Wood plant: iii

Showing posts with label iii. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2014

Dads Benchtop Bench Part III

With the vise nuts installed and the bench milled to accept the vise, it was time to work on the outer jaw.

The benchtop, ready for the vise.

Miller’s original features a 45° bevel on the top, outside face of the outer vise jaw. I’ve seen the bevel before on many Moxon Vises. It provides clearance to hold a saw and chisel at an angle. To cut my bevel, I eyed about how big I thought it should be, set my table saw to 45° and cut away.

Unfortunately, Once I put the vise jaw in place, I quickly realized that the big bevel I’d cut did not leave enough flat surface on the top for a bench dog hole. Rather than have the awkward hole which would have resulted, I flipped the front vise jaw around, and cut a much smaller bevel on the new top edge. This left the big bevel on the bottom, which I’ve grown to like the look of.

If Id left the big bevel on the top, I wouldnt have been able to drill (route) for dog.

To attach the vise I took the back jaw of the vise and set it upside down on my table saw. I also set the bench top upside down on my table saw. I used the saw as a reference surface to ensure that they were aligned, and then I clamped them together with parallel clamps. To fasten them, I simply used screws. I pre-drilled the holes and staggered the pattern to prevent splitting.

Fastening the rear vise jaw.

I installed the legs in a similar manner. I held them in place with parallel clamps and then screwed them to the top. Since the legs were slightly out of square, I was sure they were clamped extra tight to the top before I screwed them on.

Once I took the clamps off and flipped the bench over, I found that that screwing the legs to the perfectly flat 3” thick top was all it took to pull them into alignment. The feet sit perfectly flat on my tablesaw.

Assembling the legs to the top.

All that was left was to assembly the vise.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Shaker Cupboard Photo Essay Part III

Playing with the mouldings for the cupboard - ovolo and cove.

Put together as a built-up profile.

Mock-up of crown moulding in place - I liked it, but it was to "colonial" for this cupboard.

A simpler crown moulding mock-up - better - but I would eventually remove the thumbnail top and just go with a simple cove moulding. This also shows a test of one hinge design - taped in place - I liked it, but in the end went with one that had removable pins - it was easier to work with.

Doors complete - final fitting with the planes.

Doors fit - the end is in sight!

Hinge work - and a new appreciation of the Stanley #95 butt gauge.

Close-up of chisel scoring of hinge mortise.

Finishing the mortise with a router plane.

Testing the fit.

Making pilot holes with awl - a sharpened finish nail chucked in old cobblers awl - the twisting motion seperates the wood fibers - I have more control than with a drill.

Lower doors hung.

Upper doors hung and knobs installed - I turned the knobs on my spring pole (shock cord) lathe - definitely the craftsmanship of risk - I need WAY more practice, and I think I should have used air dried birch rather than kiln dried pine.

Detail of knobs - the conflicting grain patterns wont matter once the cupboard is painted.

Speaking of which... milk paint of course - Union Blue from The Real Milk Paint Co. The cove mouldings had also been added to the top and the step.

And its done! "Make Way! Blow the trumpets!"

There are still a couple of tweaks needed. I dont like how bright the hinges are - one day I will dull them down a bit. And I might add a second coat of milk paint eventually, but that depends on how it ages... But for now we are very happy with it! And I am very glad to have it out of the shop and in the house! Finally!

A group shot of the tools used on this project. The two contraptions at the bottom are my shooting board and the main part of the treadle lathe (w/o treadle). Missing from photo: miter box.