next project?

[steven c newman]

Thanks to this nasty weather....knee is in bad shape today...more or less "Chair-bound" for the day....stairs are out of the question right now.

Weather outside?
IMAG0002.jpg
Bah,,HUMBUG!....this is after a full day of "snow-bursts" coming through. Finally it was able to stick around, AFTER the sun went down...

[James Pallas]

Dang it Steven. Didn't need to be reminded of what's to come. Don't mind the cold so much but that white stuff keeps me inside. Oh well spring is just around the corner
Jim

[steven c newman]

I HATE Snow.....isn't that a four letter word?

Somehow managed to get to the shop today..TWICE in fact. One was to fine tune the raised panel a bit
End grain ends needed "shot" to get rid of the waviness.
Several "fat spots" mainly at the corners of the bevels, needed planed down to match the rest. Spokeshave, and a blockplane to clean that up. One last test fit....one more spot to clean up....then some Elmer's
forest of clamps.jpg
Diagonals showed I needed a clamp to pull things back into square. The Long sides (front and back) were also bowed in...so the square in the next picture wasn't much help
better view.jpg
I'll add a strut across to push things back to straight. Let this sit awhile......Lunchtime, anyway..

Later this afternoon, managed to return to the shop.....and started to remove the clamps.....not rushing it, one at a time, making sure nothing moves on it's own....
Finally got all the clamps put away. Got the box down to my end of the bench, and give the lid a try out..
Lid 1.jpg
I had earlier marked which end went where. Will do until I get the strut in place under the lid...
lid 2.jpg
Have a few holes to fill...no biggie. At least it sits flat on the box. One more look at the raised panel?
IMAG0004.jpg
Mainly sap wood with Cherry Heartwood accents. Will let this sit awhile, maybe tomorrow I can do a bit more?

[steven c newman]

Back to the lower half, while the glue cures a day. Had two bead cutters to choose from..
IMAG0001.jpg
A #22, or a #23? Chose the 23 bead cutter. Took the #12 straighter cutter out of the 45. Installed the bead cutter. A little wider, so the skates had thier own groove to slide in.
How to clamp a box to a bench...
IMAG0008.jpg
Well, this way wasn't it. Sooo
IMAG0009.jpg
This seemed to work best. Tried to follow the grain's direction.....
IMAG0011.jpg
Wound up putting the long rods in. I can rotate the box, and still plane from this direction...
IMAG0012.jpg
Wind up with something like this. Hitting those dovetails wasn't really too nice. Battery was having trouble on the camera.....
Went ahead and beaded all four sides. Beads are just below the opening for the lid. Once the lid id ready, I'll add a bead to it, as well.....maybe, depends on the lid, and how it looks. Need a new candle to wax the soles with, anyway....

[Glen Canaday]

I use a hunk of gulf wax for that from the canning supplies section of the supermarket. Ya get a pound of it for super cheap. Don't know what you pay for candles, but it's the same stuff...straight paraffin.

[Phil Mueller]

Thanks Glen, great tip.

[steven c newman]

I get a "4-pack" of small candles at Walmart. maybe a dollar or two. Still on the first one.
Used that candle quite a bit last night, though..
long rods.jpg
Makes this old plane work a little better. Was adding a "detail"
bead done.jpg
Ran a bead around just below the opening of the box..fun part was clamping the box so it would stay put
better idea.jpg
This seemed to do...ok. Long rods I could reach across to the other side, or slide the fence in, to do a bead close to me. Could rotate the box to allow for grain directions...got all four sides done.

[steven c newman]

Details, details.....spent some time this morning, with both sections clamped together in the vise....task was to get them to at least LOOK like they matched each other..
IMAG0003.jpg
Used quite a few planes and a spokeshave..
plane working.jpg
Even "chased" a couple beads, to clean them up. Decided a second bead would be too busy...
Finally got all four sides cleaned and matched up....got out that SMELLY BLO stuff, and brushed on a coat to seal things up..
top panel.jpg
Too much glare down in the shop...sides?
hinge side.jpg
IF I move out of the glare, shadows appear....this might be either the hinge or latch side
latch side.jpg
Stepped back a bit..
IMAG0005.jpg
Waiting on the seal coat to dry....maybe I can go and find some hinges, and a latch. Get the outside done first, and then start making tool holders for the inside.

[Bill McDermott]

Steven, I enjoy your sense of humor. You are obviously having a good time in the shop. Thanks for sharing the joy. "Forest of Clamps" is an especially good one. I swear, sometimes a simple little project in clamps does look like an impenetrable thicket.

[steven c newman]

If'n I can't have fun doing something, I soon will stop and move on. Shop is my place to hang out at. Keeps me out of the bars...

Anyway...I installed a strut to the underside of the lid, more to correct a bowed in side. Dab of Elmer's and a friction fit.....since the lid was turned over, decided to coat the underside of the lid with that SMELLY BLO
lid.jpg
After things set up, I might add a notch to the strut, and hang this in it
angle finders.jpg
And maybe a keeper. Finally got the hinges off the old bit box ( might find some use for the old box) and now trying to decide which way to install them. whether to chop out a little bit..
option 1.jpg
Something like this? Or..just flush mount?
option 2.jpg
Hmmm, I like option #1 better. While I was down there today, I gave the rest of the box a second coat...
IMAG0001.jpg
As the first coat had soaked right in. Holding my nose, I then went back upstairs.. called it a day.

[steven c newman]

Knee is scheduled for Same day surgery on the 15th of December....will have it "scoped" to remove a bunch of stuff that is floating around inside it, and to "sand down" all the rough spots left by Uncle Arthur. Might be going on the "DL" for a few weeks..

[steven c newman]

Ok, on that happy note....fought with the camera today. Managed to install some hinges....and I even used a small drill for the pilot holes..
IMAG0006.jpg
Small drill point. So, maybe a look at this,since there is now a 50/50 mix of BLO and varnish on it..
IMAG0001.jpg
This be the front, still needs a latch..
IMAG0002.jpg
Rotate 90 degrees..
IMAG0003.jpg
Rotate again, and see the hinges...
IMAG0004.jpg
And, one more time. Way too much glare for a good shot of the top..
IMAG0005.jpg
Will do for now...

[steven c newman]

letting this dry another day. "French Fitted"? Not sure about how to do that. And...NO, I will not be adding any flocking...

Wonder if I should hang a few items in the lid, as well...

Have to drive the Boss around friday....might go and find a latch.

[Jim Koepke]

"French Fitted"? Not sure about how to do that.

It is very easy to do with a few gouges and a router plane with a narrow blade. Here is a picture of a "French Fitted" piece that fits in one of my drawers:

Compass-Divider Drawer.jpg

Since this picture was taken it has been worked on a little to better define the openings.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Well,....steps forward and a bunch back...

Went down to the shop to check on how the finish was drying......it had completely "crazed"......just spent the morning removing the mess. Brush the dust and crud off, and brought the box upstairs for awhile....re-thinking the finish schedule now.
Mix was 50/50..BLO and Varnish.....something was quite right in there. May go with a spray finish of some sort...

Bummer.

Went back down to the shop, sanded down a cherry level body...and just applied a plain coat of BLO.....just a test.
Waited until the smell was gone from the BLO. Then sprayed the level and a handle with the rattle can Lacquer. Waiting to see how it turns out....Might be in the morning...