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For years I have looked at my website statistics and wondered how many of those numbers represented real people. Like many content creators, I have questioned whether the visitors were genuine readers or simply numbers generated by search engines, bots or people simply passing through. The recent poll has given me my first real glimpse behind those statistics.

The participation was very low and, at first glance, that might seem disappointing. But after reading the responses, I came away with a very different conclusion. The people who took the time to vote were not random visitors. They were genuine readers who have followed my work for years. Some told me they would rather hear my own voice than have AI narrate my articles. One reader even said they loved my work so much that they would never unsubscribe, but they would rather hear me than AI. Comments like that mean far more to me than hundreds of anonymous page views ever could.

What surprised me even more was that one of those readers had never left a comment before. That single fact speaks volumes. It confirms what I have suspected for a long time. Many people are reading, watching and following my work without ever interacting. They do not leave comments. They do not click Like. They do not send emails. They simply follow my work discreetly and move on.

As creators, we often judge the success of our work by visible engagement. We look at comments, likes, shares and subscriptions because those are the only things we can actually see. The silent majority remains invisible. This poll reminded me that the silent majority is very real. It also explains why website statistics and video views often feel disconnected from audience interaction. Thousands of people may read an article, but only a tiny fraction will ever say a word. That does not necessarily mean they did not enjoy it. It simply means they are observers rather than participants.

Would I have liked more people to vote? Absolutely. But the poll still achieved something valuable. It proved there are genuine people behind those numbers, people who have been following my work for years without ever making themselves known. Because of this, I will return to doing what I have always done. I will continue creating content in my own way, writing about the things I am passionate about and letting my work speak for itself rather than chasing engagement numbers.

So perhaps the lesson here is not that I have a small audience. Perhaps it is that I have a large audience that prefers to remain silent.

To everyone who took the time to vote, and especially to those who left thoughtful comments, thank you. Your few minutes of participation answered questions I have had for years and reminded me that even when the comments section is quiet, someone is still reading.

huh?

It is a moot point as the striker will go in but there is no spring pressure to cause it to leave a dimple. I tried adjusting the bottom spring and it did nothing. It isn't big enough to be a paperweight but I can't bring myself to shitcan it neither. Another dust collector for the shop.

hmm......

Yes this was an extra. I don't see the need to have duplicates, I can confuse myself without help from the peanut gallery. Tossed this one and made a new one.

driver caddy

Decided to keep this and rearrange the drivers. The yellow one is a #1 Robertson driver. I have never seen a #1 square drive screw but it came with the set I bought from Lee Valley.

the fix

I filled in some of the hole for the #1 so it was sticking up above the surface. All the drivers on the back row are L to R #1 to #3 for each type of driver. 

Vix block #3

Three times is the charm and this is the proof. Made this longer L/R and spaced the Vix bits apart a wee bit more.

bottom

I drilled all the holes for the drivers straight through. It is a Royal PAIN in the Arse setting the depth stop on my drill press. Gluing a thin piece on the bottom shuts the holes.

back home again

I like these caddys for stowing things like this. Any empty hole tells me something is MIA.

I had a brain MRI today and it took up my entire PM session. It took almost 2 hours to do and the tech said that I didn't move and he didn't have to redo any of the scans. I have had several MRIs to date and this one was the most uncomfortable one I have had. My back was screaming at me for a while before it calmed down. Don't know why the oncology doc ordered it and I'll ask here about in on my first chemo fill up.

accidental woodworker 

There’s no clear water from a muddy well.

-Patrick Rothfuss, The Wise Man’s Fear

Sawdust production is the essence of woodworking, but a little planning early in the process will always result in more efficient work.

In this article we’ll examine the four planning tools and documents critical to efficient woodworking, and which beginners to the craft need to know (whether they decide use them or not): (1) Design drawings; (2) Bill of materials or cutting list; (3) Cost estimate and; (4) Schedule, or programme.

Planning Tool No. 1 – Drawings

A drawing of a 6-panel entry door. It needs dimensions and a cross-section, but as drawings go, it’s a good start. BTW, this style of door is also called a “cross and bible” door because the arrangement of rails and mullions in the top half create a cross, while the two panels in the lower half can be imagined to represent the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, three features that are said to prevent evil from crossing the threshold of such a door. Many say this is totally coincidental, but in light of the superstitions surrounding doors and entrances since ancient times, I think not.

There’s not enough time or space in this humble website to discuss drawings in any detail, but for purposes of solidifying your thoughts into a goal, and determining the objectives necessary to reach that goal, you will need a design, of some sort, recorded in a drawing, of some sort.

Without a drawing, even if it’s just a sketch on a paper napkin using a drinking straw and ketchup, you have no plan. And without a drawing, you lack the most important tool to maintain quality, cost and schedule. Do any of these factors matter to you?

For this purpose you would be wise to own the tools and develop the skills necessary to make simple technical drawings of your project including plan views, elevations (side views of all six sides) and cross sections. Isometric drawings are nice too, but not mandatory for most projects.

A computer with CAD software won’t hurt, but such expensive, complicated tools are not necessary unless you’re required to submit design drawings for review and approval by a paying Client, or perhaps She Who Must Be Obeyed. If a paying client, make sure you allow time in your schedule, and funds in you budget if you are paying a draftsman or CAD monkey, to revise and resubmit drawings. I strongly advise you to never begin making sawdust before your Client has approved (and ideally, signed) the design drawings, even if they’re drawn in Heinz ink.

For simple projects, such as furniture or joinery, dimensioned pencil drawings on plain paper will usually suffice. So you’ll need paper (mylar drafting paper is worth the cost for its durability), a board to tape your drawing paper to while you’re working on it, drafting or masking tape to secure the drawing, a square (a framing square will work fine), a 45˚plastic, steel or aluminum drafting triangle, and a straightedge to guide your lines, a pencil and eraser, a scale (e.g. 1/4″= 1′), a divider or two, and a drafting scale.

Planning Tool No. 2 – Cutting List or Bill of Materials

Once your design drawing is near completion, you can get started on making a Cutting List or Bill of Materials (BoM)

A BoM (AKA Materials List) lists all the pieces, parts, components and supplies required to fabricate the project. You may not need that much detail, but you will absolutely need a Cutting List. The following are the primary reasons for making a cutting list:

• Efficiency: Reduces guesswork and speeds up the build process.
• Accuracy: Ensures each part is laid-out, measured and cut correctly.
• Material Management: Helps you to accurately estimate the quantity of lumber needed, it’s minimum length, width and thickness, as well as its cost.
• Organization: Keeps your workflow structured, so you know what to cut and the most efficient order to cut each part.
• Reproducibility: Acts as a record should you want to recreate the project in the future.

A cutting list is simply a table, often written in MS Excel, Google Sheets, other spreadsheet software or even by hand on a paper notepad in ketchup. Professionals purchase or develop cutting list computer templates for the type of project they typically undertake, but this only make sense in production work.

List all the major wooden components in this table, including the name of each part, its location in the assembly, all its dimensions (length, width, thickness) and species of wood, if more than one is used, and its designation. If special surfaces treatments (e.g. roughsawn, hewn, adze, paint, stain, pink candy apple glitter with rhinestones, etc.)

Regarding the term “designation,” this is simply a non-permanent marking convention you employ at your discretion. Whatever method you choose, you need to be able to place this mark quickly, legibly and directly on each part, in pencil or lumber crayon. Indelible marking pen, for instance, is not good because it’s permanent and can bleed through the finish months after the project is finished.

A glance at any mark you’ve made should tell you exactly where it belongs within the assembly in an instant.

I use a version of the cabinetmaker’s triangle. Include these marks in the cutting table to describe each individual part. Please also mark this designation directly on the wood so there is absolutely no confusion.

Consistency is mandatory and care must be taken to avoid confusion. If you do a good job developing your marking convention it will serve you well for many years and many projects turning cursing and confusion to deep satisfaction. This is a big step in developing professional-level skills.

Dictum: Popwoodwork: FineWoodwork

Can you get by without a cutting list? Sure you can. But you save nothing by not preparing one, not even time, and can loose much. Moreover the process is excellent training that will give you confidence moving forward. It may improve your overall analytical capabilities too.

Planning Tool No. 3 – Cost Estimate

If Gentle Reader’s has bottomless pockets, such that the quantity and quality of wood available to you are unlimited, then a cost estimate may be unnecessary. But even then, I encourage you to prepare a cost estimate because, as a wise construction estimator named Warren (RIP) once told me, you can never truly understand a project until you’ve made a cost estimate. Why? Because to make a cost estimate you need to analyze the project in detail and list (1) all the materials and (2) the dimensions and quantity of the parts, calculate anticipated waste, estimate the time to make and assemble all the parts, and then multiply the quantity of materials (perform a quantity takeoff) required by the cost of those materials, and add the labor cost.

As you can see, a cost estimate is the natural expansion of a cutting list, which is a natural extension of a design drawing.

This may not be an easy job, but if you aspire to professional-grade skills, then the exercise is worthwhile even if the resulting accuracy the first few times is not stellar. Two steps forward one step back is still progress!

Planning Tool No. 4 – Schedule

Part of creating a final cost estimate, as in a commercial bid, is to breakdown the work required to accomplish the project into pieces and assign a time value and unit price to each, analyze the best workflow combining all the tasks, and then to insert this information into a document called a “schedule” in countries influenced by USA where the CPM (critical path method) schedule was first formally developed for planning and managing factory shutdowns and shipbuilding, or a “Programme” in the UK, or a kouteihyou （工程表) in Japan.

A schedule is the actual step-by-step plan for the build. Is it absolutely necessary to write one? No, of course not, but until you can write a simple schedule, you don’t have a real plan, just a SWAG (scientific wild-ass guess).

Computer programs are commonly used to write and manage schedules nowadays, MS Project, SureTrak (now defunct) and Primavera P6 are some your humble servant has used over the years. Such software is extremely convenient and even useful, at least they were until Oracle got involved. That said, I learned to write and manage schedules by hand long before commercial computer software was available, and continue to make rough schedules for even complicated construction projects by hand, so fancy software is not necessary, especially for hobby woodworking projects.

The key points to pin down when writing a schedule are to first plan the the project with drawings and cutting lists, and to then identify the various task or jobs it will take to get the job done, and time it will take to complete each. Then figure out which of those tasks can only be done one after the other, and if they can be worked on consecutively, what the timing of the work progression will be.

For instance, when making a door, the parts must be cut to size before the joints can be cut, which in turn can only begun after the wood has been procured, thickness planed and jointed. On the other hand, you can procure the wood, hinges and begin thickness planing before, or even at the same time some of the joints are being cut.

For example, your breakdown might include the following tasks, some of which you may perform directly, or you may subcontract out to others, finishing for example.:

1. Produce drawings: 4hr
2. Procure materials: 16 hrs
3. Mark materials: 1hr
4. Saw materials to approximate length and width: 8hrs
5. Thickness plane and joint one edge of materials: 3hrs
6. Layout: 1hr
7. Cut joints: 8hr
8. Test-ft & Glue-up: 1hr
9. Cleanup: 0.5hr
10. Finish sand/plane: 2hr
11. Apply finish: 3hr
12. Install hardware: 1hr
13. Deliver/install final product: 6hr
14. Invoice Final Payment: 1hr

In the case of hobby woodworking, a detailed schedule may be psychologically onerous, taking all the joy out of the project. On the other hand, it can help prevent simple projects and small cash investments from morphing into complicated, expensive projects. But you never know until you give it a try.

Conclusion

Gentle Reader may be off-put by these steps and document-prep because they seem like actual work, contrary to the spirit of woodworking as an excuse to drink beer hidden away from the flaming eye of She Who Must Be Obeyed. But please keep two absolute truths in mind: First, regardless of how or when or to what degree of detail you perform the tasks I’ve described in this humble article, none of them are busywork. Indeed, documents have been found (on papyrus, no less) that evidence that Pharoh’s project manager for the pyramids did the same.

Second, whether you realize it or not, in one way or another you will do every single one of these jobs before the project is complete, you just won’t realize you’ve done them until after the fact. And if you proceed without a plan, you will have done them in a disorganized manner, out-of-sequence, on the fly, inefficiently, and perhaps with haphazard results. Such is human nature.

While the planning and documents these steps require may seem like they will make the job take longer, the truth is it will go quicker, with better results, and with better quality at less cost. I promise.

Until we meet again to gather herbs and posies in the troll woods, I have the honor to remain,

YMHOS

If you have questions or would like to learn more about our tools, please click the “Pricelist” link here or at the top of the page and use the “Contact Us” form located immediately below.

Please share your insights and comments with everyone in the form located further below labeled “Leave a Reply.” We aren’t evil Google, fascist facebook, or a Whitehouse staffer and so won’t sell, share, or profitably “misplace” your information. If I lie may all my sawteeth shatter.

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During his recent impromptu visit my brother took a whimsical double-barn-portrait selfie.  I was amused.  Some folks think we resemble each other (our wives say we even walk exactly the same) but we don’t see it. ;-)

hmm.......

This is the little side project. I am going to make a new holder for the new Vix bits I just bought and for the drivers too. 

done

Still haven't found the pics for the big frame on the right. I'm on the fence about the small certificate frame.  The router wobbled while routing the profile and it left a few dips, hollows, and one divot on the top rabbeted edge. They aren't noticeable looking at the frame from a foot away but they are visible up close and personal. I am letting it be for now and if it continues to gnaw at me I'll make another one later on down the line. 

I am rusty routing profiles with a corded router and I don't have a router table that would have eliminated the headaches with this frame. 

hmm......

The hex drive on these bits are a frog hair over a 1/4". A 7mm drill bit leaves enough wiggle room to get the bits in/out of the holes.

huh???

There are doubles of these two Vix bits. Why? I looked at the pic and write up in Amazon and it has the doubles there for all to see. I didn't pay attention to it. I guess I was blinded by the shiny colors. I can't think of any reason to have doubles of these two?

toast

The center punch ain't working. It would punch and then it wouldn't. I took it apart to check it out and found a burr on a headed pin. It was hanging up on a hole it was moving up/down in. I thought I had found cause of the hang up.

the culprit

There was a definite burr on the end and it was dragging in the shaft it rode in when I checked it. It filed off easily and it no longer dragged or hung up in the shaft. The small sliver cylinder above the board is what this pin slides up/down in. 

sigh

Major hiccup happened. I took the center punch that came with the Vix bit set apart but I couldn't put it back together. There isn't much to this and I think I'm reasonably smart but nada. I felt like I didn't have the opposable thumbs required for dealing with this. I took my Starrett center punch apart and I was able to get that one back together again. Both the punches have the same number of parts but the Starrett has much better machining and quality. But the Vix bit center punch won't go back together as it should.

2nd one

The first block I did had a hole for the center punch. I don't have high hopes that it will ever go back together again. I have it on my desk so I can play with it at night. I added the Vix bit from my first set to this one but that may be an extra too. 

my IQ is 129

Still can't figure this out. The top part will not screw down onto the bottom part. I feel like this part should be seated further down in the bottom part but it isn't. Did a part go south on me when I took it apart and missed it? This is putting my OCD into hyper drive and I'm having problems pushing down my urges to smash it flat with my 3lb sledge hammer.

I had to drop my truck off at the garage. My ABS and skid lights won't shut off. The garage mechanic said it was probably the speed sensor. I'm sure that will cost a bazillion dollars plus labor. I'll find out tomorrow hopefully.

accidental woodworker 

 I'm over the hump with the frames that morphed from 2 to 3. Got all the woodworking done on the last two today. All that is left to do with them is to apply shellac. I will easily get the two out to the Frame it Shop on wednesday. A lot of days between now and then with no new project tickling my fancy yet.

ta da

hmm.......

Three of the corners had no rocking but this last one has a teeny bit. It isn't much but I don't understand how 3 aren't rocking but this one is. Regardless I'm happy with how this came out.

wife's certificate frame

I got lucky and the outside routed profile didn't play peek-a-boo with  any of the dowel pins. Routed a small chamfer on the inside edge. 

back done

I didn't miter the back frame - used butt joints. The short sides hide the end grain ends on the long sides. The end grain from the short sides faces up and down and won't be visible if viewed from the sides.

final prep

Set the nails and filled them with putty. Used alcohol to remove the layout pencil lines. One more frame to prep and the shellac party commences.

hmm......

Not getting a big warm and fuzzy with the profile. I like the chamfer as they helps to draw the eye into the frame. This profile doesn't match the profile of the first certificate frame I made in june of 2023. It is close and this frame is about the same size as that one. (about a 3/8" longer in the long direction)

came today

I got this set mostly because of the centering punch on the far left. Pretty impressive set for $20. Not sure if I'll keep it in this plastic case or make a stand for it.

I got one coat on the two frames and a 4th coat on the first Declaration frame that is now repurposed for a family pic layout. The plan is to get at least one more coat on the frames after dinner.

I've been sleeping better lately. It is about the same now as it was before surgery. Still getting up for at least one toilet trot race but I able to fall back asleep afterwards. My middle night You Tube surfing has disappeared too. Feeling much better when I finally decide to roll out of the rack.

accidental woodworker

Continuing on from the last post… with the old doma gone I could proceed with structural work for the kitchen. But before diving into that lets take a step back and look at some photos from when we first moved into this house, now nearly two years ago. The house when it was first built… Read More »Kitchen Remodel – 1

The post Kitchen Remodel – 1 appeared first on Big Sand Woodworking.

after dinner last night

I went back to the shop and got the 3rd and final coat of shellac on the back. That dried quickly so I got one coat on the front. Went looking for the pics I plan to put in this frame and nada. Couldn't find them and my wife said she didn't know where I had hidden them neither. 

3rd (and final?) Declaration frame

Sawed the short leg miters on the right and the long legs on the left. Probably don't have to do it this way but so far it is working.

done

I think I have figured out the how of the inside and outside lengths. The 3rd frame is spot on with how I want to display the Declaration in the frame. The blue tape denotes the up face of the frame.

hmm.......

The Declaration has irregular edges all the way around. If I mat this they will be hidden and I will lose a part of the look of this reproduction. Instead I will ask Maria to mount it so that the edges will remain visible. I sized the inside of the frame (correctly) so that it is about a 1/2" wider R/L and T/B. There will be a small margin visible on all the edges.

had an oops

The frame, miter wise, went together good. However, this miter was misaligned on the faces by a strong 16th. That is too much to plane and feather out. Filled in the first dowel holes and I'll redrill them after these have cooked.

hmm........

Found the culprit causing the misalignment. While drilling the new dowel pin holes, I saw the jig move backwards a frog hair. The thumb screw was loose and it hadn't occurred to me to check it. Tightened it down with help from the allen wrench. I'll be adding checking that this remains tight in future uses of this jig.

sigh

Found two more corners that were misaligned, not as much as the first one, but more then 3-4 frog hairs. I glued dowels in the holes and redrilled them after waiting 30 minutes for them to cook.

done

All four corners closed up nicely on the dry fit. None of the faces of the miters are off flush more then a frog hair. Worth the calories and rework to get this done right.

clamped and cooking

Clamped it and took it out and laid it flat on the tablesaw. No rocking, Clamped it back up and set it aside to cook until the AM.

3 coats

I am really liking how this frame is popping with the shellac. I think this may turn into a Xmas present this year.

certificate frame

I hate to say it, boys and girls, but I might have to make another frame. The blue tape says this is the up face but I am not sure of that. The dowels I drilled I had offset them so that they were a wee bit below center. I did that to leave more meat above them for the router bit profile to come.

which option

The first option is to just rout a small chamfer on the inside and outside of the frame. Regardless of where the dowels are, I am fairly certain that I could rout the chamfer without any headaches.

The second option is to rout a 3/8x1/4 rabbet. Again I don't think the dowels will interfere with that. Even if they do it will be on the back side and not seen.

The final option is to rout the profiles on the outside and inside edges and use these thin strips to make a back frame. Of the 3 options I'm thinking of, I'm going with #3. I will rout the the outside profile first. Fingers crossed that the dowels don't get exposed. The inside edge will get a small chamfer that I'm not concerned about.

I'm now a month post op. I still have some fluid build up over my left side. I get winded more then I like but that is getting better each day. My stamina is improving a wee bit each day. I still can't lift anything heavier then a gallon of milk. If I do I feel a tugging in my left lung which tells me to put it down, whatever it is.  My heart seems to have settled out - still higher then what it was pre surgery but it is cycling and fluctuating like crazy. Still don't know what the long term holds for me. Like AA, I'll take it one day at a time.

accidental woodworker

A quick note about the AI character used in my videos

Recently I introduced an AI generated character to present some of my videos. The scripts, ideas, research, and woodworking knowledge behind those videos are still my own and will always be my own. The character was simply a way of presenting my written work without appearing on camera.

I have received a small amount of feedback from some viewers who strongly dislike the use of an AI character and have said they will unsubscribe. I want to make it clear that I understand and respect that people have different opinions about AI.

However, I also want to point out that only a very small number of people have commented. Most readers and viewers do not leave feedback, so I honestly do not know whether the majority of people dislike this format or whether the comments I received represent only a small group of people who feel strongly about AI.

At this point, I can only make an educated guess.

What I find interesting is that the purpose of this experiment was never to replace my own knowledge or experience. The articles and videos are still created from my own decades of woodworking, research, and hands on experience. The AI character was simply a presentation tool.

I have always tried to share quality woodworking knowledge freely. I spend my own time researching, writing, photographing, and producing content because I believe traditional woodworking skills are worth preserving and sharing.

That said, I do listen to feedback. I would genuinely like to know what people think. Is the AI character distracting from the content, or is there another reason you prefer the previous style?

I cannot improve something if I do not know what people think.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read my work, watch my videos, and support traditional woodworking.

 One step forward and then slam into reverse and go backwards at 80mph. Ran face first into a a huge boo boo, me-steak, brain fart extraordinary loud and stinky. Survivable and recoverable but it certainly let the wind out of my sails. It is upcoming.

certificate frame

Flushing the corners with my #3. Cherry is such a sweet wood to plane until you run into squirrely, reversing grain. 

happy face on

No rocking from any corner. I expected it to be so but confirmation left me with a good feeling.

Declaration frame

Routed a shouldered round over on the outside edge and a small chamfer on the inside edge. Penciled the corners square and chiseled the round square.

sigh (the boo boo etc etc)

This didn't make me go postal or want to give the frame free flying lessons. I got the offset correct on the R/L but not on the top/bottom. I didn't add 3" to the inside measurement, I put it on the outside. That made it almost exactly the same as the T/B measurement of the Declaration. 

It sucked pond scum to be this close to the end and come up $1.27 short. I'm sure that Maria could have made a mat for it but it would have been off on the on the R/L. There was no way to make it even that I could think of.

hmm......

This might have worked. I could remove the back upright and the frame would fit flat on the jig. Nixed doing it and decided to suck it up and make a 3rd Declaration frame. I have a use for this frame already. I'll use to make a family picture frame - the grandkids and their parents.

first coat of shellac

I planed a small chamfer on the outside edge of the back frame. Set the nails and filled them and the gaps in the miters with mahogany putty.

finally dawned on me

Most of my headaches and problems with miters are with the miters themselves. Looks like I have to add determining the inside and outside lengths too. This measurement told what I had missed on figuring out my lengths.

hmm.......

Broken vix bit that I found replacements for on Lee Valley. They had replacement drill bits in more sizes then I have vix bits.

5/64"

This is the size of the bit in my #3 vix bit. I searched on line for my 'vix bits' and nada. I found a bazillion different vix bit sets and individual bits. However, none of them looked even remotely close to what I have. Given that these are over 40 years old I found a 10 piece set on Amazon for $20 that I am waiting to pull the trigger on. I'll add the 5/64" drill bit on my next Lee Valley order - S/H is more the cost of just the drill bit.

yikes

This can leaks, it is a slow leak that left a big puddle of shellac on the cupboard shelf. So far the paper towel has worked at keeping it contained. Got the 2nd coat on the frame and I'll get the 3rd one on after dinner.

hmm......

The outside edges of this cherry board has straight grain. I can get a long and short side out of both sides and still have a good length off cut.

3rd frame parts

All four of these laid flat without rocking on the tablesaw. I will let them sticker here over night and in the AM I'll make the frame.

off cuts

If need be I can get two long or two short frame parts from this.

I spent a couple of hours in the AM session in the shop but not in the PM session. After lunch I just vegged out at my desk. I had absolutely zero desire to do nothing except suck in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. I did that well until I dragged my butt down to the shop at 1400 and sawed out the 3rd frame. 

The Frame it Shop is closed until the 15th so there is no rush to get this or the certificate frame done. I'm thinking now of routing a 3/8x1/4 rabbet in the certificate frame as that is what I did on the other certificate frame. I'll have to wait and see which way the wind blows me in the AM.

accidental woodworker 

shaker knobs

I got these quick. The top bag on the left has the largest knobs and they are ones that I don't use often. The top right bag has the size I use the most and they are cherry. I didn't realize that until I checked on the delivery and saw they were cherry. The bottom bag has small knobs with 1/4" tenons. After I eyeballed it, I think they are something I probably won't use much of. 

I will check the site off and on to replace the cherry ones. I prefer maple or birch over cherry.

certificate frame

Laid out the position of the dowels and drilled them.

dry fit

No rocking which put a happy face on me. All the miters looked good dry fitted. 

glued and cooking

I did two dry clamps runs first before I glued it up. One corner froze on me and there were a few anxious moments before the clamps pulled it tight. There was a slight misalignment on two miters but they will flush up easily. I anticipate zero problems with them.

Declaration frame

Got the back frame on the Declaration frame. I like this method because the framed object is set back from the front of the frame. It draws your eye into the frame to look at what is framed. I'll wash, rinse, and repeat this with the certificate frame in the AM.

Spent another day making multiple trips to the shop not spending more than 20 minutes a session. Yesterday was tough because I spent most of the afternoon having coughing fits that drained me of my strength. No fits today so far and I have my fingers and toes crossed.

It is looking like this is going to be my shop schedule for the foreseeable future. The coughing fits yesterday blew up the fluid to close the size it was when I left the hospital. I am also getting winded quick. Going up the stairs is not easy and once I'm up in the living room I have to sit and catch my breath and recover. 

accidental woodworker

...Inside and Out

Things are tight, but we have continued filming these past weeks, and it's working fine. My love of woodworking has never faltered in sixty years and is still thriving despite the disruptions that come with moves of this magnitude. What makes it work is the team spirit and support behind the scenes that others never see. We have filmed five sessions, and this week I began the latest project for woodworking masterclasses.

In the not-so-distant background, the mini backhoe has cleared a mountain of patio and concrete walkways to return the earth to its rightful condition where grass can grow again when the building is up. This building will have a green roof across the whole, so effectively the footprint of the building and surroundings will be as it was before houses were ever built.

My upcoming blogs will be instructional. My router plane how-tos, and instructionals have been popular and continue to be so, but DIY in making your own is always at the forefront of my teaching and you learning. These router planes are the ones I enjoy behind the scenes. Mostly on some of my more private projects that don't make blogs or videos. Gifts for family and friends, that sort of thing, but then my private artwork that may one day be published for different purposes. My hand drawings will one day be a book of both art, writing, poetry, and instructionals. Time permitting.

Anyway, I enjoy dipping in and out to watch my friends excavating my future home workshop. Life is not so easy removing a mountain of concrete, gravel, and soil through a narrow 3-foot gateway for the grab truck 200 metres away, but they have just about done with that, and now it's about construction.

These mini diggers and haulers are just amazing. My imagination takes me along a path of attaching a mini, mini digger with a cutting edge to the bucket to create my mortises.

My rendition of a mini backhoe mortiser.

The depth of the footings is to take the steel beams that carry the soil for my green roof. This gives both insulation and effective cooling. Landscaping and trees will follow on

Back in February I got this small incannel gouge at a tool show.  I cleaned it up and sharpened it at the time, but I didn't really put it through its paces until recently.  When I  sharpened it, I knew something wasn't right.  I just couldn't seem to get a good consistent edge.  It sat on a shelf until this week waiting for me to look more deeply into it.

New Haven Edge Tool Co.

The curve of the gouge is part of a 9/16" diameter circle (9/32" radius).  The cutting edge measures 7/16" corner to corner.  The handle is clearly a user-made job, and it had come loose while I was working on it, so I made a new one.

When I tried sharpening the gouge, something wasn't right.  The wire edge that forms would get too large and end up flaking off more metal than it should have.  One time, when I finally got a good edge, I tried to cut some wood and the edge just crumbled.

Result of using the gouge lightly.  Can you see the chip in the edge?

I figured the tool had lost its temper somewhere along the line.  So I annealed it by heating to cherry red and plunging into a bag of vermiculite to allow the heat to dissipate slowly.

My heat-treating set-up: two torches pointing at a steel can. The gouge is stuck in the vermiculite at left.

After it had cooled, I hardened and tempered the gouge.  This was the first time I tried to temper a tool by watching the color advance towards the cutting edge.  When the edge got to a straw color, I plunged it into oil to stop the tempering.

You can see the colors here on the convex side of the gouge

After cleaning up the blackened and discolored steel, I gave it a good sharpening.  But I got an equally crumbly edge!  I'm aware that when heat-treating an edge tool that has a sharp edge, the thin cutting edge can get overly brittle.  So I ground back a couple of millimeters and re-sharpened it.  This time I finally got a good cutting edge without crumbling.  I tested it on some end grain walnut and finally didn't ruin the edge after just a single or even multiple cuts.

Testing on end grain walnut

When I was satisfied that the steel was in good enough condition to warrant a new handle, I got a chunk of cherry, sketched a pattern on some cardboard and got out the bungee lathe.  The shape didn't come out exactly how I had planned, but it'll be fine.

Showing the new handle and the lathe set-up

This was my first time re-handling a tanged tool.  To fit the tang into the cherry handle, I drilled successively bigger holes at successively shallower depths.  I had to adjust the hole a bit to get the gouge to align better with the handle.  I used the brass ferrule from the original handle, which had a 5/8" outer diameter and just shy of 9/16" inner diameter.  It was very satisfying when I tapped the handle home up to the bolster.

New handle next to the original

I gave the handle a single coat of BLO, which really brought out the color of the cherry.  Another tool in the arsenal.

Completed

much rejoicing in Mudville

The Declaration frame has cooked and it is laying flat on the tablesaw. No rocking from any corner tapping.

new home

This is where the hardware dresser will live for the time being. The empty hole to the right of is for the sanding block box.

sigh

The lid for the sanding block box went south on me. I couldn't believe that I had done this because the screws hardly any purchase at all in the lid. I'll have to put new hinges on this.

stop hinges

I like these hinges because they have a built in 90° stop. They will be surface mounted to the lid and the back of the box.

hmm.....

Found an immediate use for the first Declaration frame. Dug the sapele frame out of the shitcan to serve as patterns.

wee bit long

There isn't that much waste using these to make the certificate frame for my wife. Initially I was going to use a 5/4 cherry board but I'll use these instead. For some reason I thought that these were sapele.

couldn't wait

I had to see how this frame looked after a quick clean up. Flushed the corners, front and back, and did a light sanding with 120. Happy with how it looks. The plan is to keep it simple looking with just chamfers on the inside and outside edges.

kept going

This frame has some birds eye figure but not on each side. This face has 3 and the other has only two. IMO it is a crap shoot as to which one faces out. Most likely I'll go with the face that has 3 if I remember it. 

temporary home

I need a couple of more thin strips to make the back frame for the Declaration, the glass, and the mat. That will probably get done in the AM.

dutchmen

I glued in shims to flush the mortises - I had to do that before I could screw through the hinge into the box/lid.

sigh

The drill bit for my #3 Vix bit broke. I can't complain because I've had my Vix bit set for about 40 years. I got my money's worth plus more. I wonder if replacement bits are still available? 

certificate frame

I did some rearranging of the parts. One long side had cathedral grain while the other 3 are mostly straight grained. I want this frame to be seamless grain wise 360.

Had my oncology appointment where the RN explained to me what to expect with each treatment. There weren't too many surprises and everything looks to be manageable. She explained to me how important my white blood count and red blood count is before each treatment. If it goes too low I can't get the treatment. I'll deal with it as it comes - first treatment is on the 21st.

accidental woodworker 

We’ve been blessed with a couple of days’ semi-impromptu visit from my brother and his wife, who taught school with Mrs. Barn about fifty(!) years ago.  Since it was sorta last minute I didn’t have much of an activity agenda.  We trimmed up the walnut trees in the yard, toured the garden and greenhouse, confirmed that the late frost had left all the apple trees fruit-less except for one small crabapple, then hiked up the hill to assess the microhydro water line in preparation for replacing it when they return in August.  Goodness, the old Schedule 40 PVC line was trashed by the brutal ice storm last winter.

We walked along with me running the traveler along the ground to get a reasonable measurement of how much of the black poly pipe to order.  Were two rolls of 2″ x 500′ going to be enough?  Well, the rough measurement was 1,007 feet, so I will have to either use a little of the Schedule 40 at one end or the other or order another hundred feet of the black poly.

Meanwhile, just above the weir we could see a large tree had fallen across the original logging road so we walked another 150 yards to it.  And what a tree it was!  The amount of firewood we can harvest will be impressive.

The tree was struck by lightning and felled very recently (the leaves were withered but still green on the branches) and it was a big ‘un.  At four feet off the ground the girth was eleven feet.  Another very large tree had fallen right next to it, probably in the same storm.

So come August we will be hard at work.  Sugar maple ain’t the best firewood but it’s better than nothing.  Especially if you have tons of it.

sigh

Didn't get a pic of it but this frame was toast, as in burnt toast. The frame was badly twisted - 3 of the corners rocked. First time I had seen that. I was pissed and whacked the frame on the tablesaw and one corner opened up. Kept whacking it until all the corners came undone. 

nope

My first thought as to why the frame was so twisted was the miters weren't square to the face. They weren't all perfectly dead nuts but nowhere near being the cause of the twist. 
 

yikes

Checked the first one for twist and there was a ton of it. The thought to check the board before ripping out the frame never lit a bulb in the brain bucket. 

1 for 4

The three on the left are twisted, with the longest one the worse. The lone one on the right is twist free. I know understand how and why the frame was toast. The miters were all dead nuts 45 but 3 sides were twisted. When I glued it up I compounded the twist by gluing the sides into 90° corners.

2nd sapele board

The twist in this board is horrendous. It is beyond the 4 lines on the back stick. It didn't look like it was twisted - I thought it was cupped but not twisted. The board I ripped the frame out of must have been twisted too. I didn't feel any binding or the saw blade stalling when I ripped them out. Doesn't matter as the frame was tossed into the burn pile.

needs one more

Never got the 4th and final coat of shellac on the dresser yesterday. Wasn't sure if I would get it today neither. I had already been to the shop twice, staying for less than 30 minutes before heading topside again. The swelling/fluid build up is driving me nutso. My wife thinks I am doing too much and I should be more sedentary and even spend time in the afternoons laying in bed. I'm trying the sedentary part but not the afternoon part.

Declaration frame

Got the frame dry fitted and it isn't rocking. I checked each side of the frame for twist and there was none. I had to cut the dowel pins again, they were too long.

success

On the 4th trip to the shop I glued up the Declaration frame. After I glued it up I took it out of the clamps and checked it laying flat again - it passed with flying colors. Clamped it back up again and left it to cook until the AM.

5th and final trip

Got the 4th and final coat on. I looked around the shop for a hole for this and nada. The only spot that looks promising is the sharpening bench. I'll have to rearrange some things but I might be able to squeeze it in.

accidental woodworker