TWO TONE HEXAGONAL BOX
How can you make variety of design using only two colors? Starting with this question long time ago (maybe a year past), the main reason is to just choose what is available wood that you can say dark and light, black and white, etc…. this has triggered me into designing a TWO TONE Concept.
We can start the series by using NARRA parquet (I don't know if this will run-out, I have still 4 sacks of 2×6 inches old parquet flooring.) and WHITE LAUAN (also from scrap 2×3 in previous door jamb). This means… RED and WHITE.
HEXAGON BOX
Though I have made several hexagonal box… I still doubt if I could apply the mitring method that Martyn (Britboxmaker) had shown.. I have done this already on several square boxes but not on hexagonal one. As you will imagine there is no problem with the top or bottom to the side as it will be 90 degree or at right angle. However, the problem lies in the sides angle which will be 120 deg . Come and join the fun. Take the risk, nothing to loose in this experiment.
FIRST STEP. Making the strips of wood. Then to a board. I use the CUBIX variation of RHOMBUS and the idea of making a weave form that Larry Degoose had been doing in his cutting boards. I was not able to take pictures of these process. It is the usual way anyway.. the board is here…
before sanding…
after sanding….
SECOND STEP. Making the Mitering… Photos with caption will explain the method.. I will italized the important skills and points you have to bank….
the placement of the guide for the router. Notice the popsicle stick I use for alligning the guide…. much better than using a vernier caliper. Pencil line can match easily and vividly with the thickness of the line. In this case I use mechanical pencil 0.7 lead.
I have to look for an extension to be the same width of the sides. This will become the first cut of the sides… the topside or cover bevel.
There are so much option in fixing the guide to the board: A double tape, a nail on the end, a clamp or screw. I choose the brad which is the smallest I have but long enough to pass through the guide piece. Advantage in using this option … you can easily nail it as accurate as needed… it is also sharp enought to go through the narra. O yes… disadvantage (but not really) it will create nail holes on the board. This is too small that you can just press in glue later
The first pass… quite easy as it looks in the picture….. The first pass is so critical because this will be the basis of the hexagon line… Please note that I did not use any template on this. Important is to make the bevel exactly on the line. This board has parallel weave on it and it is easily can be noticed if something is not cut right.
The final pass…. nothing is important but just be precise of the exact depth of the bit. Do not destroy the tape that is underneath holding the pieces. If you overcut… no chance to recover. DO NOT READJUST THE ROUTER BIT DEPTH WHEN YOU HAD IT ON THE FINAL CUT. THIS WILL BE USED ALL THROUGH OUT THE JOB OF MITERING. ALSO CAREFUL ON THE BEGINNING POINT AND THE STOP POINT.
THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS…. Notice that my bit is not capable to have a clean cut till the top. Sorry for that, I have nothing to use and hard to buy here in the Philippines.
and the center points where to stop and begin….
Why should I focus on this… starting points? 1) the distance of the to points (start & stop) is equal to the radius of the hexagon…. so check if you are correct… if so then you can go on and plot all the other 4 points and make lines. You can repeat the steps above with following TIPS and SKILLS…
Place your router in the stop point (where you end up routering) and mark the base of the router. This will be your stop point…. The popsicle stick will just copy and paste it on the next stop point. This will avoid your doubts whether you are on the right point of the hexagon. BTW, Using the same brad (nail) will be strong enough for me because I am not PACQUIAO holding this router….. May if you have that strength then use a 4 inch nail… LOL.
See how it stops….
AND HALFWAY TO THIS LINE…... Another tip …. If your remember on the first pass… Router is already fixed and will not allow the depth to be adjusted…. How will you make recess just like a first pass? This is the advantage of MITERING MY WAY… I can plunge variably by inclining my square based router but I am so careful not to cut too much as it might cut the whole piece… (If you have cut it though… danger of moving the other piece (the side portion might detach as it is only held by a masking tape underneath) So here is how it looks after plunging several before making the final cut….
And of course to clean the outer end I use the smallest plane I have…. this plane was from England and it is really good.
SO… HERE IS THE END RESULT IN BEVELLING (MITERING OR MITRING) ... the BOTTOM OR TOP LID…
UP TO THIS POINT MY FRIENDS AND BUDDY…. I am tired this day… but it was a success in making the box..
Actually…. Here is the final status as of now…
The Lid is actually not done yet…..
Till next time…Hope you enjoy reading this.
Thanks for your comments on the recent box…Four Point Star Box.
How can you make variety of design using only two colors? Starting with this question long time ago (maybe a year past), the main reason is to just choose what is available wood that you can say dark and light, black and white, etc…. this has triggered me into designing a TWO TONE Concept.
We can start the series by using NARRA parquet (I don't know if this will run-out, I have still 4 sacks of 2×6 inches old parquet flooring.) and WHITE LAUAN (also from scrap 2×3 in previous door jamb). This means… RED and WHITE.
HEXAGON BOX
Though I have made several hexagonal box… I still doubt if I could apply the mitring method that Martyn (Britboxmaker) had shown.. I have done this already on several square boxes but not on hexagonal one. As you will imagine there is no problem with the top or bottom to the side as it will be 90 degree or at right angle. However, the problem lies in the sides angle which will be 120 deg . Come and join the fun. Take the risk, nothing to loose in this experiment.
FIRST STEP. Making the strips of wood. Then to a board. I use the CUBIX variation of RHOMBUS and the idea of making a weave form that Larry Degoose had been doing in his cutting boards. I was not able to take pictures of these process. It is the usual way anyway.. the board is here…
before sanding…
after sanding….
SECOND STEP. Making the Mitering… Photos with caption will explain the method.. I will italized the important skills and points you have to bank….
the placement of the guide for the router. Notice the popsicle stick I use for alligning the guide…. much better than using a vernier caliper. Pencil line can match easily and vividly with the thickness of the line. In this case I use mechanical pencil 0.7 lead.
I have to look for an extension to be the same width of the sides. This will become the first cut of the sides… the topside or cover bevel.
There are so much option in fixing the guide to the board: A double tape, a nail on the end, a clamp or screw. I choose the brad which is the smallest I have but long enough to pass through the guide piece. Advantage in using this option … you can easily nail it as accurate as needed… it is also sharp enought to go through the narra. O yes… disadvantage (but not really) it will create nail holes on the board. This is too small that you can just press in glue later
The first pass… quite easy as it looks in the picture….. The first pass is so critical because this will be the basis of the hexagon line… Please note that I did not use any template on this. Important is to make the bevel exactly on the line. This board has parallel weave on it and it is easily can be noticed if something is not cut right.
The final pass…. nothing is important but just be precise of the exact depth of the bit. Do not destroy the tape that is underneath holding the pieces. If you overcut… no chance to recover. DO NOT READJUST THE ROUTER BIT DEPTH WHEN YOU HAD IT ON THE FINAL CUT. THIS WILL BE USED ALL THROUGH OUT THE JOB OF MITERING. ALSO CAREFUL ON THE BEGINNING POINT AND THE STOP POINT.
THIS IS HOW IT LOOKS…. Notice that my bit is not capable to have a clean cut till the top. Sorry for that, I have nothing to use and hard to buy here in the Philippines.
and the center points where to stop and begin….
Why should I focus on this… starting points? 1) the distance of the to points (start & stop) is equal to the radius of the hexagon…. so check if you are correct… if so then you can go on and plot all the other 4 points and make lines. You can repeat the steps above with following TIPS and SKILLS…
Place your router in the stop point (where you end up routering) and mark the base of the router. This will be your stop point…. The popsicle stick will just copy and paste it on the next stop point. This will avoid your doubts whether you are on the right point of the hexagon. BTW, Using the same brad (nail) will be strong enough for me because I am not PACQUIAO holding this router….. May if you have that strength then use a 4 inch nail… LOL.
See how it stops….
AND HALFWAY TO THIS LINE…... Another tip …. If your remember on the first pass… Router is already fixed and will not allow the depth to be adjusted…. How will you make recess just like a first pass? This is the advantage of MITERING MY WAY… I can plunge variably by inclining my square based router but I am so careful not to cut too much as it might cut the whole piece… (If you have cut it though… danger of moving the other piece (the side portion might detach as it is only held by a masking tape underneath) So here is how it looks after plunging several before making the final cut….
And of course to clean the outer end I use the smallest plane I have…. this plane was from England and it is really good.
SO… HERE IS THE END RESULT IN BEVELLING (MITERING OR MITRING) ... the BOTTOM OR TOP LID…
UP TO THIS POINT MY FRIENDS AND BUDDY…. I am tired this day… but it was a success in making the box..
Actually…. Here is the final status as of now…
The Lid is actually not done yet…..
Till next time…Hope you enjoy reading this.
Thanks for your comments on the recent box…Four Point Star Box.