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‘Tis the Season for Delphine, and A (Tenuous?) Local (?) Connection

The Barn on White Run -

Delphine Galou, that is, the magical contralto in my favorite performance of Handel’s Messiah.  Here is my annual link to that version, and if this does not elevate your temporal senses, your sense of well-being, and your sense of The Divine you’d better check your pulse.

Collegium 1704, the Prague-based orchestra and chorale, is committed to performing baroque (and earlier) music being faithful to the original scores and instrumentation.  Hence, there are some odd versions of instruments with which we are familiar.

If you watch the concert video closely, you might see what I think is a Virginia woodworking link to this ensemble’s accoutrements.

Smack-dab in the center of the orchestra is an instrument that looks suspiciously like a Taylor & Boody console pipe organ.  T&B is a premier, internationally renowned pipe organ maker just over the mountain from us near Staunton, Virginia, on the way to Joel Salatin’s Polyface Farm, for those of you familiar with his work in food production practices (featured in The Omnivore’s Dilemma).  I am acquainted with T&B’s head woodworker and have visited there a several times.

During one of the visits as a family they were just finishing up a magnificent organ for the chapel at Yale, with all presentation surfaces painted and marbleized with platinum leaf detailing.  Spectacular.  The gigantic instrument was to begin disassembly the following day, for transport to New Haven.  The fit was so tricky they replicated precisely the balcony where it was to be installed in their fabrication shop and built the organ to fit that space.  Exactly.

While touring and gawking we got to see one of their console pipe organs, basically the size of a roll-top desk and similar to this one.  Elderbarndottir, being a pipe organist herself, asked if she could have one.  “It only costs as much as a house, Dad.”

The workmanship was astounding, and the sound is almost incomprehensively sublime given the size of the entire unit.  The inside is packed about like under-the-hood of a ’68 Mustang 428 Boss, barely even room for your hand to slither in for anything.

So try to spot and listen for the organ in this incomparable performance of Handel’s Messiah.

This is why it costs more

Journeyman's Journal -


This video is for those who say you can find things cheaper online or elsewhere. What bugs me the most is when something is labelled “handmade,” but the person used power tools like a tablesaw, jointer, thickness planer, and router for intricate details. The truth is, a lot of the mass-produced stuff you find online isn’t even made from real wood. I’ve noticed that when I go to the mall and check out jewellery shops, not one of them sells clocks or jewellery boxes made from solid wood. They’re all made from MDF and stained.

You see me working this bit of timber and I got it ready for the next phase in 9 min 42 secs and this was relatively easy wood to work. What if I worked red oak, that time would double. It is very hard to explain to them something they have no clue about and frankly don’t want to know. They have a figure in their head of what it’s worth to them, and anything else is just moot point. Unfortunately, it is very frustrating to deal with such people.

The purpose of this video is hopefully to educate such people and make them understand.

success......

Accidental Woodworker -

 The trip to Norwich was uneventful. No rain, no wind, but it was overcast. My sister gave me a homemade loaf of bread and a jar of homemade jam. I had that for desert after lunch today. I'll say a collective yum for all of us. I didn't spend a lot of time there because I didn't want to chance getting stuck in the rain. Some nasty weather came after lunch but the real stuff is supposed to come tomorrow morning and go until about noon time.

 hmm.....

I did this wrong or at least to my thinking I did. I tried to square and straighten each side separately and that didn't work out for me. What I did was close but it was off enough that it would have caused a lot of headaches if I kept it as is.

I clamped the two sides together and aligned them as best I could. Used the 6 foot level to eyeball the near edge which is my reference. The two ends were off from each other. The bottom ends were closer to square and matching then the top ends. The far long edge is still wild and doesn't count.

 pencil line

I drew a pencil about an 1/8" from the outside edge. This is what I should have done on the first go around. The plan was to clamp the two sides together and plane down to the pencil line. Keep the sides clamped together and square the two ends. The last step would be to rip the long wild edges.

distraction

There was a post on SMC (Saw Mill Creek) this AM that John posted about making picture frames. Since I am making picture frames this piqued my interest and I had to make a sample frame. As you can see it consists of two parts - one vertical (inner frame) and one horizontal (outer frame). I can come up with a lot of different profiles and orientations without getting a headache. This is similar to the picture frame but easier than the one Paul Sellers did. This sample frame took me about 10 minutes to do.

 5 more minutes

Planed an astragal on the top of the horizontal member and plowed a groove in it for the vertical member. A second frame I was thinking of was to forgo any profiling on the vertical one and instead put another tenon on the opposite side. Put that into an identical horizontal member. I was getting excited about the possibilities that this post opened up for me.

 planing to the lines

I planed down parallel to the pencil lines but not removing them. When I checked it with the 6 foot level I had a hump. I had eyeballed down the length and it had looked flat and straight to me. However, the 6 footer was spinning like a helicopter blade.

 square end to end

This took a wee bit of fussing and cussing to get down. I was planing square on the entire length of the left board but I out of square for half of the right board - from about the middle to the far end. I didn't find out what the cause was but I was able to finally get it square end to end.

 my pencil line

The planed edge was parallel and consistent from end to end. I didn't see the need to keep planing and remove it. I was square and straight now so I felt it wasn't necessary. And there is nothing carved in stone about the depth of the sides neither.

 hump is gone

The level pivoted about a third of the way from the end. From watching machinist You Tube videos I know that this is an indication of flatness. The level pivoted about the 1/3 mark when I did this from the opposite end too.

 square

Kept the newly planed reference long edges clamped and squared the ends together with the router.

 big, long taper

The bottom board is proud of the top one at this end a strong 5/16".

opposite end

Not quite a 1/8" here. I ripped 3/8" off both boards.

 lost a 1/4 inch

I consider myself lucky that I only lost a 1/4" squaring the ends off the total length. I was shooting for a 62" height but 61 3/4 is good too. I can make up for that by trimming the second drawer from 3 1/2" to 3". That will make it a match with the single drawer above it.

 passed

The real test is/was do the boards still align on all four edges with one of them flipped 180. Spoiler alert it did on that 180 as well as flipping it 180 end to end. It was almost dead nuts perfect but the few frog hairs it was off here and there don't amount to diddly squat. Very happy with how this came out and I'm ready to move on to stretchers front and back.

As I was typing this up I thought I had made a me-steak on the length of the stretchers I had cut up yesterday. I think but I didn't check it, that they are short. They should be be the same length or slightly shorter than the top is. The front stretchers are the same size as the top but the back ones are shorter because they will be in dadoes.

I have sawn the top to length but I can saw it shorter if need be. That is dependent upon how long the stretchers are for the front. I'll find out in the AM.

accidental woodworker

Making the pilgrimage

Rivers Joinery -

 

The original of this is at the other end of Devon from where I live. I first saw the carving on someone else's photograph, and set about carving it from that. After carving the main parts of it, I realised I could not see the details on their photo. So there was nothing for it, but to make the pilgrimage. In fact, I went twice; the first time the place was locked!


This one (from the same place) is a little shallower than the original, but the original of the top carving is much deeper at 19mm 3/4" and much bigger. I thought I was struggling to make the different layers look 3D; now I know why.

You can see that the original is degrading; not surprising after 500 years of passing feet, scuffs, knocks and woodworm. All the more important to learn how it was carved, and re-make it. These carvings are some of my favourite Devon carvings.

I will leave my first attempt how it is, not try to make it any deeper. The original is twice the size. I will carve it again, wider and deeper. The photograph that I carved from did not show it, but in the flesh, it's fairly obvious the background is painted red. So I have painted the ground of my first attempt red, to see how it looks. I like it.



expensive day......

Accidental Woodworker -

 The weather for the ride out to Gurney's sawmill was pretty good. Sunshine and blue skies but it was dreary and overcast by the afternoon. I got what I think is enough to make the 15 drawer dresser plus extra for whatever tickles my fancy next. I spent more this time then I did on last trip there. Things are going to change tomorrow.

Lots of rain and gusty winds are forecasted for sunday afternoon into monday morning. Sunday morning is supposed to be dry which suits me because I'm bringing the printer's tray to my sister. At least it is rain and not the white stuff although I would welcome that on and around the 25th.

 5 twelve foot 1x12s

Sawn in half. This should be triple what I need even if I screw up more than once.

 3 ten foot 1x12s

I left these whole and I bought them because there weren't anymore 12 foot 1x12s. My last haul was around $200 and this haul set me back $282.09. Good deal as this is all D select pine for $2.95 a BF. FYI - Gurney had raised their prices in November. The first increase since 2009.

 ten footer

Decided to break all of them down to 6 and 4 footers. I rarely make anything over 4 feet and 5 footers sounded odd to me. I will use this stock for the the drawers sides and back. Not sure about the drawer bottoms at this point. Most likely I will use plywood and drawer slips.

 hmm.....

The dresser drawers aren't as large as I thought they would be. Especially so with the two drawer levels. I can see why CH Becksvoort says it is for keys etc - small items. It should work for lingerie and if not Amanda can use it for whatever.

 one shy

Went scrounging around the shop and found some pine to make 4 of the five needed middle stiles. I hate to cut out a single one out of the stock I bought today. I'll wait and get it from the pile of scrap that I'm sure is coming.

untwisting

I didn't go nutso on this. I concentrated on getting one face flat and straight. When I haul the lunchbox planer topside to do the sides and backs I'll flatten the opposing face then.

 stickered

I just removed the twist from the drawer fronts only. The rest of the pieces shouldn't need any work on them. I'll let these relax until next week. I want the stock I got today to acclimate to the shop for a couple of days. With the forecasted rain it will be tuesday at the earliest before I can work this any further.

 back is on

Got the screw in and the blow out from that has healed. I put on the last coat of shellac on the back and this is done.

 only one glamour shot

Since this doesn't have any hangers it can be positioned on the wall either this way (my preference) or 180. Of course I assumed that the longest dimension would be the top to bottom one. To my eye it would look funny hung horizontally.

 needs more help

It is getting better but it is getting tedious using the spackle. There is a divot to the right of my finger that I don't remember seeing yesterday.  This is the underside and I looked at the top and it needs more help too.

 ????

This defect looks like wire brush strokes but I know it isn't that. There is one other spot with the same look along with in bedded wood dust and spackle powder.

 the last one

I put the final application of spackle on both sides of the lid. Regardless as to how this comes out I'm done with spackle.

 almost forgot this

Out of sight behind the bench and I only caught sight of it when I killed the shop computer.

 show face

I am real happy with how the glue joint looks on this face. I had to stare at it here for a few before I could pick it out.

 where is it

The glue line is flush end to end. It took only a few minutes working with the #80 to do that.

 opposite face

This is going to be the inside and I can see the glue joint easily almost for the whole length of it.

 hump

Hump on this side and a slight cup on the other. The cup I could flatten with a feather and I'll have to plane the hump off. Especially so if it is on the inside as it will interfere with the drawers.

 squaring the ends

Squaring the ends and matching the length with the first side were the last dance steps for today.

 made an oops

I forgot to plane a reference edge before I routed the ends square.

 not square

I was trying to take off the minimal amount of wood to preserve the length and it didn't work. I had to do this end again and the length of this one is shorter than the first one.

 chasing my tail

I didn't realize it here but I squared this end up for the wrong reason. It was out of square but I wasn't checking it from the reference edge.

 from the non reference edge

It still hadn't dawned me that I was checking from the rough edge. I had only planed one long edge flat and straight making it the reference.

 the two are off

I placed the two sides together with the thought of squaring the ends of them to get the length the same. The plan was to clamp them as one and use the router to square the two ends together.

 this one is dead on

The diagonals matched dead on - 64".

 used the reference edge

The corner was a few frog hairs off throwing the square off. A few swipes with the blockplane and all was well in Disneyland again.

 square

Once I realized that I was checking for square off the wrong long edge I checked the square on both sides again. One side was square from both edges and the other only from the reference edge. I labeled the reference edge on the face by that edge so I wouldn't miss it again.

 off by a 32nd

This is side #2 with both ends square now off the reference edge. The diagonals are off just shy of a 16th. It was the same when I checked for it on both faces.

 another hiccup

I couldn't align the long reference edges. Towards the bottom one was proud of the other - a hump. At the top one had a slight hollow. I also couldn't get the square ends at the bottom to align. I didn't bother with the top because I was going to square them as one.

I had this problem when I made the dresser for Miles. Had a lot of see sawing trying to get the two sides of that to match 360. I fixed that by planing the front long edges of it to flat and straight as one.

 six foot level

This is the longest straight edge I have. With it up against the sides I can see daylight peeking by in a few spots. I killed the lights here because I felt like I was chasing my tail. I'll come back to this tomorrow with fresh peepers and sort it out.

 hows this for a miter box?

I was leafing through my Aldren Watson books because he explains how woodworking was done before electricity. There aren't any books that I know of that show and tell how to deal with problems like I am having with the sides of my dresser.

 this would work

What he doesn't show or write about was this done vertically or horizontal? Didn't come across anything about how to ensure long/wide carcass sides align and match.

As an aside, and this isn't click bait, I have two Aldren Watson books to pass on. Both of them are duplicates and were formerly library books. They are Country Furniture - mostly about the tools used and how to on joinery, dovetails, legs, etc.

The second book is Furniture Making Plain and Simple. This one has projects and how to do them the way the old masters did. It is this one that had the squaring aid in it. It has a lot of good and simple ways to do seemingly difficult things. 

Both are free to whoever wants them and the first email wins them (rjboumenot at gmail dot com). I'll mail them to you on my dime.

accidental woodworker

two boxes and knitted wear for sale

Peter Follansbee, joiner's notes -

oak box, strapwork pattern Dec 2023

I know many of you here see my other blog, but in case some do not – I just posted the last two boxes for the year on the substack blog – https://peterfollansbeejoinerswork.substack.com/p/last-2-boxes-for-2023

detail, carved & painted box, Dec 2023

And Maureen has posted her latest round of knittted wear and eco-prints – so that’s what all her needle-clicking amounts to – it’s like magic to me.

shawl, Dec 2023

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaureensFiberArts

no hearing joy......

Accidental Woodworker -

 The audiology clinic called me this AM at 0730 canceling my appointment. I can't hear on a phone so all the voice mails go to my wife. She saw it at 0815 and figured I had already left for the appointment (left at 0830). I found out when I checked in at 0910. Here's the kicker to this saga. The clinic canceled the appointment but it was up to me to reschedule it. I didn't know that and I just happened to ask if I could get another appointment. I get to go on this merry go round again on the 18th. 

I went on a post lunch stroll today. I think it is the first one in a month? My right heel feels a lot better and hasn't been hurting when I do the toilet trot races at night. I will try to do another stroll after lunch tomorrow to see how that shakes out. If after a couple of days it still feels ok I will add early AM strolling too. I have a podiatry appointment on the 11th (monday) and I'll ask the doc about the heel pain.

 ain't happening

The top board matches up pretty good on three sides. The left side on both boards are still wild. The hiccup with the top board is it is toast. It isn't flat from end to end but it isn't cupped like I thought it was.

 it is twisted

There is no way that I am going to attempt to use this as a side. The twist is over a 1/4" on one end and almost as much on the opposite end corner. It would be a nightmare trying to fit 15 drawers in a carcass that has twisted sides.

 two boards again

Sawed the boards into two on the joint line. The short width board is flat and has no twist to it now. The wider one has twist but not as much as when it was two boards. I'll repurpose these two for drawers fronts.

 new side

I checked the 3 boards I had left and picked the two flatest ones.

 flush glue line

I used my two deep reach bessey clamps to flush the glue line on either side of the bar clamp before I tightened it. I did this dance step for each of them for this glue up.

 squaring the top

I wish it was as easy to do the sides as it was the top. I planed a reference long edge first and then squared the ends to it.

 top R/L

The top's dimensions will drive the dresser size. I left this as big as I could so I can size it down if needed. 

 slight cup

The cup isn't that bad and I could flatten it out on the workbench with my pinkie. It is going to be a few days before I will get around to working on it. This is just to help keep it flat until I need it.

 oops

Attaching the back to the printer's tray and this screw split off a chunk. I glued it back together and I'll let it cook until tomorrow before I drive the screw home again.

 15 drawer fronts

I was able to get 9 drawer fronts out of the wonky sides and the last 6 from an off cut from yesterday. 

 fingers crossed

I don't like precutting stock and I would rather do it by measuring directly off where it will go. I thought I had made up all the rails/stiles and vertical dividers for all 15 drawers. Turns out I was 5 sets rails/stiles shy.

 revelation

This is wrong and it hit me as I was typing this up. This will work for the single drawer but not for the double drawers. The first drawer is a single with two drawers directly beneath it. This repeats 4 more times for 15 total drawers. I need a second vertical divider for the rear along with a middle stile as a drawer runner for the two drawers. Easy hiccup to fix without any need for wailing.

 

 splitting the drawer fronts
The first two drawers are 3" tall with the 2 drawers below being 3 1/2" tall. All the other drawer groups are the same size.

 15 drawers

The 5" fronts are the shortest length ones of the bunch. I had to cut around a big black knot but I think it is going to be ok. If I figured it correctly the drawer fronts should be 14 1/2" R/L and the 5" ones are 14 3/4" long with one end squared.

almost

I cut out the second set of stiles and rails for the drawers but I didn't do the middle stiles for the two drawers. I have extra vertical dividers so no need to fret about them. I got a few of the stiles and rails from the extra stiles and rails from ???? I can't recall what these were from but I used them all up.

checking for twist

I checked each drawer front and all of them had some twist. The drawer fronts will be inset so I need the face to be flat, straight, and twist free. I marked each drawer front and I'll untwist them in the AM. I don't have to go nutso on this neither because nothing will be married to it. So there is no need to make all 15 +/- two atoms alike in thickness.

 last board

The reason why I sawed all the drawer fronts, rails, and stiles was to get an idea on how many boards I need to buy at Gurney's. This board is cupped but I think I can get all the 3" drawer sides and backs from it. I am estimating one 6 foot 1x12 for 3 other drawers with the 6 1/2" drawers might need 1 and 1/2 boards. 

I hate to do it but I'll be planing them down to about a 1/2" thick. The thickness of the sides/back will be driven by how thick the drawer fronts end up being.

accidental woodworker

You Can’t Take It With You

Fair Woodworking -

Can you keep a secret? You’re all gossips. I know that, but I’ll tell you anyway. It looks like we are moving. Not far, just to the other side of town, but this means that my shop has to move too. This can be seen as exciting, daunting, or just a total pain in the […]

1912 Ex-Segovia Cedar/East Indian Rosewood Classical Guitar

Wilson Burnham Guitars -

Inspired by Andrés Segovia’s famous 1912 Manuel Ramirez guitar, I chose Western red cedar top and East Indian rosewood back and sides from my collection of tone wood once owned by the late John Weissenrieder, an American guitar maker who lived in Italy.

It has three piece twenty-plus year old Western red cedar top, a Simplicio style rosette and an East Indian rosewood bridge with a Mother of Pearl/bone tie block cover. 


The back and sides are East Indian rosewood that was milled in Milan, Italy in 2001. This wood was once owned by late John Weissenrieder, an American guitar maker who lived in Italy. I purchased this wood several years ago from his father, Lynn Weissenrieder. This rosewood is dark with tight grain, it is nearly impossible to find rosewood this nice these days!





I stayed faithful in most respects to the design: the top and back kerfing, pillarettes and transverse bars are shaped as the original, the end block and the “Spanish slipper” of the neck match the original dimesnions. The top bracing is not what was used on Segovia’s Ramirez, it is a bracing system that I developed that helps create a magnificent sounding guitar! 


I tune the back so it is about one step higher in tone than the guitar top, I accomplish this with judicious spot sanding of the rosewood and carving of the back braces.


The headstock crest is a copy of the original Ramirez crest. 


The rosewood binding and maple purfling match the original and the guitar is fully French polished.

The voice of this guitar is lyrical and beautiful with an incredible amount of depth and just a little bit of growl to it, it is beautifully balanced giving you most anything you could want from a top tier instrument. 

It is currently available and everyone is welcome to stop by my studio in Taos, New Mexico to try it out!


The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing

The Renaissance Woodworker -

Click to play

Follow these 3 Things to Improve EVERY saw cut

I love hand sawing.  I think it is THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill to master.  But it freaks a lot of woodworkers out and creates frustration.  The thing is when the cuts go well, everything goes well.  All the work gets easier and faster.  

I've been teaching how to saw for more than a decade now and watching the change is makes for woodworkers is so rewarding.  The joy that results from a perfect cut and how it raise the level of craftsmanship throughout a project.  Not to mention the confidence that comes from being able to split a line.  So I've thought long and hard about how to boil down all the elements of sawing into as simple an approach as possible.  

This "3 Principles" presentation has been given to more than 20 woodworking guilds around the country and I've taught it to thousands of people in The Hand Tool School.  The feedback I've gotten from it is phenomenal.  So enjoy this look at this lesson and next time you encounter an issue with your hand sawing, think about these 3 principles, address it and I bet you it will fix your problem.

Master Hand Sawing

THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill

New skill path course is now available at

The Hand Tool School 

The post The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing appeared first on The Renaissance Woodworker.

The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing

The Renaissance Woodworker -

Click to play

Follow these 3 Things to Improve EVERY saw cut

I love hand sawing.  I think it is THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill to master.  But it freaks a lot of woodworkers out and creates frustration.  The thing is when the cuts go well, everything goes well.  All the work gets easier and faster.  

I've been teaching how to saw for more than a decade now and watching the change is makes for woodworkers is so rewarding.  The joy that results from a perfect cut and how it raise the level of craftsmanship throughout a project.  Not to mention the confidence that comes from being able to split a line.  So I've thought long and hard about how to boil down all the elements of sawing into as simple an approach as possible.  

This "3 Principles" presentation has been given to more than 20 woodworking guilds around the country and I've taught it to thousands of people in The Hand Tool School.  The feedback I've gotten from it is phenomenal.  So enjoy this look at this lesson and next time you encounter an issue with your hand sawing, think about these 3 principles, address it and I bet you it will fix your problem.

Master Hand Sawing

THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill

New skill path course is now available at

The Hand Tool School 

The post The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing appeared first on The Renaissance Woodworker.

The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing

The Renaissance Woodworker -

Click to play

Follow these 3 Things to Improve EVERY saw cut

I love hand sawing.  I think it is THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill to master.  But it freaks a lot of woodworkers out and creates frustration.  The thing is when the cuts go well, everything goes well.  All the work gets easier and faster.  

I've been teaching how to saw for more than a decade now and watching the change is makes for woodworkers is so rewarding.  The joy that results from a perfect cut and how it raise the level of craftsmanship throughout a project.  Not to mention the confidence that comes from being able to split a line.  So I've thought long and hard about how to boil down all the elements of sawing into as simple an approach as possible.  

This "3 Principles" presentation has been given to more than 20 woodworking guilds around the country and I've taught it to thousands of people in The Hand Tool School.  The feedback I've gotten from it is phenomenal.  So enjoy this look at this lesson and next time you encounter an issue with your hand sawing, think about these 3 principles, address it and I bet you it will fix your problem.

Master Hand Sawing

THE MOST IMPORTANT hand skill

New skill path course is now available at

The Hand Tool School 

The post The 3 Principles of Hand Sawing appeared first on The Renaissance Woodworker.

15 drawer dresser......

Accidental Woodworker -

 Started the new project in the last part of the AM and stopped it on a good note in the PM. The Printer's Tray will be done tomorrow or maybe even tonight. I may get ambitious and trot my buns back down to the shop after dinner. The frames made it to the Frame It shop and Maria looked relieved when I told her I didn't need them for xmas. I doubt that they will be ready until after the new year dawns anyways. She had a lot of customer projects piled up on her work table.

I don't have enough stock to complete this dresser so I'll be making a run to Gurney's this saturday. It is supposed to be cloudy but no rain forecasted for the time I plan on going there. Fingers crossed because that build will go dead in the water if it is raining.

 been a couple of days

This putty still hasn't hardened. It isn't as soft and squishy as it was the day after I applied it but it hasn't set either. It doesn't feel wet so I'll leave by the radiator for few more days. It is going to be the chilly side (below freezing) so the heat will be on a lot too. 

 sides out of the clamps

One of these is flat and the other one has a slight cup to it. I can flatten that out with hand pressure but I'll be keeping an eye on it. Even I won't try to tempt the woodworking Gods by trying to using a cupped side. 

 close

This is the cupped board and the one yesterday that I had fits trying to flush the joint line on. It isn't that bad, maybe a 32nd off and it isn't for the entire length. The ends are flush for about 12" or so and then wider board is mostly proud between that.

 2nd side

The second one is almost perfect. Dead flat with no cup or bowing. This board has some pitch streaks on the faces but no pockets to deal with. Shellac has no problems covering this stuff.

 two swipes

This is going to be the top and it only took two swipes on each edge to marry the two.

 off cut from the top

I will use the remainder of this board to get rails and stiles for the drawers - or at least some of them. Been running the drawers through the brain bucket and decided to go with 1/2" for the sides and back and 3/4" thick fronts. Half lap the sides to the fronts and through dovetails for the rear.

 xmas present

This is the extra box I made last week and I'm going to give it away as a xmas present. I will fill it with candy and put a bow on it. I put splines in the mitered corners to strengthen them and secured them with CA glue.

 thumb catch

I planed a small chamfer on the sides and front edges of the box bottom and the underside of the lid. There was a sliver of wood missing on the right front corner and the chamfer covered it up. 

 new Hake brush

My current hake brush I use for shellac is contaminated with lemon shellac. It was my go to brush for blonde/clear shellac and now it leaves a bit of lemon when I brushed on blonde with it. That has slowly dissipated so I ordered three more brushes. I will designate each of them for a specific shellac. I have two 1" hake brushes coming tomorrow?

 many, many moons old

I would like to use this on my boxes but I waited too long. Lee Valley is out of the string inlay tool until Feb. I knew I should have bought it when I saw it was in stock. Lie Nielsen doesn't sell any inlay tools at all. All I could find on their site were DVDs on how to inlay.

 ready for shellac

I am going to put on 2-3 coats of lemon shellac and 3-4 coats of blonde. I have to do some final sanding before I do that.

 needs one more

I had a divot from the saw when I cut off this bung. This will be the 3rd time I'm applying spackle to it and hopefully it is the last time.

one more for the lid

Most of the planer washboard is gone but a few plane tracks are being stubborn. There is no dead line for this so I can keep this up for a while yet.

 reference edge

#8 to establish the reference edge. After that I squared one edge to it and went on from there.

 awkward

I would have liked to clamp this to column and stood on step ladder to plane the ends square. I don't have the height in the cellar for that so I'm stuck doing it this way. It was slow going because I couldn't plane for a long distance. I couldn't even plane to the middle. Played with it using the Lee Valley bevel up jack and the LN low angle blockplane.

 flexing

I thought I had planed the edge square and Mr Starrett said it was square. Big Red disagreed and said it was OTL (out to lunch). I could see that it was not square as there was a hollow in the middle.

 these two agreed

The sliding head on the Starrett was causing the hiccup. That and the board has a slight cup in it. Put Mr Starrett away and used Big Red to square the ends.

 didn't work

It was easier to plane the end in this way but it wasn't hiccup free. The squaring across was ok and better then having it in the face vise but and there is always a but. I couldn't plane the edge square to the face. Went back to planing it in the face vise.

 still not working for me

I stood on stool which helped some planing the edge. I could plane about 3/4 of the length before I had to flip the board and plane from the opposite edge. I could keep it square to the face but not square to either edge. I was see sawing with it being square from one edge but when I flipped it the square would go south. I ate up almost a 1/4" trying to square this edge without getting any joy.

 this worked

I used to square up a lot of stock using this technique. I was getting frustrated trying to hand plane it square. No hiccups squaring the ends - after squaring one end I squared the opposite end to length.

 confirmation

Big Red says both ends on both sides are dead square to both long edges.

 hmm.....

My first drawer layout didn't work. I ran out of length with no room for the base. I had to rework my numbers and lay it out again. I am going to attach the front and back rails to the sides with a housed dovetail. It is the same way I did the dresser I made for my grandson Miles.

 this is done

I can't see any blemishes waving hello through the paint.

 underside of the lid

I wasn't going to fill any of the sins under lid but I changed my mind.

 yikes

One bad thing about filling in one defect is two more pop up. It ends up being you might as well do them too. Thinking now that I should have bought a quart tub of sheet rock mud.

 couple more to go

I am done putting shellac on the interior of the dividers. The last coats will be for the show surfaces. I sent my sister a sneak peek of it and she loves it. I will email her tomorrow and set up a delivery date.

accidental woodworker

New Traveling Tool Box #2

The Barn on White Run -

My first efforts for the new tool box addressed the empty canvas of the lid verso.  As with the retrofitting of the large vintage tool chest for my 18thC tool demos (more about that much later) I decided the underside of the lid would be a good place for the saws that did not neatly fit elsewhere in the toolbox.  So, I made some fittings and hung the saws there.

The first step in this was to trim the tip of the lovely little panel saw that was oversized by about a half inch.  By rounding the top corner of the saw tip it fit the space diagonally just right.

The size and configuration of the exquisite Knew Concepts saw frame made it a problematic fit in the inner space, so it wound up being hung here as well.  It was overlaid on the panel saw and my re-fashioned Tyzak dovetail saw was inserted in-between.  The void in the center of the coping saw was just right for the DelVe square to hang right there.

at the finish line.......

Accidental Woodworker -

 I have a couple of projects at the finish line and two that crossed it. The printer's tray has a couple of coats of shellac on it and I think one more coat on the hamper and I can call that done too. I got two picture frames done and I'll bring them to the Frame It shop tomorrow. Now that these  three are almost done I've turned my short attention span to the next project. I started that in the PM session today.

 last night

After dinner I glued in the 3 long dividers. The short ones felt solid and the long ones didn't need any clamping at all. There was sufficient friction with the half laps and the dadoes to keep them in place.

I let them set up for 20 minutes and I then glued in the short horizontal dividers. One last check to make sure things were flush where they should have been and I killed the lights.

the final sneak peek

This changed but it was a minor one. The far right cell, 3rd one down from the top, I originally had that one divided into four compartments. Not using that one saved a few headaches with fitting the half laps and dadoes it needed.

 one of three

Another reason to fit the main dividers after the frame is glued and cooked. This is the widest of the 3 and I planned on filling it in somehow in the AM.

 final sneak peek

The grain on the plywood back runs side to side. To my eye I think it would look better running top to bottom. I doubt anyone will notice it though.

 spackle

Along with the buns in the screw holes there were a few pockets of tear out on the top edges of the hamper part. They would be something you would see every time the lid was opened. I would have rather used dry wall mud for this but I didn't have any.

 lid got a bath

There were two rows of planer washboard on the lid. It probably would have taken 4-6 coats of paint to fill them in. 

 happy with this

I have seen a lot of You Tube vids where CA glue was used to bond wood. I didn't have any confidence that it would work on these vertical dividers. It was an end grain to long grain gluing too. The next day I couldn't budge them and I tried to push them as hard as I could and none of the four moved. One end of them is glued in a dado and the other end is secured with CA glue. This is a Knick Knack holder so the CA glue won't be stressed and hopefully will stand the test of time.

 the other two gaps

I was able to fill in the right one but not the left one. I couldn't get anything in the gap to clean out the Piggly glue. I didn't want to use wood putty as I only had cherry or pine to pick from.

 set back

I like this look and it solves a problem I had with the other dividers.

 the other dividers

There is a line in the sand with these. Another one of the things to add to the don't do list on the second one. If I choose not to round over the front edges this won't matter.

 first coat of shellac

The sanding of this potential nightmare wasn't that bad. I didn't go nutso sanding the interior of the compartments. I just made sure that I sanded any glue squeeze out and spots. I concentrated my sanding efforts on the tops of the dividers and sides, top, and bottom.

 done

Two coats of lemon and 5 coats of blonde shellac. When I bring these to the Frame It shop I'll tell her there isn't any rush on them. I don't want her to feel pressured to get them done for xmas. In fact I would be ok with getting them next year. 

 next project

This is one of CH Becksvoort's signature pieces. 15 drawer chest or dresser in cherry. I will be making it my own using his as an inspiration. One of the readers of my keyboard diarrhea (Joe) is making one in cherry and that was the prodding I needed to start mine. This has been on the to do bucket list for years and it got promoted to head of the line.

 pine

I would like to make it out of cherry but maybe the second one. CH Becksvoort wrote that he has made 17 of them. Doing a first one in pine I can work out all the kinks and get the order of operations. I'll be making a run to Gurney's because I don't have enough pine for this.

I have 7 six foot 1x12 pine boards. I used 3 of them just for the sides. I'll have to thin the 3/4" down to 5/8"-1/2" for the drawers and that is going to eat up a lot of BF. As I am typing this I realized that I forgot to glue up stock for the top, none needed for the bottom. 

 quick and easy

This dry fit only took 3 plane and trims dance steps. The two boards are almost dead flush on the joint line and there wasn't a any light on the joint line neither.

second one

This one was a PITA to get the joint line flat and straight. I see sawed back and forth between the thin one and the wider one having gaps. I clamped the two together and planed the two edges as one. The glue up was struggle too. The joint line on this wouldn't flush up for me no matter how much I cussed it out. I finally had to settle for good enough. 

 the good one?

I wasn't expecting any glue hiccups with this one. This was the one with the joint line that was flush from end to end. All that went south as soon the glue went on. I was able to get the joint line flush but the clamps wouldn't behave. I couldn't get them to lay down flat on the boards across the width. I had to clamp the clamps in order to seat them to the board. 

I am making my dresser 62" tall, about 15-16" R/L, and about 16 1/2" front to back. I am also kicking around doing an asymmetrical drawer layout. I am keeping the 1 over 2 but whereas CH did his 2 drawers equally, I am leaning in a 1/3 to 2/3 ratio. Plenty of time to decide on that.

accidental woodworker

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