Thread: Checker box

Very nice indeed! Looks great! What did you use to cut the dovetails with?

Corey

Very, VERY nice. Impressive work!

I'm sure she will be tickled pink !

Cagey I assume you used the Gifkin since I see in your other posts now that you own one. That's the reason for my question and I hope this doesn't take anything away from your excellent box. I ask because all of the joints I have cut so far fit great.. but I get some raggy edges especially with american walnut and oak. When I say raggy I mean a few splinters around the edges of the pins that result in not a nice good looking joint like you acheived here. Maybe it is the particular stock. Have this problem in the past at all. Thanks!

Corey

g'day Corey. yes have had similar problems, but getting the feed rate right seems to make all the difference. i have watched Roger at the shows a few times, before i got the jig, but i find going back after i have used things can help even more because you have a better understanding of how it works, then its just practice. i have used it on Tassie oak and western red cedar with similar results. the dovetails were the easy bit, it was veneering of the checkers that was the interesting part, as was my first attempt at something like this.

Originally Posted by Fox3

I'm sure she will be tickled pink !

Tickled green you mean .
Yes nice work Cagey. How about some details on how you did the check pattern and what finish you used.

Thanks Kev for the tip!

Corey

Man of many boxes, nice work Kev

Thanks guys. The checker procedure is a bit hard to explain. I wish i had done working photos, but i will try. Basically i cut a number of strips veneer of each color using a steel ruler and a scalpel, using lots of light passes. This seems to be the critical part because inaccuracy now shows up later. Then i laid them out alternating colors and taped them together. I then cut strips at 90 deg, which gives you strips that go dark, light, dark, light etc. The next step is to just slide every second one, one way, and hey presto, checkers. Veneer is then glued to a ply substrate, with straight blackwood on the opposing side. This was my first go at veneering, and i am very pleased with the result.

Thanks kev, I think I get what you mean, Take a few more pics next time for the dummies