Signals From The Bunker

[Lin]

I wondered but didn't think it was one of those patterns....I have the book...Thought they had to be cut from a log....Duh.....
Now I know better....You did it...I thought they were neat looking when I got the book but had no idea where to get my hands on a dry log without bark that was straight...You are right......there are lots on nice pattern in that book....I had only cut a few from it but now after seeing your layering without using a log....I'm going to dig it back out...
Thanks lady,
Lin

 

[Gill]

A number of people have recently posted pictures of some very charming doorstops they've made from offcuts. Having never made one of these, I decided to redress the situation so here's an Alsation doorstop I cut from maple:

And I made this from the offcuts:

See, Alf, I can use a table saw ! Thanks for the help with the acrylic lacquer, Terry - it worked a treat .

Gill (who might one day learn how to use a camera, too :roll: .)

 

[dedee]

Gill, nice table, and doorstop, where are the WIP photos?

What joints did you use? and how did you fashion the taper on the legs?

Andy

 

[Gill]

Hi Andy

I'm pleased you like the projects.

There aren't any WIP photos of the table apart from this one that I posted a little while ago:

It's a very simple project that most woodworkers here could do in their sleep, so I didn't think that WIP photos would be of any interest. I just cut four boards and double biscuit-jointed them to the legs that I'd tapered on the tablesaw to make the frame. To make the top, I edge laminated four boards, squared them off and routed a roundover on the top (which doesn't come out too clearly on the photo. Sorry about that :roll: ). Then I biscuited a couple of waste strips onto the inside of the frame, cut four elongated holes in them and screwed the top in place. Finally, I sanded and applied three coats of Chestnut's acrylic lacquer with a foam brush (which worked well - no problem with brush strokes or air bubbles ). I might have been able to get away with fewer coats of lacquer but His Lordship had lost the sanding sealer - typical :roll: !

Dead easy, really, but I'm still trying to recover from the shock of having made something that doesn't have any scrolled details .

Gill

 

[Waka]

Gill

Very nice nativity scene, I've never tried scroll work,how difficult is it to do?

Also love the table, what's next on the project list?

 

[Gill]

Hi Waka

It's not often I see you in this neck of the woods - welcome anyway, and thanks for your kind comments .

Next up for me will be some scrolled wolf portraits that I'm going to stack cut on more of the maple I've got lying around. That shouldn't take too long, and then I'm going to have a look at those rather daunting Shaker boxes.

Scrolling really is a doddle. Just take a peek at what some of the novices have been able to cut on the Scrollsaw Challenge thread, or look at the doorstops that Aldel, Dedee, Jaco and others have produced.

Gill

 

[Alf]

And I made this from the offcuts:

See, Alf, I can use a table saw !

Mein gott, it is vunderbar! Please to be forgetting with this scrollsawing and making mitt the furniture, schnell, schnell! =D>

It's a very simple project that most woodworkers here could do in their sleep, so I didn't think that WIP photos would be of any interest.

Go on then, make me feel bad why don'tcha? :roll: :lol:

Unto the general populace I say "Show me your Work In Progress Pics!" Nothing is "too simple" - there'll be someone out there who'll benefit from it. Chances are the majority will, 'cos at the very least we'll be freshly enthused with the desire to make something.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Gill]

I'll make a point of taking WIP photos next time, Alf . Actually, I thought the fact that I'd used biscuit joints rather than mortice and tenon joints would be frowned upon by my peers.

Somehow, I suspect that my next piece of conventional furniture is likely to incorporate an element of scrolling. It might be fretwork or it might be relief work; I haven't decided yet. But I feel that building a piece of 'proper' furniture (at last) is an important stage in developing my skills as a woodworker, especially in terms of self-confidence.

Thanks for being so nice about what in the grand scheme of this forum is a pretty basic project .

Gill

 

[Alf]

Pish. And indeed, tush. Even if nobody else does, I always learn something from even the greenest newcomer or apparently "basic" project. Even if it's just not to make assumptions about what really counts as "everyone knows that". It's why I keep coming back to this forum. Knowledge from the experienced, enthusiasm from the beginner, and sometimes vice versa. :lol:

So, one biscuit in the stretcher to leg joint, or two? My biscuit experience is woeful.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Gill]

one biscuit in the stretcher to leg joint, or two?

Two size tens. Let's hope they'll be strong enough :? .

Gill

 

[Waka]

Hi Waka

It's not often I see you in this neck of the woods - welcome anyway, and thanks for your kind comments

Gill

I'm always lurking, but mostly keep quite because its not something I've done before and I don't want to show my ignorance.
Like all of the members I like anything thats created in wood and marvel at the levels of skill and the differant methods of acheiving the end result.

 

[Gill]

Having completed some 'proper' woodwork, here's another frippery to get things back to normal...

Gill

 

[Lin]

Bravo Gill....you did it.....and used the shapes to do it.....how hard was it to figure out before cutting? Some day want to try but have to admit......the freehand thing without a pattern is slightly intimidating me.....Extremely cool looking.....even more so because the weather here is cooling down fast....have had a frost or two in this area in the last week...I know the snow is not far behind
Lin

 

[Gill]

Hi Lin

As you seem to have realised, this was much more difficult than it looks. Great fun, though. It's one of those projects where you ad lib; I didn't have a particular notion of how I would cut it when I started. Fortunately, the card has easily defined sections that can be cut around, which was the main reason for choosing it. I found that the pieces almost defined themselves as I went along but I did have to stop after every cut, stare at it and ask myself, "What the heck do I cut now?!" :?

The next jigsaws I cut from these cards will be slightly different because I've shown this one to Carter Johnson and he says it's not a good idea to have four pieces coming together at exactly the same point, as in the top left corner. He also asked me to consider avoiding straight lines on the border by making it wavy, but said this was just a minor point and he liked the way that I'd got pieces protruding. So, one significant (but constructive) criticism and one minor suggestion from a master like Carter means this project counts as a success in my book .

Technical stuff - the jigsaw was cut out of 4mm (roughly 1/8") plywood with a FD 2/0 puzzle blade. The picture was stuck to the plywood with Copydex adhesive and sprayed with one coat of DecoArt Triple Thick gloss glaze which I let cure for a week before cutting.

Gill

PS Winter is definitely knocking on the door over here, too. It's a very damp Monday morning and the forecast is more of the wet stuff with high winds later.

 

[dedee]

Gill, I like the jigsaw especially leaving the odd bit outside the edge.

As for the earlier comments from Alf and the WIP images I echo what Alf said and would add further that by showing the WIP images the process of making any item is demystified somewhat.
It also helps the likes of me who does not own a biscuit jointer, for instance, to get a feel for whether or not I could use one.

Andy

 

[Gill]

Hallowe'en is almost upon us and our neighbourhood tends to attract all sorts of little witches and ghosties (usually accompanied by mum or elder sibling, thank goodness). We don't mind playing along with the 'trick or treat' routine that seems to be catching on, so to let people know that we're game I've replaced the the normal house sign with something that's a bit more appropriate:

It's just made out of 4mm plywood coated with a red cedar stain. The backing is gloss paint on 4mm plywood which could really do with another coat - next year perhaps. The font for the lettering is "Harry Potter"; I can't remember where I got it but I think it works nicely. If anyone wants a copy, pm me.

This was a very simple project that took next to no time to produce yet was fun to make. Now I'll have to concoct something for Christmas.

Gill

 

[dedee]

Gill, nice idea.

Andy

 

[Alf]

Ooo, spooky, Gill. 8-[

Personally my scrollsawing isn't good enough to make what I'd like to put up with reference to trick or treating... :evil:

Cheers, Alf

 

[DaveL]

Personally my scrollsawing isn't good enough to make what I'd like to put up with reference to trick or treating... :evil:

Binky, complete with rider? :twisted:

 

[Anonymous]

Not been around much lately due to work and so missed these as they were posted. Lovely work Gill, particulalry like the table. the Kity finally earning its keep eh :wink: