Replies

1. 
   Rich14 | Mar 04, 2007 11:36pm | #1

   Very nice.

   I can just imagine that beautiful wood stretching out as far as the eye can see!

2. 
   brad805 | Mar 04, 2007 11:59pm | #2

   Are you an expert with posting files yet?  I have been watching for this.  Thks.  The floor looks great and no dog scratches.  Looks like you used a lot of dowel plugs.  I like the look, but you must be a very patient man.  Did you manufacture the stock in similar lengths as commercial products?  So after having completed the floor, would you do it over or just buy the material?  The resaon I ask, is I am contemplating making my own flooring in my house (about 1000sq ft).  Of the projects I have attempted on my house reno thus far, I can say the only part of the job I would not do again is the cultured stone (800sq ft was too much given I have a day job).

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 05, 2007 12:08am | #3

   Brad 805,

        No, I greatly exceeded typical lengths of flooring.. some of mine were over 18 feet long.. , none were the short cut offs that you typically see.. I've got a picture with dog scratches on it but if you look closely the shellac is still fine.

    Making your own flooring is a lot harder than you'd suspect..  You will need the wood, a good tablesaw with a really long fence, a jointer and a shaper.

     You can get by with a router but you will need a jointer. 

    It's really serious work as I said so you decide which is more important to you your money or your time..

     By the way I too have a day job.. it took me months to do that work!

   Edited 3/4/2007 4:09 pm ET by frenchy

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 05, 2007 12:14am | #4

   Here's one with a big dog gouge in it but if you look closely the shellac is still fine!

   
1. 
   jimcco | Mar 05, 2007 11:59pm | #10

   Cut the dogs toe nails :-)

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 06, 2007 02:12am | #12

   jimcco

     I'll introduce you to buddy. He's my 150 pound Newfoundland/St Bernard cross.  When he stands up to discuss this he'll be looking down at you and I can assure you that Buddy really doesn't want to trim his nails.

    There's really no debating the subject with him.. he doesn't want to trim them himself and he won't let me trim them for him..

     While I do outweigh him, he is much faster than I am and can quickly outdistance me..

     WE paid a groomer to do this and the groomer filled Buddy with enough pills to stun a horse and still the groomer couldn't get the job done.. they requested in an absolutely final way that we never bring buddy back again..

     The funny thing is Buddy is extremely gentle.  I mean we can take meat right out of his mouth while he's chewing it and he'll look at you with these really patient eyes and politely wait for you to give it back to him.. 

     He might jump up on you but only to give you a great big slobering kiss of welcome..

    If he barks at you it's because he hopes that you'll be taking him for a walk, er run...

    While he's almost all black and his shaggy coat gives him a sinister look, he's such a gentle dog that we trust him with our newborn granddaughter..  He goes up to her and staying a few inches away looks at her gently and with tenderness. 

2. 
   JeffHeath | Mar 06, 2007 03:26am | #14

   frency

   Great thread!  I enjoyed it, as well as the one with the pictures of your house!  Beautiful woodworking.

   I'm gonna give you a little tip regarding trimming dogs nails.  It won't work on your pal, cause' he's too old.  But, on your next one, this will work like a charm.  When the pooch is a puppie, once or twice a week, you need to take a spoon, sit the dog, and tap the dog's nails (each nail, each paw) with the spoon.  They get used to metal touching their feet, and no longer "defend" their paws.  It takes 5 minutes twice a week, and gets them comfortable with their paws getting messed with.

   Jeff

3. 
   frenchy | Mar 06, 2007 03:46am | #15

   Thanxs, jeff,

     I'll remember that tip.

    Makes a great deal of sense too!

    For my next dog I want another giant breed. they really don't eat that much and their , er diposits if you feed them high quaility dog food are actually smaller than much smaller dogs.

          I'm looking for a pet not a show dog so it will probably be another cross breed..

    St Bernards and New Foundlands are such gentle giants that it's hard not to love them..  

2. 
   brad805 | Mar 05, 2007 12:38am | #5

   I know its a huge undertaking, thats why I have been relucant.  Would you do it again?  I have a shaper/jointer/planer/table saw/band saw.....  With my other projects I have prepped about 700bd ft thus far so I have a bit of an idea how daunting this is.  I thought you used a router, so I didnt ask which shaper set you used?  I was contemplating the LRH Enterprises set that has the proper nail relief.  I suppose when you jointed 18ft stock the goal was to get it squared and not to lay perfectly flat, otherwise you must have had very good stock to start with or i would have thought it would be difficult to yield 3/4" from a 4/4 board.  I have not purchased any stock yet, so that will pretty much be the final decision.  What grade would you suggest as a minimum?  I was surprised to learn from a How its made episode on hardwood that manufacturers do not use solely select.  I am done with the questions.  Thanks for all the help.

1. 
   frenchy | Mar 05, 2007 01:39am | #6

   Brad 805,

     Grade? mill run!

           that's all you are looking at in my photos..   Mill run has all the great character still in it, and makes a really interesting floor.. my eyes never get bored looking at it.. (plus it's cheaper too, just make sure that you get all of the wood, they don't select out the neat pieces to sell seperately) 

    If you measured my wood you'll find it's over 7/8ths thick.  I take a extremely light cut on the back side to just ensure that it will go thru without jamming and then make two light passes to get it near perfect.. You're gonna sand it  afterwards, right?

     Plus when I cut the groove and spline in I set them really low.. bottom 1/3rd to provide the maximum number of sandings.  

     I don't worry about flat, heck that's easy to take care of.   While it requires a little fiddling around and maybe a bounce or two from a dead blow hammer to align the spline and groove up, it's not a big deal..

     Wide boards really are cool and my mill doesn't charge a premium for them.. It will require something other than edge nailing though..

    My shaper set is from Grizzly.  Still sharp after well over 1000 bd.ft. of black walnut

    Routers won't remain sharp this long..

     a long fence is important. Mine is 24 feet long.. makes boards 18 feet long come out straight even if they start out looking banana shaped..

    Ask away, I love to help all I can..

1. 
   jeff100 | Mar 05, 2007 11:31pm | #9

   Can you expand on the fence? I thought you were talking about a tablesaw, but maybe jointer? See...I need help!Jeff

2. 
   frenchy | Mar 06, 2007 01:59am | #11

   jeff100

        I simply clamp a 4"x4" piece of angle aluminum in place and it ensures that the resulting board is straight as it goes across the tablesaw..

     (the ends sit on top of the rollers that I use as infeed and outfeed, I suppose to absolutely ensure that they are all straight I should use angle that is 18+ feet on the infeed  and outfeed sides, but so far the results all wind up straight enough to work)..

     The only complex piece is that to haul this home I had to cut it into three pieces and reassemble it using aluminum blocks and countersunk machine screws.

2. 
   frenchy | Mar 05, 2007 01:45am | #7

   Brad 805

     oops! you asked if I would do it again, well I'd better I have I've got about 3000 sq ft left to do..

     Some of it is going to be really elaborate!

    

1. 
   brad805 | Mar 05, 2007 11:20pm | #8

   Thanks for the info.  You are a good voice of reason and I have lots of time to ponder this as I continue with my door projects.  I will not be able to prep the length you did, but my spaces do not require that anyway.  I am limited to about 8' max due to my shop size.  Another 3,000sq ft, wow, ambitious.

2. 
   frenchy | Mar 06, 2007 02:22am | #13

   Brad805,

    Well the difficult part is that I intend to use my 22 inch wide 10 feet long oak burls as a picture frame in the great room.   I've got six of them so they will be 20 feet long and 10 feet wide..  edged together with them is paduck and then Brass. 

     The infield and outfield will be 18 feet long 12 inch wide white flawless hard maple..

    no screws or pegs will be visable because I intend to hold the flooring down with screws installed from below.

    Smaller versions of the great room will be replicated in the living room as well as the  breakfast nook, study and living room..

     The upstairs bedrooms will have either white hard maple or white oak flooring, all scratch made..