Memento Display Shelf

[wtnhighlander]

The legs need some refinement. I wanted a bead on the corner, but have no beading bit. Time to improvise. First, a 1/8 radius round over.

Here's a "pro tip". Don't panic about gappy miters until you refine the corner. Rounding took this:

To this.

Now that the corners were round, I took a 90* V bit, set it about 3/32 deep, and used a steel rule and gauge block to set 3/16 from the fence.

A pass around each side of the corners, and viola, beads.

[wtnhighlander]

Now to reveal the reason for the wide dado around each leg.

Slice directly through the center, removing the feet from the legs.

And lay out a matching square on the bottom shelf. I don't know who first introduced blue tape marking in this forum, but thank you.

Skipping ahead...I transferred the squares to the opposite face, using a wheel-type morticing gauge on the tape.

Then I marked the center of each square, and drilled a small pilot hole. This transfers the center through, and helps guide the forstner as I drill in from each side. To leave a clean hole.

How many times have you cut a mortice with a jigsaw?

Of course, jigsaw blades deflect. A lot. So, using a square guide and sliding sideways helps get the hole straight.

Once the center hole was cut, I moved on to routing the rest. I only excavate the depth of the 'tenon' formed when I cut the feet from the legs. Done one each side, this forms a Maloof rocker style of ledge in the shelf panel.

I routed these free-hand. Using a 1/2" diameter but in a full-size router helped limit the bit from jumping if it caught. I used the step wheel on my plunge base to take 1/8 increments to reach full depth. Starting in the center hole, and spiraling outward in a climb-cut direction made the bit tend to push back to center, rather than digging in and ruining the edge. The final pass was about 1/16" at each step, and after the first one, the edge of the hole made a decent guide, cutting this way. I've practiced a lot, and this joint design tolerates an imprecise edge very well. If you feel uncomfortable, or need real precision, use a guide.

Now for the big reveal:

This Maloof-ish joint makes the legs appear to pierce the shelf panel without any visible seams. Feels pretty solid as-is, but that center hole will allow me to fully bridge the joint with a filler piece through the hollow legs.

Yet anothe "pro tip". See that little piece of tape on the corner of the back leg? I marked the least attractive corner on all 4 legs, and aligned them to face inward, the least visible aspect.

 

[Chet]

On 9/11/2021 at 7:50 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Here's a "pro tip". Don't panic about gappy miters until you refine the corner.

Lots of things can be made to look perfect with small round over or chamfer.

Thats a cool bead technique.

[wtnhighlander]

One last thing for today. The tops of the legs need an apron, since this bench uses table-style construction. I want to emulate a detail from existing furniture in the room, so a molding is in order. A few rips on the tablesaw, a pass over a coving bit, and a little hand plane work give me a reasonable impersonation of an ogee.

[wtnhighlander]

Worked on the rails today. Sled and dado stack to nibble away the tenon cheeks and shoulders.

I set my stop block for the shoulder cut, then placed the work against tbe rear fence sled so it could slide over to chew off the remaining waste.

Sometimes I'm just to lazy to change blades...

The dado stack makes perfectly good cross cuts, you know.

For the short rails, I thought it safer to mill away both tenons before cutting them from the stock.

And the rest of my afternoon was spent hacking out mortices. Drill & chisel today. Too lazy to set up a routing jig. But a couple of the rails are in place, now.

 

[wtnhighlander]

Finished morticing the rails, and leveling them with the legs.

I didn't take pics of the joints, because they look like a beaver made them. A very OLD beaver...

[treeslayer]

Really coming together nicely Ross, I really like this build, well done !

[wtnhighlander]

A few minutes free this morning, so I ripped some pieces for trim. I don't use a special jig, just a sacrificial push block that supports the off cut, and a featherboard.

Using my smallest roundover bit, I radiused both edges of each strip. Fence required, as these were thin enough to slip under the bearing.

The result. 

These will be ripped to width, most of them fitting into the grooves around the top end of each leg.

[wtnhighlander]

Several routing and trimming operations done tonight. This one felt a wee bit sketchy, but turned out ok.

[Coop]

You have mentioned more than once about the lack of space in your shop. So obviously it’s not the size of the coliseum but the skill of the warrior. Looking great bud! 

[Chet]

On 9/17/2021 at 7:23 PM, wtnhighlander said:

This one felt a wee bit sketchy

Knowing you machine, confidence in your set up and having your head in the game makes the difference.

Having said that, good time for a auxiliary tall fence.

[wtnhighlander]

Chet, I have to agree. Let me clarify, though. I did not feel at risk for injury with that setup, only risk of ruining the cut. No bodyparts were exposed to the cutter.

[gee-dub]

On 9/17/2021 at 8:02 PM, Chet said:

 . .  good time for a auxiliary tall fence.

+1.

I have one that clamps to the table.  Not great for adjustability but, gets the job done.

With your style fence, one that clamps on could be used.

Just having a bit more surface gives more confidence in the operation.

All that noise aside . . . I'm lovin' this journal.  Very cool approach on the legs (dado becomes tenons).

[wtnhighlander]

Beading on the bottom shelf wasn't as clear cut as the legs. Rather than try to set the V bit up in my table again, I put it in my trim router and took another pass. I also radiused the corners, just using a hand-held belt sander. Not being comfy with routing around those corners on edge, I use hand tools to carry the bead around.

[wtnhighlander]

 

The face side of the beads is a different matter. If I had thought about order of operations, I would have rounded the corners first. But I rushed, didn't think, snd made a boo-boo.

Time for CA and sawdust!

After a little carving of the groove, it isn't so bad. The color going on this piece should hide that pretty well.

Moving along, I started cutting to "cock-beaDing" that goes around the legs.

I put a 45* block on a bench hook to help, but these thin pieces were pretty simple to cut.

Since my marking knife won't fit in that groove, I use the marking pin stored in my combo square to punch a mark for the inside of the miter, then take it out of the groove and mark witb a knife.

A sharp pull saw can really take a fine cut!

So, here is the cock-beading in place. No glue yet, so the tape helps to avoid losing any small bits.

Here is what the lower shelf looks like with legs attached.

[wtnhighlander]

Recall that the bench includes a "valet tray" for keys, wallet, etc... Still pondering the tray support structure, and I need the tray to help visualize. So, guess what's next?

I have this rough blank of cherry. The tray will be oval, and rather like a shallow bowl.

Taking a page from the bandsaw box maker's book, I cut the blank apart, so I can shift sections and re-glue, to gain depth.

That's all for now. Maybe more tomorrow!

[Coop]

On 9/18/2021 at 7:53 PM, wtnhighlander said:

 

The face side of the beads is a different matter. If I had thought about order of operations, I would have rounded the corners first. But I rushed, didn't think, snd made a boo-boo.

Time for CA and sawdust!

After a little carving of the groove, it isn't so bad. The color going on this piece should hide that pretty well.

Moving along, I started cutting to "cock-beaDing" that goes around the legs.

I put a 45* block on a bench hook to help, but these thin pieces were pretty simple to cut.

Since my marking knife won't fit in that groove, I use the marking pin stored in my combo square to punch a mark for the inside of the miter, then take it out of the groove and mark witb a knife.

A sharp pull saw can really take a fine cut!

So, here is the cock-beading in place. No glue yet, so the tape helps to avoid losing any small bits.

Here is what the lower shelf looks like with legs attached.

Details such as these are what makes a good woodworker stand out! Well done. 

[wtnhighlander]

I find the drill press much less nerve-wracking than a screaming router, for hogging out waste from a vessel like this.

Once the middle is roughly hollowed, I added some spacers to offset the center from the edges when I re-attached them.

Takes a good deal of force to close the gap. Guess my bandsaw kerf is a little wider than optimal.

While the glue dried, I worked on parts for the suspension shelf to hold the tray. 

A dovetail is much better than just driving a screw.

I hate to rely on fasteners alone, but I want this part of the structure to be removable, without leaving any visible sign. We'll see how this works out.

[wtnhighlander]

Bowl 'turning'.

Shop floor looked like a pink coral beach.

 

[Coop]

I tend to be a little slow and have no imagination. Why did you re-attach the sides to the oval part?

[Chet]

On 9/21/2021 at 5:11 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Shop floor looked like a pink coral beach.

I can only imagine.  No way to do it outdoors?

To me padauk is the worst.  No matter what your DC does, that dust gets everywhere.

[wtnhighlander]

1 hour ago, Coop said:

I tend to be a little slow and have no imagination. Why did you re-attach the sides to the oval part?

Gluing the sides & ends back on, but with an offset upward (on the face side) gives me an extra 3/4" or so of depth.

[wtnhighlander]

57 minutes ago, Chet said:

I can only imagine.  No way to do it outdoors?

I have done similar operations outside, using a weighted wooden stool and hand-screw clamps to hold the work. Not an ideal working height, and noise from the grinder is a lot more of a nuisance to anyone in the house, or nearby houses. I only do that during mid-day work sessions, not early or late.

[Coop]

On 9/21/2021 at 9:45 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Gluing the sides & ends back on, but with an offset upward (on the face side) gives me an extra 3/4" or so of depth.

Got it. Couldn’t tell from the pics. Great idea and one I would have never thought of. 

[wtnhighlander]

@Coop, I borrowed that technique from a method used to make bowls with a scroll saw, and modified it slightly.