General Woodworking

 Haven't gone on a post lunch stroll yet. The snow is still piled up on the sidewalks every where. That means I will have to walk in the road which I don't like doing. The roads are not their full width due to snow piles and I don't trust the drivers to pass me. Especially so when there are two cars coming from opposite directions. I don't think the snow will be melting much due to the cold temps forecasted neither.

$28.09

This is the haul from Koszela lumber. The two boards on the left are 1" thick, 8 inches wide, and each one is 5 feet long. I was flabbergasted with the price - these two alone I figured would be $10-15 each. I think I have enough stock for the dresser now.

slow going

I am not planing these to thickness yet. Instead I am establishing a reference edge and face. I will let these sticker and I'll thickness all of it maybe tomorrow.

sides

I will have to glue the sides up to get the width I want - 11-12 inches. I will leave the sides as thick as I can. I am still thinking about the thickness of the top which I will have to glue up also.

I stopped planing the stock for the drawers and bearers to get the sides glued up and cooking. I might have to allow it to sicker an extra day or two because this stock was stored outdoors at Koszela's.

best I can do

I would rather have the sides and top as one board but this was the widest pine that Koszela had. The glue ups are coming from the same board so the color and grain should be better than using a foreign board glue up.

2nd side

I planed one face flat to help with the glue up. After gluing these up I brought them upstairs to cook. The shop temp has dropped a couple of degrees down to 57F (14C).

top

I like this thickness for the sides but IMO it is a little over the top for a miniature dresser. I'll thin this down to 7/8" first and eyeball that. If I don't like that look I'll plane another 1/8" off.

drawers and bearers

It takes a surprisingly large amount of stock to make drawers. I know I have a sufficient amount for the bearers but I am not so sure about the drawers. On the widest boards I can only get two drawer parts from each of them. After eyeballing what I had I think I'm short two boards for the drawers.

last board

I have more than enough with this one board to give up what I'll need.

more drawer stock

This stock will only work for the two smaller drawers. The widest board of the four is only 4 1/2" wide. The widest drawer I'm making is 4 1/2" to 5". I'll have to make sure that I get the widest drawer parts first from the stock on the shitcan.

I'm going to try and return the shop after dinner and expend some brain power and figure out what I need. I have a lot of 1/4" plywood for the bottoms so once I get the drawer stock sorted out I can start building.

accidental woodworker

 Didn't get around to the new project until late in the PM session. I ran errands in the AM and I had to make a bank run right after lunch. Of course everyone that resides on this third rock from the sun had banking business then too. How well, I don't bank that often and it gave me time to think about the upcoming project.

couldn't shake it

I had a dream about a cleat on the bottom of the vice board splitting itself and also the board. It would be so much easier (and less of a PITA) for the vice jaws to clamp on the cleat over trying to position it between the jaws. This was the longest scrap I could find in the shop - I think it is too small in width and length.

douglas fir scrap

I cut this out of a scrap 2x4 and planed the four faces square to each other. 

almost there

The end to end is a 16th shy of snug as are the long sides. I didn't see the need to go nutso and get a piston fit, which I originally tried for. I penciled the outline of the cleat instead of knifing it and I chiseled it out on that line.

knot

Chiseling and trying to get the router to bite on this knot was like trying to carve a rock with a plastic knife. I concentrated on getting the area to the left of it flat and to depth.

done

I used threaded inserts to attach the cleat. This way I can remove it to use it on the workbench top.

onboard storage

Two more threaded inserts and I shouldn't lose it. I hadn't planned for it to be here. I was going to put it on the outside long grain face. It is below the rods and the moving back vice jaw. It also doesn't interfere with moving the back jaw forwards or backwards.

oldie but goodie

This one of six chisels that I bought as a set over 30 years ago. I used them for over twenty years before I knew that they were metric. They got demoted when I got a set of Ashley Isles bench chisels. I used it today to chop the cleat mortise.

Yikes

I almost cut all the way through the back fence. I wasn't paying attention and I almost sawed it in two. Time for a pit stop to fix this because although it is still one piece, it is a bit floppy feeling.

first choice

This was left over after I sawed the cleat out of it. I left the ends as is because if I cut them off I don't think it would have been thick/strong enough to span the saw cut.

better option

I saw this scrap of poplar in the wood pile and I liked it much more than the first choice. That one I was going to glue on whereas this one I screwed on - no glue. That way if I do brain fart and saw it in two, I can screw on another one.

new project

Decided to make a new miniature dresser to stow all the Miller Dowels. I don't have a hole for it but I'll deal with that after it is done. I am using the pine I got from Koszela lumber. I am going to dimension all the stock by hand. It has been a long time since I have done a project entirely by hand.

major parts

Sides, top, and bearer rails. The one board in the foreground will give up two drawer fronts. Not sure on the thicknesses of the various parts other than the drawers and the bearers - those will be about a 1/2" thick. 

hmm....

Maybe I should have thought this through a wee bit more. This is one of the sides and it is cupped. The darkish spot is the hollow and this is after planing it straight across at 90 for 5 minutes. This was exactly 3/4" thick when I started and I don't think it is going to be 3/4" thick when I'm done planing both faces.

15 minutes

It is easy going but it took a few calories to get here. It was 1510 and I killed the lights here. I'll pick this back up in the AM.

I measured the outside edges and I'm already below 3/4". I'll have to make a run to Koszela lumber to get some more pine. This stock here can be used for the drawers and there shouldn't be any waste. I can adjust the size of the dresser up/down to minimize waste.

accidental woodworker

took over an hour

The storm blew its way through the northeast and left a 4" blanket of snow behind. It was a little wet and heavy to shovel - called heart attack snow here about. I shoveled the driveway and the front/sidewalk in one go. I had planned on doing 3/4 of the driveway, resting and having a coffee, and then finishing it up. Instead I just kept at it until it was all done. 

Paid the price for shoveling because after lunch my back starting singing arias. I tried to work in the shop but standing felt uncomfortable. Sitting was tolerable as long as I leaned forward. Fingers crossed I didn't swap my foot aches/pains for the back.

done

I like how well the bearers work holding the panel in place. I think on the next I'll swap them around. As is the short ones butt into the long ones. I'll swap them so the long ones butt into the short ones. That way the short ones will equal the shoulder to shoulder length of the stiles.

So far the dominos seemed to be doing their job. There are no gaps were the rails and stiles butt into each other. Only time will tell how they fare over the long haul but for now they look good.

twisted

If I am going to clamp this to the workbench, it can't be twisted. It would also be helpful to remove it before I run it through the lunchbox planer.

I used the 5 1/2 to do that and it worked. Yesterday I planed this face with the #4 and it didn't work. Got tons of tear out using it. The only headache I had with the 5 1/2 were planing the 3 knots on this face. I didn't go nutso on it and I got it flat, straight, and twist free. I am forgoing thinning the thickness now.

hmm.....

Did some serious butt scratching along with my best goofy looks and I still am clueless about these holes for screws. This is the sliding part of the vice and I don't see why you would screw this down and immobilize it?

road test

This is the main way I envision using this vice. It is up higher than the workbench face vice (don't have to bend over as far) and the stock is level. 

impressed

I was mildly surprised by how well this vice gripped and secured this board. There was absolutely no movement in the vice, board, or the stock. Even with it sticking out as far as it is it didn't move and the sawing was smooth and vibration free.

worked

Planed the long grain edge without any problems. I doubt that this would be feasible to use on any stock longer than 12". 

I put this same board in the vice vertically to plane the end grain with the same plane. (forgot to snap pics of it) I knew this wouldn't work but I had to satisfy my curiosity. However, it did work with a piece that only stuck up above the jaws about a 1/2". I was impressed again with how tightly the vice clamped on it. The plane dug in and skipped across the end grain but it or anything else didn't move at all.

open capacity

It is a couple of frog hairs more than 6" but I don't see myself using it to clamp anything that wide in it. I thought about attaching a thin board on the other face that I could then have the face vice clamp on but nixed it. I wouldn't be able to use on the workbench top. The way it is now I can put it in the vice or on the workbench. 

Said No Mas here and killed the lights. Headed back upstairs to get ready for the super bowl. I predict the Eagles are too hungry and will win the super bowl LIX.

accidental woodworker

I picked up an odd variety of Workmate-like portable table a few years back at a Habitat for Humanity Restore,  I hadn’t seen one like it before and can’t find another like it now. It has two clamp threads that go forward and back like most Black and Decker Workmates, but it also has side-to-side […]

 For the past couple of days I haven't felt any pain or discomfort from my left foot. I did a lot of walking today and again, nada. I'm going to try to resume my strolling post lunch on monday. However, Mother Nature might throw a monkey wrench into my plans. There is a storm coming eastward which will dump more snow than the total dropped last winter. I will deal with it as it comes or doesn't.

sacrificial fence

This is an off cut from the maple kitchen stool. Squared one edge and ripped it to size on the tablesaw.

new toy

I got this vice from Lee Valley in a moment of weakness. I needed to boost my order for free shipping and this did it for me.

thought it was plastic

The vice gets screwed down to a board and then it gets clamped to the workbench. I thought they parts where the screws would go was plastic. It is harder then plastic but I doesn't feel like 'real' metal - I think it is powdered metal that is extruded.

hmm......

Me thinks I underestimated the required size of the mini dowel compartments. These are oak and I still had more left in the bag.

3 more underestimations

The Cherry 1x and 2x dowels are 40 each. The birch dowels in the long thin compartment are over 40 by 25. It would appear that this is a wee bit too small. I'll be making another one. If I do, it will be a miniature dresser. I have made 3 full size ones and 4 miniature ones so far. 

ready to check it

I screwed the sacrificial fence to the sled - no glue. I am sure that I will have to replace sometime in the future.

first cut

The cross cut fuzzy wuzzies are a lot better looking that what I get with a handsaw or the tablesaw. However it wasn't square. It was about 2° off 90.

2nd cut

Cocked one end of the test piece but it still was out of square. It was closer to square but still not 90°.

shouldn't have done it....

I put 6 screws in the sacrificial fence. Instead of doing that I should have used only two screws. One screw at one end and at the other end, a screw in an elongated slot. That way I could have made adjustments to the fence so it could saw off at 90°. I did that this time around.

test #5

Not closing the angle enough and I was at the limit of the adjustment of the fence. I would double this number before I tried something else.

confusing

I started to mark the direction I needed the fence to be moved to get the cut to be 90°. I screwed myself a couple of times because I had to flip the test piece and I moved the fence in the wrong direction. Marking it helped but I was still not closing up the angle. 

I don't want this to be an off the saw dead nuts 90° to be immediately used in a project. I just want it to be as close to 90° as I can get it and maintain my sanity and keep my blood pressure from exploding.

closer

I got the angle to less than one degree but it then seesawed in the opposite direction.

yikes

The reference edge and the reference face is twisted. I had previously checked the edge and face were 90° to each other with a square. Where I checked it (4 spots) indicated dead on 90°.

dead nuts 90°

I tossed the maple fence and replaced it with a pine one about a 1/2" square. I butted it against the back stiffener and nailed it to the sled. First check was dead nuts on 90°.

back to the vice

Got confused with the screw holes because I missed some. There are two holes in the front fixed vice face that I missed. Those two and two more on the back fixed stop are what I'll use to screw it to a board.

potential use

This is one way/use I have in mind for this vice. There have been numerable times I wanted to place stock at 90° somehow in the workbench vice.

passed

This is one way I will use this bandsaw sled - to do quick cross cuts. This is a douglas fir 2x4 that I am using as the 'board' for the vice.

too wide for one 2x4

The vice fits ok on one 2x4 but the screw holes on the back end stop are too close to the edges. Both 2x4s had been thinned down from 3 1/2 to 3 inches.

glued and cooking

This is too thick and I'll thin the thickness down. I won't be doing that by hand because douglas fir is a nightmare to hand plane. I'll run it through the lunchbox planer when I plane the cherry.

90° stop hinges

I don't know what I'll use this box for. I don't need it but it is almost done so I'll finish it and put it in the boneyard.

they work

I was going to use butt hinges but the screws would have poked out on the lid. With the stop hinges I don't need a lid stay.

all six

The tops of all six of the splines on this side of the box disappeared. There is a reward out for recovering them.

first of three

Not a fan of orange colored shellac but I want to use up what I have left.

it wasn't wonky

I planed this face and it went pretty good. I didn't have any tear out or squirrely grain to deal with. 

little bit of twist

I wasn't going to check this but after the bandsaw fence bite on the arse I did. The twist was just a little and I planed it off easily. Again with no tear out anywhere which surprised me a lot.

y

wonky side

This reacted exactly like I expected it to. I tore out a chunk of wood on my first pass on the glue line about the middle of the board. No matter which direction I tried to plane, I got tear out. Along with knots, squirrely, reversing grain makes planing douglas fir (IMO) a royal PITA.

last check

I had a hump (expected) to plane away. I don't need to sticker this because it has been in the boneyard for more than 8-9 years. It should be done moving by now but I'll keep an eye on before I run it through the lunchbox planer.

2nd use

Cleaned and squared up both ends bandsawing off an 1/8". Killed the lights and headed upstairs.

accidental woodworker

Moving along with fabrication of the low cherry tansu. After cutting the hidden mitered dovetails on the corners of the main cabinet, I started working on the interior partitions, shelves, and drawer dividers along with their respective mortise and tenon joinery. Overall the joinery for the interior components is very similar to the two upper… Read More »Low Cherry Tansu – 2

The post Low Cherry Tansu – 2 appeared first on Big Sand Woodworking.

 What a crazy weather day. Yesterday the forecast said cold and cloudy - no sunshine. Well boys and girls the sun came out mid morning and shone bright and warm for the rest of the day. Tomorrow's forecast is calling for partly cloudy/sunny skies with temps at/around freezing with snow in the PM. Mother Nature ain't done with winter yet.

ready to go

I had it on the radiator but when I checked it the metal corners were so hot I couldn't touch them. I took it off the radiator and sat it in front of it. 

McMaster-Carr order came

This piece of brass was $32. I hope it works because I'm running out of ideas and $$$.

two bags of the same

I'm an idiot - I ordered two bags of 5/16" spacers. Each bag has 25 so you do the math on that. I thought I had ordered one 1/4" and one 5/16". However, this works in my favor because I like using the 5-16 spacers and 5/16 machine screws over the smaller 1/4-20 size. 

5/16" x 2" FH

This is what I will use for the pivot on the rear legs. I wanted black oxide but I can't find any in this length so I will paint the head (and what screw is exposed) with black enamel paint.

aha...

Kreg domino on top and the chinese Amazon one on the bottom. There is almost an 1/8" difference between the two.

duh...

When I drilled these yesterday I did it with the drill in low speed. Lots of torque but the bit is made for speed. Switched to the high speed drilling mode and it was a huge improvement. It was zippity do da and knocked out the last few mortises in no time. Also didn't have any headaches clamping the stock - the drilling didn't move/shift them as I did the mortising.

dry fit

Dead nuts square on the inside and outside. There is slight overhang on the sides and front.

it worked

Another tidbit with the Amazon dominos besides them being longer, is they are slightly thinner than the Kreg ones. It didn't seem to matter on the dry fit but I'm not sure how much it would swell with glue applied to it?

panel insert

I got a snug, gap free fit 360. I hadn't thought this all the way through. The original intent was to try out the dominos and see how well they worked. Now I have to come up with a way to secure the panel on the inside of the lid.

being a pack rack pays off

I had a boatload of 1/4" square small length scraps of pine. The panel is a frog hair less than an 1/8" and the lid thickness is 5/8". 5/8 - 1/8 = 1/2 divided by 2 is a 1/4". Sometimes you get lucky more than once a week.

sigh

I consider this an acceptable gap (almost). I should have laid this out with the actual divider but instead I measured/laid it out with a rule. When I glue on the bottom I intend to glue the dividers to it. Neither of these dividers will move after that.

a win for the home team

The top and bottom were both twist free.

too loose

I made these splines months ago and then they were tight. I had to flatten them with a hammer but today they are barely staying put. Made some new ones on the bandsaw.

glued and cooking

Got this done just before lunch. Since it is friday that means fish 'n chips which I indulged in at Johnny's Chalet. He also had beef stew on special but I only saw that as I was paying my tab. I would like to try that because I like beef stew almost as much as I do fish 'n chips.

cooking

Got all the bearers for the top glued in place and cooking. After lunch I didn't have any problems finishing the lid.

sawed and sanded

One gap out of 12. I saw it while installing the splines. I whacked it with my mallet and it giggled at me. I couldn't get it close and I couldn't hit it and remove it neither. I'll fill it in with putty. I will slap 3-4 coats of the gossamer shellac before that goes south on me.

bottom cooking

If I get ambitious I will return the shop after dinner and remove the clamps.

bandsaw cut off sled

I had made one of these last year, used it for a while, and I don't remember what happened to it. I found it to a be handy helper so I am making a new, improved version. This one has a longer miter slot runner and a wider and longer sled platform.

repurposing the old lid

I tried to fit this back on the box but the tongue on the right side was gone. I couldn't slide it in to check the fit of lid stop. I might be able to make another sliding lid out of this. 

lid is ready for finish

Flushed the corners with the #3 and then sanded it smooth on both sides. While doing this I was thinking about how I would hinge it. I have butt hinges or 90° stop hinges. I'll flip a coin for that tomorrow.

glued and screwed

I glued it first (forgot to snap a pic of that) and after 30 minutes I put 4 screws into the miter slot runner from the sled. 

What the pic would have shown was the left side of the sled up against the fence with a bazillion cans of paint, finish, and solvents applying pressure on the glue joint.

stiffener

This sled only has one runner so it can easily get wonky if you don't handle it properly. The worse that can happen is it will break into two. For this sled I don't intend to saw all the way through it. This piece of maple is too stiffen the back edge and keep the sled in one piece. The plan is to put another fence in front of the stiffener that will be cut in two by the bandsaw. If needed I will make a second cut off sled with the left side flush with the bandsaw blade. This sled will be on both sides of the bandsaw blade providing support. It may or may not work but I'll find out as I use it.

accidental woodworker

I’m finally at the point of applying finish to my stick chair. I’ve chased tearout and dings around and around. I’m partially convinced that the tearout in this chair has developed the ability to breed. Hit it with light from a new angle, and you find a new spot. The chair is really too big a project for my shop. It can’t even sit on my bench if I turn it sideways. I’m adding dings almost as quickly as removing them. I’m at the point of “good enough” rather than perfect. That leaves applying finish.

 Snowed again today and dumped about an inch or so. That was in the morning and after lunch it turned to rain. The temp was 4 degrees above freezing but overnight (depending on who you check) it will be 5 degrees above freezing. So all the slush that is all over won't be ice. However, the temps are forecasted to drop into the low 20's F for several days. Could be lots of fun driving this weekend.

behaved

The Miller Dowel box stock was still flat and twist free. It is ready to dimension.

ready for a finish

The box lid is a frog hair off snug and the lid is staying put upside down.

going to 5/8"

Just my opinion, but I think a box of this size at 3/4" thick will look clunky and oversized for its intended purpose.

last one

I wish all the stock I have to dimension would be as easy as this pine. I got the 3 boards planed down to a shade under 5/8".

done

The three of these took about 30 minutes to knock out. The goal was to get the box glued and cooking before 1500 rolled around.

the way it should be?

Still don't know how this sat with the original lid. Makes sense to me that I would have done this so it would be in this position (of course with the lid on).

laid out

I used the 1/8" thick pine scrap to scribe the angle on the sides of this. Another line across the top connecting them and I sawed it off.

kind of got it

Got the angles to mate (and gap free too). I would have to redo the top of this bigger to have it seated on the block on the side of the box. It looks better than it did yesterday and I am going to leave it as is for now.

where it lives

The one coat of Clancy's I got on the lid looks good as is. It doesn't look like a shellac finish but it doesn't have the raw look of wood neither. Still undecided about putting shellac on it.

Miller Dowel box

The thin width boards are for the lid. Hadn't picked the joinery for the carcass yet. The only two choices are dovetails or miters.

miters won the coin toss

Penciled the miters on the ends and I rough sawed them. That will make shooting them on the miter jig easier and quicker.

labeled

Glad I had marked the bottom and the inside. It is far to easy for me to wander out into La La Land and saw a miter going in the wrong direction.

miters shot

I shot these until the toes agreed and were flush. I picked miters because I have to chop some dadoes in the sides for the dowel compartments. Saner to do that with a mitered box vice a dovetailed one.

checking myself

Ensuring that my dadoes are spaced correctly for 3 compartments. The mini dowels are about 1 5/8" in length and the compartments are about 2 1/8". That should be sufficient for the dowels and for my fingers to grab them.

first two knifed

I am using 1/4" solid wood for the dividers. I have a 1/4" chisel and a 1/4" router iron. I knifed the walls of the dadoes off the stock. Fingers crossed that the chisel/router will fit.

ready to chop them

I made a me-steak with the layout. The the top of the stopped dadoes is facing the bottom. Not really a big deal but I reference everything for any box I make off the bottom. For this box I switched the top and bottom.

checking before chopping

I put the box together and checked that the dadoes were where they were supposed to be. 

came a day early

There isn't any other tools needed to finish the kitchen stool/ladders on order.

hmmm.....

I have two other FMAG forstner bits and they have solid outside rims. This is a borax bit that has some lines on the outside rim to assist with cutting the outside wall. This bit can be used at a higher speed and it will still leave a beautiful hole behind.

awesome

FMAG forstner bits leave an incredibly smooth walled and dead flat bottom. This is doug fir which doesn't like being drilled. This hole is new born baby butt smooth anywhere you touch it. IMO it worth the few extra $$$ to own one.

loose fit

I knew this was going to happen. The hole is dead nuts on 1 1/8" but the dowel is slightly undersized. I have had this maple dowel for several years. It has shrunk a tad but it is still round. It hasn't gone oval after sitting all these years. I will have to use screws to secure this - glue only (even epoxy) won't be up to the task.

tried it out

This is a chisel chopping platform I made last week and today I tried it out. Overall I liked using it, especially in this instance, with one end butted against the left side stop.

two done

One of the dadoes was too tight and I couldn't use the 1/4" or router iron to get the depth. I had to use the 1/8" chisel but I didn't have a warm and fuzzy on the depth matching the others. Of the seven dadoes I chopped, two of them I couldn't use the 1/4" chisel or router on.

self supporting

The right one is self supporting and the left one is too loose. Found out here that the 1/4" stock I was using wasn't all a 1/4" thick. I didn't use the same board to layout the dadoes.

first big dado

Self supporting too. These are stopped dadoes and once the bottom is on they will be locked in place. So if they are a wee bit loose it won't make any difference.

split

I didn't see this until I was checking the fit of this half lap. Didn't make any difference because I sawed the half lap width too wide. I made a replacement one.

hmmm.....

This isn't what my quick drawing of this looked like. The right side horizontal one should have gone over to the 3 compartments on the left. This will still work and if my OCD doesn't go into hyper drive, I can live with it.

sometimes it is ok to brain fart

Having a 'hole' to put the Miller drill bits in was solved. I put the drill bits in this thin rectangular compartment along with dowels.

Just thought of something as I was typing this. The minis come in 4 flavors as do the 1x dowels. I should have made the box with 4 compartments for each. Or maybe a miniature dresser with 3 drawers with four compartments in each one.

another hmmm......

This is a little tight for my fingers. In hindsight I should have made the compartment wall on the right the same height as the dividers. I'm liking the thought of a Miller Dowel dresser more and more. I brought this upstairs and set it by the kitchen radiator to cook until the AM.

nope

I'm pretty sure that it isn't supposed to look like this. Decided to use the Kreg jig and domino the lid together. Had all sorts of issues with it that I was not expecting. The stock moved on me and I had to be creative with clamping it. Had a problem with the depth of the mortise that I couldn't figure out neither.

yikes

When I last used this (road testing it) I had this problem but I thought I had figured that out. I don't think these dominos are the Kreg ones so I'll have to compare them to ones I got from Amazon. 

Stopped here for the day because I was getting a bit frustrated and pissed off that this wasn't working for me. I'll jump back into in the AM and hopefully straighten it out and end up with a lid.

accidental woodworker

I got something in the US mail today that wasn’t a bill, wasn’t junk mail. It’s from Dave Fisher – wrapped up to a fare-thee-well, I dug this out of the cobbed-together envelope. took me a while to sort it out – I thought Dave was trying to turn me on to barley-mush…

Then I happened to flip it over – seems Dave liked the chair I finished lately – so much so that he wanted to draw it…

It’s just so sad that in his retirement, he can’t afford an actual sketch book or any real paper…he’s reduced to tearing up cereal packets, etc for his sketches. Well, maybe it’ll be worth money some day…

Here’s the photo he worked from – I was planning on painting it, but it’s too cold in the shop these days. Maybe I’ll just leave it oiled til spring then see how I like it…

About 12-15 years ago, I met a man on a plane who noticed I was reading a woodworking magazine and we struck up a conversation.  Short story shorter, he ended up surprising me by sending a few tools that he was no longer using.  Among these was this marking gauge labelled "Worth", a name I didn't and still don't know anything about.  EDIT - an internet search came up with a thread on a "Garage Journal" forum where people identified Worth as being a brand from Bigelow and Douse Hardware of Boston, MA.  They further noted that the Worth tools were probably manufactured by Peck, Stow and Wilcox (Pexto) for the hardware store.

The Worth marking gauge

It had a wooden screw to clamp the beam in place, approx 3/8" x 10 tpi

Like many similar gauges, the wooden screw had become loose as the wood fibers were worn away.  Also, the mortise hole in the fence wasn't a great fit for the beam, so this gauge has been sitting in a drawer for a long time.

At first, I addressed the beam looseness problem by putting some blue masking tape on the beam to get a tighter fit in the fence.  Obviously not a long-term solution.  Then I thought about putting a threaded insert in the screw hole and using a metal thumb screw.

Brass threaded insert

It turned out that the brass insert was still a little loose in the hole, so I decided that I'd make a new fence.  If I was making a marking gauge from scratch, I'd mortise the fence first and then plane the beam to fit just right.  For this one, I wanted to use the Worth's beam, both for nostalgic reasons and because I like the scale printed on one side.  It was a little tricky to make the mortise just the right size to fit the existing beam.  I ended up using a caliper to measure the beam's width, locked the caliper at that measurement, then stabbed the inner diameter measuring fingers of the caliper on the new fence to mark for the mortise walls.

Mortise chopped and upper and lower facets shaped for the curved top and bottom surfaces of the beam

At first, the fit seemed a little too loose, but after some shellac it fit very well.  Next, I bored a hole through the top, down to the mortise.  I had shaped and placed a stick in the mortise so that I wouldn't blow out the mortise's top wall.  The threaded insert went in that hole.

You can see the insert within the mortise

I used a leather punch to make this plastic "coin" (?) so that the thumb screw would not damage the top of the beam

I get a good solid grip of the beam when the thumb screw is tightened

Then the screw was cut down to length.  To make the thumb screw more comfortable, I inset the "thumb hold" part of the screw into two small pieces of walnut that were carved out to fit the thumb hold and then glued together.  It was then shaped to make a much more comfortable grip and look a bit more like the original.

The new thumb screw next to the original

After shaping the fence for comfort, I gave the parts a few coats of shellac, then waxed all but the bottom of the beam - that's what gets pressed against the lower mortise wall when the screw is tightened and I don't want that to be slippery.

So I now have a nicely working marking gauge.  It looks a little funny being two-toned, but I got to preserve some of the gift I was given and give it new life.

Glamour shot #1

Glamour shot #2

BTW, I changed one thing in my fence from the original: there is more meat below the mortise in the walnut fence.  I like having that extra bearing surface when using a marking gauge.  The original had less than 5/8" of bearing surface to reference against a workpiece.

 I looked at the weather forecast for the rest of this week and next. It ain't looking good for the home team. It is going to snow, or be a snow to wintry mix, or be cloudy for the next ten days. I don't think I'll be using the lunchbox planer in the driveway for a couple of weeks yet.

Placed my order with McMaster-Carr after lunch. I bought a 12" piece of 1/8" thick brass, 2" wide. I will try that for the maple kitchen stool/ladder and evaluate how that looks and works. After all the maple one is the prototype to work the kinks out with. I should have it tomorrow or friday.

I had to.....

The lid fit was kind a snug but I couldn't open it with the thumb catch. To open/slide the lid off I had to push off from the back. If the lid was flush with the top I wouldn't have been able to open it at all. This is too tight and come summer and expansion time it could swell and slam it shut. 

plenty

I eyeballed the groove from the front and looking at it from the back as it slid in. I had more than enough room side to side. In fact I had a wee bit too much. I didn't plane anything off the outside edges. I took wispy shavings off the tops of the rabbets only. Planed off two and checked the fit. Kept at it that way until I could open the lid with the thumb catch.

doesn't fit

I made this to keep the lid from sliding off as I picked it up out of the drawer I keep it in. The toe (of the top piece) should be flush and aligned with the lid top.

hmm....

What I don't know for sure is how this fit with the original lid. This doesn't look right. I think it should sitting atop the block on the front side. I'll leave it as is for now and come up with a game plan for a fix or a new one.

using Clancy's

I put one coat (recommends only one) on the lid both sides. The next step is to leave it as is or put on shellac. Another nail biter decision to make.

banding the box

I used super glue to put the banding on. I started with the bottom and the banding cooperated. I was able to get red at all the corners but they weren't even. 

don't like it

I'm ok with the banding being atop the feet and not inset. However, after getting it on the bottom it looks odd. Checking it at the top didn't improve it at all IMO. I like the banding but I don't have a warm and fuzzy with the look. Not much I can think of to improve so I'll have to live with it.

the ring box

I don't know what these are called (keepers?) but they allow the lid to align with the bottom. I have used them before and I like this better then using hinges on the back. Still haven't found some different ring holder pads things. Everyone of them I have seen is made in China and I don't want to use any of that crap again. Maybe I should ask my sister to sew up some velvet tubes? I might get them in a year or two knowing her.

dry fit

They extend a little over 1/8" which should be enough.

it fits (dry)

I got a good fit all around because the lid went on and came off and back on and off several times with out the keeper things coming undone.

not improving

I kept eyeballing this while working on the ring box and I came to an understanding. I should have inset the banding so it was flush and not proud. I think I could have accepted that look. Or maybe I should have used walnut as that would have matched what I used on the lid.

nope

I thought of using the keeper things on this lid too but nixed it. I would have to fill in these holes but they would stand out. Thought of using the banding to hide them but that was just another bad idea.

need a box

I have been keeping the Miller Dowels in plastic bins. I don't have a bin for the 2x dowels and I also don't have a 2x drill bit. Time to get all of the dowels and drill bits in one spot.

using this design

I was going to make a sliding lid box but I wasn't liking that idea.  I like the compartment box better. 3 compartments for the mini dowels and two each for the larger 1x and 2x dowels. I know I have a lot of thin pine somewhere in the shop for the compartment walls.

prepping the stock

Two long sides and the ends. This board was flat but I am going to thin it down to 1/2 to 5/8 inches thick. The first step is to flatten one face and square an edge to that. 

This stock is wider than needed for the box (3" high). The off cuts from the box I'll use to make the lid.

no twist

Two boards had none and the third a little. I have a reference face and edge ready to go.

stickered

I doubt that this pine will move at all but it will remove any doubts come the AM.

didn't forget

The weather and making the prototype is working in its favor. I randomly checked one board and it was still flat and twist free. It is looking like it might be march before I run these through the lunchbox planer.

accidental woodworker

I visited another Christie's auction exhibition over the weekend. I like going to see what's on auction because there are many pieces of art that will be seen once and then disappear into a private collection for another 50 years. This time it was their "classics" auction - a mix of decorative arts, old Masters and some antiquities. I certainly couldn't help wondering while looking at the antiquities about how many of those objects were taken from their original resting place in the dead of night or with a bribe to multiple officials. But what really struck me is how little has changed in craftsmanship in 3,000 years.

To put it another way: the 3000-year-old version of ourselves probably had exactly the same imagination, creativity, and technical skill as we do today. What they didn't have was steel - or the ability to seek guidance from experts from all over the world and share techniques. They also didn't have electricity or motors.

The death mask at the top of this blog (945-715 BCE) is only 4 1/2" high and was originally covered with gesso and colored paint. I'm assuming it was a fair likeness of the individual it represents. It is a beautiful, expressive carving that any modern carver would be proud to have accomplished. And this was done with bronze tools, stone shards, and patience. The time it must have taken to make this mask with the available tools would have been considerable.

The second piece below is a small, not quite 6", elegantly turned bowl that in my view any modern turner would be pleased to produce. The walls are thin and uniform, and the proportions are excellent. It also happens to be made out of Diorite, a hard stone (similar to quartz) and dates from 2686-2566 BCE.

If the material were wood turned on a modern lathe, it would be a simple, elegant turning that evidences competence at turning with a really good eye for form and shape. If were made out of stone today, it would be hard work - even with diamond and carbide tools, cutting stone is not fun. But 4500 years ago! I cannot imagine the labor it took to make this. This was done on the lathe, not even a lathe with a treadle, more like a pole lathe. The tools were probably other stones and bronze tools enabled to cut stone using a slurry of sand and water. And since those craftsmen from 4500 years ago were probably very similar in temperament to craftspeople of today, I'm pretty sure there were lots of complaints about where to get the best sand, they don't make it like they used to, etc.

The exhibit also had a lot of old Masters, really second tier stuff, "school of" and studies that were never really meant to hang on a wall. Even so again, I was struck by the craftsmanship and how good the work was across the board.

I get the following takeaways from seeing these ancient masterpieces. Nothing has changed except the tools and technology. The basic dexterity, imagination, and tool ingenuity have stayed exactly the same. Second, we makers are following a long, long tradition. We make stuff. We make it to the best of our ability and craftsmanship and skill level. And sometimes the work we produce turns out fantastic.

Maybe the third thing is that the humans are known for what they leave behind, specifically what each culture leaves behind, which are examples of their skill in making things. And I am proud to be part of that tradition.


A side view of the death mask

 Spent some time last night getting the McMaster-Carr order together. Spoiler alert - I didn't order anything. I found a problem with the aluminum tubing I got. It is hardened which explains why a file barely touched it. I looked into annealing it but that is something beyond what I can do in my shop. This is the reason why I didn't place the order. I am now entertaining about ditching using metal as a the stop and switching to wood. Plenty of time to pick one. I would swap to brass but it is too expensive.

tread

This is the bottom of the bottom tread. I planed it smooth but a lot of this crap on the edge is still visible. On a brighter note it is on the bottom and at the back

almost

I planed the right side of both treads until they seated in the dadoes. The fit is still snug and I didn't drink any of the 'one more swipe' kool aid.

front legs

Routed all the dadoes removing the depth knife lines. After that I planed both faces of the front legs smooth. No more planer ripples.

checking the angles

I have both of the angles on the bottom front/rear legs flush on the workbench. The treads are parallel to the workbench top and the bottom angles don't have gaps. The top angle of the rear legs is a wee bit off. The toe is slightly proud of the front leg. I think I'm going to be ok because I plan to detail the top of the rear legs similar to what I did for the front ones.

front view

I'm glad that I didn't make this larger. It is going to be heavy as is - 7/8" thick maple. I nixed putting in another tread but I am thinking of putting a tray or some kind of a tray/platform below the grab dowel and above the top tread. That is going to be a bit tricky to flesh out.

pretty good

The top is toed in a 16th over the bottom of the rear legs. I thought it was going to be worse than that. The top of the front legs is toed in 1/8" more than the bottom. Still not that bad and I fully expect the rear stretcher and x brace to keep the rear legs parallel top to bottom. The front will have the treads and the grab dowel at the top.

inside or outside?

I thought I had determined this already from the drawing but now I'm confused. I think the rear legs should be on the outside of the front legs. It wouldn't collapse as much as it would done this way.

calling it done (again)

Rubbed Howards feed 'n wax on both sides and buffed it off. I get to store it until March when my wife is bringing it back to North Carolina.

sigh

This is going to be the 3rd(?) time I am gluing this drawer divider in place. I used epoxy this time. I applied it to the first 2-3". Fingers crossed that this will be the last time.

trying it

I tried gluing the tongues back on both sides of the lid. The batter in the box is a small, long triangular piece that broke off at the back.

questionable

The clamps look like a monkey put them on. I didn't have a warm and fuzzy with this after I did it. But it was one down and one more to go.

the other tongue

That darkish line in this is the first break. This recent break is too close to the first one. This one also (clean break) would mate back together at an angle. It was a PITA just fitting it dry and trying to get a clamp on it. After eyeballing this I decided the best path to take was to make a new lid.

new lid

I don't know what kind of pine this is but I do know it isn't Eastern White Pine. It will be more adequate for a sliding lid.

it wasn't flat

A cup on one face and a hump on the other. Started the flattening with the cup side. The white spots are where the plane was taking shavings. The darker spot in the middle is where it is hollow. Kept at this going straight across until I made full length shavings from side to side.

no twist

Got lucky that I didn't have to deal with any twist. I repeated this for the hump side flattening it just like I did the other face. I didn't plane the hump face parallel to the first face. I planed it flat, smooth and called it done. I just needed the bottom face to be flat and straight for making the rabbets.

fussing with the rabbets

My goal was to keep the rabbet tongues as thick as I could. So I took my time planing and checking until I got the rabbets just right.

fitted

It is a frog hair too snug. I left it as is because I can open and close it. I find planing something like this tricky. Which part do I plane to make it smoother and easier? Having made a bazillion of these sliding lid boxes I can tell you that you can go from snug to rattle can loose with one shaving. And you don't get to say 'aw shxt'.

planing the chamfer

I plane my chamfers down to the tops of the rabbets. 

astragals

Astragals differ from beads in that they have fillets on either side of the center bead. This is the same size astragal that I used on the original lid.

chamfer on the back

The lid is proud of the top of the box on the sides and the back. I will chamfer the back but it is tricky to do. There is a good possibility that the plane will blow out the beads.

done

I chamfered the front of the box before I planed the astragals. Got no blowout or tears here. I got lucky with the back too - no blowouts or tears.

done

The original lid and the replacement one. The only difference in the two is the new lid doesn't have a finish and the rabbets aren't as wide. Them being shorter in width should make them a wee bit stronger.

the back chamfer

Penciled a line to guide my chamfering.

done

This pine end grain looks a sponge. However, after sanding the pores closed up and the end grain looked even and smooth.

done

This took maybe an hour to knock out. I'm debating whether or not to put a finish on it. I have some shellac left but I'm thinking maybe I should wait until summer and wait to see if this expands and do the finish then. Another choice would be to rub in a wax finish. That is something I have wanted to try but haven't yet.

accidental woodworker

what to my wondering eyes......

On mondays I go out for breakfast. This is what I saw when I opened the blinds this morning before leaving the house. Came as a total surprise seeing 2+ inches everywhere. Breakfast was delayed a few minutes, shoveling and cleaning snow off the truck. This reminds me of a winter a few years back where there was a lot of snowfall in the last 6 weeks of winter. Is it going to happen again?

grab bar spot

I got a little confused thinking that I had to also transfer these marks to the rear legs. After looking at the full scale drawing I saw that it wasn't so.

settled the top detail

Sawed the tops of the front legs flush and I'm leaving it as is. I will round over where my fingers are pointing along with the top back edge. I won't go nutso on any of them - just a simple, soft round over will do.

much better

The shellac on the ends is reflecting light now. I could have done a better job sanding the end grain smooth but I am leaving them as is. I don't want to shorten the lid R/L anymore than what it is currently. I go the last coat of shellac on it today and tomorrow I'll do the Howards trick.

thinking ahead....

To my take on this the bottom front leg angle is more important then the rear bottom angle. Both are important but the front is the reference. That leg puts the treads parallel to the floor. The back angle sets the splay and where the top angle falls on the front leg stop. I may have to adjust the rear angle and hopefully if I do, it will only have to be that one.

getting a look see

The full scale drawing is kind of useless now because the rear legs are shorter in the length. The angles are the same with the rear leg further down on the front leg. The pivot point on the full scale drawing is about 4-5 inches higher than where it will be on the rear leg.

I plan on securing the front/rear legs with a 5/16-18 flat head machine screw. I will also put a bushing in the two legs so the screw doesn't rub and chew up the wood. I already looked on McMaster-Carr and they have them. I'll buy them when I place the order for the aluminum rectangular tubing.

tread layout

The tops of the treads will be 7 and 14 inches high respectively. As of now I am only putting in two of them. There is plenty of room for a third one and I'll make that call after I see two of them.

double quadruple triple checking myself

I have in the past done the layout and dadoes wrong. They not only have to be mirror images of each other but have the correct orientation with respect to the angles on the legs. And I have to account for the front too.

planing maple.....

What a difference 20+ years of learning/experience makes. The last time I tried working maple it was a nightmare. In the interim I have gained some skills among them learning how to sharpen my plane irons. Back then I had no idea of a burr and how important that is. Other than dealing with some squirrely grain reversals, this maple is basically no different planing than its cherry sibling or the pine I normally use.

love and hate this

This is a good miter gauge and certainly heads above the stock miter gauge that came with this saw. It holds 90° like it is cast in stone but once you move it off 90°and return to it, it goes off in La La Land. I used this to saw some of the angles on the legs and when I set it back to 90°, it was off about a degree.

It is relatively easy to set it back to 90° but I find it a PITA that I have to do that. I have tried to use a square against the gauge and the saw blade but that doesn't work due the grippy strip I have on the face of the miter gauge. Instead I saw a scrap (at least 6" wide) at 90° until it reads square when checked with my Starrett 18" combo square. It took me about 15 minutes to dial it back in to 90°.

Yikes!

This fell off the workbench when I was routing the dadoes for the treads. The tongue for the rabbet on both sides broke off. The left side is worse than the right. It is also the second time I have broken the right tongue off. After a quick look see I don't think it will be an easy fix of just gluing them back on. It is looking more like I will be making a new lid.

2 down, 2 to go

I had planned on sawing the walls of these but I chopped all four of them. I purposely undercut the width. I want these to be a tight fit for the treads. I wanted to use #12 black oxide, 2" flat head screws but Blacksmithbolt doesn't have any. He has 12 in stock but you need to order 25 as the minimum. FYI you can't do that. I'll have to call him and see how that shakes out.

these are tight

Got the tight fit I wanted, in fact it is a wee bit too tight but I can sneak up on the tight fit with a hand plane.

a close up on how tight

I'm about a 32nd too wide. But it is far easier to remove then to add and I'll get my tight fit.

the left side treads

Did better on the fit. These are maybe a frog hair over snug (and self supporting).

almost fully seated

When I pulled the treads out and checked for bruising there was hardly any to see. Not sure if it because of the hardness of the maple or the fit being just right.

right side

This is as far as I tried to seat the right side. There was evidence of bruising on these.

hmm.....

I can still see my depth line on both sides of the legs. I will have to revisit this and rout a few more frog hairs off the dadoes.

I'm kind of at a stand still with this now. I need the 5-16 screws, and bushings before I can go any further with this build. It looks like I'll be making my McMaster order sooner than later.

accidental woodworker

It was frigid this AM when I had to go out. The temp was 13F (-11C) with a breeze blowing. That made it feel a whole lot colder. My truck seat never warmed up and I thought I had gotten frostbite on my butt cheeks. Tomorrow morning the temp is going to be 30 degrees warmer. BTW, when is ground hog day? (FYI its Feb 2nd)

I don't think I'm losing my mind. I checked/read my blog post from monday and I'm sure now that the DVD didn't come monday. However, I'm still clueless as to how it got where I found it. My wife told me she wouldn't have put my mail there. I don't think the cat did it (without being bribed with treats) so that leaves the bogey man?

where I found it saturday

what it looked like monday

No DVD there now. I didn't empty the bookshelf until tuesday so there is no way the DVD was there on monday. Replaced one mystery with another one.

no road trip

Forgot I had a maple board left over. This would save me a round trip.

sigh....

It isn't long enough. There are several splits on this end along with the knot. If I wouldn't have an angled cut on this end I would welcome the knot. I think it looks interesting. Would look even better filled in with black epoxy.

glad I checked

Laid it on the full scale drawing and it looked like I could just squeeze it out. The knot will go bye-bye when I saw the angle at the top. I just had to ensure that I laid it out and sawed that angle correctly.

not straight

The ends were touching the straight edge but there was a big hollow between them. Used the scrub plane to knock the ends down first. Took a few extra dance steps but I got it flat and straight end to end.

double, triple checked myself

Laid out the angle and checked myself again a bazillion times. I ensured that I had the bottom angle aligned with the full scale drawing and I then penciled the angle at the top. I sawed this one by hand. The bottom one I did on the tablesaw.

second leg angle

Did the same dance steps for the second one. I have had angle orientations bite me on the arse (and draw blood) too many times. The full scale drawing was a lifesaver for this.

flushing the top ends

Started with the first leg after I had rough sawn both. I smoothed and squared the first leg and used that to knife the angle on the second leg.

blowout

I don't understand why I blew this out but regardless I will have to deal with it. I had planned on rounding the point where the two angles met. I'm not sure that it will remove all of it though.

knifing the 2nd leg angle

Sawed this angle by hand, leaving the pencil and knife lines.

the bottom one

The reference I'm using for this build is the bottom of the legs. I have about an 1/8 to plane off the 2nd leg.

ganged

The top ends aren't even but that won't be a problem. Planed the two angles and checked them for square. It isn't carved in stone that these two angles have to be dead nuts equal. They both stand alone so being a few degree seconds off isn't a big deal.

top end detail

This doesn't agree with the full scale drawing. On the drawing this 2" diameter circle falls on the front angle and back edge. Played around it with and got the touch points with a 2nd circle over lapping the first.

1 1/8 dowel hole

Still haven't received the 1 1/8" forstner bit. I extended the centerline of it and the circle above so I could transfer them to the leg.

blah

I am not liking this round over look at all. I think it looks crappy and odd looking. I am going to do something different - this is now officially shitcanned.

before I forgot it again

I had said this was done but after bringing it upstairs I didn't like the coverage. The ends didn't look like they had a shiny coat of shellac. I'll keep putting shellac on the ends until it is. After that I will rub it down with 4-0 steel wool and Howards feed 'n wax.

center punch

I marked the center of the mortise for the dowel rod. This punch leaves a fairly deep dimple that would take a lot of planing to remove. I should be safe in not losing them.

hmm.....

The ends are tight but there is a hollow between them. Not sure if it is worth it to plane - nothing is married to or off of it. I probably will in the AM because this where I killed the lights for today.

accidental woodworker

 Spent the AM running down the DVD. The local post office sent me the mail depot on Strawberry Fields rd. I talked first to the clerk working the counter and then I got to speak to a supervisor. He told he had spoken with the carrier and he would look into where it got delivered. Moot point because I found it while eating my lunch.

The DVD was on the TV table I had made back in the late 1990's. How it got there I am completely clueless. I don't remember who checked the mail on monday nor do I remember receiving any mail on that day. All I can recall from monday is I had pancakes for breakfast that day. I hope I don't have anymore surprises like this in the coming days. It sucks to get old and become forgetful.

1/2" oak plywood

This was the 3rd option and it is too tall. I want the book to be enclosed so that it doesn't get covered in dust from the shop. I cut this down 3/4" and it still wouldn't work.

4th option

The lid for the box above couldn't be hinged because it would be up against the side. From there I thought of using a slanted lid. But it was also too wide (R/L) and would have kept the saw till door from being opened. The open shelf idea is also too wide. On to option 5.

nixed the shelf/box ideas

I couldn't think of way to work around or go with the restrictions putting the book on the side of the saw till. I did find some space on the 2x3 that I have my 5' pipe clamps on. Nixed that too due it would be open - no option there to have a lidded box. Shelved this for the time being and I put the book in the first cabinet behind the workbench.

front leg

The ripple marks planed off without any hiccups. However, the leg was twisted a healthy amount. I didn't even need the sticks to tell me, I could see it.

3/4"

I planed the twist in thirds and the far end kicked my butt. It took a lot of calories getting the first third untwisted. I went from a strong 7/8" thick to a frog hair proud of 3/4". I'll have to evaluate what is next because I will have to plane this board to get the other face parallel. I might have to make another road trip to Koszela lumber for more soft maple.

front legs

This isn't too bad now that I have planed the twist off on the right one. They are now laying up pretty much tight end to end. I can see the far top end is scalloped from where I planed the twist off. Some of it will be removed when I detail that end but not all of it. 

This was the output for today. After lunch I conked out and napped at my desk for two hours. When I finally woke up I went to the shop and killed the lights. I'll get back to the legs on the kitchen ladder/stool in the AM.

accidental woodworker

Hidden Mitered Dovetails The last cabinet for the series of modular tansu is the low cherry cabinet, which is also the biggest and most complicated of the bunch. The cabinet is nearly 6 1/2′ long (1980m), and 30″ tall (765 mm) with the base. The original cabinet that I built that inspired this one was… Read More »Cherry Low Cabinet – 1

The post Cherry Low Cabinet – 1 appeared first on Big Sand Woodworking.

 Today was swimming along so nicely until about 1500. I had gone to lunch with my wife and then went on to Barnes and Noble bookstore. Made a few more stops before we headed back to the barn. That is when my day turned to liquid fecal matter that floated up above my armpits.  A big sigh.......

I had ordered a DVD from Lie Nielsen last week and it was delivered this past monday at 1341 according to the USPS. However, the delivery was not made to my mailbox. Did the address that got it turn it in or (gasp!) bring it to my house? Nay, nay moose breath, that didn't happen.

I am sad, angry, pissed off, but mostly feeling sick to my stomach that I will have to wade through the cesspool of bureaucratic BS dealing with the USPS to fix this. The total $$$ of the DVD was $45 and I will fight for it. I am sure it is going to consume a lot of calories and weeks before it is resolved. And it might not be in my favor.

AM session

Oops. I sawed the top angle of the rear leg 3/4" short. I thought I was doing it so it would have been 3/4" long. This is a prototype so it isn't going to stop the sun from rising in the east tomorrow. The angle at the bottom matched the full scale drawing spot on. 

from one I got two

I sawed the box in two on the table saw. The smaller one is practically useless but I can use it to put parts in it for projects.

happy face on

This box not only is a place to stow something, it keeps the bigger box from moving around in the drawer.

flushing the sides and ends

I glued solid pine bottoms on both boxes. After that I brought them upstairs and put them on the kitchen radiator to cook for an hour. After flushing them I sanded the four sides and top with 120. That is all the boxes are getting for a 'finish'.

ready to rock and roll

This was an efficient way to make two boxes. I hadn't planned on doing that but did it because one small end had split in two while planing the miter. I super glued it back together and I sawed the box apart on that fault line. That is what determined the two sizes.

wee bit of a bow

I am not too concerned about this. One, the top of the rear legs will be bolted to the front legs. Secondly, there will be an X brace close to the top of the rear legs. When I install that I will ensure that the two legs are parallel and straight, end to end. That should remove it and keep them straight/parallel.

1 1/8"

I thought I had a 1 1/8" forstner bit but I don't. I searched for one but then I remembered that I had used a rasp to make a 1" hole 1 1/8". I ordered a FMag forstner today and I should have it time to use on the prototype. IMO FMag forstner bits are phenomenal. They are cleanest, easiest drilling forstner bits I have used. Well worth the few extra $$$ they cost over cheap chinese made ones.

from Barnes and Noble

My wife and I spent well over an hour here and I was a bit disappointed in the woodworking sections. There were only 5 woodworking magazines for sale and the books on woodworking occupied maybe 18" of shelf space. However, I did find and buy this gem of a reference book.

why I bought it

This is the first page I opened the book up to. I have never seen any specs or references for threaded inserts before. 99% of the ones I have bought over the years didn't come with any specs for them. This is some handy info to have at your finger tips.

crammed full in all ten chapters

All the info in this book is for the woodworker. There is just what is needed to be known. There is no minutiae to glaze your eyes over or put you to sleep. I read the whole chapter on the math and it was all understandable to me. And I am no math whiz but if I wanted to make a dexagon (or decagon), a ten sided object, it has a pic of it and the required angles. Simple, understandable, and easy to put into practice.

its new home

Of course I'll have to make a holder/box of some kind to keep this in. This is an updated, modern version of the LAP shop reference book.

wasn't quite 1500

Decided to work up a quick sketch of the holder/box for the new book.

stopped rabbet

Did this with a slitting gauge and a chisel. Surprised at how easy it was but mostly how well it came out.

not wide enough

Sliced a new line with the gauge and chiseled it out. Left with a clean, square rabbet.

flush

This came out as expected. The rabbet won't be seen nor the top of the side too. This end will be up against the side the saw till. But this plan has already by superseded by change 2, alteration 1.b, sub level 3E.2-PL. The new one will be a box with a lid to keep all the shop crappola out it and off the book.

accidental woodworker