# The agony, the agony, some more agony and the ecstasy



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Client meet*

Here I am, popping my blog cherry. A warts and all look at what it's like at every stage of the journey of making a bespoke piece of furniture. 
Like all jobs, it begins with a phone call. I'm not that well organised to have an appointment diary. A wardrobe for her boyfriend's Mom. A scribble on a bit of paper will do, date, time, directions, a mental note that I have to be there at that time on that day.

I've done loads of things for this girl before, a Department Store buyer who does a bit of interior design on the side. It's great to have a good working relationship with a client like this, I know that she knows I can be trusted not to make a dog's dinner of it, to turn her ideas into a functioning thing that will be 'just what she wanted'. I also know she has an appreciation for what's involved and what things realistically cost.

On the appointed day, I ready myself. Gather up all the things I need to go and talk wardrobes. Pencil, paper, tape measure, spirit levels to check the walls for plumb, the floor for level, a framing square to see how much off perpendicular the corners are, a pinch rod to check the ceiling height, a catalogue with numerous styles of wardrobe doors and handles, the usual story.

I can't believe this house when I get there. Forget the door catalogue, this isn't going to be some chipboard fantasy. A 300 year old Estate House of giant proportions. We go up to the room to discuss where it's going, I can only describe it as epic. We quickly establish that chipboard in whatever form has no place in this room. Her vision is of something sympathetic to the period details that adorn the room, the house. I couldn't agree more. I already have a mental picture of the piece that would suit it's surroundings. She has that same vision too, it's great that we're reading off the same page.

I leave with the dimensions and a bunch of print outs that she's already prepared, pictures of Victorian and Georgian wardrobes downloaded from the internet. This is the brief, stage 1, but with some proviso's. Design a wardrobe that's not over the top, but styled in Victoriana, functional, mirrors and drawers. Practical considerations too, like getting it up the stairs have to be addressed. I like jobs like this one. Real involved. Immerse yourself in it, but with quiet reserve. There's no point counting chickens…


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## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

renners said:


> *Client meet*
> 
> Here I am, popping my blog cherry. A warts and all look at what it's like at every stage of the journey of making a bespoke piece of furniture.
> Like all jobs, it begins with a phone call. I'm not that well organised to have an appointment diary. A wardrobe for her boyfriend's Mom. A scribble on a bit of paper will do, date, time, directions, a mental note that I have to be there at that time on that day.
> ...


well written blog! Can't wait to follow this one, really like your tone and writing style


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## 9FINGERTIM (Feb 1, 2013)

renners said:


> *Client meet*
> 
> Here I am, popping my blog cherry. A warts and all look at what it's like at every stage of the journey of making a bespoke piece of furniture.
> Like all jobs, it begins with a phone call. I'm not that well organised to have an appointment diary. A wardrobe for her boyfriend's Mom. A scribble on a bit of paper will do, date, time, directions, a mental note that I have to be there at that time on that day.
> ...


Its wonderful that both you and your client are both in tune with the spirit of the house and know what it deserves . some clients want something that insults its surroundings. ive seen people change the interior of a craftsman bungalo into mid century modern and you feel like youve stepped through a time warp going in.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

renners said:


> *Client meet*
> 
> Here I am, popping my blog cherry. A warts and all look at what it's like at every stage of the journey of making a bespoke piece of furniture.
> Like all jobs, it begins with a phone call. I'm not that well organised to have an appointment diary. A wardrobe for her boyfriend's Mom. A scribble on a bit of paper will do, date, time, directions, a mental note that I have to be there at that time on that day.
> ...


Okay, Renners, you have my attention. The job sounds awesome, and there's envy coming your way that you can immerse yourself in a build like this. I don't think I have the guts to do what you do, so I'll follow the blog and enjoy.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Design*

I feel good after the client meeting. I've taken my notes, taken everything I need to into account. They have a good idea of what they want, I have a good idea of what they want. Time to sit down and start drawing. I'm not going to worry about how much this is going to cost right now, just throw some ideas out there, take control of the mouse and start constructing this in 2-D.
It starts with an outline of the space this will take up, and it's a big space. This has got to be functional, it's no good looking pretty if it won't fit anything. I'm toggling between my drawing program and Firefox for reference, pages of images of Victorian wardrobes, trying to find a common denominator, styling clues to draw inspiration from. I know the size, now it's a case of working out the proportions to start, then the details, interior fit, incorporating everything the client wants in a package that I can build, transport and assemble in a seamless way.

Bun feet. I really like the look of them on some of the Googled images, but they won't work for this application owing to the dips and rises in the floor over the 10'6" span. No kind of foot will do, this job is going on a plinth, it has to. This decision is really going to set the tone for the job, a plinth that the carcases can sit into. We discussed making this a breakfront, full length mirrors will be a feature - it's natural to incorporate them in the middle section, breakfront it is, the plinth made in three sections so when it comes to installation, the bottom can be scribed to the floor. I'm seeing beads on most of the images I'm using for reference, a 1/2" bead to break the plinth and the carcase, it's a nice feature, it's so nice it deserves to be repeated on the frieze rail, it just looks right there. I know there will be a budget to work to, yes, it's a fantastic old house, but these fantastic old houses are money pits. This is a design constraint, so I aim to keep it simple.

For me, this is the design process. No decisions are made without good reason, whether that be it fits with the style, or it fits with the making.

Best not to do it all in one go. Take a break, look at it again tomorrow. If it looks right then, it probably is right. More thought, more Googling for reference in case there's anything you missed. Questions. How can I do this? can I do this with what I have? Back for another session pushing the mouse around, this goes here, that goes there - until everything is in its right place.

I'm confident that what I have is close to my client's expectations. Drawing saved, now for some slight variations drawn on layers, so I can toggle between versions.
Save them out as a pdf, compose an email, hit send. The waiting begins…


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## NatalieM (Jan 6, 2013)

renners said:


> *Design*
> 
> I feel good after the client meeting. I've taken my notes, taken everything I need to into account. They have a good idea of what they want, I have a good idea of what they want. Time to sit down and start drawing. I'm not going to worry about how much this is going to cost right now, just throw some ideas out there, take control of the mouse and start constructing this in 2-D.
> It starts with an outline of the space this will take up, and it's a big space. This has got to be functional, it's no good looking pretty if it won't fit anything. I'm toggling between my drawing program and Firefox for reference, pages of images of Victorian wardrobes, trying to find a common denominator, styling clues to draw inspiration from. I know the size, now it's a case of working out the proportions to start, then the details, interior fit, incorporating everything the client wants in a package that I can build, transport and assemble in a seamless way.
> ...


The agony is worth the reward.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Estimate*

The drawings are submitted, I give it time, a watched pot never boils. 
Finally there's something other than tool promotions in my inbox "Have just taken a look at these now - LOVE the second style in particular and love the configuration of drawers/hanging space inside."

YES! This is encouraging. The way we left it after the meeting was I would provide drawings for this project, see how they felt about it and then work out a price, too many variables otherwise. I wouldn't normally do it this way, but in this instance it made sense.

Now they want to know how much it's going to cost. It's so much easier to work out a price when you're looking at a drawing, you can see how many pieces are going to come out of a plank, how many panels, shelves, tops, bottoms out of a sheet. Hinges, knobs, drawer runners, rails. They all add up. Make a list, grab the telephone. Find out who's got what and how much they are charging.

It looks like there's 14 cu ft of sapele in this job - that's 168 bd ft. Whether that's a lot or not isn't important, according to the drawing, that's what it needs. But I don't just want any old sapele. I don't want the orangey crap, it needs to be the right colour to match the veneered sheets that are going into it. I have the telephone conversation with my local Timber Suppliers, they have it in 4/4, 8/4, 12/4 and 16/6 - he assures me that it's dark apart from the 2", which is more orangey than the inch. €44 + Vat a cube, that's $4.51 a bd ft in American money.

If only Brooks hadn't shut down, a builders merchant that carried hardwoods for a lot less, just up the road… I make another telephone call, only thing is, this place is another 40 miles away, let's see if any savings can justify the extra time getting there and diesel. The guy I'm talking to assures me that it's all dark and gives me the trade rate of €30.38 + Vat per cube, or $3.11 a bd ft. It's a no brainer - for the sake of another hour and half in the van and a tenners worth of diesel, I can save €235/$310. That's only the solid, I nearly fall off the chair after I get thru speaking to the clowns at one place about the bevelled mirrors. I spend about an hour on the phone, it's worth it though. By going here and going there, I can bring the cost of materials down to around €2250 - 3000 of your American dollars - there's leeway in that in case of negotiations.

By now, my spreadsheet is filling up. One blank space stares out at me. Labour. This is an unknown quantity. I mentioned earlier that this is an old Estate House. Huge, magnificent. I have a problem with people who base the cost of a job on the perceived wealth of the clients. It's tempting to bump the cost up, but I resist. If this job comes to fruition, I will be glad of the the work. I also appreciate that this has come from a client I respect, I'm also thinking that it would be good to be in there, for future work, and there could well be a lot of that.
Back to labour. Still an unknown quantity. It comes down to working out how much can be done in a day, the doors, the drawers, carcases, crown, finishing, fitting. It's going to take this long to do if the Gods are smiling, at this much an hour, I add in a field for sundries/workshop/diesel and click autosum.

Compose another email, hit send. It's out of my hands now…

The title of the next instalment will either be 'Failure to launch' or 'Materials', and I don't know when it's coming.


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## JGM0658 (Aug 16, 2011)

renners said:


> *Estimate*
> 
> The drawings are submitted, I give it time, a watched pot never boils.
> Finally there's something other than tool promotions in my inbox "Have just taken a look at these now - LOVE the second style in particular and love the configuration of drawers/hanging space inside."
> ...


I never change my prices based on appearances. Some people live in grand houses, have expensive cars but are living paycheck to paycheck with debt up to their necks. Ask your client about her clients, has she sized them up? Are they the kind of people who tend to haggle? I use labor charge a a cushion, I raise it about 30% in case they want to negotiate, this way I can "lower" my hourly rate. If they don't haggle then I buy them an expensive gift at the end of the job.

Best of luck, crossing my fingers from across the pond…


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

renners said:


> *Estimate*
> 
> The drawings are submitted, I give it time, a watched pot never boils.
> Finally there's something other than tool promotions in my inbox "Have just taken a look at these now - LOVE the second style in particular and love the configuration of drawers/hanging space inside."
> ...


Good luck Renners and ill share a little somethin ive learned along the way when putting pricing together. No matter the clients monetary stature its always best to "graze, not gorge". And as my old man says, "I dont want your last nickel, i want your next nickel."

Hope it pans out for you.


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## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

renners said:


> *Estimate*
> 
> The drawings are submitted, I give it time, a watched pot never boils.
> Finally there's something other than tool promotions in my inbox "Have just taken a look at these now - LOVE the second style in particular and love the configuration of drawers/hanging space inside."
> ...


As always, great blog Renners! For a hobbyist it is a real treat to get to look into the process that someone who does this for a living goes through.

It's very interesting because I think we (maybe just me) have one picture of the life of a self employed woodworker, and it may be that it is truly something different.

It helps that your writing style is excellent as well. Looking forward to the next one!


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Estimate*
> 
> The drawings are submitted, I give it time, a watched pot never boils.
> Finally there's something other than tool promotions in my inbox "Have just taken a look at these now - LOVE the second style in particular and love the configuration of drawers/hanging space inside."
> ...


Thanks for your kind words. Chrisstef, your father is a wise man.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*White Smoke*

A decision has been reached. The job is going ahead. One small change, more shelves in one part, other than that, they are 'delighted' with the design. This is validation for the four/five hours spent sitting down designing this thing. I feel like I served up an ace - it's reassuring for my client too, knowing that we've not started off at cross purposes. This is great, I'm looking forward to doing such an involved job. I'm also relieved because pickings are pretty slim here. This job will serve as a filler while I'm waiting for the go ahead on a staircase and finishing off an attic conversion. Now I need to know if a couple in Dublin want that king size bed making. Time to start prioritising, organising. Clearing the bench.


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## CharlieM1958 (Nov 7, 2006)

renners said:


> *White Smoke*
> 
> A decision has been reached. The job is going ahead. One small change, more shelves in one part, other than that, they are 'delighted' with the design. This is validation for the four/five hours spent sitting down designing this thing. I feel like I served up an ace - it's reassuring for my client too, knowing that we've not started off at cross purposes. This is great, I'm looking forward to doing such an involved job. I'm also relieved because pickings are pretty slim here. This job will serve as a filler while I'm waiting for the go ahead on a staircase and finishing off an attic conversion. Now I need to know if a couple in Dublin want that king size bed making. Time to start prioritising, organising. Clearing the bench.


Sounds like the "feast or famine" cycle is trending towards "feast". Next thing you know, you'll be that s.o.b. who never shows up as scheduled because he's got too many irons in the fire.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *White Smoke*
> 
> A decision has been reached. The job is going ahead. One small change, more shelves in one part, other than that, they are 'delighted' with the design. This is validation for the four/five hours spent sitting down designing this thing. I feel like I served up an ace - it's reassuring for my client too, knowing that we've not started off at cross purposes. This is great, I'm looking forward to doing such an involved job. I'm also relieved because pickings are pretty slim here. This job will serve as a filler while I'm waiting for the go ahead on a staircase and finishing off an attic conversion. Now I need to know if a couple in Dublin want that king size bed making. Time to start prioritising, organising. Clearing the bench.


Patience James. All will be revealed.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Bring it on*

I'm just trying to think about everything that's happened relating to this job between now and the last part…

Received a cheque in the post for the deposit, which was nice

Made some prototype corbels

Got some stuff on order

Ooh, ooh, the massive cove cutter came from MLCS (can you tell I'm excited about that?)

I made a couple of jobs too - some 'chicken proof' kitchen cabinets, provençal style, antiqued, with chicken wire doors, and just finished a king size white oak bed which took aeons to spray. That's in pieces on the bench at the moment, waiting for delivery. I got so sick of waiting around this morning for the finish to dry, I headed off to get timber for the wardrobe.

Never been to this place before but they have a good reputation and have been in business for 200 years.
So I arrive there, it's not like my local timber merchants. You have to go in the showroom and ask for whatever it is you want to be lifted down from the orange shelving. I don't mind the wait, this place has a few items of interest on display - I'm reminded of Lumberjocks looking at the pen turning blanks in cocobolo, purpleheart and zebrano.

They beckon me through, there is the bale of one inch mahogany (sapele) brought down for sifting through. I can't believe it, and not in a good way. I make the Obi Wan Kenobi gesture, this is not the mahogany I'm looking for… it looks light, a guy in the store is good enough to run an offcut through the planer, yep, this is totally the wrong colour, salmon pink. It might be the right price but if I take it I will be making a rod for my own back when it comes to finishing this behemoth.

The gaffer comes over and we have a chat, he's sympathetic to my plight 'having been a maker of bespoke kitchens for years with six people working for him', I ask him if he'll fetch down the 2" stuff to look at. This is more like it, perfect in every respect, he gives me a hand sorting through the bale. Never just pick up a piece and hope for the best. We look for colour consistency, straightness, defects and warping. Nice to get someone else's opinion on my selection too. He even rounds the cubic ft down as he tallies it up. I'm impressed.

Load the van, drive back 50 miles with the planks poking out the back, tailgate held as closed as it can go with a length of flex that was for something else. Hope I don't get pulled by some narky cop for having an unsafe load (there was no danger of losing any of it), hope none of my bits and bobs in the back of the van get sucked out and scattered on the motorway behind me like in Hollywood, when a window gets shot out in a plane.

Get back cold but safe. I have it all unloaded and ready to go for the morning, just have to get that bed out the way, let the games commence…


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## Toolz (Feb 26, 2008)

renners said:


> *Bring it on*
> 
> I'm just trying to think about everything that's happened relating to this job between now and the last part…
> 
> ...


Welcome aboard.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Eating an elephant...*

I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"

The answer to the elephant riddle of course, is, "a piece at a time".
My studio manager way back then had a penchant for those cheesy, motivational expressions, and other bull******************** too.

Knowing that this job ain't gonna make itself, my plan of attack is carcases, base, doors, drawers, shelves, frieze rail and cornice in that order, I remind myself that this is only a plan, and that plans change, all the time.

So I find myself with the bench cleared, materials got, and making a start on this job. These planks are 2×13ish x 12', pretty heavy and I made the mistake of piling them in front of where I keep my mitre saw. Plan B, cut them to length with the track saw after first inspecting the painted ends for checks and shakes.

Now I have something to work with. Find the straightest edge and knock off the high spots with the electric planer first. I get them looking pretty good, time to get ripping.

Now I have manageable stock to work with, two square edges on the surface planer, split these pieces on the saw, what can go wrong?

Bananas. That's what I get. Two pieces as crooked as bananas by the time the saw splits them. I'm not upset, I kind of expected it. That's what you get with African hardwoods. I left them well oversize for final dimensioning, but the curvature in some of the pieces is too extreme to correct by jointer alone.
Plan B again, laminate the stock together. I've done this before on jobs with long, light stiles. It's a bit more work but I can do it quickly and I know it will save a lot of frustration and time on the surface planer. The extra stiffness gained by laminating the pieces is a bonus too, especially for the two full height mirrored doors.
Another session thicknessing and I'm ready for the first bit of gluing. I stack up all the pieces in the order of the glue up and need to apply thin even coats of adhesive quickly. My weapon of choice for this operation is a 4" paint roller.

Clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, clamp, wrap up the roller in cling film for the next time, walk away.

I check them this morning, they are good. The even bead of squeeze out a reassuring sign.

From here on in, I will just be doing fairly unremarkable things every day. The next installment will most likely have something of interest in it, but then again, it might not…


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


That's going to be gorgeous!


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


James, Pic 2 is the interior. It's a breakfront design measuring 10'6" wide and 7'6" High. It's not that massive but it's big for a free standing piece.


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## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


How's she cutting !


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


very cool … you are living the dream

,,


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

renners said:


> *Eating an elephant...*
> 
> I remember an inhouse training manual from the 90's that started off with "How do you eat an elephant?"
> 
> ...


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*20 minute slot mortiser*

Fairly unremarkable things on this job today. Just about done with the planing. It's running behind schedule, Easter holidays mean the kids are at home and I've got to do the running about.

Standing at the planer today I was thinking about how I could speed this job up a bit. I used loose tenons to make four doors for my 'chicken proof' project a couple of weeks ago, they were really quick, close fitting and accurate. It took hardly any time at all to sand down the doors, no racking either. I come to the conclusion that a table to hold a router sideways is needed and start planning it. It will save a lot of time making all the frame and panel pieces.

Think simple, I haven't got time to engineer one. Think agricultural. Think birch ply scraps, pivots, bolts and screws.

First cut the scraps to what looks about right.

Scrap one, place router on 3/4 birch ply, draw around base with pencil. Freehand out 1/2" with router. Remove router base plate, put in the hole you just took out of the ply, pencil around the screws in the base plate, drill the holes, attach router to ply. Put base plate somewhere you can find it later.










Scrap 2, 3, 4 make a small table size piece, make two lengths to act as legs running the whole length of the table, attach at edges, make 90 degree blocks to keep the construction square.










Attach scrap one to the back of one of your legs with a single bolt, fastened with a nyloc nut, the pivoting action gives me all the height adjustment I need. At the end of the pivotong piece, attach a strip of the same material to the leg of the table extending upwards, then attach a wider scrap to that, so it overlaps the pivoting piece to keep it in place.



















Need to add a piece above above the cutter to act as a hold down and guard, and put a bolt with a wing nut through the piece holding the router and the overlapping bit at the back to lock it (I suppose a g cramp would do). Other than that, should be ready to go in the morning. Do I need to add a disclaimer?


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

renners said:


> *20 minute slot mortiser*
> 
> Fairly unremarkable things on this job today. Just about done with the planing. It's running behind schedule, Easter holidays mean the kids are at home and I've got to do the running about.
> 
> ...


I would probably make a carrier board with a square edge
and a right angle fence.

If you had a Woodrat plunge bar you would have it 
easy because it lets you plunge the cutter with one
hand.

I did build the setup I am describing a few years back
during a downsizing when I got rid of my heavy slot
mortiser.

In one of James Krenov's books he describes freehand
plunging and mortising with no jigs, but the chuck
was running considerably slower than a router.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *20 minute slot mortiser*
> 
> Fairly unremarkable things on this job today. Just about done with the planing. It's running behind schedule, Easter holidays mean the kids are at home and I've got to do the running about.
> 
> ...


This works really well, just put stop blocks front and back of the cutter and do a walking plunge with the board - zigzagging it into the cutter to full depth. Did 48 slot mortises with it this afternoon, have to stop half way through each mortise to vacuum up the dust. I could do with some spiral upcut bits but they're not something you see here.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Progress*

I'm finally beginning to see pieces of this job rather than just planks and bags of shavings. The plan changed a bit. Each side panel is now going frame and panel construction as a weight saving measure, I ordered 5 sheets 3/8 mahogany veneered mdf, but they have to be made and they take two weeks. So I got everything ready for the ends, then made the doors, and the template for the beveled mirror. Took that off to the Glass Shop - might be ready this week or next. All the doors have offset tenons as the veneer panels and mirrors are held in with molding.

Bit of a seat of your pants moment, cutting the arches in the doors. The top rails are 5 1/2" deep - cutting the arch into the top rails prior to assembly wasn't an option because the thin ends of the arches wouldn't have glued well at the stile. I didn't want to make diminished stile doors either. So they got put in as blanks, and the arch taken out with a router, then followed that up with a rebate cutter. That was new as well, from Axminster, I am liking that bit a lot, it made a small snowstorm of fine shavings, just taking out small passes at a time, climb cutting the end of the piece, the bit didn't want to run away on me at all. Any bits of timber that I've sanded down look really nice, I'm beginning to get a good feeling about this.


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## elisanacpinto (Feb 14, 2013)

renners said:


> *Progress*
> 
> I'm finally beginning to see pieces of this job rather than just planks and bags of shavings. The plan changed a bit. Each side panel is now going frame and panel construction as a weight saving measure, I ordered 5 sheets 3/8 mahogany veneered mdf, but they have to be made and they take two weeks. So I got everything ready for the ends, then made the doors, and the template for the beveled mirror. Took that off to the Glass Shop - might be ready this week or next. All the doors have offset tenons as the veneer panels and mirrors are held in with molding.
> 
> Bit of a seat of your pants moment, cutting the arches in the doors. The top rails are 5 1/2" deep - cutting the arch into the top rails prior to assembly wasn't an option because the thin ends of the arches wouldn't have glued well at the stile. I didn't want to make diminished stile doors either. So they got put in as blanks, and the arch taken out with a router, then followed that up with a rebate cutter. That was new as well, from Axminster, I am liking that bit a lot, it made a small snowstorm of fine shavings, just taking out small passes at a time, climb cutting the end of the piece, the bit didn't want to run away on me at all. Any bits of timber that I've sanded down look really nice, I'm beginning to get a good feeling about this.


It looks really nice. I like it. 
bulk flash drives


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*A bad day*

It was all going so well, had a minor electrical issue with the dust extractor (fried capacitor) last week, but the electrically knowing 'jocks amongst you came to my aid, and within a couple of hours I had switched the capacitor from the band saw and was once more sucking chips and dust.

However, I fear nothing will help me today. The foul stench of TS death has overpowered the spicy smell of sapele dust that I have become accustomed to for the last two weeks. Smoke issuing from the ventilation slots, hot casing, press the button and nothing happens, just an electrical moan of protest and more foul smelling smoke.

My table saw has gone and died on me. It's motor sent to the afterlife.

Having already lived through this before a couple of years ago, I know that it's going to be a five week wait for a new motor to come from Germany. I have already had the denial phase, anger too, especially when I gouged a big chunk out of my finger with a torx bit removing the motor.

Think Renners, think!

This motor's predecessor chewed up the gear on the armature shaft, but electrically, it was functioning fine. It made a crunching, rattling sound before finally refusing to engage the blade, but still whirred like a sewing machine. That motor got taken out and stored in the garden shed, in case 'it might come in useful'. I've retrieved it in the hope of taking the good gearbox off the smoking motor and cobbling together something that works from the two cripples, just to get me by, but do you think that gear will come off the armature? No. It mocks me. I rang the nearest power tool service centre to me but they won't touch it because it's not a brand they stock, I'm back in the anger phase, grrr.

Next phone call is to 'Power Tool and Plant Hire', maybe they can do something. Maybe they can 'but not until Saturday', they have strimmers and ride-ons to service and won't get to look at it before then. This is frustrating, surely my table saw is more important than someone's front lawn. Pah! I suddenly detest gardening even more.

I need to calm down a bit and put things into perspective. I'm nearly done with all the heavy cutting, I can nip into my Father in Laws and borrow his Scheppach Combination saw - that's a mitre saw with a table on top for ripping, handy for when you're fitting jobs, so it is.

I'd almost go out and buy a new table saw, but I need to get paid for this job before I can do that.

Typical.

I knew something like this was going to happen…

...3 Hours later…

I saved myself a wasted journey to the powertool repair place on Saturday. The smoking motor is different to the old one. Pulled out the armatures, they are similar but not the same. I was hoping I could swap them but the newer one has a smaller end bearing and bigger fan. Bugger.

Bugger and acceptance.


----------



## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

renners said:


> *A bad day*
> 
> It was all going so well, had a minor electrical issue with the dust extractor (fried capacitor) last week, but the electrically knowing 'jocks amongst you came to my aid, and within a couple of hours I had switched the capacitor from the band saw and was once more sucking chips and dust.
> 
> ...


Just like the Spanish Inquisition, late to the Old Bailey, bugger.
Go sit in the Comfy Chair.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *A bad day*
> 
> It was all going so well, had a minor electrical issue with the dust extractor (fried capacitor) last week, but the electrically knowing 'jocks amongst you came to my aid, and within a couple of hours I had switched the capacitor from the band saw and was once more sucking chips and dust.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the 'mercy comment' Gene.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*A better day than yesterday*

If you've been following this blog you'll know the table saw 'went for a Burton' yesterday. I'm done dwelling on the inconvenience this will cause mid build and am resolved to just get this project done and delivered as soon as I can by any means possible.

The final duty the gutless saw performed today, before putting it in the garden shed out the way, was to hold the router inverted for making the cornice pieces. I would call it a table saw mounted router table, but then many of you with hours of labour invested in meticulous T-tracked proper router tables, might object to that nomenclature being applied to my scrappy effort. A piece of mdf with a hole on stretchers, straddling the saw's rails to hold the router inverted. It works, I have several, fence is anything lying around, adjustments made by cramps.

Right from the very beginning, this job was going to have a massive cove cornice on it. When I was designing this thing, that big, exaggerated cove was on nearly every piece of furniture I looked at for reference. It was one of the first design decisions I made on the job. I even bought the biggest cutter from MLCS specifically for it.

So now, for making the pieces. Four blanks, 4 1/2×1 1/8, DeWalt 625 router, collet extension, monster bit from MLCS.

I set up my rudimentary router table and take a nibble at a time, until its full depth and more. Even though this cutter is 2 3/4" diameter, it's not as big as I'd like it to be. I can't say I'm terribly impressed by the bit itself. It works, it did the job, but it was a bit chattery compared to other big router bits I own. I'd give it 3 out of 5 in a review.










Above shows the full depth cut. I wanted to extend the arc flush with the face edges, so set the table up like this to pass the workpiece over the cutter at an angle and moving the fence out.










This last image of it was taken during the set up, the finished pieces came out just as well as I'd expected.
Extending the cut has added a full inch to the width of the cove. It's awesome and just what I wanted to achieve.










With that done, I decided to make a 'loaf' for tomorrow.

Knocked up a little 'loaf tin' which got filled with expanding foam, and will use that as a contoured sanding block for cleaning up today's work - the foam will take 24 hour to cure, but it looks like it should work.










Of course, I also need to bevel the edges to 45°, that won't take long, have to do it on either the router table or planer (jointer) seeing as the saw's gone.

Oh, and 'going for a Burton' is a peculiarly English saying from the days when the only suit a working class man would own would be the one he was buried in, from Burton's Menswear of course.


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## Marty5965 (Jan 27, 2013)

renners said:


> *A better day than yesterday*
> 
> If you've been following this blog you'll know the table saw 'went for a Burton' yesterday. I'm done dwelling on the inconvenience this will cause mid build and am resolved to just get this project done and delivered as soon as I can by any means possible.
> 
> ...


Lol, does Burton's even exist anymore?


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*If I could get at this it would be ok...*

I have been waiting for the 9mm veneered mdf to come in before gluing up all the frame and panel pieces. I get the phone call on Tuesday, "Renners, your sheets of oak are here" ...

You are [email protected] kidding me.

"Er, you mean mahogany?"

"Hang on, I'll go and check"

I breathe a sigh of relief as he comes back and tells me that the sheets are, indeed, mahogany as I had ordered.

"Ah Jeez…" I say "...you put the heart sideways in me there, so you did". 
Maybe I've been living in Ireland too long, these Irish expressions occasionally come out, in a subconscious piss-take kind of way.

So I go into town and pick them up, they have been made to order which is why it took two weeks, expensive too, €63 a go, so they'd want to be right. Get them back to the workshop, some parts make me cringe, the inevitable yonic repeat you get with knife cut veneers, but some parts look really good too. I spend a little while sorting out a cutting order, where can I lose that bit?, where I can have that bit on show?.

There's a nice run of 'pippy' veneer that I select for the doors and visible end panel, the bits I don't like will go where they'll never be seen. There's some other weird patterns repeating in the sheets, like crazy skulls, owls, and one bit that reminds me of a helmet in 'Gladiator', where Russell Crowe is fighting the freed Champion whilst contending with tigers too.

The track saw makes short work of the sheets, I'd already pre-dadoed the frame pieces with a plunge router to save time. I just need to take another whisker out, I do that quickly enough, cramping all the stopped dado pieces together to make a wide surface so the router doesn't tip over, and just making a small adjustment on the router table for the thru dadoes. I manage to get three out of six panels glued up, all of them go together well, I am quite pleased with myself for making the "20 minute slot morticer" for loose tenoning this job, which has worked like a charm.

Then we get another phone call. My wife's Uncle has died in Mayo. Down tools. Pack the car. Off to the Wesht.

There's nothing can be done. Can't be in two places at once. Priorities.


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

renners said:


> *If I could get at this it would be ok...*
> 
> I have been waiting for the 9mm veneered mdf to come in before gluing up all the frame and panel pieces. I get the phone call on Tuesday, "Renners, your sheets of oak are here" ...
> 
> ...


Life is not always easy. I feel for you.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

renners said:


> *If I could get at this it would be ok...*
> 
> I have been waiting for the 9mm veneered mdf to come in before gluing up all the frame and panel pieces. I get the phone call on Tuesday, "Renners, your sheets of oak are here" ...
> 
> ...


Sorry for the news, best wishes for your family.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *If I could get at this it would be ok...*
> 
> I have been waiting for the 9mm veneered mdf to come in before gluing up all the frame and panel pieces. I get the phone call on Tuesday, "Renners, your sheets of oak are here" ...
> 
> ...


Thanks madts, thanks derosa.

Back at it now. My workshop feels like that bit in the first Star Wars movie, where Han, Luke, Leia and Chewie are in the garbage compactor - the walls are closing in on me.

Here's an example of the crazy repeat pattern in that veneered mdf.









I couldn't put that on show, it would give a child nightmares


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Not quite on the pig's back, but not far off...*

The shop's a mess, stuff everywhere. Big tidy up tomorrow, first thing.

Carcases together, all looking good, check.

Doors made, check.

Base made, check.

Crown made, check.

That leaves all the fiddly little things, corbels, curved bolection mouldings, frieze rail. Thankfully those bits won't need a lot of room, because room is a thing I'm almost out of. I'm glad in way that the saw died and got shunted into the garden shed, it's freed up a couple more square feet so at least I can move things around a little more easily.










Roller stands came in useful making the base, my assembly table is only 7' long, made the base so I can split it in 2 or three for getting it up the stairs.









Nice fit on the base, look, real sawdust and a chewed up pencil









It's getting kinda cramped








I lost a millimetre somewhere, 3119 instead of 3200, damn.









Beer cans shown for scale

It's all semi sanded, just need to give it a light rub with p180 before finishing. I bought a packet of the DeWalt 6" ROS discs - the yellow Siafast ones. I know it's only sanding discs, but the feel is way superior to any other manufacturers' I've come across.

I had another two jobs come in this week, one sliding wardrobe and a ten foot built in wardrobe, as well as looking at some Mickey Mouse stuff for a Doctor. woohoo.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*winging it - Bolection mouldings*

Today's piece of the puzzle was making the little curved top bolection mouldings for the doors. To be honest, I have never needed to do this before, I've never been asked, but like so many things, when people specifically want something, I have trouble saying no.

How hard can it be? If a man in a workshop lit by gas with machinery powered by a waterwheel could do it 150 years ago, then so can I, with all the convenience that 230v offers, and a ******************** load of power tools.

This is my justification process.

Just a matter of figuring it out.

Back to the drawing program. Adobe Illustrator, I love it. Draw a path, work out the offsets, print it out, glue it down onto a piece of mdf, et voila! Instant, accurate templates. Well, of course you have to cut them out and do, but you get the picture.










I'd originally planned to do bent laminates for these mouldings, but after testing some thinly prepared stock, I figured I would have to take the material down to 0.9mm to get around the tightest curves and that would mean laminating 14 pieces together to get the half inch. There's six doors as well.

When you are handling that much of a glue up it has the potential to go wrong very easily. I also wanted to get away from glue lines, so scrap the bent laminate, join pieces together instead.

I had the shape and sizes worked out and found the spot to mitre the tight curves. Three pieces make up the top piece of moulding, I started out by splining them together, seeing as I am still without a saw, (roll your eyes, yes, I am still going on about that), I did them with the router.



















I had a convex and a concave temple made for the outer and inner curves. To ensure they both registered with the workpiece, I placed them in position on top of each other (overlapping) and bored screw holes for attaching the workpiece. One set of screw holes in the underside of the workpiece fits both templates, clever, huh. I opted for two templates instead of one as I thought it was that small, it would be good to have have something to get a grip on.
Then it was just a case of roughing out on the bandsaw, bearing guided router profiler, then using a 1/4 bearing guided round over bit to get the profile.


















the splines are quite discreet
Yes the photo shows it all burnt up, nothing a bit of sanding can't fix, 









and finally, to test the how strong the moulding was, i suspended my 4" belt sander from it. Didn't break surprisingly.


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## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

renners said:


> *winging it - Bolection mouldings*
> 
> Today's piece of the puzzle was making the little curved top bolection mouldings for the doors. To be honest, I have never needed to do this before, I've never been asked, but like so many things, when people specifically want something, I have trouble saying no.
> 
> ...


" How hard can it be? If a man in a workshop lit by gas with machinery powered by a waterwheel could do it 150 years ago, then so can I, with all the convenience that 230v offers,* and a ******************** load of power tools*."

You are right ! Rock on .


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *winging it - Bolection mouldings*
> 
> Today's piece of the puzzle was making the little curved top bolection mouldings for the doors. To be honest, I have never needed to do this before, I've never been asked, but like so many things, when people specifically want something, I have trouble saying no.
> 
> ...


Devil's horns back at you moment

Stay tuned for the part entitled 'Soliloquy'


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## S4S (Jan 22, 2011)

renners said:


> *winging it - Bolection mouldings*
> 
> Today's piece of the puzzle was making the little curved top bolection mouldings for the doors. To be honest, I have never needed to do this before, I've never been asked, but like so many things, when people specifically want something, I have trouble saying no.
> 
> ...


will do !


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Hitting the wall...*

That's what Marathon runners call that point where they want to give up. 
I could never see the point in running personally. Quicker to drive.

This job feels like a Marathon, a test of endurance, and I've reached a point in this where nothing seems to be happening. I'm spending long days at it trying to get it finished, but there seems to be so many things to do still, glue ups for shelves, making mouldings, adding shelf stretchers, fixing little things that aren't quite right, like the drawers that were too tight, shimming out the hinges. there's one schoolboy error I made with the shelf in the centre carcase. Glued/screwed and plugged the shelf stretchers in that one and then discovered the shelf won't go in any way other than from behind, not a biggie, just not what I had planned on doing.

Lots of alone time with the ear protectors on, planing, routing and sanding. I get to think about things I would have done differently on this job, like whether it was wise to buy 2" stock - when the inch has proven to be much more stable and easier to handle, or how the web frame for the drawers would have been a lot easier to make on the bench than make it in the carcase.

It's nearly there, not far to go now. The home straight.

The whole place is covered with fine red dust, I plan to make a spray booth from plastic sheets taped floor to ceiling for finishing this job, I have extraction in the ceiling. Spray the carcases first and cover with drop cloths, then shelves, doors and drawers. Better finish making it though before thinking about that.

It is looking good though.


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## kaetamer135 (Apr 14, 2012)

renners said:


> *Hitting the wall...*
> 
> That's what Marathon runners call that point where they want to give up.
> I could never see the point in running personally. Quicker to drive.
> ...


I agree, it is quicker to drive. BUT, after you finish a mountain trail run of 101.3 miles that traverses 13 mountain passes the highest of which is over 14000 feet and has total climb of 34,900 feet and it takes every bit of strength and will to finish it in 46h50m (no breaks, no sleep) you begin to see the point in running. I'm just saying…


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## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

renners said:


> *Hitting the wall...*
> 
> That's what Marathon runners call that point where they want to give up.
> I could never see the point in running personally. Quicker to drive.
> ...


Usually when I think I'm almost done, I'm about 40% there. Details, mistakes, repairs, sanding and things that you've been avoiding take seemingly forever. 
I jolly along my boss by feigning incompetence and exhaustion but seeing as you are your own I would suggest feigning a studied indifference. Go ahead, fire me.
I prefer driving too, but even better, being driven.

Looking forward to the finished piece in all its swan song glory.
gene

Are you keeping a running total of your time or would you rather not know?


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Hitting the wall...*
> 
> That's what Marathon runners call that point where they want to give up.
> I could never see the point in running personally. Quicker to drive.
> ...


Thank you Gene, that is reassuring. So I am not the only one this happens to. Phew!

This job has taken a back seat again Thurs/Fri/Sat/Sun because I got married on Friday.

Although I have often referred to my 'wife' on Lumberjocks, it was always easier and quicker to say 'wife' than 'long suffering partner' or 'partner and baby mother'. Anyway we did it, quietly and without much fuss, just a nice weekend with family.

Now back to this job. Next part "Corbels", followed by "Soliloquy" and ending on '• F I N •'


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## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

renners said:


> *Hitting the wall...*
> 
> That's what Marathon runners call that point where they want to give up.
> I could never see the point in running personally. Quicker to drive.
> ...


Congratulations.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Soliloquy*

I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.

So hit the back button now if you're looking for woodworking tips or technical stuff. There's none of that here. Don't go posting complaints in the comments, although judging by the low comment count, I think that unlikely anyway (what?, is it me? was it something I said?)

Standing at the planer or saw or router table with the ear muffs on, I often think there must be an easier way to make a living. There's not been a whole lot of satisfaction accompanying this job. I liked going out to meet my client, I liked designing it, I liked it when I got the job and started making it. But now the pressures on and it's beginning to feel a chore. It's not going to take much longer, I've been lucky with it, nothing has happened that couldn't be fixed easily. The worst thing being one end panel took a bow of just shy 1/8 following a twist in the grain. Wood movement that I hadn't expected. It was perfect when I glued it up, come to hang the door, another thing to fix. Other than that, nothing's been dropped or dented, everything fits well. I did put a door down on a screw, it was going to happen sooner or later, but a blast of steam and a quick bit of sanding took care of that. Now I'm really looking forward to seeing it finished and fitted.

I've gone well over time on this already. That doesn't seem to matter. I can't rush it, this job has got to be done properly. Putting the bolection mouldings on has proved to be awkward, cutting the crown was quite intense as well, first time cutting crown on the flat with compound mitres - bevel 30° mitre 35.3° for a 45° spring angle but it works perfectly and it's lot safer than trying to hold short pieces upright. The crown really gives it an air of grandeur.

Doing things properly is what it's all about for me. I never used to be a cabinet maker. Worked for the Man in graphics prepress for 20 years, chewed up and spat out by the machine, unemployable in a shrinking industry that pays peanuts for monkeys. I have the guy who made and fitted my kitchen and wardrobes to thank for my career change. He wasn't a kindly old benefactor or master craftsman willing to take me on. No. Just a brute judging by the quality of my expensive fitted kitchen. My epiphany at the time was "I can do that better than that" and that is how I got here. Calloused hands and all.

It's nice working on a diverse range of stuff, but that stuff is only as diverse as my clients. I have a few with a bit of imagination, they always want the jobs I really look forward to. Not so much fun the humdrum for the cost conscious. Maybe I'm a snob, it wouldn't surprise me. It's highs and lows living life as a self employed cabinet maker - the agony and the ecstasy - a little dramatic perhaps, but true nonetheless. I want to get away from the low end of the market, I hope this job will in some way help with that, but it will merely be a photo on a website at some point. I'm reminded that the word 'hope' doesn't belong in a plan.

'Dream' probably doesn't either.


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


Keep on digging, you are allmost there.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


The work of yours I've seen always looks like top quality workmanship,that does not happen by accident. Wood working as a business is not as glamorous as many would think. You will finish it ,it will turn out great and then your done,until next time, then you start the process all over again with the next project.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


A post with the word 'soliloquy' gets my attention.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who makes a living at woodworking or even tries to. While it's great to say that our jobs/careers should be something we're passionate about, a job is also a great way to extinguish the passion…

Hang in there. It will get done, one step at a time.


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## Momcanfixit (Sep 19, 2012)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


And from the old Shakespeare himself:

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes."

There might be a lesson in there for all of us…... just sayin'


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## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


Love the post. I think carpenters/woodworkers tend towards prose and introspection.

A friend once told me; "A carpenter can do anything". Years later, I am starting to believe that.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


Any job has its sucky parts. Good jobs have less of this. Enjoy the good parts and maybe the sucky parts will diminish.

Thanks for sharing and good luck!


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


*renners*, we all, at least I did have those exact same feelings. I worked in high tech for 40 years and many times, more than I can count, I wondered what if I was doing anything worthwhile.

One of my managers had the same feelings so when she decided that enough is enough, she quit and moved back to Norway. She is happy as a Lark (if they have those in Norway). I got some relief when I was working in DNA micro-arrays as these arrays were helping research labs discover causalities for breast cancer which was to late for my mother but I hope it will help some. *So hang in there it will all lighten up … eventually! *

*Buckethead*, not to turn this into a religious slant but one carpenter even rose from the dead!


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Soliloquy*
> 
> I'm not that pretentious to claim to know Shakespeare, I just wanted to drop a little mindset thing in here, just before the last part(s) of this blog.
> 
> ...


Wood working as a business is not as glamorous as many would think. You will finish it ,it will turn out great and then your done,until next time, then you start the process all over again with the next project.

Thank you Jim, that's it in a nutshell.

I'm not down about this job, just in the grinding it out stage. I will be beaming from ear to ear once that spray gun comes out - and the ecstasy? well that will come.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*oh, please!*

Just gone in workshop to make sure everything's turned off before going to bed. Cleaned a mirror with a fresh wad of kitchen roll and white spirit. There's a line of four scratches along the whole length. Big ones.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *oh, please!*
> 
> Just gone in workshop to make sure everything's turned off before going to bed. Cleaned a mirror with a fresh wad of kitchen roll and white spirit. There's a line of four scratches along the whole length. Big ones.


James that sucks, I've already phoned my client twice to say her jobs not ready. The Glass shop won't have a replacement for maybe 10 days - because they only occasionally do beveled glass they use a guy to do the hand cuts who only comes to town once a fortnight. It looks like it was dragged off the bench on a splinter of glass to me. I could do without this.


----------



## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *oh, please!*
> 
> Just gone in workshop to make sure everything's turned off before going to bed. Cleaned a mirror with a fresh wad of kitchen roll and white spirit. There's a line of four scratches along the whole length. Big ones.


^I need Robin Williams


----------



## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

renners said:


> *oh, please!*
> 
> Just gone in workshop to make sure everything's turned off before going to bed. Cleaned a mirror with a fresh wad of kitchen roll and white spirit. There's a line of four scratches along the whole length. Big ones.


Excellent clip^^^

I may need to borrow this. (On a daily basis)


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Cheap trick*

Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'

The finish has gone on better than I expected. Becker Acroma acid catalysed satin lacquer. It's really brought out the colour and character of the wood, leaving a deep lustrous satin finish, smooth to the touch.










I attribute the ease of application this time to backing the van up to the garage door, putting the turbine in the van and running the hose out of the tail gate and under the garage door. The filters haven't clogged once, just sucking in that fresh country air, sans overspray. On/off operated by unplugging an extension lead. Low tech, but effective.

Sure it's noisy, my neighbours are probably sick of the sound of it running - like a very angry vacuum cleaner, but then again, live and let live. The guy next door has OCD about power washing everything, and that's definitely noisier than my Fuji Mini Mite turbine.

But there's always one fly in the ointment.

I've been careful, real careful with this job. I only noticed one little chip gone out of a moulding once the first coat of lacquer went down.










Of course it's glued and pinned on and never coming off, and if I simply fill it with putty, it will look like I simply filled it with putty. So I sneak upstairs to where my wife keeps the cotton buds, grab a few, and prepare to repair the affected spot.

I can't remember where I read it, but bumps and knocks are made noticeable by the reflection of light and shadows. A disturbance in the smoothness of the surface. Get it back smooth and the problem disappears.










So using the cotton buds, I fill the offending chip with drops of lacquer. It might take 3 or 4 or five goes to do this, just until the lacquer is proud of the surface. Then it can be sanded back level, spray on the second coat.

Chip? what chip?


----------



## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


A clever solution! Looks very good.


----------



## GaryC (Dec 31, 2008)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


Nice fix..


----------



## Buckethead (Apr 14, 2013)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


Well done. The cabinet in its entirety is amazing. The arches at each panel are perfection. I so want to develop the skills to produce such exacting details. For now, I trudge through demolition and reinstallation of (mostly mdf/plastic laminate) millwork. I don't even supply the new millwork. By this time next year, I plan to change that. Not sure I have the chops to build from fine hardwoods… Yet.

You guys and your projects are inspiration.


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## sras (Oct 31, 2009)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


Awesome repair!


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## oldnovice (Mar 7, 2009)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


*Got to remember this good tip!*


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


James, I know someone else with that very same motto. A wise man indeed. This job will be wrapped in swaddling, don't worry. I don't care if I cause a five mile tail back delivering this job, it will be handled like a baby.


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

renners said:


> *Cheap trick*
> 
> Just about at the end of the 'Sprayathon'
> 
> ...


Its a long road and the sharp turns give great rewards

Nicely done and repaired


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*Corbels - what do you think?*

Stay or go, what do you think?



















That's the best I could come up with in Photoshop

They are the last thing to go on, or I could leave them off.

I'm in two minds.

Are they ok or a bit crappy?

They need to be shallow at the top to meet the frieze rail.

That dictates the style.

I welcome any comments, be honest.


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## whitebeast88 (May 27, 2012)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


IMHO.go to me they don't add that much.


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## DanYo (Jun 30, 2007)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


leave them off … that's my vote too


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


Thanks James I value your opinion - and whitebeast and Dan, everytime I see them on the bench I think 'they look really good' then about 5 minutes later I think 'I don't really like them'.


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


Too me it looks too busy. Show us a pic without.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


I would not use them here because there's nothing
sticking out for them to appear to support.


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## vipond33 (Jul 25, 2011)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


Aesthetically, they should go. Trust your 5 minute second thoughts.
But for the average customer (and I really don't know how to read yours) stay, because they usually love flash. (Mount them with double faced tape?)
What definitely should go are the Photoshop stickers on the mirror. Too tacky.
The project's looking great, love the crown and the rich colour.
gene


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## cabmaker (Sep 16, 2010)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


I say go for it ! They really enhance that architrave !JB


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


Bling is highly over rated

KISS always rules

The simple bead mouldings, the crown, is enough

Sometimes elegance is only achieved through simplicity


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## camps764 (Dec 9, 2011)

renners said:


> *Corbels - what do you think?*
> 
> Stay or go, what do you think?
> 
> ...


I like it without, I think it looks a little cleaner.

I'm a big fan of simple as well.

That being said, I don't think you can actually go wrong either way - they do add a nice touch.


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## renners (Apr 9, 2010)

*· F I N ·*

As promised, the last instalment entitled · F I N ·

I ended up showing my client the corbels - they still had a faint whiff of lacquer off them, she thought they were a 'super finishing touch' so the corbels are on it, in a compromise sort of way, they are tucked in the corners where the middle section protrudes, there are four corbels on it instead of six. I have two left over, maybe I'll put them on ebay or something.

What can I say about this job? It's certainly had it's moments. Certainly blogworthy I think. It's been fun making it for the most part, it's been a downright hard slog making it at times too. I've learnt and done new stuff, I've done some things differently. It's been frustrating, it's been difficult. But it's done. I'm glad it's gone, but I'd also like to do more work like this.

Got the cheque and now the van is full of maple for a sliding wardrobe.

Thanks to everyone who has offered a kind word or encouragement during the process, I hope this has been an entertaining read, even if not all that informative.

Posted the pictures here

http://lumberjocks.com/projects/84888


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## roman (Sep 28, 2007)

renners said:


> *· F I N ·*
> 
> As promised, the last instalment entitled · F I N ·
> 
> ...


Nice work Renners


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

renners said:


> *· F I N ·*
> 
> As promised, the last instalment entitled · F I N ·
> 
> ...


Just took the time to read the entire blog, after seeing the finished project posted. You are a very talented woodworker my friend. Great project, great blog. Thanks for sharing.


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