Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
Message
Author
User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#251 Post by The Spartan »

My mom had surgery yesterday, so I made her chicken soup:
Image

Continuing on with my new tool chest, the lower cabinet:
Image
Image

The dovetails at the ends:
Image

Still lots to do, like trim those dovetails flush. I need to put on the backs. I need to build the fall fronts. I need to add the casters and I need to put the lid on. Then paint everything and put the handles on.

User avatar
timmy
Posts: 1545
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:56 am

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#252 Post by timmy »

Ohhh wish I could dovetail. I really should do an adult ed course in woodworking to freshen up my skills; finding as I've been getting into prop-making that I'm covering up a lot of sloppy work with filler.
"also it really shits my mum so it's a good way of winding her up"

-thejester

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#253 Post by The Spartan »

Get a dovetail saw, a chisel and mallet, a square, a mechanical pencil and a t-bevel. That's what I use. (I also use a fret or coping saw to cut out the bulk of the waste, but that's not strictly necessary.)

Then buy some cheap lumber from the hardware store, layout your tails and cut till you can do a halfway decent job. That's how I learned.

Here's the method I use for laying them out: http://www.popularwoodworking.com/techn ... -dovetails

User avatar
timmy
Posts: 1545
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:56 am

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#254 Post by timmy »

Cheers for that, useful info. Biggest problem for me in probably in getting steady cuts. I can follow a line alright, but will almost always have to put in a lot of effort with a file to get the new edge flush. This doesn't seem like it should be the norm.
"also it really shits my mum so it's a good way of winding her up"

-thejester

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#255 Post by The Spartan »

That's not really a huge deal, by itself. I use files sometimes if I end up out of square, though not as much as I used to, and I still always double check with a little mini square that I have. I just need to get better at fitting everything so that there's fewer visible gaps.

To help yourself avoid going off square, start with "Nibbling cuts" until you establish a kerf along your lines. Also, always advance along two lines, never just one, until that kerf is established. After that, you have to work harder to go out of square than stay in it (assuming you start in square).

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#256 Post by The Spartan »

Lower cabinet almost done:
Image

The rear panel:
Image

The beading I applied to separate the two pieces of the back panel:
Image
Image

I just need to square up the front lips (which ended up slightly out of square somehow...), build the lid and then paint the exterior. I may or may not shellac the interior.

User avatar
timmy
Posts: 1545
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:56 am

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#257 Post by timmy »

Depends what you put into it I guess. I've got a hankering to try making a road case now.
"also it really shits my mum so it's a good way of winding her up"

-thejester

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#258 Post by The Spartan »

I have created... GOSSAMER SHAVINGS!!!
Image
Image

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#259 Post by The Spartan »

Finished lower cabinet (complete with shavings from cutting rabbets into the fall front):
Image
The back of the front, those slats help hold the front in place:
Image
The rabbets on the fall front (I don't think I did a very good job actually...):
Image

I'm going to finish building the main chest now, then I need to paint the whole thing. I may also add magnetic catches to help hold the fall fronts in place, I haven't decided yet if that's necessary.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#260 Post by The Spartan »

Back is on the main chest:
Image
As you can see I cut slots in the shelves so that my carpenter square fits in the chest:
Image
View of the back:
Image
The joints and beading I added (which aren't great, but they work):
Image

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#261 Post by The Spartan »

Cleats for the chest bottom:
Image
Fall front:
Image
Slot for the fall front (there's another on the other side, of course):
Image
Fall front on:
Image
Stacked together:
Image
With their fronts on:
Image

I'll try to build the lid tomorrow. Then start painting it.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#262 Post by The Spartan »

Lid's built:
Image
What it'll look like when I attach it (It's just lying on top for the picture):
Image

Next up: Painting.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#263 Post by The Spartan »

Two coats of red and a coat of polyurethane:
Image
First coat of blue:
Image
Third coat of blue:
Image

Next I need to fit the lid hinges and handles.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#264 Post by The Spartan »

Hinges fit:
Image
Handles fit:
Image

Now to fill it with my tools!

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#265 Post by The Spartan »

Filled with tools:
Image

It's a bit of a jumbled mess at the moment. Space ran out fast. There's also some wasted space, vertically, in the top.

I'll have to spend some time working out the best way to store everything.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#266 Post by The Spartan »

Added pulls to the drop fronts on my toolchest to make them easier to open.
Image

I'm also going to take another stab at the walnut side table I was working on back in May. I couldn't get the top to work out right so I'm going to try it again with a maple top with breadboard ends.

Oh, and the first back of Holiday Cheer 2014 is in the bottle and should be ready Sunday.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#267 Post by The Spartan »

Homemade Paste Wax:
Image
(Hot)

Image
(Cooled)

Tung oil, carnauba wax and beeswax. I tried adding orange oil to make it smell citrusy, but the nuttiness of the tung oil completely drowns that out. I'll try it out when I get that table I'm building finished. Probably won't have time until next weekend or the next.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#268 Post by The Spartan »

New drill press with added mobile base and (in progress) auxiliary table:
Image
Image
Image

User avatar
Oxymoron
Posts: 4167
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2012 4:18 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#269 Post by Oxymoron »

It doesn't look that stable. Doesn't it have a slight tendency to shake on its base?
No.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#270 Post by The Spartan »

It is very top heavy, as drill presses tend to be, but if you look close you can see that I've bolted it to the wood which in turn is attached to the base with screws and extra wide washers through the front, sides and back. I deliberately shook it once I had it attached to the base and it always went back to a stable point of rest. I also drilled a hole into a scrap piece and it didn't shake during that.

Way ahead of you, dude! ;)

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#271 Post by The Spartan »

Drill Press Table done:
Image
I may have to adjust the fence since it gets in the way of the feed handles if the table is really close to the drill, but we'll see after I use it awhile and what kind of work I end up doing.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#272 Post by The Spartan »

Tray added to toolchest for layout and measurement tools:
Image

Supports:
Image

I also have a new batch of holiday ale in the fermenter, but it's not the usual holiday cheer (of which I still have two batches bottled). It's a porter with Christmas spices and it actually sounds really good. I'll know soon enough.

User avatar
timmy
Posts: 1545
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:56 am

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#273 Post by timmy »

I rate it!
"also it really shits my mum so it's a good way of winding her up"

-thejester

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#274 Post by The Spartan »

Mom's Christmas Present:
Image
Image
It's a candle box with integral candle holders. The top and bottom are walnut and the sides are figured maple. It was finished with garnet shellac and then rubbed down with my homemade paste wax. Which worked quite nicely.

Dad got three kinds of homemade mustard. I especially like the grainy mustard with its horseradish-like kick. There was also a yellow mustard and a sweet Guinness mustard.

Also, the Christmas spiced porter I mentioned back in November is delicious. It's like drinking Christmas.

User avatar
The Spartan
Posts: 944
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2011 11:22 pm

Re: Spartan's I Can Make This Thread

#275 Post by The Spartan »

So I haven't been posting much lately because I haven't been making as much as I might have in the past.

I'm working on a book shelf, but it's not ready yet. I also brewed a rye oatmeal double brown ale tonight. It'll be a close to a month before it's ready though. I also have a dunkelweizen in the bottle that'll be ready next Saturday. I also need to make a batch or two of strawberry jam and I want to try out some lemon jam.

Stay tuned!

Post Reply