next project?

[steven c newman]

Had an errand to run in the shop, so I snapped a picture of that forest of clamps cluttering up my bench...
.IMAG0003.jpg
I even cheked it for square, using that huge Stanley square, Will see how this turns out later....

[steven c newman]

Ok, I removed all those clamps today.....and started on a bit of clean up
in the vise.jpg
Any holes were given a bit of glue, and then a pinch of bandsaw dust. Then a palmsander to sand it smooth. Next, an old Stanley plane to smooth things out
smoother.jpg
And worked my way around the four sides of the box. Had to turn the box a few times, due to the direction of the grain
smoothed out.jpg
Finally plopped the box onto the bench, and worked on some high spots along the corners
top edges.jpg
I think I can set this aside for a day? Got out the panel for the lid, and clamped it up...
ugly panel.jpg
Yep, it is ugly. But, there is a way..
cambered Jack.jpg
Cambered jack. I also trimmed the ends to close to what I needed. I scrubbed both faces down, and then ran the smooth plane again...
smooth panel.jpg
Going first at the diagonals, and then rotated around to go with the grain. That bead will be gone, after I raise the panel...
cleaned up.jpg
Decided to all "Breaktime!" before I start on the next set of pieces.. mainly the four pieces to make up a frame to hold a raised panel.

[steven c newman]

Too many pictures. eh? OK, here are the four frame pieces..
frame parts.jpg
Might wait for a while. Cut roughly to lengths, need planed to size.

I usually rub a candle onto the sole of the plane I'm using.......was a bit too slick today, pulled back a bit too far. yep,bounce a few knuckles off the corner of the box. I had even put on a clean pair of jeans this morning....now they have some red "stripes" on them..hate when that happens. Hand is sore, back is getting stiff. Knee is behaving, so far. I might wander back down to the shop, later, and work on those four pieces. Coarse, Medium, and fine.....just three planes needed.

[steven c newman]

Ok, decided to sneak back to the shop for a little bit....Cleared away a few items, set up to plane some rough parts down a bit..
start up.jpg
Yep, they be rough. Used a little bit larger plane, this time, a bit heavier that the Stanley #5c
jumbo jack.jpg
A Stanley #5-1/2 might do the job. Weight will help hold the board down to the bench, too...once each face was flat, a smooth plane then worked it over.
four flats.jpg
Soon enough, I had all four flattened and almost smoothed out. As for the edges..
jointed edges.jpg
Back to the Jumbo Jack. Joint this edge, then flip them over to joint the other edges. Trying to make them all the same width, too. Laid them out on the box..
test fit.jpg
Just to check the lengths. Two needed a slight trim on the ends. Should be almost ready to cut dovetails?
After the Dovetails are done, then plough some grooves. Then try to make a raised panel. Might take a day or two...

[steven c newman]

Errands to run first, maybe get back to the shop this evening?

Will try the dovetails first. Have to match with the lower ones, I think. May take a bit of layout.

[steven c newman]

Lay out went ..OK....then I goofed....and did these things first..
tails.jpg
As I normally do these first...
pins.jpg
That way, I can remember which side of a line to saw on. I finally remembered on the second corner...the first?
wrong lines.jpg
Meh. I can fill the gaps, later. Have the first 2 corners done. Need some errand ran, and then I can do the other two corners..
two corners.jpg
Pins first the next time down there....

Need these done, and dry fitted up, so I can size the panel. Then maybe raise it? need grooves ploughed, too. Got all week, no rush...

[steven c newman]

Afraid this will be it for a day or two.....upper radiator hose on the Town & Country van I have, blew. Have all the new parts on hand, getting the old clamps and hose OFF is the sticking point. Someone had glued the hose in place, and then clamped it down. Grrrrrr. The engine side was bad enough, now I get to try the radiator side......stuck way back under a bunch of other parts. Just made my day. And I thought Mondays are bad......

Once I can get the van fixed up and running again, and a few knuckles heal up, I can start on this lid, again.

[steven c newman]

Ok, have the van repaired. Maybe a trip to the shop later today? Knuckles have about healed up.....until I "nail" a few more.....left hand has been taking a beating lately.

When I do mosey down to the shop.....I need to remember to make pins first, this time around.....I get tighter dovetails that way. Need to set up the Stanley #45 as well.

I suppose I will have to build a jig to hold things while I plough a few grooves?

[steven c newman]

Well, I got the rest of the dovetails done..
IMAG0001.jpg
Needed it set up like this to size the panel a bit better....
IMAG0003.jpg
Mainly for length. Width was fine. Once the extra was trimmed off, I laid out to make this a Raised Panel sort of thing..
IMAG0004.jpg
A "stop line" about 1" down, and another about 1/4" or so from the bottom edge
IMAG0005.jpg
Paul Sellers would leave the board like this.....I don't. But, we use the same plane..
IMAG0006.jpg
In my case, it is a Stanley SW #4 Type 13. I plane at a diagonal to the edge, until both layout lines are gone. I work on the end grain ends first. Once both ends are done, I can work on the sides a bit..
raised panel.jpg
All four sides are now done, I set it up on the lid's frame, again..
IMAG0011.jpg
To make sure it will fit into a groove the next plane will be making
IMAG0012.jpg
Stanley #45, set up for a 1/4" x 1/4" groove. Right now, I am just a hair tired out. Fixed a van, chop a few dovetails, and raise a panel.....busy day today. ( And not a beer in the house.....drat)

[steven c newman]

Will have to wait until the end of this year, BEFORE I spend the money to become a "Contributor" here. Kind of late in the year to.....2 months left?

maybe in January, I can spend for an entire year's worth?

As soon as these legs get to where I can work in the shop again, the next chapter of this saga will get done. until then...have fun. Hope you all enjoyed this little story...

[Mel Fulks]

Your year starts any time you want, the Creek management uses computers.

[David Eisenhauer]

Steven: I definitely hear you about beating your hands up. I have been cutting rabbets around the perimeter of some 1/2" thick panels to fit into 1/4" dados in the legs and stretchers. I was using a Stanley 76? 78? 79? (whatever it is) and a 3/4" shoulder plane alongside a batten to cut the rabbets with. I sharpened up the irons on both planes and both planes leave a bit of the outside end of the blade exposed past the body of the plane where my off hand (left) grabs the plane to push the plane either against either the fence or the batten. I counted six nicks total on my index and middle finger the other day before I decided that I need to change my way of grabbing these planes. I knew of two of the larger nicks and found the other four when I used some of the alcohol based hand cleaner when going into a lunchtime restaurant. I am considering a more red color dye on the project when it comes time to finish now. Round two of rabbeting starts tomorrow and I will pay attention this time around.

[steven c newman]

That Stanley #45 I have will also do rebates nicely. It even has the nicker to cut end grain with. Yours would be the Stanley #78......my thumb gets sore using it, as it is tucked into the front of the plane, and gets caught on the bullnose section's bolt.

[steven c newman]

Maybe Saturday i can float down to the shop for a few hours? Might just wind up with a glued up lid. Trying to figure a layout for the insides of the box....have squares and other items that need a dedicated spot to call home....working on it.

[steven c newman]

Made a jig..
build-a-jig.jpg
To mill some grooves..
groove.jpg
Then made sure the raised panel would fit IN the groove..
panel fit.jpg
Then repeat three times for the rest of the sides.
First dry fit showed the panel was still too long. Trimmed it down, and a Junior Jack plane to "re-bevel" the trimmed end.

Try again with a dry fit (no glue yet)..
top views.jpg
Will take a bit more fussing & feuding. That "crack" is just a strip of heartwood. Happens to be a brown colour instead of the off-white of the sap wood.

Maybe next time I can get to the shop, I can fine tune this lid, and maybe smear some Elmer's a round?