cookbook stand done.....

I got the stand done, almost. All of the woodworking is done and there are a few minor items to clear up. The first one is whether or not I am going to put a finish on it. On the fence with that. Secondly, I have to do something to keep this from sliding around. It doesn't take a lot to get it sailing. I can't find my door buttons anywhere. It looks like I'll be buying new ones and then finding the ones I have.

cut a half lap in the angled holder thingie first

used a forstner bit to remove most of the half lap

 I chiseled the sides square and used my small router to even up the bottom. It took me 3 tries to get this to the right depth.

holder thingie flush

I faced mounted a hinge at the bottom. It's a small hinge but I think it'll be strong enough to hold up a book.

barrel hinge recess - (slot on the far right)

The hinge barrel won't allow the top frame to lay flat on the bottom one.  I had to chisel this recess so that would happen and now I don't have to obsess about a gap between the frames.

surface mounted the front hinges too

The screws for these hinges are a 1/2" long. I didn't want to chance them poking through if I installed them on the faces of the frame rather then the edge as I did here. By doing it this way I didn't have to worry about the screws poking out where they don't belong.

my old carpentry book

This is an old carpentry book of mine from the early 70"s. The first one I put on here fell apart. The binding just let loose and I ended with a pile of loose pages all over the floor. This book laid open on all the parts that I opened it up to. Maybe I won't need to figure out some to hold the pages down.

side view

I was a little concerned that the last position closest to the book ledger would be too far and the book would be too upright. For this book it wasn't a problem.

laying flat

lays flat onto itself

Now that this is done and I can step back and cast a look see over it, there is one thing I would change. I like the overall size and shape of the stand ok. I think I would change the size of the main frame pieces from 2" wide to 1 3/4" or 1 1/2" wide. Everything else is sized ok to my eye. I also think on the next one I might do bridle joints at the corners.

The size of my stand is 11 1/2" high by 14" wide. All the stock is 1/2" thick oak.  Now I have to figure out who gets it for xmas.


accidental woodworker

clock pt II.......

The clock build continues after a left turn into "I need practice with this" was done. The practice involved getting a handle on my record 405 and making grooves. I've been practicing, playing, cajoling, swearing at, praying to the hand tool gods, and finally getting some results with it.

I didn't put a bigger fence on the plane because I think 99% of my problem was the attitude at which I was pushing the plane. I didn't completely remove the tilt in my groove but I did make what I think is a huge improvement. The learning curve for this tool isn't that difficult. I think it's just a matter of practice and continual use and I'll be making square grooves all the time.

one end

Not perfect but I think that these will work for this project.

the other end

While I was doing my practice runs I noticed that one end of the groove ended up slanted a tad. I think that came from not maintaining consistent pressure fore and aft as I planed.  As for keeping it square as I planed that was a lot of guess work. There aren't a lot reference points to see square with this plane. In the end I was pointing the right fore finger straight, using 3 fingers to keep the fence up against the stock, and eyeballing the skates. The skates are the only thing (so far) that I could use to see if I was leaning with the plane.

making tenons next

I did the rails over sized in the length because I wanted a that extra length to help with my grooving.

using the sides to mark the shoulders on the rails

shoulders are cut - cheeks are next

split the tenons

These tenons are really small and I've been wanting to try splitting tenons out vs sawing them. I tried splitting all four of them. They all split evenly and I didn't have too much clean up to do at all. The fit on two of them is a little loose but in this build that won't be a problem.

done

There is a tiny gap on the top right joint. I have one more piece that I can use as a rail and I think I might re-do it. The bottom one is tight and looks good.  I need to buy a 1x8 to make the panel and there isn't much to do after that.  I have to get a clock insert because the one I have is too small.

accidental woodworker

installing mirror pivots......

There isn't a lot written about installing mirror pivots. Lee Valley has a picture on their website and that's it. They don't even give a max or min size for the mirror frame.  There were two sizes offered and the both cost the same. I bought the "smaller" one of the two.

getting a length

I have the mirror pivots on both sides just loose. I want to get a feel for how long to make the braces for the feet. I don't want any more play then a 1/16" on each side.

measuring stick

This is a scrap piece of pine I had and I don't throw any of these pieces away. I keep them to use in situations like this. My peepers can still read a tape but this eliminates reading and transferring the wrong measurement.

marking the length

I kept my practice braces as they have the tenon and cheeks already cut perfectly and I'm going to use them to layout for these braces. The stick has the shoulder to shoulder length, I just have to add one tenon plus a 1/16".

braces are too long

As I was checking this I noticed that the uprights were bowing outwards which caused my measurement to be off.

should have done this the first time

I've got the braces in and they fit good. I did them on the tablesaw and trimmed and fitted them with a tenon float till I got a snug fit. I clamped the braces and then measured the outside of the uprights were they are mortised into the feet. The clamp at the top is holding the top of the uprights to the same measurement as I took at the bottom.

After I did this I measured for the distance again and it was a 1/4" too long. I cut the tenons again to the new length and checked it again. I now have about a 1/16" wiggle room.

I still can't clean this up

I can't remove my center lines on the uprights because I need them to position my pivot hardware. I can work on the mirror frame. That is mostly cleaned up and I have to re-do a few spots that got dinged from moving it around the shop. Those should be some real action packed pictures.

accidental woodworker

mirror, bookstand, and toy projects.......

I had big plans for after work tonight but the wife threw a monkey wrench into the gears. She asked me to go to some function that was being held at her job. I guess it's show off your spouse night there. All it's doing for me is putting a crimp in my workshop time.

mirror pivot hardware

Selling hardware without screws is like selling a car without a steering wheel. IMHO. It's not Lee Valley's fault, it's the hardware supplier's fault. So now I have to get some #6 screws to match this.

first piece measured

second piece matches the first

are they strong enough to hold a mirror ?

Both pieces are tapered. There is a top and bottom to these. I put them together and I couldn't get it to turn. Hopefully that is a good sign as the weight of the mirror will pivot it and keep it there. Tomorrow I will try to get the cross braces for the feet done.

only got one

I thought that I had bought two of these diagonal rod holdie thingie. Only got one and that explains why the bill was so low. I did figure out a use for the brass pins that come with this. With something clamped up I can use them to get my diagonals in a cramped, clamped up space. I'll have to figure out some way of screwing them in straight.

top of the cook book stand

This one came out of the clamps and it was still flat. I'm double checking it with the ledger that will support the book.

ledger screwed on

I am on the fence with gluing this on along with the screws. I have 3 screws in it and that should be sufficient and allow for repair if necessary. If it was glued it would be stronger but a tad more difficult to repair. There is plenty of time to solve this dilemma.

 the stick says the bottom frame is bowing down

straight edge says different

opposite end straight too

sneak preview

as far as I got

I was just starting to get the juices flowing on figuring out how to attach this when the wife came home. I want to hide the top of the wedgie holdie thingie in the back of the top rail in a half lap. But all this will have to wait until later.

clamped up again

Even though the bottom frame was flat, I still clamped it up again.  Just in case until I get to play with it again.  This is the last thing I did in the shop before I had to go to the function.

accidental woodworker

new clock project......

The first project offered in the Woodworking Master Classes with Paul Sellers is a clock. Which happens to be one my favorite projects to build. I can't do anything on my mirror or my book stand projects. Both of them are dead in the water for the time being. I started another new one project and that's done so I'm starting a new one with the clock.

not very good

I got daughter #1 a gift certificate and I hate to just give an envelope for a xmas present. I have been making or buying small boxes and such to present them in. That's what this box was going to be used for. However, I did such a crappy job on the dovetails I'm having second thoughts on using it. All four corners are uneven and the tails are gappy enough that I'll have to shim a few of them.

I can fix the problems but they will negate using this as a gift box because of that. I'll finish it up and use it the shop somewhere.

I put the box aside and scrounged up a few pieces of pine to make the clock. This project doesn't require a lot to make it. I had a piece of 1x12x32 pine that will give up the top & bottom, 2  rails, and the panel.  The two sides I got out of a piece of 1x6x36.

I have found since trying to do more handwork in my woodworking, that I am not at the same level I am if I were using machines. My hand skills don't match what my machine skills are . I tried to start this project by crosscutting the stock, squaring the ends, and then trying to make the pieces parallel in width. I cut everything over sized by an 1/8" or more and my results were toast.  All my pieces ended up undersized and not parallel with each other. However, I did alright getting the ends square on the top & bottom.

my top & bottom pieces

top & bottom rails

not parallel - didn't bother squaring the ends

When I did my stock preparation I didn't do it the way that Paul Sellers did in his presentation. I have a few more tools to use then what he uses. I have more toys but I still couldn't match him with what he used to get his stock prepped.

rip carcass saw

I was thinking of selling this because I just don't use it that much. Today I did all my rip cuts with this after I did the cross cuts. My rip cuts were about the only positive thing I accomplished with this exercise.  I am not discouraged by this as I am learning. As long as I am making progress I'm alright with this.

toy collection

Even with all these tools I couldn't match what Paul Sellers did with a couple of saws and a #4 hand plane. To be able to do what he does is the target I am shooting for.

new clock parts

I did all rip cuts this time on my tablesaw. I cleaned up the sawn edges with my LV edge plane.  I then marked and cross cut to length each piece. I squared up the ends on my shooting board. As you can see there isn't much to this clock. The only part missing is the panel.

stopped housing dadoes

I did a much better job on these short stopped housing dadoes then I did on my bookcase. All four  dadoes came out real snug. I still need to get better at using my marking knife to make the outside knife line. I had a few problems keeping the square secure while I marked. I had a few double strikes and my outside dado walls weren't that clean.

ready for grooving

I marked and cut out all the notches on the side pieces. I tried to use my new diagonal measuring thingie but it was too big so I had to use a tape measure.

I get to use my record 405

I decided to run the grooves in the rails first because if I screw them up I have some scraps to replace them. I don't have any scrap to replace the sides.

not good

the other ends

Not too bad considering this is only the second time I used this to make a groove. Two problems I saw here were one: I wasn't keeping the plane square to the face so I didn't end up with a bottom square to the sides. Two is the depth isn't consistent from one end to the other.

I did a lot better on the grooves for the sides. The depth on them was consistent from end to end after I checked them and re-did where I had too. After eyeballing the walls I can see that they aren't square to the bottom.

not square

The front wall is mostly square but the back is slanted outwards. This may prove problematic when it comes time to insert the panel.

practice runs

I think most of my problems are coming from the attitude of the plane. That slope on the bottom can only come as a result of the plane leaning over. In each practice piece here it's the plane leaning out outboard of the face. Even on the flat face grooves I'm experiencing the same problem.

I lack experience using this tool and to learn how to use it is going to be all OJT (on the job training).  I am done playing woodworker today with it though. Tomorrow I'm going to try putting a wider fence on it. I noticed on the old wooden plow planes that those fences are considerable larger then the one on mine.

I hope the fence might work because I only have 3 more rails left. After these are gone it's going to take a trip to Lowes to replenish. I'll pick this up tomorrow. Now it's time to relax and watch some football.

accidental woodworker

cookbook stand pt II.......

I picked up where I left off last night. I had made one extra short and long piece and the short one was the first to be used. It's kind of good practice for when and if I have to make a replacement piece for something.

oops piece

I cut the cheeks on my tablesaw because my tenon jig and saw was still set up. I cut the shoulders with my carcass saw and trimmed them to match the other piece with my tenon plane. My plumb cut still needs some work. If this had been a mortise and tenon I could have avoided using the tenon plane. Because it's a half lap, the shoulder has to be dead nuts square which I got with the tenon plane.

marking off the first piece

I am marking the outside line here. I'll do the knife wall thingie and then use the actual cross brace to mark the other side of the dado.

not done yet

I got the cross brace fitted but I wasn't to happy with the fit or the look. The dado line on the inboard side wasn't square to the edge and the fit  on both ends was too gappy for my liking. I took the last oops piece and cut it a tad wider then what it needed to be. I fiddled around with the unsquare dado wall and made it square with my paring chisel. I then used my LN 103 to trim and fit the new new cross brace until I got a snug fit. I am a lot happier with this look even though it's the back side and won't be seen.

hand cut the center half lap on both ends

center cross brace on the bottom of the stand

I think four will be enough adjustment holes

My first thought was to make the wedge shaped hole on the bandsaw.  But as I was laying this out for the third time I came up with this idea. I like this a whole lot better. It's cleaner looking and I especially like that you can't see the wedge cutout from the side.  I got a test piece butted up against the top wedge slot so I didn't blow it out as I chiseled out the waste.

wedgie thingie incline opposite piece

Aren't woodworking technical terms cool? This piece will go on the front lower brace and support the open stand. I still have to cut this length and make a half lap in it. I'll have to make a half lap in the back of the top cross brace so the stand will lay flat when folded up.

cooking away and dead in the water again

sneak preview

 
This what the stand will look like when it's done.bottom. You'll have to use your imagination as to the finish/stain look. The blue tape is to remind me that this is the face side with the best grain. Hopefully I won't ignore it when I glue it up.  Now that I'm dead in the water on this I can go out and buy some overpriced hinges.

Fast forward and it's now 5 hours later. I had glued up both the bottom and top frames and let them cook while I went out antiquing with my wife. After we got home I took them out of the clamps and cleaned them up. I smoothed everything up with my 4 1/2 and then I ran the #80 over both frames.

The bottom frame promptly tried to turn into a pretzel shape. Not something I wanted to see after expending all those calories making it not to mention about flushing $20 worth of wood down the toilet. It was trying to roll itself up into a cylinder.

might work -  might not

 I'm giving this a try. I'll leave it clamped up overnight and I'll check it in the morning. If it still wants to be a pretzel, I'll leave it clamped up for a few days more. I think I can play this game until about the 15th of December before I'll give up putting it under the xmas tree.

top frame

The top frame didn't try to go south on me but I'm not taking any chances with it. I'll check this too in the morning and if it's still flat I'll finish working on it.

accidental woodworker