Vanity Press - Finished!

[Chems]

 

[OPJ]

Looking good, Chems. Your pine boards look to be of good quality too; I can't see many dead knots in your photo's.

 

[Chems]

Thanks! There isn't a single dead knot olly. There is a blemish in one of the boards but I haven't used that one yet but intend to make sure its an inwards facing board, it almost looks as if one of the planks was dropped and chipped before it was glued up more than anything. The boards are FixBoard Swedish pine and cost me about £22 a board.

 

[shim20]

looking good, look forward to seeing the finished product.

 

[Chems]

Yeah me to shim! I'm not sure if I haven't made it too big. Its 6 foot wide by around 6 1/4 foot high. Nothing to do but carry on and see what it looks like in place.

 

[neilyweely]

Looks good to me too chems, but....

Then it was time for assembly. I wanted to dovetail the front of the draw units rather, something I'd never done, so I cut the dovetails on my router table and cut the dovetail hole in the case sides with my small router hand held then cleaned it up with a chisels. Heres one:

I don't suppose you would elaborate on how you did this, please? I have been playing with the router table with a DT bit in for a coupla days, and keep messing it up. I do have a jig, but tbh am not at all keen on half blind DT's. Am gonna buy a Dakota jig, but till then would appreciate the help, if this is ok.

Thanks either way

Neil

 

[Chems]

I set up the fence on my table Neil so that it cut half the profile exactly so that when both sides were done the pine would be in the middle and exactly the width of my router bit at full cut (important later). That just took a bit of testing. Then I just ran these through using a block against the fence to help keep everything at 90 degrees to the fence so I got nice straight sides to the pin. Then for the sliding dovetail on the draw carcase I simply marked it out, then took me smaller 1/4 router with the same bit in it and free hand routed down my line. Cleaned it up with a sharp chisels and knocked it home. I have a Leigh D4 but I haven't used it yet so can't commend weather this would have been easier but I think it probably would have. Would also be fairly easy to cut by hand for only a few.

 

[Chems]

 

[OPJ]

Going back to your first set of photos, I've just noticed that you have the hose from your vacuum extractor suspended from the ceiling. I think this is a brilliant idea and I've been thinking of trying something similar for a while. One of the reasons I've become lazy and no longer use extraction with power tools is because the ribbed 32mm hose tends to get caught on the edge of your bench or whatever you're working and either affects your working or it keeps getting pulled out! :x :wink:

Those dovetails are looking tidy - why didn't you use extraction with your dovetail jig? What sort of lacquer are you using and how are you applying it?

 

[Chems]

Yes I suspended from the rafters my extension cable and the vacuum cleaner, that way when cutting up sheet material and bits I kept the place a bit tidy and wasn't for ever cutting up my own wires.

I've just bought the Leigh Router attachment its not VRS but similar in that it attaches to the router via the parallel guide holes and catches the dust. See how it does for £15. After doing all those dovetails I looked like the sandman from Spiderman!

I'm using the Chestnut Melamine Lacquer, I've applied the first coat with a brush and its gone on well so I may just keep using the brush to save me having to buy the thinner and using my spray gun. On my test piece a nice little bit of clear wax really gives it a nice shine.

 

[kityuser]

interesting police outlines on the floor....... strange murder scene though


Steve

 

[Chems]

 

[OPJ]

Chems, can I ask what you are using to spray your furniture with? Is it the Earlex, like the one Philly mentioned in another thread?

 

[Chems]

Its the cheapy from Aldi, PowerCraft or something. Its very good for the money, I honestly can't say it has any down sides that I've discovered.

 

[Chems]

 

[Chems]

 

[OPJ]

Looking good, James. Clearly, you need some more machinery in your workshop - you shouldn't have the space to assemble something this big, in there!! :wink:

By the way...

Those 'hands' on the right-hand side - is that a design feature?!

 

[Chems]

Some people have workshop dogs, I have workshop cat and workshop slave.

 

[Chems]

 

[OPJ]

That is looking very nice indeed... Now, how on Earth are you going to deliver it?!

Have you considered adding a large mirror to fill that large gap in the middle? Just a thought.