Time Squeeze

Greetings folks, it has been a while. In the past month plus I have had plenty of work on my plate, little of which is/was wood work unfortunately. I haven't gotten much, but I was able to squeeze a little shop time in on the whisk(e)y cabinet.

I know this photo is difficult to extrapolate but it is in fact part of the vertical partition on the interior of the cabinet. This is the front few inches of said partition which will be only a couple inches high opposed the the rest which goes to the top of the cabinet. The reason I cut it apart was that I wanted to add a curving transition to the main partition, you can see the applied edge being glued on the curved side. Though it may sound complicated, this was the best way I found to achieve my goal.

While the partition was being glued back together I got on to door frame joinery, always something I get a little tense about. I'm glad that part is done and came out well.

Also I got to the last veneer pressing, at least for the carcass of the project. I have yet to decide if the door panels are going to be solid or veneered.

Another part that I tend to get hesitant about is making mortises for the little bits like flipper-floppers, hinges, levelers and such. If you slip up, it is often difficult to cleanly come back from!

One of the non-shop-time projects I've had (though this one is woodworking related) asked me to provide a head and shoulders portrait. Thinking about going with this charming number. Yes?

Cabinet Starts

While some of the remaining stand business was going on I could get on to veneer work for the sides of the cabinet. The top had already been done while the bottom was made.
Veneer matching is always trickier than I suspect given a material to work with. The technical and mechanical processes I know I'm capable of. Picking the "right" match, and where to cut is the tricky part. It would certainly be easier, take less time, and effort to just throw them together or say "hey these look kind of close." I can understand, but it's not for me in this work.

This was a longer series of veneer joints for the back panel. For this surface I had to plan out grain graphics to work with a vertical partition that has yet to be place, though I know where about it will go.
The joint with the tape across it is a book match which I generally prefer to avoid. You can see the different "shades" at the joint but is actually due to orientation of the wood fibers themselves refracting light in different ways making them appear to be different shades when in fact they are the same. Well, that seam is where my vertical partition will go.

After the veneer was "pressed," smoothed, sides trimmed, and doweled... the cabinet starts to take shape.
Feels like I have put so much time into all of these parts already. Coming out with such a "basic" form as this at first feels a little discouraging. There is much time and effort put into the "front end" of construction like this. Making sure all the details will work later on, planing strength and accuracy into all aspects. I know it will come together to make whole more than the sum of its parts. However, one can't help but to stand back a ponder a bit.

Moving on. Time for the back panel.
The back for this piece will be assembled with the sides before the whole assembly will join with the stand. After cleaning up the back I've done some minimal doweling between the back panel and the sides. The three dowels are mainly for location but certainly don't hurt the structure, with the long grain edge joint I don't need to worry about more robust strength.

The main assembly will look something like this though the back is not completely fit yet.

Also, somewhere along the line I was able to locate the door frame components. I do not believe I have spares, fingers crossed!

Soma Smoothie

Time for a "man blog" diversion. Why not? It's that time of year where we are all distracted from the shop, office, or what-have-you by the allure of the outdoors and it's specific, or general call to each of us. In my case: bike lust.
For a number of years I have wanted to replace an older road bike that didn't exactly fit me nor was quite geared towards the kind of riding I've been leaning to.
I had not been able to justify replacing it because I certainly do not make much for money and that I have hardly touched it for the last few years due to working myself ragged. After a hopeful barter with a bike rep fell through, I couldn't wait any longer. The bug had already bit. I decided to attempt what I like to call "a working man's bike build" with the good folk of the Angry Catfish behind the build.

Enter the Smoothie frame set from Soma Fabrications. Soma is a bicycle frame and parts manufacturer based in San Francisco who focuses on durability, and ride-ability at an approachable price. Being from Minneapolis one might ask "What about the likes of Surly or All City frames?" I would say that the tubing and geometry is worth the bit more than the Surly but to get a real appreciable step up I would need to spend at least twice that of the Soma.
At a price point of $550 for frame and fork (plus the $50 or so for professional chase and face), one cannot expect the world, but I was pleasantly surprised. The fit and finish of the frame exceeded my expectations with clean welds (to my eye), the clean white paint with a beautiful light pearl coat, subtle detail around the updated branding (a very welcome update), and so on. The fittings for racks and fenders are thoughtful but I would rather be without them. It would be nice if they had the option without them on this, their "race" frame.

Aesthetically I wanted to utilize the steel frame with its semi compact geometry to achieve a "vintage-modern" machine. One of course could make ties to the furniture and wood work I do.
For me this means clean, mainly silver/alloy components. I was a bit surprised at the limited amount of products that fit the bill! I had to do some searching but I came out with some good stuff.

Part of the reason I spent less on the frame was so that I could invest more into wheels and some more over looked parts that really do count such as the headset, saddle, and tires. These are the parts that can make or break your ride. When you are confident and comfortable you simply perform and feel better.

The Soma Soothie is certainly no feather weight by today's race standards, nor is it the most responsive frame on the market. However, it is a great bang for the buck. The frame comes into its own at speed. The modern race geometry delivers power and handling while the steel keeps me comfortable. Investing in the ride as a whole makes this a solid and confident machine uniquely tailored to my riding and aesthetic style, and budget.
For a person like me what it comes down to is riding, and wanting to ride more. I'm itching for another opportunity to get some miles behind me.

Sofa Photos

Remember this guy? The upholstery was just finished a week ago. I think it turned out mighty nice, this kind of cushion is a breeze for David of Remnants. If you're looking for upholstery done well, especially in a mid century nature, check him out!
These photos were taken with available light, thought I'd try it out. I think that my strobes may have done the soft green a little better, but hey this was really quick.
I have yet to name it, I'll have to do some more searching.

These arms are just impossible to photograph in a just way.
Love that fabric!

Here the sofa is mated with a pair of my Frame-Top Side Tables. These tables are a bit tall, perhaps an inch or two, but I think they work together. The Shedua in the tables is a nice match without getting "too matchy" with the Walnut sofa. I wonder how a pair in English Brown Oak would look...

Back to the Bottle

Err the cabinet that will hold some bottles.
It has been a while since I've been able to get some steady work in on the whiskey cabinet. I've made enough progress to make a post about it though.
Here we see some shaping of the legs. Subtle pillowing and the leg is also very slightly tapered, heavier at the bottom, so lightly that I don't think many if anyone will notice. It should make the stand overall more complete/sound though.

The aprons got a rebate to recess the bottom of the cabinet into. This was done on the router table.

Then came a part that I hadn't been completely looking forward to. Cutting out notches in the tops of the legs to complete the recess for the cabinet bottom.
I first took a wedge chunk out with a hand saw. I tried to get pretty close to my scribe lines thinking that this way I was less likely to blow out fibers with me trim router later.

Dry fit the stand and cut as much waste out as I felt comfortable with my trim router.

Then cleaned the corners up with some careful handy-work.
Phew! I guess it wasn't all that bad though these kinds of operations I always get tense over.

Now that was done, I jest needed to complete some more edge treatment before pre-finishing the stand.

About a week later the stand was finished and glued up. Now another fairly cautious operation. Fitting the bottom panel to the stand.
Cut some waste on the table saw and came back to the bench for fine tuning by shooting the panel with a block plane.

A pretty fine fit if I do say so myself. Went pretty smoothly considering the lack of work I've been able to get in.
Even though I've been feeling pretty detached with my work it's nice to see that I can still manage to do good job! Hopefully I'll find some of that momentum again... alas spring is a time of interruptions.
At any rate, I'm coming to more pre-finishing and taking a look at the veneer for the sides of the cabinet!

Northern Woods 2012

This past weekend was that time again when the Minnesota Woodworkers Guild comes together for the annual show: Northern Woods Exhibition. I have been aware of it for years but have never participated because I felt I was too busy, or this and that.
I decided to give it a try this year with Cabinet in Chinese Elm which seemed to be well received.
The piece received Best in Show, Peer's Choice, also a privately awarded Paul Lee award which goes to "the best entry that has a playful spirit and sound construction."
I'd be honored to be given any of these, the end out come was a bit of a surprise!

Craig Johnson, classmate and friend, received Best Detail with a piece that I am happily familiar with. Yes, Craig won Best in Show two years ago with another piece I am quite familiar with!

Now that that's over with I'm hoping to get back in my own shop! I'm getting increasingly agitated with the lack of hours I've had to work in the last number of weeks!

Chair photos!

Finally got a chance to do a little shoot with the chair today.
Here are some of the products of said shoot!
Haven't gotten the Sofa back yet though. Hopefully it wont be too long.