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Potato and Onion Bin

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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Mon Aug 12, 2019 5:08 pm

Dahliathemeh wrote:
Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:15 am
Did you do this as a career? Or is this a hobby?
Dahlia,

Woodworking is my hobby. I work in the wood shop to create, relieve stress, and make things we can use around the farm. I also make gifts for family and/or friends. I do sell the rare piece to offset the cost of a piece of equipment for the wood shop, or resupply consumables, but for the most part... the payoff is the result at the end of the project. I got started in woodworking as a kid, making grips for a pellet pistol, winging it without instruction. Then my stepdad taught me as I worked along side him in his contracting business, and I was hooked. I have built up my skills, and my tools slowly over the years, ever since.

I make things for the boss to see her smile, and I make things she needs or wants. I make things that make MY life easier, and I make things to recognize the service of other vets. Sometimes I make skill builder projects, trying new techniques just to see if I can do it. It keeps me out of the recliner, and moving. Back when the kids were still at home, I would sell a few boxes or other projects a year, to replenish the consumables in the shop, or add a needed piece of equipment to the floor; but even then most of the projects were used in the home or given as gifts.

It was suggested more than once that I should make the wood working at least a side business. But I told those folks that it was my hobby, my escape and stress relief. If I made the mistake of turning it into a business and began to depend on the income, it would put a pressure on the time in the shop, and bleed the joy out of the time I spent there. Miss T and I both agreed that was something I shouldn't do. I never have. Even when I agree to make something for someone... I tell them I won't work on a timeline, if they are under a time constraint, they need to look elsewhere. (Especially these days when my time in the shop is limited by my health.) :) My friends are willing to wait and understand. I won't take projects from other folks. ;)
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Dahliathemeh
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by Dahliathemeh » Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:48 pm

That is a sweet hobby, and skill!! Have any of your kids taken it up?
0 x
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Tue Aug 13, 2019 12:08 am

Dahliathemeh wrote:
Mon Aug 12, 2019 11:48 pm
That is a sweet hobby, and skill!! Have any of your kids taken it up?
My middle daughter in OK is a talented artist. She can paint, draw, knit, crochet, makes custom jewelry, custom cakes.. (You know, the ones: Cartoon Characters, Super Hero Themed, Sports Teams, etc). She does repairs around the horse barn... But is smart enough to know her limitations. The other two girls have their talents, as does our son, but none of them really took up the wood working. :? Both my Stepfather, who passed in 81, and my Dad, who IS 81, both had/have shops in the back yards, as I do.
:D
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:17 pm

Went to the class last night, great class btw, and picked up the prepaid items. Also added some aluminum disappearing bench dogs for use when the four nylon dogs are already in use.
Went out this morning, since the mini dowels were now on hand, and got busy working toward assembly of the case frame.

First step, checking each panel for size and making sure it's square. The two maple side panels were golden. The back (plywood) panel was off square by just 1/16 inch.) :roll:
So... I put it aside to cut up and use for the bins, and cut a new back panel. Rechecked size and square on that one. :) We good.

Now, the layout. Time to pucker up. Measure were I'll start drilling holes for the guide / support dowels. First layout everything on the inside of the back panel, Measure and mark, recheck. :twisted: Erase a couple, recheck. Good. ;)
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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Wed Aug 14, 2019 9:41 pm

Now that the back is marked, we lay a side, properly oriented, beside the back, and mark that. Measure the center of the panel from the edge and mark the position for the dowel hole to be drilled that would properly position the side of the panel when the dowel from the edge of the back panel is seated. Recheck your marks and measurements. Erase a couple. :roll: Remark and remeasure. Ah... golden. Repeat for the other side.

Okay, next up, began to cut the cross pieces, (Rails) There are four braces, and six pieces that will become part of the Doors to the Bins. I measure them against the back panel, which will insure that the case stays square. Before beginning to measure, I cut the first end on the table saw to insure it's square, and check it with the pocket square. Then place the 17 inch bar across the back panel, which is 14-5/8" wide. Mark it, then trim it EXACT with the miter on the table saw. Creep up on the cut to insure it's not under cut.

I get about half of them done, and the pain from the previous night catches up. I'm done for the day.

Pics tomorrow. I promise. :P

Once I get all the rails and stiles cut, I will have to mark all the dowel holes, and then drill them. Before I drill holes, I will make a JIG to insure the holes are uniform and straight.
Then cut the dowels to length so about 3/8" is exposed. The dowels will insure proper alignment. (If I did everything right.) If not, time for the planes to come into play. ;)
The rails and stiles for the bin doors will also get a dado so the screen front can be inserted.
Then the bin bodies / bottoms will have to be made, and a bin bottom rests glued to the back wall for each of the three bins. (I have marked the locations.)
The case will be assembled and clamped, and I will work on cutting out the bin bodies.
while the case glue up dries, I will work on cutting out the base, and assembling that.
Wow, still plenty to do. 8-)

But... so much done. :P
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You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:34 pm

:cry:

I drilled and marked all the dowel holes, then cut and placed the dowels, with just about 3/8" protruding. Miss T came out and we TRIED to assemble the case. :twisted:
Tried. Sometimes, even with CAREFUL planning, measuring and all the care in the world... things don't go as planned. :? :evil: :twisted:
There are options. A bonfire was considered... but it's not my style. Lunch. Lunch is my style, and a movie. Then I went out, used a plug cutter to cut 1/4" plugs and filled all the holes after pulling all the dowels, and left them to dry overnight.

I came back out the next morning and cut them flush and sanded them as if they never existed. Sigh... Then I took a couple days off.

This morning, I remarked the GOOD/Face side and drilled 3/8" countersunk holes 3/8" deep with the forstner bit. Then thru holes with a smaller bit just the size of the threads on the torx screw I planned to use. I then switched to the bit that was the shaft size of the threaded section of the screw, but smaller than the threads. I flipped the panel and countersunk the back side to allow for the little glue bleed out when you glue the panel together. This could hold the panels apart.

I painted the edge of the plywood back, and clamped both ends in alignment with the side, and screwed both ends in place. Then I used clamps to bring the side into alignment down the length as I screwed each countersunk anchor point. When both sides were attached, it was rock solid. :P More than one way to attach a skinned cat. 8-)

The countersunk panels:

35 countersunk.jpg
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The left side assembled

36 left assembled.jpg
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When assembling the right side, I had to use a cheat to get the bottom panel to line up. I put a bench dog inside, and then used the bench vise to push against the case to force alignment and screwed it in place.

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38 tweek right 2.jpg
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After both sides were screwed in place, I carefully measured and marked the cross braces and screwed them in place. The basic case was then complete... sorta.

39 case assembled.jpg
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Using the 3/8 plug cutter and maple scraps, I cut the maple plugs and glued and seated them. Then, I took a nap while they set.

40 maple plugs.jpg
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After a nice nap, I used a flush cut saw, and a chisel to flush cut the plugs then sand them. They disappeared.

41 what plugs.jpg
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Now it's time to begin on the front of the bins, construct the bins, build the base and trim, and attach the top.
We are almost done. (oh, and of course, MY favorite part.) Wipe on the finish and see this sucker POP!
3 x
You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.

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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:17 am

Over the last couple days, I worked on the DOORS for the bins. Slow but steady. I am almost ready to put in the wire inserts and glue them together, then build the BIN portions themselves. After that, we will be ready to build the base and attach the top. Getting there, we are getting there. How much simpler this would have been to knock this thing together for Miss Tina with plywood or pine. ;)

So... with the case laying on it's back, I fitted the Rails, (Cross Bars) for each door section and clamped them in place.

42 fitting door rails.jpg
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With them clamped into place, I could fit the Stiles, (The Vertical Sections).

43 fitting door stiles.jpg
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I carefully fitted each sections Rails and Stiles and then marked them to insure I knew if they went to the top, bottom, or middle section as there may have been a slight difference in the size. I also left a small gap in the fitting to allow for expansion due to heat or humidity.

Next up was to cut the dadoes that would allow the wire front to be trapped when the sections were glued together.

44 cutting dadoes.jpg
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After that step was completed, it was time to roll the edges for aesthetics. I also rolled the inside edge of the top rail (Only) to allow for smoother opening/closing.

45 rolling the edges.jpg
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I usually pre-stain some of the components when there will be glass or wire installed. Before staining, I tape the contact points that will take glue, or the glue won't hold. Especially with Watco oil.

46 pre stain taping.jpg
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Now that the taping is done, time to pop that grain.

47 stained em.jpg
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They are all stained with two coats of watco. I'll let them dry for a bit, then cut the wire and glue them up.
How about a close up view?

48 lookin good.png
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More work to do, but old folks need to take breaks. Especially gimpy old folks.
The failed paint shell for the small truck is ready, so I'll go pick that up, get my hair cut, and by that time they ought to be dry.
Maybe I'll be up to working in the shop this evening.

:P
1 x
You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by PT7 » Fri Aug 23, 2019 10:43 am

In your "Lookin' good" photo, it's easy to see why "popping that grain" is so enjoyable!
👍👍
1 x

~Пока~

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BrokenolMarine
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:15 pm

Got back out in the shop for a couple days work. Once the doors had been stained, it was time to peel off the tape and carefully measure each door, write down the measurements and cut the wire to insert into the dadoes. Using band clamps, I test fitted each wired front and trimmed as needed for a tight fit, but one that still allowed a little movement. Once I was sure there was a match up, the glue was applied, the band clamps were tightened and then I checked the assembly was square and set it aside to dry. This step was repeated for all three door assemblies.

50 fitted the wire.jpg
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Once the doors had set up the band clamps were removed and any glue squeeze out was carefully pared away with the one inch chisel. Razor sharp, so extreme care was needed to only peel away the glue and not cut the assembly. The oil finish that was applied, allowed the glue to peel off with a careful application of the sharp chisel. ;)

51 out of the band clamps.jpg
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Next, I needed some plugs to close up the open ends of the dadoes used for the screens. There are a couple ways to cut dadoes. Stopped dadoes would not show, but can be risky cut on a table saw and I didn't want to take the risk. I could have cut the thru dadoes and then cut the ends of the frames at a forty five degree angle, which would have hidden the dadoes as well. I didn't want to chance the forty five with the weight that would be applied. This method would work fine since the plugs would be mostly hidden INSIDE the cabinet and only revealed on the edge of the doors when they are tilted open to grab a "tater," and they will nearly match perfectly.

52 cutting plugs.jpg
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Once the plugs are cut, I pound the plug with a rawhide mallet until it's thin enough to match the gap, then trim the width to nearly the right size, shave a bit of a wedge shape, and put glue in the channel. I then tap the plug into the channel and the glue causes the plug to swell back up to fill the gap tightly. Once all the gaps have been plugged, I set the doors aside for a half hour or so until the glue dries. Then I come back and sand the area flush, which also sands away the last remnants of the glue. Then wipe on the Watco Oil, Bam... match.

53 plugging the dadoes.jpg
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Next up, assembling the sides. First I mock up the side using cardboard and play with opening the door, trying to find a correct angle. Once I have it, I cut out a cardboard template and then cut the sides on the bandsaw.

54 trial and error template.jpg
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The bottoms and the sides are cut, matching the bottoms to the exact width of each door. The sides are all cut the same.

55 bases and sides.jpg
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I carefully assemble the bin bodies, using the bench to hold everything in place as I glue and screw the assembly together. Care must be taken for alignment. measurements are marked out on the base, and the assembly requires multistep drilling. The first hole is a small drill bit to mark thru for reference. The second is a countersink on the underside drilled with a 3/8 forstner bit. A third hole is drilled thru the base at that point the same size as the shank of the screw. After the glue is applied to the sides, and everything clampled in place, a pilot hole is drilled thru the plywood, just under the size of the threads, to prevent splitting, and the threads are dipped in glue.

56 assembling the bin body.jpg
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Left to dry overnight, I come out in the morning and work on attaching the doors. The multi-step drilling process is used again, this time the countersink is drilled on the face of the door with 1/4 inch forstner bit. This will be plugged and stained once the process is completed.

57 doors attached.jpg
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Note in the door pics that the maple plugs, cut with a 1/4" plug cutter have been installed, and are drying. Once they have dried they will be shaved flush with a chisel, lightly sanded with 220 grit if needed and the watco oil applied, which should make them nearly invisible. The bins will need only the screen applied across the rear and the pull knobs installed. They will be ready to be hinged in place when the time comes.
1 x
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Re: Potato and Onion Bin

Post by BrokenolMarine » Tue Aug 27, 2019 1:22 am

Back out in the shop this evening for late night session. I got interrupted while the glue was drying and I was doing a mid project cleanup and wanted to finish that, then... too much pain to sleep so... wanted to knock out another step or two.

The bins were nearly complete so I thought I would fit the braces in the back of the cabinet. This entailed test fitting the bins, and then making sure they were level and fitting the cross brace at the back of the cabinet that would insure they didn't tilt back and supporting the weight of the bin when it was full. I also shot a couple close ups of the plugs after they were all trimmed and stained... :)

Here is a close up view of one of the doors after the plugs are trimmed and stained. Not that noticeable anymore huh?

60 close up front.jpg
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A view of the side of the bin... The dado plugs don't stand out too bad either huh?

61 the side.jpg
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Not too worried about the bottom at this point in case trimming was needed. I did end up having to trim the rear edge of all three to flush up the front. Easy enough, measure, set the table saw fence and run the bin thru the blade, shaving a bit off until it fit the way I wanted. The extra at the rear is there to engage the brace at the back and hook the Rails to keep the bin from coming all the way out when you tilt it forward.

We are nearly there now. The bins need the pull handles or knobs.
They need the wire across the back to secure the taters.
The hinges need installed.
The top needs installed.
Some final sanding and the staining of the cabinet.
The base needs put together and installed.
Another day, maybe two.
62 getting close now.jpg
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Is this the picture you had in mind?
2 x
You can tell a lot about the character of a man...
by the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.

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