Fun with Scraps of Walnut

[Chris Griggs]

I don't have any hide glue around, but I've used other glues and sawdust before and also shellac and saw dust. Walnut saw dust turn quite dark when you make a filler out of it. Perhaps I'll mix some walnut dust up with a bit of shellac and see how that looks.

[Jack Curtis]

...I was also thinking of making a couple bigger ones but not too much larger becasue I think this live edge stuff has more charm when its done to a small scale. I have a few of these live edge off cuts, that aren't really thick enough to make anything substantial out of them, but they'd almost all make for good wall shelves. And they are pretty quick and easy to make, while still being a good chance to do some somewhat fun/challenging joinery.

George Nakashima fans would probably think huge live edges are pretty cool, too.

Thanks for the tips on the miniature spokeshave (managed to get it added to my shipping free order at the last minute).

[Chris Griggs]

Glad the pic/info helped. I hope you like the mini shave as much as I do.

Yeah, I have mixed feeling about the Nakashima stuff...not in any extreme way..just from a personal taste perspective its not always my thing. I live about 45 min-1 hour from the Nakashema studio ,so lots of folks out here are really into that stuff. I guess I like in accent pieces....hall tables, shelves, and even small coffee tables. The big dining and conference tables, while cool looking, aren't something I'm really into. I actually have a couple fairly decent sized slabs too that I inherited, so I may very well end up making at least a large slab coffee table or something someday. Its not something I would have gone out and planned on my own accord, but since I have the slabs and can't bring myself to cut them up I'll probably make a couple Nakashem-esc things at some point.

[Peter Pedisich]

Chris, thanks for sharing... Great way to spend the day. I really like the grain and color of the top. You have inspired me to try sliding dovetails on my next project!
Pete

[Gordon Eyre]

Chris, you will have the coolest shelf in your neighborhood. Way to go with the scraps, you mde something useful and and beautiful as well.

[David Weaver]

Just a random thought, I might if I were in your shoes, fill those holes most of the way and put inlays in the thing of some sort that would hide that there were ever holes there.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks Gordon and Peter.

Peter, yeah totally give them a go. Its an important joint in a lot of tradition casework.

I haven't mastered them yet. I mean I can pull them off (usually), but I haven't yet done them enough a to have a way that gives relatively fast consistent results...I'm still futzing with them more than I would like.

In the past I've sawed the pin walls with a backsaw and cut the tails with a rabbet plane (and then used a chisel to square the shoulders since a regular rabbet plane doesn't create the angle. That worked ok, but this time I did almost every thing with a 1.5" wide chisel with a little help from a guide block and my side rabbet plane. I felt this was much more accurate.

What I did was first lay out all the lines that would create tails, and then cutting into the end grain with my wide chisel (see first pic) pared the slope of the tail on each side of the board. Than I used the area where I had pared to the lines as a reference to pare the rest of the waste for the tail. I had a little bit of smoothing/truing to do after this so I clamped the work piece upright in my vise, set my guide block on the endgrain so that it was in line with what was left of the line I had struck (see second pic), held it down in place hard, and then ran my side rabbet plane along the guide block to make sure I had a consistent angle across the full width of the tail.

For the female portion of the joint, I decided not to saw the wall and instead chopped them all with my 1.5" chisel up against that same guide block. Once I was as full depth along the angled side walls I can back with a long paring chisel (see 3rd pic), hogged out most the waste, and then finished up with a router plane. Chopping the side walls felt less efficient than sawing when I was doing it, but I felt like it was much more accurate, and made for much easier fitting.

Anyway, like I said, I'm still figuring out my preferred way to do the joint, but at least now feel like I have a way to get consisten results (guide block and chisel) even if it is a bit slower than I would like. A dovetail plane I feel like would make it quciker and easier

[Chris Griggs]

Just a random thought, I might if I were in your shoes, fill those holes most of the way and put inlays in the thing of some sort that would hide that there were ever holes there.

That's a nice idea Dave. I like that. I shall stew on this, and see what I can come up with.

(that is if I work up enough motivation to decide to do anything about the holes...some folks like flaws like that I guess, but I think they do detract from the piece. Part of me of me doesn't care though )

Anyway, I have a few tiny little pieces of Ebony inlay (thanks Josh!), and this might be just the thing to use them on.

[David Weaver]

Yeah, might not do anything about it would be more likely for me. If I decided I couldn't tolerate the holes, I'd put it in my daughter's room where I wouldn't see them. The inlay would be some work, but most of it would be trying to figure out what would look nice and be a fairly easy shape to cut at the same time.

[Chris Griggs]

Yeah, given the nature of this piece (natural edge, small shelf that stuff will get set on, and made from a scrap) they don't bother me too much. I would like it better if they weren't there, but they are, and given the style of the piece I find them much less offensive than I would in something that wasn't so "au natural" looking. It's probably one of those things that I'll do if I don't have anything better to do or if I need a break from another project. Once I hang it somewhat I won't notice them anyway.

[Brian Holcombe]

Awesome!

Maybe i'm influenced by the Nakashima style, but I leave holes in walnut. I generally try to cut around them if I can, but if they are unavoidable then I embrace them.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks Brian.

Based on all the Nakashima style stuff that's out there I think a lot of people feel the same as you.

Given the style of the piece and the fact that I just kinda made it on a whim (and my laziness), I'll probably do what you do and just embrace them.

[Frederick Skelly]

Nice shelf Chris. Love the grain!
Fred

[Winton Applegate]

Guess how I did these little'ns.





You would be proud of me.





Give up ?


these and the females of the species were cut by . . .
. . . .
(router table)
Ha, ha, ha,


The drawer rails were all hand sawn and planed from thick planks though.

PS: don't fill the holes keep them as is. Following the council of my mentor, which was if you have a mistake don't hide it highlight it. Those artist types . . . what can you do ?
. . . you could paint the inside of the holes black and even add some gloss finish just in the holes.
There . . . contrary to the last.

[Jack Curtis]

Glad the pic/info helped. I hope you like the mini shave as much as I do.

Yeah, I have mixed feeling about the Nakashima stuff...not in any extreme way..just from a personal taste perspective its not always my thing. I live about 45 min-1 hour from the Nakashema studio ,so lots of folks out here are really into that stuff. I guess I like in accent pieces....hall tables, shelves, and even small coffee tables. The big dining and conference tables, while cool looking, aren't something I'm really into. I actually have a couple fairly decent sized slabs too that I inherited, so I may very well end up making at least a large slab coffee table or something someday. Its not something I would have gone out and planned on my own accord, but since I have the slabs and can't bring myself to cut them up I'll probably make a couple Nakashem-esc things at some point.

Yeah, once you get to table size I'm not much of a fan either. Seems living with a live edge would be a lot like living with a valuable antique that I'd dare not consider refinishing, all crusty and stained and rough to the touch. However, I am attracted to the shape, so I'd probably follow the live edges to make dead edges.