Build Thread

[Sheets]

I'm posting a blog-style build thread, Woodwork Forums - Pinball Woodworking (under Blogs), but since the majority of it involves Japanese hand tools, I may as well put it here. It will also give visitors here (like me) something to read since its been so quiet here these days.

Steve

[Sheets]

Making progress on the door (previous posts in this thread via the link above). Having finished all the basic door joints, I've moved from boring out mortices to boring the dowel holes in all the mortice & tenon joints.

I'm not going to try and delve in depth into drilling holes in wood, but I want to put in a plug for the basic brace and bit. Being hand powered, its speed can easily be controlled, its relatively easy to turn (depending on the wood species, depth and diameter of the hole - bigger and deeper tend to get more difficult). Auger bits, if sharp, make nice, clean holes and can generally make much deeper holes (when needed), than standard drill bits. Auger bits come in sizes from 1/4" (6 mm) to 1" (25 mm) with special, expandable bits allowing holes up to about 3" (76 mm) - that's a lot of work. They can easily be sharpened with small files when dull. They have a threaded lead screw which helps start them accurately and pull the bit into the wood.

One thing to be aware of though, is that twin flute auger bits tend to make a slightly larger hole than their marked diameter (at least the set I have). This is due to the spurs being a little wider than the diameter of the shaft. Single flute styles tend to match their marked diameter.

I've included a few pics of some of the dowel holes (1/2"). Since I'm setting the dowels up to draw the m & t joints together, I have to drill the holes separately rather than with the joints fitted together. The tenon holes are about 2 mm closer to the shoulders then the corresponding holes through the mortices. I had to employ some scrap wood fillers when boring through the sides of the mortices, so the bit wouldn't blow out the fibers entering the mortice (I've shown what this might look like). To prevent this from happening on exit from either mortice or tenon, when the lead screw just starts to come out (going slowly and feeling for it with a finger), remove the bit and finish the hole from the exit side using the small hole as the mark to place the bit.

I hope this isn't too boring for you all. Nobody else seems to be posting much these days. Anyway, comments/questions welcome.

Steve

[NeilS]

I hope this isn't too boring for you all.

Nice pun, Steve!

I had to brace myself quite a bit....

I've been following your blog with admiration. Doors are just not made as well as that anymore. But, not being a joiner, I couldn't make any helpful carpentry comments, so I have been a silent admirer, and probably not the only one.

.....

[yojimbo]

Nice post, Steve! I use hand braces whenever I can (though I really need to learn to sharpen the bits). The backing piece of wood is a great idea. I'm generally using them when I need a precise depth, not so much when drilling through -- but I'll remember this tip! Nicely done, and -- as Neil pointed out -- punned.

[Sheets]

Hi Neil,

Thanks for the comments. Its a little dry on Japanese tools (my brace is a vintage Stanley and the bits are Irwin USA - both flea market finds) at this point, but once I start the panels and kumiko it will be more on topic.

When I look at the price of doors these days vs what you actually get (could be said of a lot of things), I felt I had to (and wanted to) make something better (esthetically if not functionally) and, another excuse to justify my tools. And, well I enjoy woodworking to boot

I'll continue with some more pics I took today after finishing all the dowel holes. I posed the door parts slightly expanded to show how all the joints will go together and then lapped the tenon over mortices to more or less approximate how the parts will fit. I'm not going to dry assemble and then knock things apart because the pine is too soft to take the hitting (even with protection) and I want the joints to stay tight. Even the tongue and groove where the inner and outer stiles is very tight and I don't want to risk breaking the tongue or the side of a groove trying to get them apart at this point. I may have to do it down the road as I said, if the glass needs to be repaired. But I'm leaning toward placing the kumiko and glass after assembly so total disassembly won't be needed. This will also allow me to use glue in the joints as well as the dowels. Even with glue, there may be enough movement in a season to cause the joints to work loose after some period of time.

I did miss-mark and drill one dowel hole, but fortunately noticed the error before I drilled the hole in the tenon, so could adjust it. And, as these big fat dowels showing after the door is finished won't look too nice, I'm going to cover them with decorative metal (pseudo hand hammered texture) furniture nails which Lee Valley sells.

Next up, cutting the kumiko (lattice) parts. Until next time....

Steve

[Sheets]

Thanks Becky. I didn't notice you comments earlier.

I thought I was being clever when I mentioned "delve, depth, drill and plug" in the same sentence (although that was totally coincidental - or should I say, coaxial?). I know some of my puns can require much more than a brace (10 pound sledge would be more like it) to handle.

You know, big trouble is brewing for this door. You'll notice the outdoor pics - which means a young man's fancy (well, old men too) is turning in the spring. I'm going to have to fight the urge to shift from woodwork and tools to biking, bike maintenance and bike parts. I've been stuck working in my "shop" (garage - hence all the grainy flash pics) for the past months while the bikes just hang patiently and I get fat.

So the grind to get the door done might give way to losing 10 pounds

[yojimbo]

Schedule, Stevie! Ride in the morning, work in the afternoon? Not so much?

Of course, I know nothing kills my drive to get into the shop like a good workout....

[Sheets]

Yojimbo said:

"Of course, I know nothing kills my drive to get into the shop like a good workout...."

Exactly.

[Sheets]

I'm speaking about kumiko (lattice or grid pattern) for shoji or shoji-like construction. I've decided to use this design: "Kumiko Var 3a".

Having decided how many vertical and horizontal kumiko you desire, you take the corresponding width and height of your shoji area and divide by these numbers. Remember, the resulting divisions will be one more than the number of kumiko. For example, if you want two vertical kumiko, this will divide the width by three. On paper, you end up with a number of equal squares or rectangles (call them windows). See "Kumiko Plan". Should you go directly to your wooden frame and mark the mortice positions according to your calculations and then cut your mortices, you will end up with: "Kumiko Full". If you study this pic, you might notice that there are variations in the areas of certain "windows". This is because the kumiko have actual width and take up part of the area of windows. In a corner, you have half the kumiko width taking up area on two sides. Along the edges, three sides, and in the central part, half the kumiko width takes up area on four sides of the window. So you have three different widow sizes.

Now this difference may or may not be noticeable, depending on the width of your kumiko and the relative spacing and number, etc. But, if you weren't expecting it, it can be cause for concern. So, how to compensate in the planning stage? Easy enough. Simply take the number of your kumiko for horizontal and then vertical (or vice versa) and multiply by the width of the kumiko and subtract that from the corresponding measurement. For example, if you have an overall width of 40 cm and two vertical kumiko of 12 mm, subtract 2.4 cm and then divide this result by three = 12.53 cm. This will ensure that the area of each "window is equal. See "Kumiko Corr".

You may end up with an awkward number like 12.53 cm to measure out, but there is a simple way to repeat this number many times without having to try and mark it off a square or ruler for each individual kumiko mortice. Take a straight stick (called a "baka-bo" in Japanese), mark the spacing between two mortices (using a marking knife) and then use this baka-bo to repeat the required number of marks (aligning the baka-bo with the freshly marked mortice by using the knife marks - very accurate and no possibility of making errors). See "Baka-bo". The same method can be used to mark all the kumiko by clamping them together and use a baka-bo marked with the spacing of the half laps. Half laps can also be cut after marking while the kumiko are still clamped together (as can the tenon).

I don't want to regurgitate all there is in the books on this subject. Two books in English that I am aware of: "Making Shoji", by Toshio Odate (which I have) and "Shoji: How to Design, Build, and Install Japanese Screens", by Jay van Arsdale (which I haven't read). Interestingly, the book by Odate doesn't address the correction method of planning the kumiko. I don't know if that is an oversight, or the variations are considered too small to worry about. For horizontal kumiko, the spacing is somewhat covered because it is decided by the width of shoji paper rolls (usually 9" or 11"). These days though, you can buy paper on rolls wide enough to cover the entire screen, so don't have to space kumiko to accommodate roll width - so you could end up with the lop-sided "windows" if not aware of it.

[Sheets]

I had an idea (get lots of those). Designing this door was in some instances, straight forward because the overall dimensions and other constraints for a door were already decided. So when it comes to the parts that are unique, one has to pause and think about it.

We always see pics of peoples' finished works and often at some stages along the way (as in this project). But what is usually glossed over or omitted is the planning. Sometimes hours (see Chris Hall's blog. That man could probably make the Guiness Book of Records for drawing) working out the details so that when you arrive at a particular step, its just a matter of completing it. Nothing worse (I suppose, never happens to me ) than making a part or parts and then finding out that your idea won't work that way.

I must admit to being a dummy with SketchUp. I find it frustrating trying to learn it (No. I don't have time for the tutorials), so the old standby pencil, ruler and paper are the mainstay of my planning. Of course, it isn't without its problems either, especially for me who doesn't like to waste paper and must search (in vain at times, alas) for some set of calculations or list of dimensions which gets lost in the clutter and I have to do it again (hopefully, not incorrectly). Anyway, its all in my head, so if worse comes to worse, I can.... where was I?

As to progress on the door, I've been planning and constructing a means of holding the glass and kumiko since I decided not to make any means of doing it directly in the door frame itself. So I designed and made plans for a separate framework which will contain the glass between the kumiko and provide mortices for the kumiko themselves. I had to work out the kumiko spacing (see the previous post) first, so that the frame would coincide.

I'm also including some pics of layout using an inkline (sumitsubo). I have a "modern", mechanical type - KDS sold by Japan Woodworker. When I was shopping for one, I decided the prices for the traditional types where too expensive (they do involve more labour if hand made). I've found that mine works very well and has the additional advantages of being somewhat less messy and the ink does not dry out (it has sat for months between uses and still works no problem).

Where a kebiki (marking gauge) will mark a very accurate line, it needs an equally accurate reference edge to do so. I needed to cut some long slices off one of my rough pine boards and could have used the kebiki except the edges of the board were not flat or square. Rather than plane the board edge, I just snapped a line along the centerline of the board (easy to locate using a rule or square). Then, with this centerline as my reference, I could measure and mark where I wanted my pieces and snap lines for them. I still have to deal with the rough edge, but just cut it off as waste.

To rip cut these parts, I snapped lines on both faces of the board so that I could flip it and cut from both sides (since rip saws have a tendency to wander off line) and keep the cuts straight. I used a Z saw "king" rip blade - very large and fast cutting teeth in softwood. I could use a ryoba, but then you have to deal with the teeth set on the cross cut side producing extra friction. I used a nail to wedge my kerf open as I went along - this helps prevent any pinching of the blade even with a kataba and would certainly be necessary with a ryoba. My board was 114 cm (45") and each cut took about five minutes (with the board just held down by hand on the WorkMate). I would normally have completed this type of cutting by standing on the board on low horses (probably have been able to saw faster and no need to get on my high horse at this point), but my low horses are currently covered in stacked lumber - oh well.

Nice time of year, but I still have to clean up.

[NeilS]

Ah, Steve, there is even some wabi-sabi with that shot of the tools on the deck...

.....

[Sheets]

Its part of the complete experience. I'm certainly one who believes, "Its got to be the going, and not the getting there that's good" (from the song "Greyhound", by Harry Chapin).

Steve

[Sheets]

One of the tranaslations for “baka-bo” (see the post “What’s the Difference”) is, “stupid stick”. That’s because if you follow its markings, you won’t make any mistakes like you could if you were trying to repeat making the same measurements off a ruler many times. Another advantage which fits the “stupid stick” connotation, is that if you do make any mistakes when marking the baka-bo, you won’t have ended up with said error making it into your work (providing you check the baka-bo before using it).

Anyway, I needed to make a baka-bo to mark out the mortices and half-laps on my kumiko and frame parts. Remember that piece of waste that came off when I was ripping some parts (see the previous post, “If Only I Had A Plan”)? As it turns out, this piece is just right for the job. Its long enough for the longest of my parts and has multiple faces so I can use it for the different spacing between verticals and horizontals.

After dimensioning the four vertical frame pieces, I clamped them together with my baka-bo. I only had to mark half the mortices on the baka-bo (they are actually half-laps but will function like mortices for the horizontal kumiko) because after transferring the marks to the four pieces, I just flip the baka-bo end for end and mark the remaining joints. So as not to lose the precise indexing afforded by the clamps, I unclamp one end at a time, lift up that end of the baka-bo, reclamp the four parts and then repeat in reverse once the baka-bo is repositioned. Its not a big deal if the parts get moved out of position, but it saves the hassle of trying to re-align all the parts and re-clamp. There was the option too, of marking all the mortices on the baka-bo and not have to worry about the re-position/re-clamp. But here I was trying to measure 7.83 mm spacing between 12 mm kumiko widths (10 times in all), and since that involves eyeballing the .3 mm part, I didn’t want to have to attempt it any more than necessary. Any errors will only get repeated half the time and each half of these frame parts will end up alike.

After all the marking is done, I remove the baka-bo and keep the other parts clamped so that I can cut the joints at the same time. I just need to mark the depth of the cuts on the outside pieces. Cutting them clamped together (26 cuts), in this case, saves me 78 cuts if done individually . For the talented (I’m not) its also possible to remove the waste from between the cuts while still clamped together. I haven’t quite mastered the delicacy required and with soft pine, delicacy is required.

I notice my knife is dull - the marks are as much crushing the wood as cutting them. Running the knife along a steel rule or square tends to dull it faster. Also, I’ll point out that I’m marking on the hidden side of these pieces, so they are not planed as cleanly as the faces will be.

Next I'll complete these joints, then I should be able to start cutting the kumiko strips.

Also, I found a really nice door knob on ebay which arrived a couple of days ago. This style will fit our decor (very rough around the edges) and from Lee Valley, I have on order some rustic strap hinges to match (generally).

Steve

[Sheets]

Nice and sunny again today, but cold. The wind was from the east across the water, which is still only about 0 deg. C, so makes for a very efficient air conditioner. I only managed to do the cross cutting of the half-laps before retreating into the house.

I used my nifty jig (referred to in a previous post) to align and maintain the saw blade vertical while I made the very shallow (6 mm) cuts. There are many other ways to make these cuts, from just eye-balling it to using other guides clamped to the surface or merely held by hand. I find this jig nice because I can stop and check the depth of the cut on the far side and the saw is still held vertically in the kerf without shifting around.

I did manage to remove the waste in the joints while everything was still clamped together, but I did it the conventional way, just lightly paring off waste until the bottoms were smooth and equal. There is a method which uses the bevel of the chisel like a wedge, and its drawn along the kerf on one side of each joint and the waste is broken out rather quickly and neatly. I’ve yet to find the right balance with this method between force required and force applied without either nothing happening, or breaking more than just the waste. So I’ll stick with the slower, but safe way.

I went to look and glass today. I had been interested in some stuff called “Glue-chip”, which is made by applying a layer of glue to the glass and then pulling off the glue which “chips” the surface, leaving and intersting, translucent texture reminiscent of frost. Neither my wife nor I liked it very much after seeing it. But the trip to the stained glass place wasn’t wasted. Being there we could see everything on display so spied a textured glass we did like - something with subdued vertical stripes (or horizontal if the glass were set that way). Anyway, once I know the precise dimensions for my glass, I’ll have them cut it.

On a side note: while at the stained glass store, we noticed some Arts and Crafts style lamps for sale. Now these lamps have real stained glass shades in the style and look OK. The prices was $395.00 Cdn. By my estimation, that would be $390.00 for the shade, because the wooden base was a piece of crap. The lamp base I just recently finished (here:http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/i...g?t=1263431751) would be museum quality by comparison. I wonder if anybody actually pays that much for a lamp? I’d feel embarrased asking that kind of money even if my lamp had a real glass shade. Oh well, “a fool and his money” as the saying goes.

Steve

[yojimbo]

Just dropping a line to say I'm enjoying this thread very much. Thanks, Steve!