LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Various shenanigans

67K views 119 replies 43 participants last post by  BurlyBob 
#1 ·
Crazy pieces of wood

So much to do, so little time. How true. The past month or so I have actually been very unmotivated to do anything in the shop. There is a lot going on in the family right now and work has been busy, and most nights I just want to sit around and do nothing. I think this is mostly because I know that there is so much to get done in the shop, but none of it is for my own personal projects that I want to get done. I have decided that my next personal big (mostly) hand tool project is going to be a lowboy, gothic style. I have the cherry already sitting in my basement ready to go. I have enough 12/4 for 8 legs, which means if my carvings are good enough I can get two tables. And if not, then I have lots of practice pieces. I also have all the curly cherry that I would need for the tops, sides and drawers. I ran a few of the 4/4 pieces through a planer so I could see the figure….... Im excited about this build.
Brown Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain


But of course before I even think about starting the lowboy, I need to fulfill my commitment to getting enough boxes, pens, music boxes ect for two huge Christmas shows this winter. I decided that I need to get everything ready over the course of the year instead of rushing it in Oct and Nov. So far I only have a few boxes made, but because Normal wood grain patters are boring to me, and I have no interest in working with them (unless something calls for it) below are ones that are either complete or very near complete, curly oak, curly cherry and crotch walnut.
Tableware Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


At the same time I made the front/back/sides for these three boxes, I also milled and cut enough for another curly cherry, one spalted maple, and one quilted spalted maple. How ever, I do not have anything worthy to become lids for the two maple boxes yet….. until.

Recently I was in my local playground (lumber dealer) and I asked about 'nasty half rotten stuff'. I knew it was a long shot as they are a wholesaler and deal mostly in lifts of stuff for moulding makers and door makers and the such, and they only bring in stuff they are going to sell, so the odds were small, but I asked anyways. The guy shows me a chunk he said he has been sitting on for two years, I ask how much, he tells me take it, its taking up space. Perfect! After a little planning to thickness….
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring

Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Plank


But I still don't have a lid for the quilted spalted maple yet.
Brown Rectangle Table Wood Flooring


Lastly for today…. I get to see lots of pallets where I work, and some of them are junkie enough that we toss them rather than send them back for reuse… I have gotten pretty good at seeing through the layers of crud…
Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


Looking at pieces of wood like this alway gets me motivated…..
 

Attachments

See less See more
12
#2 ·
Crazy pieces of wood

So much to do, so little time. How true. The past month or so I have actually been very unmotivated to do anything in the shop. There is a lot going on in the family right now and work has been busy, and most nights I just want to sit around and do nothing. I think this is mostly because I know that there is so much to get done in the shop, but none of it is for my own personal projects that I want to get done. I have decided that my next personal big (mostly) hand tool project is going to be a lowboy, gothic style. I have the cherry already sitting in my basement ready to go. I have enough 12/4 for 8 legs, which means if my carvings are good enough I can get two tables. And if not, then I have lots of practice pieces. I also have all the curly cherry that I would need for the tops, sides and drawers. I ran a few of the 4/4 pieces through a planer so I could see the figure….... Im excited about this build.
Brown Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain


But of course before I even think about starting the lowboy, I need to fulfill my commitment to getting enough boxes, pens, music boxes ect for two huge Christmas shows this winter. I decided that I need to get everything ready over the course of the year instead of rushing it in Oct and Nov. So far I only have a few boxes made, but because Normal wood grain patters are boring to me, and I have no interest in working with them (unless something calls for it) below are ones that are either complete or very near complete, curly oak, curly cherry and crotch walnut.
Tableware Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


At the same time I made the front/back/sides for these three boxes, I also milled and cut enough for another curly cherry, one spalted maple, and one quilted spalted maple. How ever, I do not have anything worthy to become lids for the two maple boxes yet….. until.

Recently I was in my local playground (lumber dealer) and I asked about 'nasty half rotten stuff'. I knew it was a long shot as they are a wholesaler and deal mostly in lifts of stuff for moulding makers and door makers and the such, and they only bring in stuff they are going to sell, so the odds were small, but I asked anyways. The guy shows me a chunk he said he has been sitting on for two years, I ask how much, he tells me take it, its taking up space. Perfect! After a little planning to thickness….
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring

Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Plank


But I still don't have a lid for the quilted spalted maple yet.
Brown Rectangle Table Wood Flooring


Lastly for today…. I get to see lots of pallets where I work, and some of them are junkie enough that we toss them rather than send them back for reuse… I have gotten pretty good at seeing through the layers of crud…
Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


Looking at pieces of wood like this alway gets me motivated…..
Those three boxes are absolutely gorgeous! I'd like to get some good pallet wood, but so far have been disappointed.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
Crazy pieces of wood

So much to do, so little time. How true. The past month or so I have actually been very unmotivated to do anything in the shop. There is a lot going on in the family right now and work has been busy, and most nights I just want to sit around and do nothing. I think this is mostly because I know that there is so much to get done in the shop, but none of it is for my own personal projects that I want to get done. I have decided that my next personal big (mostly) hand tool project is going to be a lowboy, gothic style. I have the cherry already sitting in my basement ready to go. I have enough 12/4 for 8 legs, which means if my carvings are good enough I can get two tables. And if not, then I have lots of practice pieces. I also have all the curly cherry that I would need for the tops, sides and drawers. I ran a few of the 4/4 pieces through a planer so I could see the figure….... Im excited about this build.
Brown Wood Rectangle Table Wood stain


But of course before I even think about starting the lowboy, I need to fulfill my commitment to getting enough boxes, pens, music boxes ect for two huge Christmas shows this winter. I decided that I need to get everything ready over the course of the year instead of rushing it in Oct and Nov. So far I only have a few boxes made, but because Normal wood grain patters are boring to me, and I have no interest in working with them (unless something calls for it) below are ones that are either complete or very near complete, curly oak, curly cherry and crotch walnut.
Tableware Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


At the same time I made the front/back/sides for these three boxes, I also milled and cut enough for another curly cherry, one spalted maple, and one quilted spalted maple. How ever, I do not have anything worthy to become lids for the two maple boxes yet….. until.

Recently I was in my local playground (lumber dealer) and I asked about 'nasty half rotten stuff'. I knew it was a long shot as they are a wholesaler and deal mostly in lifts of stuff for moulding makers and door makers and the such, and they only bring in stuff they are going to sell, so the odds were small, but I asked anyways. The guy shows me a chunk he said he has been sitting on for two years, I ask how much, he tells me take it, its taking up space. Perfect! After a little planning to thickness….
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring

Wood Table Rectangle Flooring Plank


But I still don't have a lid for the quilted spalted maple yet.
Brown Rectangle Table Wood Flooring


Lastly for today…. I get to see lots of pallets where I work, and some of them are junkie enough that we toss them rather than send them back for reuse… I have gotten pretty good at seeing through the layers of crud…
Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


Looking at pieces of wood like this alway gets me motivated…..
I have to agree, those are beautiful boxes.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
parallellawhat?

My journey into small quick random projects continues. I am determined to make a few little boxes with Louis cube patterns on the lid, so I started making lots of maple, cherry and walnut parallelograms. I made myself a little jig when I made the box for my wife last Christmas, so this time I only have to cut the veneer.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


My shop is in my basement, the main shop is in a space about 250 sq feet, there are some walls that separate that space with the other rooms in the basement, but those rooms are also home to woodworking stuff in various stages of completion, staging, finishing ect. In one corner I have a few bookshelves that are filled with… you were thinking I was going to say woodworking books right? HA HA, got you there. Yes, there are woodworking books and dvd's, but almost all of my geek nerd stuff has been sequestered to the basement with me, and they fill the majority of the bookcases…

Toy Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Shelving

That's right… Gollum, and Autographed Don Cherry figure are in a case with hand painted LOTR figurines (that was before woodworking) and on top of the case is the Enterprise… with battle action damage and sounds!!!!

Brown Shelving Shelf Wood Bookcase

Along with my LOTR shelf with the movies in between the Argonath!

Toy Space Event Fun Action figure

Then there is Gui Gon Jinn and Darth Maul protecting my pen making mess from my wife's evil cats.

Anyways, I have a couch, my first coffee table and a tv in one corner. So I do most of my veneer work while I am sitting on the couch watching one of my movies that got banished downstairs with the rest of my stuff. This is also why it takes me so long to get any veneer/marquetry work done, I end up spacing out and just watching the movie.
Brown Rectangle Wood Amber Flooring


Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain Floor

One down…. lots more to go.

Also in the last few days I needed to fill a few pen orders. One was a two part rollerball pen made from some bog oak for a friend, and three ballpoint pens for client. And in between everything else, I have also been applying coat after coat of shellac to the spalted maple box lid. I am having issues with the shellac. Some friends and I bought and split a bag of super blond, and I know that one of the other guys is having issues as well, but when I was mixing it, it did not want to dissolve nicely, and I have to thin it more than I would have liked, and to boot… the spalted portion sucked up the shellac and you could not even tell there was shellac until about the 5th application. But, in the last few coats it is starting to even out and look really good.
Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring


Wood Art Creative arts Hardwood Flooring


(Sigh).......
One of the things that I do to keep myself in the woodworking mood even though I am stuck working on things that I don't really want to be doing… I try to read woodworking books. But, like the movies that suck me in, some times I end up reading a non-fiction book… and I am lost to the world for a few days.

That gives me an idea… next entry will be about the woodworking books that I read and why I read them… that might be more interesting than me getting distracted by Harry Potter while cutting a few hundred little pieces of veneer.
 

Attachments

#5 ·
parallellawhat?

My journey into small quick random projects continues. I am determined to make a few little boxes with Louis cube patterns on the lid, so I started making lots of maple, cherry and walnut parallelograms. I made myself a little jig when I made the box for my wife last Christmas, so this time I only have to cut the veneer.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


My shop is in my basement, the main shop is in a space about 250 sq feet, there are some walls that separate that space with the other rooms in the basement, but those rooms are also home to woodworking stuff in various stages of completion, staging, finishing ect. In one corner I have a few bookshelves that are filled with… you were thinking I was going to say woodworking books right? HA HA, got you there. Yes, there are woodworking books and dvd's, but almost all of my geek nerd stuff has been sequestered to the basement with me, and they fill the majority of the bookcases…

Toy Wood Bumper Automotive exterior Shelving

That's right… Gollum, and Autographed Don Cherry figure are in a case with hand painted LOTR figurines (that was before woodworking) and on top of the case is the Enterprise… with battle action damage and sounds!!!!

Brown Shelving Shelf Wood Bookcase

Along with my LOTR shelf with the movies in between the Argonath!

Toy Space Event Fun Action figure

Then there is Gui Gon Jinn and Darth Maul protecting my pen making mess from my wife's evil cats.

Anyways, I have a couch, my first coffee table and a tv in one corner. So I do most of my veneer work while I am sitting on the couch watching one of my movies that got banished downstairs with the rest of my stuff. This is also why it takes me so long to get any veneer/marquetry work done, I end up spacing out and just watching the movie.
Brown Rectangle Wood Amber Flooring


Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain Floor

One down…. lots more to go.

Also in the last few days I needed to fill a few pen orders. One was a two part rollerball pen made from some bog oak for a friend, and three ballpoint pens for client. And in between everything else, I have also been applying coat after coat of shellac to the spalted maple box lid. I am having issues with the shellac. Some friends and I bought and split a bag of super blond, and I know that one of the other guys is having issues as well, but when I was mixing it, it did not want to dissolve nicely, and I have to thin it more than I would have liked, and to boot… the spalted portion sucked up the shellac and you could not even tell there was shellac until about the 5th application. But, in the last few coats it is starting to even out and look really good.
Wood Table Rectangle Hardwood Flooring


Wood Art Creative arts Hardwood Flooring


(Sigh).......
One of the things that I do to keep myself in the woodworking mood even though I am stuck working on things that I don't really want to be doing… I try to read woodworking books. But, like the movies that suck me in, some times I end up reading a non-fiction book… and I am lost to the world for a few days.

That gives me an idea… next entry will be about the woodworking books that I read and why I read them… that might be more interesting than me getting distracted by Harry Potter while cutting a few hundred little pieces of veneer.
Like most/all of us men, the good stuff gets moved to the basement! I assume you are allowed upstairs for meals and sleep? Good luck.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
2 bored hand tool junkies

So… what happens when you get two hand tool junkies in the same room and there is not a whole lot to be done? Easy… woodworking stuff. Today… we decided to mount a router in a router table.

I know what you are thinking… that's a really easy and basic thing to do. But is it? Really? Remember who you are dealing with… knuckle draggers do not mix with this modern tech very well. How does this thing work? Are there instructions? What are instructions for?... remember Neanderthals cant read anyways!

Gas Table Wood Metal Electric blue


See what I mean? Not as easy as it look eh? There was not even the proper mounting instructions that came with the table… all the drilling templates were round…what?

Netbook Input device Rectangle Gadget Material property


So we just lined it up by eye, drilled the holes and mounted it to the plate. That brass pin that is sticking out really messed us up, we could not figure out what it does, we were scared it had something to do with alignment. Oh well… time will tell.

We put quite a bit of though into this… what if we used a router lift? JessEm? Kreg? Which one would work the best? Can the blade be changed from the top? What about dust collection? Zero clearance inserts? Can the smaller router be installed for the smaller bits? Fence options? Will this work with the Incra system?.... Woooo wait…. the I-box can be used with the router table!!! I can use this to make easy-peasy finger joints!!! This is going to be awesome!

Once we finally figured it out and get the I-box all sorted out…. you guessed it… PERFECT finger joints every time!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Brick Hardwood


Today was awesome! These new innovations are going to be great. My next idea is to mount a plough plane into a router table and set up a fence…. THATS RIGHT!!!! Drawer bottom grooves in one pass!!!
 

Attachments

#9 ·
2 bored hand tool junkies

So… what happens when you get two hand tool junkies in the same room and there is not a whole lot to be done? Easy… woodworking stuff. Today… we decided to mount a router in a router table.

I know what you are thinking… that's a really easy and basic thing to do. But is it? Really? Remember who you are dealing with… knuckle draggers do not mix with this modern tech very well. How does this thing work? Are there instructions? What are instructions for?... remember Neanderthals cant read anyways!

Gas Table Wood Metal Electric blue


See what I mean? Not as easy as it look eh? There was not even the proper mounting instructions that came with the table… all the drilling templates were round…what?

Netbook Input device Rectangle Gadget Material property


So we just lined it up by eye, drilled the holes and mounted it to the plate. That brass pin that is sticking out really messed us up, we could not figure out what it does, we were scared it had something to do with alignment. Oh well… time will tell.

We put quite a bit of though into this… what if we used a router lift? JessEm? Kreg? Which one would work the best? Can the blade be changed from the top? What about dust collection? Zero clearance inserts? Can the smaller router be installed for the smaller bits? Fence options? Will this work with the Incra system?.... Woooo wait…. the I-box can be used with the router table!!! I can use this to make easy-peasy finger joints!!! This is going to be awesome!

Once we finally figured it out and get the I-box all sorted out…. you guessed it… PERFECT finger joints every time!
Wood Rectangle Flooring Brick Hardwood


Today was awesome! These new innovations are going to be great. My next idea is to mount a plough plane into a router table and set up a fence…. THATS RIGHT!!!! Drawer bottom grooves in one pass!!!
Brilliant. Thanks for the giggle. :eek:)
 

Attachments

#11 ·
My first spice cabinet

I am working on a bunch of little projects/commissions right now, and not very much of it is very interesting, so there really is not much to post about. Since I know I will not be working on my own personal stuff for the next little while(with the exception of the string inlay box, as I have an idea for the lid),I figured I would post a blog about the first spice cabinet that I made.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


I made this from 3/4 prelam pine over 4 years ago. At the time I only just getting into have tools, and I was really, really into hand cut dovetails. I had not yet moved into nice woods like cherry and walnut as I did not want to spend the money on the wood just to mess everything up. I also was not very confident with my skills, but I knew that I needed to start challenging myself. I picked a Glen Huey article in a Popwood mag and away I went.
Cabinetry Dresser Table Furniture Drawer


Once I had read the article several dozen times, I got started. I knew I could do it, but it was going to be a challenge for sure. Not only that, but for some silly reason I got it in my head to put at least 10 hidden compartments in it.
1. False bottom in middle drawer
Wood Drawer Rectangle Shelf Shelving

2-6. sliding drawer blades to reveal false backs
Brown Wood Door Shelf Wood stain

Cabinetry Building Wood Drawer House


7. Sliding drawer out the back of the bottom drawer
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plank


8-10 Sliding DT key to slide down the back, 2 drawers and a document space inside the moulding.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Table

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Varnish Plywood

Brown Table Wood Drawer Desk


Of course it all depends on how you count, but to me there are 10.

Some notes on this spice cabinet.
-This is the second door, the first one had a solid panel that was really boring, I also messed up the rails and stiles. So I made the current one and bought a really nice piece of glass.
-I have not used pine for a serious project since then, I have moved on. Once complete I was way more confident and was ok with buying nicer woods.
-My finish is aniline dye and shellac, but I was not very careful with it, as this was I think the 2nd time I have ever used aniline and shellac, so again a really big learning experience.
-My wife immediately started filling it with stuff, and it has been in either our kitchen or living room since I made it.

At the time I was blown away with it, I was so happy with it and I still am. However… one of the reasons I made this…
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Door


...was to show myself where I was then, and where I am now. But alas… ol'pine has something the new one does not… crazy awesome hidden compartments!!!!

Thanks for reading.
 

Attachments

#12 ·
My first spice cabinet

I am working on a bunch of little projects/commissions right now, and not very much of it is very interesting, so there really is not much to post about. Since I know I will not be working on my own personal stuff for the next little while(with the exception of the string inlay box, as I have an idea for the lid),I figured I would post a blog about the first spice cabinet that I made.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Gas Varnish


I made this from 3/4 prelam pine over 4 years ago. At the time I only just getting into have tools, and I was really, really into hand cut dovetails. I had not yet moved into nice woods like cherry and walnut as I did not want to spend the money on the wood just to mess everything up. I also was not very confident with my skills, but I knew that I needed to start challenging myself. I picked a Glen Huey article in a Popwood mag and away I went.
Cabinetry Dresser Table Furniture Drawer


Once I had read the article several dozen times, I got started. I knew I could do it, but it was going to be a challenge for sure. Not only that, but for some silly reason I got it in my head to put at least 10 hidden compartments in it.
1. False bottom in middle drawer
Wood Drawer Rectangle Shelf Shelving

2-6. sliding drawer blades to reveal false backs
Brown Wood Door Shelf Wood stain

Cabinetry Building Wood Drawer House


7. Sliding drawer out the back of the bottom drawer
Wood Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain Plank


8-10 Sliding DT key to slide down the back, 2 drawers and a document space inside the moulding.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Table

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Varnish Plywood

Brown Table Wood Drawer Desk


Of course it all depends on how you count, but to me there are 10.

Some notes on this spice cabinet.
-This is the second door, the first one had a solid panel that was really boring, I also messed up the rails and stiles. So I made the current one and bought a really nice piece of glass.
-I have not used pine for a serious project since then, I have moved on. Once complete I was way more confident and was ok with buying nicer woods.
-My finish is aniline dye and shellac, but I was not very careful with it, as this was I think the 2nd time I have ever used aniline and shellac, so again a really big learning experience.
-My wife immediately started filling it with stuff, and it has been in either our kitchen or living room since I made it.

At the time I was blown away with it, I was so happy with it and I still am. However… one of the reasons I made this…
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Door


...was to show myself where I was then, and where I am now. But alas… ol'pine has something the new one does not… crazy awesome hidden compartments!!!!

Thanks for reading.
You certainly squeezed a lot of secret compartments into what is essentally quite a small cabinet. I've always liked the slide-down back exposing the secret drawers one myself. Nice job!
 

Attachments

#13 ·
My wifes cats wreck everything!

So last night I was cutting some marquetry while watching season 1 of Rome. I had a mug that was maybe 1/8 full of water (not very much) that I could use to get the OBG off my hands and remove the paper off my patterns as needed. The item in question worked out really well and I was all done for the night, except the episode I was watching was not over yet. So I decided to find something else to do while it finished. I remembered a small panel that I am working on for the back of a shadow box, I needed to apply a few more coats of clear shellac, so that is what I did.

Wake up this morning and go to check on my marquetry project that I had under two boards and 20lbs of free weights… and what do I find? Some time in the night a cat pushed over the small mug of water that I forgot about…. right onto my panel that I had shellac'ed.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


The water had gotten into the panel core (MDF), but thankfully there was not enough to make the hide glue I used release, but it did warp the backside maple veneer a little..
Brown Wood Gesture Hardwood Tints and shades


Not only that… but I started to look at the show side a bit more…
Brown Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood

Yup… paw prints in the shellac!!! Cannot express how upset I was when I found this.

I used some 600 grit and sanded and sanded until the prints were gone
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Font


And the used a nice brush and applied another coat of shellac.
Brown Rectangle Amber Wood Wood stain


A few more coats and it will be ready to be buffed out and waxed.
 

Attachments

#14 ·
My wifes cats wreck everything!

So last night I was cutting some marquetry while watching season 1 of Rome. I had a mug that was maybe 1/8 full of water (not very much) that I could use to get the OBG off my hands and remove the paper off my patterns as needed. The item in question worked out really well and I was all done for the night, except the episode I was watching was not over yet. So I decided to find something else to do while it finished. I remembered a small panel that I am working on for the back of a shadow box, I needed to apply a few more coats of clear shellac, so that is what I did.

Wake up this morning and go to check on my marquetry project that I had under two boards and 20lbs of free weights… and what do I find? Some time in the night a cat pushed over the small mug of water that I forgot about…. right onto my panel that I had shellac'ed.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


The water had gotten into the panel core (MDF), but thankfully there was not enough to make the hide glue I used release, but it did warp the backside maple veneer a little..
Brown Wood Gesture Hardwood Tints and shades


Not only that… but I started to look at the show side a bit more…
Brown Wood Wood stain Flooring Hardwood

Yup… paw prints in the shellac!!! Cannot express how upset I was when I found this.

I used some 600 grit and sanded and sanded until the prints were gone
Brown Wood Rectangle Wood stain Font


And the used a nice brush and applied another coat of shellac.
Brown Rectangle Amber Wood Wood stain


A few more coats and it will be ready to be buffed out and waxed.
bummer
but a good save

dump the cat without the wife noticing lol
(or at least check that the cat
is not in the shop
when you leave)

or cover your work better
 

Attachments

#17 ·
New bench hardware

Every once and a while a person will come around with either a revival of old time bench hardware. Or, there will be new innovations to the old ideas, using new materials and designs. I am personally a fan of both, and it really depends on what I am doing and what needs to be held down. The one issue I have with both is all the metal that is involved in these tools. That why I came up with my new line of bench hardware….

BranchCrafted

My first offering is a pair of tree-quarter branch pups. (Its honestly funnier if you say it out loud)

Wood Wood stain Font Hardwood Pattern


Made from solid birch, the posts are 3/4 to be used with existing holes in your bench. If you so desire, a flat face can be added to the branch pup for added stability. Because the branch pup is made from wood, it will not mar your work piece.

Wood Table Flooring Floor Wood stain


Smoothing plane Plane Hand tool Block plane Jack plane


Next is the Branch Crook.
Insect Wood Hardwood Plant Ingredient


This sure does came in handy when you need to hold that awkward piece at strange angles.
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Tool Plank


It also works great in holding up your tools so they wont roll away, and are always at a limbs reach.
Wood Wood stain Scratch awl Tool Hardwood


And, in a pinch, you can also use it as a bench mounted sling shot for when the evil cats come into the shop. Meow is right folks!

What's also great with these is they are compatible with the 20mm MFT (Festool) holes. You just need to remove a whittle of the post to make it fit.

Remember… Where there's a willow, there's a way!
 

Attachments

#18 ·
New bench hardware

Every once and a while a person will come around with either a revival of old time bench hardware. Or, there will be new innovations to the old ideas, using new materials and designs. I am personally a fan of both, and it really depends on what I am doing and what needs to be held down. The one issue I have with both is all the metal that is involved in these tools. That why I came up with my new line of bench hardware….

BranchCrafted

My first offering is a pair of tree-quarter branch pups. (Its honestly funnier if you say it out loud)

Wood Wood stain Font Hardwood Pattern


Made from solid birch, the posts are 3/4 to be used with existing holes in your bench. If you so desire, a flat face can be added to the branch pup for added stability. Because the branch pup is made from wood, it will not mar your work piece.

Wood Table Flooring Floor Wood stain


Smoothing plane Plane Hand tool Block plane Jack plane


Next is the Branch Crook.
Insect Wood Hardwood Plant Ingredient


This sure does came in handy when you need to hold that awkward piece at strange angles.
Wood Office ruler Hardwood Tool Plank


It also works great in holding up your tools so they wont roll away, and are always at a limbs reach.
Wood Wood stain Scratch awl Tool Hardwood


And, in a pinch, you can also use it as a bench mounted sling shot for when the evil cats come into the shop. Meow is right folks!

What's also great with these is they are compatible with the 20mm MFT (Festool) holes. You just need to remove a whittle of the post to make it fit.

Remember… Where there's a willow, there's a way!
Those look amazing!

Are they available at Tree Valley?
 

Attachments

#27 ·
Update on the shadow box

A buddy and I went to the knife shop today where the display cabinet and the shadow box that I made are. (Again thanks Paul) They also sell straight razors and all sorts of manly man shaving stuff. Or if you are like me and prefer to avoid shaving and just grow a beard, there is also manly man beard grooming stuff. Anyways, while we were there I snapped a picture of the shadow box in its new home.

Musical instrument White Product Black Guitar accessory

That's right Miley… hands off the twerking knives!!!

I made the box for the store in exchange for store credit. I picked out an 8000g Naniwa While Pearl ceramic water stone.
Wood Font Gas Rectangle Temperature


Not cheap. I have been using ceramic stones for a while now (mostly Imanishi) and I think they are leaps and bounds better then King and Norton. But because the Naniwa is also a ceramic, they should be about the same? I am told that Naniwa puts something into their compound before it is baked (magnesium?) and then after it is baked the stone is actually harder than the other ceramic stones, and this will last longer and not dish as fast. So far I have only honed a few edges with it and so far I really, really like it. I spent the rest of my store credit on beard shampoo and conditioner.

I am also really close to finishing a really sweet bubinga music box. All that is left it to install the stopper pin and its done. But alas… I guess I need to post the video to youtube first and link to it? I will figure that out later…
 

Attachments

#28 ·
Update on the shadow box

A buddy and I went to the knife shop today where the display cabinet and the shadow box that I made are. (Again thanks Paul) They also sell straight razors and all sorts of manly man shaving stuff. Or if you are like me and prefer to avoid shaving and just grow a beard, there is also manly man beard grooming stuff. Anyways, while we were there I snapped a picture of the shadow box in its new home.

Musical instrument White Product Black Guitar accessory

That's right Miley… hands off the twerking knives!!!

I made the box for the store in exchange for store credit. I picked out an 8000g Naniwa While Pearl ceramic water stone.
Wood Font Gas Rectangle Temperature


Not cheap. I have been using ceramic stones for a while now (mostly Imanishi) and I think they are leaps and bounds better then King and Norton. But because the Naniwa is also a ceramic, they should be about the same? I am told that Naniwa puts something into their compound before it is baked (magnesium?) and then after it is baked the stone is actually harder than the other ceramic stones, and this will last longer and not dish as fast. So far I have only honed a few edges with it and so far I really, really like it. I spent the rest of my store credit on beard shampoo and conditioner.

I am also really close to finishing a really sweet bubinga music box. All that is left it to install the stopper pin and its done. But alas… I guess I need to post the video to youtube first and link to it? I will figure that out later…
You're very welcome Jeremy!
That shadow box looks good in its new home.
 

Attachments

#29 ·
Nothing but pure sillyness.

I spend a lot of time doing boring, repetitive things. To make the time pass, I often turn to thinking of really silly things, jokes, alternative song lyrics ect. And almost all of the time it is woodworking related.

So I decided to post a collection of the recent silly things that I have though of.

First, if you have not read them yet, here are past blog posts of my router table and my new bench hardware.

As you can see, I really enjoy the lighter side of woodworking.

Joke.
Q. What do you call a wood shop with no hand tools?
A. Galootan-free.

Alternative song lyrics.
(To the tune of Gangum style)
Hey, benchie benchie woop woop woop Roubo style, woop Roubo style.

(to the tune of whip it)
If its blotch you cant ignore, you must seal it. On pine cherry and more, you must seal it. Seal it good.

(tune of hotblooded)
Dovetails, check them and see, gotta cut about 103… cause I am dovetailing, dovetailing.

I like this one… its by a band called The Lumber Chronicles. Or as I call them TLC for short.
Song titles
'No, I wont scrub your lumber'
'Don't go chasin Stanley planes'

There are lots more, but I am having trouble recalling them at the moment.

If you have a joke or something silly like this, please post a comment and share.

Thanks, and please, try no to take woodworking too seriously.
 
#33 ·
I thought this was supposed to be fun!

Life has been too busy… and the woodworking I have been doing has not been very fun at all.. more like a second full time job.

I spent that last 2-3 months getting ready for a show this past weekend. It went … ok. Then when I got home and unpacked, I got a message from a corporate contact who… (I was talking to a month ago but I could not produce exactly what he wanted) and now they are in a bind and don't have any other options than to settle for what ever I can do. So I have 25 pens due for this coming Monday. And another show at the end of Nov as well. Sighhhhh…. Im done doing shows. This is going to be my last one. They are not worth the time and effort I put into them and the weeks of stress they cause. BAhhhhh.

Other than all that stuff… I have proof my wife's cats hate me.
Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Fawn

AAHHHH… get off my bench!!!!

So here is my first experience with hot hide glue…
Food Ingredient Mason jar Wood Food storage containers

Automotive lighting Fluid Gauge Gas Liquid


I used it to try and glue up this cherry and maple chess board..
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


But I failed. In fact I tried it twice and failed both times. So… soon I am going to make a press.

After all the failures I decided to do something a little smaller..
Brown Wood Rectangle Textile Floor


I used my unfinished moxon as the press..
Wood Dishware Table Tableware Paint


And it worked out perfectly..
Brown Table Tableware Wood Rectangle


Then I used a skew block plane to recess the top edges so I could install some birdseye maple mitred trim..
Product Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I decided to put on a few coats of shellac before cutting the lid off.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor


Now that the lid is off I can work on the inside of the box, and once I have it done I am going to use tried and true as the finish of the sides of the box, then I will buff out the top and polish it. I am thinking of making into a really cool fountain pen box like the one I saw on this side a while ago… one to house this pen in particular..
 

Attachments

#34 ·
I thought this was supposed to be fun!

Life has been too busy… and the woodworking I have been doing has not been very fun at all.. more like a second full time job.

I spent that last 2-3 months getting ready for a show this past weekend. It went … ok. Then when I got home and unpacked, I got a message from a corporate contact who… (I was talking to a month ago but I could not produce exactly what he wanted) and now they are in a bind and don't have any other options than to settle for what ever I can do. So I have 25 pens due for this coming Monday. And another show at the end of Nov as well. Sighhhhh…. Im done doing shows. This is going to be my last one. They are not worth the time and effort I put into them and the weeks of stress they cause. BAhhhhh.

Other than all that stuff… I have proof my wife's cats hate me.
Cat Felidae Carnivore Small to medium-sized cats Fawn

AAHHHH… get off my bench!!!!

So here is my first experience with hot hide glue…
Food Ingredient Mason jar Wood Food storage containers

Automotive lighting Fluid Gauge Gas Liquid


I used it to try and glue up this cherry and maple chess board..
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


But I failed. In fact I tried it twice and failed both times. So… soon I am going to make a press.

After all the failures I decided to do something a little smaller..
Brown Wood Rectangle Textile Floor


I used my unfinished moxon as the press..
Wood Dishware Table Tableware Paint


And it worked out perfectly..
Brown Table Tableware Wood Rectangle


Then I used a skew block plane to recess the top edges so I could install some birdseye maple mitred trim..
Product Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I decided to put on a few coats of shellac before cutting the lid off.
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor


Now that the lid is off I can work on the inside of the box, and once I have it done I am going to use tried and true as the finish of the sides of the box, then I will buff out the top and polish it. I am thinking of making into a really cool fountain pen box like the one I saw on this side a while ago… one to house this pen in particular..
Bottle Metal Fashion accessory Bullet Gun accessory
Well done! a beautiful lid and a nice box too. Your perseverance really paid off.
 

Attachments

#42 ·
Jewellery box inside layout?

I cant believe I did it. I spent almost every spare moment I had in the last week making 25 pens for a corporate client that was in a bind and needed something fast. Of course while I was putting all the finishing touches on everything earlier today.. something had to go wrong. I had an engraving company make some small plates for me so I could attach them to the wooden pen cases. 25 pens, 25 cases…. 16 plates. Missing 9. I picked them up two days ago, and put them in a small bag that I carry around. Got home and put the bag in my shop so I knew where they would be. Opened the bag today and got to work. I looked every where of the missing 9. No luck. Of course they are not open today, and they are likely closed tomorrow as well due to Remembrance Day. Delivery day also happens to be tomorrow as well. I have an email sent to them to call me ASAP, and I have already contacted my client and explained the situation. With any luck, everything will work out in the end, as it usually does.

I am really up tight about the fit and finish of the pens that I make, and I refuse to deliver any product to a customer that does not meet my standards. I have two mandrels, and 4 sets of bushings, so I was able to turn 4 pens at a time. The longest part is applying the finish. I use CA for my finish in wood pens, and I like to make sure the CA is fully cured before applying another coat. Most of the time, I wait 20-30 min in between coats. I really don't like to rush things, so I have no issues with taking my time in this area. I know it can be done much, much fast… but that's just not the way I do it.

Anyways… I have a point Im trying to make…. I have free time in between coats. So during that last week I have been applying shellac to the lid of the box that I making. After a few coats I sand it down a bit and put on a few more. The shellac I am using is pretty thin so I am not worried about wasting it. I went until I had filled all the small cavity's in a grain. Once all the grain was filled, I left it at that stage. It is not done, but enough that I can move on and come back to it after and really make it shine.

Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I cut the lid off stepped back. I really felt like something was missing. I set up my table saw and cut a cove in the box and used a block plane to do some shaping at the bottom. After sanding it flush and smooth I applied some tried and true. I will do a few more coats of this as well.
Wood Rectangle Wooden block Floor Flooring


Now to do the inside. This is where I need some help and the blog title comes into play. I have never had much success selling jewellery boxes, and have never really used one. My wife does not wear any, so she's not much help. So I am throwing this out there… if you make and sell jewellery boxes, what do people look for and expect the layout of the dividers to be, what sells?

I am planning to do the work for the inside, and I have another show in 2 weeks. I want to make the inside to be able to be removed, so I can keep the box and make it and make it into something else if it does not sell at the show.

I cannot wait for these last show to be over, and for the start of the new year. I have a new mission for 2014. No shows. Only larger commissions if any at all. And my list of projects to complete in 2014:

Preface projects:
Saw bench. I have known that I need one for a while, but Tom Fidgen's new book has really kicked this to the top spot.

Panel press. I plan to do more marquetry in the future and I cannot continue doing much without a press.

1. Chippendale low boy. I even already have the wood to make two of them. 40bf of 4/4 curly cherry from Pennsylvania, and enough 16/4 cherry to make 8 legs. Ball and claw here I come! This will also be a pure hand tool project.

Brown Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain


2. Baltimore card table. The reason for this is an excuse to do some serious inlay and marquetry. However.. depending on how the ball and claws turn out in project #1 I might decide to do make a Chippendale card table instead. Little to no power tools in this one.

3. Marquetry chevy. This should actually be project #1, but I already have the wood for #1 and I am trying to keep my costs at nil for the time being.

Big sigh… might just take the rest of the night and play with my new iso drawing pad.
 

Attachments

#43 ·
Jewellery box inside layout?

I cant believe I did it. I spent almost every spare moment I had in the last week making 25 pens for a corporate client that was in a bind and needed something fast. Of course while I was putting all the finishing touches on everything earlier today.. something had to go wrong. I had an engraving company make some small plates for me so I could attach them to the wooden pen cases. 25 pens, 25 cases…. 16 plates. Missing 9. I picked them up two days ago, and put them in a small bag that I carry around. Got home and put the bag in my shop so I knew where they would be. Opened the bag today and got to work. I looked every where of the missing 9. No luck. Of course they are not open today, and they are likely closed tomorrow as well due to Remembrance Day. Delivery day also happens to be tomorrow as well. I have an email sent to them to call me ASAP, and I have already contacted my client and explained the situation. With any luck, everything will work out in the end, as it usually does.

I am really up tight about the fit and finish of the pens that I make, and I refuse to deliver any product to a customer that does not meet my standards. I have two mandrels, and 4 sets of bushings, so I was able to turn 4 pens at a time. The longest part is applying the finish. I use CA for my finish in wood pens, and I like to make sure the CA is fully cured before applying another coat. Most of the time, I wait 20-30 min in between coats. I really don't like to rush things, so I have no issues with taking my time in this area. I know it can be done much, much fast… but that's just not the way I do it.

Anyways… I have a point Im trying to make…. I have free time in between coats. So during that last week I have been applying shellac to the lid of the box that I making. After a few coats I sand it down a bit and put on a few more. The shellac I am using is pretty thin so I am not worried about wasting it. I went until I had filled all the small cavity's in a grain. Once all the grain was filled, I left it at that stage. It is not done, but enough that I can move on and come back to it after and really make it shine.

Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


I cut the lid off stepped back. I really felt like something was missing. I set up my table saw and cut a cove in the box and used a block plane to do some shaping at the bottom. After sanding it flush and smooth I applied some tried and true. I will do a few more coats of this as well.
Wood Rectangle Wooden block Floor Flooring


Now to do the inside. This is where I need some help and the blog title comes into play. I have never had much success selling jewellery boxes, and have never really used one. My wife does not wear any, so she's not much help. So I am throwing this out there… if you make and sell jewellery boxes, what do people look for and expect the layout of the dividers to be, what sells?

I am planning to do the work for the inside, and I have another show in 2 weeks. I want to make the inside to be able to be removed, so I can keep the box and make it and make it into something else if it does not sell at the show.

I cannot wait for these last show to be over, and for the start of the new year. I have a new mission for 2014. No shows. Only larger commissions if any at all. And my list of projects to complete in 2014:

Preface projects:
Saw bench. I have known that I need one for a while, but Tom Fidgen's new book has really kicked this to the top spot.

Panel press. I plan to do more marquetry in the future and I cannot continue doing much without a press.

1. Chippendale low boy. I even already have the wood to make two of them. 40bf of 4/4 curly cherry from Pennsylvania, and enough 16/4 cherry to make 8 legs. Ball and claw here I come! This will also be a pure hand tool project.

Brown Rectangle Wood Table Wood stain


2. Baltimore card table. The reason for this is an excuse to do some serious inlay and marquetry. However.. depending on how the ball and claws turn out in project #1 I might decide to do make a Chippendale card table instead. Little to no power tools in this one.

3. Marquetry chevy. This should actually be project #1, but I already have the wood for #1 and I am trying to keep my costs at nil for the time being.

Big sigh… might just take the rest of the night and play with my new iso drawing pad.
hey, I've been drawing up jewelry boxes for a bit, never got around to making one, but look at them and at the one my wife has, seems like they all have a slotted spot to set rings and earrings in, some hooks on the underside of the lid, so that when its opened necklaces can hang and display nicely and then just some small spaces to put odds and ends. Hope that helps a little.
 

Attachments

#44 ·
Advice from the Ladies.

I took my box to work and asked my female co-workers what they like the inside of jewellery boxes to be like. Of course I got different answers, but they did impart some useful information.

I lined the inside bottom with felt. The I used some Spanish cedar (Espanola cedarita!) to add a pleasant scent,

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain

as well as make a shelf for two little trays…
Wood Window Flooring Floor Rectangle


I am going to make a few more dividers for the bottom section, but I think I am going to leave the trays the way they are. Now that I have the inside complete, I installed the hinges using a few chisels and my small router plane. Fits perfectly.

Everyone I show this box too has made the same comment… the mitred birdseye maple ties everything together. And a few of them keep asking me how I made them so perfect..
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Beige Hardwood


Of course I tell them I wave my wand and say "Miterious perfekticus!!".

Now I can finish the top. A few more coats of shellac and then I will rub it out and apply some paste wax.
Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Thanks for taking the time.
 

Attachments

#45 ·
Advice from the Ladies.

I took my box to work and asked my female co-workers what they like the inside of jewellery boxes to be like. Of course I got different answers, but they did impart some useful information.

I lined the inside bottom with felt. The I used some Spanish cedar (Espanola cedarita!) to add a pleasant scent,

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain

as well as make a shelf for two little trays…
Wood Window Flooring Floor Rectangle


I am going to make a few more dividers for the bottom section, but I think I am going to leave the trays the way they are. Now that I have the inside complete, I installed the hinges using a few chisels and my small router plane. Fits perfectly.

Everyone I show this box too has made the same comment… the mitred birdseye maple ties everything together. And a few of them keep asking me how I made them so perfect..
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Beige Hardwood


Of course I tell them I wave my wand and say "Miterious perfekticus!!".

Now I can finish the top. A few more coats of shellac and then I will rub it out and apply some paste wax.
Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Thanks for taking the time.
It is always a good idea to know what the final recipient wants in the product. Some very nice work, the top is three dimensional looking!
 

Attachments

#47 ·
Opinion poll for my peeps.

Ok, so a while ago while I had my finger joint set up set up, I made a bunch of boxes. A few of them never got done as I could not decide what to do for the lids. My recent Louis cube box was one of them. Here is the last of them…

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Wood stain

and

Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


Some awesome spalted figured maple. This was supposed to be violin necks… but the luthier tossed it for obvious reasons… (insert giant smiley face here)

I am trying to get everything that I have on the go done. This box is getting a lid I the next few days.. just not sure what its going to be. That's where you all come in. I would like your opinions. Here are my selected choices as of right now..

I could make a panel out of this quilted maple.
Table Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Curly cherry
Table Rectangle Wood Hardwood Flooring


Quilted maple veneer
Table Rectangle Wood Artifact Flooring


Walnut burl veneer
Brown Rectangle Wood Table Floor


Or.. my only piece of masur birch veneer
Rectangle Wood Flooring Table Beige


I also have a pretty large selection of various veneers that could work, if there is one species that you think could work.

One last option would be to make a marquetry or parquetry panel, but I ruled those out as I thought it could ruin the look of the wood, or the wood ruin the panel.

I also have some spalted figured maple that I got from a pallet recently.. just thought I would take a picture of and share.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Oh… an No, sending it to you so it's your problem is not an option. I was raised old school, and I face my problems and deal with them like a man.
 

Attachments

#48 ·
Opinion poll for my peeps.

Ok, so a while ago while I had my finger joint set up set up, I made a bunch of boxes. A few of them never got done as I could not decide what to do for the lids. My recent Louis cube box was one of them. Here is the last of them…

Wood Rectangle Hardwood Flooring Wood stain

and

Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


Some awesome spalted figured maple. This was supposed to be violin necks… but the luthier tossed it for obvious reasons… (insert giant smiley face here)

I am trying to get everything that I have on the go done. This box is getting a lid I the next few days.. just not sure what its going to be. That's where you all come in. I would like your opinions. Here are my selected choices as of right now..

I could make a panel out of this quilted maple.
Table Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Curly cherry
Table Rectangle Wood Hardwood Flooring


Quilted maple veneer
Table Rectangle Wood Artifact Flooring


Walnut burl veneer
Brown Rectangle Wood Table Floor


Or.. my only piece of masur birch veneer
Rectangle Wood Flooring Table Beige


I also have a pretty large selection of various veneers that could work, if there is one species that you think could work.

One last option would be to make a marquetry or parquetry panel, but I ruled those out as I thought it could ruin the look of the wood, or the wood ruin the panel.

I also have some spalted figured maple that I got from a pallet recently.. just thought I would take a picture of and share.
Brown Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain


Oh… an No, sending it to you so it's your problem is not an option. I was raised old school, and I face my problems and deal with them like a man.
Walnut Burl
 

Attachments

#63 ·
Round two....

Calling all peeps!! Thank you all who voted and voiced your opinions the other day. This of course includes Joe, who I now know does not want to be referred to as my bro, homie, home-slice or any other gang related 'brotha-from-anatha-matha' terminology. What do you ask should we call him? Well .. just Joe I guess.

As I figured, the opinion of something dark was the majority. So I went through my veneer pile and pulled out some options… so here comes round 2. I am already leaning towards one of the, but don't want to sway any opinions.

Walnut burl veneer. I made sure I did not picture the portion that looks like a doggie..
Wood Artifact Art Sculpture Hardwood


Straight grained single walnut..
Brown Table Wood Rectangle Beige


Dark walnut book matched..
Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Flooring


Dyed black veneer..
Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Basket weave pattern..
Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring Wall


Ok, just kidding about the basket weave pattern…

There is also one last option, I have a friend who might have some figured spalted maple wide enough for a single panel. I will be able to see it early next week, and if we can come to terms I will post pictures of it at that time for one final round before I dive in and pick something.

If you post a comment, please also mention WHY you would pick that specific option.

Thanks,
 

Attachments

#64 ·
Round two....

Calling all peeps!! Thank you all who voted and voiced your opinions the other day. This of course includes Joe, who I now know does not want to be referred to as my bro, homie, home-slice or any other gang related 'brotha-from-anatha-matha' terminology. What do you ask should we call him? Well .. just Joe I guess.

As I figured, the opinion of something dark was the majority. So I went through my veneer pile and pulled out some options… so here comes round 2. I am already leaning towards one of the, but don't want to sway any opinions.

Walnut burl veneer. I made sure I did not picture the portion that looks like a doggie..
Wood Artifact Art Sculpture Hardwood


Straight grained single walnut..
Brown Table Wood Rectangle Beige


Dark walnut book matched..
Brown Rectangle Wood Wood stain Flooring


Dyed black veneer..
Brown Rectangle Wood Floor Flooring


Basket weave pattern..
Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring Wall


Ok, just kidding about the basket weave pattern…

There is also one last option, I have a friend who might have some figured spalted maple wide enough for a single panel. I will be able to see it early next week, and if we can come to terms I will post pictures of it at that time for one final round before I dive in and pick something.

If you post a comment, please also mention WHY you would pick that specific option.

Thanks,
I like the walnut because of the contrast,even though the burl is cool it makes the box have to much going on with the spalted wood and the burl.
 

Attachments

#68 ·
How I double bevel sea shells

Here is a small write up and brief description of how I do my double bevel sea shells.

A note before I start:
This is how I do it. In no way shape or form am I saying this is the way to do it. There are tons, and tons of ways to do this stuff, I did my own trial and error and I found a way that works for me.

First, I start with a pattern, and I also found that using the pattern on some clear paper comes in handy as well.
Gesture Creative arts Art Pattern Drawing


Then I gather all the pieces that I am going to be using. Here is some pre sand shaded figured maple and some black stuff. Because this is just for blog purposes, I am not going to be using the good black stuff. This black stuff looks like its not going to cut very nicely. Close, tight grained stuff works best for me. This is just standard sliced veneer, some where in the 1/32 range.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Using a knife, I cut out each individual piece that I will be cutting out, depending on the pattern, it could take up to 4 to get all the pieces cut out.
Plant Wood Gesture Font Food


Then I use some OBG and I stick the paper patterns strategically to my veneers.
Wood Hardwood Flooring Plywood Wood stain


Notice how I left lots of room around the pattern?

I use green masking tape and lay rows to cover the back side of the background piece. I tried using veneer tape for this, but I found that it likes to come off too easy during the cutting. The green mask helps things from splintering really bad.


Then I use some tape and I tape a clear pattern to the black.


Using the pattern as a guide, I tape my first piece to the background


Then I use a jewellers drill and a tiny bit, to drill a hole so I can feed the blade through


I made a sawing platform that I use for this, I made the table sit at 13° and I hold my saw straight up and down.


Blades: I buy my blades from Lee Valley, marquetry blades, they are 5" double skip tooth 2/0 blades. The backs of the blades have been rounded so you can do tighter curves. If you live in the US, I am sure woodcraft or rockler will carry something similar.

Once I have feed the blade through the hole, and tensioned it in the fret saw, I always start in the waste portion of the veneer. Because of the tilt on my table, my keep is always on the inside of the cut. I try my best to keep to my line… but I am really only concerned with the lines that will be touching the black background. The portions that will be touching another piece of cut veneer that I have not cut yet, I make sure I leave extra material there..


Once I have cut out the back ground, I place a small piece of tape back, so hold in the new piece.



The reason I leave extra material there, is so when I cut the next piece, I am cutting it so it matches perfectly, and not trying to cut an already cut line that I cannot see.


Here are the first three piece cut from the back side with the tape removed.


This is the same pattern I used on the string inlay box.


Some other things to keep in mind while doing this…

When I start working with a new pattern, I take a few min and dissect all the components into layers. This helps me figure out which pieces to cut first, and which one to cut last. This can be a little confusing and complicated at first, but trust me… once you have done a few practice pieces, it should all fall into place, and so should your veneer.

The surface that I am working on is the show surface. Once done cutting the pattern, I use veneer tape and tape the entire surface, then I remove all the green tape from the back, and its ready for gluing.

I usually let my left hand index finger nail grew a few mm longer than normal when I know I am going to cutting, I use that nail for extra support and its is really, really close to the blade, and sometimes becomes a zero clearance plate. The one time I did not let the nail grow longer.. I hooved my finger tip.

I go slow, and take my time.

I keep some tallow or paraffin wax handy and touch up the blade when I feel it dragging.

Here are two more examples of shells that are ready for use.


Thanks for checking in,
 

Attachments

#69 ·
How I double bevel sea shells

Here is a small write up and brief description of how I do my double bevel sea shells.

A note before I start:
This is how I do it. In no way shape or form am I saying this is the way to do it. There are tons, and tons of ways to do this stuff, I did my own trial and error and I found a way that works for me.

First, I start with a pattern, and I also found that using the pattern on some clear paper comes in handy as well.
Gesture Creative arts Art Pattern Drawing


Then I gather all the pieces that I am going to be using. Here is some pre sand shaded figured maple and some black stuff. Because this is just for blog purposes, I am not going to be using the good black stuff. This black stuff looks like its not going to cut very nicely. Close, tight grained stuff works best for me. This is just standard sliced veneer, some where in the 1/32 range.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Using a knife, I cut out each individual piece that I will be cutting out, depending on the pattern, it could take up to 4 to get all the pieces cut out.
Plant Wood Gesture Font Food


Then I use some OBG and I stick the paper patterns strategically to my veneers.
Wood Hardwood Flooring Plywood Wood stain


Notice how I left lots of room around the pattern?

I use green masking tape and lay rows to cover the back side of the background piece. I tried using veneer tape for this, but I found that it likes to come off too easy during the cutting. The green mask helps things from splintering really bad.
Green Rectangle Wood Flooring Table


Then I use some tape and I tape a clear pattern to the black.
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Using the pattern as a guide, I tape my first piece to the background
Sleeve Rectangle Wood Tree Wood stain


Then I use a jewellers drill and a tiny bit, to drill a hole so I can feed the blade through
Wood Creative arts Art Natural material Hardwood


I made a sawing platform that I use for this, I made the table sit at 13° and I hold my saw straight up and down.
Wood Hardwood Wood stain Rectangle Plywood


Blades: I buy my blades from Lee Valley, marquetry blades, they are 5" double skip tooth 2/0 blades. The backs of the blades have been rounded so you can do tighter curves. If you live in the US, I am sure woodcraft or rockler will carry something similar.

Once I have feed the blade through the hole, and tensioned it in the fret saw, I always start in the waste portion of the veneer. Because of the tilt on my table, my keep is always on the inside of the cut. I try my best to keep to my line… but I am really only concerned with the lines that will be touching the black background. The portions that will be touching another piece of cut veneer that I have not cut yet, I make sure I leave extra material there..
Brown Wood Rectangle Grey Wood stain


Once I have cut out the back ground, I place a small piece of tape back, so hold in the new piece.

Rectangle Wood Sleeve Grey Beige


The reason I leave extra material there, is so when I cut the next piece, I am cutting it so it matches perfectly, and not trying to cut an already cut line that I cannot see.
Leaf Sleeve Wood Creative arts Tree


Here are the first three piece cut from the back side with the tape removed.
Wood Tints and shades Art Rectangle Grass


This is the same pattern I used on the string inlay box.
Wood Artifact Tints and shades Dish Rectangle


Some other things to keep in mind while doing this…

When I start working with a new pattern, I take a few min and dissect all the components into layers. This helps me figure out which pieces to cut first, and which one to cut last. This can be a little confusing and complicated at first, but trust me… once you have done a few practice pieces, it should all fall into place, and so should your veneer.

The surface that I am working on is the show surface. Once done cutting the pattern, I use veneer tape and tape the entire surface, then I remove all the green tape from the back, and its ready for gluing.

I usually let my left hand index finger nail grew a few mm longer than normal when I know I am going to cutting, I use that nail for extra support and its is really, really close to the blade, and sometimes becomes a zero clearance plate. The one time I did not let the nail grow longer.. I hooved my finger tip.

I go slow, and take my time.

I keep some tallow or paraffin wax handy and touch up the blade when I feel it dragging.

Here are two more examples of shells that are ready for use.
Natural material Shankha Shell Artifact Wood


Thanks for checking in,
Wow, Thanks for the post. Very interesting.
 

Attachments

#72 ·
Planing a table top by hand

Well, its Jan 1, 2014. For some reason the start of a new year always gets me anxious. Like a light bulb goes off and illuminates everything that I have procrastinated on. This morning, the start of the new year was no exception. So.. I got up and got to work. Nope, not on my chevy which I oh so want to work on and for it to be done… nope. The last week while I was working on my chevy was because I NEEDED to be doing something for myself. Wake up call. Back to work pal. So… putting in some hours on a table that I am making for a friend. I did the glue up of the top a few weeks ago, and I have mostly made the legs.. but there is more work there to be done for sure. But back to the top because that is where all the time is going to be spent.

8/4 thick, 6" wide vertical grain dug fir. I ran them through a thickness planer just to clean up a little, but I jointed all the edges by hand. Once glued up it needs to be flattened and smoothed. Enter from stage left… jack plane. The first thing I did this morning was to put a large camber on a spare blade. Spare, simply because it is an A2 blade… as I have switched my primary steel to PMV-11. As time goes by, I will switch to PMV-11 for all my blades, but so far I only have one for the jack plane. I used a power grinder to do this.. I don't care that it is not perfect.. its for rough work, and its just A2 steel…
Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Gas Cylinder


Then on to make a mess.
Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


Im pretty close to getting full shavings from each pass, and a long straight edge is telling me that I am close enough flat. But I noticed there are a few spots where I am getting some tear out..
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring

Hopefully you can see it… so I switched to a toothed blade for the rest of the rough work.

Of course this is not easy work, it is time consuming and it is a real work out, but I am used to it. What I did notice though, my left wrist started to hurt a little.. after a quick inspection..
Gesture Wood Thumb Elbow Wrist


One of my nemesis, a ganglion. This one is still pretty small, but it is starting to cause discomfort. I am prone to these and kidney stones as well. So time to take a break and force myself to drink lots and lots of water.
 

Attachments

#73 ·
Planing a table top by hand

Well, its Jan 1, 2014. For some reason the start of a new year always gets me anxious. Like a light bulb goes off and illuminates everything that I have procrastinated on. This morning, the start of the new year was no exception. So.. I got up and got to work. Nope, not on my chevy which I oh so want to work on and for it to be done… nope. The last week while I was working on my chevy was because I NEEDED to be doing something for myself. Wake up call. Back to work pal. So… putting in some hours on a table that I am making for a friend. I did the glue up of the top a few weeks ago, and I have mostly made the legs.. but there is more work there to be done for sure. But back to the top because that is where all the time is going to be spent.

8/4 thick, 6" wide vertical grain dug fir. I ran them through a thickness planer just to clean up a little, but I jointed all the edges by hand. Once glued up it needs to be flattened and smoothed. Enter from stage left… jack plane. The first thing I did this morning was to put a large camber on a spare blade. Spare, simply because it is an A2 blade… as I have switched my primary steel to PMV-11. As time goes by, I will switch to PMV-11 for all my blades, but so far I only have one for the jack plane. I used a power grinder to do this.. I don't care that it is not perfect.. its for rough work, and its just A2 steel…
Wood Rectangle Tints and shades Gas Cylinder


Then on to make a mess.
Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Floor


Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Hardwood


Im pretty close to getting full shavings from each pass, and a long straight edge is telling me that I am close enough flat. But I noticed there are a few spots where I am getting some tear out..
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring

Hopefully you can see it… so I switched to a toothed blade for the rest of the rough work.

Of course this is not easy work, it is time consuming and it is a real work out, but I am used to it. What I did notice though, my left wrist started to hurt a little.. after a quick inspection..
Gesture Wood Thumb Elbow Wrist


One of my nemesis, a ganglion. This one is still pretty small, but it is starting to cause discomfort. I am prone to these and kidney stones as well. So time to take a break and force myself to drink lots and lots of water.
Word to the wise: A Google image search for "ganglion" yields some interesting (and pretty gross) results. Learn something new every day.
 

Attachments

#77 ·
Trying to make as perfectly as possible

I like to read. Im also somewhat of a nerd, so when I have time I read LOTR, HP, Ice and Fire, Star Wars ect. But.. my favorite books to read are woodworking books. During the summer I read 'By Hand and Eye" and I loved it. Its one of those books where I keep it handy when I am drawing stuff. Tom Fidgen, his books and his blogs are pretty awesome, especially if you are 1.Canadian, 2. into hand tools. 3. Have a beard. (I happen to be 3 for 3) But even more than all of those.. I like historical woodworking books. Marquetry by Pierre Ramond is one that I cant put down, I read and reread it over and over again… and recently I am reading "To Make as Perfectly as Possible" Lost Art Press' French to English translation of the Marquetry section by Roubo.

If you do not happen to know, I am currently building a chevalet de marqueterie of which is used to cut marquetry. Since Roubo was before the chevy was invented, there is no mention of it in the book. But there are drawings of primitive (I know, me using a word like primitive? How hypocritical of me eh?) versions of the chevy clamping system but still using a hand fret saw. I am no stranger to some forms of marquetry, but there is still lots to learn from this book. So.. I have decided to follow along and try some new things. I will do this on the side to keep me sane when I have a few seconds while I am working on commission projects.

I am going to be making the decorative edge banding on plate 287 Fig. 2. If you have the book, you can check it out and see, page 78. If you don't have the book… you will just have to continue reading until I get there. In the book, Don Williams is actually doing most of the things that Roubo describes, so there are portions of the book where he is showing how he is replicating what Roubo describes. I'm just basically going to copy what Don is doing to an extent, but I also happen to be using some new modern designed hand tools in the process, and tools that I have available to me.

First is to make the background. Enter King Louis XIV. Louis cubes!! I love Louis cubes. Since I have done lots of them before, I already have everything pretty much set up.
First I joint the edge of the veneer that I am using, this happens to be cherry. I used to use a plane on my shooting board, but Veritas has come up with this shooting sander… I quite like it.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Cosmetics


I glued a straight piece of wood onto a board and I use that as a fence.
Wood Office supplies Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


I put a thin ruler on top and I use that as my width straight edge,
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Then using a knife I cut the veneer, then joint the edge again
Wood Office supplies Tool Wood stain Table


Line it up in the jig and use a razor saw to cut
Wood Wood stain Stairs Flooring Hardwood


Assemble until its big enough for your needs.
Brown Wood Triangle Flooring Grey


When I have it big enough I will use OBG and glue it to a panel. Woo hoo, and excuse to make my panel press… finally.

Thanks for checking in.
 

Attachments

#78 ·
Trying to make as perfectly as possible

I like to read. Im also somewhat of a nerd, so when I have time I read LOTR, HP, Ice and Fire, Star Wars ect. But.. my favorite books to read are woodworking books. During the summer I read 'By Hand and Eye" and I loved it. Its one of those books where I keep it handy when I am drawing stuff. Tom Fidgen, his books and his blogs are pretty awesome, especially if you are 1.Canadian, 2. into hand tools. 3. Have a beard. (I happen to be 3 for 3) But even more than all of those.. I like historical woodworking books. Marquetry by Pierre Ramond is one that I cant put down, I read and reread it over and over again… and recently I am reading "To Make as Perfectly as Possible" Lost Art Press' French to English translation of the Marquetry section by Roubo.

If you do not happen to know, I am currently building a chevalet de marqueterie of which is used to cut marquetry. Since Roubo was before the chevy was invented, there is no mention of it in the book. But there are drawings of primitive (I know, me using a word like primitive? How hypocritical of me eh?) versions of the chevy clamping system but still using a hand fret saw. I am no stranger to some forms of marquetry, but there is still lots to learn from this book. So.. I have decided to follow along and try some new things. I will do this on the side to keep me sane when I have a few seconds while I am working on commission projects.

I am going to be making the decorative edge banding on plate 287 Fig. 2. If you have the book, you can check it out and see, page 78. If you don't have the book… you will just have to continue reading until I get there. In the book, Don Williams is actually doing most of the things that Roubo describes, so there are portions of the book where he is showing how he is replicating what Roubo describes. I'm just basically going to copy what Don is doing to an extent, but I also happen to be using some new modern designed hand tools in the process, and tools that I have available to me.

First is to make the background. Enter King Louis XIV. Louis cubes!! I love Louis cubes. Since I have done lots of them before, I already have everything pretty much set up.
First I joint the edge of the veneer that I am using, this happens to be cherry. I used to use a plane on my shooting board, but Veritas has come up with this shooting sander… I quite like it.
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Cosmetics


I glued a straight piece of wood onto a board and I use that as a fence.
Wood Office supplies Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


I put a thin ruler on top and I use that as my width straight edge,
Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Then using a knife I cut the veneer, then joint the edge again
Wood Office supplies Tool Wood stain Table


Line it up in the jig and use a razor saw to cut
Wood Wood stain Stairs Flooring Hardwood


Assemble until its big enough for your needs.
Brown Wood Triangle Flooring Grey


When I have it big enough I will use OBG and glue it to a panel. Woo hoo, and excuse to make my panel press… finally.

Thanks for checking in.
FYI, Patrick is fairly sure that the ebinistes in Paris were already using the chevalet in its final evolution when Roubo wrote the books. It was however a very well kept secret by the guild and did not really become known to the rest of the world until much later.
Is the chevy stalled waiting for parts?
 

Attachments

#82 ·
Still trying to make perfect..

I am still finding tiny amounts of time in between my larger commission projects to work on making this thing as perfectly as possible. In the last two days, I was able to cut more pieces and get my panel glued up. I used OBG and my half made moxon vice as the press.

Here is the panel.
Brown Wood Rectangle Amber Art


I used a marking gauge to score the lines,
Brown Wood Rectangle Table Beige


Then a router plane to clean it all up
Brown Product Rectangle Wood Table


Gluing up my small segment of banding
Table Wood Gas Hardwood Auto part


And out of the clamps. Black veneer, curly maple veneer, mahogany, curly maple, mahogany, curly maple veneer, black veneer.
Brown Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain


Here is my pattern
Rectangle Schematic Font Parallel Pattern

And if you, like me, just noticed, 2 should be under 8/9. So I have my numbers off.. but you get the idea.

And here is 36BF of walnut that I bought yesterday that is soon going to be display cases for a store that is going to be opening up in my area next month. I buy the 5' left over stuff with defects, its super cheap and its usually really nice stuff as long as you can work around the defects, because the cases I am making are only going to be 12×24 and 2.5" tall.. that really should not be a problem.
Wood Rectangle Table Flooring Floor


Short and simple.. thanks for checking in.
 

Attachments

#83 ·
Still trying to make perfect..

I am still finding tiny amounts of time in between my larger commission projects to work on making this thing as perfectly as possible. In the last two days, I was able to cut more pieces and get my panel glued up. I used OBG and my half made moxon vice as the press.

Here is the panel.
Brown Wood Rectangle Amber Art


I used a marking gauge to score the lines,
Brown Wood Rectangle Table Beige


Then a router plane to clean it all up
Brown Product Rectangle Wood Table


Gluing up my small segment of banding
Table Wood Gas Hardwood Auto part


And out of the clamps. Black veneer, curly maple veneer, mahogany, curly maple, mahogany, curly maple veneer, black veneer.
Brown Rectangle Wood Font Wood stain


Here is my pattern
Rectangle Schematic Font Parallel Pattern

And if you, like me, just noticed, 2 should be under 8/9. So I have my numbers off.. but you get the idea.

And here is 36BF of walnut that I bought yesterday that is soon going to be display cases for a store that is going to be opening up in my area next month. I buy the 5' left over stuff with defects, its super cheap and its usually really nice stuff as long as you can work around the defects, because the cases I am making are only going to be 12×24 and 2.5" tall.. that really should not be a problem.
Wood Rectangle Table Flooring Floor


Short and simple.. thanks for checking in.
Looks like you've been reading your new book.
I have some Greek key work ahead of me this year as well I think.
 

Attachments

#85 ·
Greek key almost looking perfect.

I was really busy in the shop today, I even found some time after dinner to work on my little Roubo panel.

I failed to grab my camera for the first few steps, but I basically used a straight edge and a knife to cut the lines, then I used my router plane to clean it up.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Test fit the banding… perfect.
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Grey


Rest of the layout
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Now to cut the rest out. It was actually quite unnerving using the router plane, one little slip and something would be wrecked.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Grey


Clean the edges of the banding with the sander
Wood Grille Rectangle Wood stain Gas


Use my small mitre jig for the cuts
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Fitted and OBG'ed into place before going into the press
Brown Rectangle Wood Line Flooring


Out of the press and scraped
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


With the edge trim in place
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Tile flooring


Now, if you have' To Make as Perfectly as Possible', and have gotten this far, you would know that the book talks about a little sizing jig to make lots of the little pieces exactly the same. Since I am only making the one, I did not see the need to make the jig. But.. I like this so much that I might end up making this pattern on drawer fronts or something like that, when and if that happens, I will make the jig.

Now… to find an old corn broom and make the burnishing tool and put some spit polish onto the panel.
 

Attachments

#86 ·
Greek key almost looking perfect.

I was really busy in the shop today, I even found some time after dinner to work on my little Roubo panel.

I failed to grab my camera for the first few steps, but I basically used a straight edge and a knife to cut the lines, then I used my router plane to clean it up.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Test fit the banding… perfect.
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Grey


Rest of the layout
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Now to cut the rest out. It was actually quite unnerving using the router plane, one little slip and something would be wrecked.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Grey


Clean the edges of the banding with the sander
Wood Grille Rectangle Wood stain Gas


Use my small mitre jig for the cuts
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Fitted and OBG'ed into place before going into the press
Brown Rectangle Wood Line Flooring


Out of the press and scraped
Brown Wood Rectangle Beige Flooring


With the edge trim in place
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Tile flooring


Now, if you have' To Make as Perfectly as Possible', and have gotten this far, you would know that the book talks about a little sizing jig to make lots of the little pieces exactly the same. Since I am only making the one, I did not see the need to make the jig. But.. I like this so much that I might end up making this pattern on drawer fronts or something like that, when and if that happens, I will make the jig.

Now… to find an old corn broom and make the burnishing tool and put some spit polish onto the panel.
good work! I like this pattern. which material is the black line in the banding?
 

Attachments

#90 ·
Table saw prison!!

WARNING!! This blog post contains some personal information. Read at your own risk for learning something about me.

Its been a just over 2 weeks since my last post. Its almost been that long since I have had time to sit at the computer. Some wonderful stuff going on at work which is taxing me mentally, added to the family stuff already going on, and still trying to pump out the commissions that I am working on. THEN… last week, my wife's 5 month old puppy got sick and died. Something called Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis. By the time they figured it out it was too late. I'm quite bitter at the breeder and the vet.

Here is my 8 and 6 year old out for a walk with her about a week before everything went down.
Cloud Sky Dog Smile Snow


Sorry for killing the mood, but she was awesome and I miss her, and I almost had her trained to eat the evil cats. Keep reading, lots of woodworking stuff to come…

Anyways, getting to the title of the blog, table saw prison. I have been thinking a lot recently and I really, really, really want to sell my table saw and finally go fully hand tool. I got a step closer 2 weeks ago by selling a router that I have not used in 4 years. I have a table saw, router table, crappy drill press and a crappy thickness planer left. Since I almost never use the thickness planer, I don't really count it. And I have been using my brace and bits for almost everything drilling recently, so the really that just leave the router table and the table saw left. Since I don't have very many moulding planes, its safe to guess that the router table is staying for a while longer… which brings me to the table saw.

I hate it. It takes up so much space, its noisy and makes lots of dust… ick.

Now for the prison part. ultimately… I actually don't mind the table saw. What I hate most about it, is what it represent to me at this time. About 6 months ago my wife had to stop working, lots going on. Some serious psychological issues and crazy physical things as well. Basically… down to one income. Mine. So, since then my hobby shop where I sometimes do a few commissions has turning into a full commission shop (for the extra cash) where I can find a few hours here and there to do something that I want to do. And unfortunately for me, most of what I find myself making is boxes.. boxes.. and more boxes. Guess what? They all want them finger jointed. So.. table saw with incra I-box and finger joint blades. How boring. So right now.. the table saw represents how I am stuck doing stuff that I don't want to do, that I don't enjoy.. and I am basically working two full time jobs.

Enough whining!!! I have pictures of the boxes that I am working on right now. These are a little different from the norm.. they are display cases for a couple that is going to be opening a high end French culinary store. Everything is imported from France.. and its crazy awesome stuff. So I am making 6 display cases so they can show off the cutlery sets. The best part… they want hand crafted stuff. WOO HOO!!! I get to cut dovetails again. And use hide glue, and no sanding.. and shellac!!!

Here are the 6 cases glued up, and I have just put one really thin coat of amber shellac…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


Here are the glued up lids..
Wood Triangle Hardwood Flooring Plank


I get most of the day tomorrow to work on these and I am hoping to get if not done, very, very close to done. Then I can finish the giant table that I started 2 months ago.

And finally, here is the Greek Key experiment. I used pure beeswax and rubbed it in and buffed it out as per instructions, however, I used a piece of wood I had around the shop, I did not have enough time to make the corn broom polisher. But I really like it and I am defiantly going to be doing more of them.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Sorry for venting, but thanks for reading.

Jeremy
 

Attachments

#91 ·
Table saw prison!!

WARNING!! This blog post contains some personal information. Read at your own risk for learning something about me.

Its been a just over 2 weeks since my last post. Its almost been that long since I have had time to sit at the computer. Some wonderful stuff going on at work which is taxing me mentally, added to the family stuff already going on, and still trying to pump out the commissions that I am working on. THEN… last week, my wife's 5 month old puppy got sick and died. Something called Immune-Mediated Polyarthritis. By the time they figured it out it was too late. I'm quite bitter at the breeder and the vet.

Here is my 8 and 6 year old out for a walk with her about a week before everything went down.
Cloud Sky Dog Smile Snow


Sorry for killing the mood, but she was awesome and I miss her, and I almost had her trained to eat the evil cats. Keep reading, lots of woodworking stuff to come…

Anyways, getting to the title of the blog, table saw prison. I have been thinking a lot recently and I really, really, really want to sell my table saw and finally go fully hand tool. I got a step closer 2 weeks ago by selling a router that I have not used in 4 years. I have a table saw, router table, crappy drill press and a crappy thickness planer left. Since I almost never use the thickness planer, I don't really count it. And I have been using my brace and bits for almost everything drilling recently, so the really that just leave the router table and the table saw left. Since I don't have very many moulding planes, its safe to guess that the router table is staying for a while longer… which brings me to the table saw.

I hate it. It takes up so much space, its noisy and makes lots of dust… ick.

Now for the prison part. ultimately… I actually don't mind the table saw. What I hate most about it, is what it represent to me at this time. About 6 months ago my wife had to stop working, lots going on. Some serious psychological issues and crazy physical things as well. Basically… down to one income. Mine. So, since then my hobby shop where I sometimes do a few commissions has turning into a full commission shop (for the extra cash) where I can find a few hours here and there to do something that I want to do. And unfortunately for me, most of what I find myself making is boxes.. boxes.. and more boxes. Guess what? They all want them finger jointed. So.. table saw with incra I-box and finger joint blades. How boring. So right now.. the table saw represents how I am stuck doing stuff that I don't want to do, that I don't enjoy.. and I am basically working two full time jobs.

Enough whining!!! I have pictures of the boxes that I am working on right now. These are a little different from the norm.. they are display cases for a couple that is going to be opening a high end French culinary store. Everything is imported from France.. and its crazy awesome stuff. So I am making 6 display cases so they can show off the cutlery sets. The best part… they want hand crafted stuff. WOO HOO!!! I get to cut dovetails again. And use hide glue, and no sanding.. and shellac!!!

Here are the 6 cases glued up, and I have just put one really thin coat of amber shellac…
Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


Here are the glued up lids..
Wood Triangle Hardwood Flooring Plank


I get most of the day tomorrow to work on these and I am hoping to get if not done, very, very close to done. Then I can finish the giant table that I started 2 months ago.

And finally, here is the Greek Key experiment. I used pure beeswax and rubbed it in and buffed it out as per instructions, however, I used a piece of wood I had around the shop, I did not have enough time to make the corn broom polisher. But I really like it and I am defiantly going to be doing more of them.
Brown Rectangle Wood Beige Flooring


Sorry for venting, but thanks for reading.

Jeremy
So sad about your dog! :-( its always hard losing a pet, especially a puppy! and especially with your kids being attached to the dog, that was probably the worst part!

Hang in there it will get better.

You should make sure you go after the breeder they should be giving you a full refund!

On a happier note, you boxes look great! I am sure you client will love them!
 

Attachments

#94 ·
Cases and tables

Picking away. I did in fact finally finish and deliver the walnut cases for the French Barn store.

Wood Rectangle Floor Flooring Plant


Because they wanted them to be hand made, I did hand cut the dovetails, and did all the smoothing with my planes. I used hide glue and shellac. My kind of project.. except there were 6 of them. It was fun none the less. I even added some fake (wink, wink) butterfly keys..
Brown Table Wood Rectangle Floor


So now I am back to trying like mad to finish the huge table that I started before Christmas. There are a few defect in the top, like a knot..
Brown Insect Arthropod Wood Floor


And a void..
Brown Wood Beige Flooring Wood stain


So I made some larger butterfly keys to cover them up. I even found a new (when I inherited it from my uncle 7 years ago, it was new in box and I have only used it a few times, I even forgot that I had it) little belt sander to help me clean up the keys..
Wood Gas Bumper Tool Flooring


Now, how to clean out the voids for the keys? A router right… wrong… I sold mine (which I had not used in about 3 years) 2 weeks ago. I still have a Bosch colt, but I think that it's a little small for this task. Oh well… I'll figure something out.

One more thing about this table… I am kind of glad at this point that I have let it sit for the last few weeks… some of the fir has started to bleed some pitch.
Brown Wood Beige Flooring Rectangle


If I had finished the table weeks ago, I would not have seen this, and I would have finished it differently. Now I know I have to seal it before finishing.

Deep breath… one day at a time.
 

Attachments

#95 ·
Multi-purpose box questions answered

So the boxes that I posted the other day have generated quite a few questions in the comments and a few PM's asking me more detailed questions. The number one thing I have been asked for are the dimensions of the boxes. Well, its not secret how/where I got the idea for the boxes, poker chip boxes. So basically what I did was take my poker chip box that I bought a long time ago…
Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


and take the measurements of the inside..
Writing implement Rectangle Paint Material property Wood


and make it to be the same..
Table Rectangle Wood Textile Flooring


The inside dimensions of the box are 11 1/4×6 7/8. I used 1/2 material, so the outside of the box is 12 1/4×7 7/8.

The next question is how I did the Lid. I drew a to-scale diagram showing the cut outs for the lid and bottom, the diagram also shows the height of the box.
Rectangle Handwriting Font Parallel Book


The process of the box is quite simple. These boxes are made with finger joints, so I cut them first, then I cut the grove for the bottom and the top. Then I fit the bottom, and then I cut and fit the top. Once its all good, I glue it up. I cut the top off when the glue is dry. The actual height of the lid is not actually that important, but I usually try to cut it so the fingers will still have the same orientation as before. I use a thin kerf table saw blade so I remove as little as possible. Then I use a block plane a put a small chamfer on the edges.

Hinges: For most of the boxes that I make, I am sold on sold brass Brusso hinges. They are expensive, but I feel they are well worth the extra cost., also, because I usually get the box hinges with a 95° stop, I don't have to use a chain or any other kind of stops. They look cleaner and are less complex. On some boxes, I just line the bottom and make the lining an extra 1/8-1/4 higher so the top just slips on..

Brown Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood


Doing this does not require any expensive Italian hardware which brings us to:
Cost/pricing
Materials cost per box is going to be $25-$50 depending on the variables. Then my time… it adds up fast. Rule #1… never apologize for asking what its worth.

Hope that answered most questions,
 

Attachments

#96 ·
Multi-purpose box questions answered

So the boxes that I posted the other day have generated quite a few questions in the comments and a few PM's asking me more detailed questions. The number one thing I have been asked for are the dimensions of the boxes. Well, its not secret how/where I got the idea for the boxes, poker chip boxes. So basically what I did was take my poker chip box that I bought a long time ago…
Brown Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


and take the measurements of the inside..
Writing implement Rectangle Paint Material property Wood


and make it to be the same..
Table Rectangle Wood Textile Flooring


The inside dimensions of the box are 11 1/4×6 7/8. I used 1/2 material, so the outside of the box is 12 1/4×7 7/8.

The next question is how I did the Lid. I drew a to-scale diagram showing the cut outs for the lid and bottom, the diagram also shows the height of the box.
Rectangle Handwriting Font Parallel Book


The process of the box is quite simple. These boxes are made with finger joints, so I cut them first, then I cut the grove for the bottom and the top. Then I fit the bottom, and then I cut and fit the top. Once its all good, I glue it up. I cut the top off when the glue is dry. The actual height of the lid is not actually that important, but I usually try to cut it so the fingers will still have the same orientation as before. I use a thin kerf table saw blade so I remove as little as possible. Then I use a block plane a put a small chamfer on the edges.

Hinges: For most of the boxes that I make, I am sold on sold brass Brusso hinges. They are expensive, but I feel they are well worth the extra cost., also, because I usually get the box hinges with a 95° stop, I don't have to use a chain or any other kind of stops. They look cleaner and are less complex. On some boxes, I just line the bottom and make the lining an extra 1/8-1/4 higher so the top just slips on..

Brown Wood Wood stain Plank Hardwood


Doing this does not require any expensive Italian hardware which brings us to:
Cost/pricing
Materials cost per box is going to be $25-$50 depending on the variables. Then my time… it adds up fast. Rule #1… never apologize for asking what its worth.

Hope that answered most questions,
Thanks for sharing!
 

Attachments

#98 ·
Making a farm house kitchen table

Months ago I was asked to make a farm house kitchen table. And a while ago I posted about flattening the top with my planes. Since I am not technically done (as I will explain) I decided to not post it to the projects, instead I will post a blog.

I had intended to make this table look 100 years old. So I used an old design, solid top, X frame legs with a wedge through tenon stretcher. Here is a picture from the under side..
Wood Table Flooring Floor Rectangle


And the tenon and wedge..

Brown Door Wood Fixture Wood stain


After planing and scraping the top, I decided to put in a couple of butterflies to cover the one knot and a small gouge in the top. Cool I thought… this will add some character. I applied a thin coat of blonde shellac to seal the wood and then some general finishes walnut gel stain. Then 3 coats of water based poly. I thought it looked awesome. Like it was 100 years old.

Table Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain


Wait… it looks 100 years old… used. I wanted it to look like it was new 100 years ago. Big difference.
So…
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain

Then..
Furniture Table Rectangle Wood Desk


Reseal with shellac..
Table Wood Rectangle Chair Wood stain


Reapply gel stain and poly…
Brown Amber Door Fixture Rectangle

WAY better..

Before
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Material property

After
Brown Wood Flooring Plank Wood stain


Furniture Table Wood Wood stain Floor


I had my client/friend come by today to have a look. He loved it. Everything about it. Made me super happy. Except… he has new chairs from when I started the table… his old chairs are 19" high… the new ones are 20". So the table height of 28.5" is now an inch too low. See… not technically done.

I know exactly what I am going to do to modify it, and I think I will like it more when I am done. But it will have to wait… I have to go out of town for 2 weeks, leaving in a few days. But it should only take me a day or two once I get back…
..because… they have arrived!!!
Wood Font Circle Metal Temperature
 

Attachments

#99 ·
Making a farm house kitchen table

Months ago I was asked to make a farm house kitchen table. And a while ago I posted about flattening the top with my planes. Since I am not technically done (as I will explain) I decided to not post it to the projects, instead I will post a blog.

I had intended to make this table look 100 years old. So I used an old design, solid top, X frame legs with a wedge through tenon stretcher. Here is a picture from the under side..
Wood Table Flooring Floor Rectangle


And the tenon and wedge..

Brown Door Wood Fixture Wood stain


After planing and scraping the top, I decided to put in a couple of butterflies to cover the one knot and a small gouge in the top. Cool I thought… this will add some character. I applied a thin coat of blonde shellac to seal the wood and then some general finishes walnut gel stain. Then 3 coats of water based poly. I thought it looked awesome. Like it was 100 years old.

Table Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain


Wait… it looks 100 years old… used. I wanted it to look like it was new 100 years ago. Big difference.
So…
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain

Then..
Furniture Table Rectangle Wood Desk


Reseal with shellac..
Table Wood Rectangle Chair Wood stain


Reapply gel stain and poly…
Brown Amber Door Fixture Rectangle

WAY better..

Before
Brown Wood Rectangle Flooring Material property

After
Brown Wood Flooring Plank Wood stain


Furniture Table Wood Wood stain Floor


I had my client/friend come by today to have a look. He loved it. Everything about it. Made me super happy. Except… he has new chairs from when I started the table… his old chairs are 19" high… the new ones are 20". So the table height of 28.5" is now an inch too low. See… not technically done.

I know exactly what I am going to do to modify it, and I think I will like it more when I am done. But it will have to wait… I have to go out of town for 2 weeks, leaving in a few days. But it should only take me a day or two once I get back…
..because… they have arrived!!!
Wood Font Circle Metal Temperature
Those little bearings will haunt your sleep while you are away Jeremy. Maybe you better drop everything and finish the chevalet before you go ….... no wait, that would be even worse …..... maybe try counting sheep.

BTW, very nice table. My shipwright heritage has to comment on the wedge though. My old boss and mentor would call that a triangle. Proper wedges are low very low angled .......... but that is a small thing and I am the only one who will notice.
 

Attachments

#102 ·
May long weekend adventures.

Well, its Victoria Day here in the colonies. And for a wood nerd like me and my buddies that can only mean one thing… wood scouting. Yup me and two pals hopped into my car and went for a drive. Let me set the scene…..

It all started this past Tuesday, when I called my dealer and was informed that they had sold their assets to another dealer, and could not sell me anything. I liked my dealer, they were a wholesaler who sold to guys like me, one or two board kinda guys. The new guys though are also wholesale.. but not so interested in my kind. So.. had to find a new dealer. Its hard to find good prices for lumber in town, especially since there is no way I am going to pay the retail prices of some of the better knows shops around.

I wont bore you with the rest of the details… fast forward to Sunday morning… we are driving around the country side waiting to meet up with my new (potential) dealer. He finally arrives at the meeting spot and we follow him to a secret location (one of two that he has). We walk inside…

Claro walnut slabs anyone?
Wood Gas Hardwood Plank Lumber


Brown Composite material Wood Landscape Roof


Or maybe some fir?
Wood Automotive lighting Rectangle Tints and shades Road surface


Or if quilted maple is more your style..
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Beam Flooring


Ok… seen enough.. new dealer has been found. After 4 hours of checking things out and talking, I am really impressed. This as it turns out this his staging warehouse where he also has a bandsaw mill where he cuts up logs and stores them. His other one is where he planes, grades and finally sells everything. He has it all, everything I could ask for.. and the best part… beyond reasonable prices. See, as it turns out he is not into this for the money, he is into it because he loves woodworking, and he wants to be able to share with others the wood, the tools, the knowledge. He's my kinda guy. Needless to say, I feel really lucky have been invited to see his warehouse, and I cant wait to see the other one.

Now, even though we all went with pockets full of money, and left with all the money we came with (except what we spent on coffee). I did not leave empty handed. I found a piece of nasty spalted maple.. right be side a nasty spalted maple tree… thats right.. a whole tree!

He gave it to me, not the tree of course, just the one piece.
Table Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plank


Found the perfect piece that I have been waiting for to be able to finally finish this box.

Punky stuff… so I basically soaked it in shellac, and planed it… yup, planed it.
Hand tool Wood Musical instrument Tool Hardwood


Get it all smoothed out and cut to size, fitted and the box glued up.

Then just to stiffen up the fibers a little bit, I applied thinned out shellac to the entire thing. (mostly because I cant wait to see what it is going to look like)
Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Hardwood


Close up of the top..
Brown Wood Tree Rectangle Trunk


I have not been this excited about a small project in a long time. I actually ran out of blonde shellac just stiffing out the fibers to be able to plane it, so I had to order new stuff (arriving later this week!)

Thanks for looking in, I hope you had a great weekend as well.
 

Attachments

#103 ·
May long weekend adventures.

Well, its Victoria Day here in the colonies. And for a wood nerd like me and my buddies that can only mean one thing… wood scouting. Yup me and two pals hopped into my car and went for a drive. Let me set the scene…..

It all started this past Tuesday, when I called my dealer and was informed that they had sold their assets to another dealer, and could not sell me anything. I liked my dealer, they were a wholesaler who sold to guys like me, one or two board kinda guys. The new guys though are also wholesale.. but not so interested in my kind. So.. had to find a new dealer. Its hard to find good prices for lumber in town, especially since there is no way I am going to pay the retail prices of some of the better knows shops around.

I wont bore you with the rest of the details… fast forward to Sunday morning… we are driving around the country side waiting to meet up with my new (potential) dealer. He finally arrives at the meeting spot and we follow him to a secret location (one of two that he has). We walk inside…

Claro walnut slabs anyone?
Wood Gas Hardwood Plank Lumber


Brown Composite material Wood Landscape Roof


Or maybe some fir?
Wood Automotive lighting Rectangle Tints and shades Road surface


Or if quilted maple is more your style..
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Beam Flooring


Ok… seen enough.. new dealer has been found. After 4 hours of checking things out and talking, I am really impressed. This as it turns out this his staging warehouse where he also has a bandsaw mill where he cuts up logs and stores them. His other one is where he planes, grades and finally sells everything. He has it all, everything I could ask for.. and the best part… beyond reasonable prices. See, as it turns out he is not into this for the money, he is into it because he loves woodworking, and he wants to be able to share with others the wood, the tools, the knowledge. He's my kinda guy. Needless to say, I feel really lucky have been invited to see his warehouse, and I cant wait to see the other one.

Now, even though we all went with pockets full of money, and left with all the money we came with (except what we spent on coffee). I did not leave empty handed. I found a piece of nasty spalted maple.. right be side a nasty spalted maple tree… thats right.. a whole tree!

He gave it to me, not the tree of course, just the one piece.
Table Wood Rectangle Hardwood Plank


Found the perfect piece that I have been waiting for to be able to finally finish this box.

Punky stuff… so I basically soaked it in shellac, and planed it… yup, planed it.
Hand tool Wood Musical instrument Tool Hardwood


Get it all smoothed out and cut to size, fitted and the box glued up.

Then just to stiffen up the fibers a little bit, I applied thinned out shellac to the entire thing. (mostly because I cant wait to see what it is going to look like)
Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Hardwood


Close up of the top..
Brown Wood Tree Rectangle Trunk


I have not been this excited about a small project in a long time. I actually ran out of blonde shellac just stiffing out the fibers to be able to plane it, so I had to order new stuff (arriving later this week!)

Thanks for looking in, I hope you had a great weekend as well.
Wow, what a resource. Love the box too.
 

Attachments

#106 ·
Wood body moulding planes...

I had a great opportunity today to buy some wood body moulding planes…. and a saw.

Here is the saw… I suspect that the medallion has been replaced with one from another saw, but as far as I can tell it is a D12 rip saw… the tooth line is dead straight. A little rust remover and this thing is ready for work.
Brown Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art


Here is the rest of my haul..
Musical instrument Wood Folk instrument Gas Idiophone


Left to right….
3/4 rabbet, 1/4 groove, 1/8 bead, 1/2 bead, 3 different sash planes, #12 hollow/round, #10 hollow/round, #8 hollow/round. The first four I actually bought 2 years ago at a different sale, but still.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Metal


All the planes are in great shape and ready for work…. now I can get rid of the router table….

I am really excited about these planes and can't wait until I can really get working with them.

Thanks for looking in.
 

Attachments

#107 ·
Wood body moulding planes...

I had a great opportunity today to buy some wood body moulding planes…. and a saw.

Here is the saw… I suspect that the medallion has been replaced with one from another saw, but as far as I can tell it is a D12 rip saw… the tooth line is dead straight. A little rust remover and this thing is ready for work.
Brown Wood Wood stain Hardwood Art


Here is the rest of my haul..
Musical instrument Wood Folk instrument Gas Idiophone


Left to right….
3/4 rabbet, 1/4 groove, 1/8 bead, 1/2 bead, 3 different sash planes, #12 hollow/round, #10 hollow/round, #8 hollow/round. The first four I actually bought 2 years ago at a different sale, but still.
Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Metal


All the planes are in great shape and ready for work…. now I can get rid of the router table….

I am really excited about these planes and can't wait until I can really get working with them.

Thanks for looking in.
Wow, What a nice haul . Every time I seem to find any around were I live they're at antique stores and they always seem to want to much.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top