Thread: Kiss (wip)

The dovetails were surprisingly easy to cut in with my little pull-saw and a 3mm chisel.

Poplar is nice to work with after cranky old Redgum! A bit porous and odd parts seem prone to tear-out, but they're really only minor details... I left the cut sides alone for a day or two and they didn't warp, bow or cup; not even by one single mm! Yay!

Sadly, I forgot to take pix of the dovetailling process.

Pic 1 & 2. To make the dados in the sides, for the top and bottom to seat into, I simply scribed a pair of lines 6mm and 12mm in from the appropriate sides. The little pull-saw I use for cutting dovies has a 'long' tooth at each end, which are perfect for enhancing the scribed lines until I can use the saw as a tenon saw without worrying about it slipping out of the slot and marring the work surface.

Pic 3. Then 'twas a simple case of using a small (3mm) dovie chisel to clean out between the lines.

Pic 4. One side done. A tad rough, I did have a minor problem with one lip of a dado splintering. But what the heck... I don't think it'll matter too much in the long run. My accuracy is far from the best and, besides, it was still far easier to work then Redgum!

With all the sides dovetailed and rebated, it's time to move onto the top & bottom.

Pic 1. I cut 6x2mm wide rebates on all four sides to sit in the dadoes cut in the side. I didn't want to make them more than 2mm wide as the sides of the box are only 5mm thick!

The corners were docked off simply to avoid any possible problems in the corners with my dadoes not aligning once assembled. (They actually worked out perfectly, but better safe than sorry, y'know?)

Lines were scribed approx 25mm from all four edges to give me reference lines for cutting bevels. Next time, I'll just mark it out with pencil... it took forever to get rid of the scribe marks later!

Pic 2 & 3. Using a 9mm chisel I simply pared away at the edges until I formed a flat beveled face between the scribed line and the rebate.

Pic 4. All four bevels put on one of the pieces. I used the card scraper to ensure the bevels were truly flattened...

...but on test fitting everything together I decided I didn't like the 'faceted' look so I returned to the chisels, scraper and sandpaper to convert it to a more organic, rounded over edge.

Which more or less brings me up to where I currently am in this project.

I sanded all the interior faces down to 600 grit and applied two coats of Tung Oil. More will come later, once I cut the box open, but this ensures that the interior has a good start to the finish, y'know?

Pics 1 & 2 are the dry-fitted box, looking for booboos, etc. before I glued it up. The colour inside is glorious!

So, I glued it all up, waited a day and then used the card scraper to flatten the worst of the exterior surfaces. Good enough to start sanding, anyway.

Pic 3 is the assembled box, ready for final sanding and a finish. Oh. And it's upside-down, BTW.

Hopefully I'll get around to that in the next few days... and then will come cutting it open, fitting hinges and generally just patting myself on the back. (Either that or crawling into the shed for a quiet cry. )

What do you reckon it is worth worked out on an hourly rate?

I'm pretty impressed... shot 2 of your third post and you're able to take photos while holding the camera in your mouth.

I like the ooh-ahh moment when you oiled up the maple.

Originally Posted by Cliff Rogers

What do you reckon it is worth worked out on an hourly rate?

More than anyone will ever want to pay. Although I've probably only spent around 8 hours on it over the course of several days.

Originally Posted by Waldo

I'm pretty impressed... shot 2 of your third post and you're able to take photos while holding the camera in your mouth.

Ackershully, I've been practicing balancing it on my shoulder like a parrot, taking timed shots. 'Tis a bit annoying when it nibbles on my ear and squawks, though...

I like the ooh-ahh moment when you oiled up the maple.

As do I, Chris. As do I.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

'Tis a bit annoying when it nibbles on my ear and squawks, though...

So Anne does cry, "Polly wants a cracker."

I admire your patience. Looking good.

That poplar's come up well for a timber that's supposed to be pretty bland.
I too admire your patience, and the skill you've applied to it to bring the timber up like that.

Thanks fellas. If I had some power-tools here I'd probably use them.

Although it does surprise me just how much more 'efficient' hand tools are.

Pic 1 shows the first cut to separate off the lid. As you can see I simply scribed a line around the sides at - I think - 30mm from the top and used that as my reference. My little tenon pull-saw has a kerf they claim is 0.015" (0.38mm!! ) and actually cuts within that scribed line. That's scarily precise!

And sadly, yes. Yes, that is a 'misplaced scratch' on the uncut end... but it's not as bad as it looks. I'd hand rubbed on 4 coats of Tung while it was all still in one piece (Ooer! Shiny! ) and the scratch is only in the finish. Phew!

Pic 2... all apart and ready for final finish and hinges. I expect there to be several more hand rubbed coats inside and out before I'm happy with it.

Pic 3. Dammit. Pic 3. I'd bought the smallest hinges I could find without waiting several weeks for delivery... and they're approx 2mm too wide. I filed off the inside overhang, but the damned things turned out to be only brass-coated (even though advertised otherwise on the pkging) so I ended up with a shiny steel edge on the inside.

Running down to buy another pair - which I checked at the shop were 'fit for purpose' - I ended up with these. Still too wide, but this time I can't file away the inner edge as the holes are too close.

So... I seem to be stuck with fitting them as per Pic 4. I have a pair of 'bright' brass hinges (the brass-plated) and a pair of 'antiqued.' (the solid replacements.) I'd prefer they were concealed, but c'est la vie. I'm thinking that I may rebate them in so they at least sit flush with the surface. Just for the hell of it.

Anyway,s given that one pair or the other will be used (I don't have the time to keep hunting down hinges) in this configuration, any preferences? Or even suggestions to make the best use of what I do have?

Buggrit! Buggrit, millennium hand and shrimp!

For curiosity's sake I just checked the lengths of the screws supplied for the hinges against the thickness of the sides.

Also too long by about 0.5mm.

Sounding more and more like a good reason to make some wooden hinges

Skew, what sort of Japanese saw did you use to rip the timber? In Hakone I saw one made for cutting veneers that had the handle perpendicular to the blade. The wood was clamped vertically, and the saw handle was also vertical. Goodwoody or Des.K. may be able to give us more info about that sort of saw.

Skew

Frustrating as it is, I would suggest after all your good work that you spend a bit more time to find the right hinge for the job, which you will likely do best on line. Small hinges of good quality are not that easy to get hold of at reasonable cost and solid brass are much better as that can be fine tuned, whereas plated hinges are simply use or bin.

Alex

A saw I use a lot is this one Dozuki 150mm Fine Precision Saw : CARBA-TEC which I find brilliant, & it only has a .28 mm kerf.

It sounds like the veneer saw you are talking about is this 420mm Timberman's Saw w/Rip Teeth - The Japan Woodworker Catalog

used by sawyers to cut boards / veneers

I can't recall ever seeing one in Australia


Regards