Elm box (WIP) and a few pics of my tool cabinet.

[Escudo]

What ho all.

Here are a few pics of my latest project a box in Elm, for a forthcoming wedding present.

Here is the plank I plan to use part of;

I carefully planed my attack on the plank and cut the pieces for the four sides and top. I tried to get the most interesting grain pattern on the top with a few of those "cats paws" included, with a view to leaving a useable piece of the timber for another project.

A pic of the roughly assembled box;

My latest addition to the tool cabinet a LN cabinet makers scraper plane is in the foreground. Very handy for difficult grain, most effective. I have no experience of this type of plane but it seemed easy to set-up and produced dust like shavings without any sign of tear-out. I need to perfect sharpening the blade to (round over?) the edges. The blade also does not fit in my honing guide.

I plan to assemble the box using some dowels through the sides which I may leave a little proud, this is the next job.

I cut some grooves in the sides of the box for the bottom using my woodrat . Here is a pic giving an idea of how I did this using my modification to the rat. It works really well, and means I don't have to use the brush for holding the work under the cutter.

I can adjust the height of the aluminium t track to push the piece up under the cutter and then slide this along.

I was on the look out for a piece of leather to cover the plywood bottom, and called into the local furniture shop. The kind chap there gave me all these sample pieces. A great haul. Ideal for jewellery box linings etc. Top quality leather pieces which I guess you could also use for stropping. (well that gash blue piece).

In the background you can see my tool cupboard, where I keep my planes. The cupboard was an old ercol server. I also made a sliding draw beneath the plane shelf to house my saws.

I turned the cutlery draw into a chisel and rasp store.

I hope these pics are of interest, I have enjoyed making this project. Elm is a lovely timber, and I can't wait to apply some finish to enjoy that lovely grain.

I will post some final pics when the project is completed.

Cheers, Tony

 

[WellsWood]

Aaaah, the tool cupboard, *sigh* :mrgreen:
..... the tour of which was one of the highlights of this year's holiday.

Thanks Tony, that picture brought the whole week back for me.

Box is looking good, but where's the dovetails :twisted:

 

[stewart]

Looks nice, Tony.

Your 'rat modification looks interesting - do you have any more pictures of it so it can be pinched? :lol:

 

[Philly]

Look forward to seeing the box come together.
Oh - and top marks for the gratuitous gloatage :lol:
Best regards
Philly

 

[Paul Chapman]

My latest addition to the tool cabinet a LN cabinet makers scraper plane is in the foreground. Very handy for difficult grain, most effective. I have no experience of this type of plane but it seemed easy to set-up and produced dust like shavings without any sign of tear-out. I need to perfect sharpening the blade to (round over?) the edges. The blade also does not fit in my honing guide.

Hi Tony,

If you are getting dust, then the blade isn't sharpened properly. Here's how I do it. First I hone a razor-sharp edge at 45 degrees. The blade on my Veritas scraper plane fits OK in the Veritas Mk2 honing guide.

Get a piece of MDF and clamp a piece of wood on it so that the edge of the scraper blade is flush with the front of the MDF. Then using the burnisher dead flat go from side to side on the flat side of the blade (this work-hardens the metal)

Then turn over the blade, rest the burnisher on the bevel and run it along the bevel from side to side. Don't press too hard.

Then gradually tilt the burnisher to form the hook. You only need to take about 10 strokes at most to do this. What you should end up with is a hook that feels similar to the burr when you hone the blade.

Fit the blade in the plane and you should get long, silky-smooth shavings not dust

Hope this helps.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wizer]

Lovely box Tony

..and thanks for the sharpening explanation Paul. Helps a lot.

 

[Waka]

Thats a nice box tony, but more to the point the toolbox is excellent, not much room left for more planes is there?

 

[Shultzy]

Great box Tony, I would put some of your new leather under the chisel handles to stop them being marked.

 

[Escudo]

Thanks fellas for all the kind comments and sound advice. I have been very busy at work this week and plan to respond more fully to some of the points raised , at the weekend.

I have just got back from work, and now need to head straight to the workshop to continue with the Elm box which is coming along nicely.

No time to watch the football, which to be honest I have no interest in at all - (although I hope we win)

Cheers, Tony.

 

[wizer]

I wish I had the will power to go into the workshop at this time of night

 

[Escudo]

Well it has been a jolly busy week for me.

I managed to complete the Elm box in time for the wedding on Saturday.

Here are a few pictures of the finished box;

The grain on the box lid is simply stunning.

The build went quite well but not without a few hiccups, which I managed to overcome. (all self inflicted )

This type of box, inspired by Peter Lloyd design uses pins on either side to act as hinges. It is very important to locate the pins (a small bolt) carefully. This ensures that the lid does not require too much shaping to be able to open (It does not foul on the back of the box) and when open sits just nicely past vertical (so it holds open).

I used a piece of cardboard and a pin to experiment with the location of the required hole. A good tip.

I finished the box with three coats of danish oil followed by a clear wax.

I used some leather to line the bottom which finishes the inside a treat. I also had a little brass plate made up by the local cobbler / key cutting chap to commemorate the gift.

A worthwhile project that turned out quite well and made in just about a day and a few evenings.

Mark your right!. I promise the next box will have some dovetails. Something I have yet to attempt. :?

Stewart I have posted a few pics previously concerning my woodrat modifications. Here is a link to the previous post with some other members pics hope this is useful.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=24069&highlight=woodrat+escudo

Sorry for the gloat behaviour Philly, just couldn't resist . Waka your right there isn't much room for many more planes. I can't go above a number 5 1/2 to fit width ways which saved me from ordering that big LN no 7 I had my eye on!

Shultzy I will take your suggestion up it makes good sense. I useful way to use up some leather offcuts as well.

Paul thanks also for your advice re sharpening the scraper plane. I have responded to this in Wizz recent post. This requires a thread in its own right.

Cheers all hope you approve of the finished box. Hope Mike approves of the use of that lovely piece of Elm. (still have a fair bit left as well)

Regards, Tony.[/url]

 

[OPJ]

Tony, I do love the grain you've selected for the lid - and your choice of finish really shows it of superbly.

I've not worked with elm myself but, I've been told it can be quite unstable - did you have any trouble with the timber moving at all?

 

[Escudo]

Thanks Olly,

I only had one set back when by mistake I left the lid in direct sunlight in my shed all day. That evening I noticed it had cupped badly. However, over the next 24 hours or so it moved back.

I think the sunlight was very strong that day. I had previously kept the plank in my study for approx six months.

Olly, Elm is a lovely timber, and the grain extra special.

Cheers, Tony.

 

[devonwoody]

Nice box, I wish I had some Elm. :wink:

 

[Ironballs]

I do have some elm and it's going to be made into a nice little box

 

[Woodmagnet]

Nice box, Tony.

 

[Paul Chapman]

The finished box looks lovely, Tony 8)

Cheers :wink:

Paul