COMP063 WIP Photos: Cutlery Canteen

[AndyG]

I thought I'd start a thread to document the contstruction of my competition entry.
The project is a cutlery canteen. So, the storage part is covered. As for the curve, well, I've gone through a whole bunch of ideas, but haven't really settled on anything.
Here are the pictures so far, hopefully they'll get a bit more interesting as the project goes on!!

Here's the timber, the longer planks are European Oak. They've been resawn and thicknessed. The other piece on top is American (I think) Cherry.

A bit further on down the line. Here are the frame pieces roughly cut to size. You can just make out my trusty retrofitted workmate underneath. Hopefully after this project, I'll get around to finally building my bench!!

These two should make the general idea a bit clearer. The cherry is used for the frame, and the oak will be used as panels in between.

That's it so far. I'm currently just getting all the bits of frame planed to size. Then the more interesting joinery should start.

Andy

Modedit: Newbie_Neil Thread title amended

 

[dedee]

Andy,

That looks very large - how many knives and forks do you have? :lol:

I am intrigued by your workmate top it looks very useful.

Andy

 

[AndyG]

Yeah, it has grown into quite a large box There are a couple of reasons I guess. I wanted to keep most of the joinery quite chunky, to make things easier for myself. Secondly, I'm 'planning' on having a draw in the front, so it needed the height to contain that.
We've not acually got any really nice cutlery to put in it yet.

The workmate top is a torsion box type thing. Here's a thread covering it's construction. The original workmate top warped and wasn't really big enough. This top works really well, the only slight draw back is it can wobble a bit when you have to put some force into planing.

 

[dedee]

Andy,
I must have missed that first time round, thanks.

This curve thing is a bit of a bugger - so far all I've got is the handle :lol:

Andy

 

[AndyG]

Handles, of course, now there is an idea!! I'm thinking of a coopered top at the moment. But I'm not sure if skill and time are going to allow it.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

Hi Andy

Thank you for getting the ball rolling.

Cheers
Neil

 

[Chris Knight]

Andy,
Thanks for posting the WIP photos.

Coopering in just two dimensions is not too difficult as long as you leave enough thickness to plane away the edge joints (inside and outside the curve) to a smooth curve. I have never tried coopering in 3D (like barrels) and I reckon this is likely to be much harder.

 

[dedee]

A curved top is a guaranteed way to prevent glass marks.

ICL designed some early servers with a curved top panel in order to prevent cups being placed on then and then getting knocked over!

Andy

 

[Waka]

Andy

Good man for getting the comp started, looks like it's going to be a nice colour contrast with the two woods.

 

[AndyG]

Andy,
, I'd not thought of that!! Well, that pushes the coopered top back up the 'curve ideas' list.

Waka,
The cherry was a bit of an after thought. I hadn't bought enough timber for the project, so when I went to get some more, I thought I'd get something to contrast with the oak. I've not used cherry before (not really used oak much come to think of it), but it's a lovely timber to work. The colouring looks great too. Although I'm sure the oak yellow, and cherry pink will change a lot once a finish has been applied

 

[AndyG]

It seems I've spent forever planing all the bits of frame to size. Anyway, I thought it was time for a bit of a progress update.

Here are the frame pieces all planed to the right thickness and width.

The next stage was to route the channels for the oak panels. Here are the frame pieces all routed up. A very noisy task, and possibly costly, but more on that in a bit.

Here's another view of the frame pieces to attempt to show how it all fits together. The pieces are arranged upside down, not sure why, brain must have been off at that point. The pieces from the top are; the bottom rail, with grove to hold the outer panel, the center rail with the grove to hold the inner panel, and finally the top rail with the grove to hold the outer panel and the inner panel. Not massively clear I'm sure, but hopefully as the project unfolds things will start to make sense.

The routing was done using my trusty router table. Not the most glamorous bits of kit. I made this ages ago and despite it's rather shabby appearance, it works really well. If it works, why fix it...
However, I think my poor router is coming to the end of its life. It was making noises a router really shouldn't make. I think the bearings might have seized up. Hopefully that's all it is. It's not a particularly powerful unit and probably does quite well putting up with the jobs I ask of it. But, I think an upgrade is on the horizon

Andy

 

[dedee]

Andy,
well done - have you decided on that coopered top yet?

Andy

 

[AndyG]

Andy,

Yep, I think the coopered top is the way to go. If anything, that's the only curve idea I've got so far!! I've made the slats, or whatever the bits that join together are called I just need to put on the chamfer to make the curve. However, that'll all have to wait until the main unit is done, then I'll be able to get the required width and depth of the lid.

Hope the chisel cabinet is going well.

Andy

 

[AndyG]

After getting a few more garage hours in this weekend, I've moved my competition entry on a few more steps. Here's the current state of affairs

Here are the mitres all cut. The inner two pieces are for the top frame, the outer two, the lower frame.

Although once the uprights are finished they will add strength to the mitre joints (you'll have to wait and see for that one!) I was still a little unhappy about just butt joining the mitre. So to strengthen the joint I added a couple of false tongues. The group on the right just show the groves, whereas the two pieces on the left show where the tongues fit in. (Or is it more of a mortice and tennon...:?)

Here are the two frames. One on top of the other glueing up on the kitchen table. The garage is still too cold and after all the information in this thread, I thought I'd go for the safer option.

More soon I hope
Andy

 

[gwaithcoed]

Looking good Andy, Can't wait to see the finished article.

Keep the pics coming

Alan.

 

[AndyG]

Well, things are starting to come together a bit more now. This project has seemed to be just a collection of random bits for quite a while!!
Below are some pictures of how the two frames will join with the uprights, and how together, they will hold the panels.

This is a picture of the corner, showing the front panel in place. The top of the upright is still to have the joint cut, thus why it looks a bit long.

This second picture shows the joint that connects the frame to the upright. The tennon-type bits aren't quite as long as I'd hoped (I didn't think about it until the frames were glued up) But hopefully the joint will still be strong enough once glued.

I managed to photograph one of the least well fitting mitres!! But I'm hoping once everything is cleaned up and finished, it wont notice as much (fingers crossed).
Hopefully, this weekend I'll get all the uprights finished and I'll be able to get the box all glued together.

 

[dedee]

Andy,
It certainly is a nice feeling when the pits and pieces start to come together.
How many hours a week are spending on this?

Andy

 

[AndyG]

Andy, not nearly enough
I get a definite two hours a week at my woodworking evening class. Other than that, it's just what I can get in at the weekend. Luckily the missus is very understanding and doesn't mind if I disappear into the garage for most of the weekend.

Andy

 

[AndyG]

Nothing like a bit of pressure to focus the mind. Well done those who've finished.
Sneaked in an hour and a half in that garage this evening so have moved things along a little further.

First of all, in all of the following pictures, the box is upside down. This one below shows the inner and outer panels. The rail in the centre (with the X on) will support the base that will make up the tray in the top of the box.

This evening, despite not having finished cutting the joints in the uprights, I thought I'd get some of the side panels finished. This 2nd picture shows the inner and outer frames locked into one of the corner uprights. The big gap is for the tray rail (the bit that had the X on).

This photo is just to show the gap between the two panels.

I only realised after I got these picture into the computer that I forgot to take one of a whole panel. 'fraid it's a bit cold now to go back out to the garage.
After 3 busy weekends, I'm planning some project time this weekend. So more pictures soon...
Andy

 

[syntec4]

Cor, Nice work Andy.
Looks Like Engineering with Wood.

Post some more Pictures if you have some.

I give up
Lee