Jfitz Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Wow, that is coming along nicely!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HunterL Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Looking great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Very cool, Terry. Looking good. Curious...how did you go about cutting your hinges? I'm planning on using piano hinges for my tool cabinet but I can't figure how I'd get a perfectly straight and clean cut. Don't have much for cutting metal around here. Hacksaw won't be good enough I fear. I actually cut the hinges with a hacksaw - with a new blade stainless steel will cut easily. Clamp the upper leaf in a metalworking vise with the hinge pin not in the vice so you don't crush it (you can get the pin in the space under the jaws). Use some jaw protectors to stop marking the hinge. Position the cut line as close to the jaw edge as possible (about 1/8" to 3/16"). Start off the cut by cutting a small vee with a mill file in the waste side. Then run a junior hacksaw down (for the narrow hinge) or a full size hacksaw with the bigger hinge. The metal is very thin on the smaller hinge so is difficult to saw with a full size hacksaw without bending it. When you get down to the hinge pin re-position the hinge so the lower leaf is in the vice (again with the hinge pin not in the vice but above the vice jaws) and carry on sawing. It will probably run off line but it can be run against a dry grinder to square it up to the line later. Remove the burrs and round the corners with a fine file. Just make sure when you stick it against the grinder that you don't overheat it as it is very easy to blue it. Keep some water nearby to quench it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Another method I've seen is to take a jointed/squared 2x4, cut a kerf in it along the length thick enough to hold both leafs (but not the pin/barrel), and then make a very thin perpendicular kerf which you can use as a guide for your hacksaw blade. A bandsaw should make that cut nicely. insert the leaves into the first kerf and clamp the wood closed so it grips the hinge, and it should hold it nicely while you use the thinner (perpendicular) kerf to guide the hacksaw blade. If I was home I'd mock one up in the shop and post a pic....but they frown on me bringing my tools to work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 " Air Resistance"! Yeah, I get that at times as well. HA!Great job Terry.Looking good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 Another method I've seen is to take a jointed/squared 2x4, cut a kerf in it along the length thick enough to hold both leafs (but not the pin/barrel), and then make a very thin perpendicular kerf which you can use as a guide for your hacksaw blade. A bandsaw should make that cut nicely. insert the leaves into the first kerf and clamp the wood closed so it grips the hinge, and it should hold it nicely while you use the thinner (perpendicular) kerf to guide the hacksaw blade. If I was home I'd mock one up in the shop and post a pic....but they frown on me bringing my tools to work I just used a bunch of piano hinges in a window bench/storage built in that I built. This is exactly what I did. It worked great. I got a nice square cut and I just removed the burr with a file. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 26, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 I'm busy doing the drawer dovetails by hand at the moment. I'll show what I've done in a later post as nobody wants to see yet another method of cutting dovetails. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted March 26, 2015 Report Share Posted March 26, 2015 I'm busy doing the drawer dovetails by hand at the moment. I'll show what I've done in a later post as nobody wants to see yet another method of cutting dovetails. I would like to see it, if you have time to post it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted March 27, 2015 Report Share Posted March 27, 2015 Me too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted March 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2015 OK I'll carry on with the posting soon as I just need to collate the photographs. I've been applying the first coat of finish (Arm R Seal) tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Part 5 - Drawer parts (tail boards) To a non-woodworker dovetail joints are like a puzzle from Escher and have a certain mystique about them. In reality they are strong and easy for a woodworker to achieve but do take time, practice and patience to get right. The most important thing when dovetailing by hand is to cut square to the face of the board. The tails can be any shape or any angle you want and cutting them square will make subsequent operations so much easier. My minimal toolkit for dovetailing drawer parts (and yes I also do dovetailing with a router template as seen in the carcass of the cabinet) comprises the following: Marking gauge - I like the Veritas one Various bench chisels Right and left hand skew chisels Brass hammer Dead blow hammer Dovetail saw - I like the Veritas pull saw Crosscut saw Hand brush Rule - I favour the Incra tee bar rule Marking implements - 0.5mm mechanical pencil with HB leads Dovetail gauge - 1:8 Veritas gauge is good for hardwood Shop music system playing your favourite relaxing tunes (I like cool jazz when dovetailing) A few clamps and glue Eye glasses if like me you are not of tender years Good lighting Some dovetailing tools My particular drawer design for this project have a walnut front and beech sides/back with a 1/4" plywood base. The boards are milled to about 1/2" thick and made to fit into the drawer aperture. Tail boards This particular method of making dovetails works for me and is one of many different methods (have a Google around for cutting dovetails to find as many methods as there are stars in the cosmos!) I favour tails first as why make things difficult? I've tried pins first and can see no value to that method other than saying I've done it. So marking the tails out is relatively easy using any convenient rule you may have. Some people don't even measure but I use an Incra precision T-Rule with a 0.5mm mechanical pencil. Some things to bear in mind is if you want to hide any slots within the joinery (I'm thinking about the slot for the plywood base) if you make the narrowest part of the tail just shy of the slot then it will not be seen from outside when finished. I opted to have the slot 6mm (1/4") from the bottom but the widest part of the tail 5mm (7/32") from the base. This picture explains how to hide joinery using the dovetail Using the Incra rule. The T-Bar allows you to measure in equally from both edges. (For non metric people Incra also make imperial rules.) Resulting in equal marks Using the Veritas dovetail saddle marker. 1:8 is good for hardwood, 1:6 is good for softwood - although in practice I've found it doesn't really matter what the angle is. Don't forget to mark on both sides as it aids when sawing. Set the marking gauge to the thickness of the tails boards and lock it. Don't change the setting as it will be used several times. I like the Veritas marking gauge Now you have the option of running the marking gauge all around all faces of the tail board or just marking the line where you are going to cut out. I don't like the finished pieces with a line left behind but that is my personal preference - you may be different. Knife line only where I need to cut out. Undercutting the knife line Cutting a shallow trench on the knife line with a chisel will make all the joinery crisp and it is so much easier to chisel accurately using this method. Essentially if you don't cut a trench there is a likelihood of the chisel baseline moving due to the wedge action of the bevel. I just use a paring chisel to do this and the time spent is well worth it for the results that are obtained. Once you have done this it is so much easier to register a chisel or saw into the vee groove that has been formed. Cutting the tails. Use you favourite saw to cut the kerfs forming the tail shapes. I used to find angling the board in the vice so the saw cuts vertically was much easier to keep the blade square. I also use a pull saw rather than a Western style push saw. That too in my opinion gives better results. You may find that using a push saw works for you as none of us are the same, Then I simply cut out the rest of the waste on the bandsaw using a stop that prevents the blade going further than the baseline. Bandsawing the waste out After the majority of the waste is cut out you can simply use your bench chisels to chop to the line. Just make sure when doing this you chop onto a sacrificial surface otherwise you will end up with nice chop marks in your bench. Chop only half way through and then turn the board over and continue from the other side. That way the joinery will remain crisp and you won't blow out the face side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 Chopping and paring with a bench chisel is not enough to get clean tails and I find that I have to use skew chisels to cleanup the joints. Using a skew chisel to clean up the joints. The outermost joints can have the waste removed with a saw but then cleaned up (squared) with chisels. Always use your square to check the joints side to side as it is easy to get high spots. Remove those spots with your skews (or fishtails if you have them). You should end up with your tail boards looking something like this. This is the inside of a tailboard so has the marking line left in situ. It won't be seen when glued up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Very nice, detailed description, Terry! Keep the narrative going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Terry if I pay your plane fare can you come cut all my dovetails? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortan D Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Terry, very nice old school techniques you're using there. Are you a Paul Sellers follower on Youtube? I love his videos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Terry, very nice old school techniques you're using there. Are you a Paul Sellers follower on Youtube? I love his videos. Hi Daniel, I've seen a few of his videos having "discovered" him a couple of years back and he is very entertaining (but not to my wife ). He is from my part of the country too but probably much better known over the pond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Terry, Great instructions. Thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Terry, Great instructions. Thanks Some more on the way for cutting the blind dovetail sockets in the pin board. Wish I had taken some photos. I'm going in the shop tonight so will take a few of a demo piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted April 17, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Having to leave the journal for a while as we're vacationing in Malta for the next couple of weeks. I've made good progress on the cabinet and it is hung and has many tools installed but will update the journal with descriptions and photos when we get back home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 Terry - Not sure how I missed this - it's just awesomeIt's beyond "journal" quality and easily be a cover story and article in any woodworking magazine.There's a section early on where you mention (paraphrased) "most people know how to make a case carcass, but here's how I did it....". I was in the 'didn't know' bucket, and really enjoyed, and learned a bit, from that bit alone.If there was a dedicated section on Woodtalk for well written, detailed, instructional project builds, this thread would be it's cornerstone.Enjoy Malta, wherever the hell that is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgreenb Posted April 17, 2015 Report Share Posted April 17, 2015 If there was a dedicated section on Woodtalk for well written, detailed, instructional project builds, this thread would be it's cornerstone. Agreed, and this could equally well apply to Terry's last journal, the garden gate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Terry, we'll be expecting some 'feet up' photos from Malta! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Terry, we'll be expecting some 'feet up' photos from Malta! Only if there's t & a in the foreground! I've seen all the hairy toes I care about seeing! I'm like Vinn, is Malta close to Ft. Lauderdale? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Only if there's t & a in the foreground! I've seen all the hairy toes I care about seeing! I'm like Vinn, is Malta close to Ft. Lauderdale? No, Malta is what you get at a 50's style diner. It's kind of like a shake, but different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wouldwurker Posted April 18, 2015 Report Share Posted April 18, 2015 Boooooooooooo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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