Popular Post h3nry Posted June 27, 2015 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 OK everyone, I've enjoyed following other peoples builds on here, so I thought I'd try to create a project journal myself. I work pretty slowly so don't expect frequent updates. The plan is to build a case to house (and hide) the nasty but functional IKEA laundry gathering thingy that I have... So here the lumber arrives. It's a wood called "Flor Morado" (literally meaning purple flower), although it's sometimes called "Roble Morado" (Purple Oak) although it isn't an oak. Since my new workshop is only 8ft long there isn't room for the 9ft boards inside, so they have to be rough cut on the kitchen floor. All ripped and resawn - Quite a workout, but eventually I have small bits of wood the right size. My design includes blind mitred dovetails at the corners. I have enough trouble getting mitres to close up tight at the best of times, and this is not a simple method of cutting a mitre joint! To start with the dovetails were nice and tight, but the mitres were gappy, then after a bit of finessing the mitres looked better, but the dovetails were a bit looser. These are probably still the strongest mitre joints I've ever made - I'll just have to wait til the glue-up to see how good they really are. This one looked good though. Then it was time to get out the bow saw to cut some shape into the frame pieces. I bought the compass plane a couple of years ago mostly because I thought it would be cool to be able to plane curves, but I've never found a use for it until now. It's not the easiest plane to use, but it's almost like it was designed for this job... Frame pieces shaped and dry fit... That's as far as I've got so far. The next stage is to cut the joints and shape the corner posts to complete the frame. We'll see how far I get this weekend. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Interesting! Hmmm.... I'll keep an eye out for this build. You're in Colombia right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I have an old Stanley compass plane, when the curve gets deeper you have to plane downhill from each side towards the center to avoid tearing the grain up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted June 27, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I have an old Stanley compass plane, when the curve gets deeper you have to plane downhill from each side towards the center to avoid tearing the grain up. Yeah, that was one of the things I learned the hard way here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I've never heard of this joint. It looks darn complicated. This will be fun to watch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Awesome! I'm looking forward to watching this build as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 I tried that joint once years ago, my results were far looser and cruder than yours ! Bravo, I will follow this as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FtrPilot Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Very interesting and informative...I will also follow this build. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Nice work so far. I like the curved shapes on the frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Those dovetailed miters look like a lot of work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 27, 2015 Report Share Posted June 27, 2015 Thanks for sharing this, it looks very interesting. Your execution so far is excellent, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted June 28, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I've been working on the posts to finish the framework... First I needed to cut a notch (is that the correct term?) into the posts to match the curved stiles. The bottom cut is straight, so could come straight off the saw, but the top cut is curved to match the stile, so I pared back with a chisel from a straight cut close to the line: This was where I made my first screw-up - I cut the notches to fit the stiles in a different order for the to pand the bottom. So either the top fit together, or the bottom, but not both - fortunately it didn't take too much to fix, although one of the corners isn't quite as tight a fit as the others now. Test-fit and the laundry basket fits inside. Before the posts can be shaped, they need to get a groove to take the panels. Unfortunately the groove is stopped at both ends so I couldn't use the plough-plane. So I used a dado saw to cut the sides, and then chopped out the waste like a very long mortice. The posts get the same subtle shaping as the stiles - this time I worked out how to hold a bent yardstick to act as a drawing spline. Finally ready to dry-fit the complete frame. The joints only go together one way. First the pin-piece goes into the notch on the post, with the slight taper on the top of the stile locking it in place, then the tail-piece locks in from the other side making a surprisingly solid joint. completed progress so far - solid as a rock ... now it needs a floor, a lid, and four panels... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted June 28, 2015 Report Share Posted June 28, 2015 I had to go look up that Dado saw. It's also called a trenching saw & a stair saw too. Seems they used them to cut dados in staircase stringers. Thanks for exposing me to a tool I had never heard of ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 That's really looking cool! Love the shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Awesome bit if joinery there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I'm afraid I would have gone to Ikea before I submitted my self to this. Heck of a job! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brendon_t Posted June 30, 2015 Report Share Posted June 30, 2015 Looks great. I also had never heard of that tool. Keep it coming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Building the floor was easy enough... First the boards needed thinning - they were resawn from 8/4 stock, so were a generous 5/8 thick and needed to be thinned to 3/8 Then I shiplapped the edges Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Now on to the lid ... The lid is going to be made by a frame with four mitred boards, with an uplifted panel in the centre. After cutting the bards to length and mitring the ends - I decided to reinforce the mitres with loose-tennons. I put a sweeping roundouver on the underside of the lid - but I made one of the mortices a little too deep, and planed right through to expose one of the mortices in the roundover ... With the lid and floor complete - now it needs some panels ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 That really looks cool! Maybe a little epoxy on the boo boo.. Very nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 You're going to have the awesomest laundry hamper in town! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 You're going to have the awesomest laundry hamper in town! Awesomest? Ross, Webster is going to love you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted July 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2015 You guys are the awesomest! It's time for another screw-up. I thought I had made sure that the size would fit panels made out of three boards glued together. But I must have planed a little too much off when jointing the boards for glueing, and the panels came out about 1/4" - 3/8" to narrow. Doh! If I could be sure that the panels would only expand and not contract I could probably get away with it - but this is a humid climate, so there's going to be shrinkage when I move back to Canada. So I ripped some narrow strips to add to the edge of the panels, and back into the clamps ... After cutting and planing to what I hope is now the correct size, it was time to raise the panels... I haven't planed the top of the panels flat and smooth, because my resawing wasn't particularly great, and some of the panels would have ended up a bit thin - since I'm planning on carving the panels I thought I might like the extra thickness in places. I haven't figured out what design I want in the centre of each panel yet, so I'm starting with the borders. First tracing out the pattern ... Now the hard part begins ... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h3nry Posted July 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 Starting work on the lattice border. The holes need to be cut away. SO first with the brace to drill out as much as possible. Then the keyhole saw to cut away the larger bits. The coping saw was needed for some of the fiddlier curves (I still managed to break off a couple of corners). Then paring with a chisel... finally the first corner cut and ready for carving. One down, fifteen to go ... I may be some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 12, 2015 Report Share Posted July 12, 2015 Holy cow, I hope the Mrs. appreciates how much you're putting into this laundry hamper!! Awesomer and awesomer, by the way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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