Sunday, June 7, 2009

chip chop chip


Now, you may say that looks like a super massive black whole... here's the deal. I was planning on twin 1/2" tenons (for the bench we're talking) but the router I was using was giving me grief. I already started the mortises and the got out of whack, with that router"s whackness. My options are limited at this point so I was looking and drilling and chopping by hand. I did a fair amount of this while at MCTC but as I soon discovered I didn't mind that I hadn't done it since then ha. I forgot how long it takes to hand chop a mortise! I wasn't about to try the twin tenons with a 2" depth by hand so I just opened it up.


Here at my little 14" band saw cutting checks off big ole tenons. It cuts fairly well for a cheap little guy. Well enough for the bench joinery (still need to hand clean the cuts) but I don't know about furniture joinery... I think I'm going to look into a carbide blade and hope that this guy can handle it.


Tenons cut prior to fitting.


The tenon fitting went much more smoothly that the mortise making. It's finnally looking like a little something besides heavey planks on a table. This is my most massive project to date. I must say that I'm looking forward to getting back to furniture!


Before I did the tenon shoulder cuts on the legs I made this cross-cut sled. Pretty decent. The backing board is attatched by four bolts through oversized holes to allow for square adjustment.


More packages!!! I ordered some of those lovely aluminum bar-clamps that I made friends with at IP. These came from a little place called Dubuque Clamp Works in Iowa. Very friendly people. They don't have a website or anything but I wont hesitate to give them a call for any clamping needs.

8 comments:

Nick Brygidyr said...

have fun jointing 6 foot long pieces of 12/4 whatever for the top...i know i did!

Nicholas Nelson said...

Ha yeah I know! Actually I already had a laminated 6/4 maple top that I got used from MCTC it needs to be dressed up and it has a number of holes and stuff but it was cheap. I'm putting a big dog-strip and bread boards on it though. This bench isn't going to be a beautiful work or anything but hopefully it'll to the job well without looking like too much a mess heh.
Oh by the way this Bench is aimed to be 80" long heh.

Nick Brygidyr said...

haha well i built the frank klaus bench, minus the european type of shoulder vise, but i think i should have gone with that instead...next time.

I was crazy and cut dovetails on everything, i figured i'd only make it once, so why not go all out. One thing i would do is have those massive through tenons with the huge wedges for the base instead of bolts.

I'm headed to IP pretty soon and im eager to see whats in their gallery, did you take your cabinet with you or left it there?

Nicholas Nelson said...

The Cabinet is with me. When are you going out? Doing some courses? The gallery is actually not IP's anymore :( I don't know where all that work will be... possibly at the Van Norman's residence.

Nick Brygidyr said...

what! what happened! i was really looking forward to seeing all the work first hand!

i'm taking their veneers and curves course on the 22nd.

Nick Brygidyr said...

Hey i got a question since you fixed up some spokeshaves...i have a convex lee valley one and it chatters like hell! i sharpened a mean chamber into the blade...shimmed the bed to close the mouth a lil bit, and skew it when im shaving, but it still chatters and leaves chatter marks. My cheap stanley on the other hand works like a dream for some reason. what gives?

Nicholas Nelson said...

hmmm well I don't think mean camber will help unless you want a very narrow shaving. To get a wide shaving you're making a deep cut in the middle of the tool of course. My only thought right now is that maybe the breaker doesn't seat tightly? Does it get clogged?

Nick Brygidyr said...

Humm it might be the breaker. no it doesnt clog at all..