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39K views 128 replies 28 participants last post by  David 
#1 ·
Starting with 4/4 cherry

Thought I would share a bit of my day. My wife and kids are out of town for a short retreat and I had two days off work. Great combination for a woodworker! As I mentioned before, I have a very small garage based shop. I share the space with my family and have to set it up for each project. No complaints as I am always happy to be working with my hands!

I am very grateful to all the members of Lumberjocks - what a great community! I learn so much from all of you. It is hard to keep up responding to the prolific writing and projects but I try my best with my work schedule. This series will progress slowly but I will keep it up to date as I progress.

Since I always like seeing photos of other shops ( or should I say drooling over photos of other shops . . . ) I thought I would share these. I know it isn't fancy or sophisticated but it gets the job done for me.







I started of the day milling up a small amount of steamed cherry for my next project - a pair of "quarter sized" blanket chests. I call them quarter size chests becuase they are approximately 1/4 the size of a large sea captains chest where their design inspiration is drawn from. I also plan on inlaying a 2006 Oregon State quarter in the bottom back rail to identify this series of chests - similar to my last chest. These chests will be for sale at Clearwater Gallery this summer during the annual quilt show in Sisters, Oregon. I am pretty excited to have the chance to have some work on display at my favorite gallery!









I was down to the last three boards when the drive belt in my planner broke. Of course these are not available on the weekend . . . made a "note to self" to purchase two so I will always have a back-up belt. I spent the rest of the afternoon making a small jig for ripping thin stock that I plan on using for edge banding cherry plywood for the chest tops. All in all a fun day in the shop.





 
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#4 ·
Nice looking jig. You have some nice tools, great looking cabinets and a wll organized shop there and I like the way you rebounded from the broken planer belt.

Congradulations on having the ability to show your work at you favorite gallery. I hope you're able to make enough to cover the sales.
 
#7 ·
A nice neat looking shop, I'm still looking for my work benches they're both still buried, & I'm looking forward to the rest of this series.
I like your use of the plastic storage bins, it keeps things clean & neat.
 
#8 ·
Dick - Thanks. My next project will be to build an actual bench to work on. Currently I have set up a make shift bench - but as mentioned no complaints - I am fortunate to have the space. This is my one big "vice" (no pun intended!) in life and it is a huge stress reliever. Wish I could be in a position to do this everyday . . .
 
#11 ·
Leigh FMT Jig - Part 1

Had a great day today working in the shop. I have gotten behind on my schedule for the cherry quilt chests because of some family isuues and increased work load. Today was a warm and sunny day in Portland and it was a pleasure to get out in the shop and make some cherry sawdust! I thought it would be fun to make a small video to share the experience. The original video was too long so I made a two part episode. I figured you guys would be the only ones that could actually sit and watch a router and LEIGH FMT Jig for 10 miniutes! Please excuse the ameteur quality!

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My set-up

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Stock mounted to cut a tenon

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Sighting alignment bar

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Routing a tenon

My LEIGH FMT Jig Video - Part 1


Watch the Video
 
#23 ·
Leigh FMT Jig - Part 2

Well, this is the second of the LEIGH FMT Jig videos. Again please excuse the ameteur quality. This is just my way of sharing a fun day in the shop while pushing my digital envelope, so to say. Things have been a bit hectic here so it was good to get some dedicated time in the shop. Many thanks to my wife for allowing this indulgance!

I thought a video post would be fun to explore since I have learned so much from my fellow woodworkers via digital imagery. I am not sure what I am going to do for the panels on these cherry chests. The original plan was the same as before, cherry plywood. However, Neil Lamens has me excited about exploring veneering, so I might try birdseye maple veneered panels. I think the constrast between the cherry and maple would be interesting. If you haven't visited Neil at Furnitology Productions, it is worth a visit!

Thanks again to Martin fo such a great site! I have learned so much from all of my LJ buddies. LumberJocks is one of my essential shop tools!

Also, thanks to Marc and Matt - your sites have been inspirational to say the least and have encouraged me to push my digital envelope by publishing a video or two.

Anyone who has published a video, podcast or digital images will be amazed at how talented and prolific these guys are - I don't know how you do it! Thanks!

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Routing a mortise

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Getting ready to test the fit

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Good fit!

My LEIGH FMT Jig Video - Part 2


Watch the Video
 
#32 ·
Tom's Domino at Work!

Cherry Chest Update

Well I got to squeeze in some time out in the shop and work on the cherry chests that are being built for the Annual Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. They will be on display at The Clearwater Gallery.

I could not resist the new LumberJock CyberToolShare s feature, so I hopped on the internet late one night and borrowed Tom's Festool Domino. I used the Domino to assemble the frame and panels into the final box.





The Domino was amazingly quick. So quick, that I made a mistake on the first set of mortises. I did not have my alignment faces clearly marked and I referenced of the wrong face! The photo below shows how I corrected the mistake. I glued a domino in the mortise and cut it off flush. I then re-cut the mortise with the correct alignment. Worked great!





I made a small jig to hold the chest stiles firmly while cutting the mortises with the Domino. A small piece of double sick carpet tape gives just the right holding power.





I cut the joinery on the stiles in less than 30 minutes - not including my mistake and fix!



I am just waiting for the 1/4 cherry plywood to arrive so I can cut the panels. After a little more practice with veneering, I plan on making my own panels with MDF hardboard and some interesting wood species to contrast with the cherry frame.



Well, I guess its time to return the Domino to Tom. Thanks Buddy!

 
#33 ·
Nice! I'm glad it worked out for you. I sent you the power cord, but I should have sent the manual. LOL You made good use of the time you had in the shop, that's for sure!
 
#51 ·
Fathers Day! MILLER DOWEL UPDATE

Happy Fathers Day to all of my LumberJock buddies, and a belated Happy Mothers Day to all of the Lady Jocks!


I am looking forward to using the LumberJock CyberToolShare feature to explore everyone's shop and check out what goodies you all got for Fathers Day!

I had the privilege and pleasure of spending the last two days working in my shop. I made a lot of progress on my cherry quilt chests. I am under a time crunch as these need to be delivered at the end of the month, so it was great to have some dedicated shop time.

I cut the 1/4 inch cherry plywood panels and applied a coat of finish. I learned to apply pre-finish to the panels so that any slight seasonal change will not expose unfinished plywood. I also did the final fitting of the frames before installing the panels.

I did make a change to my chests by thru pegging the frame mortise and tenons. I am still struggling with square pegs! Something I am going to conquer. I used Miller Dowels to peg the joints. I chose Miller Mini X Walnut Dowels for a nice contrast. Pegging the joints is beneficial for a number of reasons. First, I think it makes a more attractive and traditional joint. Second, I was able to free up my clamps immediately after driving the pegs home. This allowed me to complete all 8 panels in one afternoon. Since I have a limited clamp collection, this was extremely helpful. I guess I will have to find another reason to convince Beth that I need to purchase more clamps! Third, pegging the joints added an additional degree of strength to the mortise and tenon joinery. To help me quickly locate the peg holes, I made a couple of quick jigs out of scrap 1/4 inch MDF hardboard.

UPDATE - Thanks to questions from Neil of Furnitology fame!

I have included some info from the Miller Dowel website for clarification. This is not my info and is provided here for project stimulation. I don't think the folks at Miller Dowel will mind as I believe this will stimulate a number of LumberJocks using this great joinery system.





Link to the MILLER DOWEL DEMO (from the Miller Dowel Company website)



I did learn that I do not like my Stanley Flush Cut Pull Saw. I purchased this before reading Chris Schwarz review in Woodworking Magazine Weblog. This was the first project I used the saw. It has a tendency of leaving saw marks when flush cutting. Don't buy this saw. I will be looking for a new flush cut saw right away! After some additional gentle sanding the joints turned out great.

Frames and Panels ready for pegging with finished test panel for comparison


Finishing Supplies


Walnut Miller Mini X Dowels, Miller Drill Bit, awl and MDF jigs


Marking Dowel Holes with awl and MDF jig


Close-up of Miller Drill Bit and Walnut Mini X Dowel (dill removed for clarity)


Close-up of drilled dowel hole in stile and rail tenon


Flush cutting dowel ends


Dowel cut flush (cut-off sitting off to the side) - some minor saw marks from the "flush cut saw"!


Dowel pegged mortise and tenon joint


The Miller Mini X Dowel Kit
 
#59 ·
David,

Great blog. I have the Stanley flush cut. I bought it for cutting trim when installing hardwood floors and tile in my house. I used it once to flush cut some dowels on a threshold and that was the last time I used it for flush cutting.

I like the Miller dowels. I immediately thought of the summer challenege when I saw them. I was especially happy to see some for exterior use. My project is going to be entered in both categories and these will be perfect. I was already planning on pegging but these will save me from having to make 100 1 1/2" pegs. Nice selection of exterior species….ouch on the price though. I don't think I'll be buying the teak.

One comment: No glue in the joinery challenge folks, remember that.
 
#63 ·
Installing a Makers-Mark

This blog entry shows how I install the small (1 inch diameter x 3mm thick) brass Makers-Marks on my projects. I like the traditional feel that the labels give a project. I prefer painting the recess black so that when the label is installed there is a small subtle black reveal line around the outside edge. This is strictly personal preference.

This Installing a Makers Mark Tutorial is available as a PDF download on my website

I get my labels from a very kind chap in England - his contact information is below. Vidi makes a solid and a finely crafted product. I made my own artwork using Microsoft Word and Adobe Photoshop. I uploaded the artwork file via email. We sorted out a couple of design questions, basically agreeing to Vidi's excellent suggestion of infilling the letters black and the tree green. The cost for 5 standard 1 inch brass infilled labels was approximately $36 (US). An excellent deal! My labels arrived by post 3 weeks later.

Makers-Marks • Traditional Bronze, Brass & Stainless Steel Labels

VIDI Visual Communication
1 Cross Lane, Kendal
Cumbria LA9 5LB England, UK

tel/fax: 01539 740 251 from abroad 0044 1539 740251

email: info@vidicomm.co.uk

I start by laying out the location for the Makers-Mark.
I use blue painter's tape as a mask for painting the recess later in the process.


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A small awl helps to accurately locate the center.
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I use a 1 inch Forstner drill bit to cut the 3mm recess - I always set this up first on a scrap piece of lumber.
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After cutting the recess, I run my thumbnail around the perimeter to firmly seat the tape mask. Any slight paint leak has always cleaned up easily with a few passes of a cabinet scraper later in the finishing phases.
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I use a larger mask cut from a sheet of plastic coated freezer paper to protect the projetc from overspray - I am always very generous with this mask!

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I seal the recess with spray shellac and apply two coats of black spray paint.
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The recess of one of my two cherry quilt chests waiting for a brass Makers-Mark.
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I apply the Makers-Mark at the end of the project when I am installing fittings. The fine black reveal line is subtle, but I like the effect.
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Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
 
#73 ·
Reflections, Fitting & Finishing

Well, I have to admit to being a bit melancholy the last few days. I found great solstice getting out to my shop to begin the fitting and finish on my cherry chests. I am amazed at how much work goes into something so small. I always imagine things going quicker, faster and smoother in my mind.

It was nice to work in the quite of my shop without having to wear hearing protection to block out the harsh whine of machinery. As I worked on fitting the Baltic Birch plywood bottom on my chests, I reflected on all the great folks I have met on LumberJocks.

I thought a lot about Frank's writings and how wood connects all of us. I also thought about the many woodworkers that have offered kind support and the frequent bits of advice. I half expected Karson to tap me on the shoulder to inspect my cabinet scraper or Wayne to magically reach over to adjust my block plane and confirm a sharp edge.

What a wonderful experience we all share having such immediate access to a large body of talent and expertise from the professional to the novice. Where else can you have a conversation with someone like Todd Clippinger or Mark DeCou and not feel intimidated? Where else can you have the likes of Dick and Don pass on a kind word about a recent project posting. And where else can you get into cyber trouble with a Canadian troublemaker like Tom! Where else can you smile at the "travels" of our own LumberJock First Lady, Ms Debbie, as she searches for that elusive bit of willow. Where else do you get the opportunity to make a friend and share your woodworking by making an inkle loom? I did not even know what an inkle loom was until I started talking with Diane.

Well there are a lot more folks that I have spoken with and enjoyed viewing their projects, blog entries or comments. I can only say I am so honored to be a part of this community!

I am getting up against my own time constraints as I promised these chests for delivery next week to the Clearwater Gallery for the Annual Quilt Show in Sisters, Oregon. Knowing that we have to leave in a few days and that I have a couple of shifts at work, I did as much as I could before packing everything up to be completed in Sisters.

Glue and clamp-up.






Fitting the Baltic Birch chest bottoms. I used a set of measuring and fitting gauges instead of a measuring tape





The Baltic Birch plywood bottom is secured with Kreg Pocket Screws - these will be concealed by the aromatic cedar planking.





I used a set of aluminum angles and clamps to hold the Baltic Birch plywood bottoms in position while driving the pocket screws.




Scraping the chest rails & stiles.


Cherry frame parts for the chest lids and aromatic cedar cut for the bottom lining.




Raw cherry quilt chest waiting to be packed up for completion in Sisters, Oregon.
 
#74 ·
Very well said David…I think this has become a special place for so many of us. At the core of most of my friendships is the sharing of a passion. I too find myself thinking….what would Karson, Wayne, Mot, Debbie, Don, Dick, David, Frank…..and on and on…..do? I want to make my work better so I can show it off to my friends. It really is amazing what LJ has helped bring into my our lives.

Beautiful chest….your work always looks so perfectly precise and clean. Someday I'll get there.
 
#90 ·
Almost Done!

It has been a busy few days here in Sisters, Oregon. The weather has been wonderful - warm and dry with temperatures in the 70-80's. Since we arrived, I have finished the tops for my two cherry quilt chests. I just completed installing the hardware. Tomorrow morning we will deliver them to the Clearwater Gallery. Delivery day will be my last posting on this series, except of course, hopefully, an update when they sell!

Getting ready to install the hardware.


I like to install everything with steel screws which get replaced with brass screws on final assembly. This helps prevent striped or broken screws. Brass breaks real easy!


Using an Insty Bit set from Rockler to get good alignment of hardware screws. I use masking tape to help hold the brass piano hinge in place while loating the screw holes.


Using 3M Command Adhesive Tape to hold the lid in place on the brass piano hinge in preparation of locating the lid hinge screws.


Making use of a couple of cardboard shims to elevate the hinge leaves allowing firm contact with the lid and the 3M Command Adhesive Tape.


A trim gauge helps to even out the lid overhang reveal.


Using a couple of scrap pieces of cherry to align the back of the lid with the back of the case. After a final check for even overhang with the trim gauge, the protective backing on the tape is removed and the lid will be firmly attached to the hinge.


After lifting the lid and drilling the screw holes. Steel screws are inserted and removed. The tape is then removed prior to final insertion of brass screws. Hand modeling by Beth!


One down, one to go and two to deliver!


I am planning on shooting some video tomorrow when Beth & I deliver the chests. The gallery has some beautiful turnings on display from a local wood turner. I will shoot some photos of his work for you guys!
 
#110 ·
Clearwater Gallery VIDEO Tour

Absolutely last entry on this series - I promise!

When I dropped my quilt chests off at The Clearwater Gallery I thought I should share some woodwork that was on display. I have admired the wood turings of a Sisters local woodworker, Bob Bousquet. I have yet to meet Bob - perhaps someday I will get a chance to interview him for LumberJocks. Better yet try to get him to join! Anyway, I took some video and photos of his work that was on display. Thought you would all enjoy a quick video tour of the gallery. This was quite spontaneous so not the best quality and content.

As you all can imagine, it was pretty exciting for an ameteur woodworker to get a chance to put some work on display!

The Clearwater Gallery recently suffered a roof fire. The owners, Dan and Julia Rickards, plan on returning to the gallery by August. In the mean time they have relocated just down the street. The photos and video tour below are from thier temporary location.

The video is at the bottom of the blog entry. The photo of Bob Bousquet at his lathe is courtesy of Clearwater Gallery.

One of my chests in the gallery.


The matching chest on display.


The front of a small tag I made describing the chests.


The back of the tag with a link to LumberJocks!


A beautiful bowl turned by Bob Bousquet from a Rhododendron Burl


A photo of Bob at his lathe.


A quick video tour of The Clearwater Gallery and a peek of the Middle & North Sisters. Enjoy!
http://blip.tv/scripts/flash/blipplayer.swf?autoStart=false&file=http://blip.tv/file/get/USNERDOC-DRPClearwaterGalleryTour676.flv%3Fsource%3D3
 
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