Having accumulated some hand tools over the last 18 months, I thought it was about time I did a project using predominantly hand tools.
Usually I buy my timper as PAR, but this time I thought I'd get rough cut and start from the beginning. I have to say that I did pass the boards through the thicknesser to remove the the roughage, but then out came the planes.
I took the scrub plane and took the stock down r0ughly to the dimensions I required, then followed through with the #5 brfore using the smoother. This took me a few hours and I felt aching muscles i didn't know I had, the result wasn't perfect but I felt that I had learnt and acheived a lot.
These are the boards being prepared.
Afdter squaring off one end with the Iron mitre I proceede to get the long section square. I've never been very good with the #7, but i was pleased with the result. Top, bottom and back boards now complete.
next job was to route all the slots for the partitions, for this I had to make a jig, its a bit rough and ready but it did the job adequately.
Actually the jig took longer to put together than routing the slots, here's the top and bottom boards with theslots complete.
This is the rack put together with the end pieces,, Iused dowells and glue, I was a bit worrined this woudld'nt be strong enough, but it seems to have done the job.
Next job was to put a raised piece on the top for the lettering A to Z and to also cover upthe slots in the top board, for this I used the large rebate plane, first time I have used this in anger and it really shifted the material to the required depth.
This shows the raised section in place.
The problem I had for the sections was that I didn't want to waste any wood, the size of the slots are 3/16 and the only wood I had was 1" rough and 7/8 prepared. I mentioned on another thread that travis perkins in Bridport have a lovely band saw where I could get the wood split to something near the domensions I required. After takeing this down further on the thicknesser and finishing off with the #5 and 4 1/2 smoother I eventually got down to the rewuired size.
This is the end result.
This project has taken me about a week, could I have done it quicker, the answer is yes if I'd bought the timber PAR, but this is getting away from the point. The idea was to use mainly hand tools and I think I have acheived this. it has served two purposes, one my tools are getting the use they deserve and secondly I can say that 90% of this project was completed by hand.
I have to say looking at the finished project and knowing that this is the first time I've done it all by hand (well nearly) I feel quite proud of the result.
Now off to Italian Lakes on Friday for a well earned break with HID.
Usually I buy my timper as PAR, but this time I thought I'd get rough cut and start from the beginning. I have to say that I did pass the boards through the thicknesser to remove the the roughage, but then out came the planes.
I took the scrub plane and took the stock down r0ughly to the dimensions I required, then followed through with the #5 brfore using the smoother. This took me a few hours and I felt aching muscles i didn't know I had, the result wasn't perfect but I felt that I had learnt and acheived a lot.
These are the boards being prepared.
Afdter squaring off one end with the Iron mitre I proceede to get the long section square. I've never been very good with the #7, but i was pleased with the result. Top, bottom and back boards now complete.
next job was to route all the slots for the partitions, for this I had to make a jig, its a bit rough and ready but it did the job adequately.
Actually the jig took longer to put together than routing the slots, here's the top and bottom boards with theslots complete.
This is the rack put together with the end pieces,, Iused dowells and glue, I was a bit worrined this woudld'nt be strong enough, but it seems to have done the job.
Next job was to put a raised piece on the top for the lettering A to Z and to also cover upthe slots in the top board, for this I used the large rebate plane, first time I have used this in anger and it really shifted the material to the required depth.
This shows the raised section in place.
The problem I had for the sections was that I didn't want to waste any wood, the size of the slots are 3/16 and the only wood I had was 1" rough and 7/8 prepared. I mentioned on another thread that travis perkins in Bridport have a lovely band saw where I could get the wood split to something near the domensions I required. After takeing this down further on the thicknesser and finishing off with the #5 and 4 1/2 smoother I eventually got down to the rewuired size.
This is the end result.
This project has taken me about a week, could I have done it quicker, the answer is yes if I'd bought the timber PAR, but this is getting away from the point. The idea was to use mainly hand tools and I think I have acheived this. it has served two purposes, one my tools are getting the use they deserve and secondly I can say that 90% of this project was completed by hand.
I have to say looking at the finished project and knowing that this is the first time I've done it all by hand (well nearly) I feel quite proud of the result.
Now off to Italian Lakes on Friday for a well earned break with HID.
