Project Information
I must say when Martin first posted this challenge I thought he was a little crazy! Just how and the heck can you build much of anything without glue and fasteners?
Humm well at first I really had no intention on entering anything as I had really no idea what I could build if anything at all. However for weeks I just couldn't let the thought go and well I am happy to say oddly enough thank god for traffic?? Some people talk on the phone or text their friends but this wood geek designs his LJ challenge. No I was drafting while driving but I did run over numerous ways to build just about anything with out glue or fasteners and if I had more time I surely would have but… without further rambling here's my creation.
Constructed mainly from scraps around the garage Cocobolo (hinges), Kingwood (feet), Walnut (pins) Soft Maple (sides) and curly maple for the top this small box measures 6"W x 5"H x 9"L. The sides are ½" in thickness where as the top and bottom are 3/8". The sides utilize through dovetails to ensure the book matched, sliding dovetailed top stays tight where as the bottom is one solid piece. The feet use what I believe you call a fox tenon?? and are made of Kingwood turned from a pen blank. I must say that my extent of thoughts on grain direction have been primarily for esthetic reasons but it became clear that not thinking now would turn my wedge into a log splitterL I needed to be sure my cuts and wedges stayed perpendicular to each other or else! Anyways, once the bottom was assembled I could now move on to assembling the box as it would be tough to clean up the tenons inside the boxL I assembled the box using clamps to ensure the best fit possible and then while clamped I drill and inserted the walnut pins. I trimmed and cleaned up the remaining pins, finish sanded the entire box and moved on to the band saw where I separated the top from the bottom. My next step was to cut dados for the hinges and then machine the Cocobolo to fit the dados. At this point I used some 1/8" dowel to secure the hinges and 3/16" dowel to use as a hinge for the top. Next I used a "T" slot cutter in my router to make room for the 3/16" dowel and rounded the back and bottom with a 3/8 radius bit to allow the top to open, whewww almost done…Now the only step left was to create some sort of handle but unfortunately I still needed to get started on the finish and well I was running out of time so after a couple minutes of thinking?? I came up with using a cove bit to create a small recess.
Are we finished yet??
Thank god something easy! Lighted sanded with 220 then wiped on 4 coats of Arm-R-Seal to help bring out the curl in the top.
On a side note, while test fitting I actually fractured a portion of the right side and wanted so bad to glue it but… what the heck I stabbed an additional walnut pin in there and viola!
I must say this has been one of the most rewarding and eye opening projects I have taking on in a very long time and look forward to the next!
Thanks,
Ron
BTW for anyone that's interested I hope to have the plans completed in the next couple of daysJ
Humm well at first I really had no intention on entering anything as I had really no idea what I could build if anything at all. However for weeks I just couldn't let the thought go and well I am happy to say oddly enough thank god for traffic?? Some people talk on the phone or text their friends but this wood geek designs his LJ challenge. No I was drafting while driving but I did run over numerous ways to build just about anything with out glue or fasteners and if I had more time I surely would have but… without further rambling here's my creation.
Constructed mainly from scraps around the garage Cocobolo (hinges), Kingwood (feet), Walnut (pins) Soft Maple (sides) and curly maple for the top this small box measures 6"W x 5"H x 9"L. The sides are ½" in thickness where as the top and bottom are 3/8". The sides utilize through dovetails to ensure the book matched, sliding dovetailed top stays tight where as the bottom is one solid piece. The feet use what I believe you call a fox tenon?? and are made of Kingwood turned from a pen blank. I must say that my extent of thoughts on grain direction have been primarily for esthetic reasons but it became clear that not thinking now would turn my wedge into a log splitterL I needed to be sure my cuts and wedges stayed perpendicular to each other or else! Anyways, once the bottom was assembled I could now move on to assembling the box as it would be tough to clean up the tenons inside the boxL I assembled the box using clamps to ensure the best fit possible and then while clamped I drill and inserted the walnut pins. I trimmed and cleaned up the remaining pins, finish sanded the entire box and moved on to the band saw where I separated the top from the bottom. My next step was to cut dados for the hinges and then machine the Cocobolo to fit the dados. At this point I used some 1/8" dowel to secure the hinges and 3/16" dowel to use as a hinge for the top. Next I used a "T" slot cutter in my router to make room for the 3/16" dowel and rounded the back and bottom with a 3/8 radius bit to allow the top to open, whewww almost done…Now the only step left was to create some sort of handle but unfortunately I still needed to get started on the finish and well I was running out of time so after a couple minutes of thinking?? I came up with using a cove bit to create a small recess.
Are we finished yet??
Thank god something easy! Lighted sanded with 220 then wiped on 4 coats of Arm-R-Seal to help bring out the curl in the top.
On a side note, while test fitting I actually fractured a portion of the right side and wanted so bad to glue it but… what the heck I stabbed an additional walnut pin in there and viola!
I must say this has been one of the most rewarding and eye opening projects I have taking on in a very long time and look forward to the next!
Thanks,
Ron
BTW for anyone that's interested I hope to have the plans completed in the next couple of daysJ