Wall Cabinet Wrap Up

It took longer than expected (of course) to get glass but I got it and was able to wrap things up.
Seems as though it has been a while since the last post on this.
Pictured is mortise making for door hinges. This was just after I refinished my butt chisel handles. You can see the difference between those and the original finish on the bench chisel.

Consoles (shelf supports) in process. Kind of cute heh. I went with Jatoba for the little bits in the cabinet. It will age to a darker rusty red color which should go nicely with the aging cherry.

Consoles finished! There will be two shelves for this cabinet. I made two sets plus three extra... biffed the last one of the third set but I was expecting that ha. This way there is extra in case something should happen to the others. Don't know what but it's better to be prepared :).

This is a scarey part that I had been putting off. After fitting and hanging the door. I mortised the door for the same pull I made for the first door. Now it was time to cut into the FINISHED carcass to make a recess for the pull.

Started out with marking the recess with a pencil. Went at it with a chisel. Then made a sanding block to fit the shape I wanted. Finished it up and made the little profile with a knife. I dig it.
Phew!

Received the glass shelves and "bulk" sheet of glass for the door panes. Got to cutting the glass for the door myself.
I think this is a good thing to be able to do. I like to know that I can make these kinds of panes fit just right. Not tight but not sloppy. It allows me to work with smaller tolerances, which I like.
Once the glass was cut and put into place I marked the mullions on the sticks that hold the glass in place. Pictured above was after cutting the waste with the band saw. Used chisels to fit and clean them up.

Drilling hole for the brads that will hold the glass in.
SO CLOSE!
Actually it is done. Cleaned up the sticks, softened their edges, glued the pull in place, finished everything that needed finish, installed glass into the door, and hung the door. :D

Alas I have another waiting game. I ordered a pair of studio strobes (photo flash lights) and was given notice a couple days later the they are on back order. They say it will take another week or two but I have had bad experience with things on back order in the past :/.
While I'm waiting for those I will of course resume work on the Walnut Desk :).

Plane Break

I put in an order for the glass for the Cherry Cabinet on Wednesday. It wont be done till Friday at the earliest I suspect. What to do now. Well I took some time to pick up around the shop but I also had a milled plane black laying around for a few weeks and decided to go to town on a new smoother to replace the last one of Vera that delaminated. I took a bunch of pics in case anyone viewing this blog is not familiar with "krenovian planes".

So, I got a 3"x3"x12" blank from the local "woodworking store". They sell these as turning blanks though I don't really know why this is such a popular size but it works great for most hand plane projects.
I scraped the wax off and let it sit for a while. Then did some milling getting the cheeks and the main body cut out. I let these sit stickered for a few weeks for them to move as they please.

When I finally got back to the blank yesterday I flattened and dressed the sides and body. Then cut the iron ramp out on a band saw.

Used my block plane to dress and square up the iron ramp.

Then using the iron itself to help set the distance between the ramp and the front I drilled holes in the top corners for locator dowels. Trimmed the dowels flush so they wouldn't interfere with the glue-up.

With the dowels in place the cross-pin holes were drilled at 5/16". Use the block that was cut out as a backer for the first hole drilled.

That same block was used to get cross-pin material. I got two cross-pin blanks and a bit left over for shoulder cut tests on the table saw. The rest of the block will be used to get a wedge and can be saved in case of the need for a mouth insert.

Pin shoulders were cut on a table saw. Then the tenons are made round to fit with a chisel and files.

A relief was made for the chip-breaker cap-screw using a 3/4" router bit on the router table.

After triple checking everything and giving the glue faces a acetone wipe I glued the plane up with cauls and flaw board.
I do happen to have these cauls and flaw board "laying around" for plane making :).

I left the glue-up over night and came back to it today. Took the glued up block out of the clamps and ran the bottom over the jointer once. Then to the band saw to rough out the final shape.
Some like their planes rougher than others. I tend to like mine relatively shaped smooth as is more comfortable for my small soft hands hahah ;).

Tada! There it is fit with a wedge. It isn't in working order yet. These planes always seem to move around a little bit in the first stage of their life so I'm just going to allow that to happen for a bit before I get to fine tuning. I also want to order a new iron for it. The one I have seen here is wearing a bit short.
Here's hoping it will be a loyal performer!

This project along with cleaning up a bit has been good for me to get back in tune with the shop space as I still hadn't acclimated since my return from IP. I'm also enjoying a couple "bonfires" cleaning out my scrap bins that have over flowed from winter.
Alas the seasons change and it can be easy to lose one's way with our short Minnesotan Summers ha. We'll see... ;p

Where's that swing?

Getting back home, it has been difficult to get back in the swing, find that momentum. Being gone for a couple weeks, jet lag, odd schedules at the part-time, and plan old being beat.
I have managed to get some work done back in the shop. I'm back on that Cherry Display Cabinet. Doing this door again. After taking it very slow and carefully with milling the frame stock down I'm feeling pretty confident of its stability.
Made a new template for the panes of glass. Ugh, that's another thing... Glass shelves. I just can't find a quality glass cutter around here! As it looks I'm going to have to opt to have the glass cut and ground then get another grinding wheel and put buffing wheels on it to polish the edges myself. I've never polished glass before. I've used buffing wheels with metal before. I would think it would be fairly similar.

Frame dry-fit with panel rebates and all about ready to be glued up. The second time around the production has gone smoother which is nice and encouraging.
Currently the door has been glued-up and fit to the cabinet opening. There's still enough work to be done to keep me busy for a couple days... if I can finally really get in the shop that is. I still have a couple non-shop things to do :/.

Another factor I feel playing against me is that of a little funk :( heh. I haven't been feeling as connected to the work as I usually am. This seems to come and go with all sorts of people in all sorts of walks of life.
I think it's good to reflect on one's "way" and asses "their path". Seems to be part of "the human condition" at least for me. It just sucks that it gets in, what seems to be, the way ha.
In attempt to reconnect, I took some time later in the evening to give my little chisels some love.
I like these Ashley Iles butt-chisels but I'm not fond of some of the fit and finish of them. The Bubinga handles covered in hard thick finish, the cheap ferrules. I stripped the hard finish off with scrapers and files and re-finished them with a single thin coat of oil. Also I took some sand paper to the ferrules to clean them up a bit.
I'm going to need to replace my 1/8" and 1/4" chisels soon and have been wondering about switching to a whole new set. I'm still undecided... I wish more people made quality butt-chisels.

A bit of a Blur

Oh boy, it's been a bit of a blur here. I don't do so well with time changes and I've gone through two of them on this trip.
Well trip began with visiting one Dan M... DannyMac? hehahhe Looking through lumber, spinning around Vancouver, some coffee and beer. Went down to the beach to see where his chainsaw milling takes place. Pretty cool, I wouldn't mind being able to do the same now and again ;).
Thanks for your time and hospitality Dan!

Onwards/back to the school!
It was great to meet all the passionate crafts-people here, to reminisce on memories past, and taking some new memories for the future.
The program has changed a bit since I was there but the quality and underlying goals remain.
There is, of course, great working being done this year. I didn't get to pull my camera out on everyone's project but I snapped a few...

Raul is stationed at my old bench, it seems to treat him well. He is making a lovely little jewelry display case for his wife, a jewelry maker, of Boxwood and English Sycamore. Above is one of his panels getting applied edges.

Meredith across from him is working on a lovely Danish inspired low console/coffee table. I think those through tenons are going to look pretty hot Meredith! ha!

Jesse is making a pipe wall cabinet of Caltalpa and Black Limba. I haven't been the biggest fan of either of these species, but these planks coming together in this cabinet of his is looking mighty fine.

Melissa is making a desk not hugely different from the one I'm working on. Her's is of Kwila and Narra, with drawers coming from the sides.

This is a mini mock-up of Hong's. Very cool. I think it could be very successful as a coffee table.

Steve Wolf finished and presented the second of a mating pair of end table/cabinets of Zebrano and Walnut. Well done sir!

Andrea is working on a wall cabinet of Claro Walnut, Monterey Cypress, and Swiss Pear featuring a display area, and an enclosed space. Pretty sharp.

Dave is reproducing a rocking chair made by Roberts a number of years ago. A great chair it is.

Jay has been spending time on a media stand with drawers made of Kwila. His plank of Kwila is a bit cranky but it's looking good!

Christian, from Denmark, is a highly meticulous worker... a regular Craig Johnson heh. Making a small tool chest of Boxwood and Maple. These woods call for precision work and Christian is surely meeting the challenge.

Josh is a young man somewhat strikingly similar to myself and my mode of work... also a musician. He's tackling one of JK's silver chests. These Maple drawers will be set into a Spalted Maple carcass. Good luck Josh!
Kylle is working on a lovely little floor standing cabinet made of a familiar material to me heh... Euro Cherry. Great work Kylle. He can show you his work on his blog here: http://kylle221.wordpress.com.

Howard has had years of experience as a carver. I can see how the plank he selected and his form speak to him and each other. It may be a little tricky but it will be lovely in the end. I'm sure he'll be looking forward to making happy shavings after break.

I've also been reminded how awesome this little coffee grinder is! I want one!!!

Thanks to eveyone who made this trip possible and for the kindness, hospitality, conversations, inspirations... and the food haha ;). Please keep in touch and show me your projects when they're done!

It is coming time for me to leave the coast again which is a bittersweet affair. I love the land, people, and culture here. Especially the multitude of cultures drawn to the school. At the same time my shop and work are calling me. Also I am looking forward to get back to special lovely lady back home...

Return to The Creek

With my short trip to the Sunshine Coast fast approaching I found it more difficult to get work done in the shop. Had to tie some ends, had another gallery night, and spent some good time with the lady. However I did get SOME work done.
Above is the veneer being applied to the substrate in a jimmy rigged "press"... this time it didn't work out as well as I got some shaping out of said "press" that isn't quite flat. I do have some speculations why that I will address in the future. For now can make it work but it will require some extra attention.

Ahhhh smoothing that top! One thing I did miss about Walnut is it's workability! This air-dried selection seems to work particularly well... or it could just seem that way after coming from an Oak project :p.
Whatever the case, the top is looking pretty nice if I do say so myself, though it is due to the nature of the tree, not as much of my own work ;).
So it's time to leave this project, MN, the Midwest, the country for a couple weeks.

I'll be back Mr. Desk, I promise, but for now I'm back in Roberts Creek, BC, Canada. Here to do my best to help out at the school (IP)! Should be an interesting, challenging, and inspiring time!
Alas I forgot how late things get going around here on Sundays ha. Can't get that Gumboot Granola till 11:00!

Desk Substrate

Geez, seems like I've had my hands full with little progress to show for it. I have been spending more time on the gallery's website, and I guess it is the way of veneer work sometime.
Desk top substrate! I decided I didn't want to do a 3/4" top but wanted more than 5/8", however plywood comes 1/8"s. Well I have extra 1/16" veneer I've used for cross banding. I opted to joint together some 1/16" Poplar veneer and laminate that in a 1/4" ply sandwich.

The sandwich gives me about 9/16" thick substrate, adding the two 1/16" walnut veneers it should come out to be somewhere around 11/16" aka 1/16" less than 3/4".
Here is said substrate shaped before the bake-ins are applied.
Nice subtle curves which I seem to be gravitating toward. Also I wanted to maintain the amount of usable surface area. Some more "radical" curves could look nice but in the end this is to be a daily desk with an effective use of space... who ever says their rooms are too big?

And the part that set this piece in motion. The top. Well the veneer for the top anyway. pictured above are the "strips" of veneer cut to mate together. The light spaces in between is just the ply wood "work space" I had set up but nicely defines the joint lines for viewing pleasure/ease.
So, part of the reason I needed to veneer this is that the raw board wasn't quite wide enough for a desk top. I'd veneer it in order to do a couple slip matches to make it wide enough. I have used this technique before. Although I'd prefer to have planks wide enough and like to maintain the wood's "integrity", it's just not going to happen all the time. Being in my position and locale I need to be able to work with what I have. I'm sure many others can relate :).
So, those slip matches are the two thinner pieces inside the strips with sap wood.
I think this will make a beautiful top! I'm excited to see it clean up :).

Catching up on the Oak

Oh boy, this may be a doosey of a post. Some times the time just flies and one doesn't realize how many operations have gone by!
Back on the brackets adding the final touch. Using my jimmy riged x-y table to add the notch to the brackets. I was surprised at how well it worked while taking it easy. Last time I went over to Craig's to use his mighty x-y but looks like I wont have to bother him for that any more heh.
I like to think my clamping/positioning jig is a little clever. Milled a piece of Poplar slightly thinner than the brackets are wide. This way my clamping force is stable on the table and the brackets are held securely.

With the "carcass" all dry-fit together it was time to move on to the finishing touches with it too.
Sometimes I get a little antsy with edge treatment, just wanting to get on to the next step. This time it was different. I really found a "groove" with these edges. Being such a stripped down piece, the edges are one of the few places the maker's hands can really come through.
I'm sure I've said it before, but one of the things I really like toying with is the concept that the fewer components/elements in a piece of work, the greater weight each carries. If one blows any component on a very simple piece, there's no "making up" for it else where. Sure maybe that adds a bit of "pressure" but I like the challenge :).

Bam! Assembly, after pre-finishing of course.

On to the drawer, the only other component of the piece ha.
Using a small piece of Chinese Elm I saved from my school project at IP. It should go rather nicely with the Oak. For the rest of the drawer I've opted for Ash as it has a stronger grain structure better mating with the Oak than Maple may.

Poof! the Dovetail Gnomes are at it again!
Anywho, fast forwarding the sawing, chopping, paring, and fitting of the dovetails I was to flattening the bottom of the drawer in preparation of making the grooves for the drawer bottom.

This time around I tried putting a little flare into the pins and tails. The Elm being stringy and brittle across the grain I couldn't very well just shave a little curve into the pins. Thus the outcome isn't quite as nice as I was hoping for but hey, at least the fit of the joints are pretty spot on :).
Next drawers I;m planing on doing are with Walnut fronts. I think they would work better trying to get that flare. However the sides are looking to be of Oak which doesn't work all too well... hmmm don't know if I should try it in those or not, we'll see when the time comes.

Skipping ahead past drawer fitting and drawer edge treatment, the pull is the last piece of this "puzzle".
I originally made a different pull out of a different wood but when I mocked it up on the drawer in its pocket I got one of those sinking feelings that I didn't like it. The shape was decent but it was the color that screamed at me. I decided to cut into my prized little stash of Ornamental Maple I received from Jody at IP. The shape of the new pull is a bit simpler and cleaner which I thought would ultimately be better for the piece anyway. It is actually very similar to the ones I did for the Chinese Elm Cabinet but heavier and with less movement. I think it will be nice.

Well I've pretty much wrapped this piece up already :). Quite a change from the more lengthy pieces I have been doing. It's nice, but I feel like I may need another piece to push me. The desk may just be enough push for me. Don't know when I'll get to photographing this piece but rest assured I'm post the pics when they're done :).

Till later, happy shavings!