| Project by 3fingerpat | posted 88 days ago | 568 views | 1 time favorited | 12 comments |  |
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I am still recovering from shoulder surgery and have been going crazy not being able to do any of my projects. About a month after surgery I decided I could try to make a small box I needed for the mounting number of little items on my workbench.
I had some pieces of leftover Bubinga and decided that would fit the bill. I should have no problem slowly using my hand saw to cut the wood to size and clean them up on the shooting board, right? Wrong! I was in pain the whole time, so the result is 4 small pieces of wood that aren’t square. My next brilliant idea would be to dovetail the joints instead of just gluing the pieces together. I mean if I am going to make something, I want it to look nice, even if it is just a workbench box. Cutting the dovetails was an exercise in agony, I finally gave in and put the wood away until my shoulder could handle the work (guess I should have listened to the surgeon, physical therapist and SWMBO).
Fast forward a couple of months now and I feel ready to tackle the job again. Today I finished the dovetail cuts, and started chopping away the joints, the pain level was tolerable as I was taking my time. The first dry fit sucked, what was I thinking trying to make a box out of unsquare pieces?! The phrase, you can’t put lipstick on a pig, comes to mind. But at this point, I don’t care, I am finally getting to use my handsaws and planes making saw dust and shavings, WHOOOHOOOO!!!!!
The final product isn’t pretty, isn’t square and isn’t neatly fitted (can you say gaposis?), but I did make something in the shop, it was needed and my shoulder is still attached.
It was a good day in the shop ;O)
-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"
12 comments so far
DAN
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6446 posts in 879 days
posted 88 days ago
looks good on my end ,,, flawless … keep up the good work and take care
-- work from your heart and your spirit will live forever
a1Jim
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16874 posts in 473 days
posted 88 days ago
works for me
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
Maxx
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62 posts in 202 days
posted 88 days ago
Sometimes the project is the wood…and sometimes it’s the woodworker!
-- Where did all this sawdust come from?
rustfever
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130 posts in 206 days
posted 87 days ago
Many of my projects are not square or accurate. And I do not have the bad shoulder tocite as a cause. Good to hear of you recovery.
-- Rustfever, Central California
scrappy
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1626 posts in 326 days
posted 87 days ago
Great little project to SLOWLY get back in the shop. ( a couple months for a little box! thats slowly!!) haha
Great job and functional.
Glad you are recovering.
Scrappy
-- Scrap Wood's the best...the projects are smaller, and so is the mess!
Stanley Coker
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74 posts in 91 days
posted 87 days ago
Looks good to me. I had an accident with my thumb and time out of the shop seemed like forever, but it sure is nice when you can.
Good to hear you can get back out there.
-- Stanley, North Georgia
Woodwrecker
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492 posts in 471 days
posted 87 days ago
You’ll be back in full swing before you know it.
Hang in there.
And by the way, that little box is a peach.
-- Eric
John Gray
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1753 posts in 781 days
posted 87 days ago
Nice job with a bum shoulder. I know about that pain as I had rotator cuff surgery, it’s a long recovery just make sure to go to rehab as long as they say.
-- Only the Shadow knows....................
huff
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1628 posts in 181 days
posted 87 days ago
a bad day in the shop is better than a good day at work! Looks good to me and looks like it was great theraphy.
-- John @ Myrtle Beach
3fingerpat
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909 posts in 564 days
posted 87 days ago
Thanks for the kind words and support.
I should add that the finish is just Tung Oil, which really makes the beauty of the wood shine. If you haven’t worked with Bubinga yet, I would highly recommend it. A very hard and unforgiving wood, if you make a bad cut or go over your line, it will show, and it’s prone to tearout at the grain change. But it works well with saws and hand planes and is one of my favorite woods.
-- "You get what you inspect, not what you expect"
mtkate
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664 posts in 221 days
posted 87 days ago
I was out for 6 months last year due to a crushed and fractured L1. I feel your pain. It gets better and better as we go along. The dovetails are far better than any I have ever made , for sure!
Innovator
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3125 posts in 309 days
posted 87 days ago
Box looks great.
-- Whether You Think You Can or You Think You Can't, YOU ARE RIGHT!!!