Side Table Build

[pkinneb]

This journal will follow my build of a Kevin Rodel designed side table. Last month I picked up 126 bd ft of QSWO this is one of the projects that lumber was purchased for. 

First up I picked the board I would use, this one should do...

Next I laid out the parts with chalk

Then I decided to make a quick resaw fence for my bandsaw

Wanted it long so I had to cut access for a clamp

Next up check cut bottom to top for parallel 

Then I was able to break down the parts and resaw the pieces that needed it. Then sticker them for a couple days

Next up was to cut the grid parts to size 

Then I started laying out the dado locations. I love this paolini rule from woodpecker's

Next up I had to set up the dado stack on my Sawstop for the first time, out came the manual. Pretty painless

Then I cut a ZC insert for the dado head

And then the grid dados

Four grids complete

Next up glue up, clean up, and a couple of dado's. One spline for attaching them to the legs and another for attaching the top. Then onto the legs, compared to the bar stools I just finished this will be a pretty short and quick project

 

 

 

[Chet]

Looks like a cool project.  What  is your plan for the finish?  The pictures I have seen the table were ebonized.

[pkinneb]

4 minutes ago, Chet said:

Looks like a cool project.  What  is your plan for the finish?  The pictures I have seen the table were ebonized.

Thanks Chet!! I am going to fume it, then use some garnet shellac, and finish with wiping satin wiping varnish, should turn out on the middle of the darkness scale. I will definitely be doing some test pieces since I plan to use the same process to do a future coffee table, Morris chair and ottoman, and a arts and crafts lamp. 

[Chet]

I am working on a WO piece right now that i was thinking about fuming, but in some of the stuff I read they talked about how it can come out inconsistent at times so I chickened out.  I am going to try a Jeff Jewitt recipe that duplicates the Stickley furniture's "Aurora" finish.

[pkinneb]

5 minutes ago, Chet said:

I am working on a WO piece right now that i was thinking about fuming, but in some of the stuff I read they talked about how it can come out inconsistent at times so I chickened out.  I am going to try a Jeff Jewitt recipe that duplicates the Stickley furniture's "Aurora" finish.

Yeah I have read especially if you have boards from different trees in the same piece it can be a problem. I watch / read a fair amount of Mike Pekovich material over at FWW and I am going to follow his procedure and see how it goes. I'll have to check out Jeff Jewitt's process as well thanks for the heads up!

[Chet]

He has this pdf article that has five different recipes for the Stickley "colors" - http://homesteadfinishingproducts.com/stickley-mission-finish-guide-pdf-document/

And he has a youtube video showing the process.

[Ronn W]

Nice precise work.  I like it.

[pkinneb]

On 8/27/2017 at 10:46 PM, Ronn W said:

Nice precise work.  I like it.

Thanks Ron!

I was able to get some more work done on the side table today

Got the grids glued up took a few clamps 

Then I sent them through the drum sander to clean them up

After that I used a random orbit to remove the drum sander scratches.

Next up the legs.

 

[Coop]

I like journals and this has started out being a good one. Continue on bud! Looking good! 

[Cheeset202]

Great start to the project, look forward to watching the build.

[shaneymack]

I always love your journals, Paul. Awesome works so far.

 

Sent from my SM-G950W using Tapatalk

 

 

[Chet]

Wow Paul, thats more hand screw clamps then most store have on the shelf.

[wdwerker]

Project is looking good !   I imagine cleaning up glue from that many inside corners was a chore. 

 That grid panel buried in clamps seems familiar. It still amazes me how what I thought was going to be a simple glue up keeps needing more clamps to close the gaps that pop up. Sometimes even if you do a dry run to see how many clamps you need it behaves differently with glue. 

[pkinneb]

15 hours ago, K Cooper said:

I like journals and this has started out being a good one. Continue on bud! Looking good! 

Thanks Coop!

 

14 hours ago, Cheeset202 said:

Great start to the project, look forward to watching the build.

Thanks!!

 

7 hours ago, shaneymack said:

I always love your journals, Paul. Awesome works so far.

Thanks Shane!

1 hour ago, Chet said:

Wow Paul, thats more hand screw clamps then most store have on the shelf.

LOL yeah I have had 6 small and 6 medium for about 20 years and really just started using them more and more in the last couple of years. They worked great here because I could get two joints per clamp. I found out in the first glue up that every joint has to be clamped, as Steve stated things move with glue which you can see in the last pick where after removing the clamps I found gaps that needed closing.

1 hour ago, wdwerker said:

Project is looking good !   I imagine cleaning up glue from that many inside corners was a chore. 

 That grid panel buried in clamps seems familiar. It still amazes me how what I thought was going to be a simple glue up keeps needing more clamps to close the gaps that pop up. Sometimes even if you do a dry run to see how many clamps you need it behaves differently with glue. 

Thanks Steve! More so than i expected LOL. Like you said everything starts to slip with glue so each joint had to be clamped.

[wdwerker]

Titebond and LocWeld make a glue with an invisible dye in it that only shows up under a black light. When you have cleaned up all the squeeze out it's no longer visible. I got a LED flashlight, flip off the shop lights and it's real obvious what needs more cleanup.  I don't use it for most projects but if I was gluing up a grid like that it would be what I reached for. 

[gee-dub]

1 hour ago, pkinneb said:

LOL yeah I have had 6 small and 6 medium for about 20 years and really just started using them more and more in the last couple of years.

One of the long time standards that we tend to ignore.  Very handy for many things. Mine store in an otherwise useless corner.  Just a length of rope with a loop every so often.  After a while you can retrieve and replace them one-handed.

[pkinneb]

3 hours ago, gee-dub said:

One of the long time standards that we tend to ignore.  Very handy for many things. Mine store in an otherwise useless corner.  Just a length of rope with a loop every so often.  After a while you can retrieve and replace them one-handed.

Exactly knowing how to use them helps, I'm getting better.

Made some progress on the legs today

After taking them to final dimension I laid out some spline mortises. I used a stop block and a second leg to steady the router.

 

Then I routed the mortises out

I squared them up with a couple hand tools

Then using the table saw with a stop block I cut the corresponding mortises on the lattice panels

After cleaning those up and making up some splines it was time for a test fit

Next up some tapers on the legs and I will be adding ebony cuffs at the bottoms of the legs then glue up.

[Cheeset202]

I only have a couple of the parallel clamps and did not use them much.  FWW has a great article in a recent issue that shows the multiple uses for this style of clamp.  I might be investing in more of them!

[pkinneb]

First up today was to cut the legs to length

Next up mark for leg taper

Next I made a quick taper jig as shown in FWW

I also installed a make shift outfeed table so I didn't drop a leg on the floor. I really need to build that soon...I miss my old one.

Then I cut the first leg. I WOULD NOT DO THIS ON A SAW WITHOUT A RIVING KNIFE...and then only do what you are comfortable with. This was in the FWW article but at first I didn't like it. After thinking it through I realized the riving knife would keep the leg tight to the jig once it was pushed in far enough and in the end it was no issue for me.

I decided to mark all 4 so I didn't inadvertently cut the wrong edge

Next up was to route for the ebony cuffs. First I used a scrap to make a fence, then I used another scrap to push the leg through the cut. Since the legs are tapered on two sides you have to make sure the leg bottom is square to your fence. I felt even with the taper the push block helped and also reduces tear out but since the cut is only 1/16" deep not a big concern there.

Next up was to cut some cuff material but first I think a new push stick is in order

Ebony strips, check

Time for some hand tools

Gluing these was actually a bit fussy but another great opportunity for hand screw clamps because you have one tapered surface you can get great pressure on both sides.

 

First glue ups done after they dry I will cut the remaining cuffs to fit.

[gee-dub]

Really moving along.  I'm enjoying the ride, thanks!

[wdwerker]

So you meant to taper the outside of the legs ? Or am I looking at it the wrong way ?  I made that mistake once many years ago.

[pkinneb]

Thanks guys!

31 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

So you meant to taper the outside of the legs ? Or am I looking at it the wrong way ?  I made that mistake once many years ago.

Correct. The outside two edges are tapered with tops being the tapered end. 

[wdwerker]

Ah, so that Asian larger foot type appearance ?

[pkinneb]

2 minutes ago, wdwerker said:

Ah, so that Asian larger foot type appearance ?

Exactly. BTW that would really suck if I had done that wrong LOL

[wdwerker]

I ended up with end tables that looked bow legged. Didn't have enough material to do it over so that project never got finished.