Thread: My first tool cabinet

I've run into a bit of a pickle as you can see the first practice test fit was centered and flush all around. The actual piece isn't and I can't figure out why, I've used the same settings from my marking gauge and the timber is the same thickness so there's no real reason why it's turned out that way. This has now dropped my confidence level and has changed everything, the rails will not be horizontal and this will bug me for the life of this cabinet.

Nice work.

Just plane one tenon face so it is flush and glue a packer on the other, and refit the packed side.

Did you use the same face on each board to mark from?

Lovely looking wood. Kauri pine, hoop pine or celery top?

Thanks for the speedy replies but I fixed it one side of the mortise wall needed pairing and it's all good now.

Not flush here or there is to be expected and the normal way it was done in the past, like Bill says pack it a bit if it's out to much .

I would always look at that type of frame work knowing I would join it up and plane it flush, some times while it's together but not yet glued and sometimes taking it apart , planing and then re testing . depending on where it was going and what it was.

The sticks with slots are nifty but Risky and would not have much influence through the center of the boards. we sometimes have a board or two across the end to stop the boards flipping apart under pressure. as for keeping the joint near flush all the way down the length , If the boards are slightly hollow shot or planed they first grip and are leveled at the ends, with a little more pressure glue squeeze out and leveling of the middle is the second step ,some times a mallet helps.

A good book for the right way was handed out to Australian Apprentice Cabinet makers for a long time was discussed here a few months back

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/a...hisels-165709/

I looks good what you are doing , is that panel going into that frame somehow?

Rob

Originally Posted by auscab

................

A good book for the right way was handed out to Australian Apprentice Cabinet makers for a long time was discussed here a few months back

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f152/a...hisels-165709/

I looks good what you are doing , is that panel going into that frame somehow?

Rob

Rob,
A book ???
Surely there is an internet site...a blog...a youtube video to look at!

Regards,
Peter

Thanks Rob I knew it wasn't the tenon since I cut it accurately but however I did suspect the mortise walls and I attacked the offending one, I realise now to get it dead on flush is impossible and from what I've seen in countless videos they always plane it to flush it. However I will keep trying to get it as flush as possible to develop good working skills, it maybe slow at first but as my experience grows it'll get faster.

Also what's been happening when shooting hoop pine 3/4" the blade is just skimming the surface on the end grain rather than slicing, the blade is sharp though. The pieces are long and heavier than if I were making boxes and I was thinking maybe it could be a strength issue but I am pushing it into the blade fairly heavily and it just won't shoot. Any suggestions here.

Originally Posted by section1

Also what's been happening when shooting hoop pine 3/4" the blade is just skimming the surface on the end grain rather than slicing, the blade is sharp though. The pieces are long and heavier than if I were making boxes and I was thinking maybe it could be a strength issue but I am pushing it into the blade fairly heavily and it just won't shoot. Any suggestions here.

Three things spring to mind here. Firstly - blade sharpness. I sharpen my blades so they slice a sheet of paper. If the paper is pushed away rather than sliced the blade is not sharp. Secondly - the plane blade is not properly secured in the plane body. Perhaps too loose or shavings between blade and frog. Lastly - the wood is moving on the shooting board. I'm very left handed and my right hand is pretty weak. My left hand pushes the plane and my right holds the work. To improve my grip on the stock I've stuck some sandpaper on the shooting board. 180g wet and dry is very thin and doesn't interfere with shooting. Stick the paper as close as you can to the shooting edge to support the stock but without extending the paper into the path of the plane.

Hope this helps.


Paul

Thanks Paul but the blade is sharp very sharp and I am pushing very hard as well but I will try your sand paper trick I really cannot explain this but this has happened once before come to think of it when the board was 3ft long but it was radiata pine pretty soft so much easier to conquer.

Originally Posted by section1

Also what's been happening when shooting hoop pine 3/4" the blade is just skimming the surface on the end grain rather than slicing, the blade is sharp though. The pieces are long and heavier than if I were making boxes and I was thinking maybe it could be a strength issue but I am pushing it into the blade fairly heavily and it just won't shoot. Any suggestions here.

CS and someone else have said they wet end-grain with ??? methylated spirits ???
I've never done that and always meant to try it ... but have never remembered to yet.

... This references 'mineral spirits' and is using a low-angle plane ...
Skiving Off: Turn Me On, Dead Man

A razor sharp plane , properly adjusted, and either a candle to use the wax in it rubbed on the sole of the plane or paraffin oil , just a hint of it rubbed on the sole.

It's an interesting thing to see, when you have to do a lot of hand planing, You get to what you think is the end of the sharpness of the blade and your thinking of taking it out for a re sharpen but instead you oil or wax the sole. The interesting bit is how much more you get from that dull blade when the friction of the sole is reduced.

I have a felt pad in a tin and if There is a bit to do after each sharpen the sole gets a swipe , it's never wet with oil but it's visible in that it just changes the reflection of light of the sole. I sometimes give it a wipe with a dry rag or my hand as well, to make sure there is not to much oil on the iron sole, You don't want to be oiling the wood.

So if your sharp and the blade is being held out the right distance and the sole is clean and oiled whether it's on a shooting board or a board in a vice , it should be singing to you.

Rob