and stiff for that.
Petrified eh?
No. Just a young, strong, healthy piece of wood.
It’s hard to cut a splinter.
Duh. He’s guarded by ninja turtles.
Noem brings more disappointment.
Politician.
Still would.
If she had a D by her name, nothing else would happen.
On the other hand, it doesn’t matter. This is wrong.
On the gripping hand, the powers behind the throne still see her as a threat.
So. Stupid.
She’s definitely off my short list of not-terrible politicians.
I was recently tricked into ordering a burger from Buffalo Wild Wings. They now go by Wild Burger on delivery sites, advertising that they make smashed-style burgers. Didn’t realize who it was until the package arrived and it said Wild Burger by Buffalo Wild Wings. To my shock, it was actually one of the better burgers I am able to get in my area. Better than 5 Guys. Everything else at Buffalo Wild Wings still sucks, but they can do a burger.
Hmmm…. I may have to redo a Burger Wars post and let everyone have at it again.
Really awesome work! One day I will have all the tools I need to do work like that. For now it’s repurposed dog beds and floating box shelves
Very nice, I. B. I also have in mind to build some sort of cabinet that sits under/supports the extension table on the table saw.
Can also recommend the Freud dado set. For general purpose blades, I like these guys. A little pricey (but not stupid expensive like Forrest) but golly they cut nice.
If they hate the franchise so much, why don’t they simply stop making material in the franchise. I know – rhetorical question. There’s a lot of money to be squeezed out of the goodwill built by these franchises by more talented artists. But, the very fact that they happily take money to contribute to a franchise they spit on shows what utter useless whores (my apologies to prostitutes) these pricks are.
Man-bun. I won’t take anything that person has to say seriously.
This
ISTR in one of the novels that Bond did indeed enjoy rape.
STEVE SMITH JOIN HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE!
“Qualifications?”
“Rape, murder, arson and rape.”
“You said rape twice.”
“I like rape.”
Possible. I mean, a major part of the guy’s job duties was murdering people.
But, then why even get involved with the franchise in the first place? If you hate what it is glorifying the only position with any integrity is to not be involved.
Directors and producers are really much more like pimps than whores.
Speaking of franchises, 24 days until Dune us released here (221 for Limey). Pie should let us know what he thinks of it.
https://www.euronews.com/2021/09/22/dune-french-box-office-hit-suggests-villeneuve-may-have-cracked-the-cult-curse
The French numbers might be inflated, between Denny Villeneuve and Tambourine Camembert.
I can’t get used to the term ‘corn hole’.
I have a bit of a storage and organization problem.
Can relate. Nice work IB!