Post a photo of the last thing you made

[AES]

Cor blimey! They look VERY good to my (untutored) eye. If custard and co keep on posting such "propaganda" much more I shall really have to have a go myself (says he, having got the equivalent of a GCE O level in woodwork back in 1959, but whose test piece for the exam did NOT include a dovetail joint at all - just M&T + X-halving)!

=D>

 

[custard]

practice joint, from custards instructions on how to cut a mitred dovetail joint

You've absolutely nailed it. I reckon you can put mitred dovetails into the "joints I've got sorted" file!

You can see from your test piece just how much classier a mitred dovetail would look on something like a pair of bookends, compared to normal dovetails. Instead of that slightly crude "butt joint" look when seen end on, this looks so much tidier.

 

[AES]

There you go again custard, with your (highly appreciated) "propaganda" ( ), but that really does look "reet neat"! Well worth the effort to learn (IF you're going to make furniture of any sort).

Lovely

 

[custard]

says he, having got the equivalent of a GCE O level in woodwork

"O-Level woodwork" is generally used as a slightly disparaging term. That's a shame really, as the standard of work needed is way higher than most people appreciate.

These are some actual O-Level Woodwork projects,

Through tenons, dovetails, angled work, spokeshaving curves, haunched tenons, precision grooving...it all looks like real woodwork to me!

The sad thing is that many people on this forum will never complete even basic stuff like this. Projects that their 14 year old selves would have cheerfully tackled without a care in the world, would today see them paralysed with indecision about what are the right tools, the right wood, and the right finish?

Something's going wrong somewhere!

 

[AES]

OK, thanks custard. I thought my "qualification" ("Isle of Thanet College of Preceptors") was O level equivalent, but perhaps it wasn't - certainly nothing like as complex as your drawings.

IF I remember, apart from a written/drawn paper (description n sketches of tools), the test piece was 3 pieces of some softwood which we had to saw and plane to given dimensions (from rough I think). 2 pieces joined together in an "X" form, and a 3rd piece M&T'd into the middle of one of the other two. No practical purpose, that was it!

But as a project before the actual exam I did however make a coffee table for my Mum which she had for a long time - but when she died it had apparently disappeared, don't know where/when.

 

[LancsRick]

I made this today, anybody want to take a guess what it is, or rather what it's for?

 

[devonwoody]

practice joint, from custards instructions on how to cut a mitred dovetail joint

You've absolutely nailed it. I reckon you can put mitred dovetails into the "joints I've got sorted" file!

You can see from your test piece just how much classier a mitred dovetail would look on something like a pair of bookends, compared to normal dovetails. Instead of that slightly crude "butt joint" look when seen end on, this looks so much tidier.

Hi. Custard, why did you not do the secret mitred dovetail joint, I'm sure it was mentioned in our class doing the 40's.

 

[thetyreman]

I made this today, anybody want to take a guess what it is, or rather what it's for?

stab in the dark here...is it a lightbox? or a panel to withhold an LED bulb?

 

[custard]

why did you not do the secret mitred dovetail joint, I'm sure it was mentioned in our class doing the 40's.

I explained in the original write-up DW, saying I've cut one or two as exercises, but as a working cabinet maker I've never found a compelling enough commercial justification to ever use a secret mitred dovetail on a real project. Mitred dovetails however are different, they would be the first choice for best quality work on plenty of applications, such as boxes, carcase work, etc.

 

[LancsRick]

Excellent guess!



You're wrong though .

 

[Bm101]

I made this today, anybody want to take a guess what it is, or rather what it's for?

Ohhhh. Quiz! Like your style Rick.
It's a puzzler. I'd guess some sort of raspberry pi related electical monitor come whiteboard (yeh Im covering the bases). Wild guess. Yee haw.
Regards
Chris

 

[LancsRick]

I'll give some pointers...

It's not a clever thing. It's born from sloth. It's shiny because it's waterproof.

 

[MikeJhn]

practice joint, from custards instructions on how to cut a mitred dovetail joint

That is just beautiful, more power to your elbow.

Mike

 

[AES]

Guess: Light panel for the roof of a caravn/motor caravan/boat, or similar?

 

[LancsRick]

You're giving me too much credit so I'll tell.

It's a spill proof sharpening station so when I have a load of blades to lap or sharpen I can do it in the evening in the house rather than wasting workshop time doing it. I chomped through a batch of ten plane irons earlier.

18mm mdf base with 6mm offcuts of shower panels use for the top and mitred raised edges. Grab adhesive to cope with the shiny material and then screwed in place (just discovered torx screws, love them).

 

[MusicMan]

poor mans rebate plane, finished with BLO, I needed one to make some shiplap for my toolchest which is under construction. It fits my narex 12mm chisel, works surprisingly well.

Nice. But how did you make the rebate on the rebate plane??

 

[craigs]

never left, just a lot of lurking and practising, planing, sharpening, planing, sharpening....

finished these this weekend, offcuts from the revered "Custard" and the practice also came from the short time i spent in his presence.

The only machine was the routed edges, its not much but its all practice towards greater things.

 

[thetyreman]

poor mans rebate plane, finished with BLO, I needed one to make some shiplap for my toolchest which is under construction. It fits my narex 12mm chisel, works surprisingly well.

Nice. But how did you make the rebate on the rebate plane??

knifewall, chisels, tenon saw and a router plane.

 

[Racers]

Crook knife made from a piece of O1 steel.

Crook knife by Pete Maddex, on Flickr
The brown oak handle was shaped with a spokeshave, I didn't put any finish on it when a sharpened it so it turned black the tannin in the oak reacting with the steel, I sanded it and gave it a coat of wax.

Taken with a Nikon D800 with a Lensbaby Composer body and a Sweet 50 optic 8mm extension tube at f4.5.


Pete

 

[mr rusty]

Pair of french doors in Accoya. - not quite finished - planted rebate still to fit,