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295K views 2K replies 173 participants last post by  robscastle 
#1 ·
The Beginning...

So I've lived in the same two bedroom apartment for ten years now. The second bedroom is my workshop and has a closet that's been my catch-all for anything that I don't immediately know what to do with. Needless to say, it's gotten to be a pretty scary place! A couple of weeks ago, I finally set myself a goal: to take out and sort one box a day until I could see the walls of the closet again…
As is usual with such things, the longest journey begins with the first step, and once I began I found myself sorting 3-5 boxes a day and the job was finished in a week or so. I found trash and treasure, meaningful and meaningless things. And this[IMG alt="My Grandparent's "Big 10" Sign"]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3444/3865449913_daaff6f529_o.jpg[/IMG]
It came from my Grandparent's house but holds no real sentimental worth, no fond memories. It's a mass produced item, no real value. I hold the "Big 10" in my heart, and live by them daily, but don't care for a daily reminder on my wall…What do I do with such a thing?
Well, upon turning it around, I discovered why I hadn't tossed this old thing in the first placeA very wide board
Yes, it's "only" Pine, but it looks like it came from a venerable old tree! 5/8'" thick, about 12" wide. As I couldn't bring myself to throw away the Ten Commandments, and NEVER throw away any wood, Friday afternoon I decided to separate Church from Wood. I saved the Brass Plaque, which was of surprising quality, but now can be slid easily into an old book or something, and the Wood is now mine to have some fun with! Started out by giving it some rough sandingAfter some rough sanding
The next step was to plug the holes left from the nails. Set the depth stop of the drill press in my usual fashion, by hanging my 3 lb. Estwing off of one of the handles of the press to hold it in the down position, and raising the table. Setting the depth stop
When I want to really fine tune, I raise or lower the drill bit in the chuck a bit.
Glued some dowel into the resulting holes and filed and sanded flush.Plugging the holes
A decision had to be made at some point about what exactly I was planning on making here, so I asked myself "What does Mike make besides boxes?". The answer, of course, was "MORE BOXES!!"
At first I was thinking of squaring up the piece, but that's easier said than done, with the curves on this piece. Ahh, the curves…they intrigued me and since this is "just for fun" and I don't really know what I'm doing anyway, I thought "Why not leave them and see what happens?"
And so, not having any clue, I pressed forward and cut this piece in halfThe beginnings of the vision
Upon measuring, I noticed that the crests of the curves were equidistant, 5 1/2" apart. Looks like this one's going to be square…
After cutting the pieces as near as I could to the center of the crests, and all 5 1/2" long, I brought them to the "Marking Board". Marked the depths of the cuts by using the pieces themselvesMarking depth of finger joints
There's still the detail on the other side, and I can't extend finger joints into that region. Let's see…I'd like 3/8" fingers for this project, but the wood I have to work with isn't divisible by 3/8". But 4 1/2" is. I'll just tilt the ruler! Nobody's watching!Marking finger or box joints
After that, I'm on familiar ground again. Drill some "maneuvering" holesDrilling Manuevering Holes for the Scroll Saw
And off to the scroll sawSawing away the fingers
There's probably a bunch of people now who are saying "What a Nit-Wit!! Has he never heard of a box joint cutting jig?!" and they'd be right about the nitwit part! But I don't own a stacked dado head cutter and it only took 6-7 minutes per side, and this is JUST FOR FUN! It does take a few minutes to mate each joint, filing one side and then the other until they mesh snug, but not too snugTwo sides completed
And so, to make a long story even longer, after 4 hrs or so total,I went from the unwanted sign to thisA Poor Man's Box
I've begun to call it the "Poor Man's Box".
In the next installment I hope to finish whatever it is I think I'm doing…
 
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#2 ·
Hey Mike
fun stuff ! there is always another way to do something! neat way to make a box joint. will have a hand cut look.
I need to try it this way myself. Thanks for the blog. Enjoyed reading it.
Regards
DAN
 
#3 ·
how ever it turns out ,
i'm sure it will take ,
10 steps to get there !

this box with no bottom ,
is like my pockets ,
they don't hold a thing !

great post mike .
i'm glad to see
that you are having fun !
 
#4 ·
Looking good from here. Wonder what will happen to it ??

Sounds like you've done what I need to do to the garage/shop. One box a day, except today I was out of town and tomorrow I have to go to the Tree Farm to get the tractor to get it fixed. Sunday I'll bring it home, Monday I'll take it in…....... Wed, maybe a box ;-))
 
#5 ·
A great recycling project.

Have you ever used the depth stop adjustment screw on your drill press?
Depth-stops control the depth to which the quill descends and limit the depth of the hole. Depth-stops are good for repetitive boring and dowel holes. The more precise your depth-stops, the more accurate your boring operations.
 
#11 ·
I wanted to thank everybody for their kind words and comments sooner, but I had an unexpected adventure. More about that later…
Dan: These are hand cut, aren't they? Sorta…? If you're going to try it, the best advice I could give you is to stay focused. Staying on the waste side of lines isn't that hard, but the hole drilling for maneuvering is so mundane and routine… Well, suffice to say, it's very easy to put in an unwanted hole!
When you're laying these out, you have complete flexibility on number of fingers and size. It is imperative, of course, that two sides that are butting up against one another are accurately marked. You could have a different number of fingers in every corner, going in any direction as far as mating, but that gets confusing! I usually use the same numbers simply because it looks "smarter"...
Patron: Hey, I still don't know whether this is right side up, or upside down! It will work perfect for me so far too, my money will go right through it! Fools and my money are soon partners…
Topomax Survivor: That closet has been daunting and taunting me for the last 4-5 years! But the "old" folks knew what they were about when they gave us such pearls of wisdom as "That job takes longest which is never begun." Once I actually started, it really didn't take very long!
Dick & Barb Cain: I do indeed use the depth stop! Dad showed me how to use that on his drill press when I was a wee little one! The trouble is, my drill press depth stop has two regular nuts, so I need two adjustable wrenches each time I want to make an adjustment… Too much of a pain in the neck! So I adjusted it to full extension, use the weight of the sledge hammer to "bottom it out", and then just adjust the table accordingly. Your way (which is the way I did it for most of my life) it also seemed like I had to readjust for each new use, while this way it's always "ready to use".
Craftsman on the Lake: As tongue in cheek as this is, and it most definitely is, it's exactly how I've made all the boxes! There is very little measuring involved and if there is some sort of "detail" on the scrap, I try to incorporate it. For instance, taking the trash out at work one day, I came upon an entire brand-new 48" stair! It still had the UPC code stapled to the end! Apparently a carpenter was putting new treads on a flight of stairs, and discarded the one I found because it had a large knot right in the middle. He probably rightly feared that the knot would fall out, with a resulting 2" hole right in the middle, which certainly wouldn't do! Anyway, I brought it home, and when I got around to it, I made this:New Message
Big Wood, Big Box! But the point is that you can see on the top of this box what would have been the front of the stair…If it's there, I try to use it!
MsDebbieP & jockmike2: I'm trying here to appease my reverence for the Lord, with my reverence for Wood, which are not entirely unlike…
a1Jim: As always, thank you my Friend!!
mtkate: I'm glad that you enjoyed it! If I've imparted even a portion of the enjoyment I get from doing this into my words…Well…that's good!
To all: In re: Unexpected Adventures.
Boy, I'll tell you, lightning can strike anytime, anywhere! Yesterday, at work, we were low on Turkey, so I roasted a Turkey Breast, just another ho-hum part of the life of a cook. When it was done, and cooling on the counter, it smelled so good I just had to have a taste…Took a bite, which promptly got lodged in my esophagus. I could breathe and speak, though with difficulty, but couldn't swallow! Ended up at the Emergency Room where, for once, they took me right in. I guess they don't like people drooling and hacking and gacking on their floor. They ultimately had to put me under (first time ever for me) and do endoscopic removal of the offending bite of food. Took two tries.
I'm fine, though my throat is sore, taking it very easy today…Go figure, huh?
 
#12 ·
Glad you made it thrugh the emergency episode ok!! Worst thing that ever happened to my esophagus was a bee sting about half way down :-(( I had trouble swallowing for a couple weeks!!
 
#13 ·
me too. my dad has been giving me his tools and fishing gear for the past year and a half he still doesn' want to let go of them he started with his collection of nuts and bolts yikes they still sit in the entry hall and need sorting. several glass jars in a plastic container. the tools are apreciated though need care. emery papper and steel wool. i plan to start with building shelfs. or dread pay for ikea.
 
#14 ·
mike ,
you got to read the fine print !

some where in there,
( #8746 , or maybe #47,824 )
it say's ,
" thou shall not gobble thy turkey ".

glad you were forgiven !
 
#15 ·
Hi Mike,
You should be able to use the depth adjustment without wrenches. Most a lot of machines just have

a knurled nuts, just hand tightening the jam nuts should be ample enough.
 
#16 ·
Of Tops and Bottoms

So when we last left the shop, we had four sides to this "Poor Man's Box", but no top or bottomA Poor Man's Box
It's not much of a box without a top or bottom, ha ha ha! I guess I'll have to try to add some!
The whole reorganization thing is giving forth first fruits, in that I was easily able to lay my hands on some scrap Mahogany strips that I might be able to use…Scraps for top & bottom
Now I just need some slots or channels (whatever those things are called) to fit them into. It's Table Saw time…Sawing first slot for top
Maybe it was all the cartoons and movies I saw as a kid, where the Hero (or Heroine) was tied to the log, heading towards the blade at the saw mill, or maybe it's the horror stories that I've read on these very pages, but I have a real aversion to pushing stock into a rotating blade. When possible, such as in this case, I prefer to stand astride the machine and use it more like a rotor table, drawing the piece by the blade, rather than standing in the line of fire and pushing the small piece over the blade…
In any event, I have the blade raised about a 1/4" or so and after one pass, I "kick" the fence over a little and take a second passAfter two passes
After cutting the four sides in this fashion, I've checked with the strips and the slot is still a little too small, but that's fine. Everything is fine!
I'm still not certain if I just cut the slot for the bottom or the top, but I cut the "other" end next with a slightly different set-up but similar results.Cutting Second Slot for bottom
Ordinarily, I cut these slots first on the "whole" board before any of the fingers are cut or the board is sized, but it wasn't possible to do wrap-around grain here, and first or last, this is all JUST IN FUN!
I then measure with my handy-dandy homemade calipersTaking measurement to create a template
If I've done everything right, which is extremely unlikely, the inside of the slot should be just as square as the outside of the box and I next make a template for marking the strips.Template in place
Mmmm, Cupcakes! Oops, sorry…
I use the template to mark the Top Panel (or is it the bottom?)Voila!
Then cut and fit the pieces, very much like Coopers attached bottoms to pails and barrels, tapering the ends and sort of "pillowing" them into place…Cooping the top
The Wood Gods that be must be smiling upon my work (though more likely they're laughing at me!), but astonishingly, it fits!Unbelieveably, it fits!
I'll repeat this process for the bottom (or top?)Repeat for bottom
I had kind of hoped to wrap this up, but only had a couple hours for fun yesterday and that's as far as I got. Phones ring, and life beckons, so I'll have to return to this another day…but it's all good, the fun gets to continue! :)
 
#17 ·
meticulous fun !

well thought out ,
( or discovered ) ?

eating the cupcakes before
using the cardboard for a template ,
is an inspiration to us all !

and those calipers ,

pure gravy !
 
#27 ·
Hey, there's a box here!

These so called quick, knock off little jobs always seem to end up taking longer than expected! But Life and responsibilities call and can't be ignored…and it's all good, because the FUN is prolonged!!
When we left this last, I had just marked the strips of Mahogany for the bottom panel.Repeat for bottom
One night this week I took an hour and went ahead and cut them out and fitted them in the same manner as the top.The bottom is fitted into place
I also marked and cut the top corners (sorry about the blurriness but this is a flashback sequence from the other night LOL)Blurry Image of cut-off markingCorners marked for trimmingAfter removing Corners
I spent a little time matching up the contours and they'll need a little more work, but it's time to make this baby! I delineated the top last night, both with and without using a quarter, with equal success. The curve was just-right to rest the fingers of my pencil hand against.Marking the top cut-out
As you can see, the whole "curve" following idea is being continued in the part, top from bottom. I then took it apart once more, for the last time, and cut the sides of the box with the thinnest scroll saw blade I have. Then reassembled the top, clamped it up, and drilled holes for the dowel pins.Drilling for dowel pins
Of course to do that, I had to set my "depth stop" again.Setting the depth
As an aside to Dick & Barb Cain, who asked about this method, I was thinking of you guys this week and took some snapshots to let you know where I'm coming from. My Dad's Drill PressDad's Drill Press
which he purchased in 1966, and is the one he taught me how to use, has exactly the arrangement you describedDad's Drill Press
Knurled knobs, even a floating washer in between. The one I have, that my Dad bought me for Christmas in 1993My Drill Press
looks like a toy in comparison. My Dad was miffed about it because he spent considerably more $$$ and got considerably less machine. Granted it was "60's money compared to "90's, but still…
In any event, here's the arrangement on the "new & improved" modelMy Drill Press
So I seldom use it, needing two wrenches, and three hands to adjust it isn't worth the time…
Anyway, holes drilled, pegs tapped in, I trim the excessTrimming the dowel pins
and after cleaning the corners, a box is born!!A box is bornA box is born
There is still quite a bit more fun to be had finishing this project, and incorporating another great idea that my Dad had (which will be revealed later), but it's customary for me to take this moment to erase any "witness" marks and to date and initial this latest member of the "family". :)The initials go on
 
#37 ·
Winding down to the finish...

When we left this last, the box proper was all but done.A box is born
It's time for the mundane, but important, little details. I'm sure the observant amongst you have noticed all the "bust outs" from when I used the table saw to mill slots for the top and bottom panels. You were probably LOL@ me! The next step addresses them.
I have a plethora of small, cut-out, leftover fingersPreparing to fill voids
and begin by splitting them into approximate size with my little mini-froe; an old knife style paint chipper.
Then it's a simple matter of sanding them, in much the same way as we used to create points on popsicle sticks when we were kids, until they fit.Sanding chinking blocks to sizeClose-up of chinking block
Before you start ROTFL, consider this: this is exactly how it was done for centuries, before the invention of the router, or indeed electricity. The old-timers with their plow planes didn't worry about "running out" the ends, because this was a planned step in the process anyway. This can be seen frequently in older house windows. Older window frames that rattle sometimes are caused by these tiny chinking blocks having fallen out, through the slamming of the window or simple shrinkage.
In any event, I apply the smallest dab of glue on these to increase my odds of them staying in place! After I've done a couple sidesTwo sides completed
I saw and file them flush, and go on to finish the last two sides…
Which leads to the last strictly building part of all this fun I've been having! I want to make some inserts to insure that the lid sits positively on the box, without sliding off. I don't have anything thin and wide enough, other than ply, so I'm going to mill a lower riser and top it off. I still have a few scraps left of a nice thick slab of pine given to me by my Brother, and I'll begin by drilling a mess of shallow holes along the cut line.Preparing the inserts
The reason for this becomes apparent after it's sawnThe result after ripping
This will give a scalloped effect to the topmost one.
I install these by simply measuring to lengthMeasuring to cut inserts
and cuttingAfter cutting to length
This is not fine joinery!!! But I do want them to interlock and the technique is the same. I first mark the depths, using the pieces themselvesMarking depths of cuts
Then I scribble where I want to cutMarking for interlocking
And Voila! Interlocking Inserts!This is not fine joinery!!
This was the bottom riser set and I repeat the process with the "fancy" scalloped edged ones that I had prepared until, Presto!!The results
A little bit of clean up and final sanding and this is ready for the "finishing department", which is located on the floor behind me… :)
 
#38 ·
jesus mike ,
you are crazier than i am !

i sure am having fun too ,
learning how to do this .

quite the possess,
and we couldn't have done it without you !
 
#51 ·
Strong to the finish

There hasn't been a lot to report on this lately. We're talking finishing here and it's pretty droll stuff.
If you recall we left off hereThe results
Now my Dad had a great suggestion regarding the prominent "stripes" on the lid, which are, of course, merely leftover stain in the hollows of the contour. He said, "You ought to paint them. Paint them black. Shiny black.."
And so I didPainting the stripes
I actually painted them again the following morning after this. The first coat just didn't have the "gleam" I was looking for. After that dried, I began applying clear gloss polyurethane.
I'm sure there's probably about the same number of ways of doing this, as there are people inclined to do it, but I've had pretty good luck with spray-on for small applications like this. This part of the story is a little bass ackwards but, if you'll bear with me, all will become clear…
I began by making an aluminum foil pan and placed the box in the middle on the floor.[IMG alt=""Poor Man's" Box ready to be polyed"]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2636/3907724557_1935f6f5c8_o.jpg[/IMG]
Beginning with the bottom side, I spray a light coat from one direction, then the opposite direction, then alternate the two side directions and then between those four…In other words, from the north, then the south, east, and west, and then from SE, NW, NE, and finally from the SW. This, as I say, is a light coat, a kind of soaking-in type of thing. I set the kitchen timer for 20 minutes and when it goes off I repeat the same light coat again…20 timed minutes after that, I do it one last time, only a heavier application. No sanding involved between coats. I checked it one last time before going to bed that night and was satisfied…Checking drying progress
Now for the backwards part. The original idea for the paint pan came from actual pans, restaurant sheet pans to be exact. I used to have 4-5 of them but somehow they didn't make the move with me 11 years ago. When I apply this it stinks up the apartment for days, so I resolved to ask at work, to see whether they'd let me take one of their older beat-up ones home. They did and I did, and I finally got back to my original procedure!Back to the original sheet pan idea
Yeah, Baby!! Cooking with gas now!! The advantage here is that I can do it on the porch and then move the whole procedure anywhere. Here I've got it on the gas on gas stove. There's no heating necessary this time of year, but the pilot inside keeps it just warm enough to help with the drying…
When I first used a "Paint Pan" in this fashion, I made a startling discovery. The lip of the pan stops the over spray almost dead in its tracks! I don't know where it goes, probably back in my face, but hardly anywhere else…Maybe this is common knowledge, but it wasn't to me…
Like I said, droll stuff…
Anyway, spent the last few days doing the four sidesSlathered on PolyurethaneShiny, shiny
I'm slathering it on pretty heavy, as you can see. I did the last side an hour or two ago and should be able to do the top tonight…There's still a little work to be done inside but this will be a project post next time you see it…
If anybody actually read this, Thanks, and I hope you had as much fun as I did, both in the making and the sharing. If anybody has questions, comments, or criticism, fire away!
As an aside, I'm headed up to our State Capitol Concord for a few days. There's a rumor that there is a craft shop up there that is selling small wooden boxes for $450 a pop! This I gotta see!!! :)
 
#56 ·
Here We Go Again...

As I reported on my last project http://lumberjocks.com/projects/24395 my boxes are mostly all going out the door at Christmas time. It's tough to see the little ones go, but it gives me ample opportunity to have some fun making more of them!! I need two right off the bat for what I like to call "Pocket Garages", one for at work, one for at home. With one already made, I started the second one last night…The Wood for the 2nd Poplar Pocket Garage
For about two hours, give or take, I stared at this piece of poplar, trying to figure which way to lay it out. The small knot troubled me… for the optimum lay-out, it would lie precariously close to the joints…I also encountered a problem that I've seen before. The Glue-up of this Drawer side is canted, not parallel to the sides. I've gone ahead and worked with it that way before, but it gets really "hoopy"! My eyes and mind contrive to try to convince me that my markings are all wrong, because they're not parallel to the grain… very disconcerting…
After two hours, I ultimately decided to straighten this piece out in relation to the glue line, for sanity's sake, and to move forward and not worry about the knot because, hey, this is Just for Fun, right?! So this morning I began by ripping a new side line with the Scroll SawStraightening the board to the glue up
It's a perfect day for shop work!! Snowstorm outside, toasty warm inside and lest anybody thinks I'm a Scrooge, there's even a little touch of Christmas inside the Shop…Winter Wonderland- From the Shop
Anyway, after establishing a straight edge it was off to the Table Saw for some milling action. The Scroll sawn cut was in the waste section of the piece and I began by cutting the actual "bottom of the box" cut. Then I used the first box to gauge the height of the secondUsing 1st box to gauge height of 2nd
After that, I simply plowed out some dadoes on either side to accept the eventual panels. No "New" news there…After Milling
Then I cut them to length. The overall length was about 24 1/2". I've heard of the Golden ratio but don't know the first thing about it, so out of sheer funk I decided on 7 1/4" X 4 3/4". Times two, for the four sides, which totals 24"...
Then begins the quiet time, when i plot out and arrange the finger or box joints. First the spacingMarking Finger Joint Widths
which I do with my usual "tilted ruler" method. I tilt it to any 1/4" markings on the end of the piece, and tilt it one more 1/8" to allow for my parting cut, top from bottom.
Mark the depth of the fingers, using the pieces themselves, then mark the Dado cutouts (or rather Do Not cutouts!) a new part of the procedure for me…Marking Dado Cutouts or rather, Do Not Cutouts!!
And finally I draw the Finger spacings in the appropriate placesEnscribing Finger Joint Widths
This is just eyeballed. It's only vital that each abutting joint is correctly matched. To that end, after marking waste from wantMarking Waste from Want
I "Leapfrog" the sides to get the two ends in the middle and mark them in the same fashionMarking the ends
Are you bored yet?! LOL The Fun is just beginning!! Its time to cut the fingers, hopefully on the wood and not on my hands… First a little Drill Press action, to give myself some playing roomDrilling Maneuvering Holes for the Scroll Saw Blade
Then its off to the Scroll Saw, cut down one side, clear the "Bottom" of the cut (with the help of the maneuvering hole), back out, and cut the other side.Cutting finger joints
This might seem time or labor intensive but takes seconds per cut out. Doing both ends of each side takes about 6-7 minutes. After I do two sides, I take a file and clean out the matching ends and Voila!!Jointing
I continue working around the sides until, well, until I run out of sides!!Four sides ready for panels...
And so, to recapitulate, I went from last night's two hours of plotting, to this afternoon's reality…Last Night's Goal for Today
Oops!! The one on the right is turned the wrong way, but it fits the right way and that's what's important!
Stay tuned for another of my poor attempts at humor and narration in the next episode of "Just for Fun"!! :)
 
#57 ·
just for fun ,
i think it looks great ,
and thanks for the teach !

just make your hinges slightly smaller this time ,

unless this is a twin to the other one ?
 
#75 ·
A word or two about sanding...

Those who read Part #6 will recall that two days ago I left off here…Four sides ready for panels...
I went into the shop yesterday set to begin making the panels for this, the latest small box. But it was one of those days, and we've all had them, where my ambition level was at a low ebb… I didn't have unlimited time to work either, other things to do, you know? But I did see something within my reach, with the time I had, namely, Sanding... There, I've gone and said it!! After reading numerous Forum questions and seeing the joyous greetings that every shop-built sanding machine receives, I've come to the conclusion that the sanding part of projects doesn't have many ardent fans!!
Well, I can't sit here and write of all the glitter and glamor of this particular chore, and I can't talk of others experiences, but I thought I might share some of my own…
It has seemed to me that my problems with sanding invariably rise from not doing it when I'm supposed to. I did it on this very project already and was about to do it again when I stopped and said to myself "Self, if I'm going to discuss this subject of sanding discipline, I should try to observe some!" When I began the box, I should have sanded the wood before I even used it. I did rough sand one side, the side that would be riding the tables, but neglected the upper side, which was foolish… my marks would have been easier to see, I would have had a clearer picture of the grain of the Wood…but no, I just wanted to get to cutting!! Then again yesterday, I was about to make the panels without yet sanding the sides! Do you get where I'm going with this? I end up with a "completed" project's worth of parts, completed that is, except for the sanding! Then I usually have a complete day's worth of drudgery on my hands!
I'm writing this for my own benefit as well, I'm one of the worst offenders! It's funny even, because I don't mind Sanding! I just don't like doing it all day… So what I keep on trying to tell myself to do is to sand when it's time to sand, and not put it off until later. As I finish each piece, sand it right then. It breaks up the whole monotony of the chore… Yep, I keep telling myself. Now if I would only listen…
So that's what I did yesterday for about 2 1/2 hours, brought the sanding up to date. I started by marking the ends of the piecesMarking Piece Ends before Sanding
After I get into the spirit of it and see the results, I begin to remember that it's really not that bad!! Why do I always put it off?!Sanding Results (Middle Piece)
With the first piece done, it's off to the next… It's actually fun! God Bless you people who have machines to do this, but I'm a hand-sander from way back. At no time do I ever feel as intimately involved with the process as when I'm sanding. I feel it, I smell it, I even wear it!! It's also just about the only time I can work sitting down too! I sit in my shop chair, put the piece over my knee, and work it, until it reaches that silky smoothness we all know and love…Sanding Station
With the sides all done, and still in "Sanding Mode", I went ahead and sanded the piece I'll be cutting the panels out of…While I'm at it...
Yeah, I know, not very interesting and not very fun, but we all know how important sanding is to the finished quality of a piece…
I can breath a sigh of relief now! I'll sand again, of course, when the box is constructed, but the "heavy" work is done. I even had a little time left and felt so great about the world that I cut the templates for the panels…First Pattern- correct in width
But that's another day's fun… :)
 
#76 ·
hey mike ,
this is so much fun ,
that i think i'll go and sand my table .

the reason it isn't done yet ,
something new ( that i had not learned well ) ,
the woods that i used for it ,
all changed differently as they sat with a finish on them .
they have developed minor contraction changes ,
this is a problem i don't generally have using the same woods ,
( usually pine or alder ) ,
but with these exotics , after they are cut and sit for a while ,
they expand/contract differently .
it's not allot , but enough to see and feel slightly .
in the future i will let these projects sit for a month or two ,
to get over that , and then do the finish .
so ,
hi-ho , hi-ho ,
it's of to sand i go !
thanks for showing the way ,
and have a great day !
 
#91 ·
Of Pattern Making and Raised Panels

It's been a few days of inactivity. My work week precluded getting anything done in the shop. All I managed to find time for was tweaking the patterns for the next step. If you recall, after sanding I had a little time left to cut two preliminary patterns or templatesFirst Pattern
I did that in my usual fashion, inside calipers, pencil, and Grand Dad's old photographic matte cutterPattern Making
Sometimes I get very lucky and cut one that fits. Other times I get one that's the right width and one that's the right length. Between them I can proceed to cutting the raised panels…
But upon closer examination I found neither one was right… I tried tweaking them, trimming them down just so, but that didn't work eitherAttempted Re-sizing
Well, I tried plan A, I tried plan B and C. It was time to try Plan D, a previously un-used but always anticipated method. I cut both patterns slightly small and with one hand inside the box and the other out, I slid the two patterns into opposing corners. It was then a simple matter to stick a couple of pushpins through them…Using Push Pins...
and then to take them out and fasten them together with staples.Stapled
I tried it backwards and forwards, and upside down as well, and it was a perfect fit, in both the top and the bottom dadoes… This collectively only took maybe a half an hour. I'd rather make these mistakes on paper than on the wood though!!
With that in hand, I had to wait until this morning, the beginning of my weekend. The scrap of drawer side that I chose for this had the same problem as the scrap I chose for the sides, the glue-up line was canted from the sides. I considered using it that way, or even exaggerating the cant, but there's a certain symbiosis developing between the first box and the second (which will be revealed later) and I decided to "straighten" the Wood.
Same process as before, a quick aligning cut on the Scroll Saw…Straightening the wood
Then I butted that cut against the fence of the Table Saw and made a true straight cutStraightening the other edge
Then it's a simple matter of using the pattern I had so much fun with to set the width of the piece…Using the pattern to set the widthof the Panel on the Table Saw
For all the time that I spent getting the pattern right, I actually want the Wood a whisker short of that, for possible wood expansion or what-not… After making that cut, and indeed, through most of the panel-making process, there is a good deal of trepidation!! I won't know if I've done good here and whether it fits until after the next procedure…
With the Auxiliary Fence installed, I set the Blade on the Table Saw by eye, another few moments of considerable consternation…Setting the Blade for the Raised Panel Cuts
(Incidentally, I did not make the model ship and dartboard cabinet in the background!!) Anyway, with the whole set-up attached, and with fingers crossed, I run the board through length-wise… This will more safely cut the short sides of the panels.After lengthwise passes
At last I'm finally able to check at least part of the work, how well they're going to fit into the dadoes, and the fit this time, incredibly, is perfect!! Phew!! On the last one I cut them too "fat"... out came the plane and rasps, and with them an extra hour or two of fitting… It was more Fun than I care to have!! LOL
Now I just squared an end and marked one of these babies for length, again marking it a whisker short.Marking Length
Ran it through the set-up, carefully, using a push stick and keeping all my fingers clear and Presto!After cutting
And now came the Moment of Truth, the dry fitting… Drum roll, please…The Moment of Truth!!
Holy Smokes, it actually fits!! I had to ease the corners a tiny bit, there's always the slightest mis-alignment between the dadoes on the sides, but over-all, not a bad two-hours morning work… :)
 
#92 ·
it took me two hours to enjoy this ,(LOL) .
great explanations on the alternate
sizing methods .

i;m going to go get some popcorn ,
i know the grand finaly is coming up .

i don't want to miss it !
 
#104 ·
Back at it...

It has been a while, but if you'll recall, I left off the last segment with the panels for this small Poplar Box freshly cut and fitted.The Moment of Truth!!
Of course, my Wood Working was interrupted over the last couple weeks, but while my Dad was still in the Hospital, after visiting him, I would come home and do a few things. I was far too distracted and preoccupied to go near the machinery, but the next steps were quiet ones and I took a few minutes to do them here and there…
I actually put the box aside for now and began work on the "hardware" for the box, the hinges and knob. One night I drew the hinges Hinges drawn on Wood
Another night I drilled the holes for the eventual Scroll Saw workReady for Scroll Saw Work
Finally, a couple days ago, I began the actual cutting of these. This is the abbreviated version, there is a good deal more said about this here: http://lumberjocks.com/littlecope/blog/11406After side cutsProfile ShapingTop CuttingOne down, one to go...The latest Hinges
This morning, I made a Quick Knob. I needed first to drill a hole in the middle of a length of dowel.Wooden Dowel
Without a Lathe, I had to make a fast "Stander-upper". I bored a hole not quite through and big enough for the dowel in a piece of scrapBoring a hole in scrap
Then set the desired drill size shy of the bottom of that boringSetting the depth
and simply drilled the hole.Hole drilled
Yeah, I know, it's off center. So am I, but it will be adequate enough for my purposes… I then chuck the dowel up in the Drill Press, lightly, and file a suitable profile…Dowel chucked in Drill PressAfter Shaping
Then I just did a quick cut-off and glued a smaller dowel in place.A quick cut-off
Surely nothing fancy, but it'll work and this time I'll get to paint it before it's attached to the box rather than after… ;-)
Thank you once again Everybody for your support. I printed out all of your responses to the "Where I've been" Blog and am going up to spend New Years Eve with my Mom. I'll give them to her so she can read them at her leisure. You are a dear and sweet group of individuals!! All the best to all of you in the New Year and for all the years that follow!! Michael
 
#115 ·
Some Assembly Required...

After making the hinges and knob in Episode #9, it was time to return to the box again. I had taken the time to sand the sides as I went, so all that was left to sand were the panels. After that was done, I was left with a difficult choice. Both panels looked good as the top, and turned either way, forwards or backwards! I finally made the choice (probably the wrong one) and it was assembly time.
Clamped one side, with the handle next to the desired corner…First one clamp...
Then the Other…then the other.
This whole makes a surprisingly well-balanced package for Drilling the holes.A Well-balanced package
Set the depths of the holes..Setting Drill stop depth
Cut some pins out of dowel and sand the edgesSanding pins after cutting
One last thing before drilling, scoring a pilot, to start the drill in the correct spotScoring for Drilling
Drilling the hole: Drilling the hole
When I tap in the pins, I form a sort of "sleeve" with my fingers to avoid snapping them in half while striking[IMG alt="Forming a sort of "sleeve" with my fingers"]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2798/4248721718_1a7d06cc1a_o.jpg[/IMG]
Then I simply trim off the excess pinsCutting off excess pins
I'm going to round over all the edges, but I start with a chamfer, marking it with some scrap 1/8" Lexan that's kicking aroundMarking Chamfer
Then roughing those with the Scroll Saw tilted to 45°Table tilted for cutting chamfers
I'll spare you the filing and sandingFile and Sanding time
But when I'm satisfied, it's time to part the top from the bottom. I try not to make more of this than it is. It seems when I'm most careful here, I have the least straight cut…This time I tried not cutting through entirely and then slicing it free with a Utility Knife. It seemed like more work having to clean it up afterward, but it worked tooA Quick Parting
After cleaning those edges a little, I clamped it up in my hinge attaching clampThe Clamp Set-up for Gluing the Hinges
Applied GlueApplying Glue
And set the hinge using a spacer strip. (Note: I also put pencil marks over the pivot pins, so I just line these up to the "break" in the box.)Attaching First Hinge (using spacer strip)
This all took about four hours this morning, what with all the Picture taking…Enough for Today
I almost forgot, before I devoted the bench top to clamping and gluing, I took a minute to add a second coat of red paint to the knob. A couple quick squirts, wearing a freezer bag over my hand (all out of gloves) and Presto!A Final Detail
Now I'll just wait until the glue dries or I get my next chance to get back to the fun, whichever comes first… :)
 
#127 ·
Wrapping it up...

Not much left to go here! We left off with the box in my make-shift box vise, with the hinges glued in place…Enough for Today
I began yesterday by cutting and cleaning-up as many pegs as I'll need to pin them on, in this case fourteen.Sandings Peg Edges
Then I'll measure to set the Drill Stop depthMeasuring for setting Drill Stop
Setting the Drill Stop. I used a couple of spare boards to get close to the height, then fine-tuned by adjusting the drill in the chuck a little…Setting Drill Stop
I had pre-drilled these pilots slightly undersized to create less stress on these small parts. Doing one at a time, I'm re-boring the pilot, and into the boxRe-Boring holes to correct size
A spot of glue…A spot of Glue
And tap one in!!Tap 'em in!!
Repeat 13 more times…A small forest of pegs...
Then I just cut the excess off real quick with a coping saw, and file them flush and sand. I use the same box vice to hold it while I do this…After cutting and clean-up of excess
The last detail before finishing is to attach the knob, which was done in pretty much the same fashion…Knob attached in the same fashion
I went up to my Mom's house last night for a sleep-over, and decided to take the show "on the road", at least for the first coat of poly… Check it out, I was packing the things I'd need and wondered if the can of poly would fit inside the box…Taking it on the road
It fit with about a sixteenth of an inch to spare, what luck!!
Alas, this is another finished project, or will be very soon. Now I have to look for some more Fun!! As always, it's fun sharing with all of you, hope you enjoyed it and maybe had some fun along with me… :)
 
#144 ·
Nothing much going on... might as well build a box... :)

The title says it all!!
I'm sort of between projects right now, so I figured to blast out a box in my "spare" time.
At the beginning of the month people moved out from a couple of apartments in the building and left a veritable mountain of furniture behind. I looked it over… mostly particle board stuff… but there was a small night stand that caught my eye.Urban Wood Harvesting
I was a little confused by the weight of the thing, thought it was hardwood, but I guess it's Pine. Somebody had tacked a piece of linoleum to the top!! I can only guess that it held a plant or something because the top had a lot of water damage…Pine, I guess...
While I had it sitting there, I couldn't resist sitting down on it!! It held!! I even tried standing on it but then it got a bit precarious. It amazes me the way plain old nails can hold something together…
At any rate, I have plenty of Pine here for a Box, and it's some old growth pine… it has more year rings than I care to count!!
I went to the sanding and the cutting of the sides and this stuff has a really sweet smell, kinda like a cinnamon roll, believe it or not…Sides Cut & Dadoed
As usual, I had wanted to bang out something quick, but the wood has its own story to tell and is relating the story at its own pace… but it's coming along and, of course, it's all just for fun anyway!! :)The work so far...
 
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