Hi all.
Below is a Holiday gift idea, that can be done on the cheap if you consider a SPF 2×4 comes in at 1 1/2" thick, and they are easy to rip 1" wide rips from. Or you can make cooler ones with either gluing up several pieces of 1 1/2" wide stock of different species, or a nice looking species by itself. Your imagination is your guide.
I made a bunch of plain Jane Hard Maple ones some many years ago. I gave all of the Women in my family, and life one as a kitchen helper, to aid in converting any recipe from 12 people, down to 1, or for 1 person up to 12. If you run into a US Navy cooks recipe for Chili, and it's supposed to feed 500, well you'll be needing a calculator.
Simple, quick, and so easy to use is why the Cooks love them. Pretty basic to make, so doing a few or a few Dozen is pretty simple work, so Woodworkers love em. Seriously I spent more time waiting on Shellac to dry then I did making them, and Shellac dries pretty fast, but then 40 years ago I was a LOT faster than now too.
Anyhow on to the jig. I ran into these back when I worked at ShopSmith, they were in Hands On, the free magazine SS put out a few times a year. Here is a pic of mine after almost 40 years. It originally had bright white copy paper, as you can see it's somewhat yellowed, plus it got dropped, and part of the Dovetail broke off, so I dug out the info for it, and was going to make some for Christmas for all the new girls added to the Family since the original run, and some for new friends too. I thought, gee I haven't seen this repeated anywhere, so I figured I'd drop it here. It's too neat an idea to let it die.
My old version.
On to the plan. It's of 3 different pages, so I am adding the links for all 3 in case someone has issues with their computer, phone, device, following links on a page. They will be the main page, that shows a pic, and tells about the build, and how to use them. It's the most important page.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com
Next is the detail page for the size of all the parts.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com/Assembly_1.htm
Following that is the portion you have to copy for the label you put on the front, that allows you to see how much of an ingredient to use, and also is the scale to put the number of people the recipe the single numbers show, mostly to the right side and on TOP. Then you set the number of people you are actually making the recipe for on the BOTTOM. The ingredients will line up over each other, telling you the conversion in seconds.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com/Assembly_2.htm
1 1/2" tall X 1" thick is your size on the plan, but if you are trying to showcase some special wood, you could allow for more wood, just remember the top, and bottom need to be applied in 2 pieces, at the cut line. BUT don't cut the wood there, unless you allow for 2 x the height of your DT, to do after the rip.
Not sure if I typed that so it's clear enough? If you plan a 1/2" DT, make it 1" taller, A 3/4" DT is 1 1/2" taller. Rip it in two, then do your DT. This is much easier than how the plan has you go, and it more easily allows you to use a smaller straight cut bit to route "most" of the stock out first, which is the smoothest way to route a DT track into solid wood.
Truth be told, you could do a Dado, and a tongue, and it would slide fine, just make sure to use the catch, or a tiny magnet, or every time you turn it, the top will fall off.
Enjoy. I hope I snare some makers, if you do, drop a pic here as well as a link for a Make post.
Santa returns to his shop….......
Below is a Holiday gift idea, that can be done on the cheap if you consider a SPF 2×4 comes in at 1 1/2" thick, and they are easy to rip 1" wide rips from. Or you can make cooler ones with either gluing up several pieces of 1 1/2" wide stock of different species, or a nice looking species by itself. Your imagination is your guide.
I made a bunch of plain Jane Hard Maple ones some many years ago. I gave all of the Women in my family, and life one as a kitchen helper, to aid in converting any recipe from 12 people, down to 1, or for 1 person up to 12. If you run into a US Navy cooks recipe for Chili, and it's supposed to feed 500, well you'll be needing a calculator.
Simple, quick, and so easy to use is why the Cooks love them. Pretty basic to make, so doing a few or a few Dozen is pretty simple work, so Woodworkers love em. Seriously I spent more time waiting on Shellac to dry then I did making them, and Shellac dries pretty fast, but then 40 years ago I was a LOT faster than now too.
Anyhow on to the jig. I ran into these back when I worked at ShopSmith, they were in Hands On, the free magazine SS put out a few times a year. Here is a pic of mine after almost 40 years. It originally had bright white copy paper, as you can see it's somewhat yellowed, plus it got dropped, and part of the Dovetail broke off, so I dug out the info for it, and was going to make some for Christmas for all the new girls added to the Family since the original run, and some for new friends too. I thought, gee I haven't seen this repeated anywhere, so I figured I'd drop it here. It's too neat an idea to let it die.
My old version.
On to the plan. It's of 3 different pages, so I am adding the links for all 3 in case someone has issues with their computer, phone, device, following links on a page. They will be the main page, that shows a pic, and tells about the build, and how to use them. It's the most important page.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com
Next is the detail page for the size of all the parts.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com/Assembly_1.htm
Following that is the portion you have to copy for the label you put on the front, that allows you to see how much of an ingredient to use, and also is the scale to put the number of people the recipe the single numbers show, mostly to the right side and on TOP. Then you set the number of people you are actually making the recipe for on the BOTTOM. The ingredients will line up over each other, telling you the conversion in seconds.
http://freekitchenprojectplans.com/Assembly_2.htm
1 1/2" tall X 1" thick is your size on the plan, but if you are trying to showcase some special wood, you could allow for more wood, just remember the top, and bottom need to be applied in 2 pieces, at the cut line. BUT don't cut the wood there, unless you allow for 2 x the height of your DT, to do after the rip.
Not sure if I typed that so it's clear enough? If you plan a 1/2" DT, make it 1" taller, A 3/4" DT is 1 1/2" taller. Rip it in two, then do your DT. This is much easier than how the plan has you go, and it more easily allows you to use a smaller straight cut bit to route "most" of the stock out first, which is the smoothest way to route a DT track into solid wood.
Truth be told, you could do a Dado, and a tongue, and it would slide fine, just make sure to use the catch, or a tiny magnet, or every time you turn it, the top will fall off.
Enjoy. I hope I snare some makers, if you do, drop a pic here as well as a link for a Make post.
Santa returns to his shop….......