Extremely Average

Ecocandle said:

New Year...New Hobby

I have been known to take up a hobby or 37. At 42, on the cusp of 43, and well into the 'balding' years, I have decided that, in lieu of a midlife crisis, I would take up woodworking. Don't get me wrong, a new car and a 27 year old with huge, firm, hands would be wonderful; But I can't afford the 27 year old, and I am not into cars that much.

In the summer of 2009, I went to an arts festival in Des Moines. The gentleman, who won best of show, did so with some amazing etched clay bowls. I am not sure why those clay pots inspired me to take up wood working, or if they were the only inspiration, but shortly thereafter I found myself living in the thriving metropolis of Martelle Iowa. I had my first ever basement.

Without a lot of money to buy all that one needs to build furniture, I started with magazines. The first one was called, "Start Woodworking", from the editors of Fine WoodWorking. I read tips on tools, ideas for projects, stories about great woodworkers, and I began to formulate a plan. I would start with a workbench, the workbench on page 24. The editors of the magazine did a good job of designing a project with the beginner in mind. They even provided a DVD with instructions that were really helpful.

The bench took several months to complete, though the plans were designed so that one could complete it is a weekend. I would guess that I spent 5 hours of thinking about building the bench, for every hour of actual working on it. I thought about what I needed to complete each step, but I was always only focused on the next step. The first step was to buy the 2×4s, 4×4s, 3/8" threaded rod, and a miter saw. Not an electric miter saw, a cheap manual one. I could afford it, it would cut, and I didn't at all care about how long it would take to make each cut. I also discovered in the garage and old hack saw that I could use for cutting the threaded rod.

With the wood cut, I decided I wanted to sand my lumber. The next purchase was a small Black and Decker 'Mouse' sander, some 80, 120, 180 grit sandpaper, and a cool looking level that I didn't need but it was shiny and I was powerless to NOT buy it. The next few weeks found me sanding each piece a bit each day. Barely into my first project I was already getting addicted to the process. The feeling of the construction grade lumber in my hand, after it had been sanded, gave me the slightest glimpse into the beauty of working with wood. I thought about how it must be to run my fingers across a piece of glass smooth mahogany or birds eye maple.

The plans required that I route a 3/8 inch groove into the stretchers. Before I read this magazine I didn't even know what a router or a stretcher was. Each new term learned, each skill set explored, opened up the possibilities that developing woodworking skills offers. And each discovery brought the reality home that care needs to be taken to master each aspect of woodworking. So before I could move on to routing I needed to do a bit of research. This is how one turns a 2 day project into a 2 month quest.

I read reviews and comments. There are many good routers to choose from and I decided to go with the Bosch 2.25 hp router with both the plunge base and the fixed base. I bought 3 bits. A 2" Spiral Downcut CL 2BB and a straight 3/8" by Amana Tools, and a 3/8" Up Spiral bit by Freud. I have come to the conclusion that Freud and Amana Tools are the two best out there. Admittedly Amana makes 2 levels of router bits, and I can't speak to their low end line, but the high end bits have been a joy.

With the router in hand, I had all the tools required to build my workbench. Each step was approached with a sense of confusion and fear. The first time I used the router I was filled with trepidation and pizza, as it was after dinner when I gave it a try. I spent close to 40 minutes setting up a guide for my router. Pieces of 2×4 clamped with 2 24" and 2 36" Jet clamps on my make shift workbench, allowed me to position the router to route. I had read that it is best to take several small passes for safety. Since I was already a bit scared that the router would spin wildly out of control and drive itself into my spleen, leaving me bleeding and generally disappointed, I decided that small passes were a good idea.

It worked as advertised. My first 2 passes made a wonderful 3/8" grove in my wood. I was filled with pride and sure that I was well on my way to being one of the greatest woodworkers of the last 700 years. My second board didn't go as well. I had tightened the collet on the router, though apparently not enough and it had slid up slightly. This had produced a slight up ramp for the groove. My ego needed this set back and I retightened it and decided that I was the greatest woodworker in my basement at that moment. This was good enough for me.

The rest of the project required gluing 2 pieces of ¾ " ODF together to form the top, drilling some holes in the 4×4 legs, and attaching the 9" Jet vice. The only difficult part was installing the vice as it didn't come with instructions, but my own insecurity about getting it right, made me take it at a glacial pace. When I flipped the bench back over and put a piece of wood in the vice, I almost wept with joy.

At the end of the quest I learned several things. 1) When marking wood to be cut or drilled, avoid doing it while watching college football. My bench still bears the scars of several errant holes. 2) Drilling holes with a hand drill, so that they are straight, requires a bit of practice. 3) High quality drill bits are much easier to use than really old, worn out, dull, bits. This likely applies to all tools, the better the quality, the better the results. 4) Fostner bits are cool. 5) I love my workbench, with its shiny red Jet 9" vice. 6) The journey before me is perhaps the most exciting one I have undertaken in my lifetime.

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Ecocandle said:

Reflections of a Mortise



Stepping through the beveled corner, art deco inlay, looking glass, into the world of woodworking is an experience that is humbling to say the least. On another woodworking site, a blogger posed the question, are 'Dovetails' overrated? The article was well written, the comments were astounding. The debate between the pro-tail vs. the pro-choice factions was more contentious than an abortion debate three days before a presidential election.

Wonderland indeed! The one point that I took away from the debate was that choosing to learn to cut dovetails by hand required a lot of practice and patience. As someone who revels in his obsessive compulsive side, this epiphany appealed to me more than pizza and beer on a Saturday night. Admittedly I am not a huge fan of beer, but I LOVE pizza; And I didn't want say 'Pizza and Diet Dew', lest any readers think I am a big sissy.

As I cracked a diet dew, I decided that I would begin my study by buying a chisel. My general rule is to always buy the best I can find. My knowledge of chisels was limited to knowing how to spell chisel, and I only recently learned that. The internet pointed me towards Lie-Nielson. Several other articles taught me that socket chisels are nice because the handles are less prone to splitting. Apparently the steel should be around 60 - 62 something, so it is not too soft and not too hard. This sounded like a fairy tale about 3 bears and a porridge stealing juvenile delinquent. But who am I to question the wisdom of those who come before me?! Lie-Nielson chisels are of this design. I felt smarter just for knowing that. I decided that I wanted a set of bench chisels, a fish tail, skew chisel and possibly a 3/8 mortise chisel. They only cost $555.00.

With my brand new 3/8" Irwin chisel (around $10.00) in hand, I took the old mallet I had found in the garage, and tapped it gently into my practice wood. The Lie Nielson will have to come at a later date. The practice wood was a lovely little piece of hard maple; she had a nice figure and was a bit shy. I could tell it was her first time too. As I tapped that wood with my tool I felt nervous. Was I doing it right? Was I hurting my lovely piece of wood? Was it good for her?



An hour later I had finished. I had drilled and chiseled my way to my first mortise. I was sweating but filled with joy. Oh the euphoria. So this is what all the fuss is about! I had chiseled out a 2 and ¼ inch by 3/8" mortise and was now ready to think about moving onto the tenon. Of course, this would have to wait for another day, as I wasn't ready for another go. I just wanted to bask in the glow of my first mortise.
I learned several interesting things about chisels. They are able to remove much thinner and cleaner shavings of wood than I would have imagined. I had assumed that they would take large chunks of wood with each hit. As I pared down the sides and brought the corners to 90 degrees(ish), the need for mastering hand tools became clearer than a D flawless diamond and quite possibly more valuable. I know now that if I can learn to use these wonderful tools, if I can make them do my bidding, then I just may be able to create a masterpiece or at the very least, a nice cutting board.



It is ironic that, two days before, I had been thinking how I might use my plunge router to cut the mortises I would need for the Krenov saw horses I was attempting. I still believe that it will be equally important to be able to cut them with power tools, and I will likely cut far more using a router than I will a chisel, in my lifetime. But I doubt that I will feel the same exhilaration.

So I discovered the joy of hand tools. I have since cut 7 mortises (4 without a drill) and 7 corresponding tenons by hand. The last 2 mortises (no drill) took less than 26 minutes each, which was a vast improvement over 1 hour. As I continued to meander through the wonderland, I happened upon a rabbit that said, "You should probably learn how to sharpen your chisel" and he winked. The wink made it seem dirty somehow. As I thought about the rabbit, I realized that this is why this journey is such a joy. Each day brings a new challenge. Each challenge opens a door. Each door leads to a hallway with more doors. I doubt I will ever find my way back to the mirror.

(Editor's Note: Ok, I don't actually have an editor, but I like the sound of it. I did want to say that I appreciate all the encouraging comments from the 1st post I threw up yesterday. As of the writing of this post there were 321 people who had read my previous post, and 3.4% of you chose to leave a comment. To the 96.4% who didn't comment, I can only assume that your mother told you, "If you don't have anything nice to say, say nothing at all." To those non-posters, please feel free to mock my spelling, grammar or content…But NOT my hat…never my hat!)

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Ecocandle said:

Helsinki Games of 56'



The long cold winter swept over Jones County. It had been days since I had ventured past the threshold and I was nearly out of pot stickers. The Meeks residence was at Defcon 2. I was getting stir crazy. Action needed to be taken, so I bundled up, put on a sweatshirt and a coat, followed naturally by one additional coat, and topped off with a pair of gloves and a smart chapeau. The world outside waited and I was certain that there may would be an impulse tool purchase in my very near future.

It just so happens that the Acme tools, which I was sure, would have a tool I might fancy, was on the way to the Wal-Mart. And by on the way I mean that I only needed to drive past Wal-mart by 5 or 6 miles, turn right, and head an additional 4 miles. Sure enough there was a tool I just couldn't live without. A mini dozuki cross cut saw was waiting for me. It had plenty of Japanese characters on the box, and as you know by now, I am powerless against such brilliant packaging. In fact, it didn't have any English on it at all. I assume they do this to keep their exceptional saws a secret, and thus, assure themselves an advantage in the quadrennial hand saw Olympics, which is held in Helsinki this year. Helsinki is most well known for the brilliant Gold medal marathon joint match of 1956, where John Henry Smyth of England was narrowly defeated, by Arashi 'The Storm' Yamamoto, when Smyth suffered hand cramps in the final set and mistakenly cut the lesser known pigeon tail joint, giving the point to Yamamoto. Smyth never recovered and spent the remaining years of his life joining drawer sides with biscuits and gravy. Needless to say his choice to substitute turkey based gravy for wood glue, was at best, a poor one, and few post Helsinki pieces survive today.



Thinking of poor John Henry as I drove home, with pot stickers and new saw safely beside me on the passenger seat, I vowed never to suffer his shame. It has been written that using Japanese hand saws takes a bit of practice, as most woodworkers are use to the Western saws, which cut on the push. I have not used a Western hand saw in the last 25 years or so, and as such, figured that this rule didn't apply to me. I would take my new saw out of its packaging; touch it to wood and with the grace and power of 'The Storm', cut perfectly flat and straight. My assumption was that with one, or possibly two tries, I should be sufficiently trained, to make the saw do my bidding.

Strangely, this was not the case. I clamped a bit of hard maple into the vice, and went at it. The first cut was hideous. Neither straight nor flat, I held the tiny piece of wood in my hand and studied it. I had started out straight and then veered towards my body. Easy enough to fix, I would just cut more slowly and pay attention. I took the added step of drawing a line on my practice wood this time. Surely my second try would be perfect. I followed the line, taking my time, and making sure to take nice easy pulls on my new saw. When I was nearly done, and the piece about to fall off, I had a sense of triumph, knowing that this time I had done it. The triumph was short lived. While I did stay on the line, which was an improvement, I did not cut straight through the wood. I estimate that the 90 degree angle was closer to 86 degrees. I tried again. Again I veered away from my body. The fourth attempt was very close to 90 degrees. One more attempt and I would be an Olympic caliber hand saw user. Sadly the 5th attempt could be described as an embarrassment to me, my family, and even my ancestors. Could I hear John Henry snickering?


After an hour or so, I did feel I was making marked improvement. This skill will, like all the others, take a bit of practice. I do like my new saw though. I like it a bunch. The cuts are smooth, the kerf is thin, and on the rare occasion when I do cut true, the results are quite satisfying. I would recommend the saw to anyone who asks. Of course, since I can't read the packaging, I have no idea who made my little saw. I would say it is a cut above my other Japanese hand saw from the Home Depot. Pun Intended. Now for some pot stickers…yummy.

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Ecocandle said:

My First Project



"When you have completed 95% of your journey, you are only halfway there."
-Japanese Proverb

I need to remember this proverb whenever I approach the end of a project. I find that there are two finish lines when it comes to my tasks. The first finish line is where I start to feel good about what I have accomplished and the second one is where the project is actually completed. This is certainly the case for my workbench. It was, actually still is, my first project. The day that I successfully attached the vice to it, I passed the first finish line. I started to use my workbench and paid no attention to the shelf that wasn't complete.

Today I awoke determined to add that shelf. I dreaded this part of the project for one reason. I would need to flip the bench over to attach the shelf. This one little dread had kept me from this task for a couple of months. So I started the day, with a little chisel sharpening, as a warm up. Best to get some good woodworking mojo going I figured. 30 minutes of warm up and I was ready. I headed downstairs and cleaned off the top of the workbench and then measured.

There is an old adage that you should measure twice and cut once. I always do this. Today I succeeded in misreading the tape measure exactly the same way twice. Every once in a while I look at my tape measure and just get it wrong. Today my tape measure was clearly telling me that it wanted me to write down 45 and 5/8ths inches. I had the 5/8ths correct, but for some reason I looked to the right of the hash for the inch number and went with 46. The terrible thing is that when I checked my measurement I did the exact same thing. So I was off by an inch for the length. In the end, it didn't matter, but I hate making such a silly mistake.



In the interest of practicing my Japanese handsaw skills, I cut the width down by hand. It took me fourteen and a half minutes. I was cutting through ¾ inch MDF. Being curious, I decided to time how long it would take me to set up and cut the length with my Bosch circular saw. I have very little experience with my circular saw, so I need the practice here as well. I bought it about a month ago and have only made a handful of cuts. I have a replaced the Bosch blade with a Freud. The cut took me a total of 6 minutes and 30 seconds to clamp the board, mark the cut, clamp down a guide, and actually do the cutting. I am sure that most competent woodworkers would do this in a minute or two, but I am still a little bit frightened by my circular saw.

The board was now the correct dimensions. I needed to only cut out the notches for the legs and then I would be ready to flip that heavy beast over and attach it. Cutting the notches turned out to be a perfect task for my Japanese hand saw. The only problem with my new saw is that it has a piece along the top to stabilize the blade. This limits its capabilities somewhat. I turned to my other, much lower quality, saw and it worked marvelously. I received a tip from a reader of a previous post. He suggested I cut from below the wood and pull the saw towards the ground. This worked marvelously and I was able to cut quickly and accurately. Learning this trick has made me a better woodworker. Thanks.



Turning the bench over was much less of a pain than I imagined. I attached my shelf and flipped it back over. After centering it in the room I stepped back and was giddy. There was only one thing left to do. I would clean up the cases of my Bosch router and DeWalt drill and then put them on the shelf. I just couldn't put them on the shelf in their current state. Now I actually keep things pretty tidy, but both cases needed a good scrubbing. One thing led to another and I was in the garage cleaning each of my tools. I made great progress and took enormous joy arranging them on the workbench shelf. I cleaned for a long while, and I would estimate that I got it 95% of the way done. I will do the other half tomorrow.

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Ecocandle said:

It aint my Faulkner



"Sometimes I think it aint none of us pure crazy and aint none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. It's like it aint so much what a fellow does, but it's the way the majority of folks is looking at him when he does it." -William Faulkner, Novel,1930 'As I Lay Dying'

I enjoyed this novel. I enjoyed it a great deal, especially after I became use to the style, called stream of consciousness, with which Faulkner penned his 'tour de force'. In just 6 weeks, while he was working a power plant, he wrote one of the great novels of the 20th century.

'As I Stood Chiseling', by Louis 'The Ladies Man' Ban, is written in a similar, yet lesser known French literary style, Stream De Merde. The hallmarks of this style involves convoluted and often pointless rambling that have little bearing on the main plot or characters. Some would argue that Ban's chapter on the through mortise is one of the worst 73 pages in literary history, surpassed only by, Henry James Thornton's section about weasels and their dreams in his last book, 'Rodentia Musings' circa 1874. All arguments aside, it is certainly agreed upon by most scholars, that his main character is less interesting than peat moss. The worst point in the Homeresque length diatribe is when he writes, "As I stood chiseling my mind began to wonder, as it often does, to thoughts, not of woodworking, but of other less important things. Would a monkey enjoy cheese? I thought to myself, and if so, would said monkey prefer a finely aged Jarlsberger or sharp cheddar…which reminds me, I haven't sharpened my chisel in some time. I like sharpening my chisel. Why are British comedians able to make everything sound like a double entendre? How do they link any two words together and make them sound dirty, 'How about a tug and a whistle?' seems like something one might hear from their lips. Darn, I took too much from the side." This 'stream' continued on for what seemed like a fortnight.

I would imagine that many of you are thinking the same thing of today's blog and you would be right to do so. I considered writing my musing of minutia and telling you in great length about my through mortise cutting today. Actually, after I typed, 'I cut a couple of through mortises today', I had run out of material. It didn't seem lengthy enough for a blog post, so today I am going to tell you a bit about myself.

To begin with, and in the interest of full disclosure, my blog title is not my own creation. Though I think it is funny and quite clever, the phrase was first uttered in my proximity by Bryce Miller. Bryce is a wordsmith by training and the Executive Sports Editor for the Des Moines Register. If I were to improve my writing by 1000% it would still be only half as good as the pieces he has written. (Bryce = (Brian x 10)/.5)

My friend's fiancé had gotten a new puppy, his name was Roger. Roger was a Treeing Walker ******************** Hound. They have one function in life, from 8 am until 5pm, they bark. Roger barked at leaves, at passers bye, at walnut falling from the trees in the back yard, and often just at the wind. When he was a puppy he looked like a beagle with massive feet. One day Mary was playing with Roger and stood him up and resting his two front legs over her knees. He just stood their content and resting from a long day of disturbing the neighbors. Bryce looked over and Roger and said, "You are Extremely Average." This made me chuckle. And such is the story of how I came to name my blog. It still makes me chuckle.

I have many interests beyond woodworking. I am also an avid photographer. I sell my works through half a dozen stock photo sites. In fact, 3 of the pictures from post #5 have already had sales. I am finding that while I am improving at using hand tools for woodworking, I am also making an equal measure of improvement in lighting still life images. It is also really handy to have all those lights around so that I never have trouble seeing what I am working on.



Another interest is reading. I love books. I like buying them, I like having them neatly displayed on my bookshelves, and most of all I like reading and rereading them. When a novel is so good that it is tough to put down and the mere act of finishing it makes you sad, as there isn't any more, that is quite a good book. I feel that way about, 'To Kill a Mocking Bird', 'The Catcher in the Rye', and 'Snow Crash'. I also felt that way about Vikram Seth's 'A Suitable Boy', and it was 1482 pages of very small type. A good book is a good thing indeed. I am sure someone famous said that, probably with a posh British accent.

So do I have anything substantive to say on the subject of my Woodworking Journey? No. Did I receive the bundle of woodworking DVD's and books I was expecting to find at my local office of post? No. Has this made me more bitter and angry than Rosie O'Donnell? No, that last one was a trick question, and I got it right, as it is not possible, though I am somewhat bitter. I guess I would feel better if I cut some tenons to fit through my through mortises. I think I will grab an apple and head back to the basement for some tenon cutting. Thanks for stopping in and giving me a read. I hope you weren't too disappointed.

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Ecocandle said:

Confusion and Cats



"Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung." -John Milton

You might have to read that quote a couple of times. It is about confusion and after I read it the first time, it confused me even more. I wonder if that was Milton's goal. Today, I was ruled by confusion. I felt like every moment from the first light of day, until now, has been a disorganized mess. I had several things pulling me in different directions. As the work day came to an end, I started to think about today's blog. Again confusion raised his befuddled head.

I finished the saw horses. I haven't finished them yet. See, even my blog is confusing. I should have said, though I haven't applied a coat or two of finish to the saw horses, I have completed the construction. I intend to apply a finish to them. I also need to decide on my next project, for without a project, there isn't woodworking, and without woodworking, there isn't a blog. Oh sure I could ramble on about something else, perhaps discussing changes in cheese making technology, or look into recent attempts to unionize hurdy gurdy players, or even write horoscopes for cats. (Leo: You look purrfect today, people admire you, and they want to be near you, to serve you and do your bidding…in other words, same old thing. A new ball of yarn catches your eye. Play with fuzzy ball, nap, play some more and repeat.) But those things don't really interest me.

I also consider the possibility of just skipping a day. I could do that. What is the worst that could happen? I could go hang out with some friends at the Sports Column in Iowa City. Of course, breaking my streak of 27 days would probably make me feel awful tomorrow, lead to more drinking, and missing of another day. This vicious circle would continue for a fortnight, leading to unemployment, incredible depression, the adoption of a dozen cats (One for each sign), and ultimately the writing of catascopes. So skipping a day seems like a bad idea.

I could ramble on about being confused…no that wouldn't work…or would it?! Damn I wish I could raise one eyebrow, stupid eyebrowus parallelus. Could I possibly be confused for an entire blog post? Has it ever been done? I could look it up on Google or should I use Yahoo. I just don't know. I started watching the Tage Frid video, from Taunton Press, and it is marvelous. Maybe I could write a review. Nope, I'm not feeling it today.

I know what I want to work on. I want to build a router table. No confusion there. The problem is that I am torn between two different router plates. Should I choose the Rockler Aluminum Router Table plate for Group A routers or the Kreg PRS3030 Precision Router Table Insert Plate? I have also considered the Rousseau 3509. I just don't know and I am worried about making a poor choice. They all look like they are fine quality. The Kreg is $10.00 more expensive, but it could be delivered on Monday, while the Rockler would not come from Amazon, and I have no idea how long it would take. Once I make my decision, I am going to be eager to work on the table. I can spend the weekend making the legs. I will use the same methodology I used in my workbench. So maybe I should just ask for help?

If you have built a router table do you have a recommendation?

If you have ordered stuff from Rockler, how was their shipping?

If you have a cat, would the cat appreciate having a horoscope written for him or her?

As you can see, I am still quite a mess. I will do better tomorrow. Sorry.
Here is a picture of… a dog. This is Zoey; she lives next door to my parents, and really likes it when my dad rubs her belly. She never seems confused. I admit a cat would have been more appropriate, but I well…eh.

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Ecocandle said:

A Measure of Time



The outpouring of ideas from everyone has been incredibly helpful. I have been struggling with how I should get the router table to be flat, or at the very least to f sharp. So I sat at the piano and tickled the ivories.

Many of you might be astonished to find that I play the piano; well you need not be, as I really don't. When I turned 38, and realized it had been 20 years since I had graduated high school, it seemed that it was just about time to get my midlife crisis underway. I bought a really nice Yamaha electric piano with weighted keys. It was either that or take up smoking. I took four lessons from an angry Russian woman who complained, "De problem with teaching the children in dis country, is dat the parents, they don't let you hit their children. It is disgusting, how are they supposed to learn." And then she said, after a heavy sigh, "stupid Americans."

I didn't progress much with her, but I still like to sit at my piano and goof around. It is a good place to think. I thought about trying to sand a perfectly flat surface, and one side of my brain tells me that it is possible, but unlikely, while the other side tells me that it is impossible and really unlikely. I considered trying to get my antique jack plane tuned up, but I don't think I quite have the skill set for restoring the plane at this time, let alone, getting it in good enough shape to accomplish my task. The Makita 2012 NB table top planer seems like a good option, and Del at ACME has said they could order me one. But I am not quite ready to pull that trigger.



So I play a bit and think a bit. Then I go downstairs and glue up another set of boards. With each set, I get closer to needing to make a decision. I also find that with each set I am getting better at my set up and execution of the glue up. I lay the boards out parallel to one another, apply glue to the first board, use my plastic spreading card to get an even coat of glue, and then stack the next board on to the one with the glue. I have also started to put little spacers into the cauls, to hold them open. This has made getting the boards into the cauls considerably easier. After trying a couple of different strategies for getting the wax paper in place, I now wrap a layer around the ends of the glued up set of boards, before I slide it into the caul. This is easier than trying to put the paper in afterwards. Once the boards are into the cauls, I tighten them a little bit, but not too snug. I clamp the ends next, which I made sure stuck out past the cauls by about 3 inches. Lastly I slide my Jet clamps under the boards, rotate them up, and tighten. I finish by tightening the cauls.

!

I will not describe the methodology I used initially because it involved a lot more chaos and swearing. I glued up my boards in seven mini sections, and now am gluing the seven mini sections into three. The middle section is kept separate from the others, as it needs to be cut in half, thus creating the opening for the router plate. I have left an excess of about 1 ¾ inches on the middle section, and about 1 inch on the end sections. This will allow me to finish up the sizing by trimming off both ends. Since I knew that this step was part of my plans, I avoided stressing out about having the ends perfectly lined up. I got them as close as I could, and that was good enough.



The joy of this project grows with each step. Actually doing a glue up is sort of exciting. I am sure that future glue ups will require much greater attention to squeeze out, but that is ok. I will cross that sticky bridge when I get to it.

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