Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 3, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 In self defense I normally make a batch of small items and stash them in the closet for unexpected gift requests. Due to various reasons I got caught flat-footed this holiday season when I was asked for a "quick" gift for someone who "suddenly" came up. I am going to kill off some scrap and shorts and build up a supply for all those surprises that will come up this year ;-) I gather some scrap of at least the minimum size I need. I butterfly it and flip the outside faces in in order to get continuous figure around the box. I thought I had a picture of that technique. I'll try to dig one up and post it here later. I miter all the carcass parts and rabbet them. I plane and pre-finish the inside surfaces with shellac. I have a collection of thin stock in the scrap bin from resawing things like drawer fronts. I use this as veneer on 1/4" plywood for the bottoms; ply out and veneer in, of course. As a side topic, here is my improved Rikon 10-305 fence. Simple but effective. You can see a veneered bottom in rough size at the left edge of this pic. The tops all get a centered 1-3/8" hole. This scale would change with your box size to some degree. I then use setup bars and stops at the router table to route a pair of sort of mortises to receive the pull. The hole gets a round-over treatment. This is where your pinkie go when you grab the pull. I square up the mortises with a 1/4" chisel. I use the same technique I use for G&G ebony plugs, I taper them to fit like a cork. You can see that the ends are slightly angled. I also taper the thickness a bit. This calls for a piece of melamine I keep around with some abrasives on it. You place the pull blank on the abrasive, tile the pull up about 1 degree and pull it toward yourself. I do this once or twice per side. You know when you have the right fit when the pull almost seats in the mortise. You can shorten the angled ends a bit to ease up on the right fit. Why go through all this? Same as on the square ebony plugs, the force-fit of the last 1/64" of depth make a snug fit in the mortise; no gaps. Ready for some finish. I'll be back . . . 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 I like the way you ran the grain vertically on the maple. Never thought of doing that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Thanks Coop. Found the "resaw for continuous grain" thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Those look great! Are your glue up clamps shop made or commercial products? they are slick! I think Doug Stowe uses some home made ones like that I need to get/make some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 3, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 The black ones are Lee Valley which are quite nice. The pot metal ones I think are woodcraft. Whatever they are they were on sale for a price that I should’ve bought a couple sets . Some pocket change for some couplers and some quarter inch threaded rod and you can get quite a lot of versatile set up’s. I’ve seen several shop made versions and they would work equally well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 That's awesome! I'm so far behind on this stuff! Side effects of a new shop but, looking forward to getting back to some of these types of projects! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted February 3, 2019 Report Share Posted February 3, 2019 Do you run the 2nd board vertical along the table saw fence for a perfect 90 or do you try and dial the blade perfectly to 45 degrees? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Chestnut said: Do you run the 2nd board vertical along the table saw fence for a perfect 90 or do you try and dial the blade perfectly to 45 degrees? I just set it at 45 degrees with a Beall Tilt-Box. Someone had made a comment in a thread about remembering where to reference from. I use a small sled for the bevel cuts . . . . . . and have to remember to zero the Tilt-Box on the sled base and then set the blade. The difference may only be a fraction of a degree between table surface and sled surface but, when multiplied by eight cuts can make the joint fit . . . not-so-good. Since you flip the blank to cut the miters (to make the gap in the figure as minimal as possible) it is important to have the long edges very parallel. Ripping to width on the tablesaw takes care of this. I also use the hold down clamps you see on the sled for every cut. The few moments it takes to clamp the blank is well worth the predictable results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 @gee-dub, any pics showing how you cut the pulls? I like this design, BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 4, 2019 Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 How do you bookmark stuff on here? All neat stuff to refer back to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 4, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 1 hour ago, wtnhighlander said: @gee-dub, any pics showing how you cut the pulls? I like this design, BTW. Doh! Didn't think to take any. I mill the material to just over 1/4" to allow for the taper. The drum sander excels at working with thinner stock but, whatever method you have will work. I draw the shape on the stock and use a scrollsaw to cut them out but, have done them on the bandsaw as well. The inner arc is smoothed at the spindle sander, the outer arc at the drum sander. The outer arc is refined on the "abrasive on board" fixture shown earlier. I use a wiping motion across the abrasive by hand to remove disc sander marks. I the use the same wiping motion on a sanding block of 220 and another of 320 grit paper. The sides of the pull are rubbed in a random pattern against the same 220 and 320 grit abrasive. Not terribly sophisticated and yields a similar but, not identical product. I'm okay with that as I like to emphasize that they are 'hand made'. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 4, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 4, 2019 5 hours ago, ..Kev said: That's awesome! I'm so far behind on this stuff! Side effects of a new shop but, looking forward to getting back to some of these types of projects! I'd happily fall behind for a shop like yours . . . wait, am I turning green ? Life manages to get in the way of my shop time more than usual lately. I think the shop-gods plan this to make me appreciate my shop time all the more . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 5, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 This oughta give me some breathing room Walnut, sappy walnut, cherry, goncalo alves, and tiger maple. Some birdseye maple on some pulls. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Sweet Stash! Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curlyoak Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 gee-dub, Thanks for sharing. Very nice work, as usual. You have some very lucky friends. I always learn from your efforts. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Thanks guys. Boxes are short and long-term therapy. It is relaxing making them and it reduces my stress level when SWMBO asks "Could you make something for Aunt Ethel's birthday this Friday?". 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I B Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Aces! What do you do for bases? Something like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Similar. The veneered ply has the veneer on the inside and the birch ply outside sets about 1/8" proud below the sides. I will also add felt dots. I'll post a pic when get back in the shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 On 2/3/2019 at 7:57 PM, gee-dub said: I think the shop-gods plan this to make me appreciate my shop time all the more Boy, I can't tell you how much I now believe this. I got my wife to help me get my knee scooter down the steps to the shop for just a half hour ofttimes there. Waxed the tops of the tools and a couple of other things. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 Get that damn leg up. Don't take any chances. It's not like a lifetime thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted February 5, 2019 Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 18 minutes ago, RichardA said: Get that damn leg up. Don't take any chances. It's not like a lifetime thing. The Doc allows me about an hour a day to do sort of normal things that I can do safely with out stressing things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 5, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2019 I was under the impression that you were doing sort of normal things only a couple hours a day before. What’s different!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 4 hours ago, gee-dub said: I was under the impression that you were doing sort of normal things only a couple hours a day before. What’s different!?! I am not sure I am capable of anything normal. Don't you have to be normal to do normal? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardA Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 People, with one useless foot are not normal. But when it's all good again, you'll be back to the Chet we know and love. That's not normal either! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 6, 2019 Report Share Posted February 6, 2019 9 hours ago, RichardA said: Get that damn leg up. Don't take any chances. It's not like a lifetime thing. Listen atcha! You do nothing no your doc tells you too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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