Accidental Woodworker

 It was hot, humid, and sticky today. The post lunch stroll was a PITA. I did a 3 Stooges routine trying to peel my sweat soaked T shirt off when I got back to the barn. That tired me out more than the stroll did. In spite of that adventure I made good progress on the cabinet. There is still a long ways to go but every journey starts with the first step.

hmm......

Put the opposite stile on to see how it fit. Two of the tenons fit and two didn't. Part of the fun with mortise and tenon joinery for me it the fitting.

30 minutes later

Dry fitted and clamped. Happy with the rail to stile connections. All of them look good but a couple of them aren't flush. Some of the rails were slightly cupped - enough to cause a misalignment with the stiles. I didn't plane it because I didn't want to thin the rails at all. I'll deal with the alignment issues with planes, sanding, and wood putty because after all it is getting painted.

width first

 Used two sticks to measure the width of the panels. The width of all three were the same.

setting the tablesaw

These sticks are for the height of the panels.

3 sets

I used leftover banding moldings for my measuring sticks.

3 panels

I don't have enough 6mm plywood for the cabinet. I figured this out before I brain farted and cut one wrong too. Another road trip to the Walpole Woodcraft is in the near future. I'll bring calipers so I can measure the thickness of the plywood.

oops

I made the bottom panel too wide or too tall. Depends upon whether you are a 1/2 full or 1/2 empty type personality. Spoiler alert - me-steak upcoming.

too small

I should have, would have, could have, but didn't eyeball the panel before running it through the saw. I didn't check to ensure that I had the orientation correct before trimming it to size.

not again

 This is what I missed when trimming the original panel. Oh well I can use the screwed up panel to make boxes.

dry fit

I did an asymmetrical layout on the panels. The top and bottom panels are the same size with the middle panel being 1 1/2 inches taller.

hmm.....

Both of these squares are the only ones that I have that don't have shoulders. They lay flat in the panel and say all three are square. The wooden squares when checked with Mr Starrett are a paper width off square at the far end from the 90. Both say the panels are square and the diagonals are dead on too. I was having a deja vu sensation but the light bulb never came on. How can the say it is square when they are a frog hair off? Does that make a difference when used wood on wood this way? I'll look around for a small framing square or something similar.

side rails

Before gluing up the back I plowed the grooves in the six rails for the sides. Decided to go with two plywood panels in each side. I did that because the width of the plywood panel will be about 9 inches. The height around 22 inches.

going well

No hiccups or urges to find my 3lb sledge hammer. The first part of the glue up went off without a hitch and zero stress. Glued on the last stile, clamped it, and set it aside to cook. Hoping that the sides glue up as easy as this one.

paper thick gap

When I sighted down the stiles they looked pretty good to the eye. Not dead nuts perfectly straight but good enough maybe. I just have the two ends clamped and there is a varying gap everywhere in between the clamped ends. Just to be safe I did the stiles for the sides the same way I did the back stiles.

done

It took me about 30 minutes to plow all the grooves in the rails and stiles.
 

mortise layout

This story stick is a mess with a few incorrectly marked mortises. It was a bit confusing but I slowed down, took my time and got everything transferred correctly. Here I did the top, bottom, and the middle rail mortises.

got lucky

I grabbed the correct bottle for me. I got this being reversible from watching Rosa String Works you tube vids. It isn't as quick and easy as hide glue, but it is doable.

accidental woodworker 

 

what a clown show

I laid out the two stiles, one at a time. Then I laid the two against each other and they didn't agree. I have absolutely no idea how I screwed it up and gave up trying to figure it out. Instead I clamped the stiles together and planed as much of the layout lines off as I could. And I started over again

switched lanes

I didn't erase as much of the layout as I thought. What was left was confusing me and it took me a while checking the existing lines against what the layout stick had before moving forward for the 2nd time. 

two times was the charm

This finally worked and everything clicked into place. I clamped the layout stick and the two stiles together before I transferred mortise locations. The first time I tried this I couldn't get top or the bottom mortises to line up. Got it on the 2nd try.

not much

I double, triple checked the two stiles against each other a bazillion times. I even went topside, got a coffee came back and checked it one more time. Once I was satisfied that the plow plane had bottomed out it was on to chopping the mortises.

my first set of chisels

I got this set in the late 1970's or very early 1980's and for over 20 years I never knew that it was metric. Duh.

6mm chisel

I measured it with my calipers and it said it was 5.94mm. The chisel fit in the groove with a few frog hairs of wiggle room. It took me a few chops to get used to it. The flat on the top of the blade was a bit difficult to zoom in on to keep square in the groove.

about 3/8" at the widest

Both of the stiles are bowed - here I have them as they will be R and L.

gone

It takes almost zero pressure to flatten out the bow. I don't think the plywood will have any hiccups keeping the stiles straight. This is the back and I'll be able to flush the outside edges of the back stiles against the back edge of the sides.

first four chopped

This went surprising quick. It took me a little more than 30 minutes to whack them all out.

2nd set done

I left a lot of extra at the top and bottom of the stiles. A wee bit more than needed but then again I didn't get any blowouts on any of the top/bottom mortises I chopped.

test tenon

I increased the bottom rail from 3 to 3 1/2 wide to strengthen the back against twisting. Doing a test tenon to check the water first. It has been a while since I have done one. The plan was to do the cheeks to width on the tablesaw and hand saw the cheek waste off.

self supporting

It took some fiddling but the width of the tenon was good. I had to pare the walls of the mortise before I got the test tenon seated. Not happy with the rail not being quite flush with the stile - on either side. 

last one

I thought I had made the tenons too thin (visually based look) but I hadn't. These are 6mm and not 1/4".

all self supporting

I decided to go with a ladder style back for strength and stiffness. Still debating whether to use this for the sides too are just one rail in the middle. Chopping the extra mortises didn't cause any hardship. I'll have to see how many panels I can get out of the 30x30 panels. I've got a sinking feeling that I might be disappointed.

The tablesaw is working fine with the new V belt I installed. No hesitation, no slipping, and no bogging down in the cut. It spins up to speed instantly and it doesn't falter when wood is fed into the saw blade. It slowed a wee bit when sawing the tenons in the jig but that is normal. I didn't feel or see any difference doing the tenons with this belt than I did with the original one. All is well in Disneyland again.

accidental woodworker 

layout

I am starting with the back first. I am also making R/L sides a copy of it. Used the story stick to layout the mortise locations along with the OAL (over all length).

not enough

Got most of the stock sized to rough dimensions but I forgot a couple of pieces. Didn't realize it here though. Plowing the 6mm grooves was in the batters circle.

grooves plowed in the rails

had a bow

Both stiles had (still do) a healthy bow in them. Clamped them in the vise this way to flatten it so I could plow a true and straight groove.

2nd stile

Both of the stiles had about the same amount of bow. Clamping them in the vise this way straightened them out. Fingers crossed that the 6mm plywood in the grooves will keep the stiles flat.

gap killers

In the area of the vise there weren't any gaps. I had to add a few clamps to remove slight gaps on either side of the vise.

transfer time

A story pole makes sense (to me) to transfer the needed info on each stile. Thinking ahead, I don't think I'll need a story pole for the rails.

hmm......

This is a wee bit tight. I thought that 6mm was a few frogs wider than a 1/4". I had planned to use the chisel to chop the mortises. I just remembered that I have a 6mm chisel - the very first 6 piece chisel set I bought over 40 years ago. I'll check that chisel out in the AM.

the forgotten pieces

Missed prepping the center stile which is two pieces. It is two piece because the plywood is only 30 inches and the inside of the back is around 48 inches.

two more forgotten pieces

These are the cross rails for the center stile. I might be able to get the two out of one board but just in case.

hmm.....

Eyeballing what I have here to see if I brain farted on any other required pieces. Turns out I have one extra cross rail. I can use that for one of the sides.

nope

I am not liking this at all. But because of the length of the plywood I can't make the center stile taller. I want the cross rail to be close to the top - I was thinking 1/3 of the length from the top to the bottom rail. I could split it in half - the plywood is long enough to accommodate that.

thinking out loud

If I use three cross rails between the top/bottom ones it would look better than the center rail layout above. This set up will add 4 additional mortises and tenons to fit. Having the one rail centered is looking like a better look/solution. I could then glue and secure a center shelf to it which would help with rigidity of the cabinet.

been a while

Another option for the mortising to come. The 6mm bit fits the groove with zero wiggle room. Drill out most of the waste and clean it up with chisels. I shopped for a 6mm straight bit with an imperial shank but nada. The mortise I intend is roughly 1 3/8" deep and I couldn't find a 6mm straight bit longer than 1".

I stopped here because I had to think about this before I did any drilling/chisel work. I still haven't settled on the width of the cabinet and that led to me questioning the width of the sides? The back width is driven by the size of the glass door. I won't want it being too wide - I'm thinking 20" wide tops.

accidental woodworker

 I was wondering why today as I was strolling why so many places were closed. Then it dawned on me, today is VJ day or as it is officially know, Victory day celebrating the end of WWII with Japan's surrender. The littlest state in the union is the only one that observes it as a state holiday. However, when I worked at the VA they didn't recognize it because it isn't a federal holiday. And federal trumps state. After 80 years maybe it is time to join the other 49 states.

Woodcraft haul

I got back to the barn around 1115 with these three 30x30 6mm birch plywood panels. Along with a quart of Titebond glue that I didn't check to see if it was the original formula. That one you can reverse the glue bond like hide glue. I got zero time in the shop for the AM session.

I think I only need one full panel and a partial piece from a 2nd one for the cabinet. I bought a 3rd one for just in case. A 30x30 panel cost $22 and a 48x48 panel was $69. I was going to buy one but not for that price. It was cheaper for me to drive to the store and buy it over ordering it via the internet.

lots of variation

I could see a thickness variation in the three panels I got. This was the thinnest one, the baby panel.

mama bear panel

papa bear panel

There was no mistaking that this was the thickest one. I would rather deal with an oversized panel than one that is too thin.

mama bear panel

I made a 6mm test groove. It fits on the mama bear panel with out having to beat it on. Not overly snug and not loose neither. Didn't check if it was self supporting.

the baby bear panel

The test groove easily slips onto the panel. Not fall down and out loose but just a hint of being a wee bit sloppy. I plan on gluing the panels in the groove so this will work.

papa bear panel

It will fit if forced but that is something I don't want to do. I want a easy fitting panel that doesn't require any persuasion at all. 

back panel stock

I have the side panels (R/L) settled but the back I'm still not sure of. Initially I thought of making the sides and back panels all the same but I'm not 100% sold on that. Thinking of a solid wood back instead of stiles/rails and panels. Plenty of time to decide on that.

side panel stock

All the stile and rails are 3" wide. Going with that width for rigidity and strength. The stiles and rails on the cabinet I saw at my niece's house were 2" wide and they looked thin to my eye.

stickered

Nothing moved, cupped, or bowed when I ripped out the stock. Fingers crossed that none of it does any stupid wood tricks overnight.

potential door stock

All of these are flat sawn but all of them are clear. No knots and all the boards are flat and straight. The outside edges are close to rift sawn so they would be best for the stiles and rails. This is going to be painted so I don't have to agonize over grain/color matching.

two more

The right board has one knot but I can get the long stiles out of it. Both outside edges of these two are rift sawn too. I have three more boards but they have knots in them and I can't get any required long lengths out of them. It sucks that they have the best rift sawn possibilities. Sigh.

It made it up to 99F - 37C today and it isn't going to cool off much for a couple of weeks. The shop temp is hovering around 77F - 25C which is comfortable once I start working. Before I know it I'll be pissing and moaning about it being cold.

accidental woodworker

future picture gallery

I have 3 blank walls in the back hallway for my Stanley Tool pics. It is also the only blank walls left in the house. There is zero wall space in the shop so this will have to do. It is going to be a bit tricky hanging the pics in here - there are steps in the way of setting up a ladder.

why not

I waxed the newest pic frame with the LAP wax. I liked the shine of the shellac but I also liked the wax finish afterward. The frame didn't look as harsh in reflected light.

one more round of touch up

After I ran the gray pad around the frame a few more white specs popped out. Had to touch them up one more time before I could shellac them.

one coat of shellac

The three frames looked good after one coat but it was still wet too. I couldn't see any evidence of the spots I had touched up. Fingers crossed that won't change as the shellac dries.

two coats

I could see a couple of spots that I had touched up after the first coat had dried. With the second coat of shellac I couldn't see them anymore. Either way it doesn't matter because I'm stopping here at two coats. Where these will hang I won't be able to get close enough to see the touched up spots.

ready for tuesday

Brought the new frame upstairs to await its journey to the Frame It shop. I am going to give a mini japanese toolbox to Maria when I bring the frame. I meant to give it to her when I picked up the previous 7 frames but I had forgot to bring it. 

Made my mind up on the frames for the glass door cabinet. I initially I had been hell bent on using dowels but realized the futility of that. I am going to use mortise and tenon joinery. I couldn't think of any other way to plow grooves in the stiles/rails and attach them with dowels. 

With mortise and tenon joinery I can plow straight through the rails and stiles and not run into any hiccups. I will have to get some 6mm plywood for the panels though. I will try the closest Woodcraft to me first and see what they have in stock. 

accidental woodworker

 

old tablesaw V belt

This is the easiest way to figure out the belt needed. The other involves measuring the pulley diameters and the distance between them. According to the roll tape the length of the belt I need is 44 inches.

face side

The gray scotch pad is so different vice sandpaper. It leaves little sanding dust but the surface is smooth to the touch. More importantly the gray pad doesn't sand away leaving bare wood. The plan is/was to get 3 coats of shellac on the front. I want to bring this to Maria on tuesday.

almost ready

Cleaned up the frame with a damp rag. Just had to wait for it to dry before shellac.

got lucky

I was on my way to the Auto parts store when I thought of this. I had bought this belt for the bandsaw but I didn't use it. The on center spacing of the pulleys on the table saw and the bandsaw matched. Tried it, it fit, and I made several test cuts with no hiccups. Saved me a road trip and a few $$$.

new side project

I need a box to keep my peeper helper in. It is a PITA to take my eye glasses out of their soft holder. With this box they are protected but way easier to take out and put away.

glass door cabinet

I haven't forgotten about this. I've been thinking about how to do the grooves for the panel inserts. I still haven't decided on how to do them. The current leader is using a 6mm router bit because there isn't a plywood imperial 1/4" router bit. The router bit headache is finding a 6mm router bit that comes with an imperial 1/4" or 1/2" shank. I don't have any metric collets.

sigh

I had laid the frame face down on the workbench and when I put it on the shitcan to start shellac I saw 4 holidays on the bead moldings. Wasn't expecting that and it threw a monkey wrench in applying the shellac. I had to touch up the holidays and I got the first coat of shellac on after I got home from my post lunch stroll.

box is done

These aren't the glasses that will call this home but they work to check out the specifics. I wasn't sure if I had made the height too high but it looks and works ok as is. I also waxed the entire project with the LAP wax.

3 out of 7

Maria told me that some of the frames had stuck together and it left a few holidays. I touched the 3 frames up and I'll shellac them when I do the big frame.

fingers crossed

Just realized that I had painted over shellac and I'll be covering the paint with shellac again - effectively a sandwich. Thinking ahead I hope I don't end up with the touch up spots blinking like a neon sign at night.

accidental woodworker

 Hopefully this isn't going to bite me on the arse predicting this. Got the picture frame painted, two coats, and it is ready for a couple of coats of shellac. Done. Fingers crossed that tomorrow in the AM I'll be doing that.

done

Happy with the two coat coverage on the back. Consistent everywhere I looked. No bare wood peeking out through the black. Time to wash, rinse, and repeat on the opposite face.

first coat

If I was in a hurry I could probably get away with one coat. This is the best coverage I have gotten with this paint. I also used a scotch brite pad (gray) to sand between coats on the back. Much better finish with the gray pad. With 320 grit sandpaper (what I was using) it was too coarse and it would sand down to bare wood even with moderate sanding pressure. The gray pad is definitely the thing to use between coats.

LAP wax

Visually there isn't a lot of shine. I waxed the right side of the cherry and left the left side bare wood for comparison. The dark wood I waxed it all - only thought of the half and half trick after doing it. 

the opposite side

I can see a definite difference on this side. Still doesn't shine like shellac but I like how this looks.

buffed out

I can see a difference on the cherry. The matte, satin look isn't too bad. The dark wood doesn't have the same look as the cherry though. This could be the look of bare wood if you hadn't seen a comparison.

hmm......

Don't need them but I made a couple more bead moldings. I'll stick them in the boneyard for a future use.

an hour later

I can feel a difference in a finger tip touch between the bare and waxed parts. The waxed parts definitely feel smoother. The same goes for the dark wood. I'm a bit apprehensive about waxing an entire project but in order to make a call on the LAP wax that will have to happen. I'm not a fan of a matte finish but I'm open to see how it looks on a hardwood project. I don't see any value in waxing a pine one.

fingers and toes crossed

I am maybe a wee bit too confident that I won't have to done a 3rd coat. I'll double triple check this after dinner when it is dry. As it is now I am liking the coverage very much.

hmm.....

Rather then tossing these scraps of pine I am making 6 bead moldings.

six 3/16" bead moldings

I can get 3 more bead moldings from the center off cuts. It is looking like two 3/16" and one 1/4" bead moldings with them.

happy face with a wide grin

All the bead moldings I made in the past few days sailed through my bandsaw. A huge difference in the old 1/2 HP motor and the new 3/4 HP one. The taper hiccup in the moldings I made was mostly non existent. There was zero hesitation pushing the stock through the blade. The sawing action was smooth and easy. 

I found a John Heisz You Tube video on a bandsaw sharpening jig that I'm thinking of making. However, I'm a bit confused on what to sharpen. I thought that I would sharpen the inside downward curve of the teeth. But every thing I've seen on sharpening it is the top outside face of each tooth that gets sharpened. Still researching this so I can wrap the brain bucket around the science of it.

accidental woodworker 

 

that's a big hole

The epoxy had set up overnight. It is flush and it is hard. It is looking like this going to last - fingers still crossed due to it being a pitch pocket repair. I'll have to wait for paint to see if the outline pops under it.

planing jig

This didn't work. I had superglued the stop and on the first planing run it popped off. I nailed on the next one and that one lasted for all 8 pieces. I just had to plane and smooth the bandsawn face.

last inside one

I fitted the two short legs first and then the two long ones. No hiccups with the inside ones.

last outside one

This is the dry fit. I glued and nail the two short legs and one long leg first. Then I will plane and trim the last leg to fit. At this point that was the grand plan.

perfect

The last leg is a wee bit too long which means I can sneak up on a perfect fit.

sign

I was not expecting this at all. I only took two swipes and I thought that was mostly to square/clean up the miter at this end. Turns out that something was amiss. I must have checked the dry fit incorrectly somehow.

new bead molding

This is the 2nd replacement bead molding I made. The original one was short as was the first replacement one. Forgot to snap evidence of that me-steak. Found another scrap of pine to make a 3rd one.

why not

With how my track record was going I made two bead moldings. Spoiler alert - I didn't need the extra.

done

I like the look of the two different sizes of the bead molding. I like how my eye goes from the fat 1/4" outside bead to the thinner 3/16" inside one. Kind of draws your eye from the outside to the inside.

set and filled

While the putty set up I went on my post lunch stroll.

grain raising

Raised the grain with water because I have had coverage problems with this paint in past applications. The paint I'm using (IMO) doesn't cover well on pine but it does do a better job with raising the grain first.

hmm......

I wasn't terribly impressed with using the LAP wax. But I was not expecting eye popping results. I do like that this wax doesn't seem to have an odor and it was easy to apply and buff with the woopie towel. I have a couple pieces of cherry that I will try it on next.

first coat

I spent a lot of time applying the first coat. I double triple checked it 3 times to ensure that I didn't leave any holidays (spots with no paint). I always paint the back first to gauge how well the paint coverage is. I was happy with how this looked. There weren't any faded areas and the coverage looked consistent. I'll get the 2nd coat on in the AM.

accidental woodworker

sigh

Three coats of shellac and it isn't blending in. The shellac isn't the problem, the area I shaved is blinking like a neon sign at midnight. I'm leaving it as is, I don't think either grandson will notice it. I also checked with the boy's mother and she told me that they both needed a pencil box for school.

going vertical

This is what the new picture frame is for. I looked at these horizontally and I thought the over all length was too long at over 31". With them placed vertical the OD is about 24".

this sucks pond scum

The belt separated twice on me during use. I had noticed that the blade was bogging again and I had to push stock through it a lot slower - this turned into toast. I'm going to have to find a replacement belt somewhere.

quarter sawn

I got two pieces of stock 2" wide that were dead on quarter sawn. This should be perfect for a picture frame.

it fits

There will be a 1 1/2" border on the outside edges and in between each of the pics.

oops

Got this one wrong. I doweled the frame together and I missed aligning the jig somehow with my X marks. I don't know what I did wrong but the fix is easy enough.

the fix

Glue in dowels and saw them flush.

drilled it right this time

I was about a 1/2 of a dowel diameter off to the right.

dead nuts square

I was very happy with how flush the corners turned out. They weren't dead nuts perfect but, wow they were awfully close.

came this close.....

Besides the one corner I screwed up I had to scramble to get this glued up. It was like trying to figure out a Rubik Cube. The three other corners had some screwy drilling and I had to figure which way the corners went together. It took me four frantic tries before I got that.

faux rabbets

These thin pieces of stock (3/8x3/4) will form the rabbet for the glass, mat, backing, and the pics which is about 3/8".

1/4"

This is all Maria told me she wants/needs for what she does.

done

Glued and nailed. After it has set up I'll plane a small chamfer on the outside edge of the rabbet frame.

oops

Pitch pocket that I had seen and was going to put on the back of the frame. Obviously that didn't happen. 

set the nails

Filled them in with putty. Not necessary but I did it anyways.

deep hole

As far as I know and from experience, nothing sticks to pine pitch. I used picks, carving chisels, and chip knife to dig out the pitch and out to clean, pitch free wood.

epoxy

It took almost 5ml of epoxy to fill in the hole. I didn't go nutso on the bottom but the top 1/8" is all clean wood. I cleaned out the hole first with paint thinner and then filled it in.

1/4" bead

I wanted to plane a chamfer on the inside and outside edges of the frame. I can do that on the inside but not the outside. The dowels on the outside, closest to the outside edge, could become exposed by the chamfer. So I'm putting a bead on the outside and inside edges.

like butter

Decided to do a bead on the inside too but 3/16" instead of 1/4". The smaller bead on the inside shouldn't distract as much as a bigger bead would.

the difference

 The smaller one looks like 1/2 of what its bigger sibling is. I think I made the right choice going with a smaller bead for the inside. I'll get the beads cleaned up and installed tomorrow.

trying a new finish

Lost Art Press had this wax kit in a recent posting and I bought one. Although I am still not sold on wax finishes, I'm willing to give them a try. News, pics, and film on an upcoming 11 o'clock news.

accidental woodworker

a few ideas

I've been thinking about how to make this cabinet. I don't have any plans, just a pic of the original banging around in the brain bucket. I've been thinking about this for a few days and I'm starting with the sides and back first. These aren't carved in stone so they might change here and there as I progress but I like this so far.

Still mulling over how to attach the top and bottom. Dovetails are out so that leaves a rabbet joint, biscuits, dowels, or simply nailing the top and bottom on. As for the last one I can see doing that for the bottom but for the top it won't look good. Plenty of time to sort that out.

too snug

The lids fit and I can remove and insert them ok but I am not sure that young kids have the finger strength to do that. Let alone have the patience to attempt doing it. Time to shave the ends with the LN 601/2.

done

Took a few plane and check before the fit was sufficiently loose. I don't think the grandsons will have any problems opening/closing these now.

too loose

This is the famous big box store 1/4" plywood (always less than a 1/4") that is too loose in a 1/4" groove. It is not terribly sloppy loose but it also isn't self supporting. I plowed this groove with an iron I had made for me that is undersized. In a 1/4" groove (true 1/4" wide) this plywood is a sloppy fit.

 

6mm plywood

The groove is a true 1/4" wide and the 6mm doesn't fit. I can thump on it and get it to seat in the groove and I can also see the groove side walls move in protest. I could sand/plane this and get a snug fit if I had to.

6mm fits

I planed the edges with two shallow runs and it fit. Self supporting but just a wee bit too snug. It would be a PITA fighting this to seat in the groove during glue up. I want a snug but a slip fit also.

LV plow plane

I have a 6mm iron and the fit is tight. I could get it seated but at the risk of snapping off a groove wall. A quick sand with 120 and I got a slip fit that was also self supporting.

I was thinking of using solid wood panels but I like plywood better. I don't have to worry about panels expanding and contracting with it. I am going to use 6mm Birch plywood from Woodcraft. I can order a 30"x24" piece for about $40 delivered. Or I can drive to Walpole and buy it direct. That outcome depends upon how impatient I get.

6mm groove, 6mm plywood

I am planning on painting this cabinet so plywood is a good choice. Next headache is how to join the stiles and rails. That determines how the groove for the plywood panels will be done. Self supporting and kind of easily fitted to the groove. I should be ok inserting the panels during glue up without wanting to give anything free flying lessons.

With mortise and tenon joints I can plow straight through both the stiles and rails. If I use dowels or splines, I can't do that. I'm leaning towards dowels but I am banging around ideas in the brain buckets for how to plow the grooves.

first change

The overall height of the cabinet minus the base will be about 53". I can't buy a 4x8 foot panel of 6mm plywood. If I add a couple of rails towards the top I can do. Woodcraft sells 6mm in 30x24 inches panels. I like this look even more than just having the lone center stile. This gives it more a craftsman flavor/look.

ouch

Got my 7 Stanley posters from the Frame It shop. Each one is matted, mounted, and behind conservation glass. A wee bit expensive at roughly $70 each. Sure glad I had the $$$ set aside for it although I had only budgeted $60 per frame.

Don't know where these will go. I don't see any where in the shop to hang them. I could hang them in the boneyard but I would rather have them in shop so I can see them. Another project that will can wait.

exit end

Switching back to maybe using solid wood panels. My panel raising plane makes a profile that I like but it doesn't have a depth stop. It will bottom out but it will also keep on making shavings depending upon its attitude. I thought I was doing good developing this profile but the tongue ended up too thin.

entry end - 3rd try

The entry end is ok but not as snug of a fit as I would like. This is a classic headache for me with wooden profiling planes. I  tend to be a bit heavy handed on the exit end of the planing run (tapered). It is just a matter of practice and time to master this and get a flat even profile from entry to exit end. I had this problem when I started using rabbeting planes. It took a while but I eventually mastered them. The downside is there is a lot of wasted scrap wood practicing. 

yikes

This is how much of a heavy hand on the exit of the plane run I did. I don't know of anyway to correct this because there is no more wood to remove to fix it. This effectively killed raised panels for the cabinet. I have two other panel raising planes that I don't have this problem with. However, the size of the field (the slope) is only 1" for one and 1 1/8" for the other. Both are too small IMO for this cabinet.

see the line?

To the left of it is what I shaved and it shows. I got one coat of shellac already on it and it still popped. It is going to take 3 or more coats to cover it. On the plus side the lid still slid in/out easily with two coats of shellac.

dowel experiment

The outside stiles and top rails are 3" wide. The center stile and inside rails will be 2 to 2 1/2" wide. I like the fact that I can get four dowels at each joint. That will make it stronger with more dowels. Using wide stile and rails because the sides and back need to strong/stiff enough to hang the door from them.

dowel spacing

The two end dowels are slightly off - the top has a bit more real estate. As long as I pay attention to my mating faces I should be ok with this. This is something that usually bites me on the arse and draws blood.

my new back door

I like the look of this divided light. I am thinking of using this for the divided light door on the cabinet. The opposite side is the same. I'm not sure that I'll be able to do that though. The cabinet door is 3/4" thick and my back door is 1 3/8" thick.

accidental woodworker

 I got these two done right on time. My wife is going to North Carolina next week and she'll give them to the grandsons then. Wonder if kids in school even use pencils anymore? I found out that they don't teach how to write in cursive. When I went to elementary school my class year was the last one to learn cursive with ink and a pen. 

got two on before lunch

Before I got to the shop today I made a road to Whole Foods to return a cell phone holder to Amazon. I had bought one for a iPhone SE but the phone was 2" longer than the holder. I ordered an iPhone 16 holder after comparing my phone to my wife's. Height and width were the same but the thickness wasn't. My wife's phone is slightly thicker. 

That experience went well after I got help doing it. The check in counter said that it wasn't open until 0900. The lady working the self check out area helped me send it back anyway. There was an automated self help way to log it in and send it off. She saved from me having to make a return trip because I didn't see the automated option.

hmm..... (2nd big japanese toolbox)

 I had to use a hammer to get the lid open. The width was good but the ends were the headaches. The left end was a bit too snug and slid in ok but didn't like reversing itself.

done

The LN 60 1/2 worked a charm shaving both ends. It took 6 tries before the lid closed and opened easily. The lid also fit in either orientation. I had to plane a slight taper on the sliding lock batten so it cleared the side when pushed into place. Shaving the end dropped it a few frog hairs below the top edge of the side.

hmm......

I checked the outside and inside for square with each one of these. Surprised to find that all read square no matter where I checked. I did the drill again with Mr Starrett and confirmed the same as the wooden ones. However, the wooden squares were still slightly off 90 when checked with Mr Starrett. I don't understand it and it doesn't change my mind on favoring metal squares.

got 3 on

I didn't feel or see a difference in brushing this new batch of shellac on (mix with denatured alcohol vice Everclear). The build is different but that is because I mixed a 2 1/2 lb cut instead of my usual 1 1/2 lb cut. I will try to get the 4th and final coat on tonight after dinner. I want to give the shellac as much time to set up and harden as possible before they travel south.

it is mine

Decided to keep this one for myself. I already have the wooden squares in it and I'll put any other no home tools in it too. The first toolbox I made in this style I gave to my sister Donna for her husband. I told her if she doesn't want it to give to her son Sam. This box will reside in the boneyard.

accidental woodworker

new pencil box lid

A wee bit too long and too fat on the width. Still a bit apprehensive about the length but not the width. That I planed until I was happy with the wiggle room.

hmm.....

I have seen several makers of japanese boxes that used this method of battens on the lids. It doesn't lock the lid it just secures it.

finally done

These lids are continuing to bite me on the arse. It took me 3 tries before I got this fitted. Sigh. It was obvious to me that the more I make of these it ain't getting any easier.

figured it out????

You would think having to deal with only 2 fixed battens it would be a no brainer. But I think I might finally understand this. On one end of the lid the fixed batten is short about a 1/4". It is the second one that determines the outcome. I think I've been placing the fixed batten (or the sliding battens) too close to the other end.

With this lid batten method, the 2nd lid batten doesn't butt up against top box batten when it is closed. It was then it dawned on me - I could put the 2nd batten almost anywhere on the lid. Ta Da.....

a fortunate me-steak

The bottom box was first and the top one second. It was on the 2nd one that on put the 2nd batten on the wrong side of the layout line. This mistake made the placement of the 2nd batten instantly clear. Dare I say that I think I'm finally over the hump on where to place it?

nope

Pencils fit in the box but not dropping in directly between the battens. If I had made the sides longer it would have made the interior length too big. The pencils fit diagonally with space to spare.

worked  well

I used extra long cocktail toothpicks and a #49 number drill. Picked these because they were round and the others were flat. I put three toothpick nails in each top box batten. None on the bottom - I'm going with just the glue bond.

the layout

I'm glad I noticed this - the blade guard extends into the bottom and would hit the batteries. I wanted to push them up tight against the back wall but that isn't happening now.

done

I wanted to put a charger in here but there wasn't enough room . The depth was ok but I couldn't get it and the batteries in the bottom. I picked the box up after it was packed and carried it out to the truck and back down to the shop. The blade and batteries stayed home. I'll have to get by with taking two fully charged batteries to wherever this gets taken.

impatient

I went to the package store but they didn't have any large bottles of Everclear. Being impatient and needing a fresh batch of shellac, I'm using this alcohol. This is what I used to use to mix shellac before I got hung up on water content. Thinking about that I wonder what 'alcohol' the old masters used? Rum, wine, or some other distilled spirit? From reading recipes from the 17th/18th century they say to mix in spirits. I haven't read anything indicating the old masters were concerned with water in the spirits. I needed a new batch of shellac to apply to the grandson's pencil boxes.

curiosity

This is shellac is a dark brown with some red. I'm curious as to what it would look like applied to pine. Would it look like a dye? I'm about to find out. I'll have to make a road trip to the paint store and buy some empty quart cans.

another curiosity

I've had this button lac for 5 years? Bought it and the Maroon shellac above as a sample. Both of these are meant to be used with mahogany, walnut, or cherry but I'm going to try both on pine to see what 'dye' properties they have.

toast

The drawer where I stow my shellac had these squares in it. I checked everyone of them with the Starrett and all were off square. I know when I made them they were dead nuts on but over time they have drifted off into La La Land. It is because of this that I don't use them. I don't want to be bothered to stop and check that it is square before using them. So far none my metal ones have drifted in the least. However, I don't check these before use, I ass-u-me they maintain square.

accidental woodworker 

found it

There is enough for two lids from the 1/4" poplar board. I also ripped out a couple of 1 inch wide boards for battens.

what do you call this?

This thin piece of pine is necessary to strengthen this bottom spot. Reinforcing block? Bottom batten? Push comes to shove it really doesn't matter.

done

Three coats of tung oil and one coat of hard wax. A second coat of wax wasn't needed. This box will live in a drawer until I remember I have a set of these.

done

I still can't see evidence of a finish on this pencil box. Maybe the ingredients have soured or separated over the years that they sat hanging out unused. That might have something to do how the application looks.

hmm.....modification time

I was planning to store a spare blade in the top inside of the lid but nixed that. I couldn't resolve how to do it. So I switched to sawing the bottom off. I should have done this when I first made this box.

not easy

The block of wood on the back along with the handles and hinges made sawing the lid off a ROYAL PITA. I managed but it was awkward and ate up a lot of extra calories.

not through yet

Sawing the ends was the hardest with the back being the easiest.

broke off

This corner looks ugly and it was the place I started at. I broke off a wedge trying to keep the kerf open so I could saw it.

small rip panel saw

It didn't occur to me here why the rip carcass saw still hadn't sawn all the way through. It was only on the corners that I had sawn through with it.

finally

I had forgotten about these and I had sawn through a few nails too.

#6

Knocked down the proud with my #6 that has a cambered iron.

isn't pretty looking

It is flat to the eye and I did the same for the bottom. But I didn't have to use the #6 on that one.

got most of it

I wasn't able to remove all of the wandering, errant saw cuts but most of them.

wow

This is not what I was expecting. The fit is almost seamless. I thought the amount of wood I removed with the #6 would have left a few gaps and rocking.

some twist

I thought about leaving this as is but changed my mind. Wasn't sure in my mind if the hinges would work properly with the twist. Besides removing it would further smooth out the mating surfaces.

still fits

I checked to make sure that the saw would still fit. The saw plate still was laying flat on the platform.

done

I am so happy with how this came out and how it looks. The joint line looks consistent 360 - not seamless but no ugly gaps neither.

lots of room

Still kicking myself in the arse that I didn't do this from the git go.

almost done

I have a few ideas for storing saw blades and batteries. Since this the bottom I don't see any need to secure either of these down with any kind of restraints. I'll found out in the AM how well the idea is.

cooking away

Got the bottom and handles glued and cooked. I will let the box top end battens stayed clamped until tomorrow. I'm still thinking of relying on glue to keep everything together. But on the other hand I have been running using toothpicks as nails through the brain bucket.

accidental woodworker

2 coats of tung oil

I am not impressed with this finish. I think I'm stuck in a rut with the sheen and build I get from shellac. I have done several projects with this tung oil and none so far come even within 25% of the look of shellac. 

For a quick finish this is adequate and I will stay the course on it. Two coats of hard wax will start tomorrow. After I'll call this done. I already found a hole to stick it in my chisel drawer.

mortise lock chisel

This is why I bought this chisel. It is impossible to get a bench chisel on this rail vertically. I have run into this very situation on a couple of the dressers I have made in the past few years. I've been waiting (and on the email list) for about that long too waiting for Lie Nielsen to make these again. 

why not?

I have had this oil for several years. I used it once and I wasn't impressed with it. In fact I was disappointed. My results weren't anywhere near what I had seen on the internet. But I'm going to try it again and see what happens this time. I have a gloss and clear satin and I am using the gloss on this pencil box.

nada

Again, absolutely no indication that a finish of any type had been applied. I was expecting a gloss shine to show up but it looks like bare wood. The can also states that this is a one application finish. Maybe this would be different on a hardwood. For the cost of this pint can (about $25?) my expectations were dashed straight into the shit can for the last time.

pencil box prepping

I thought about making the grandson's pencil boxes out of a hardwood like cherry or walnut but nixed it. I didn't want to wait for a thin wood (3/8") to come in. I'm too impatient to wait for that. Instead I'll use up the last of the pine I resawed in half a while ago.

two pencil boxes

Everything is sawn to length and width except for the top end battens along with the locking lid battens.

yikes....

I bought these in Jan of 2022 and they have been broken and jury rigged back together for about a year. I have another set on order and I should have them tomorrow. I duct taped it back together just in case I don't get them tomorrow. I'll keep these as back up if the new ones decide to go south on me.

sizing first

I got good results using superglue on the first pencil box and I'll wash, rinse, and repeat for box 2 and 3. I soaked the end grain first and let it set up 15 minutes.

glued and cooking

I paid better attention this time clamping the boxes. I made sure that I didn't glue them up twisted. I did this glue up on a piece of 1/2" thick plywood. I left this clamped until after I got back from the post lunch stroll.

sigh

I know how I made this me-steak. I ripped this on the width with the grain when I should have ripped them to width against the grain. I had enough 1/8" plywood to get two new bottoms.

The bottoms and the two top fixed battens go a long way to strengthen and hold the box together. I would never rely solely on a super glue joint no matter what type it is.

new bottoms cooking

I thinking of not using nails on these two boxes. The glue should be sufficient to hold/keep the box together. I did think of using tapered japanese wooden nails but the size I have (the smallest ones) are too big for the thickness of the stock I used.

missing one

As I was typing this I noticed that I am short two battens. Here I have the box top end battens along with the 2 sets of the locking battens. I am missing two of the fixed lid battens. Missing are the lids too because I don't know where I hid/put the 1/4" poplar.

hmm.....

Put on a second coat of the hard oil wax and I buffed it out. It didn't do diddly for improving the shine but it did smooth it out. The 2nd coat feels a bazillion percent smoother than the first coat did. Either way the wind continues to blow I'm calling the first pencil box fini.

accidental woodworker 

 It might be a wee bit premature, but I'm calling the box done. I got the first tung oil finish on at the end of the PM session. It is going to be a few more days and a few more applications of oil and wax before it is 100% done. Close enough and I won't bore you with that.

gluing the keepers

The two long ones first and then the short end ones. I didn't miter the corners - used snug fitting butt joints.

just enough

There is a papers width on each end. It takes a bit of attention to get them in and out but I'm ok with that.

perfect

I planed a small chamfer and then rounded it over with a 120 grit sanding stick. It made the joint line look dead nuts tight 360.

yellow glue

I thought of using hide glue to secure the block but decided to go with yellow glue. If this needs any repairs or replacement I'll make a new one.

hmm.....

This tung oil finish removes/dims pencil marks. I used a micro pen on a scrap of the same plywood I used for the bottom. I wiped on the finish and rubbed it hard. Nada. I went with it but with a pencil each application of the finish, erased a bit more. Not sure what the second application will do.

almost a gotcha

The love affair with this glue dispenser almost ended. The tip had clogged shut but it was easy peasy to open it. The glue hadn't dried rock hard and it came off with a paper towel. I had been wiping it after each use and I must of forgotten doing it one time.

first one

There will be at least two coats and maybe four of the tung oil. After that I will apply a couple coats of hard wax oil.

I saw a cabinet at my niece's house the picnic day. It was tall, rectangular, and had a divided light door - 9 panes of glass. Got no idea where or who will get it but I got an itch to make one. Looking forward especially to making the door.

accidental woodworker 

 I almost got the box for the mortise lock chisels completely done. What stopped that you are obviously asking, well I'll tell you. I spent a good chunk of today driving around my boyhood town with my sister. She is leaving to go back to Indiana on tuesday and today was the only day she had free for me. She has lots of other visiting on her to do list.

We visited all the places we were grew up and the schools we attended. Our elementary school has been converted into apartments. So much of this small sleepy town I knew is gone and it has exploded with growth. Neither of us recognized most of what we saw. Oh well, stercus acidit. 

We went to a clam shack on old US Route 1 that we used to go to as kids. Well over 50 years and it is still open. We both had fish 'n chips with clam chowder and a Del's lemonade for the ride home back to Norwich. A lot of fun catching up with my oldest sister.

done

I'm not thrilled with how thin the sliding lock batten is but the sun will still rise and set. I will be putting shellac on this but that will have to wait. I need to mix up a new batch of shellac but I don't have enough Everclear for that. This will have to wait a few before that event happens.

pencils fit

I have to insert the pencils at a diagonal, but they dropped in easily. I'll have time to decide whether or not to increase the length between the battens longer than a pencil is.

early shop time

 I knew I would only have about two hours shop time in the AM so I got busy. Making the box for the chisels out of 6mm plywood. 

yikes

The lead in for the shooting plane ripped off the dado wall. I was going to make a new one but nixed it.

fillers

On the one above I only put one filler in the exit side dado. That one survived but not its sibling. With fillers in both, no problems. Both dado walls remained intact with a zero amount of blowout. 

worth a shot

I glued the broken dado wall back in place with superglue. The bottom and top dadoes will get 1/8" plywood that will be glued in them further strengthening this superglued one.

insurance

Not only did I fill in both dadoes, I used a 1/4" thick piece of pine backing up against the front edge. It worked and the superglued broken piece held up to the stress of shooting a 45.

cooking

Met my goal of getting the box glued and cooking before I had to leave to pick up my sister. This was ready to play with when I got back to the barn.

one last thing

Whacked out something to hold the two chisels. I wanted to lay the chisels flat so nothing stuck up but I didn't like the thinness of the box nor the width. I am thrilled with having the business end sticking being a cut hazard but I made it work.

ready to separate

Back at the barn and unclamped the box. Good connection on the miters (no gaps) and the corners were dead nuts square.

hmm.....

Thought I would try to separate the lid on the bandsaw. The blade is new and sharp and it is something I haven't done yet. I can't recall ever trying this on a bandsaw.

sigh.....

The cut was clean but it was also slightly tapered. It isn't much but I wasn't expecting one. 

it fits

I planed the lid and bottom until the taper pencil lines were gone. After that I refined the flatness and fit on a sheet of 60 grit sandpaper.

one more run

Noticed a wee bit of a hump in the middle of one long side. Sanded it until that hiccup disappeared. Happier with the fit this time around - and I eyeballed it and double, triple checked it twice.

got lucky

The plan was to use keepers to fit the lid on and I got lucky. There isn't a ton of a wiggle room for the chisels to fit. I can take them out and put them back in easily. It would be better is there was more clearance but this will work. It is only the keepers on the short ends that I needed to get lucky with.

finger recesses

 I don't want to take out and put these back in place by the business ends. Removed the center and chiseled two finger recesses. Plenty of room to grab the chisels.

done

I'm going with this. Sometimes later on I come up with a different way of doing things. I don't think I will with this one. I also don't anticipate using this that often for it to be a PITA.

keepers dry fitted

Made them a few frog hairs higher then the chisel ends. That should remove any blood letting hiccups.

almost at the finish line

A quick and easy box in a day. If I hadn't spent most of the day with Donna this might have been done with the exception of the shellac finish. Maybe tomorrow I'll put a check mark in the done column.

accidental woodworker

it fits

When I took the box out of the clamps it stayed together. I was half expecting it to fall apart because I used super glue to secure it.

gone

The box was twisted so badly that I didn't need the sticks to see it. Both the top and bottom were three lines twisted. It took 3 runs (top & bottom) to remove it.

the winner

I wanted to use the brass nails but they were fatter than the winners. I didn't want to risk splitting the thin stock. I predrilled for all the nails before driving them home.

bottom

Used 1/8" thick plywood for the bottom. Pencils, even with the boatload this will hold, isn't going to stress the bottom in the least.

hmm......

The one in my hand is too thin. I cut another piece of scrap pine in half and after planing it smooth it ended up about 5/16" thick.

filler

This is too fill in and add some strength to this spot. Without it was just unsupported 1/8" plywood and it would be prone to possibly breaking/splitting out.

sigh....

It was a 1/4" and in order to get it to fit I had to remove another 1/8".

screwed up

I thought it was too wide so I cut it down to 3/4". That was the me-steak. I should have stuck with the fixed batten being an inch wide. 

fits

There is about a 16th of wiggle room for dropping the lid in place.

locked in place

I think the 1/8" that is catching on the right side batten is sufficient. With the lid locked in place, I couldn't pull up and remove the lid.

fixed sliding batten

I am just using glue for securing it to the lid. I am leaving the clamps on until the AM. It is ready for finish and I have a model to build the next two of them.

came today

I had bought a set of these chisels years ago and when I took them out of the package they sliced my fingers up. None of the squared edges had been filed/chamfered. I sent them back and regretted that decision ever since. When LN sent me an email these were being made soon I asked to be notified. Bought them on sunday and they arrived today. 

These have had all the square edges relieved - nothing sharp and no blood letting this time. These aren't something that you need on a daily basis but when you do they sure are handy. I can feel an urge to make a french fitted box for them coming soon.

accidental woodworker

 

nope

It has been a long time since I played around with motors. I used to experiment with any motor I could get my hands on. Learned a ton simply by combining wiring in groups just to see what would happen. Burned out a few motors and got a boatload working but that was in the dim past. I forgot that changing the line and neutral will not effect motor rotation. The field winding wires need to be reversed.

it's the blue one

Blue 5 swapped out for Blue 6. Duh.

hmm.....

Getting the two pulleys aligned with each other was a PITA. The small one caused all the headaches due to being attached to the motor. Gently persuading that I finally got it positioned by using a pry bar. Another Duh.

first cuts

The motor was singing a different tune than the original 1/2HP one. Sounded quieter and felt stronger in the cut. I didn't notice any hiccups sawing these two - a curve and a rip cut.

one more rip cut

I was expecting this rip to be quicker and easier. It was, just not up at the level I thought it would be.

Yikes

This sucks pond scum. One thing for sure I was expecting was for this 3/4HP motor to eat resawing for lunch. It didn't happen this time.

hmm......

I didn't check the blade blocks nor the thrust bearings - upper and lower both were out. Readjusted them and tried to resaw again.

with difficulty

This resaw was a chore to do. The blade bogged and going was slow. The two parts came out ok considering that they look like snot was blown all over them.

new blade

I had bought this one specifically for resaw. That is what I mainly use my bandsaw for. The blade on it now was obviously dull or a hop, skip, and a jump from that. Time to swap in a new one.

new blade going in

Got a bit confused taking out the old blade. I thought that I would have to remove the fence rail to get the blade out. FYI - it isn't in the way. Had to reset and adjust the blocks and bearings again. The original blade was 3/8" wide and this one is 1/2".

1" thick pine

The new test subject - first a rip cut and then resawing.

resaw

The rip cut went off like I expected it too. Quick, fast, and easy. The blade sailed through it like a hot knife through butter. The resaw behaved the same. Compared it to the previous resaw it was like night and day.

smiley face on

Happy with how this resaw went off. I was able to push it though the blade with hand pressure only. With the previous set up I had to use a push stick.

like one I see

Not tapered and that is encouraging. I didn't go nutso keeping pressure up against the fence as I fed the wood through the blade.

sigh

Tapered but not as bad. The board bottom started to kick out away from the fence as I pushed it into the blade. Not as bad as previous trips through the blade and it is obviously a quirk to deal with.

helped

This is the way I have been feeding the stock through the blade. The blade is sharp and I was able to make thin cuts. I didn't try for veneer but a couple of heavy 1/8" cuts.

easy, peasy

I'm done with testing the bandsaw. I'm happy with this final result. All five of them came out with a slight, teeny bit of taper. I can live with this. I'll have to get another blade on order and check YouTube for vids on sharpening bandsaw blades.

shoulda, coulda, woulda, but didn't

I should have swapped out this motor right after I got it. I have had it for over two years but I finally took my head out of my arse and did it.

hmm.....

I see a new lot of mini japanese boxes. I think the first one I'll do is a pencil box. I tried making one of them but it came out short on the length.

cut my hair

I am amazed by how much black hair I still have. I have some graying around the temples but the rest, what little I have, is still dark brown.

done

Three coats on the errant nail box - done. Two coats of tung oil and two coats of hard paste wax on the far four - done. Got the last coat of wax rubbed out after my post lunch stroll.

new pencil box

This one will be a test box. If it goes well I will make two more of them, one each for the grandkids.

checked with a pencil

I didn't check the length of the ID of the first one I made with a pencil. Instead I made the length of the outside the same as the pencil. Forgot to take into account the battens on each end. Oops - couldn't get a pencil in the box.

inset ends

Used super glue to secure the ends. I'm putting 'handles' on this box, they are to the right of the box.

handles

Sized the ends of the handles and the ends and let that dry. After that I applied a second coat and put the box together.

glued, clamped, and cooking

Not sure what nails I'll use on this. The stock is roughly 3/8" thick and I'm leery about using cut brad nails. I have wire brads that may work better and I also have brass 18 gauge nails. I will let this set up overnight and I'll decide what to use in the AM.

accidental woodworker

 Ta da, the 3 mini japanese toolboxes are done. No drips or any other warts appeared to my eyeballs when I checked the finish on them. Glad to finally put a check mark in the done column. Which works in my favor because my sister is returning home to Indiana a week early. Saves me from having to mail them to her.

only one glamour pic

I have four more of these needing a good home. Asked my two other sisters today at a picnic and both had zero interest in them. They will collect dust in the boneyard until someone adopts them.

the errant nail box

This one is almost done. It needs one more coat of shellac before it is 100%.

cell phone holder

I gave this to my sister Donna. I think it is borderline being too large but for a dedicated purpose it is ok. I had to explain to her how to use it. The notch sailed over her head like a helium filled lead balloon.

quick run to Lowes

Got the correct cord this time. It was only 97 cents a foot and the two conductor switch cord I bought in error yesterday, was $1.12 a foot. Go figure on that one.

they fit

I had no problems getting both cords through the romex connector. No oil and no excessive cursing required to get that done.

wired

 I had plenty of room to fit the wiring without having to squish and flatten it. One last visual check of my wiring before playing with the on/off switch.

$13 male plug

This was a pleasant surprise - the plug lights up when there is juice applied. Wasn't expecting that at all. I like that because it is an indication of power available up to this point.

contact

The moment of truth came and there was much rejoicing and dancing in the streets of Mudville. No sparks, fire, or explosions when I said contact and flipped the switch. The new motor purred liked a content kitty and it sounded a lot better then the 1/2HP original motor.

one last check

Installed the cover the cover and loosely tightened the motor down on the bandsaw. The last check - motor rotation - the blade has to go downwards.

had a 50/50 chance

Big negative on the correct rotation of the motor. The blade is spinning upwards. The odd thing was it was still cutting the test piece of pine both in rip and crosscut. Don't understand that. Maybe it was cutting due to the set of the teeth?

It is simple to reverse the rotation of the motor. All it involves is switching the hot and neutral. That will have to wait until tomorrow because I had to get ready to leave for a picnic. This is the first time all the surviving kids (all four of us) have been together in over 5 years. I'll do the reversal of the wires in the AM.

accidental woodworker 

I believe that no matter the skill level you have as a woodworker, there are going to be times where you will have to take a giant step backwards. This AM I thought I would be putting a check mark in the done column for at least 3 of the japanese toolboxes. Well boys and girls I'm here to say it ain't so. I saw waterfall drips at the corners on all three of the boxes. A real big sigh and more rework after taking the giant step backwards.

waterfall drip work

Sandpaper or steel wool isn't enough alone to remove the drips. First I scrape them off with the mini card scraper. Then I follow that up with a good rubbing with 4-0 steel wool.

Lowes road trip

Bought 8 feet of tool cord, a male plug connector, and some spade connectors.

failed the bounce test

Removed the plastic cord connector and got disappointed that the romex connector didn't fit - about a 1/8" too small. The hole diameter is small and there really isn't much room to enlarge it.

possibility

This is the bottom of the cover and it could work for a romex connector. I may use this if I can't get two cords in the romex connector.

time to enlarge the hole

Before I took this off I wrote down where the wires went. Speaking from experience it can be a nightmare trying to figure out which group combination of 3 wires are.

done

Forgot that I had this step drill. This is my 2nd time using it and the first use in several years. Worked a treat with enlarging this hole - a wee bit too large but it will work.

2nd headache

The hole is too small for two cords too past through it. I drilled out the romex hole with a 5/8" drill bit.

hmm......

It is a tight fit but I'll be able to pass both of them through the hole with a little help. I think if a lube them with a bit of oil I'll be able to pull both of them through.

ugh.....

I had checked this wire before I bought it. I saw two wires and assumed a third one was buried under the paper insulation. This two conductor switch cord. The stuff I want is 3 conductor - one black, white, and green wire. I'll be making another run to Lowes tomorrow.

Checked the waterfall drip boxes in the PM and all of them looked good. All of them now look like they have a finish on them. I will do the final check tomorrow before signing off on them. 

The other four boxes got a 2nd coat of the tung oil finish. Never made it back to the shop after dinner yesterday. Tung oil does not pop at all on pine. It looks the worse on white and becomes a little discernable on darker or figured pine. Either way these last four are getting two coats of tung oil and two coats of the hard paste wax.

accidental woodworker