A Project For Miss T

[markiver54]

Sometimes, I find it easier to build as I go. It just seems easier using common sense and tools available at the time to achieve what I'm trying to accomplish.

[BrokenolMarine]

Often, when I'm just filling time, I build boxes of some sort. I let the wood decide. Unlike most, I start with the top, the wood grain pattern etc tells me what that will be and I build around that beginning.

[markiver54]

Often, when I'm just filling time, I build boxes of some sort. I let the wood decide. Unlike most, I start with the top, the wood grain pattern etc tells me what that will be and I build around that beginning.

I can relate to that thinking very well!

[BrokenolMarine]

Worked two sessions in the shop so far, prep sessions. Got rough sketches done, playing with sizing and proportions. Then moved to fine drawings with actual size representations. Also found three slabs of walnut in the big wood barn. Will be able to start actual work very shortly.

[BrokenolMarine]

Worked yesterday, including a long session processing the slab Miss T chose for the ends of the chest. When I got it into the shop, it turned out to be...

Highly figured spalted maple. I'll have pics up and a detailed processing narrative later today.
If anyone is interested.

[markiver54]

Worked yesterday, including a long session processing the slab Miss T chose for the ends of the chest. When I got it into the shop, it turned out to be...

Highly figured spalted maple. I'll have pics up and a detailed processing narrative later today.
If anyone is interested.

Spalted Maple is beautiful! We have a coffee table at the cabin made of it by a local artisan and love it. If I was up there at this moment, I would send a pic.nice choice!

[BrokenolMarine]

I spent the last couple days working on the project, and though Miss T thought she had pulled a couple slabs of walnut from the barn, once I cleaned the dust and grime of ten years or so of storage... it turned out to be nicely grained spaulted maple. Since I was going to do the end panels first, I used a square to mark a reference on one end with the nicest grain, and trimmed that off, then cut off a piece 19 inches long.

01 first cut.jpg (158.96 KiB) Viewed 2682 times

Checking it carefully, i determined it was badly bowed, and would need some correction. More than I thought my shoulders were up to with a hand plane. Sadly. So, I ripped it in half.

02 rip cut.jpg (148.04 KiB) Viewed 2682 times

This would make it much easier to bookmatch on the bandsaw. (Or so I thought... I later ended up ripping each half again.)
Look at the grain in this piece... beautiful.

03 nice spaulting.jpg (145.33 KiB) Viewed 2682 times

Prepping each piece for gluing into an end panel was a journey. The first step was to run them all thru the planer to make sure they were of similar thickness and smooth.
Then, I had to rip them into quarters, then run them carefully thru the bandsaw to bookmatch them. Each was marked to insure matched pairs stayed together.
That left pieces approximately 3/8" to 1/2" thick, with irregular edges on one side. That was addressed by carefully marking a reference line then running them across the table saw, checking the fit, cutting again, or planing as needed, until they fit.

Here are the end panels awaiting glue up. They are approximately 16" x 20" at this point.

04 end one.jpg (166.83 KiB) Viewed 2682 times

05 end two.jpg (152.33 KiB) Viewed 2682 times

After they are glued up, they will be cut to shape and set aside for sanding.
Next step will be the forming of the side rails and panels.

[markiver54]

Looking good Jim. As I said, that spaulted Maple grain is beautiful. Really pops when finished also!
Looks a LOT like the coffee table I mentioned. Book matching looks really good too!

[markiver54]

Jim,
This is our coffee table top before he assembled it

IMG950534.jpg (76.2 KiB) Viewed 2677 times

.

[Mags]

.
I can see that turning out gorgeous!

I spent the last couple days working on the project, and though Miss T thought she had pulled a couple slabs of walnut from the barn, once I cleaned the dust and grime of ten years or so of storage... it turned out to be nicely grained spaulted maple. Since I was going to do the end panels first, I used a square to mark a reference on one end with the nicest grain, and trimmed that off, then cut off a piece 19 inches long.


01 first cut.jpg


Checking it carefully, i determined it was badly bowed, and would need some correction. More than I thought my shoulders were up to with a hand plane. Sadly. So, I ripped it in half.


02 rip cut.jpg


This would make it much easier to bookmatch on the bandsaw. (Or so I thought... I later ended up ripping each half again.)
Look at the grain in this piece... beautiful.


03 nice spaulting.jpg


Prepping each piece for gluing into an end panel was a journey. The first step was to run them all thru the planer to make sure they were of similar thickness and smooth.
Then, I had to rip them into quarters, then run them carefully thru the bandsaw to bookmatch them. Each was marked to insure matched pairs stayed together.
That left pieces approximately 3/8" to 1/2" thick, with irregular edges on one side. That was addressed by carefully marking a reference line then running them across the table saw, checking the fit, cutting again, or planing as needed, until they fit.

Here are the end panels awaiting glue up. They are approximately 16" x 20" at this point.

04 end one.jpg
05 end two.jpg


After they are glued up, they will be cut to shape and set aside for sanding.
Next step will be the forming of the side rails and panels.