Cherry Box of squares

bandit571 said:

Maybe a glue-up?

Well, I had a stash of lighter coloured wood to milled into a panel for a lid..

Got most of these resawn down to around..1/2" thick. Had to surface a few to get close to that size. Jointed all the edges. Those beads on the boards? I ripped those off, as I can always make a new bead. Crosscut to almost the same length…..width was coming up a bit too narrow. Found a piece of cherryand jointed it to fit. Might as well put it into the center of the panel?

Ok, Normally I do not work in the shop on Mondays….just don't work right… But, this stubborn old Mic decided to try his luck again….Laid out two pipe clamps on the bench….laid the parts to be glued up on them,,,,one clamp would roll onto it's side, then the other…..Grrrr

Finally, was able to spread a bit of Elmer's around, and start to clamp it up…..there goes the clamp over on it's side again…the other clamp would not clamp up, slider just kept sliding away…GRRRRRrrrr

Tossed that one back to the wall, got out a second one for that side…...5' of pipe in the clamp, wanted to flop over the back side of the bench…FINALLY got the bottom two clamps to act like clamps, and added a middle clamp on top…...More twisting of levers to get things tight….noticed one side was rising up from the clamp…Grrr, ok that is enough! Time to get violent! Saw a hammer handle nearby, and a few whacks later…

It is finally clamped up and decently flat in the clamps. Hammer?

24 oz war club….."Lil Framer" Not worried about the marks it leaves, as I intend to plane the panel down. The brown one in the middle is the Cherry accent strip. As for those LONG pipes?

Longest one is 5' the other two are 4'+......About time to find my pipe cutter.

Letting this mess sit overnight. But, since it takes up a lot of room, I guess I am done til then. Once I get this mess off the bench, I can start on cut some corner joints…..how about Dovetails this time around, since some on LJS hate finger joints, and think they are ugly. 1/2" thick boards are very nice for half blind DTs, so, I'll go with the through ones. A bottom panel of 1/4" plywood might get bought. need the Stanley 45 to make some grooves for the bottom to sit in, too. Can think of no better place to be on this election day, than in my woodshop..all day long. stay tuned, as tomorrow is always a better day..at least it isn't a Monday.

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bandit571 said:

Dovetails and grooves

Ok, camera issues, and a knee acting up. Might as well sit here and blog a bit?

Laid out a few toys…

Normal stuff for doing dovetails around here. That dovetail bit? I use that to set the angles, and then the spacings. There is a Disston #4 backsaw, filed rip, a couple chisels, that Kobalt knife ( needs a new blade) a few sharp pencils.

Layouts. I set up a few boards, label the ends to match each other. Since all marks are to be on the INSIDE of the box. I also marked a "T" and a "B".....top and bottom. I used the router bit to lay out a few pins. I for some odd reason, work better with the pins done first. Then I set the board upright in the end vise, as low as I can. Less vibrations while sawing, easier to start the saw..

I had used a marking gauge to cut a line all around that end. I then squared a line from the end of the board down to the cut lines, front and back. Saw is a rip cut. Makes a lot of Cherry flavoured sawdust. Since these are the pins, I can also cut the outside waste off while sitting at the bench..

And use a paring chisel to clean it up. I set up some scrap on the bench, and grabbed a big clamp…time to chop out the waste…BTW, when I saw these pins, I try to split the lines.

I chop halfway down..

Flip the piece over and finish up the pins. Scrap board is to protect the bench. I then clamp the next board in that spot. I hold the pin board vertical, and as still as I can. I mark where the pins are, and how far back they go. I square and gauge a line around again. I also use one of the bevel squares to straighten the lines from the pins.

Now, I could handsaw these, but I have trouble sawing at the angle and staying to the waste side of the lines. I do have a bandsaw. I can saw a straight line with the 1/2" wide blade, and I can see exactly where I am cutting.
I bring the board back to the bench, clamp it up, and chop out the waste. Then a test fit or two…

I can use a chisel to adjust the fit. Thenon to the next corner. I do one corner at a time, mistakes don't add up that way….hmm, getting there..

Just after this, the camera died. Took it back to the charger, and kept going…

And set this aside on the lid's panel ( did a test for size, too)

Lid is a tad long, but I can cut it for square better. I cleared the bench off. Time for a jig to be built ( since I threw away the last one )

As each piece needed an inside groove made. Can't get to the router table, don't use anymore, anyway. The Stanley #45 plane has been lurking around in the shop since the last job. never tore it down and put it in it's case.
Long rods? exchange for short ones. Cam rest, put away, not needed. Cutter? exchanged the 3/8" wide one for the 1/4" one..

I keep a plain old candle near the bench, not for light, but I rub plane soles, skates and cutters, and fence sides with it. The cutter is set to barely make a cut….and away we go..

Skates are set as close together as they will go, the cutter is just a hair wider. Depth stops to make sure I don't plough too deep. Took a couple tries to get the cutter to work easily. It did make a few curlies..

Trying to make grooves for the box's bottom to fit into..

Tested the line up as I went around the "block"

Not too bad? better than what I used to get with the router table, too. So, I have all four sides almost done..

So, what is next? Plane may stay set up, might need more grooves. I need to fine tune the fit of the dovetails. Might make a "file" out of a piece of scrap wood and a wrap of 100 grit paper. Oh, and once the fit is where I like it, THEN I can cut the panel for the bottom to size. Being it is the bottom, just a piece of 1/4" (5mm) Luann will do. Picked up a 2' x2' square earlier today. Then the knee gave up. Stay tuned, I might finish the outside of this box..someday.

Click to expand...

bandit571 said:

Dovetails and grooves

Ok, camera issues, and a knee acting up. Might as well sit here and blog a bit?

Laid out a few toys…

Normal stuff for doing dovetails around here. That dovetail bit? I use that to set the angles, and then the spacings. There is a Disston #4 backsaw, filed rip, a couple chisels, that Kobalt knife ( needs a new blade) a few sharp pencils.

Layouts. I set up a few boards, label the ends to match each other. Since all marks are to be on the INSIDE of the box. I also marked a "T" and a "B".....top and bottom. I used the router bit to lay out a few pins. I for some odd reason, work better with the pins done first. Then I set the board upright in the end vise, as low as I can. Less vibrations while sawing, easier to start the saw..

I had used a marking gauge to cut a line all around that end. I then squared a line from the end of the board down to the cut lines, front and back. Saw is a rip cut. Makes a lot of Cherry flavoured sawdust. Since these are the pins, I can also cut the outside waste off while sitting at the bench..

And use a paring chisel to clean it up. I set up some scrap on the bench, and grabbed a big clamp…time to chop out the waste…BTW, when I saw these pins, I try to split the lines.

I chop halfway down..

Flip the piece over and finish up the pins. Scrap board is to protect the bench. I then clamp the next board in that spot. I hold the pin board vertical, and as still as I can. I mark where the pins are, and how far back they go. I square and gauge a line around again. I also use one of the bevel squares to straighten the lines from the pins.

Now, I could handsaw these, but I have trouble sawing at the angle and staying to the waste side of the lines. I do have a bandsaw. I can saw a straight line with the 1/2" wide blade, and I can see exactly where I am cutting.
I bring the board back to the bench, clamp it up, and chop out the waste. Then a test fit or two…

I can use a chisel to adjust the fit. Thenon to the next corner. I do one corner at a time, mistakes don't add up that way….hmm, getting there..

Just after this, the camera died. Took it back to the charger, and kept going…

And set this aside on the lid's panel ( did a test for size, too)

Lid is a tad long, but I can cut it for square better. I cleared the bench off. Time for a jig to be built ( since I threw away the last one )

As each piece needed an inside groove made. Can't get to the router table, don't use anymore, anyway. The Stanley #45 plane has been lurking around in the shop since the last job. never tore it down and put it in it's case.
Long rods? exchange for short ones. Cam rest, put away, not needed. Cutter? exchanged the 3/8" wide one for the 1/4" one..

I keep a plain old candle near the bench, not for light, but I rub plane soles, skates and cutters, and fence sides with it. The cutter is set to barely make a cut….and away we go..

Skates are set as close together as they will go, the cutter is just a hair wider. Depth stops to make sure I don't plough too deep. Took a couple tries to get the cutter to work easily. It did make a few curlies..

Trying to make grooves for the box's bottom to fit into..

Tested the line up as I went around the "block"

Not too bad? better than what I used to get with the router table, too. So, I have all four sides almost done..

So, what is next? Plane may stay set up, might need more grooves. I need to fine tune the fit of the dovetails. Might make a "file" out of a piece of scrap wood and a wrap of 100 grit paper. Oh, and once the fit is where I like it, THEN I can cut the panel for the bottom to size. Being it is the bottom, just a piece of 1/4" (5mm) Luann will do. Picked up a 2' x2' square earlier today. Then the knee gave up. Stay tuned, I might finish the outside of this box..someday.

Click to expand...

bandit571 said:

Lid work

Ok, just to get caught up a bit. Sized the lid's frame parts for length, and started to dovetail the corners..

Four pieces, all nice and smoothed up, and then checked to make sure they would fit the box..

Then start with the dovetails. While normally I start with the pins…for some reason I wound up doing the tails first..

Not the best looking ones, pins looked better..

Hardest part for me is to remember which side of the lines to saw on..

Otherwise, I get loose things like this. Second corner? At least I remembered where to saw at..

Then, FINALLY, I remembered to make the pins first. Set the frame up on the bench, dry fitted up

Since all four corners now have been dovetailed together. Even came out square. Needed this to size the panel a bit better. Width was fine, length wasn't

So, I marked how much to trim off. Once that was done, I laid out some lines

1" in from the edge..

And a 1/4" up from the underside. Then clamp the panel flat to the benchtop..

Paul Sellers likes to use one of these planes. Task is to make a raised panel. I go at the diagonal to the grain, working my way back from the edge until a nice bevel appears. Rotate, mark, and plane the other end grain end.

I do the ends first, as any tear out at the corner will be planed off when the sides are done..

I can keep using the #4 or I can use a slightly longer plane for the edge grain. Clean up with a low angle block plane, and then add a slight "back bevel" all the way around. A check to see how it fits the frame, again..

While making these bevels, the goal is to have a nice STRAIGHT diagonal on the corner where two bevels meet..

This one will need a little fine tuning. Next up, I dug out the Stanley #45, and set it up for "plough work"

Then I can mill a 1/4" x 1/4" groove into the frame's parts, to house the raised panel. Need to make a jig to hold them still, long enough to make the grooves. That will be next time I wander down to the shop. Stay tuned…

Click to expand...

bandit571 said:

Lid work

Ok, just to get caught up a bit. Sized the lid's frame parts for length, and started to dovetail the corners..

Four pieces, all nice and smoothed up, and then checked to make sure they would fit the box..

Then start with the dovetails. While normally I start with the pins…for some reason I wound up doing the tails first..

Not the best looking ones, pins looked better..

Hardest part for me is to remember which side of the lines to saw on..

Otherwise, I get loose things like this. Second corner? At least I remembered where to saw at..

Then, FINALLY, I remembered to make the pins first. Set the frame up on the bench, dry fitted up

Since all four corners now have been dovetailed together. Even came out square. Needed this to size the panel a bit better. Width was fine, length wasn't

So, I marked how much to trim off. Once that was done, I laid out some lines

1" in from the edge..

And a 1/4" up from the underside. Then clamp the panel flat to the benchtop..

Paul Sellers likes to use one of these planes. Task is to make a raised panel. I go at the diagonal to the grain, working my way back from the edge until a nice bevel appears. Rotate, mark, and plane the other end grain end.

I do the ends first, as any tear out at the corner will be planed off when the sides are done..

I can keep using the #4 or I can use a slightly longer plane for the edge grain. Clean up with a low angle block plane, and then add a slight "back bevel" all the way around. A check to see how it fits the frame, again..

While making these bevels, the goal is to have a nice STRAIGHT diagonal on the corner where two bevels meet..

This one will need a little fine tuning. Next up, I dug out the Stanley #45, and set it up for "plough work"

Then I can mill a 1/4" x 1/4" groove into the frame's parts, to house the raised panel. Need to make a jig to hold them still, long enough to make the grooves. That will be next time I wander down to the shop. Stay tuned…

Click to expand...

bandit571 said:

Grooves done, and a glue up

Ok, Stanley #45 is set up to make 1/4" wide grooves…

Jig has been made. Then a few swipes with the 45..

Cut a groove in the top edge of each side. Then a test fit or three

First one showed the panel was a bit too long. Trimmed it a bit, and remade the bevel.
This morning, I went back to the shop. The bevels needed fine tuned, had a few spots that were a bit too fat, Spokeshave, block plane, #3 handplane, and some 80 grit wrapped around a wood slat. Worked all the way around the panel. Also "shot" the end grain ends, as they were a bit wavy. Test fit, found one spot that needed a bit more work….OK, laid out some pipe clamps this time around. Had to re-open the Elmer's, due to dried glue in the nozzle…..Added a few other clamps..

With that diagonal clamp to pull things back into square, Tape measure showed me which corners were out. Pulled the longer measurement back to about where the shorter one was. Square laying on the inside, wasn't much help. The long sides were bowed a bit. Will add a strut in the middle to push them back into a straight line…

Let the mess sit there a few hours…..

Bounced my way back to check on the glue up. Taking each clamp off, listening for any cracking going on….Finally got all the clamps off and put away. Dragged the box to my end of the bench, and gave the lid a test fit, again..

Well,it is a start, anyway..

I think I'll let this sit awhile, before anything else will get done. Might have another use for that Stanley #45…..like running a bead just above and below the box's opening? Might just run those all the way around the outside of the box. Top edges of the lid will get a rounding over, by hand.

Might be a day or two….stay tuned..

Click to expand...

bandit571 said:

Hinges installed, and a PIP

Ok, I worked a bit more on the lid, as it needed a strut installed to correct a bowed in side..

And worked to make the two halves LOOK like they belonged to each other. Planes, spokeshave, sanders. and gave things a coat of BLO to seal things up..

All that work dislodged the friction fitted strut, so I needed to glue it in a bit better..

And gave the underside of the lid a coat. Let that smelly BLO sit a day….

Decided to install the hinges, since things wer dry now…got out a few toys..

And it still wasn't enough stuff, had to get an eggbeater drill down as well….

Plan was to set the edge of the hinges in a bit from the corners..

Using a small combo square. Then use a chisel to remove some wood for the hinges to sit in. Set the chisel, two whacks with a mallet, move a little bit repeat. I then set a hinge into the cleaned out "rebate", and a pencil to mark where to drill the pilot holes..

Wax up the screws, and install ONE hinge. I needed the other hinge to mark the other three locations.

Something like this? About this time, the camera started having "issues" dust around the lens. Had to clean it, and recharge the camera's battery. Continued on with the install, though. Those push drills? They were having a problem drilling into the Cherry. The Buck Rogers one wouldn't hold that small a bit securely. Got a small drill down from the overhead rack, gave it a try…chuck wouldn't tighten enough…..tried a second eggbeater drill..

I was able to secure that small bit, and drill most of the pilot holes. Found a jig to set the completed box on, so a coat of 50/50 mix of BLO and Varnish could be brushed on. So…how about a PIP?
Drum roll, if you please

Still too much glare for the top..

Front does need a latch, yet..

Rotate the jig 90 degrees to show one side..

Repeat to show the hinges..

One more rotate to show the other side. Letting this dry for a day…..while I try to cobble up a few holders.
Stay tuned…..

Click to expand...