Norse Woodsmith Blog Feeds

A few months ago I posted about a large chunk of a maple tree that came down (about 18″ at the bottom), and my cutting it up.

After I was back home my son-in-law and Li’l T moved the bolts into an abandoned goatpen house I built 25 years ago.  It is a better structure than some of the church-camp cabins I stayed in as a yoot.  The wood will remain there until I decide what to do with it.

I expect it will mostly become turned bowls but my lathe needs a substantial upgrade for that to happen.

 Realized today as I was killing the lights that I was basically done with the spice rack build. This was a figure it out build and I had the answers to all. Of course that doesn't mean it will go the same on the real spice rack build. It was a bit of a shock when I was done because I was expecting to play with this for at least another day. I'll take it and start on the real thing in the AM.

how did I do?

The workshop elves left this alone overnight. It didn't groan, sputter, or move when I unclamped it. That was a good sign.

hmm......

Most of the rocking is gone but not all of it. It appears to be laying flat on the workbench and that is the important thing.

when you don't pay attention

The knife wandered out into La La Land on me. I wasn't expecting it to do that since I was knifing across the grain. Good thing this is a proofing build and not meant to be given away.

shelf dadoes

Most of the errant knife marks from above disappeared. I had to make that dado a few frog hairs wider and removed 99% of the oops.

surprised me

Used this old beater Stanley chisel to square up the corners. No problems using it and it was still sharp when I was done. I don't remember how I sharpened this the last time but this time was a huge improvement of that attempt.

crest rail?

Nope, crest rail refers to a chair.  Maybe I should call it a stop rail? Had to glue up a couple of boards for said stop rail.

hmm......

My version of the spice rack stop rail. I made a half pattern first and then sawed it out full size. One problem is mine is too short in the height. Where my finger is has to be more the height of the spice containers which is 3 1/8". This is < 1 1/2".

fixed

Glued on the cutoff and I got my required height.

fitting the back

Used a blockplane to fit the 6mm plywood in the rabbet. I'll glue and nail it later. Still thinking about painting the back first and then installing it or no painting and installing it. What I'm concerned about is the carcass contracting and exposing bare wood at the back of the shelves.

last headache

How do I attach the stop rail to the carcass? Choice one is to glue it on. Because of the rabbet and the thinness of the stop rail, I'm ruling out adding screws.

choice #2

This is the one I thought of doing first. This one cuts out a half notch(?) that the stop rail would sit it (planned on doing this on the tablesaw). Glue and screws would secure it. Choice #2 didn't win the prize. Gluing the stop rail will be sufficient.

5/8 astragal

I wanted the rounded portion of this profile. As far as I can tell the pic of the spice rack shows half round moldings on all the edges.

can't get any better than this

Sawed off the round part and it fits almost perfectly on the edge. The pic has the round moldings butted together and I'm thinking of mitering them at the corners.

7/8 astragal

I measured this one and it is too wide for the spice rack. 5/8 is the winner here.

hmm......

Sawed a dowel in half to see how well that would work. I didn't have a 1/2" dowel so I used this to try sawing it on the bandsaw. Sawing a dowel in half is easier than sawing the round off the astragal. I am going to check Home Depot and see if they have any half round moldings. I think I saw them there before.

mitered corner

I like this better than what is in the pic. On the shelf front rounds I beveled the ends that butted against the stile rounds. I don't like the butt joint look in the pics at all. The beveled ends are a cleaner look than the pic IMO.

sigh

This shelf end was flush when I clamped it. It slipped when I tightened it but I didn't see it because the clamp hid it. I will glue this on and after it has cooked I will plane it flush.

what......

The bottom shelf and the top shelf are the same at about 6 1/4". The middle shelf is 5 5/8". I laid out the shelf dadoes with dividers in the same way I lay out for dovetails. I thought I had laid out 3 equally spaced shelves but something bit me on the arse.

Everything is figured out and I will do something different for the shelf spacing. I'll make a run to Lowes and buy some 1/2" pine - if they still sell it. If they don't I'll resaw some Gurney's sawmill pine to 1/2".

accidental woodworker 

Here is one more thing to add to a manufactured device for sharpening. The previous post explains the issue: for sharpening plane irons that have a slightly curved edge, which is most of them, a subtle curve needs to be added to the roller. (This does not apply to nearly all chisels.) I have two […]

 

not quite a hmm.......

I like these hinges a lot but they are loose pin hinges. The bottom ball end is threaded - had to make sure the loose pin was facing up. To prevent the threaded ball end from falling off, I put a couple of drops of Red Loctite on the threads. That should do the trick with keeping it on.

I had to do some touch up on the paint. Mostly on the retainer bars - the pin nail heads were shiny. Once that was done it was on to snapping pics. 

glamour pic #1

Not so sure about the painted door now that it is done. The color is what I had on hand but thinking maybe a different color?  I like the divided lites I did and the snap catch. Note to self buy a few more of them.

new first glamour pic

Snapping the pics on the workbench was problematic. The lights were washing out the pic and I am not a photographer by any stretch of imagination.

glamour pic #2

 Got both of the shelves on the 2nd position from the top and bottom. Visually I think this looks better then putting both of them at the top and bottom ones - 1 1/2" between positions.

left side glamour pic

I made sure that the sides were clear - no knots or any other kind of defects.

back side glamour pic

This I like a lot and it will be the way I will do backs if possible.

right side glamour pic

Proud on how well the dovetails came out. I had to fill 3 gaps and I had to search to find them. 

before I forgot again

Swapped out the two blades - they are  double sided and one side was fresh and unused. I just swapped them and Ill have to check on how to do them correctly. Not sure if they are auto setting or not.

hmm......

I couldn't move the knob in either direction. After I let it soaked for a few, I could move it but only with slip joint pliers.

it works

This doesn't work all that differently from a hand plane. With that said, it does have a learning curve and quirks to figure out. Planed the edge and then tried to make a chamfer.  I didn't do too good on that so that will be revisited.

should I?

This belt is the original one and it is over 30 years old. Still feels flexible and I couldn't see any cracks or splits in it. I'll search with fingers crossed that they still have belts available.

upcoming project

This is want my daughter wants. She has the spice containers and she gave me the measurements of the largest one. From the pic it appears to be straight forward. The only thing I see as a headache is the moldings on the top back stop. 

practice one

 Using the stock from the toolbox build to make the spice rack. I'll use this build to work on the flow and any kinks I'll have to iron out.

tails done

 Pins laid out and ready to be sawn. I did them after I got back to the barn post lunch stroll.

off the saw

It was a little fussy getting the  diagonals to agree. One thing I learned so far is my spacing of the shelves needs help.

hmmm......

Using 6mm plywood for the back. Jessica told me that the back of the  one she saw was one piece. I don't want to deal with solid wood issues or the end grain of plywood showing - even though this is going to be painted.

One work step is how to attach the top back? I have a few ideas on that and I'll  think on that overnight.

bit of twist

Not sure this will work but I'm going to give it a try. It was rocking with the high corners about a 16th off the bench. I'll find out in the AM.

accidental woodworker

A few weeks ago, my buddy Rich and I went out to Wings and Rings to watch the Bengals football game. While there, we shot the breeze and I mentioned that I bought these pipe clamp lifters online. I told him that they were made on a 3D printer. He told me that he could make those on his 3D printer and that there is a website called http://www.yeggi.com where you can search for free downloads of woodworking tools and jigs.

I checked out Yeggi and saw that they had Golden Ratio calipers and asked if he could make a pair. I bought a pair on Etsy years ago but they were smaller than I thought they would be. Rich made me two larger size on his 3D printer.

Then this weekend, he came over and gave me more stuff he printed for my birthday. I was shocked when he handed me this box. It was completely printed with my logo on it on his printer. Then inside were over twenty french curves I can use for designing furniture.

Then he gave me a really cool set of roundover jigs. This was another free plan he downloaded. It comes with seven different sizes. It’s an awesome gift!

So now my mind is spinning with what else he can print for me. I told Rich I’d pay him for his time, but he said when he puts in the download, he just goes to bed and when he wakes up in the morning, the item is printed. He told me just to pay for the filliment. What do you think I should have Rich make next?

Heute habe ich den kleinen Ulmia Hilfsspannstock entrosten und frisch geölt. Das stand lange auf der To-Do liste

 

Today I derusted and oiled a Umia Hilfaspannstock, (Helping Vise?).

 

 

 

 Last time I was home, I bought a Mafell ZSE 330K. It was for sale in the northern part of Germany, just about an hour or so south of the border, so I was lucky since most of the machines I find for sale in Germany are situated in the southern part of the country.

It came with a transport cart for use on the job site, but I wanted to make a box where it could be stored and also where I could keep any tools needed for the regular use of the machine.

I happened to have some thin larch boards that I had milled once, and there was just enough to make the sides of the box. They were planed int he thickness planer and ripped before gluing them into some panels.

The panels were trimmed to size on the table saw, and I marked up for some dovetails. Since it was going to be a tool box, I opted for regular through dovetails. With pins on the end boards where I would mount some chest lifts.

I gang cut the tails, and after some uneventful chiseling, I could mark the pins. Some more chiseling and the sides were assembled. 
I hadn't really planned on what to use for a bottom, but I didn't want the box to be heavier than needed since the Mafell itself is no light weight machine. I had a piece of 15 mm plywood, and I planed a rabbet along all sides of it so the bottom would fit inside the sides and still have a flat part to be glued to the underside of the sides. This also allowed me to nail from the sides as well as straight from the bottom to give a strong joint.

Fitting out the box was an incredible enjoyable and relaxing part of the project. I was in no hurry, and I tried to not fuss too much over ultra fine finishing details. 
The fence for the saw is kept in the bottom, around it, there were room for the tools needed to adjust and service the saw. I included 3 spanners, a screwdriver and chain saw file. There is also a room for the riving knife and the chain + saw bar. I drew a line around each part and wrote what should go where. 

When the interior was fitted, I mounted a set of chest lifts. To give a bit more for the screws to bite into, I glued a small piece of plywood to the inside where each lift was going to be.

The lid was made from an old glued panel from an old solid kitchen cabinet door (or something like that). It was a panel that I had kept on the loft of the barn for purposes like this. 
To keep the lid from scooting around, I added some strips on the underside, that works as dust seals as well as helping to keep the lid in place. I didn't mount any hinges or any locking devices. The idea is that you can just lift of the entire lid and gain access to the saw and tools. I was afraid that if I had hinged the lid, I would have to add straps or similar to prevent it from falling over and ripping the hinge screws out. And all that would just make it more difficult to reach inside the box.
I was happy to see, that when everything was in place, there was still room for a 5 L jug of chain saw bar oil. So the box contains all that I need to use the saw at any job sites.

 

 250mm long33 mm deep0,3mm thin   Pedderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12692353908068506678noreply@blogger.com0

 Fingers crossed, but I think tomorrow I'll be posting the glamour pics of the latest to come out of Ralphie's shop. I probably could have done it today but I want the paint to dry and eyeball it all over before I pull that trigger.

hmm.....

Sharpened and tested. I could see and feel an improvement over the last time I did this. Now we'll see how well the edge holds up. I remember it dulling quickly.

snap catch done

The top of the catch on the right is slightly above the catch on the left. I'm leaving it as is because the right keeper is not the same size as the catch.

hmm.....

There is a gap at the back. Not sure if I will do anything about it. I doubt a box of cereal will fall down through it.

trimming and fitting next

Cleaned the glass and trimming and fitting the retainers was in the batters box. I didn't use any glazier's points, instead I'm relying solely on the retainers to hold the glass in place.

sigh

Getting better at fitting miters but they still manage to bite me on the arse. I cut this miter in the wrong direction. There wasn't enough length to saw it in the correct one. Too big of a gap to fill with veneer so I'll have to make a new one.

3 of 4 done

I decided to make four new retainers so each one of them would be the same. I used one of the retainers for the last one to replace the one with a gap.

last four

Got two coats of paint on them and went on my post lunch stroll.

forgot this

Part of the thought that went into this compressor. This is the drain for the tank to let out moisture. This one is a ball valve whereas the pancake compressor has a screw in/out valve.

what's my IQ?

My 1/2" nails came in and I felt like I had a single digit IQ trying to open this. After fighting with it for a bazillion years, I cut it with a sheet rock knife. I understand the purpose of the nubs on the part on the towel but I could only pull it out about 3/8" and then nada.

done

The last of the retainers are nailed in placed. All that is left is to paint the tops of them.

will it be sharp enough?

I didn't rough saw the miter but left the end square. I think that will be a better test of how sharp the chisel is.

much better

No problems, hesitation, or hiccups mitering this end in the jig. It mitered this end as effortlessly as the big chisel I used for the door. It feels sharper and easier going through the wood then the last time I tried this. Fingers crossed the edge will hold.

accidental woodworker 

Last episode we left off with the outline drawn. I drilled multiple holes inside the lines and then worked on cutting them out. I used a jigsaw as my coping saw wasn't deep enough. In exchange for the increased dust and noise, it worked a lot quicker.

coping saw can't reach to the middle jigsawn

I also made ogee curves on the bottoms of the sides and on a toekick. My bandsaw has a wide blade which isn't ideal for tight curves, but it can get close if there are relief cuts.

relief cuts before bandsawing cut close to line

With all the shapes and curves cut out, I tried to file the rough edges smooth. My favorite files are the Lee Valley 'Milled-Tooth Files' but they don't fit everywhere. I don't or can't make the edges perfectly smooth, I just try to even out the rough spots.

some of these were the cheapest money could buy 20 years ago using saw teeth like a file to get into the corners

During the sneak peek I didn't like the overall shape or appearance. It seemed too top heavy, or the top shelf cavity was as large or larger than the bottom. So I cut 1.5" off the top.

the top fell off

The tabletop is just over 1" thick. I rounded over the edges. I tried using one of my new molding planes which worked ok on the long grain and not so well on the end grain. I mostly made the roundover with a #4 plane and used the molding plane as a gauge to check my progress.

wide molding plane for thick tabletop roundover corner

For fastening I ordered some 3d (1.25" long) cut nails. As this may be a porch table I went for galvanized. I could have used different lengths for different parts of the project, but didn't want to order (didn't want to pay for) multiple sizes.

3d rosehead nails from tremont this is why we practice. 7/64 was too small of a pilot hole.

I used a cutoff to mark where the nails would go. Then drilled small holes from the inside face through the dados. Then I drilled the full sized 1/8" pilot holes from the outside. Later I would dry fit and drill the remaining half of the pilot hole into the shelves. I preplaced the nails with just their tips poking through before gluing up.

scrap to layout nail locations

For finishing I used tie dye. I made a sample board of blue tie dye with one coat, two coats, or two coats followed by oil. I chose #23, "Cerulean Blue" with two coats, without oil.

sample board. bottom row has oil which does not look good.

It was difficult to apply the dye to the filed edges of the curves. In some places the wood was too rough for rags and foam. In other places it was too tight to get something in there. For the flat surfaces I used a cotton rag. The dye did not penetrate well into the grain, which I guess is a characteristic of woods like this (sassafras).

dye detail after one coat

I was having problems due to the dye applying unevenly in some areas. I realized it was due to not planing/scraping/sanding fully. So if some of the areas look streaky or splotchy, I think it's more my prep work than the dye.

hand plane tracks. I should've cleaned up more. unplaned (dark) vs planed (light)

I used about 4-6 fluid ounces of dye. I bet that comes out to less than 50 cents.

dye and brushes and rags

I'm not sure if this will be an outside table. If so I don't plan on putting any top coat on. If it ends up living inside I may apply lacquer or wax.

I did all of the dying before assembly. I didn't want to be wiping into corners. I glued up with tite bond II. First just the two sides and two shelves. All of the joints are end grain to long grain. I coat the end grain with glue twice. After nailing there was no need for clamps. I inserted the toekick and top rail to keep it square.

nailed and glued

I added strips to double up the back of the shelves. This is so when I nail on the backboards I am aiming at a wider target. They probably were not necessary. I also glued and nailed the toekick and two top rails.

doubling up the back of the shelves I was hesitant to nail so close to the edges

The top is fastened with screws going up through the top rails. Since the top and the sides are the same species and same orientation I didn't need to make slots or allowances for movement.

with top, without back

The back slats are made with leftovers from resawing. They are less than 1/4" thick. I fastened the two outer boards and then traced and sawed the middle board to fit. They are butted together without grooves or rabbets. I did glue the outer boards to the sides. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Sheikah Table

23" tall, 18" wide, 17" deep

side 1 front side 2 back eye to eye

I recently needed to make some wall-shelves. I needed three, they needed to fit on a specific wall, and they had to be made of a light-coloured wood. I didn’t have any other criteria or requirements.

The piece of wood I chose to use was a yellow birch cant about 4 x 6 x 36 inches. My first thought was to run it through the bandsaw to resaw it into three shelves roughly 1.3 x 6 x 6 inches, then joint and plane them flat and parallel. It would have been a straightforward process, but I realized that there was a more efficient, and interesting way to make the shelves. It became obvious when I thought about how shelves are used:

Shelves are mostly decorative, with only one surface (the top) functional. Therefore, only that one surface needed to be flat and smooth to hold items and facilitate cleaning, as dust doesn’t tend to accumulate on the bottom of shelves. The other surfaces could be rough, so I could skip the step of planing that side. The bandsawn texture would be interesting and tactile. However, a bandsawn texture can only be created with a bandsaw, and any subsequent processing of the surface changes it. Attempting to adjust or correct the shape in any way would result in an irregular pattern of texture (e.g. a smooth spot). Therefore, the cut made by the bandsaw must be perfect.

Take the following for example. (A) is the desired outcome, where all sides are straight and parallel – a rectangle. However, if the bandsaw’s fence isn’t aligned properly, the blade wanders, or the line is not followed, a taper (B) is the result. Likewise, deviating from the line can result in a convex (C) or concave (D) surface. All of these conditions can be corrected, but would require additional work with the thickness planer (or similar tool) which, as mentioned before, would also remove the tactile surface left from the bandsaw.

With only a little more work, I could make the shelves more interesting by adding some curves. Plus, any irregularity in the cut would be imperceptible.

So, that’s what I did.

After sawing the curves, I used a foam sanding block to gently smooth the texture, ease the sharp corners, and remove the fuzzies. Then I used my best crosscut blade to cut them to length, applied three coats of semi-gloss polyurethane, and installed them on the wall with steel tapered connectors.

If you don’t incorporate curves into your work, I encourage you to try. Here are some of my favourite tools to work with curves:

• Bandsaw, jigsaw, and coping saw
• Coarse, hand-cut rasps, rotary and belt sanders with coarse sandpaper
• Chisels, carving gouges, and drawknives
• Arbortech power carving attachments for angle grinders

I don’t often lay out curves before shaping them, but when I do, these are the tools I may use:

• Flexible battens (strips of wood)
• French curve templates
• Adjustable compass with pencil, and a trammel for large arcs
• Pencil, used freehand

These are my top tips for working with curves:

• When using saws to cut curves, making all your movements smooth will generally lead to smoother curves
• Trust your eye and hands – when it looks good and feels good, it’s good
• Cut joinery before adding curves, or at least make sure you save reference surfaces when shaping
• Be aware where your joinery and fasteners are so you don’t expose them or hit your tools on them

Let me know if you have questions about adding curves to woodwork.

Over Labor Day Weekend I was once again a presenter/demonstrator at my friend TimD’s Historic Trades Fair in the central part of our county.  There were several dozen artisans there, including the leather/fur seamstress I shared a tent with, blacksmiths and sheet metal workers, premium woodworkers, gunsmiths, tailors and much more.  Tim thinks he will max out with about fifty demonstrators in the next couple years.

And there I was doing my thing, presenting myself as a congenial woodworker with a complete shop while working on a Gragg Elastic Chair and engaging with the many visitors who stopped to ask about it.

The setting is nothing short of spectacular and the weather was absolutely perfect.

 Not sure that it is the penultimate upcoming, but the end isn't far behind. Door is hinged and it is going to take a couple of rounds of painting before it is done 100%. The completion is coming at the right time as I have already turned my attention to my daughter's spice rack holder thing. 

hinging the carcass

Installing hinges at one time filled me with a fear that almost crippled me. Something little always plagued me that threw the installation off. Mortise gains chopped too deep, notches made too small or too big. Another big headache was misalignment between the door and the carcass hinges. Today no such hiccups or problems. 

Hinging the door went off without a hitch. It was made easier because the width of the hinge matched the thickness of the door edge perfectly. No worries about blowing out the thin web of wood at the edge of the hinge leaf. 

I started the hinging of the carcass with the top hinge first. Many thanks to Paul Sellers for showing this way of hinging doors. Got the hinge notch done and the hinge sitting in it flush and then marked the position the of bottom hinge.

I put one screw in that hinge (middle one) and knifed the 3 edges. So much easier doing the hinges this way. It is almost impossible to screw it up because if it could happen, I would be first in line to do it.

top margin

Most of the wiggle room is at the top. The bottom margin is a piece of paper gap. Something most have slipped on me when I laid out for the top hinge. Not a deal killer as the top margin is good as is.

won't close

I was expecting this - I knew the width might be too wide. The bottom of the door while it clears, the margin there needs to be a few frog hairs wider. 

took 3 plane and fit trips

I had to plane the latch side and the bottom of the door to fit it to the opening. It took 3 tries. It fit after the first planing run but the margins on the side and bottom were still too tight. The 2nd run was good and the third one was for the thickness of the paint to come.

hmm.....

The door swings into the interior too much. It is a 1/4" before it hits the front edge of the shelf. I needed to come up with a door stop that stops the door flush with the cabinet edge.

nope

There isn't enough room in front of the shelves to put a door stop. I will have to place it either at the top or bottom where there aren't any shelf sleeves. 

top door stop

This worked and I temporarily secured it with a couple of brads. The door however, had other ideas as the bottom toed in slightly as the door closed against the top stop.

bottom stop

The first way I thought of positioning it was parallel to the front edge. Nixed that because not only did it look out of place, it could possible be a hindrance. Positioned this way would work and take up less space and much less of a chance of it getting in the way.

better

Cut it down to less than 1/2 the length and secured it with epoxy. I scraped the shellac off down to bare wood first.

came today

You gotta love Prime. This was waiting when I got back from my post lunch stroll.

Makita MAC320Q

I like the look of this compressor. It weighs a little more than 50 pounds. I don't know what the pancake compressor weighed but this one is lighter. It is also easier to pick up and move around. Better balance from the handle and not as awkward feeling moving it around.

command central

Nice layout of the two gauges - left one is tank pressure and the 2nd one is the output. The black knob between sets the output pressure to the tool. The pancake which was a 6gal didn't have twin couplers on the output. Something that I doubt I will ever use.

works

Pin nails shot through a scrap of poplar. Worked flawlessly. The only hiccup is I still can't find a source for pin nails for this gun. It is made in Taiwan and so far I haven't find anyone that sells the gun or pin nails. 

I sharpened it a few years ago but it didn't hold its edge at all. However, I think since that sharpening I've upped my game on sharpening and I'm going to try it again. 

This coupler works differently than my other ones. To disengage you have to push it forward by grasping the red part, then pull back on the black part to remove the coupler from the gun. The part that matters is that it fits the nailer and the compressor. Engaging and disengaging will become commonplace with use.

nice touch

It has built cord storage. All and all this is a well thought out compressor. I didn't see any blemishes or crappy welds. The compressor is also a lot quieter than the pancake one was. That sounded like a diesel with an attitude when cycling. This is easily half as quiet. Even with my hearing I could hear a big difference.

closing in

Got the snap catch on the door installed. First coat of paint on the edges I planed. The plan is to get the 2nd coat after dinner.

storage

Not the one I wanted but I had to use because of the length. Needed it for the tire pressure gauge. The oil is for my Paslode finish nailer. The other 3 guns are oil free.

beater chisel

I have 3 of these Stanley chisels that I use when I don't want to risk my good bench chisels. I sharpened it a few years ago but it didn't hold its edge at all. However, I think since that sharpening I've upped my game on sharpening and I'm going to try it again.

hmm.....

There was a big chip on the left side that ate up a lot of calories removing on the runway. The toe of the bevel had a funny looking edge while doing this. It is hard to describe but it was nothing like I have seen when sharpening my good bench chisels. 

stopped here

Got it square and I raised a consistent burr on the back. I'll finish this in the AM.

accidental woodworker

 Went on my post lunch stroll today for the first time in 5 days. Everything went fine and it was like there hadn't been a lull in the routine. I was expecting to be a little winded but I wasn't. Took me the same 2 hours that it has taken me all summer. Rain is coming again in a few days and I refuse to stroll in the rain. Because after all I ain't Gene Kelly.

hmm....

I thought I was going to put the final coat on the door but it didn't happen boys and girls. I must have pulled out the putty in these tear outs when I wiped them with the damp rag. No dead line on completion but this time I won't wipe it with a damp rag.

glass was ready

Checked that the glass fit in each of the individual lites. The compressor hadn't come in when I snapped this pic. This side is done with painting but the face side will take another day.

compressor cart

This is history mostly because I don't like it (it is tippy) and it won't fit the new Makita compressor. The plan was to salvage as much of it as I could for some other use.

this is it

A dowel, four swivel, lockable casters, and 16 #10 philips head screws. I shitcanned everything else as unusable.

hmmm....

There is the 16th margin at the top and bottom but zero on the width. It is a kinda tight snug fit there. 

latch side

I planed this side just enough for the door to be a slip fit on the latch side. I will do the final planing and fitting after I get the hinges installed.

came as promised

When I checked this AM all it said was the notice to ship was received. It was being set on my front porch just as I got back to barn from strolling.

hinges came too

I was also expecting to get some shelf sleeves from Lee Valley but the UPS guy said they weren't on his truck. I had called Lee Valley to order them because I couldn't find them on line. Turns out that the 'sleeves' were caught up in the tariff wars. The rep told me anything with steel or aluminum in it can't be sold to the USA so that is why it wasn't online. The CS rep checked the US inventory and I bought 400 sleeves from the Nevada warehouse. Paid to call and ask about them.

hmm.....

The tank pressurized and cutout at 135PSI (cutout is 135PSI). The knob to regulate the output to the couplers worked flawlessly. No problems varying the output from 80 to 110 PSI - I usually set it for the pin nailer at 90 and 100 for the 18 gauge nailer.

However, the pin nailer wouldn't fire. The compressor was spitting out air as soon as I hooked the pin nailer up. At first I thought it was leaking/blowing by the couplers on the compressor. This air nozzle gun proved that wasn't so. It seated in the coupler with no blow by and worked flawlessly when I pressed the handle.

wrong rabbet hole

I thought the nipple on the air hose was the problem. It wasn't the problem but the compressor/air hose/nail gun was spitting out air from somewhere.

found it

The culprit was found. I got my money's worth out of this hose. I bought it around the same time I got the compressor. I had zero experience with compressors at the time I bought the pancake one but I instantly did not like the straight line hose that came with it. I got this one from Woodworker's Warehouse (defunct) where I was a manager. (Imagine selling tools and getting paid for it)

fingers crossed

I doubt it but I am optimistic that this is the final coat. Either way I'll be hinging in the AM. The goal will be getting the door hung and fitted then.

accidental woodworker

 Can I get a collective readership ouch? First thing this AM I was at Home Depot returning the defective Dewalt compressor. Done. The HD rep credited my card balance and then my card took a big hit. Ordered a Makita compressor, model MAC320Q for $411 and change. It is a small, oil free, 3 gallon hot dog compressor and it is has a noise level of 60db. It is part of Makita's quiet series of compressors. It has the perfect size/performance for what I will use it for in my shop

Got free delivery and supposedly I'll have it tomorrow. Got great customer service from Donna at HD. Everything went smooth as silk and she even offered to track it for me if needed.

filled in tear out

Did this last night after dinner. Filled in the tearout on both sides. Sanded with 220 grit and wiped down with a damp rag. Ready for paint.

practice pays off

All of the tails look this good. No gaps - the joint lines are all tight. This is something I have wanted to achieve since I saw my first dovetail being  done.

pins

Ditto for the pins. After 15 years (?) I think I finally think I can say I arrived. I'm proud of the dovetails I am doing. Hopefully I won't be eating this hubris the next time I do them.

inside peek

The inside corners are not 100% gap free. I am getting better at it but they aren't as good as the outside is.

need a 2nd one

The one on top is for 21 gauge nails. The one I'm about to make is for 18 gauge nails. I had hard time finding 21 gauge nails. It seems the standard pin nail now is 23 gauge. I found some 21ga 1/2" nails on Wally World's site for $18. I need them to secure the glass retainer bars.

dividers

Clamped all four together and rasped the waste away.

done

Dividers rasped and sanded but still awaiting erasure of layout lines. Flushed the top and bottom of the nail box. Killed the lights here for the day. I'll finish this in the AM.

Didn't get much time in the shop today. But I did manage to get a couple coats of shellac on the carcass and another coat of paint on the door. Checked the fit of the door and it is now too snug. I will have to plane the latch side to get clearance for the door to open/close.

Got the glass ordered for the door and I'll have it tomorrow. Going to HD, a PT appointment, and PM yard work really ate up my shop time today. I should be getting the hinges sometime between the 16th and 18th. Fingers crossed on that happening. There isn't much more to whack out on this cabinet. Glamour pics aren't far behind.

accidental woodworker 

Here’s a glimpse of a recent fortnight in Shangri-la.

As is often the case my brother and his wife come for a visit, now extended from one week to two weeks since they are now both retired.  I guess that is a commentary of sorts, with my siblings and I all retired including the baby.  We are fortunate in that all five of us get along famously and maintain a steady text thread keeping us up to date with each other.  The thread activity really ramped up when our Mom was in her final decline a few years ago and it never stopped.

Anyhow, you might remember the post a few months ago about trolling for firewood on the homestead, with a special emphasis on existing windfall waiting to be harvested.  Of particular interest this week was the cluster of storm damaged locust trees up at the top of the hill, with several large trees down and tossed about.  FYI locust is a highly prized firewood, very BTU dense with a hot burning temp and less ash than other woods.  When we got down to it, we realized that in addition to the already-dead trees there were at least a half dozen still-standing (but probably not for long) locusts that could/should come down.

So down they came.  It took some forethought as the trunks were intertwined and needed to come apart in a particular order.  My brother is really good at that work.  By the time we finished the week there were four heaping trucksful of sawn and split firewood to stack up at the barn.

At this point I am well into the firewood inventory for Winter 2026/2027, but I still have a lot of windfall to harvest.  By my guess it will be about ten truck loads, so all is good.  I will work on those truckloads in between other stuff over the winter.  It’s gonna be crazy with grandson #4 due probably next week.

Perhaps you use, or have at least tried, the sharpening method by hand discussed in the previous two posts. In any case, here is another approach that involves a straightforward angle holder.  The woodworking tool (plane iron, chisel, etc.) is inserted into the holding guide. The pair is placed onto the angle gage, the tool […]

I was up at the Vermont house the other day and made my periodic pilgrimage to The Red Carrot in Rutland.  The store is great for things like rustic boxes (more on that some day), but as a woodworker and general DIYer, I prefer the related warehouse down the street. They have most of the […]