Rescue Mission Part Two

I had a pretty beaten up table and chair from a friend and client that I promised Id have a go at putting back together. To survey the damage done you can check out THIS POST.

I decided to start the process by replacing the cleats. The originals were made from rough sawn 5/4 poplar and it just so happened I had some more of that in the shop. I decided to replace both cleats so the thickness would match between them. I didnt want to fight to get the legs even.

I cut the poplar down to the same width as the original cleats and used the original cleat to replicate the pattern for the holes.

A little time at the drill press and things were looking pretty good.

I thought about leaving the new cleats bare, but decided that putting a little stain on them to darken them like the originals was probably a good idea.

I had a little dark stain still sitting around from a past project. I squared off a section around the center because the original had been glued lightly between the leg and the cleat. End grain to side grain gluing is never a certain prospect but the originals had the bolts and a couple "anti-rotation" nails placed to help hold things together. I figured it would hurt to add some glue as well. I taped off the square so the glkue and the finish wouldnt have to play together.

One of the legs had its mounting bolt ripped clean from its center.

To replace it I had to plug the original hole and re-drill and replace the center. I lined up a 3/4" forstner bit and drove down as deep as the bit would go.

Some glue and a poplar dowel and the hole was good and plugged.

Once the glue was dry, I hit it with a flush saw and found the center point

Drilled a new pilot hole.

And replaced the bolt.

Repairing the other leg was a little bit more of an adventure. Ill write about that more next time

Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf

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Dovetail Layout Part 4 Moving Towards Simpler

Im continuing a series discussing dovetail layout and attempting to relating it somewhat to design process decisions. Im also hoping to prove that layouts do not have to be mysterious, difficult, or complicated, like I was lead to believe when I was beginning to teach them to myself. If youre just getting started reading this series and want to catch up you can find all the posts collected in one place HERE.

I chose a good foundation to start this exploration from using the dovetail layout technique Frank Klauszs wrote about in the October 2005 issue of Popular Woodworking Magazine. With that behind us Its time to branch out and stretch our wings a bit.

To me, the key is simplicity and repeatability, Franks method has that in spades but what if we were to expand on the idea? Be inspired by it instead of just try to repeat it? What can I do to make it even simpler? Can we get good results with less steps and less tools? What if we were to remove dividers from the equation? What tool do we have that we could also use to achieve repeatable measurements?

For years now I have used my chisels when I need to set a measurement at a specific depth or length. I choose a width and use it to set my marking gauge, to set the rip fence on my bandsaw for resawing, to judge the fences on my rebate plane, to judge router bit depth. I dont know when I started, or where I picked it up from but Ive been doing it for nearly as long as Ive been woodworking. I know I could order some set up blocks from Lee Valley for forty bucks and have them machined to a tolerance of 0.002". Before I do that though I have to ask myself, when have I ever made a cut, checked it, and thought, "Dammit, this cut is off by 0.005" I think I"ll have to throw this piece out. If only I had some insanely accurate set up blocks to remove all human error and make my life perfect." (insert longing gaze and daydream here)

I have never had that thought cross my mind and if you ever have, then you need to get some help and medication because your Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has taken over your life, stop woodworking and go back to washing your hands for the hundredth time today.

Accuracy is important in woodworking but it is nothing next to consistency. My chisels my not be insanely accurate in their measurement, but if I use the same one, it will be consistent. Why make a thing harder than it has to be.

So lets follow through on this step towards simplicity in making our next set of pins and tails.

This set was a very simple layout using only a 1/4" chisel.

I line it up on each side for the first marks. You can see by the white of my fingertip that Im applying pressure to help line up the edge of the chisel with the edge of the board

 The first marks made. Are they square? As square as the edge of the board and the edge of my chisel, and that should be square enough for woodworking.

 Now to the ruler. Here is where I start making decisions. This time I want even spacing and sizing to the joints and as luck would have it I can easily divide this board equally into four sections.

 I go about making marks at each of the inch markers.

 Now I go back to the 1/4" chisel again. (you thought we were done with it didnt you) I eyeball my inch marks to fall in the center of the chisel and I mark on either side of it. Does this result in perfect 1/4" measurements? Of course not! The consistent spacing here is much more important to how it looks than the precision of a 1/4" versus a 5/16" measure or a millimeter variation to either side.

 For these lines I do get out my small try square to extend the lines square.

 Can you pick out variation or inaccuracy by looking at this picture? I guess I cant, so not bad. I think its important to stop at these moments and take a deep breath. Step back and look and where you are, make sure youre achieving the appearance youre after. If it looks good, then shove on forward my friend.

 I then use the bevel gauge to define the angles. Pay attention that you are angling them correctly.

 You can see some faint lines telling me which direction to mark the angle. If its been a while since Ive cut this joint I will sometimes do this to help protect me from my inner idiot. It helps me to not get turned around when Im focused on holding the bevel gauge tight and making a good mark. What I havent done yet is mark my waste.

 I then make those cuts, clean out the waste, and pare to the line. Then I use what I cut on one board to mark the mating board.

 Good, even, and flexible spacing to this one with minimal fuss and measurement.

 A little clean up with the plane and I like how this one turned out. As far as Im concerned this is a good ratio of the pin to tail width, but I know there are some who prefer very skinny pins. They can provide a very aesthetic appeal at times as well so well explore laying out those next time we talk dovetails.

Cheers
Oldwolf

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Hall Tree assembly part 1

I started assembly on the Hall Tree last night.  I ran into some unexpected problems so I didnt get as much done as I had hoped to.

I started with the rear backsplash for the shelf at the top.  This one went pretty well.  I used my

Rockler Clampit and it did a good job.

This is the bottom with the apron in the front.  Since the pocket holes are on the inside I put the Clampit on the outside.  In hindsight I should have put the clamps all the way to the inside of the Clampit.  I had put them further out to allow me to get the drill to the pocket hole but I think putting the clamps all the way inside would have worked better.  The wood ended up drifting and one of the screws split the edge of the front corner.

I forced some glue into the split and clamped it and you can barely tell now.  I just need to do some sanding and after I paint it you will never know.

I got the top shelf mounted, glued and screwed in and I was very happy with the result.

Only the top shelf, backsplash, and bottom front apron are actually attached.  I dry fit the rest to see how it looks.  I hope to get the rest of it assembled tonight.





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Its Wanderful Part 2 The Begining

Having reviewed the wands with three (3) fellow woodworkers, and having been given solid advice by all three (3) of them, I was still not completely sure how I was going to make the wands. Yet, since I had been  procrastinating like a pro, I decided the time had come buy the lumber and start the making if I was to have any chance of finishing them by the movie premiere.

As I’m not familiar with any good local hardwood dealers and the project itself was enough stress, I went to my go-to source for nice wood, Bell Forrest Products. Though I had received advice on good carving woods, I completely ignored everything I’d been told and ordered me up five (5) 1.5”x1.5”x18” turning blanks of hard maple. I know . . . this didn’t make for easy shaping.

Heres a somewhat random picture of the walnut book stand I made for the
2010 Sawdust Chronicles Fall Build Challenge. It doesnt have anything
to do with the wands, but I like it and I dont have any photos relevant
to this stage in the wand saga.

About the same time as I ordered the wood for the wands, I also was lucky enough to have my Slide Out Storage Cabinet featured in the Tools of the Trade section of Popular Woodworking Magazine. The Lee Valley gift certificate I received as a result was put to good use. I ordered a spokeshave, rasp and cabinet scraper.

Finally, having received all the advice I could manage and with tools and wood in hand, it was time to start making some wands.

The first thing I did was take one of the blanks, and turn it into an octagon by cutting off the corners on the table saw. I then went crazy with my new spokeshave and turned it into a dowel, about ¾” in diameter. Though useless as a wand, this first test piece was set aside for carving practice and dye and finish experimentation.

How did you finally start that project youve been procrastinating about?

Its Wanderful Part 1

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A Rack For Her Glue Gun Part II

With everything milled, the Dominos cut and the tile recesses made, it was time for the initial glue up. I glued up the four (4) side of box which forms the rear glue stick storage compartment. Then I glued the extra long walnut side and rear ebony block to it.

Still a bit too square for my taste.

Next I began the shaping, as I wanted to make sure I was able to work the edge I would no longer be able to reach after final glue up. The shaping was, of course, the hard and the fun part of the project. It was the first project I was able to use my Foredom rotary tool on. Using a Kutzall bit, it made quick work of the walnut and ebony. I still used my rasps for final shaping, but the Foredom was much, much faster for the rough work.

The glue stick caddy, post shaping.

Once I’d done about 70% of the shaping, I  glued the sub assemblies to the base. As you may have guesses, I joined everything with Dominos. This made for easy, quick and strong joints between the vertical components and the base.

Flaring the curved verticals into the base was easy.

The final shaping could now be done. I used my Festool RAS 115 to blend the shaped side of the base into the shaped side of the verticals. I learned from Andy Chidwick that using a hard platen on the RAS 115 with a 40 grit sanding disc allows you to use the sander like a grinder with better dust control and more finesse. As I had with the Foredom, I followed up the RAS 115 with rasps.

With the shaping done, I dealt with the small gap that was left between the ebony and walnut on the front piece. The glue up hadnt been perfect and there was about a 1/16” gap at the top of the joint. To fill it I dyed some 5 minute epoxy with India Ink. This created Epoxy almost the exact color of the ebony.

Just a touch of black epoxy made the gap disappear (I know I messed up the order).

After the shaping, I had to deal with the coarse texture.

Dont forget about the +Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We talk woodworking with Guests from around the world of woodworking every other week. Subscribe to the RSS feed or iTunes today.

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Finishing the built in part 1

Now begins the time consuming task of finishing the built in.  The first step is to fill all cracks and voids, generally with a wood filler or a lightweight spackling compound.  Then, the entire unit gets sanded. In the following pictures, the unit has a coat of Zinsser primer on it.  Due to work load, Ive hired this process out to a good friend and a fine finisher, Bob Plunkett. The most time consuming areas are the small cubbies up on top. After the primer is dry, Bob will resand the unit as needed before painting. These pictures will give an idea of how Bob is making the unit take on its final appearance...

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The Ply Wooden Boat Part V Sailing The Sea

Now that the boat was built and waterproofed, the only things left to do before it’s maiden voyage were to take it to the lake, and determine how I would propel it. I, of course, decided to take it to the lake first, and fabricate its means of propulsion in the parking lot next to the beach.

Have boat, will travel.

While Eric used a single oar for his GardenFork.tv boat, I found that with the increased width of my boat it was too wide to use a single oar effectively. I made two (2) oars (like a traditional row boat) instead.

I built the oars in the parking lot at the beach.

I attached the U-shaped oar pivots on the dock.

The oars were cut to length on the dock too.

The finished oars.

Making the oars was as simple as cutting a rectangle of scrap ⅜” plywood, trimming the corners off and then screwing it to a 2”x2”. To act as oar pivots, I cut two U-shaped pieces of plywood and screwed them to the outside face of the batten with ran down the top of each side. The oars simply dropped in the opening, which was cut with enough room to allow the oars to move.

Finally, ready for the open sea.

Finally, the boat (dubbed the S.S. Sea Man) was ready to set sail.

My cousins, Doug and Robert, and I carried it passed the rocks (Lake George is beautiful, but lacks sandy beaches) and into the water. I gave it a brief moment to confirm it was watertight. Then I hopped in and I set off rowing.

Row like the wind.

The boat was in and out of the water for three (3) or four (4) days over the course of our vacation. It proved a stable craft. My kids (and cousin) enjoyed going out on the boat and it proved a stable platform for launching firecrackers. I was able to successfully carry two (2) adults and probably could have managed a third.

I did ultimately get the hand of steering it with the oars.

After the first day, I moved the cross batten further back to reduce the number of times I hit my knuckles on it while rowing. That made it better, but not great. In the end, what kept the boat’s use down were the unbearably uncomfortable square oar handles and the cramps I managed to get from the lack of a seat.

To move the batten back, I first added a new one, then removed the old one so the boat sides wouldnt spring  back together.

I managed to row a good ways into the lake. Had a had a destination, I may have gone further.

Come aboard, were expecting you.

From the boat, I was able to get the usual great views of the lake and shore.

A panoramic taken with my phone from the boat.

Though it was my intention to scrap the boat after the vacation was over, my Dad seemed to have taken a liking to it and offered to store it at his barn in Greenwich, NY until next summer. That, of course, has me thinking. I already know how I’ll be adding seats and a better pivot mechanism for the oars next year.

The boat survives, to be sailed again next summer.

While there are inherent risks in boating of any kind, and this isn’t a project you should take on without considering those risks, I’d highly encourage building a plywood boat of your own if you get a chance. The one featured on GardenFork.tv is very straightforward to build (just leave out the bottom window) or embellish it as I did. Either way, there’s nothing like the feeling of sailing the open seas heading to Mexico in boat you crafted with your own hands.

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