Popular Post gee-dub Posted January 26, 2023 Popular Post Report Share Posted January 26, 2023 A family friend's youngster is getting hitched. This gal and her sister hold a special place in my heart as they played a heavy part (back when they were two giggly teenage girls) in causing LOML and myself to bump into each other. Needless to say I want to make them something special. The betrothed love to cook together in the kitchen so a cutting board is already waiting in the wings. The plan is to attend the wedding, get some good pics, and then provide a picture frame a few weeks later to hold a "good one". Working with my secret delegation of spies I have landed on a design that will include a hanging strip with leather straps between the hanging strip and the frame. Something like so . . . I am a planner and so have to make at least one prototype before I make the eventual vertical or horizontal frame (depending on what pic is the "good one") for the happy couple. I have some decently figured mahogany that will fit their decor just in case this one becomes the keeper. This is my version of a CNC. A little hand work . . . Some curve fairing. I am trying to make the templates cover the top and bottom profiles of each piece. I'll report back on how this works out. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted January 27, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 27, 2023 Too much family stuff going on today but I did want to try out the Mortise Pal. It has been a few years. One of the things l like about this rig is that it is easy to make your own templates for dual tenons, dowel rows or whatever. I use a piece of like-dimensioned scrap and take a whack at it. Yep. Pretty much works like it used to. I'm glad I stopped to post these pics. That mortise is the wrong size 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roughsawn Posted January 27, 2023 Report Share Posted January 27, 2023 looking forward to some updated pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted January 27, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2023 Mortises are done before the cloud lifts are cut. After the bandsaw they look like so. The templates are working well. I flip the blank halfway through in order to always be routing downhill. Here's the roughed out parts for the upper and lower. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 28, 2023 Report Share Posted January 28, 2023 On 1/26/2023 at 7:20 PM, gee-dub said: I'm glad I stopped to post these pics. I'm glad you posted those pics, too. I got a Mortise Pal from a garage sale some time back, but had little to no idea how it worked. Looking at the size of your router and the size of your workpiece, I'm surprised that the router's weight was supported, but obviously it worked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted January 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted January 28, 2023 On 1/28/2023 at 6:50 AM, Mark J said: I'm glad you posted those pics, too. I got a Mortise Pal from a garage sale some time back, but had little to no idea how it worked. Looking at the size of your router and the size of your workpiece, I'm surprised that the router's weight was supported, but obviously it worked. I have manuals in PDF format for both versions. I PM'd them to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark J Posted January 28, 2023 Report Share Posted January 28, 2023 1 hour ago, gee-dub said: I have manuals in PDF format for both versions. I PM'd them to you. Thanks for that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted January 29, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted January 29, 2023 I used Dominoes for the vertical to horizontal frame parts. The vertical rods fit onto the mortises cut with the Mortise Pal. Everything seems to fit and clamp up square . . . So into the clamps with some glue. The hanging strip gave me pause. I had originally thought I wanted round pegs to hang the leather straps from but it just didn't look right to me. I've decided to let in some mahogany "hooks" that I will free form. This gave me a pretty wide berth with the hanging rail. I rough cut it on the bandsaw and took some implements of destruction to it to finalize the form. This is right out of the clamps. I plan to throw some ebony accents at it but I think I want to do the hooks and the straps first. I don't want to end up with something that looks like I fired the "design element" cannon at it 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted January 31, 2023 Report Share Posted January 31, 2023 I'm very interested to see how that frame turns out. It is quite unique in my opinion and is going to be very interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted February 1, 2023 Report Share Posted February 1, 2023 I like the design. Good looking piece. I like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 2, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 2, 2023 There is still some discussion going on about the leather; color, weight, etc. But this is where I have ended up. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted February 3, 2023 Report Share Posted February 3, 2023 I always like your projects but like with @Chet‘s they always cost me money! The knob at the end of your file/rasp, where did you get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2023 On 2/2/2023 at 5:41 PM, Coop said: The knob at the end of your file/rasp, where did you get it? My most nefarious wallet-emptying nemesis . . . Lee Valley. Seriously a glove will do the job but the knob is a lot nicer and allows more control. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BonPacific Posted February 3, 2023 Report Share Posted February 3, 2023 On 2/2/2023 at 6:36 PM, gee-dub said: My most nefarious wallet-emptying nemesis . . . Lee Valley. Seriously a glove will do the job but the knob is a lot nicer and allows more control. How does the offset feel? I turned a quick cap knob for the end of my rasp, but it's just stuck on the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted February 3, 2023 Author Report Share Posted February 3, 2023 On 2/2/2023 at 7:41 PM, BonPacific said: How does the offset feel? I turned a quick cap knob for the end of my rasp, but it's just stuck on the end. Good observation. A rag in the hand or a glove feel more "natural". The knob feels more precise. If I am roughing things like a Maloof leg I will just use a glove. I was basically using the rasp to "plane" the flat surface of the part shown in the pic so the knob felt much more accurate. YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 4, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 4, 2023 I'm still playing around with ideas on this design. Four ebony plugs and a couple of ebony bars. The Mortise Pal helped me add the slots after assembly. I doubt Darrell Peart had this use in mind when he designed these square punches. Still, they square off the ends of my routed slot well. I also route a slot in a piece of scrap to act as a holder while I dimension and smooth the bar. A bit of glue and a couple of leather faced hand screws. One down, one to go. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post gee-dub Posted February 6, 2023 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 OK, I am finally happy with the design here. I seem to be determined to do things out of order on this piece. I added the pegs before I cut the keyhole slots. A couple of 1-2-3 blocks took care of that for the starter holes. The keyholes are finished at the router table. My poor sheet goods corral gets used as a test backdrop. The "hanging strip goes like so. This prototype has mahogany and sapele components which do not work as well together as I had hoped. The process did teach me how to make these for when I do more. I could see them in cherry or walnut for a better contrast with the ebony. Once we get the "good" picture from the wedding I will make a frame in portrait or landscape dimensions as dictated by the pic for the happy couple. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chestnut Posted February 6, 2023 Report Share Posted February 6, 2023 Yeah that looks awful, you should package that up and send it to me so i can properly dispose of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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