Hand Tool Headlines
The Woodworking Blogs Aggregator
With apologies, Norse Woodsmith articles and blog entries are not available online pending some work on the website. The feeds from other sites are all still available. Also, there may be some graphic issues while I migrate the site to a new host, please bear with me. Thanks!
Norse Woodsmith Blog Feeds
Tenons for Angled Mortises
Workbench Wednesday – Japanese Planing Beam I
In my early days of working in the barn one of the very first things I did was install a massive (8″ x 10″ x 8′) planing beam along one wall of the shop, but over time I realized it was mostly 1) the most robust junk shelf in the world, and 2) a tremendous space hog consuming too much valuable wall and floor space I could not afford. Especially given the reality that eventually I had several other options for hand planing workstations. In the end I dismantled the beam and repurposed the timber into something else.
Still, I never lost that ephemeral sentiment that, particularly in the realm of Japanese toolwork, an inclined planing beam would be a nice addition to the place. [N.B. it seems as though I am creating new workbenches about as fast as I get rid of the old ones! Mrs. Barn thinks I have “a workbench problem.” She is incorrect; I do not have “a workbench problem,” I have a lot of workbenches. Completely different thing.]
Thus I set about trying my hand at the classic Japanese planing beam using some of my less-than-perfect cypress planks as the core, glued together to make something stout. By “less than perfect” I mean that one side of the 11/4 c.1840 water tank staves was a little beat up or degraded. I extracted a pair of the staves from my stash and ran them through my little power planer that has been my corded apprentice for nearly forty years.
Once I got the gluing surfaces cleaned up I dressed them with a toothing plane to remove the planer chatter and increase the surface area for the glue contact.
Using the technique for gluing stack laminations I learned in the foundry pattern shop 45 years ago I employed screws to temporarily clamp the two planks together, this time using 4″ decking screws with fender washers underneath each screw head. The clamping power of this system is impressive, as you can tell from the squeeze-out. I left them overnight then removed all the screws and washers.
Since the compression divots and the screw holes are all on the underside of the beam they are of no consequence.
Time to true the beam.
2nd Mackintosh cupboard pt XIX......
Missed that I had one more woodworking step to go on the cupboard. Forgot that it was sans the base. #2 will have the same base cutout as #1 but I'm dovetailing the front corners together. And it will sit higher up in the base then #1. Just a few changes that I think improve it a wee bit.
last night |
I went back to the shop to play with the letter box after dinner. I couldn't get it out of my mind running through the steps to make/fit the partitions. Got the dadoes done on the long sides and I was puzzling over how to measure between them. Then it dawned on me that it the length had to be the same as the width of the bottom panel.
when the light came on |
At first I was doing some serious butt scratching. I came up with a couple of different ways to measure it with rules, adjustable squares, and two pieces of scrap pine. I sawed it to a measured length and it was too long. It was after this that I saw it had to be the width of the bottom. Duh. I complicated a month of sundays for nothing.
fitted |
First cross partition set and the second one could be now be marked and chopped.
used a 6" combo square |
The 6" square was just long enough to reach from the center cross one to the groove in the short end. Made my knife tics and started to chop them out.
AM work |
I had to remake the short partition wall again. I mistakenly sawed the
cross partition to the length of the short one. I had to go back to
square one, thickness some scrap and chop two more dadoes. The short ended up being a 16th short but I kept it. The keeper for the lid will cover it and it won't be seen.
Last step before glue up was to do a dry fit and check the joinery. The miters didn't close up as tight as I would have liked but the plywood panels and partitions being glued will help to keep the box together.
needed some extra help |
When I had checked the miters with the combo square they looked good but the miter faces were wavy. The toes all looked and read good and it was the heels that varied. When I glued this up the middle of miters were slightly open at the toes. The top and bottom of the miters were all tight due to the band clamps but the middles needed an extra clamp.
not getting paint |
Instead of painting the bottom of the cupboard I am going to use shellac. I have half a quart of gossamer that I want to use before it goes south on me.
base parts |
Found when measuring the bottom that it is almost square. The side to side measures a little less than 17" and the front to back is 17 1/16". I plan on dovetailing only the front corners. The back may or may not happen. Depends upon how I view the base and cupboard when I get to that step.
FYI |
I couldn't understand why it was taking so long for my handles to come in from McMaster. It turns that I never clicked on the 'place order'. Not doing that tends to add to the time before you receive things. Two handles and 100 safety razors.
I used to buy the razors from Lee Valley but they don't sell them (couldn't find them) anymore. The sell plastic ones that are colored. 100 razors usually lasts me about 2-3 years. This one McMaster came with a dispenser.
hmm.... |
Push down on the gray button and up pops a razor. I am going to like this.
hmm..... |
You unscrew the handle from the back with an allen wrench. I started to unscrew it and the screw broke off. I had to break the plastic sleeve on the handle with my 3lb sledge hammer which was satisfying. Then I used some slip joint pliers and unscrewed it all the way off.
mounted |
The dispenser comes with two keyhole mounting slots. Put it here on the hammer and mallet station. The dispenser is too large to fit where I used to keep the LV safety razors.
6 1/2 hours later |
Used some walnut from the vanity drawers that I rehabbed for my wife. They are the keepers for the lid. Left compartment is for upper case letters, the right bottom is for lower case letters and the upper right for numbers.
too wide |
I filled in this gap with the shavings from flattening the lid and bottom after sawing it apart. I sanded the corners coming into the toe from both directions closing up any remaining gaps.
too tight |
I will have to play with the keepers sanding and thinning them down until the lid is a slip fit. That will happen tomorrow because the keepers aren't glued in yet.
good fit sans the keepers |
The lid seats on the bottom with no gaps. There is zero rocking at any of the corners. The lid is slightly smaller than the bottom due to the sanding I did concentrating on the corners. That should change once I do the same treatment on the bottom. Either way the wind blows this I will plane a small chamfer on the lid and bottom to blend the two together.
I got two coats of shellac on the drawer and the two shelves. After dinner I went back to the shop and got #3 on. Maybe one or two more tomorrow and they will be done.
accidental woodworker
Previous Purchasers of Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp
One of my pet peeves is businesses that give new customers a better deal than existing customers. For example a magazine that gives new subscribers two years for twenty bucks but charges more than that for renewal. When I worked for a popular woodworking magazine I argued endlessly and unsuccessfully that we had it backwards. I won’t do that in my own business and when there has been a major change that effects my books I do the best I can to take care of the folks who already own my books.
Earlier this year I completed a major update to “Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp”; it’s now available as a spiral-bound print book (or a PDF as previous editions were) and the videos now live here on the website. That’s nice if you’re new to my work, but there are thousands who bought the old version with the reasonable expectation that the videos that were included in the old versions would be available, somewhere. In the past I have also offered the new version at a discount to owners of the old version.
Upgrade to current book & videos at a discount!
There is a coupon code for previous owners for $10 off on any version of the new “Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp, 3rd. Edition”
Email to request the code, select your choice and enter the code at checkout.
The post Previous Purchasers of Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp first appeared on ReadWatchDo.com.
SketchUp Basics — The Mouse
Modeling in SketchUp is easy if you click the right thing the right way at the right time, but if you don’t understand the various ways the mouse works in SketchUp, it can be incredibly frustrating. With most programs there isn’t much to remember, and there aren’t any serious consequences if you don’t get it exactly right. A three button mouse with a scroll wheel is essential. It is almost impossible to work in SketchUp with the track pad on a laptop, or one of the single button mice on a Mac. You don’t need an expensive mouse, but you do need one. A fancy mouse, with a lot of built in functions and its own software can cause problems. The navigation functions in SketchUp, and the way the mouse works are all based on using a simple mouse. Extra buttons and features can lead to unexpected behavior or an inability to get around the model.
In SketchUp, beginners tend to get nervous and hold the mouse button down, click when they don’t mean to, or add an extra click or two. Any of these things leads to real confusion, because something strange happens, apparently without a cause. As you go through this book, pay attention to the instructions for when, how and where to click the mouse.
Here are the important things to keep in mind about using the mouse in SketchUp.
- For most commands; such as drawing a line, moving or copying something, or extruding with Push/Pull, the command will work two ways.
- You can click and hold down the mouse button, or click and let go.
- Click and let go is almost always the better method. Try it and see.
- Open SketchUp with a new file and select the Pencil tool from the toolbar.
- In a blank space on screen, click once to start a line, take your finger off the mouse button and move the mouse in the direction you want to go.
- Then either type a number for the distance and hit Enter, or click a second time.
- That eliminates the risk of moving off axis as you shift your vision from the screen to the keyboard, and the risk of ending the command too soon by inadvertently letting go of the mouse button or clicking too soon.
What happens when you double-click on something depends on what that something is – loose geometry, or geometry that has been combined into a group or a component. If you have a single line, that isn’t connected to any faces, a double-click isn’t any different than a single click, the line is selected and turns blue to let you know.
If you have a face that is defined by edges, a double-click on the face selects both the face and the edges. If you have a number of faces and edges that define a three dimensional object, a third click will select the face the cursor is over, the edges surrounding it, and all the other loose geometry attached to those edges.
When you have some experience, and you’re adding something in between two existing parts that are components, this is an amazing feature that you will appreciate. As a beginner, it doesn’t make much sense. If you’re a nervous beginner and not aware of how many times you click, it will drive you crazy.
A double-click on a group or a component is different than a double-click on loose geometry. Those two clicks open the group or component for editing. The image at right shows a component in this condition. The component is surrounded by a dashed line and the rest of the model is dimmed out.
Once again, this is a valuable time-saver when you have some experience. Many beginners however, don’t realize what is going on and end up changing a component (as well as all the other components with the same name) when all they wanted to do was move it or make a copy of it.
If all this talk of “loose geometry”, “faces and edge” and “Groups and Components” isn’t making sense, don’t worry. Those terms are all explained in upcoming lessons. Those are all ways that different types objects on your screen are referred to in SketchUp. Objects may appear identical until you click on them, but behave in different ways.
When you right-click over an object a context menu appears. These context menus display different contents when you click on different things in different circumstances. If you’re used to working on a Mac, the concept of a right-click may be new to you, and it is possible to bring up the menus with a “context click”, a click of the single mouse button on a Mac while holding down the Option key.
Learning how and when to right-click will save time, and it’s one more reason to use a three-button, scroll wheel mouse.
The final advantage of the three-button mouse is the navigation functions built-in to SketchUp that are based on using the scroll wheel to zoom by rolling the wheel, orbit by holding down the scroll wheel and pan by holding down the scroll wheel and the Shift key. The previous lesson on Navigation covered those functions and the importance of learning the skills of using the mouse.
As you learn how to model with SketchUp, pay close attention to what your hand is doing and what happens on your screen with each and every click. In short order these motions will become instinctive. Until that happens, it doesn’t hurt to count clicks and lift your fingers off the mouse button entirely when you drag the mouse to move the cursor. That reinforces the concept of “click and let go” and it ensures that an accidental click won’t ruin your day.
One of the best ways to get these things to sink in is to move as slowly and deliberately as you can when you are first learning SketchUp. Learn the proper sequence of things, what different operations should look like and be sure you’re doing what you intend to do. Before you know it you’ll be modeling at a rapid pace, but the best way to become fast is to slow down.
The post SketchUp Basics — The Mouse first appeared on ReadWatchDo.com.
2nd Mackintosh cupboard pt XVIII.........
Moving along with the cupboard build. I am almost done with the sanding so I could paint it maybe starting on wednesday? Also started a new project - the box for my laser cut letters. I am making it large enough to keep all the letters in one box. I am hoping to get that glued and cooking by lunch tomorrow.
I checked on my parts and everything is still 'shipped' with no firm delivery dates. I ordered a bin pull (oil rubbed bronze) that matches the snap catches. They are all estimated to be here sometime between 9/20 and 9/27. That completes the hardware needed for the cupboard.
out of the clamps |
I am a wee bit proud on the top and more so on the right side. More importantly the faux front appears to be solidly attached. No gaps anywhere 360 on the drawer.
how much I have to shave |
Put the drawer in the opening and penciled the overhang on the right. The dance steps start here - this is my gauge on where I shave the drawer overhang.
sneaking up on it |
I am forcing myself to go slow and make frequent checks and less plane strokes. I know I have a tendency to think just one more will be perfect.
fitted |
The drawer slides in/out smoothing and doesn't hang up or bang on the right overhang. I over rode myself and I took two more shavings after this. I didn't like teeny gap at the top - it wasn't consistent and parallel top to bottom.
better looking |
This is better visually then the first fix I did. I am not enamored with this but of the two this is acceptable IMO.
shelf pin dutchman |
I had some gaps that I filled with putty yesterday. Sanded it smooth and I'm calling this done. The pin cups will cover any unevenness on the holes and paint will hide the rest of the sins.
paying the Piper |
I forgot to clean up the interior of the drawer before I glued it up. It took me about an 30 minutes to clean up the four corners of the glue and pencil marks. I changed the fasteners I used on the drawer bottom. I had used 3/4" brads but I noticed that the back was bowed/separating and the nails weren't keeping it tight. Used 1" box nails (they have a head) and those appear to be working much better.
shelf pin notches |
Made the two adjustable shelves and marked for the shelf pins. I make notches for them to keep the shelf from moving.
front edge |
I put a bevel on the front edge of both shelves that matches all the other bevels on the cupboard.
eraser time |
Planed the shelves removing all the pencil layout lines. I got lucky with the shelves and especially with the bottom one. I used the first middle shelf that I screwed up for it. It was still nice and flat in all directions. It didn't take much to plane both faces smooth.
finishing the doors |
Planed the bridal joints flush on both faces first and then I sanded them and the cupboard.
done |
Decided to leave the shelves natural. This pile is sanded up to 220 and it is ready for shellac. Didn't think of it but I can shellac all of this while awaiting my supplies to come in.
came this close |
99% of the cupboard is sanded up to 220. Saw a couple of dings and some tear out that I had to fill with wood putty. Saw two more on the middle shelf that required filling. I'll be done with the sanding of the cupboard tomorrow in the AM.
branded |
I did the drawer first and then I did the bottom of the cupboard. If the drawer got waylaid somehow, the brand would be history. Hard to conceive of the bottom going south in the life of this cupboard.
next project |
This is a PITA just looking at them. Which box has the letter/number I want? I played around with the 3 boxes and came up with a plan of attack for the solo box to come.
flimsy |
One corner was blown out and one short end had separated. I super glued it back together and ??? This is a sorting box that came with the letters and numbers. I don't see this surviving for long in my shop but we'll wait and see.
box parts |
Thinned left over pine from the cupboard down to a 1/2" for the new letter/number box.
repeat |
I am making the new box like the one for my router. The corners will be mitered with a plywood top and bottom. I plan on gluing the plywood in the grooves 360. That will lend a lot of strength to keeping the box together.
short ends |
Shot the miters on the jig. As soon as the toe extends to the bottom I'm done. So far I haven't had any problems getting the short and long sides to be a match.
dry fitted |
Got a good fit with a minimal amount of run out and gaps on the the miters. When I go to Lowes and get a 4x8 sheet of 5mm plywood for the cupboard back I'm going to buy some small thin molding for the recess in the top of the box.
internal dadoes |
This is something I struggled with getting aligned. I have to make two dadoes on the inside of the box. The first one is relatively easy to lay out but the second one ain't IMO. It runs 90° to the first one - I have to account for the first one being in a dado while on the opposite side I have to account for a miter. At least I only have to agonize about aligning it all on just one end.
hmm..... |
Looking at this I think I don't need the piece on the right to be a 1/2" thick. I could use 3/8" and that would give me a teeny bit more room for the two compartments there. One will be 2/3 for the small case letters and the remaining 1/3 for the numbers.
Stayed in the shop late and I didn't kill the lights until 1610. I didn't realize that I had worked past 1500. I'll pick this back in the AM.
accidental woodworker
About “Building Blocks of SketchUp”
One of the “courses” in my Online SketchUp Class is my 2013 book “Building Blocks of SketchUp.” Like my original interactive PDF book “Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp” this included 50 short videos embedded within the 260 pages of text. In 2020 Adobe eliminated the “Flash” plugin, and that caused the disappearance of the controller that accompanied each video. One might think that a software company that developed the format in the first place might be interested in resolving that issue.
What once was a simple task is no longer a viable format, so I had to rethink the best method for presenting a combination of text and video. For now my best solution is to offer the book chapters as they originally appeared as an online Flipbook alongside the videos. An example of each can be seen below.
The main idea of this work is to teach the use of 3D modeling with SketchUp in a non-denominational way. Instead of furniture or kitchens the lessons and examples in this book use simple blocks. After one has mastered “playing with blocks” a 3D model of anything can be created.
Simply click on the image to “open” the book, then click on a page or one of the arrows to move to the next page. At the bottom of the image is a controller. The icon with four arrows will expand the book to fill your screen. Tap the escape key to return to the normal view.
A few caveats:
- This book is no longer available in its original format. It was written in 2013 and there have been changes to both the SketchUp program and the SketchUp 3D Warehouse since then. Most of these changes are for the better and the core functions and terms are still relevant. The videos appear in the Flipbook as static images so you need to open the videos from the course list when you come to them. They are listed with the chapter and page numbers from the book to make them easy to find.
- If you’re not sure if this is for you, you can use the “No Book Subscription” free for 10 days. If you decide to continue the cost is a reasonable $15/month and you can cancel any time. That also provides access to all of the exclusive content.
The post About “Building Blocks of SketchUp” first appeared on ReadWatchDo.com.
About SketchUp for Kitchen (and Interior) Design
One of the “courses” in my Online SketchUp Class is my 2016 book “SketchUp for Kitchen Design.” Like my original interactive PDF book “Woodworker’s Guide to SketchUp” this included 49 short videos embedded within the 195 pages of text. In 2020 Adobe disabled the “Flash” plugin, and that caused the disappearance of the controller that accompanied each video. One might think that a software company that developed the format in the first place might be interested in resolving that issue.
What once was a simple task is no longer a viable format, so I had to rethink the best method for presenting a combination of text and video. For now my best solution is to offer the book chapters as they originally appeared as an online Flipbook alongside the videos. An example of each can be seen below.
The main lesson in the book is this: Learn SketchUp to model a room, fill the room with existing models freely available in the 3D Warehouse and learn how to render cabinets, furniture, walls and floors. When you have a complete model you can share images of it from any point of view and compare endless variations quickly.
This unique publication is designed to walk you through the same process professional designers use while teaching you how to use the SketchUp program. If you’re brand new to 3D modeling the first two chapters cover the basics of installing and setting up the software and modeling with the essential tools of SketchUp. Chapter 3 takes those basic skills and applies them to modeling an empty room. Later chapters show you how to fill that room with the cabinets, counters and appliances that match your vision. I show you how to make your own cabinet models and how to make use of the abundance of models available in SketchUp’s 3D Warehouse. If your plan is to purchase manufactured cabinets you’ll learn how to find models on line, import them into your model and painlessly rearrange them. You can also find models of appliances, fixtures and accessories.
Although the examples are all kitchens, the lessons apply for any room and that makes this the ideal way for interior designers to add SketchUp to their bag of tricks.Simply click on the image to “open” the book, then click on a page or one of the arrows to move to the next page. At the bottom of the image is a controller. The icon with four arrows will expand the book to fill your screen. Tap the escape key to return to the normal view.
A few caveats:
- This book is no longer available in its original format. It was written in 2016 and there have been changes to both the SketchUp program and the SketchUp 3D Warehouse since then. Most of these changes are for the better and the core functions and terms are still relevant. The videos appear in the Flipbook as static images so you need to open the videos from the course list when you come to them. They are listed with the chapter and page numbers from the book to make them easy to find.
- If you’re not sure if this is for you, you can use the “No Book Subscription” free for 10 days. If you decide to continue the cost is a reasonable $15/month and you can cancel any time. That also provides access to all of the exclusive content.
The post About SketchUp for Kitchen (and Interior) Design first appeared on ReadWatchDo.com.
December Loop Back Class
Just yesterday I finished teaching a wheelbarrow class with Peter Ross. One of my favorite parts of this class is the intersection between wood and fire. The tire gets heated in a wood fire before it is shrunk onto the wheel and even the staples for the staked sides can be burned into the wheelbarrow shafts for a custom fit.
The class was so much fun I’ve decided to add another class this year. It’s on a topic I’m more familiar with: Curtis Buchanan’s loop back side chair. I’ve been building this chair for over 20 years and have made hundreds of them, and have taught dozens of classes on making them. I know this chair pretty well by now, but there’s always more to learn. Which is why I’m excited to teach it again. I love honing skills that I know by heart to an even higher level and sharing that knowledge with others. That’s why I do what I do.
The class is December 2nd-7th, 2024, at my shop in Hillsborough, NC. More info on my class page.
The post December Loop Back Class first appeared on Elia Bizzarri - Hand Tool Woodworking.All Dressed Up And Someplace To Go
The recent three-day 18th Century Trades Fair was a gas. I started making sawdust and shavings around noon on Friday and shut down with the torrential downpour on Sunday afternoon. Too bad we got almost none of that at Shangri-la only a few miles away. In fact, other than when the remnants of a tropical storm residue blew through town last month, resulting in four inches of rain that got soaked up instantly, we’ve had about an inch of rain since April. It’s been a tough summer for the garden, lawn, and the barn’s micro-hydroelectric system. Nevertheless, the attendance at the Fair was really hampered by regional weather forecasts projecting heavy rains all weekend. Sigh.
But I digress.
I spent time at the Fair doing some simple work, basically making a storage till box for my tool chest (more about that in a coming post). Folks liked seeing me work and asked a good number of questions but mostly they marveled at the really simple stuff like plane shavings.
It as my first rodeo with this tool kit and I learned lot about what I need for an event like this vis-a-vie the workbench, tools, workpieces, show-n-tell, etc. Next time I will know what to add to my kit and what to leave behind.
2nd Mackintosh cupboard pt XVII.......
I think I'm done with the woodworking on the 2nd cupboard for now. I'm dead in the water awaiting parts. The tiles won't be here until wednesday/thursday. I bought hinges for the doors today and I need a knob/pull. I found the snap catches I wanted on the Rejuvenation site. I was barely able to squeeze off the involuntary bowel movement I experienced when I saw the price of them - $73 delivered. They are the right size for the cupboard doors and the parts will fit on the stiles and the cupboard edges. I might not get these two until the week after next.
I don't have enough left to do on the cupboard to keep me busy for a week or more. I am done sanding with 120 grit and the next outing will be with 180 finishing up with 220. That shouldn't take more than half of a AM or PM session. That's a fun item on the to do calendar.
hmm....... |
Rethinking the door stop on the left side. Because I'm using a snap catch I need a stop to keep the door from in swinging in too far.
it is moving |
I'm putting the door stop on the right hand side of the cupboard. I naturally reach with my left hand to open doors - no matter what type they are. I open with my left and reach in to grab with my right. Changing this to reflect that habit.
change #2 |
I don't like the fix I did on this drawer yesterday. It was bugging me that the half blinds were half covered up by the fix. I am painting the front with the rest of the drawer getting shellac. Found this piece of 1/2" thick pine that is a 16th wider than the drawer front. Plenty of real estate going R/L.
too thick |
I am liking the faux front on the drawer but this is too thick. The combined thickness of the two 'fronts' is an inch. I have extra depth in the opening to allow for this but it looks like crap to my eye. I think it will be better if it a 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. I will also be able to inset the drawer - IMO it looks better than an overlay drawer.
glued and cooking |
I would have bet a lung that I had snapped a few pics of me sawing it to width. I sawed it partially on the tablesaw (too high for the bandsaw) then sawed it apart with the ryobi saw. Planed it smooth and flat with the 5 1/2. The thickness ended being 3/16". I was shooting for 1/8" but I didn't have a warm and fuzzy with it not chipping or breaking off on the right side.
adjustable shelf pin time |
Made two separate jigs for the pins (top & bottom). There 5 positions for each opening that are 6 inches from the bottom and about 6 inches down from the top.
fits |
I like using cups for the shelf pins especially so in soft pine. With a lot of weight on the shelf the pins tend to snag and elongate the hole and eventually fall out. Checking that shelf pin is fully seated in the cup.
brain fart |
I positioned the jig wrong. Instead of setting the bottom of it against the bottom of the opening I set the top tight against the top. The pins are off about a 1/8" from the ones opposite it - just enough that would cause the shelf to teeter on the pins.
the fix |
I didn't have any 7/32" dowels nor would I have used them if I had them. I don't like drilling new dowel holes in ones with dowels in them. Instead I routed out a groove and filled it in with a piece of pine.
glued and cooking |
Got a good fit with the dutchman and the new shelf pin holes will be in solid wood again.
3 hours later |
Plenty of time for this to have set up so I could saw it flush.
Used the ryobi because it was close at hand and it worked as well as my
flush cut saw. I didn't get any sawing marks on the side of the cupboard.
double, triple checked it first |
The front pin holes are 2" in from the front edge and 1 1/4" in from the back edge. I thought of pushing the front ones in another 3-4 inches but I stuck with 2.
I have a project in mind while I await parts to arrive for the cupboard. I will make a box for the wooden letters I got last week. As of now they are in 3 separate boxes and I want them all in one box. That shouldn't take more a day to whack out so I may have to think of something else to keep me occupied.
accidental woodworker
Souped-Up Sharpening Shelf
2nd Mackintosh cupboard pt XVI.......
My saturday didn't start on a good note. In fact it was rather sour and the after taste lingered all day long. When I tried to leave in the AM to go grocery shopping I couldn't due to a flat tire. The short end of the story ended 5 hours later and cost me $195.
Both the front tires had nails in them. One could be patched and the other couldn't due to the nail being in the sidewall. I don't know where the nails came from but I've had problems with the driver side front tire holding air for months. I was going to have all four tires inspected for the upcoming winter season anyways so that happened sooner than later for me.
Didn't get much time in the shop in the AM session and zero in the PM session. The tree service cleaned up the big stuff pretty well but there was a ton and a half of small leaf and bark debris strewn all other the yard. My PM session was spent cleaning up that mess. Not used to that type of work anymore. I'm sore and achy and tomorrow will probably be worse. The upside is I am sure that I will sleep well tonight.
fitted |
It took a few dance steps getting the drawer fitted. I took it slow over riding the urges to plane away. Instead it was plane a few swipes, fit the drawer, eyeball where I thought it hanging up, and repeating it until the drawer slid in/out smoothly.
The gap on the left is good and the right is ugly looking. I'm thinking now I should have made the right side square and proud there. The time to plane the right side to fit the opening should have been after the drawer was made. Decided not to make another drawer but come up with a way to fix the gap.
the fix |
The fact that this will be painted works in my favor. I am not crazy about this hiding the dovetails on this this but the look of the front face is more important than this side is. I used super glue on the end grain and yellow glue on the long grain.
done |
It is much better than the before pic. Initially I was ok with it and I didn't notice any hiccups pushing the drawer in the opening. I thought the 'fix' might hang up and keep the drawer from going in. It didn't but it could be to that I was aware of it and was compensating for it.
The thought of using an overlay drawer danced through brain bucket. The overhang above the drawer is a 1/2" for the faux drawer front can't be that thick. It would look odd IMO if it extended past the top overhang.
top door fitted |
The door was easy to fit. I planed the four outside edges first mostly to clean up and flush the bridal joints. After I had done that the door fit like a hand in a glove.
stuck |
This door didn't go as well as the top one. After cleaning up the bridal joints it didn't fit. It took about 6-7 plane and check before it fit freely. I got done today what I had wanted - both doors and the drawer fitted to their openings.
stop |
I am not using the the same door and drawer hardware on this cupboard. I don't know what the hardware I want to use is called but it will need a door stop. No magnets are required neither. I got the top one nailed only and I won't permanently secure it until after I hinge the doors.
One last detail for the cupboard will be adjustable shelves. I will put one in each in the top and bottom. The middle compartment will remain as is - no shelves.
accidental woodworker
Sticking Board
Saw Sharpening
A couple of weeks ago, I bought Set & File by Matt Cianci from The Loast Art Press. I waited about a year for the book to be published as sharpening has never been a strong suit of mine when it comes to saw restoration.
I’ve owned a Lie Nielsen dovetail saw for years and recently restored a Spears and Jackson dovetail saw. While I could sharpen the teeth fine, setting them properly was a pain as the anvil in my saw set was too big to do the job.
I read in Matt’s book where he dismantled his Stanley No 42X saw set and filed the anvil thinner in order to properly set the teeth on fine tooth saws.
Sure enough, I followed his advice and clamped the anvil in my vise, and carefully filed both sides of the anvil in order for it to look like the one in his book.
Putting the saw set back together, the anvil looked like it would now do the job.
After a few minutes of sharpening and setting the teeth, the saw sat in its kerf nice and tight. Plus, it cut like butter.
Now, I have two dovetail saws that are ready for use. It’s amazing how simple tricks can help your woodworking skills. Major props to Matt Cianci!
2nd Mackintosh cupboard pt XV.......
I think today is the last of my abbreviated shop sessions. Today I went to lunch with my wife to a new (to me) seafood restaurant. Of course I had fish 'n chips and it is the best I've had in a very long time. The batter was light and crisp with no greasy oil leaking out of it. I'll go there again for sure.
After lunch I went to my wife's storage unit and helped her to get some books ready to ship out. We stopped at the Post Office but it was packed with people all with multiple things to mail. I was the sixth person in line and only one clerk working the counter. I waited a few and left. My wife can go back tomorrow and maybe have a better experience than me.
filling in the holes |
Found a piece of pine scrap that fit the hole almost. I few swipes of
the plane and I got a snug fit. Before I did anything else in the shop I
wanted to get the doors glued up and set aside to cook.
good snug fit |
I really didn't need the clamps due to the fit I got. However, clamping them gave me a warm and fuzzy. I do think the clamps on the bridal joints was a good thing.
left side |
Happy with the fit of the half blinds. The half pin on the left is gappy but the rest of it is a good snug fit.
ditto |
The right side fit is as good as its sibling on the left. Both the half pins have hairline gaps but fingers crossed, they will swell shut with glue.
chunk missing |
This is at the bottom and I'm not sure what if anything I'll do with it. I'll evaluate it after the drawer is fitted to the opening.
hmm..... |
Not at all what I was expecting. Yesterday without the sides attached this right end of the drawer matched the taper of the drawer opening. With the sides on I get this crappola. I don't want to make another drawer and I'll have some time to ponder what my next move with it will be. This dry fit is just with the front and sides - I still hadn't done the tails/pins for the back.
done |
Drawer is dry fitted and squared up dead nuts on the diagonals. I'll be using slips for this drawer. I like them because I don't have a groove in the sides weakening them nor do I have the headache of ensuring the groove aligns all the way around on the inside.
nope |
The drawer shrunk on me. When I fitted the drawer front I thought I had a smaller gap - basically a paper width. I think the proper thing to do is suck it up and make a new drawer. However, I am brain dead about some things and this so close. Maybe tonight as I'm checking the inside of my eyelids for light leaks, I will get a massive brain dump solution.
should have waited |
I had this sawn correctly if they were going to be the opposite side of where I had sawn them. They will still work but I won't have the back end overhang the back.
sigh |
I like having an overhang at the back. I don't think it missing will have any effect on the plywood bottom. It is the glue bond between the slip and the side that provides the strength.
all at once |
Glued and clamped all 3 slips. I'll let this cook until tomorrow. This is where I killed the lights for the day. Tomorrow I'll try to fit the doors and the drawer.
accidental woodworker
A Wind Screen For My Torch
One of the things I knew I would be doing at the recent 18th Century Trades Fair was using an open flame, to 1) heat up a waxing iron to use for applying a molten wax finish, and 2) cooking hot animal hide glue.
I have a couple old alcohol burners but neither would hold up to the least little bit of wind in the open. So, in order to make these processes part of my presentation I needed a wind screen inside of which the burners could reside while in use.
Browsing my handy supply of scrap metal I found the perfect piece of heavy copper flashing and set to cutting with my hand shears once I made the measurements of the burners.
Since I could not put my hands on my tinsmith’s stake I grabbed a 2-1/2″ maple rod to use as my form for bending the copper sheet and drilling rivet holes and then pounded the copper rivets on my anvil. The design is quirky and inelegant but works like a charm. Only after use in battle will I know if I need to punch a few breathing holes to keep the flame lit.
One thing is for sure, a small alcohol lamp (or even candle) can provide a lot of calories and if they can be concentrated can heat up something pretty efficiently. I had this re-purposed tinsmith iron hot enough for melting and spreading block beeswax in just a few minutes. Ditto my small double boiler glue pot.
I cut a piece from my metal stock inventory to make a handle, which does get mighty hot after an extended use. I’ll have to wrap it with some cordage or such to insulate it for handling.
2nd Makiintosh cupboard pt XIV.......
They started around 1000 and were finished by 1330. The 3 trees we had in our backyard are no more. I have 3 stumps and I'm ok with that. It would be $600 each to grind them 6" below grade. Two of the them were maples and one was an ash (I think). Fingers, toes, and eyes crossed that the )_&^@($&%^@O$%&*()(Q@%$ maples don't sprout from the stumps. I'll be searching the WWW for ways to kill them.
started the doors |
I thought I had done this right but of course I screwed it up. The tenon on the right is OTL (out to lunch). Instead of being 2 1/2" it should have been 2". I went out into La La Land with where the tenons and the slot mortises should have been.
oops |
The slot mortises are off. There should be two short ones and two long ones. I eyeballed this for a while and I thought I could salvage it.
made a bigger slot mortise |
Because the tenon was off there is a gap but it doesn't matter. A plywood panel is going in the grooves and it will hide it. No one will ever see it unless they take the frame apart.
a few frog hairs |
I made the frame a wee bit larger so I could plane it to fit the slightly out of square opening. Glad I was able to save the frame and not have to make a new one.
double, triple checking it |
Got my sample on the right and I penciled what goes where. More importantly I have the size at the corners for the tenons and the slot mortises. The first me-steak was making the tenons the same on both ends. It has to be one long and one short.
nope |
Screwed it up again and this time I can't salvage it. The lower right corner has a gap between the tenon and slot mortise. Can't cover this one up because it is on the outside faces.
hmmm...... |
Hadn't noticed this on the first door frame. I took that one apart to see why it got saved and this one got tossed in the kindling pile.
door frame #2 |
I had a scrap of pine that gave up the new door parts with some left for another oops.
got confused again |
I studied what I thought I had to do based on the first two doors I attempted. I thought I had pulled my zipper down so I could at least see where I was walking because my head was buried in my arse. I had a handle on where the slots and the mortises were to go.
another golly gee whiz........ |
I had the slots and tenons done correctly except for one tiny, teeny detail. When it came time to saw the slots for the bottom rail (2 3/4") I confused myself royally and cut it short. Instead of making it the width of the rail, I made it the width of the tenon. I thought I had to make it the height of the rail minus the depth of the groove. Turns out I was wrong.
plywood panel fitted |
Like the first one I have gaps but they are in the inside of the grooves and also on the outside of two of the joints.
out square |
I don't have as much wiggle room for planing the door to match the opening. I'm hoping that whatever gap I do have will be small and consistent.
tapered gap |
The back of the top and bottom openings are square. The front isn't. Fitting to an out of square opening isn't difficult. It is a PITA but it is doable.
shaving time |
Time to thickness the sides and back for the drawer. I got all three done in less than 20 minutes.
start with the #6 |
This is my only bench plane with a cambered iron. I only use this to hog a lot of wood in a hurry. I criss cross it first, then go straight across, and lastly with the grain left to right.
done |
All three are within a frog of each other. For a drawer it really doesn't matter that the sides and back all be +/- 2 atoms of thickness. When I dovetail this I will use each individual board to mark the pins and tails.
what a pile |
The deck was clean when I started and this is what thicknessing 3 boards produced. I shouldn't be but this still amazes me what a pile of shavings boards being thicknessed can generate.
ready for chopping |
Got the right side of the half blinds sawn out. I forgot to plane a small rabbet on the tail board but I didn't have any problems knifing my pins off the tails. Killed the lights for toady. Tomorrow I should get the door glued and cooking. Might even get it fitted in the PM session.
stump #1 |
I'm glad this maple is gone. It was close to the back of the house and with every wind storm branches would come down.
stump #2 |
Second maple and this one had a lot of rot and dead limbs. It didn't lose limbs like the other maple in wind storms. Go figure on that.
big ash tree stump |
I really thought this ash would be hollow. There are a lot of ash trees in my neighborhood that are/were diseased. I thought this would be one of them. In 25 years 3 humongous limbs have broken off. Luckily none did any damage to my property or a neighbors. This one had the potential to wreck a lot havoc on the neighbor's house (it was close to it). I miss the trees but the liability of keeping wasn't worth it.
wish I had a sawmill |
The logs with the rotten cores are all maples. The Ash had no rot and the cores to sapwood are solid. Sure hope that they plan on coming back to haul these away.
accidental woodworker
Making a Schwarz "Short Back" Chair, Part 5
It was finally time to do the part that made me fairly nervous - boring the holes through the arm bow and into the seat. I recently bought an 18" auger bit extension, and it might have made boring the seat holes a breeze, but it didn't fit through the 5/8" holes in the arm bow. So I was left with the method I tried with the prototype arm bow.
Boring the first hole, using the alignment stick I made |
Here's the upper end guiding the auger bit |
When that hole was completed, I looked through the hole to see if it was pointing in the right direction. It felt good, so I bored the rest of the holes.
If you blow up this picture, you see a pencil tip pointing to the seat hole location. |
Now came another interesting part. I had to figure out how to bore the hole in the seat at the exact angle as the corresponding arm bow hole. As I mentioned, I didn't have an extension that would fit through the arm bow hole. Here's what I came up with.
A straight 1/2" stick with a point at the bottom end and a few wraps of tape to make it a good fit in the 5/8" arm bow hole. The stick has a lengthwise line drawn on it. |
I moved a square around the seat until it lined up with the line on the stick. |
Then connected the seat hole location with the square to get the sightline. |
Along that sightline, I measured the resultant angle of the stick ... |
... and marked it down on the seat by each hole location |
Then I bored the holes with the help of a mirror, a square and the bevel gauge |
Here's the seat with all stick holes bored, showing all the sightlines too |
A first fitting of the sticks into their holes, sans arm bow |
When I fitted the sticks in both the arm bow and seat, I found some misalignment in a few sticks. I used a small rasp to widen the bottom of a few holes in the arm bow to give those sticks some wiggle room, and that helped get the sticks seated in their holes.
The arm bow is out of the picture here, but the sticks are in their arm bow holes. The pencil is pointing to a stick that isn't pointing well to it's seat hole. |
So I relieved a little material in the underside of the arm bow hole to allow that stick to move left and back. |
After a few iterations of this, all sticks fit in the seat and arm bow |
Next time I'll get into making the undercarriage.