traveling till.....

I've been sidetracked with working on the traveling toolbox. I am now almost done with the till and dividing it up to hold my tools. After I'm done with this I plan on finishing up the clock.

almost done

view from the other side

I'm undecided about the 6 and 4 inch squares in the lower right corner. This is a dead spot that I was going to put my mortise gauge in but it sticks up above the till - so it's a no-go. I still have to figure out some type of handle thingie so I can get this in and out of the box. And I have to glue a keeper by the bevel gauge.

a lid - for now

There was too much space wasted above the 12 inch combo square and rule compartment not to use somehow. By adding a lip around it I can use this piece of 1/4" ply as a lid and put my strop and rouge here. I can't put a handle in the middle of this where I want to because if I do I would limit what can go on top of this. i.e. the strop wouldn't fit - I tried. The strop is a tad wider than half the width of the ply.

 So the plan now is to put a small piece of wood centered on the left short side close to the edge. That will leave all the real estate to the right of it open and I will still be able to open/close it.

I didn't think of this as I was doing this and I wish I had. I have a lot of 10-24 thumb screws left over from when I built the toolbox for my Record 405. I could have used them here to secure some of the tools. I don't think I have enough meat on the tool supports to drill them and put in the inserts for the screws. As it is I don't that I have to worry about anything moving if I'm careful with carrying the box.

The bottom of the till is a piece of 1/4" ply. I had considered using some ship lapped 1/4" poplar but the 1/4" ply won because of wood movement. I nailed it to the bottom rather then putting it in a groove on the inside to maximize the height inside the till for storage.

Almost done and then I can turn my limited attention span else where.

accidental woodworker

traveling tool box....

In june I'm taking a two day woodworking course (my first) and I don't have a traveling tool box. I've been overloading my two surviving brain cells with ideas on how to make one. Instead of making one, I am using a chest I made 4 years ago that has been sitting in the boneyard collecting dust. I have to do some configuring but I think it will work.

I haven't gotten the required tool list yet (the class is in june) but I do know what the project is. I put together a tool list made up of tools that I would use to make it. Over the past week or so I've been playing with the reconfiguration here and there and I'm almost done with it.

finally being used

I made this in august of 2008 with a Leigh dovetail jig that I no longer own. I had to add an extra piece of wood for the mortise lock because the stock was too thin for the body of the lock. I tried to make the dovetails asymmetrical on each corner to imitate a hand made look.

interior divided up

what's going in the bottom

the support for the top till

a place for the chain

I made the till supports this way so the chain will have a place to fall into as the lid closes. I only lose about 2" doing it this way. I couldn't think of another way to do it so that the chain wouldn't be in the way when taking the till in or out. Now that I know that this works I plan on using this on my small tool chest.

problem area

The front and rear is bowed  inward about a 1/16" in the middle. I made the till width to fit the width of the bow in the middle. The bow pulled all four corners enough out of square that it would have been a head scratch-er getting the till to fit. I only had to fit the long dimension of the box and not the short sides too.

my homemade tooth protector

till dovetailed ready for glue and a bottom

This stock was for the small tool chest till.  I whacked this out last night and I used my new moxon vise. Using the moxon was a lot better then being stooped over the shoulder vise. I also noticed that I wasn't at the top of my game with this set of dovetails. ( I think I got full of myself too much) They went together off the saw but there a a few gaffes that I could have avoided.

these are the tools for the till

I am undecided about how to do the tools in the till. I am leaning in the direction of doing a quasi french fit on them.  I'm not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling about having these rattling around as I carry this tool box. I still have to glue this up and decide how I'm going to get a bottom on this so I have lots to time to think on it.

accidental woodworker

clock build pt IV

I'm making good progress on my clock but I hit a road block. I have billion table top clips and I can't find one of them. Well maybe not a billion, but a whole lot which is only ten shy of a billion. I need one of them to secure the front of the roof to the front top rail.

 I ordered some more of them from Lee Valley on tuesday and I'll get them  today (thursday). The handles for the tool chest fell into the black void somewhere but table clips I'll get.

3 the same, one different, I'm not happy

I went nutso trying to ensure that these legs were all the same length. I went nutso trying to ensure that I flushed the tops of the legs with the top of the side assemblies. In spite of going nutso, the front left leg decided to be 1/16" shorter than the other three. It probably wouldn't make any difference with this being a clock - how often are you going touch/move it?  Most of the time it'll be just looked at.

However, this will bug the bejesus out of me. I leveled the clock here by using that piece of thin stock on the right. I marked the 3 long legs and now I just have to saw to the line. No rush to do that yet.

clock floor

You can't even see a hint of this ply bottom when looking at the clock from the front. I just screwed it in place here. I want to make sure the pendulum fits and swings freely before I glue and screw for sure. I had add a little extra to the dial board because the clock shaft is too long for the 1/4" dial board. Looks like I ordered the wrong size hands and shaft length.

door latch

My first thought for a door latch was a small brass hook and round head brass screw. I didn't have these in the extra stock box so I went with this arrangement here. After making this, I like this much better than the brass thingie idea.

This is the second clock I'm making with a door that will allow access to the movement. I have other clocks and you have to use a screwdriver to remove the back to get access to the movement. I'm going to try and do this door thingie on future clock builds if I can.

the roof

There is a small bevel on the top of the roof. Initially I was going to put it this way because there is a purplish streak on the top I like. It doesn't look good to my eye with the bevel up so it's going bevel down. I'm burying the streak so it looks good.

One other point bothering me is with the roof clamped down as it will be, there is a slight gap between the top rail the the roof. Small point, but it bugs me. The gap is very small and consistent and probably wouldn't be noticed by anyone else. I've the got fix for it already done.

this what moldings were invented for

I took a piece of 3/8" scrap poplar and I put a small bevel on it with my new bevel plane. I then ripped it out with my rip saw and cleaned it up with my #3 plane. I'll glue this to the top rail only so the roof can move.

The roof is getting glued to the back top rail and the front is secured to the top front rail with a table top clip. This way all the wood movement will be out over the front of the clock and I don't want this little molding impeding it.

The test fit of the clock and the pendulum is next. I've already checked that the dial fits ok. Then it's shellac time, about 4-5 coats should do it nicely.

accidental woodworker

tool chest progress report......

My handles from Woodcraft didn't arrive on monday nor the changed delivery date of friday. When I checked it on saturday it was downgraded to in transit again.  On thursday it was in transit for delivery on friday the 23rd. I don't understand it either. Just where are my handles? The only thing I can get out of FedEx is that they "in transit" and Woodcraft washed their hands of the whole matter because it has been shipped.

Okay so no handles but I did get the chain, which I got from Lowes. It cost me 57 cents a foot. I was surprised by this price as I was expecting to pay triple that price. I was looking for brass but they were out of that so I settled for shiny.



it'll be in the way of a till, but the hinges won't break out



from sitting around in the shop

I can't believe how dirty this chest is getting. This dust doesn't blow or wipe off easily. If daughter #1 or #2 wants this, I'll have to put on a couple of coats of wipe on poly.

bottom

I didn't paint the bottom of the chest but instead I put on a couple of coats of shellac. To help with longevity, I put put teflon buttons on the four corners. I had a foot stool upholstered and these were on that. I ripped them off because I'm not fond of these being on furniture that moves a lot. They have a new home now. I'm using them here to protect the bottom of the chest so there isn't any contact between the bottom of the chest and the concrete floor.

Before I do the till on this chest I'll have to figure out some way to account for the chain lid stay being in the way. I've got a few ideas and hopefully I won't use the most stupidest one.

accidental woodworker

diamond stone follow up pt II........

On saturday I played the bounce test with Mr Concrete floor and my 1" bench chisel. The score: Mr Concrete 1 - Mr Bench chisel 0. I took a big chip out of one of the corners of the chisel. I used the opportunity to give my new diamond stones a work out and get some practice with free hand sharpening.

the back

The top corner of the chisel was chipped. It took me about ten minutes using these two diamond stones and my strop to get to this point. These diamond stones cut faster than any water stone I have ever used. I used a back and forth  motion while holding the chisel at 90 degrees to the length of the stone to sharpen it.

nice shine off the stropping

I put my left index finger on the back of the bevel and my hand holding the chisel an inch or so above my left finger. After a couple of back and forth strokes I got a feel for the bevel and I was off to the races. I didn't get a clean straight across the bevel cut but I would say 80 % of it.  The chip is gone, the chisel is sharp, and I'm getting better at free sharpening.

After I did this chisel I did the 3/4" and the 1/2" ones. They didn't need it but I wanted to practice.  I didn't initially nail the feel for the bevel on these two chisels too. I do feel that I did a decent job and that with more practice I'll nail it first time, every time.

 I am also thinking of trying out one of my honing guides on the diamond stone. I have three of them and if I screw one up that's ok. I am concerned with how well the guide wheel on the bottom will hold up to being used on these stones. Will the diamond stones ruin it after a few runs?

my block plane iron

I planed the end grain on a piece of poplar that I am using for the roof on the clock I'm making now. Before I did the planing, I sharpened the iron on my diamond stones and then I stropped it just like I did my chisels. I usually sharpen this only on my water stones and the last few times I've done it freehand with good results. I got similar results freehanding it on the diamond stones.

not bad for a free hand effort

When I sharpened this with my sideways motion I wasn't square across the blade on my first couple of strokes. I don't know if you can see it in the pic but there is a slanted line that's high on the right side and slants down to the left. I did end up with a square blade after fiddling with it for a few minutes. These diamond stones ate up this A2 blade like it was candy.

another look see

 After sharpening the iron with these stones I went through that poplar end grain with very little effort. I took off curly wispy shavings and left a finish as smooth as a baby's bottom. This is what the blade looked like after I did the end grain planing.

my #3 plane iron

I did this #3 plane iron free hand and I rounded the corners on it. I did this the way Paul Sellers sharpened plane irons in the Artisan series DVD. I'm happy with how sharp this iron is and the rounded corners worked somewhat with out leaving tracks. It's only when I planed with a shallow cut that I didn't leave any tracks. This is going to take a little more rounding and practice before I get the brass ring.

These diamond stones have made me a believer in them. Paul Sellers blogged that he has been using his diamond stones for ten years. That is pretty good longevity. I have gone through two water stones in a little over a year so I'm liking how long these diamond stones should last me.

accidental woodworker

clock build pt III......

I broke up my day in the shop today by going to the Shady Lea woodworking open house. I got to see Dan Collins (guitars), Ryan (cabinetmaker), and Sir Matt Cianci, Saw God. I was going to ask his advice on a saw I had brought and he ended up sharpening it for me. I now have a very fine saw for doing thin stock dovetails. I didn't have to wait, I watched him do the whole thing. It's a treat watching him bring the teeth back to life after flattening all of the them.

Before I went off to Shady Lea I made all the decisions I had to make on my clock. I decided on the roof details, the back door details, and the finish I'll use (shellac). Now I have to execute the marching orders.

two halves of the body

I didn't take pics of the first glue up here. I went nutso making sure that these two side pieces were dead nuts square. I used the two black right angle thingies on one side and my 2 Starrett combo squares on the other side. Mr Starrett says both piece are still square.

I did this glue up this way to help get the final case square. I figure if I got two opposite corners already square, then gluing up the the two side assemblies should be a piece of cake. It worked for me on this glue up as I ended up with a dead nuts case.

brads getting a trimming

I nipped two brads so that when I applied the glue and then clamps, these sides wouldn't slip and slide. I did this for the first glue up on the sides too.

guide strip for the side

ready to make dimples

I flushed the side with the top and up tight against the guide strip and pushed down.  The brad has enough sticking up to ensure that I get two dimples.

two dimples

I did this for the other side assembly and once I was happy that I had everything where it should be, I glued it.

the roof end grain off the saw

some LN block plane action

planed not sanded

It's amazing to me how easily it was to plane the end grain sides on the roof for the clock. The finish is much better then anything I could have done with sandpaper.

the bottom of the clock

This is my choice for the bottom of the clock. The notch is for the pendulum to swing in. I was going to leave the bottom open but I changed my mind. I wasn't happy about using solid wood here as I would have had to allow for wood movement. The next batter up is plywood. It's going in a place that is not readily seen and wood movement isn't a problem. And it will help to keep dust out of the interior of the clock case. I'm going to glue and screw it to the bottom, back rail. It's about a 1/16" shorter in width and length so the sides will be able to move independently of it. I'm planning on putting this piece in last.

I was hoping to finish this today but it ain't happening. Now I'm  shooting for next monday.

accidental woodworker

it's not cardboard.......

I'm trying to get my stanley miter box back together and use it so I can ditch the Hitachi chopsaw. A big piece of the puzzle is getting the saw fixed. The tote on it was damaged and the previous owner did a less then stellar repair. He did it with two screws and 4.8 miles of electricians tape. Now I'm getting it fixed.

This is something I have never done and I don't want to do. I tried to sharpen my own saws and all I got was a raging headache. I'll pass this off to someone else and smile as I pay them for the service.

Bob over at Logan's cabinet shop is going to make a new tote and sharpen the saw. For the past three weeks I've been trying to find a box that I can ship the saw to him in. I found one that might have worked if I shipped the saw without the tote on it, maybe. I just couldn't find one big enough for the saw that would also allow me to put some packing around the tote. I can't think of anything worse than getting the saw tote fixed and having it break a horn during shipping.

I finally gave up locating a box to ship my saw in. A lot of the headaches has to do with it's size - 33" x 8".  I decided my only option was to make my own box. I tried to make it as light weight and sturdy as I could.

the beast and some box parts

I only need about an 1 1/2" in height for the box and I can make the width as need be to allow for packing, etc. I am using 3/4" pine for the short ends and 1/2" plywood for the sides. The top and bottom will be a piece of 1/4" mdf.

box almost done

This saw isn't going to rattle around that much. I am mostly concerned with the horns on the tote making the trip back home.

I think it'll survive

ready to ship

 I have one last thing to do for this to be 100%. I have to get a 3' piece of soft plastic tubing so I can use it as a blade guard when I ship this. I weighed the box at 6 + lbs and to my surprise the the saw only weighed 4 lbs.  I'm looking at roughly 11 lbs shipping weight to New Jersey and back. UPS won't do call tags so I'm going to have to find another way to do this.

accidental woodworker

New clock build pt II......

The build continues and it made me feel dumber than a box of rocks. I did a good job of cutting and fitting one tenon by hand so I decided to do the other 3. I wish I hadn't done that. It was a worse than you can imagine. Not only did I not get the other 3 tenons to fit, I messed up doing them on the table saw - twice.

some of the me-steaks

This isn't the whole pile. A few of them went airborne and I don't know where they landed. I should have kept going and made all the tenons after I made the first one yesterday.

back frame

The back didn't get full 3/4" thick stock for the rails. I had to use some 3/8 pieces and it worked out in my favor. I ended up with a 1/4" set back that I'll use to put a door in. This is a light weight frame that isn't going to be subjected any more stress other than the clock hands moving.

front frame with dial backer board

I am starting to like these recessed dials with no doors. I made the bottom rail tenons a tad narrower than the mortise. When I glued it up I put the dial on the backer board and used that to determine the position of the bottom rail. A gap here would not be a good thing.

1/2 view

I had to make new side panels because the first ones weren't long enough. I wanted them to extend beyond the bottom of the front bottom rail.

2 bf of poplar

I forgot that Lowes sells these short boards of poplar. I found this greenish colored one which is what I wanted. I didn't like paying $5 a bf but this was cheaper then a road trip to New Hampshire.

stock for door on the back

I made these cuts with my table saw and I broke them apart with a chisel. I used this same technique when I thinned down the 8/4 stock to make the clock parts.

I have to remove this web

quick work with a chisel

I got rid of the majority of the web with a chisel. I then ran my #3 over both sides. On this side with the web I didn't go nutso - you won't see it. The other side I got rid of all the rough sawn marks and called it done. It's the back of the clock that will only be seen twice a year when you change the time.

the door

I have to glue this up in order to get a piece wide enough to be the door. I am going to do a rub joint and leave on the piece of paper to cook. I should be able to finish the clock tomorrow.

accidental woodworker

new clock build.....

The clock build actually started on monday. I had an idea banging around in the brain bucket about what the clock should look like. I wanted it to be similar to the one I have at work, but different. I am not adverse to making the same thing but I like each of what I make to be a tad different. This clock will be of a like style but it's big difference is going to be that it won't have a glassed door over the dial.

I used scrap pieces of poplar left over from the moxon vise build and something else that I can't remember what it was. The stock was 8/4 that I had to thin down to 3/4 and 1 1/4. I did it with my table saw, bandsaw, and jointer plane. This is want I started on monday and finished up on tuesday.

Wednesday night I did some mock upping and some practice x-cuts. I've got the mock figured out and I'm so happy with my x-cuts I could wet myself.

one of four x-cuts

got square this way too

All four of my practice x-cuts came out this good. I did these all with knife wall cut thingie that Paul Sellers does. I'm very happy with this.

use your imagination here

The top is a piece of 8/4 stock that I cut in half and glued the halves together. It could work as the top but I won't be using it. In order to position it correctly on the top the end grain will be facing the front and that's not something I want to do.  I was hoping that I wouldn't have to buy any stock to make this but it's looking like it ain't so sports fans. Not buying stock drove my decision not to put on door on this clock also. Oh well.

side mock up

This clock is going to be all solid wood and I am going to stick with using all poplar. As much as I hate it I'll probably have to buy a poplar board at Lowes.

front

The front of the clock is going to have an opening for the dial that is 6 inches square. These two uprights are going to be mortised into the side assemblies and provide that. They are flush with the back edge of the side uprights so that the dial will be recessed. I am going to cut a rabbet in the back of this to set the dial board into it. Or I might run a groove in the four edges. Don't know that yet.

I used my mortising machine to make the mortises and that leaves the making the tenons. I decided to make one by hand just to see how well I would do it.

moment of truth

I cut this tenon using the same methods that I used to cut this rail to length. I knifed the marking line and then I cut. I cut the tenon cheeks first and then the shoulders (should it be the other way around?). Next up was a little trimming to get down to my lay out lines. It was a snug, hand pushed in fit.

the back of rail joint

It's a tad proud of the upright but a few swipes with a #4 will get this even.

the front of the rail joint

This mortise and tenon came out as good as any I have done with just machines. I am very happy with my results. I proved you can achieve good, tight fitting joinery using only hand tools. One down, three to go.

accidental woodworker