Some comments

[devonwoody]

Started up in the workshop the past few days, like clearing the covers and old carpets of machine tables and pleased to say they have come through this winter well.

However, wooden tenon gauge as seized up, I shall bring it indoors to dry out.

I am now starting my fourth season using the same planer/thicknesser blade ( which was sharpened by Ian when he was Dragon saws) . Over those past years the blade did get a nick almost the first week but around the 9" from table edge so not a disaster and I can plane the nick out. The machine is the SIP 01332 model and that must now be seven years old with just one belt replaced. (it does rattle)

Prepared a piece of black walnut yesterday using the newish bandsaw and then used the thicknesser not the planer to clean up, and that will be OK for tissue boxes I hope.

Made a higher MDF fence for the B/Saw one that will hold in place with hand sprung clamps and I will make some wedges in case I get any drift when blade changing in the future. The fence idea came from a link I saw this week on the forum.

Got in mind making a tissue box in the pattern of a chess board (like L.Nibs the other week) but 12mm squares, any tips greatfully received.

Finished off the kitchen spatula stand complete with Asda tools for the daughter, it awaits a varnish when weather warms up. (its minus 2C in Paignton at the moment)

See ya.

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Woody,

I made a chequer-board table top for a side-table.
I made sure the stock was square and sawed the separate pieces on my table-saw. Then I glued them together in the correct orientation inside a square frame/jig. I took a lot of time to ensure the jig was square. Basic I know, but it pays of being pernickety over this. I cleaned up with a sharp block plane. (My squares were all end-grain) It worked a treat. Maybe you could use the idea for separate pieces that are to form the parts of your boxes. Maybe you do it this way already! If so, pardon my egg-sucking lessons.

HTH

 

[devonwoody]

Hi Woody,

I made a chequer-board table top for a side-table.
I made sure the stock was square and sawed the separate pieces on my table-saw. Then I glued them together in the correct orientation inside a square frame/jig. I took a lot of time to ensure the jig was square. Basic I know, but it pays of being pernickety over this. I cleaned up with a sharp block plane. (My squares were all end-grain) It worked a treat. Maybe you could use the idea for separate pieces that are to form the parts of your boxes. Maybe you do it this way already! If so, pardon my egg-sucking lessons.

HTH

Thanks for your tip, I havent in the past had a preformer apart from my gluing up board which has a 90 degree corner, so I will bear your advice in mind.

In the meantime this morning pipper the frost, I have cut and prepared four 9mm thick boards in maple for a start, although my snoze is dripping.

see ya.

 

[9fingers]

Cut 1/2" wide strips and glue together to make a striped board with equal numbers of each colour.
Cut that into 1/2" strips across the stripes, alternate the strips end for end and glue back together for the chequer board effect.

Just lately I have taken to giving surfaces a very light coat of finish before cutting and gluing. This has made glue squeeze out a lot easier to clean up and prevented those annoying little bits of glue that remain invisible right up until the finish goes on.

Order of events
Rough cut to size
Sand
sealing coat of finish (or sanding sealer if you prefer)
Final cutting to size
Glue
Sand even if it goes through the original seal coat
Final finish

hth

Bob

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks, you do not seal the edges which have glue applied to I assume. :wink:

 

[9fingers]

Thanks, you do not seal the edges which have glue applied to I assume. :wink:

Indeed not!

If you follow the order of events, then any finish that might of strayed onto the gluing edges will be cut off in the final trim to size

 

[devonwoody]

Going to attempt to sand as you suggest but I think 12mm wide strips (8mm thick) will not be an easy option.

So 90 minutes of preparation got me to this state this morning, but I have had to put the black walnut into a straight jacket for a day, I can see some stress bowing going on.

The bandsaw fence finished and in operation (100mm high)

Maple prepared, no problems.

Plus the black walnut but it has bow stressed.

So put under some pressure for a couple of days.

see ya.

 

[andersonec]

Here's a video of what Bob was trying to explain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_MlMjwBLPM

Andy

 

[andersonec]

If you want to make some fancy patterns have a look at this nifty little piece of free software.
http://www.lastalias.com/cbdesigner/
You would just have to use longer strips for your boxes and not spin the pieces over to end grain.

Andy

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Andy.

Started my usual planning process at 03.00 am this morning and now realise I have got to make a constructional plan so that I finish up with a box with the correct internal dimensions and also matching outside pattern etc. The process sent me back to sleep pretty quickly. So it will have to be an afternoon exercise.

 

[devonwoody]

Had a go at some dimensions and I am thinking of crying off.

See drawing below, because of internal measurements required and matching corners require exact outside dimensions using the 9mm thick boards I have prepared nothing seems to comply?

 

[9fingers]

you need each external dimension to be amultiple of the square size.

if you picked 12mm squares (rather than 1/2")
Then a box 264 x 96 x 144 mm or 22 x 8 x 12 squares should work out

does that help?

Bob

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks again, so back on squares. :wink:

 

[devonwoody]

~To allow for wastage off cuts at mitre joints, I am now going to 288mm 96 x 168

.

 

[devonwoody]

There are going to be towards 600 squares decorating this box.

End plan. sequence.

 

[marcros]

it may be close to 200 squares, but you will be assembling them in strips, so will be cutting them a dozen at a time. It will only be a step more than doing some of the striped boxes that you have done in the past.C'mon DW, we all want to see this one now!

 

[9fingers]

John, if by going for an allowance for wastage, you are going to partly trim through squares, then the 'squares' on the joints will be come rectangles and look wrong to me.
In this application, total precision is required with the mitres cut exactly in line with the edge of squares.

Are you doing a chequer board top as well? if so you will need to consider the alignment of squares there too.

I have anticipated your next design

Diagonal chequer board patterns!!

Bob

 

[devonwoody]

9 fingers, I called that a harlequin :wink:

I want the wastage so that when I cut the mitre on my tablesaw it will commence exactly on the line edge of a square and should follow down the 8 lines, I Hope.

Ends 12 x 8 = 96 times twice 192 plus wastage.
sides 8 x 22 = 168 times twice 336.

528 plus wastes.

Top pipper that.

 

[devonwoody]

More panic attacks !

If I am going to have to cut strips over 22 times (for sides) I will lose 3.2mm because of blade, also another row of squares will be lost each time. That totals 66.6mm plus, and my stock boards were not cut with this wastage ever invisaged.

I will see what new timber I can find laying around for this particular box.

perhaps I can take up harmonica playing, I'm sure it would be easier.

http://www.wimp.com/harmonicacarnegie/

 

[devonwoody]

The black walnut has not recovered from stress, I do seem to have problems when I resaw timber down to 9mm thicknesses, its happened before.

So I will use the BW for short sides on future tissue boxes and try and sort out another dark timber for the chessboard effect at a later stage.

(also been instructed to get cracking in the garden) A cloche tunnel under construction with 2x1s and 4x2s underway at present.