Chip Sawdust Posted April 30, 2019 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 So in my quest to “be like Steve” I made this back-saving mini bench. It’s great for this detail work. Two things it does: saves my back from bending over the main workbench for stringing and banding, and also brings the work closer to my aging eyeballs so it’s easier to see. The Yost 7” vice was $60-something on Amazon; the bench was made with scraps. The plan calls for an awesome piece of 1 1/2” x 9 1/2 cherry, but no, I couldn’t bring myself to do that even if I were more cash flush. I used a pine 2x6 and a 2x4, with a strip of white oak to make the bench 9 1/2” wide, then topped it off with scrap 3/4” plywood to make it thick enough. I like it! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chip Sawdust Posted April 30, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted April 30, 2019 Oh there’s also a pivot jaw I made that you can see in the second pic. Holds tapered legs and other tapered pieces really nicely. I should make one for the main bench vice. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chip Sawdust Posted May 14, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted May 14, 2019 Wifey wanted a place to hold her iPad so it didn’t take up surface area on the table. Not very “Federal,” but functional. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted May 15, 2019 Report Share Posted May 15, 2019 What's not Federal about that, it's got an elephant. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted May 18, 2019 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 An elephant emitting hearts from its trunk! Who’d have thought it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chip Sawdust Posted July 23, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 So I’ve always been fascinated by the fan inlays, shells, ovals and such of Federal furniture. Here’s my first attempt after buying a cast iron skillet (very small) a single burner and some craft sand. First you get the sand very hot (just turn the darned burner on high), then test it with wood you don’t care about (scrap of something). I used maple but went to holly for the actual piece, my first attempt. It singed OK, so I laid out the 5-segment pattern for a corner fan - start simple I say... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Chip Sawdust Posted July 23, 2019 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 I only have one gouge, so to do any more on it I’m waiting for a #7 20-ish mm gouge that comes tomorrow for the dark inlay at the end of the fans. I tried it with my stringing pivot tool and it wasn’t the greatest result. You could fudge it and make it work. But I also found a $10 circle cutter on Amazon I might try. I already ordered the gouges though so.... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2019 Got some veneer tape from Rockler the other day so I think I’m all set for the rest of it. I’m taking this from Bob van Dyke’s article in FWW which is pretty good I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Awesome work Chip, the fine details you’re putting in really make the piece pop, well done sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom King Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Thanks for posting all the pictures. I've seen it done in books, but seeing someone post pictures here, of the process, is Much better! That fan is going to be gorgeous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Thanks guys I was surprised at it myself stay tuned, something has to go wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeslayer Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 2 minutes ago, Chip Sawdust said: Thanks guys I was surprised at it myself stay tuned, something has to go wrong! That’s how we all learn Chip, yours , mine and other people’s mistakes and how to fix them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 So true, Slayer, so true. I will get my new gouges tomorrow and make that cut that’s staring me in the face. I’ll have to sharpen them first though. But I think so far I’m satisfied with my first attempt. There will be at least 6 maybe 10 or more of these fans (I may attempt an oval if I get inspired) for the sofa table I’m making, so I’ll get a little practice anyway. I was going to try maple for these fan blades, but I used holly instead as it seems more consistent. But I will experiment with different woods, maybe even darker woods, to see what kind of effect I can get. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone do that, but maybe they tried and found it was a waste of time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 27 minutes ago, Tom King said: Thanks for posting all the pictures. I've seen it done in books, but seeing someone post pictures here, of the process, is Much better! That fan is going to be gorgeous. I’ll try to post in a sequence that makes sense. I searched this site for fan inlays, ovals, that kind of thing and never found anything so I thought what the heck, I’ll do this. I’m glad you’re getting something out of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 Great post! If you think about it can you share the FWW volume number? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 It’s FWW 262 July/Aug 2017. Search for Bob van Dyke, although he has 38 pages of articles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkinneb Posted July 24, 2019 Report Share Posted July 24, 2019 11 hours ago, Chip Sawdust said: It’s FWW 262 July/Aug 2017. Search for Bob van Dyke, although he has 38 pages of articles Perfect thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 So today I received my new gouges. Tried the #7-20, then the #5-20, ended up using my little #3-10. Bob said he uses an 8-13 but alas, that one won’t arrive till the end of the month (Woodcraft), so I couldn’t wait. They’ll get better but frankly I think I can make this first one work. In any case it makes a good test piece. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 Now excuse me while I sharpen a dozen new gouges! Lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 25, 2019 Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 42 minutes ago, Chip Sawdust said: Now excuse me while I sharpen a dozen new gouges! Lol Did you happen to buy slipstones as well? Sharpening gouges is a skill that eludes me.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 So here’s an easy way to screw up i cut the black anigre too soon. After applying the veneer tape then trying to peel off the oainter’s tape, those pieces were just too small to stick well to the veneer tape. Time to start over with that part of it. Had I read Bob’s instructions I wouldn’t have done it wrong but hey - I sometimes get carried away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 17 minutes ago, wtnhighlander said: Did you happen to buy slipstones as well? Sharpening gouges is a skill that eludes me.... No as a matter of fact I sharpen the curved parts by hand. I grab my 1200 Arkansas and put the chisel, point up, in my vice. Then I slide the stone at a (try to be) precise angle around the bevel. I’m just making a microbevel this way. Then i strop it with three grades of compound and they cut pretty well. For the inside, depending on the arc of the gouge I wrap the leather around a dowel; for smaller diameters I just roll a fold in it, caught in the vice, and strop it that way Slipstones May be in my future but for now, this works. I had a slipstone around here 25 years ago I wonder what I did with it? Lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 Ok here we go again. New anigre, check. More veneer tape, check. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 By the way, great value on the Schaaf gouges. “They” (who know better) say don’t buy sets, but for $80 on Amazon with a ton of good reviews I figured why not? Here’s one next to a “Swiss made” gouge. The Pfeil has a better presentation/finish, but they both cut fine. Time will tell on how long an edge lasts, but in sharpening the gouges I was encouraged by the feel of the metal against the stone. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Sawdust Posted July 25, 2019 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2019 So once the painter’s tape is off, I put shipping tape on a couple pieces of plywood to serve as nonstick cauls. Slap some Titebond II (my personal go-to for general work) on the 1/16” veneer and on the shell then clamp it. Van Dyke uses hide glue but I’m not that traditional (and I don’t have any). In Latta’s videos about gluing banding, he says pressure evenly when clamping but not too much. Juuuuust right! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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