The short story is simply that Kristina and I have both accepted new positions within our day jobs that are going to spirit us away from the desert and drop us back home in the mountains (exactly where our long term goals were heading). However the downside to this transition is more likely than not, a sabbatical of sorts, away from woodworking. It's not that I don't want to continue down the path of enlightenment that is woodworking, but more to the fact that right now our lives are fairly upside down and we're not counting on shop/work space in the immediate future. Unfortunately the workshop is one of those needs that for us in the short term, is one we can shed in order to get our lives on the correct path and will pick back up as soon as possible.

So to those fellow woodworking friends, I'm still here and will be greedily spying on your work and wishing I was in the shop with you.

For those of you who have believed in me as your artisan and craftsman, I thank you and assure you that I will be back to producing those items you are looking for and wanting to commission; hopefully sooner than later.

The bigger question, at least in my mind is: What's going to happen with all the projects currently on the bench? Well...unfortunately those are going to have be packed away with the rest of the shop. My daily dovetail is going to have to hold at Day 143 as will several boxes I was in the midst of creating for a gallery presence. But all is not lost...this will honestly give me an interesting view on my current work vs. when I can finally pick it back up. Does it change during this sabbatical? Does it remain "gonzo" or become more focused and refined? What happens to my dovetail skills that were so hard won during the first 150ish daily dovetail? All questions I'm greatly anticipating finding the answer to...

I will be documenting the very quick pack up of my current space and will be posting that progress over the next few weeks...so if you're interested in the 3 ring circus that I'm sure this will be, stay tuned...]]> Sat, 04 May 2013 02:12:52 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/5/4/where-the-buffalo-roam http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/22/whats-the-problem

- Side note -

I truly hate segmented bowls, and I don't mean the kind of hate you reserve for vegetables or that really fit guy/girl on the treadmill in front of you at the gym kind of hate. No, I'm talking about the deep down, ugliness that is the intensity of a thousand suns burning a hole in your heart kind of hate. There is just something about segmented turning that to me screams of a lack of originality...and no, I don't really care what your take is on this matter. For me it's highly personal and as such will always be. So save your breath and stop writing the hate mail...I don't care how original and spectacular you think this or that piece is. To me, 99.9% of this type of turning looks like a giant mess of obscure colors/textures that to my eye is just offensive. Sorry...

Anyway...that's why I was even hesitant in starting this bowl...for you see, it technically is a segmented bowl. And yes the irony of this situation isn't lost on me.

One of the problems I face (and any woodworker for that matter) is finding stock for a particular project that is floating around in some obscure corner of my fat head. For me, it was simply how do I turn a large bowl with the limited stock I have on hand? Simple...a lamination of 3, 8/4 cherry boards...But what do I do about the grain not matching? Oh oh oh I know...let's laminate some walnut into the mix...BRILLIANT!!! oi vey...

So that's exactly what I did. But in an effort to keep life somewhat interesting and in an effort to add some interest to the piece, I also quartered the center segment with more walnut.

[caption id="attachment_1193" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The Flower Pot[/caption]

The piece actually turned out far less offensive than I had originally believed it would. It didn't follow the piece that was stuck in my head, but that's for another day I suppose.

[caption id="attachment_1186" align="aligncenter" width="224"] Finished Segmented Bowl[/caption]

I knew from the start that I also wanted the bowl to have a lid, but the flare of the lip kept me up for a few nights as I rethought many many different design possibilities. This hesitation and continual redesign on the fly would be my eventual downfall...twice over!

[caption id="attachment_1184" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Oops...I meant to do that[/caption]

The first lid kept getting pushed thinner and thinner, until eventual disaster

[caption id="attachment_1192" align="aligncenter" width="300"] It's a top hat[/caption]

The second lid didn't fare much better. Somewhere in my head it made absolute sense to inset the center disc of cherry into a much larger walnut disc. Yeah...that didn't work. But let me just say it was a spectacular explosion. However I'm not convinced this wasn't due to a limitation in my smaller lathe so I'm filing this one away for the day I have a larger capacity and more stable lathe.

[caption id="attachment_1188" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Success[/caption]

The 3rd attempt fared much better. It wasn't exactly as I had intended, but it came together and the bowl now as a lid....and in the end it didn't turn out to be the abysmally bad segmented bowl that I have grown to detest...maybe there's hope for me yet.

[caption id="attachment_1189" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Done, diddly un![/caption]

 ]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:00:42 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/22/whats-the-problem http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/20/one-tool-to-rule-them-all

For you see, I have discovered a sweet nirvana of sorts, that is the making of shavings with hand planes. There is just something absolutely thrilling and yet absolutely peaceful in the fine, shick, shick, shick, sound of a plane at work.

My new found love is only 5-1/2" long and has quickly replaced many many other tools on my bench lately.

[caption id="attachment_1172" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Lie Nielsen 212[/caption]

That's right...my new lover is a used Lie Nielsen 212!

[caption id="attachment_1174" align="aligncenter" width="300"] What a figure![/caption]

Don't let its size fool you, it can take on even the largest and most figured of boards.

[caption id="attachment_1173" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Fine Bubinga Shavings[/caption]

But more importantly, it tackles my obsession for crafting the ultimate box with ease. Quartersawn Bubinga? HA, didn't even flinch!

Like I said, I'm in love and I have a rude mechanic to thank for the introduction!]]> Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:05 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/20/one-tool-to-rule-them-all http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/18/dovetail-daily-days-137-142

Anyway, let's take a peek at days 137-142. I'm fairly happy with these sets. On the through joints my goal was to get the pins to 1/16'-3/32' thick at the narrowest. This essentially gives me just enough room to fit my marking knife in to mark each pin. I've also decided that I'm going to alternate every 4 sets...4 through...4 1/2 blind and so on in an effort to keep the boredom at bay.

Day 137

[caption id="attachment_1162" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 137[/caption]

Day 138

[caption id="attachment_1163" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 138[/caption]

Day 139

[caption id="attachment_1164" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 139[/caption]

Day 140

[caption id="attachment_1165" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 140[/caption]

Day 141

[caption id="attachment_1166" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 141[/caption]

Day 142

[caption id="attachment_1167" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Day 142[/caption]

 ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:53 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/18/dovetail-daily-days-137-142 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/12/daily-bench-3-12-13 Cleaning up some sexy Ribbon Satin Wood[/caption]

Sexy, sexy ribbon satin wood.]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:36:15 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/12/daily-bench-3-12-13 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/11/daily-bench-3-11-13 The last of the set. Now for tops and bottoms.[/caption]]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 15:26:35 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/11/daily-bench-3-11-13 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/10/daily-bench-3-10-13 [/caption]

Careful....caaaareful!]]> Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:28:07 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/10/daily-bench-3-10-13 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/10/master-procrastinator

Every year I always think the same thing, "hmmm I really should just make something for xmas rather than buying some meaningless plastic POS that no one really wants in the long run,"...what? Doesn't everyone think in run on sentences?

Xmas 2012 was no different, well...actually it was as I turned that run on sentence into tangible objects...many objects actually.

I did take the slightly easy way out by making all those pieces on the lathe though.

[caption id="attachment_1097" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Xmas Bowls"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1110" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sisters"][/caption]

I started out with two cherry and walnut pieces for my mom and aunt. I've been carting around several pieces of lumber out of my grandfathers shop for more years than I can remember and occasionally dip into that stock for special occasions/gifts back to the family...and this was no different. Well, actually it was, as I have a few pieces of Mahogany that has aged to a dark dark brown/red. The piece I pulled from the rack that I had assumed was more of this Mahogany actually turned out to be a stick of quarter sawn Walnut...that's how dirty and aged these boards are. What a score, the Mahogany was going to be nice, but I think the Walnut was even better. So each bowl got a handsome Walnut stripe around its waist.

I then turned my attention to a handsome Walnut bowl for a friend and a nice piece out of Alder for my sister in law.

[caption id="attachment_1108" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Walnut Candy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1104" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Alder"][/caption]

I had originally intended to turn a few smaller treasure boxes for my nieces, but I just couldn't get them to cooperate, ultimately blowing out several blanks.

[caption id="attachment_1098" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Oops"][/caption]

I blame the new 25mm jaw set...well that and I probably should have turned a few pieces on the jaws to get the hang of how they turn rather than just jumping right into some tiny turnings. But hey...you don't learn unless you try.

The last item that I added to the list was actually a piece I turned in the fall. A simple lidded salt cellar in cherry. Kristina and I have been using its twin (actually a prototype that I thought I had turned the bottom too thin on) for a number of months and was now comfortable giving it out as production piece; satisfied that even when stocked to the brim with salt that it wouldn't crack (at least not right away).

[caption id="attachment_1107" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cherry Salt Cellar"][/caption]

I'm a firm believer that everyone should get at least 1 toy for Christmas. So where I was already working the lathe I thought it would be a perfect time to turn some tops. This was an interesting learning experience. If the top is too bottom heavy it spins slooooow; however if it's too top heavy it spins like a drunken sailor.

[caption id="attachment_1099" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Zebra wood Xmas tops"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1101" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="3 wise men in Purple heart"][/caption]

So there you have it. Xmas 2012...and it's only 2 months late!

 ]]> Sat, 09 Mar 2013 23:00:57 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/10/master-procrastinator http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/9/1143 [/caption]

Oi, who thought 9 dovetailed boxes at the same time was a good idea.]]> Sat, 09 Mar 2013 12:53:04 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/9/1143 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/8/rockler-pitch-and-resin-remover

A few months back I picked up Rockler's Pitch & Resin remover kit with the intention of getting to some seriously gunked up table saw blades. But as always, I'm the Master Procrastinator (for those of you that read my last post) and the kit sat on my shop shelf for that past 3 or 4 months. Man, what an idiot...in my defense, I grew up with the practice of cleaning blades with oven cleaner, a process I quickly learned to detest while in the family cabinet shop. I think the mental trauma I experienced during those cleaning sessions back in the day kept me from really digging into the Rockler kit.

So it was with a bit of trepidation that I finally dug into the kit. I was honestly surprised to find the chemical that they provide is green and did not require the use of gloves, respirator etc. ..true the container suggested using gloves for sensitive skin, but that was pretty much it on the warnings. I have to admit that I didn't follow the dilution instructions and used the chemical strait and even in that state I didn't use gloves. The chemical honestly smells and has a similar viscosity/look to several other green/citrus cleaners I've used in my past (especially within the cycling world).

The process was as simple as it gets...fill the giant blue container with the chemical, drop in a blade and let it sit.

[caption id="attachment_1114" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Blade soaking in the tub"][/caption]

If you look closely in the pic you can see that the golden ring on the blade is actually the resin/pitch dissolving off of the teeth. I let each blade soak for 5 minutes before giving each side a light scrub with the included brass bristle brush. I then let it sit for another minute or two and lightly brushed the carbide teeth. Once that was done I spritzed both sides of the blade with a spray bottle of water and sat it in a few paper towel folds to dry.

Sooooo much better than the old days of using oven cleaner.

All in all I cleaned 4 well used saw blades (2-30 tooth and 2-40 tooth), each using the same process and the last one came out just as clean as the first.

[caption id="attachment_1116" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The blade before it got the dip"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1115" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dry, Clean and ready to get back to work"][/caption]

All in all I would say at less than $30.00, the kit is an absolute steal! Now go pick one up because you're not going to find an easier or more convenient way to clean your blades and bits...

 ]]> Fri, 08 Mar 2013 00:00:40 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/8/rockler-pitch-and-resin-remover http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/6/1136 [/caption]

]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 15:50:31 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/6/1136 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/6/say-what

So rather than bore you all with the details I'll give you the abbreviated version.

- I'm adding a few new features to the blog.

- They are:

1 - A daily pic of my bench/work. Very much along the lines of so many other woodworking blogs that post a daily shop pic...yeah I know, not very creative and has been done a billion times. This however is more of an experiment for myself so back off!

2- A new series I'm calling "Shop Dog." mainly because the majority of the population enjoy pictures of dogs...and if you're not one of those people that do...what's wrong with you? And yes this is a flagrant attempt to fluff the blog count with unadulterated cuteness, because if the internets has taught me one thing, it's that animals sell.

3 - What's on my lathe Wednesdays: This one is pretty self explanatory...and if it's not, just shoot me an email and I will add you to the list of people that need to be hit with a tack hammer...

So there you go, quick, easy and nearly painless.]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 00:00:52 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/6/say-what http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/4/dovetail-daily-days-132-136

Day 132

[caption id="attachment_1121" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 132"][/caption]

Day 133

[caption id="attachment_1122" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 133"][/caption]

Day 134

[caption id="attachment_1123" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 134"][/caption]

Day 135

[caption id="attachment_1124" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 135"][/caption]

Day 136

[caption id="attachment_1125" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 136"][/caption]

I have to admit that even though I'm only a few days into running with half blind dovetails...I'm already bored of them. It might be the pine...I don't know. There's just something about the process that has me yawning and I need to figure out a way to spice it up. So if you have a suggestion feel free to drop me a line.]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:00:07 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/3/4/dovetail-daily-days-132-136 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/28/lets-get-to-the-hookin

So, last Friday as I was procrastinating the start of several dovetailed boxes I decided that the time had come to get a nicer version pulled together. I also knew that the more I procrastinated...the sooner I could get to the margaritas...cause it was, after all, National Margarita day and if anything, I do loves tha margaritas!

One of the bonuses of building my split-top Roubo is that I still have some sweet Hard Maple cut offs lying around. So I pulled one of the cleaner pieces out of the pile...true it has several checks at the end, but it was the perfect length and the checks in my mind won't come into play until well into the hooks lifespan, at which time it will probably need to be retired anyway.

Anyway, after I milled it nice and square I gave it a dado on opposing ends and fit a couple of cut offs from the square up process, eased all the edges with a block plane and voila...I had a new hooker in my shop...and boy oh boy is she sweet on me!!!

[caption id="attachment_1076" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="My new bench hooker"][/caption]

It came in at just over 10" wide, 1" thick and about 12" long...and now that I've cut a few Dovetail Daily joints on it, I can't believe I waited so long to do this....yeah...sometimes I'm an idiot in the shop!]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:06 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/28/lets-get-to-the-hookin http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/27/boom-chicka-wow-wow-aka-dovetail-daily-days-130-131

Day 130 - aka National Margarita Day...mmm mmm mmm...why can't every day be National Margarita day?!?!?!?!

[caption id="attachment_1073" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 130"][/caption]

Day 131 - aka Why is the world spinning that way day!!! or... Why does my heart have to beat so LOUDLY day!!!

[caption id="attachment_1074" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 131"][/caption]

What's that? You don't believe me that February 22nd really is National Margarita day?!?!?!?! WHY I OUGHTA!!!! ok...breathing...breathing....

So mister/miss smarty pants...take a peek here for the 411 on National Margarita day...the holiest of holy national days!

Cheers!!!

[caption id="attachment_1075" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Tasty tasty margaritas"][/caption]

And yes...that is a Lee Valley tools catalog my margarita is resting on...what do you read when getting toasted on margaritas? Martha Stewart Living...psha!!!]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:00:25 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/27/boom-chicka-wow-wow-aka-dovetail-daily-days-130-131 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/26/dovetail-daily-days-120-129

Day 120 (ignore the fat finger in the upper left...or treat it like a photo of Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster...lurking out of focus in the shadows...always watching you)

[caption id="attachment_1054" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 120"][/caption]

Day 121

[caption id="attachment_1055" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 121"][/caption]

Day 122

[caption id="attachment_1056" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 122"][/caption]

Day 123

[caption id="attachment_1057" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 123"][/caption]

Day 124

[caption id="attachment_1058" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 124"][/caption]

Day 125

[caption id="attachment_1059" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 125"][/caption]

Day 126

[caption id="attachment_1060" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 126"][/caption]

Day 127

[caption id="attachment_1061" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 127"][/caption]

Day 128

[caption id="attachment_1062" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 128"][/caption]

Day 129

[caption id="attachment_1063" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 129"][/caption]

Hooray....we're chuggin now...hmmm...maybe chugging isn't the proper word, but I like it...so we're sticking with chuggin!

 ]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 00:00:43 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/26/dovetail-daily-days-120-129 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/25/dovetail-daily-days-112-119-aka-what-ive-learned

So here we are at days 112-119 of our daily dovetail practice...What have I learned after 119 joints, well hows about I make a nice list for you:

1 - Sharp is always better

2 - Poplar is a nasty, nasty wood

3 - Pine makes even the worst dovetail look sexy thanks to its "mashability"

4 - Mashability+sharp plane iron = sexy joint (only viable for mashable wood species)

5 - Alder has some ok mash properties

6 - It's all a mind game: Can you focus on cutting a dovetail with 10 sexy ladies doing the "Harlem Shake" in your shop? Well no...probably not, so focus while cutting your joint makes up for a lack of skill. But then again if you have 10 sexy ladies in your shop why are you cutting dovetails...and...can I come work in your shop?

7 - Cherry smells nice when you cut it with your dovetail saw

8 - Thin pins are sexy...but hard as hell to get right

9 - More is not always better

10 - A striking knife is your friend...until you slice your thumb while laying out your pins/tails...then it's not your friend at all, but a sharp and nasty enemy, but don't worry cause you'll make up in the end and everything works out while you both live happily ever after with unicorns and sexy joints.

What were we talking about again? Oh well, here's the joints...

Day 112

[caption id="attachment_1042" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 112"][/caption]

Day 113 - I tried to shake things up on day 113 by incorporating a 3rd tail into the mix. What a freaking mess that was...seriously people I thought for sure that if I were ever going to chop or pare my fingers off at any time during the 112 days prior...this was it. The stock was just too narrow to really accommodate this and thankfully the less dumb side of my brain convinced me to not tred down this path any further. Filing this one away under "What the hell was I thinking!"

[caption id="attachment_1043" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 113"][/caption]

Day 114 - I'm psychic! no no...seriously I am...cause had I been trying to cut that crazy 3rd tail POS into day 114 I would have sliced my pinky off...well...maybe not my pinky but a finger for sure when the half pin snapped like a little twig while cleaning it up. I'll also kindly refer you to Number 2 in the list above...Poplar is a nasty, nasty wood!

[caption id="attachment_1044" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 114"][/caption]

Day 115

[caption id="attachment_1045" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 115"][/caption]

Day 116

[caption id="attachment_1046" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 116"][/caption]

Day 117

[caption id="attachment_1047" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 117"][/caption]

Day 118

[caption id="attachment_1048" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 118"][/caption]

Day 119

[caption id="attachment_1049" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 119"][/caption]

And there you have it. Another 8 days down...

 ]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:34 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/25/dovetail-daily-days-112-119-aka-what-ive-learned http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/24/beer-is-better

Anyhow, let's look at some dovetails shall we?

Day 105:

[caption id="attachment_1030" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 105"][/caption]

Day 106:

[caption id="attachment_1031" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 106"][/caption]

Day 107:

[caption id="attachment_1032" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 107"][/caption]

Day 108: (It's a new year you know!)

[caption id="attachment_1033" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 108 - The New Year Dovetail"][/caption]

Day 109:

[caption id="attachment_1034" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 109"][/caption]

Day 110:

[caption id="attachment_1035" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 110"][/caption]

Day 111:

[caption id="attachment_1036" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 111"][/caption]

Over the holidays I ran into a few breaks in the action, so you might notice that on a few joints there might be a bit of a time gap from one to the next. What can I say? Life gets busy and sometimes a beer at the end of the day was a much more inviting way to close things out rather than cutting a dovetail. I do feel guilty about this...just slightly...I know...here's a pic of that tasty tasty beer...now we can all enjoy it! Cheers!

[caption id="attachment_1037" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Mmmmm Beer"][/caption]

 ]]> Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:45:46 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/2/24/beer-is-better http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/1/2/ghosts-of-christmas-orders-past

I kind of got a bit blind sided with Christmas this year. I had always intended to produce a number of family presents but wasn't expecting the rush of orders that started rolling in over the last week of November. It was definitely encouraging and a bit exciting to see that my work was being accepted by the non wood working world. It was also a bit daunting...especially as the orders still kept rolling in.

I finally ended up with 4 custom boxes that needed to be pulled together at least a week prior to Christmas to allow for shipping time. We had the typical orders for duplicates of a few boxes that I've made in the past, but we also had some custom pieces that I was given free form on.

I think one of my favorite pieces this year has to be a box that I've dubbed "Thunderbird" thanks to its rising handle. The piece was ordered to complement an art deco-ish piece the client had purchased as a Christmas gift for his wife (lucky to be her...2 pieces of fine wood work in one Christmas).

[caption id="attachment_1011" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Thunderbird"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1013" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Thunderbird lift out tray "][/caption]

As I began to dig into the project I knew I had to reflect the handle from the top in the lift out tray. I've also been a tad unhappy with my old mitered corner trays and thought I could begin to provide something a bit more "custom" in appearance. As a result the tray ended up being dovetailed and each divider was mortised into place rather than the old dado style I had been using. The end result was absolutely invigorating and has become the model for all my future trays.

With this piece buttoned up I turned my attention to the next 2 orders. A simple men's catchall in Cherry and Quilted Maple and a reproduction of our Ambrosia Maple and Cherry sewing box. Both came out beautifully.

[caption id="attachment_1014" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom CatchallCustom Ambrosia Sewing Box"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1015" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom Ambrosia Sewing Box"][/caption]

It was about this time that I started to breath a sigh of relief. 3 custom Christmas orders, all finished in time for shipping and each one came together without a hitch. That's when I received a last minute custom order. I'm not sure if it was the spirit of the season or the fact that I fully believed this piece to be something special for the clients mother, but I couldn't say no...I even over sized the piece to better fit their needs and helped cover the expedited shipping costs (yeah...had to be the spirit of the season).

The box was simply a reproduction of our medium sewing box in Ambrosia Maple and Cherry; with a Walnut tray, dividers and accents.

I've been toying with an idea for nearly a year now on how to improve the construction of my box interiors. I already employ the dado technique in fitting my dividers (vs. the cheesy half lap that many makers use for its sheer ease of construction) but have always thought I can do so much more. Unfortunately due to the sheer tightness of this pieces schedule I didn't get a chance to employ all of my ideas but I did at least exorcize one that helps ease the grasping of smaller pieces that have come to rest in the bottom of the box. All it took was a simple narrowing of the divider in height; it also gave the dividers some nice flow and now match how I'm building our lift out trays.

[caption id="attachment_1016" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom Sewing BoxCustom Sewing Box lift out trayCustom Sewing Box interior"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1017" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom Sewing Box lift out tray"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1018" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Custom Sewing Box interior"][/caption]

I'm honestly still amazed that I pulled the final box off in time and even more amazed that I had it together a day early. Yeah...I think it was the spirit of the season and was meant to be.

I hope you all had a great Christmas and will have a prosperous and happy New Year.]]> Wed, 02 Jan 2013 01:00:17 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2013/1/2/ghosts-of-christmas-orders-past http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/12/10/dovetail-daily-days-96-104

So let's take a peek at the past few days of joinery:

Day 96:

[caption id="attachment_998" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 96"][/caption]

Day 97:

[caption id="attachment_999" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 97"][/caption]

Day 98:

[caption id="attachment_1000" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 98"][/caption]

Day 99:

[caption id="attachment_1001" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 99"][/caption]

Day 100:

[caption id="attachment_1002" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 100"][/caption]

Day 101:

[caption id="attachment_1003" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 101"][/caption]

Day 102:

[caption id="attachment_1004" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 102"][/caption]

Day 103:

[caption id="attachment_1005" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 103"][/caption]

Day 104:

[caption id="attachment_1006" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 104"][/caption]

I'm anticipating that the next few days are going to be hit or miss for dovetails as I gear up for a fairly busy Christmas rush. Right now it's shaping up to be a decent go with 3 custom box orders on the bench and then the gifts for family and friends on top of it all. I admit that I'm feeling a little stress over getting the custom orders out the door in time for a pre-holiday delivery, but that's for me to worry about. So I apologize in advance if there's a bit of another gap in here somewhere....but don't worry, we'll be back live soon enough.]]> Mon, 10 Dec 2012 01:00:34 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/12/10/dovetail-daily-days-96-104 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/26/just-dropped-in

I have no idea why, but the bowling dream from The Big Lebowski always pops into my head when I think about turning bowls. You are familiar with the scene I'm referring to aren't you? Well if not, don't worry because I've embedded it below for your viewing pleasures...so go ahead and give it a look...don't worry...I'll wait.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z92bykaeV4o]

See...how AWESOME was that? You're totally thinking about bowls now too aren't you!

Ok so probably not. But for whatever weird reason I am and do when I watch this scene. But why do I bring this up? Well, I've had bowls on the brain ever since I returned from Woodworking In America. I've always enjoyed turning and think I found a joy for it when I was in 9th grade wood shop with Mr. Woodward. Fast forward a few years and the purchase of my 1st lathe...which sat in the corner, neglected and unused for years...and I mean YEARS! The one thing I detest about turning, is sharpening of the tools. I detest this more than I detest sharpening in general. I've never been able to really get the hang of putting a good edge on turning tools and as such let the fact that I had dull, crappy tools keep me from enjoying my lathe.

Well no more I say! I've been meaning to pick up a set of Easy Wood Tools for a number of months now and just have never pulled the trigger....that was until WIA. I finally bit the bullet and bought a mid sized rougher while in the vendor area at WIA West and haven't looked back. This one tool has changed my entire outlook on turning! With this one tool and an R2 bit installed I've been turning bowls like a mad man.

[caption id="attachment_992" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Glide Vise Pin & Maple Bowl"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tiny Guys in Bocote & Walnut"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_988" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Anniversary Bowl in Cherry"][/caption]

Ok so I'm not totally honest. The bowls pictured above were turned 99% with the Easy Wood Tools Rougher. I did use a 1/2" bull nose scrapper and 1/2' skew gouge...but only minimally. In all honesty the EWT rougher really did the majority of the work here and is an absolutely amazing tool.

My love and success with the EWT rougher immediately led me to order a mid sized finisher. I was happy with what I was seeing but wanted more curves in my bowl top handles etc. that I just couldn't get with the rougher.

So once the man in brown delivered I was set.

[caption id="attachment_990" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cherry Rolled Lip Bowl"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_993" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A Walnut Apple?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_991" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Salt Cellars or Smurf Houses"][/caption]

I'm absolutely amazed by the ease of these tools. When I started writing this post I had no intentions of this turning into a review of Easy Wood Tools, but I just can't help myself as they really make turning accessible to everyone.

 ]]> Mon, 26 Nov 2012 02:00:39 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/26/just-dropped-in http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/23/dovetail-daily-days-76-95

But before we get to the action I do have to admit that on day 95 I had a slight mishap...ok fine...I was doing something stupid and ended up burying the corner of a 5/8" chisel into the fleshy part of my middle finger on my left hand...ooopsie...True, I did mill up some ancient tulip poplar that's been kicking around the shop for the last 8 years or so for the next round of tails...40 tails to be exact.

[caption id="attachment_955" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="40 days of Dovetail Daily"][/caption]

Did I mention that after sitting around my Southwestern shop for that period of time that it's extremely dry and fairly fragile now. Keep that in mind as it's that fact that I'm certain aided in chisel meeting flesh. Ok not really, I actually have a bad habit of paring/cleaning up my pins by holding the pin board in my left hand, off of the bench...yeah...not the smartest move...so you see where this is going? As I was cleaning up one of the half pins the pin gave entirely away and blamo, knuckle meets chisel. So as you can see, it's not totally my fault here. That damn bone dry poplar is just as much at fault...right? Right? RIGHT?!?!?! yeah...I'm an idiot sometimes. Thankfully the slice wasn't enough to warrant a trip to the ER...I had full movement of my finger and the bleeding stopped in a few minutes; I got lucky! What did I learn from this? Probably nothing, but I do think I'll be cleaning up my pins with them resting firmly on the bench for awhile. I'm also tempted to give cutting my pins 1st another try...but that's for another day.

Now that I've admitted to my joinery folly, lets get on with the show!

Day 76:

[caption id="attachment_957" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 76"][/caption]

Day 77:

[caption id="attachment_958" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 77"][/caption]

Day 78:

[caption id="attachment_959" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 78"][/caption]

Day 79:

[caption id="attachment_960" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 79"][/caption]

Day 80:

[caption id="attachment_961" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 80"][/caption]

Day 81:

[caption id="attachment_962" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 81"][/caption]

Day 82:

[caption id="attachment_963" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 82"][/caption]

Day 83:

[caption id="attachment_964" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 83"][/caption]

Day 84:

[caption id="attachment_965" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 84"][/caption]

Day 85:

[caption id="attachment_966" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 85"][/caption]

Day 86:

[caption id="attachment_967" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 86"][/caption]

Day 87:

[caption id="attachment_968" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 87"][/caption]

Day 88:

[caption id="attachment_969" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 88"][/caption]

Day 89:

[caption id="attachment_970" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 89"][/caption]

Day 90:

[caption id="attachment_971" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 90"][/caption]

Day 91:

[caption id="attachment_972" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 91"][/caption]

Day 92:

[caption id="attachment_973" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 92"][/caption]

Day 93:

[caption id="attachment_974" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 93"][/caption]

Day 94:

[caption id="attachment_975" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 94"][/caption]

Day 95:

[caption id="attachment_976" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 95"][/caption]

See...see...seee that mising pin on day 95...it was totally the poplar's fault...I do also appreciate just how rough this joint is compared to prior days. Seems I just wasn't in the mood to make it pretty after the incident...water under the bridge at this point and today is a new day...one with a very sore knuckle!

 ]]> Fri, 23 Nov 2012 02:00:53 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/23/dovetail-daily-days-76-95 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/22/dovetail-daily-days-62-75

We're currently standing at 95 days of dovetails, but the thought of throwing the last 30+ joints at you seems a bit cruel. So I'm breaking this post up into 2 chunks. Did I say 30+ days? Well yeah, I did. I wish I could say that I've been cutting a joint consecutively for the last 95 days, but that wouldn't be totally accurate as there have now been a few breaks in the chain; what with life in all getting in the way some days.

This chunk also has my favorite joint as of yet: Day 72 to be exact...it's ugly, it's gappy, but it's a winner; but more than that it's a sentimental favorite (take a peek below for all the details).

So without further adieu, lets get on to the main attraction!

Day 62:

[caption id="attachment_937" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 62"][/caption]

Day 63:

[caption id="attachment_938" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 63"][/caption]

Day 64:

[caption id="attachment_939" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 64"][/caption]

Day 65:

[caption id="attachment_940" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 65"][/caption]

Day 66:

[caption id="attachment_941" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 66"][/caption]

Day 67:

[caption id="attachment_942" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 67"][/caption]

Day 68:

[caption id="attachment_943" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 68"][/caption]

Day 69:

[caption id="attachment_944" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 69"][/caption]

Day 70:

[caption id="attachment_945" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 70"][/caption]

Day 71:

[caption id="attachment_946" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 71"][/caption]

Day 72:

[caption id="attachment_947" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 72"][/caption]

As I mentioned above day 72 is a sentimental favorite for me. It was cut during the 2012 West Coast Woodworking In America Conference in Pasadena CA. It was also my entry in the Hand Tool Olympics speed dovetail competition. The best part is that it actually won the fastest time and brought home a sweet Lie-Nielson thin plate dovetail saw. Above and beyond this treat, it was actually the new friends and contacts that I made as a part of the conference that makes this joint the memorable favorite.

Day 73:

[caption id="attachment_948" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 73"][/caption]

Day 74:

[caption id="attachment_949" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 74"][/caption]

Day 75:

[caption id="attachment_950" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 75"][/caption]]]> Thu, 22 Nov 2012 14:22:57 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/11/22/dovetail-daily-days-62-75 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/10/2/dovetail-daily-days-54-61

Days 54 through 61 have been an interesting set. It's amazing that even though you may try your best to leave the day job's issues and problems behind in the office (for those of you that have day jobs that is...and for those of you that don't or woodwork for your day job, just know that I hate you...ok not really...that's just jealousy talking...hey has this side bar gone on long enough? Is it the longest side bar you've ever read? Cause I'm certain I could keep this baby rolling and rolling and rolling...)

Where was I? oh yeah...it's amazing how much you can be distracted from your day job, family, friends etc. when cutting your joinery and days 56-60 or so are totally evident. I may have been in the shop, but I most certainly wasn't "in" the shop and my joints are evident of that.

So let's get this woodworking bus on the road!

Day 54:

[caption id="attachment_919" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 54"][/caption]

Day 55:

[caption id="attachment_920" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 55"][/caption]

Day 56:

[caption id="attachment_921" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 56"][/caption]

Day 57:

[caption id="attachment_922" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 57"][/caption]

Day 58:

[caption id="attachment_923" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 58"][/caption]

Day 59:

[caption id="attachment_924" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 59"][/caption]

Day 60: Hoooooray!!!! it's been 2 months since we started this little challenge!

[caption id="attachment_925" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 60"][/caption]

Day 61:

[caption id="attachment_926" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 61"][/caption]

So there you go. 61 days of fun on a bun! Can't wait to see the next 61 and what they have in store for me...]]> Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:00:00 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/10/2/dovetail-daily-days-54-61 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/10/1/how-sharp-it-is

[caption id="attachment_895" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="YAY new toys! New Toys! New Toys!"][/caption]

My first impressions of the chisels were actually pretty good. Each one was what I'd call flat; not spectacularly flat, but flat enough if you're going to use these as your go to rough work chisels. BUT, for me they were going to be my go to finial fit/finish tool, so they had to be FLAT! But in all seriousness they were in decent condition. They did show more milling marks than I would have liked, but hey...for under $200 bucks I wasn't complaining.

[caption id="attachment_896" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fresh out of the box"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_897" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Top mill marking"][/caption]

Amazingly they were ground to an exact 30* bevel right out of the box and decently sharp...and by decent I mean they wouldn't shave the hair off your arm, but they still produced a nice shaving when paring. However that's as far as it got, they were incapable of producing a clean chop even in the softest pine I had in the shop...so it was good that I had plans to give them all a once over at the sharpening station before putting them into the rotation.

[caption id="attachment_905" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Leeeeet's get REEEEEEADY TO SHAAAAAARPEN!"][/caption]

I've detailed my sharpening processes in the past when I tuned up the bargain basement GROZ planes, so I won't bore you with the details (but it is a handy dandy video on YouTube...you might like it) other than to say that in this case I took the regular routine a bit further and actually broke out my water stones to finish it all up...well that and adding some Axle Foley into the mix to keep things entertaining. At the end of all of this I had blades that were razor sharp, flat and had a nice mirror shine to them....they're purdy!

[caption id="attachment_911" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nearly flat back"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_908" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sharp!!!"][/caption]

On this round I opted to not add a micro bevel to each one as I wanted a bench mark for how long each edge survived.

I always hesitate putting a freshly sharpened tool to work in the shop. For some reason I have this weird hiccup in my thinking; why would I put this gloriously new/sharp blade into use...that means I'll just have to turn around and resharpen it...and  lord knows I don't want to go down that road again! Yeah...weird! So it did take me a day or so to get the 750's onto the bench, but when I did, they were a nice step up from my old Crown bench chisels.

Let's get to the nitty gritty...how do they perform? Well, they chop fabulously in hard and soft woods as long as long as they are sharp and pare nicely thanks to a bit of a longer blade. The edges are nicely beveled giving decent clearance when chopping tight dovetails but you do still need to exercise some caution as it's possible to bruise the shoulder of a tail if you're careless.

The handles have taken a beating online and honestly I don't see those beat downs as necessary. I found that the handles fit well right out of the package and after a few quick passes  with some 220 grit sand paper they sat in the sockets very nicely. The handles aren't lookers by any means, but for an everyday tool, they get the job done and done well. The only caveat I have about the handle is that even the tapers were lacquered, which for me personally is just another surface between the handle and the socket seating tightly together. After some 220 grit sand paper I had the lacquer on the run and each handle firmly seated.

So what's the verdict? As with every tool in the shop it all comes down to a personal take/impression. I personally would rate these as a 7 out of 10. What does that mean to you? Well I would say that a 10 is a tool that comes out of the box and is absolutely ready to roll. There's no touch up needed, no sharpening/honing required, little set up needed etc. The 10 tool is also going to maintain its settings, sharpness  etc, over many uses and require limited upkeep. So there you go...7 out of 10 aint bad.

I found the 750's to hold a bevel well through a variety of materials, but aren't much more durable than the steel of my Crown set. I've resharpened the set after 3 weeks or so of work and have added a micro bevel this round and will relay the follow up impressions at a later date. Overall I wish the bevel retention was a bit longer but I did get a fair amount of dovetails (lots of chopping) out of the initial sharpening before having to go for a touch up and full resharpen. The handles have yet to have loosen up after quite a bit of use and the leather case that comes with the full set is decent in quality and serves as a great way to protect the tools when in transport.

For the price they are going to be hard to beat and I would recommend them to any beginner to advanced woodworker looking for a decent tool and isn't afraid to freshen an edge every once in a while. So if you're in need a decent set of chisels and are on a tight budget, the Stanley Sweetheart 750's might be a great option for you.

 ]]> Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:08:41 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/10/1/how-sharp-it-is http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/23/dovetail-daily-days-37-52

So there's lots to cover for the past 17 days; we had better get to it!

Day 37:

[caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 37"][/caption]

Day 38:

[caption id="attachment_863" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 38"][/caption]

Day 39:

[caption id="attachment_864" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 39"][/caption]

Day 40:

[caption id="attachment_865" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 40"][/caption]

Day 41:

[caption id="attachment_866" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 41"][/caption]

Sometime around day 40 I started to get bored. I mean seriously, at this point even Noah was looking for the pit stop and somewhere to unload the wife and kids. So I started toying with spicing up the standard tail and decided to give a dovetail/box joint combo a few tries. The 1st on day 42 was pretty ugly, but by day 43 I pretty much had it dialed in. I really only gave this joint a few days before I just jumped right into a double tail/narrow pin combo. I wonder why that is...

Day 42:

[caption id="attachment_867" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 42"][/caption]

Day 43:

[caption id="attachment_868" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 43"][/caption]

Day 44:

[caption id="attachment_869" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 44"][/caption]

Day 45:

[caption id="attachment_870" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 45"][/caption]

Day 46:

[caption id="attachment_871" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 46"][/caption]

After day 46, a friend on Twitter inquired why not begin planing/finishing the joint rather than leaving things rough. In all honesty I had actually considered doing this from day 1 but for some reason held off. I'm not sure if it was that the ultimate goal in all of this was to be able to take a joint strait from the saw/chisel chop to assembly and have it be tight and well fit. But Martin (@Cobwobbler), was absolutely correct. By finishing the joint with a plane as you would in a finished piece it helped the process immensely. It highlighted tight joints, revealed loose spots and removed minor imperfections & layout lines etc. So my hats off to you Martin, without your prodding I'd still be leaving things as is and not really knowing if the joint was truly as tight as it could have been, nor would I be able to see and analyze every joint for what I've done right and what I've done horribly wrong.

Day 47:

[caption id="attachment_872" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 47"][/caption]

Day 48:

[caption id="attachment_873" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 48"][/caption]

Day 49:

[caption id="attachment_874" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 49"][/caption]

Day 50:

[caption id="attachment_875" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 50"][/caption]

Day 51:

[caption id="attachment_876" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 51"][/caption]

Day 52:

[caption id="attachment_877" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 52"][/caption]

Day 53:

[caption id="attachment_878" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 53"][/caption]

And that brings us back up to date. Hooray!!! Now if I can only keep up with posting on as near daily basis...now that's a real challenge!

 ]]> Sun, 23 Sep 2012 15:47:39 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/23/dovetail-daily-days-37-52 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/10/the-3d-is-great

Or is it?

Well, yes and no. I promise you that this will not be your typical Sketch up post...trust me.

Over the last 2-3 years I have begun lumping woodworkers into 3 categories...the techno weenies, the set in my ways and gonzo's.

The techno weenies have absolutely fallen head over heals for Sketchup. For them this is the greatest thing since the invention of the internet. Nothing strokes their ego like being able to pop the program open and whip out a dimensioned 3D drawing (that has appropriate wood grain, working components, cut lists etc) in the same time it takes me to open a carton of ice cream...and for those of you that know me...that's not very long.

The set in my ways group, have been eyeing the program suspiciously ever since it was released. Peeking periodically over the top of their drafting tables to chuck a drafting triangle at it all covert ninja style to make sure it knows just how they feel about it.

The gonzo's looked up from the slab of wood they've been beating with a hammer for the last hour in an attempt to make it resemble the obscure image they've had in their head for the last 6 months, gave it a cursory glance and have gone back to beating that slab of wood.

True, for some woodworkers I'm sure my 3 groups are a bit prosaic but the fact of the matter is that most of us easily fall into one group or the other fairly easily. More to the point though is the fact that all woodworkers fall into one of these categories at least once during their career. I myself, fell squarely into the, set in my ways group very early on. I chalk this up to the fact that my history is very much rooted in the guild style of training thanks to my grandfather and then my time in the family cabinet shop. Everything was drawn out to the nth degree with measurements galore and each joint was thought through, time and time again before actually putting blade to wood. But every now and again I would find my grandfather tossing this style of work out the window and flying by the seat of his pants. I think this is where I get my underlying eye to perfection and details; of which I'm more than happy to toss out the window and gleefully travel down some tangent path with my hair of fire style of woodworking...It's complicated...

But as my skills progressed and technology changed, I began looking for ways to speed up and add efficiency into my work while incorporating and using as much tech as possible to ease the process. This is when I began my trip down the techno weenie road. I admit that I jumped on Sketchup like a greasy teenager jumps at Funyuns and Mtn Dew...but I quickly learned that the program was, in my opinion, bloated and cumbersome. For someone that didn't have a computer engineering degree, the system was anything but intuitive. I have scraped more designs and killed more electrons using this program than I care to admit...I can count on 1 hand the number of projects/designs that I have brought to anything resembling a design/mock up in Sketchup over the last 4-5 years....Most decidedly not techo weenie...

It was during this frantic push to join the cool crowd in the woodworking world (I so wanted to be a part of that scene) that I stumbled across Bill McDowell's website. I was drawn in instantly and read his blog posts, tips, galleries etc over and over. The one piece that has always stuck with me was his attitude that sometimes you just have to go "gonzo" and see where it leads. Put the pencils/styluses/computer mouse etc down and just pick up the tool and let the wood take you where it wanted to go. It was like being 12 again and seeing that first R rated movie...I was certain I had just seen my first woodworking boob and it was AWESOME! From this moment on I have fallen heavily into the gonzo group. I may sketch out a joint or a rough idea of a piece, but most definitely have not made a formal drawing or sketchup model. If I wasn't flying by the seat of my pants, I wasn't woodworking.

Working gonzo is great as long as you're a hobbyist woodworker or the new "it" artisan, but for the rest of the world we eventually have that moment when we realize that we're going to have to interact with a potential client/customer who wants to see the piece before plopping down a fat wad of cash. So this is where I've been yanked back into the other 2 groups. I've generally fallen into the set in my ways and have often preferred using pencil and paper for my designs. This is an awesome and flexible medium that every woodworker should know, but it's difficult to translate a pencil drawing into an electronic medium to send to a client that is in another state or country. So what do you do when all of your communications with a client have been electronic? They found you on the internet, they emailed you, like the pictures they've seen of your work and want to commission something but need a drawing for approval...sketchup...oi...and so this is where I've come full circle.

The commission piece isn't anything spectacular...in fact it's a very strait forward dovetailed open top box. But I needed to produce a clean 3d sketch as soon as possible because this client was BIG and to lose the job due my incompatibility with sketchup would be insane!

So I took a few minutes to plan/sketch out my dovetails on a scrap piece of wood and then opened up sketchup. I do admit that the few tutorials I had watched a number of months ago really helped with the process. The number one piece of advice I can give is that for me, remembering to start with my final dimensions and then working my way into the piece made the process that much easier. For whatever reason I always seem to start at the middle of a piece and work out when I'm drawing it out, but in sketchup this causes problems and will result in the mass pulling out of hair. So after some kerputzing and more than a few cntrl-z's I had the sketch

[caption id="attachment_836" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="3D Sketchup Box"][/caption]

I have to admit that the process was not as painful as I remember and honestly believe it is what sold the job. So before you chuck another drafting triangle at the computer in the corner or smack that piece of wood again, take a few minutes, with an open mind and give sketchup another go. You might surprise yourself and add a new tool to your marketing/design arsenal. This doesn't mean I'm giving up my gonzo ways...but when a customer comes calling, I just might be able to produce a mock up that seals the deal now.

[caption id="attachment_835" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="3d Box End Details"][/caption]]]> Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:00:22 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/10/the-3d-is-great http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/7/roots puppy. For those of you that don't like dogs or woodworking blogs I have to ask why are you here? I mean seriously...there's nothing bettter than puppies and woodworking and here I've combined both of those glorious things, what more could a person want?

For as long as I can remember woodworking has always been a part of my family in one way or another. This is thanks in no small part to my grandfather who was a journeyman carpenter by trade. Some of my earliest memories are of him coming home from a day on the job site and sitting down to entertain the grand kids by salting his beer and sneaking us sips. True, in those days I was more curious as to why grandpa was salting his drink rather than anything to do with woodworking, but hey...I was 4 or so and that's what stuck...fyi that's him on the left in the photo below...

[caption id="attachment_811" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Grandpa at work"][/caption]

Fast forward a few years and the memories move on from those covert sips of beer to ones of spending time with my grandfather in his backyard shop and making everything from sling shots, to rubber band powered paddle boats and rubber band guns. Many a summer day was spent splashing around in the back yard fish pond racing our paddle boats or chasing each other from tree to tree with those rubber band guns. But the memories that stand out most are those where I'm in that tiny warm shop at my grandfathers side, helping him with whatever project he was currently building. In the summer the shop was sweltering so we worked early morning and took the afternoons off and in the dead of winter it was heated with a kerosene space heater. To this day, every time I smell a kerosene heater it makes me smile because it immediately takes me back to those days.

It was during my adventures in this tiny one room shop that I learned to not fight a handsaw, how to use a chisel, hand drill, brace, plane and so much more. It's amazing the number of lessons I learned early on from him without ever knowing it. A gentle chiding here and there about how I was holding a tool, or to slow my saw stroke and let the saw do the work and on and on the lessons went. I remember standing in awe at the tools on his shelves, in his drawers and hanging on the wall. I learned early on that certain tools were off limits; not so much so that they were dangerous but that these were the tools he used in his trade and couldn't afford for an inexperienced kid like me to practice with. But the day did come that I was entrusted with these tools and still remember the first time I was allowed to take the good rip saw off the wall and to rip a piece down to size for whatever I was building. It's funny, to this day I can't remember what I was building at that time but I can still see that saw, clear as day in my hands and how sweetly and smoothly it cut.

From there things get fuzzy...life got complicated as I became the greasy dumb teenager that wasn't interested in anything, especially spending time in a stuffy little workshop. True I did spend time now and again in the shop with him, but nothing of real meaning and certainly not enough now that I look back on it. I wish I had more time with him as I've matured as a woodworker over the past few years. I often find myself stopping mid project and wondering how he would cut this or that, how would he assemble this, etc. I think he would be proud...

So until the day comes that he and I can talk woodworking over a salty beer in the afterlife, I'll just keep plugging away and use each of his lessons to build the best piece that I possibly can...]]> Fri, 07 Sep 2012 08:00:19 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/7/roots http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/6/dovetail-daily-days-35-36

Day 35 and 36 churned out a couple of decent joints on the outside but on the inside they're ugly as ugly gets. I'm easily at least a week overdue for a good sharpening session for my chisels.

Day 35

[caption id="attachment_846" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 35"][/caption]

Day 36

[caption id="attachment_847" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 36"][/caption]

If all goes as planned, day 37 will see me using a freshly tuned and sharpened Stanley 750 Sweetheart. Here's a little sneak peek at the forthcoming review.

[caption id="attachment_850" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mill Marking"][/caption]

The overall finish of the 750's is pretty decent, but could be better

[caption id="attachment_849" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Low spots in the backs"][/caption]

Each chisel was in decent shape with fairly flat backs. BUT, 3 or 4 of the set had definite low spots that required a bit more time on the flattening stone than I would have liked.

[caption id="attachment_848" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Flat backs"][/caption]

All in all I only had to spend 60 minutes or so flattening the set. Not the greatest, but compared to a few chisels I've had in the past, 60 minutes to flatten the entire set really wasn't that bad.

 ]]> Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:00:56 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/6/dovetail-daily-days-35-36 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/5/naughty-box

[caption id="attachment_782" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Naughty Box"][/caption]

Why yes, that IS a microwave and I have comfortably set one of my latest pieces into it.

Still not following me? Well take a look at this clip from "Friends"

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qqaCby1lGw]

I'm game for the freezer, but I find that most woodworking projects just laugh in the face of freezing temps...but the fiery inferno of the convection microwave, not so much. It MUST learn that I'm in charge here...Muuuwaaaahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!

 ]]> Wed, 05 Sep 2012 08:00:22 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/5/naughty-box http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/4/dovetail-daily-days-33-34

[caption id="attachment_821" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="40 days of dovetails"][/caption]

So now that I'm all stocked up on...well...stock...lets take a peek at day 33 & 34.

Day 33

[caption id="attachment_822" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 33"][/caption]

Day 34

[caption id="attachment_823" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 34"][/caption]

They're not the tightest joints but they're still not bad. For day 33 I used my new 1/2" Stanley 750 right out of the box. It was pretty true and flat and had a decent sharpen on it, but man oh man it wasn't anywhere near sharp enough. As a result the joint suffered. Day 34 saw a similar issue with my Crown bench chisels. I gave them a freshening up about a week ago but it must not have held as the joint saw many of the same problems as day 33 had. Chopping resulted in a fair amount of tear out of the wood fibers and wouldn't stay true in the cut no matter what I did.

Looks like I've got some sharpening to do before I jump into Day 35...

 ]]> Tue, 04 Sep 2012 08:00:13 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/4/dovetail-daily-days-33-34 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/3/whats-new daily dovetail challenge, so life has been full of "to do" moments and thin on the kick back and relax. It's funny because I actually started out with 2 of my small sewing boxes on the bench, which then grew to 3 and then a custom order dropped in and it grew to 5. Add on top of that a couple of small notions/jewelry/necklace boxes that I'm prototyping, as well a pulling out the 2 large jewelry/keepsake boxes that were waiting in the wings and life got very busy, very quickly...but primarily of my own doing, so there's no one to blame but myself.

[caption id="attachment_763" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="10 boxes"][/caption]

With everything so busy in the shop I've been putting off a few purchases that I've been needing/wanting for a while now. Well the wait is over...well, mostly. I've known for quite some time that it was time to upgrade my current set of Crown bench chisels to something a bit more durable. The thing I didn't pay much attention to was the shoulders on Crown chisels was soooo huge. So after a month of the daily dovetail and carefully chopping away waste and having to get creative to get deep into the crevasses, my mind is made up. I still fully intend on migrating over to Japanese chisels (hopefully sooner than later) but just couldn't part with that much cash right now. So until that day comes around I would have to pick up a set of Western bench chisels to fill the void. The problem is that many of the better options out there are also quite pricey. A year or two back Stanley re-released their Sweetheart line of tools. In this release came a set of their original chisel designs, the 750's. I've heard good and bad about the new chisels, but never anything definitive and then they kind of disappeared. I'm not sure if it was bad marketing, poor supply structure, or just more of the once great tools getting re-worked and released into mediocrity because of today's poor manufacturing standards. Anyway I found a full set of 8 for a price that I couldn't let go. Let's just say that they were cheap enough that if they are remotely better than my Crown pieces I'm well ahead of the game.

[caption id="attachment_762" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Stanley 750's"][/caption]

So the man in brown dropped these off last Friday and on initial blush they look good. The 1 or 2 that I popped open were decently machined and looked as if they would need minimal intervention on my part. I had every intention of getting them onto the water stones this past weekend, but that just doesn't appear to be in the cards anymore. Now I'm hoping that I can get to them sometime this week. When I do eventually get to them I'll be sure to post up the results.]]> Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:00:15 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/3/whats-new http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/2/dovetail-daily-days-26-32

In all honesty I really didn't think I was going to make it this far, but miraculously have and as such have since done a little happy dance in the shop. I haven't gotten much better about a regular posting other than my usual Sunday fare, but I'm still working on it and one of these days will start churning our more than a single post a week...I hope...

Let's take a peek at what you've missed in the last week.

Day 26

[caption id="attachment_755" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 26"][/caption]

Day 27

[caption id="attachment_756" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="day 27"][/caption]

Day 28

[caption id="attachment_757" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 28"][/caption]

Day 29

[caption id="attachment_758" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 29"][/caption]

Day 30

[caption id="attachment_759" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 30"][/caption]

Day 31

[caption id="attachment_760" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 31"][/caption]

Day 32

[caption id="attachment_761" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 32"][/caption]

If you look close I had a flub in my numbering last night. I've grown accustom to the tail number matching exactly to the date, that when the date reset to 1, I naturally followed right along...derp! But more interesting I've noticed over the past 2 or 3 tails that my sawing is getting much tighter and that I'm now splitting the line rather than staying shy of it. What does this translate into for me? Well, it means that I've been able to slide the joint together pretty much right off the saw (that is after I chop away the waste). You can see this in day 32 above. If you look at the bottom left of the joint where the tail meets the pin, there's a hairline gap where I pared away the slightest bit of material. I specifically remember the thought process last night as I did so and as soon as I took that hairs width of a shaving off I had a hunch that it was too much, and I was right. I'm not sure how I feel about being able to essentially take the joint right off the saw...I've grown so accustom to fine tuning the joint with a chisel that I'm making a slightly gappy tail by 2nd guessing myself. Not sure if this is something that I will get over as I continue to work through this challenge or if it's something that I'm going to have to consciously remember to stop myself from doing.

Either way I still can't believe I've surpassed the month mark. In a celebration of this minor achievement we've thrown together a fun little video recapping the first 31 days. Enjoy...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqrZqAQjAXw]

 ]]> Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:19:43 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/9/2/dovetail-daily-days-26-32 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/26/dovetail-daily-days-19-25 excuses details but I won't bore you with them. However I do have one good excuse, and that is that I've been busily working on several stock items for the Etsy shop as well as a custom order or two. So my procrastination hasn't been all for naught.

Still...

I have no excuse and I promise to do better. Pinky swear!

With that behind us, lets take a look at this weeks dovetails so far.

Day 19

[caption id="attachment_744" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 19"][/caption]

Day 20

[caption id="attachment_745" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 20"][/caption]

Day 21

[caption id="attachment_746" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 21"][/caption]

Day 22

[caption id="attachment_747" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 22"][/caption]

Day 23

[caption id="attachment_748" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 23"][/caption]

Day 24

[caption id="attachment_749" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 24"][/caption]

Day 25

[caption id="attachment_750" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 25"][/caption]

A couple of trivia points for you: Day 23 was another distracted day and as such a distracted joint. Thankfully it wasn't too bad and still fit fairly tight, but it could have been better. Day 21 was cut in less than 3 minutes as I raced out the door to cover an emergency at the day job (in this case, night job as it resulted in essentially working a double, of which one shift was the grave shift...yuck!) Even still I was able to focus and churn out a decent joint. What's even better is that the following day after a few hours of sleep and still dead tired I was able to cut a really nice joint...hmmmm maybe that's the secret to fine woodworking, do it when you're tired. It would certainly help thin out the herd a little, what with natural selection and power tools and all.

I wish I had some progress on a new set of chisels that I could gush over for you, but that didn't happen either. Not so much for my drooling over my keyboard as I searched out various makers of Western and Japanese version, but more for the lack of the all mighty dollar. It's amazing what a good quality tool costs, but once you make that investment it's sure to pay dividends for the rest of your life. The problem is just coming up with the cash for that initial investment. Either way, I hope to have something in the mail this week (cause I need to make this a reality sooner than later). I'm seriously considering picking up a set of the re-release of Stanley Sweetheart 750's. I've heard good and bad about these, but at the price I've found them , I don't think I can say no. If I have my way, these will be my go to utility/all around chisels while I slowly build up my stock of Japanese chisels. I'm also seriously considering placing an order 2 or 3 Iyoroi Blue Steel Japanese versions to assist with my dovetailing processes. So with fingers crossed that this is the path I'm heading down this week, I think I'll head back out to the shop now.

 ]]> Sun, 26 Aug 2012 16:11:15 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/26/dovetail-daily-days-19-25 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/19/davetail-daily-day-11-18

So with that behind us lets take a peek at day's 11-18...yeah..that would be a weeks worth of postings...

Day 11

[caption id="attachment_729" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 11"][/caption]

Day 12

[caption id="attachment_730" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 12"][/caption]

Day 13

[caption id="attachment_731" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 13"][/caption]

Day 14

[caption id="attachment_732" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 14"][/caption]

Day 15

[caption id="attachment_733" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 15"][/caption]

Day 16

[caption id="attachment_734" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 16"][/caption]

Day 17

[caption id="attachment_735" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 17"][/caption]

Day 18

[caption id="attachment_736" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 18"][/caption]

As the days have passed by I've found that my saw and chisel work is getting stronger and I'm much more confident in my cuts. I have also noticed that if I'm not into the process in any way that the joint suffers immensely. I'm not sure what happened but on day 15 I completely lost focus and the joint is probably one of my worst yet. It's big, gappy and lopsided. If I'm not careful in how I hold the pieces it will just fall apart into two shamed chunks of wood on my bench top...yeah...it's that bad. But I recovered on the last few days and things are back to a nice tight fit with tight joint lines all the way around.

As I start digging deeper and deeper into this process I'm finding that my original set of Crown bench chisels; while they have served me very well over the years, are limiting my progress. They don't hold an edge quite as long as I would like to see...even cutting in soft material like the pine I'm currently cutting the daily dovetail in they are blunting far to quickly. I'm also having trouble with the side bevels being too thick. While the overall thickness of the chisel is nice and gives some great stability I find myself having to be extra diligent that I'm not denting the edges of my tail boards as I cut away the waste. I think one of the next shop purchase is going to be a few nicer chisels. Some Lie Nielson's maybe, or perhaps a trial run of the new Stanley Sweethearts, or maybe I'll delve into the world of Japanese chisels, either way I think I need to make my purchase as soon as possible as my work for Etsy and various clients is suffering from the limitation of my Crown pieces as well.

Now if you'll excuse me I have a dovetail to go cut...]]> Sun, 19 Aug 2012 16:43:15 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/19/davetail-daily-day-11-18 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/11/dovetail-daily-day-10

Alright, in all honesty I have no idea really if dovetails are harder to cut in soft or hardwoods. Both are challenging but for me at least I seem to have more success much more quickly with harder woods. For some reason the soft stuff is proving more of a challenge. Might be due to the fact that I've never really had any formal training in cutting the joint other than a few tips from my grandfather on how to lay it out and cut it. His method of teaching was more along the lines of learn by doing and he would correct what he thought needed it. Other than that I was on my own. I've just recently picked the process back up (a few years ago with the production of the bow front kane tsugi table) and what a way to pick up the old torch...half blind angled dovetails. The first set I had cut in years...in fact probably the first set I had cut since those days monkeying around in my grandfathers shop. Not sure where I'm going with this thought; it's just one of those sweet memories that you let linger a moment longer before getting back to work.

Anyway, I'm glad that I've jumped back into dovetails. There's just something greatly satisfying about cutting this joint, especially when it fits snug darn near right off the saw.

[caption id="attachment_721" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 10"][/caption]

 ]]> Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:51:53 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/11/dovetail-daily-day-10 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/10/dovetail-daily-day-9 Nothing special today...no frills and no hoopla. Just a dovetail, plain and simple.

[caption id="attachment_683" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 9"][/caption]

I was lucky enough to come across a couple more sticks of this lovely extra soft pine to keep me challenged for at least another week. Should be interesting...don't you think?]]> Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:22:33 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/10/dovetail-daily-day-9 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/9/dovetail-daily-day-8

Here's a look at today's creation. Still not as tight as I would really like, but hey, for a 5 minute task in a softer than soft wood it's not looking too bad.

[caption id="attachment_676" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 8"][/caption]

Right now it looks as if I'm going to make it to day 10 before I have to take a slight hiatus. That is unless I can come up with a clever way to get my dovetail saw and chisel through airport security on day 11...hmmmmm...

Where I have an aversion to strip searches by large strange men in tiny smelly rooms at the airport I think I'll have to take my first mulligan and dig up something dovetail related to post while I leave my sharp tools safely on the bench while I'm traveling. I know...all the stories I would have out of that encounter, but I think it's best for everyone involved if we just don't go down that road, don't you?]]> Wed, 08 Aug 2012 20:24:06 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/9/dovetail-daily-day-8 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/8/the-year-of-the-dovetail

But seriously, after completing the Split-Top Roubo build I've been seriously in high gear. I've also been attempting to be 'in" the woodworking community as much as possible and have been consuming blogs, pod casts, etc at every opportunity. But how can I improve my skills in the shop and on my own time without being able to hit a class or two to do it? What skills in the shop help refine your attention to detail, hand tool skills, concentration and repeatability? That's when it hit me; dovetails.

I've seen several blogs/woodworkers who have pushed themselves for a week or a month by cutting a daily dovetail. The end results generally were always positive and served to make them a better woodworker. But I knew that I wanted to take this self imposed challenge to the next level; a week is do-able, a month would be tough, but a year is a challenge and something that at the end of I hope to be able to look back on with pride and be able to share my experience with the woodworking community and perhaps share some insight to new woodworkers looking for help.

The goal is to cut at least a single dovetail a day in whatever scrap I have lying around the shop. The dovetail/s have to be of no purpose other than to hone my skills, try new techniques, jigs, etc. Dovetails going into production pieces would not count towards the end goal. Timing is going to be tricky and I know I have several commitments outside of the woodworking world that are going to conflict with being able to do anything woodworking related, let alone cut a dove tail. Because of those commitments, I intend to extend my year time frame by the days that I'm unable to do anything woodworking related. At the end of all of this I should have 365 dovetails...

I have to admit that I actually started this little challenge on the first of August, 2012 and this post is being written on the 7th...yeah...we're 7 days in...oopsie...

So with that said let's take a look at the first week of the challenge.

I pulled a piece of pine trim from an old job that's been kicking around the shop for the past few years out of the lumber rack and was able to cut enough pieces from it to get through the first week or so using nothing else. It's also been a very long time since I've dovetailed anything that is as soft as this pine. I completely forgot how tough cutting a tight dovetail is in soft stuff like this. Too tight and it splits the pin stock. Too loose and things just look like crap. It's a very fine line between the tight fitting joint and not having it so tight that things split. Typically softer woods are easy to get that fit because they compress into place, but this pine is just not letting me get away with that...rather than compressing it just wants to split. So instead of being a slow and easy start to the challenge, it's actually requiring more attention than I had anticipated this early on.

Day 1:

[caption id="attachment_663" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 1"][/caption]

Day 2:

[caption id="attachment_664" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 2"][/caption]

Day 3:

[caption id="attachment_665" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 3"][/caption]

Day 4:

[caption id="attachment_666" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 4"][/caption]

Day 5:

[caption id="attachment_667" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 5"][/caption]

Day 6:

[caption id="attachment_668" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 6"][/caption]

Day 7:

[caption id="attachment_669" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Day 7"][/caption]

And with that the first week of The Year of the Dovetail is done. I've learned a few things about cutting things a hair shy in soft woods and then paring things down to a snug fit from there. I've also noticed that my saw strokes are getting truer and quicker with each day. I'm extremely excited to keep this thing rolling...by this time next year I should be a dovetailing machine...booyah!!!

 ]]> Tue, 07 Aug 2012 20:54:00 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/8/the-year-of-the-dovetail http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/7/the-difference-a-day-makes

But in all fairness to you the reader I think we should button them up before moving on to the next post.

Sooooo here we go!

As I cracked open my can of wiping varnish it dawned on me that it is easily over 4-5 years old at this point. Did that thought make me hesitate before wiping it onto the sewing boxes, especially one made out of a highly oily exotic wood like Bocote? Noooope!

Ok, not that's not totally true...it went something like this...

Me: "hmmmmm when did I first open this can?

Brain: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Me: "well the consistency still looks right"

Brain: "zzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Me: "maybe I should wipe some on a test piece first"

Brain: "wha? did I miss something?"

Me: "If I run a test piece should I let it dry or just verify that it's acting normally (as normally as a wiping varnish might act that is)?"

Brain: "You know what would be good...Cheetos"

Me: "MMM yeah...Cheetos would rock right now!"

Trust me, I'm not making this stuff up.

Anyway I took the plunge and like a complete newb wiped every inch of each box and each divider down with a coat of this suspect finish. Thankfully I didn't get bit and this one could have easily bit me hard. I did have to let it sit for more than 24 hours between each coat however, but there is still some debate on this issue as we have had the wettest and most humid July in recent history here in the desert. I mean seriously people, it got to be like 50% humidity here, and for us, where humidity generally hangs in the teens, it was a HUGE deal. So I'm torn between the drying time being a result of old finish or the overall spike in humidity.

In the end each piece dried beautifully and everything worked out well. Even with the spike in the humidity I didn't have any problems with trays not fitting etc. Which for those of you in the know is a good thing.

[caption id="attachment_656" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Medium Sewing Box"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Large Sewing Box"][/caption]

Like I mentioned early on, the boxes got posted to Etsy and in a stroke of pure luck have sold in...so this post...is officially old news!]]> Tue, 07 Aug 2012 16:10:19 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/8/7/the-difference-a-day-makes http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/18/its-whats-inside-that-matters

What I choose to put in most of my boxes is a system of well thought out and nicely produced cubbies. I honestly put a fair amount of thought into how I lay out the interior of every box. Are the dividers too tall, do they interfere with removing that wayward ear ring from the bottom of the box, can you easily grasp and remove a sewing bobbin/pin/needle etc. Is the square footage of this or that cubby too small, too large and on and on. I truly attempt to think this process through, especially on pieces that I'm slating for inventory. I have no idea who the customer is, nor what their needs are going to be and as such I try to make each interior universal but still custom so that each piece is useful and yet still a piece of art.

I took this same care with the interiors of the latest sewing boxes...especially after the fitting issues I had in the original. In that instance I think I got too caught up in the function of the interior and was more focused on wowing the wife vs. making a piece that I was functional and beautiful at the same time.

I also take the same view point of the late Bill McDowell in how I assemble each interior. I'm not a fan of the half lap joint style that many box makers utilize in their interiors. To me they lack sincerity (yes I said sincerity)...honestly to me they always look like a cop out. You've spent hours and hours crafting a piece and then you add an ikea/lincoln logish interior...BORING...ok, that might be harsh and if you're one of those woodworkers out there producing box interiors in this fashion I apologize. But seriously I prefer to build my interiors using rabbets and dado's. It's a little more time consuming and require a tad more dedication in your stock prep, the tools you use and the final assembly, but it's soooo worth it at the end of the day. After everything is said and done I know for a fact that my dividers are seated, firm and ready to put up with years of abuse...and look utterly fabu to boot.

The latest sewing boxes are no different in this matter and each interior started out as several strips of re-sawn Honduran Mahogany or Black Walnut.

[caption id="attachment_649" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sewing Box Interiors In Progress"][/caption]

I will typically line the interior of the box with what I call banding strips. These act as support for the lift out trays as well as give me a clean way to dado dividers for the bottom cubbies. With those out of the way I will turn my attention to the actual dividing process. In the photo above you can see my thoughts and the lay out process. I will make a quick reference/sketch  of each division on the bottom of the box to aid in visualizing each cubby and ensuring that I'm maximizing space while keeping the flow of the piece. With the design essentially finalized I turn my attention to making some saw dust.

I have used several different blades for my interiors over the years. I have no idea why but finding an FTG (flat top grind) over the years has been a royal pain in the ass. Seriously, it took far longer than I would have ever imagined to locate a 10" table saw blade with this grind. Thankfully Forrest a few years back heard my cries (or so I say they did) that I needed a quality FTG blade and that's when they released a woodworker II blade with what they're calling a number one grind (Forrest model WW10401125) If you have the means to pick one up I highly suggest you do...it is totally choice. But in all honesty I used several blades ranging from a glueline laminate blade to one of my chippers out of my dado set. The key is to get the flattest bottomed cut possible without a lot of tear out; a zero clearance throat insert is a mandatory.

With the blade figured out it's a simple matter of setting your cutting depth and running your dado's. Once you get used to this process it's a simple matter to dado and cut your pieces to length one right after the other. A key piece to the puzzle to remember is that with 1 full crank of your blade height you can go from dado to cut off and back to dado...give it a try if you don't trust me.

[caption id="attachment_650" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A Finished Lower Divider"][/caption]

With the bottom divided and ready to roll I generally turn my attention to the lift out tray (if the box has one) and repeat the above processes. The only difference is that the banding strips become the sides of the tray and the addition of a bottom, aside from that it's fairly straight forward. Depending on the type of box I may or may not add a center divider that acts as a handle on the tray. In this case the pieces are fairly small so I thought a handle would be a nice touch.

[caption id="attachment_651" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finished Lift Out Trays"][/caption]

So with the boxes divided and the trays built it's time for the finishing act...]]> Wed, 18 Jul 2012 16:36:59 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/18/its-whats-inside-that-matters http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/17/art-as-life

So what to do in the years to come to help grow and establish myself in the local wood working community? That's a tougher question; at least to me than the one of how/when to make the official switch from office monkey to shop monkey. Well, one of my most recent ruminations was the lack of quality shop time I had at my disposal. It's tough to get into the shop when you have an hour and a half long commute in addition to the 8-10 hour work day...the last thing on my mind most nights is not getting pumped to go work in the shop but to crash after dinner with a nice beverage before crawling to bed. So what to do, what to do...

Well the first step has simply been getting into the shop as often and more importantly in my opinion, more consistently each day. So I made the resolution to spend an hour each day in the shop doing something...anything...as long as it was in the shop and beneficial towards achieving the ultimate goal. I admit that now that I'm a few weeks into that process things are getting easier and easier to break away from and the after work slump is getting less and less dramatic. Have I accomplished my goal of 1 hour each day? no, but it's been close and I'm sure it will eventually come with more time.

The next step I decided to take on was to establish an inventory of pieces for the inevitable day that I actually make it out to an art show, crafts fair, or your local underpass...I can't sell my creations to pay the electric bill if I don't have anything to sell.This process is actually going fairly well and I should have another 2 or 3 pieces added to the inventory closet any day now. So I'm marking this one as a check/win/goooooooooal!!!

I think the next piece is to expand my horizons socially and I don't mean hi my name is Matt and I'm addicted to wood. I speak more specifically of being "in" the wood working community as best as I can. Unfortunately due to my geographic location there's not many wood workers out there that want to be buddy buddy so I have to turn my attention to the electronic wood working community. My hesitation with this is that the interwebs is a huuuuuge world and in that world reside a fair many asshats that continually do, have or are better (at least in their opinion) than anything I will ever do or be. As a result I will need to spend a fair amount of time wading through the complete an utter shit that floods the interwebs daily for fellow woodworkers looking to achieve the same end as me...a communal appreciation of the art form and craft. So the next few weeks will see me reading more than few wood working blogs, listening to a fair number of pod casts and I'm sure watching a fair number of videos...At the end of the day, if I'm lucky, I will have found a home amongst a set of fellow woodworkers...if nothing more I suspect that I will come out of this venture a better and more knowledgeable woodworker...

I know that everyone out there always tells you to never dwell on the "what if's" of life and I honestly try to live my life such that I have as few of those as possible. But one of my greatest and most haunting what if's is the demise of our family's cabinet/furniture business. What if I had given it more attention and toughed out those inevitable family fights that occur in every family run business? What if...would I be living the dream of being able to walk to work and return smelling of saw dust? What if....And this, I believe is going to be my most challenging hurdle at this point...letting go of that what if.

 ]]> Tue, 17 Jul 2012 15:57:20 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/17/art-as-life http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/15/a-tale-of-two-tails

Hmmm

Ok not really...but it sounds so much better than, the shop was brightly lit and comfortably air conditioned.

How about we just get on to the real reason we're here...the continuation of the sewing box builds.

With the stock dimensioned I took a few minute to contemplate overall sizing of each piece and cut the sides of each box to length. Where each piece was cut from a single billet I wasn't able to match the grain in a continuous pattern around the diameter of the piece as I normally do. But where each piece is a book match of one another, it's fairly close. The next challenge was in laying out the dovetails so that they would be as consistent as possible. This proves a tad challenging because one pin has to be sized so that it's the same size as the rest of the pins after it has been sliced in half when the top is cut away from the rest of the box. Did I lose you there?

Anyway, with the tails laid out in such a spacing that I can split the piece into two halves and have each half remain structurally sound, it's time to make some dust. I do have to give a plug to Lie-Nielson here, simply because the tools that they produce are just so sweet. I often have buyers remorse when it comes to purchasing new woodworking tools. Am I getting a quality tool, am I getting the best price, is it going to last, blah blah blah...Well I can honestly say that the Lie Nielson dovetails saw is one of the finest dovetails saws I have ever used. Even with the Bocote in the current project the saw starts easily, tracks straight as an arrow and cuts cleanly and quickly. With it in my hands cutting the dovetails in each piece was a quick and easy process.

[caption id="attachment_634" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cutting Tails in Bocote"][/caption]

I'm a tails first cutter. If you don't know what that means not to worry, but I toss it out there simply to clear the air and simply say I like to cut the tails of my dovetails first. For those of you that know that I'm talking about and disagree with me...well you can stick a sock in it cause I don't want to hear it. Tails first works for me and that 's all that matters. I also like to cut both tail boards at the same time. I find that this gives me more consistent looking dovetails and speeds up the entire process nicely.

So after an hour or so of cutting, chopping, fine tuning and grumbling I had the two boxes together...well in this case they resembled corrals a little more than boxes but hey...tomato, potato...

With the sides cut I then turned my attention to filling the gaping holes at the top and bottom. A few passes through the thickness sander and a cut or two at the table saw and I had my tops and bottoms cut and ready for installation. The next piece to the puzzle was how to mate each one into its corresponding side. This style of box is still relatively new to me but the process that I've adopted is a simple one using the router table and a lovely 1/8" down cut spiral bit. I use the down cut bit in an effort to keep any tear out to an absolute minimum...

Once I have my rabbet's cut courtesy of the router, it's a fairly easy process of adding top and bottom to side, apply some glue to the dovetails, clamp, cook and serve with a nice Chianti...

[caption id="attachment_635" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bocote Box Cooking in the Clamps"][/caption]

And Voila...just like that you have a box...a strange and aggravating box that has no lid...give it to your kids for hours of enjoyment as they try to open the impossible.

[caption id="attachment_636" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Open Says ME!!!"][/caption]

After cleaning up the dovetails with a block plane and scraper; I like to do this pre-slicing so that each corner remains uniform and matches that much better once the box is cut open. With that done it's a simple matter of running the box through  your choice of cutting options. I prefer a thin kerf blade in my table saw: A) it gives me a fairly decent amount of control and say in cutting depth, and B) a sturdy fence and flat work surface. The key to using the table saw is to minimize the inevitable clam shell clamping action after you slice through enough of the piece to allow the nearly free top to clamp lovingly onto your 10K rpm saw blade (not pretty...trust me...) The easiest way to avoid this is to just mill up a couple of spacers that you can slide into the saw kerf  to keep the piece from performing that clam shell clamp. I will also only raise the blade enough to just cut through the thickness of the sides, any more than that and you raise the danger/clam clamp level as well as run the risk of leaving blade marks half way up your box side (also not pretty...trust me yet again...) I've also done this top removal process with my trusty bandsaw, but find that the resulting surface required far more cleanup than that of the table saw and the risk/reward of using the table saw far out weighed the bandsaw in my mind. Buuuuut this might change and I might be persuaded to give it another go with a carbide toothed ReSaw king from Laguna tools...oh how sweet it would be...Just the pictures of that blade and the cuts it can make, make me as giddy as a school girl crowing over that beiber kid...How sweet would that be...oh a boy can dream...

Anyway with the top cleanly separated from the box all that's needed is a few quick swipes from a trusty (and sharp) block plane to remove any mill marks left behind. And with that 1 becomes 2 and 2 becomes 4...

[caption id="attachment_637" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="1 Becomes 2 & 2 Becomes 4"][/caption]

Up next it's all about the bling bling and the pinky ring!]]> Sun, 15 Jul 2012 14:46:34 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/15/a-tale-of-two-tails http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/10/a-stitch-in-time complete I wanted to turn my attention to another project to sort of shake out the cobwebs...not that the Roubo build wasn't challenging; more like MASSIVE and I really just wanted something small, and fun and fairly quick to pull together, but I digress.

Just before I started the Roubo build, I put together what was supposed to be a loving gift to my wife; a peace offering so to speak for the coming weeks and months of what I was sure would be torture while I worked through the Roubo. If you remember I got with her and had her pick out a few pieces of wood that she liked for a sewing box...you don't remember that do you? Well read it again here... But as the build came to a close I ran into a problem....a big problem...the lid didn't fit with the lift out tray in place. Ok actually it did fit, but I had cut my tolerances a tad too tight and after a few coats of finish the tray would get stuck in the lid. Something had gone wrong. On top of that, the tray wound up sitting too high in the box and when loaded with sewing bobbins the lid wouldn't close....yeah...major issues. Major enough that I sort of swept it under the rug and attempted to forget it. This proved difficult because it sat permanently on the kitchen counter or table through the entire Roubo build; a move that I suspect is the wife's way of making me pay for screwing up her box and then abandoning it for the workbench...I'm sure she'll categorically deny this, but I do have to wonder...after all it's been in this location since mid/late February...

Anyway, I've swallowed my pride and moved the box from its home in the kitchen to a spot on the workbench in an effort to right the world and show that no project gets left behind. After a quick rehash of what went wrong I came to the conclusion that the only sensible fix was to start over and produce another box. With that complete I would then turn my attention back to the original, correct its issues and more than likely put it on Etsy for a discount.

So this round I've decided to up the sizing of the box just slightly for the piece that is being made for the wife and that I would produce a 2nd larger piece that can accommodate a number of sewing supplies and isn't quite as customized to needs of my wife.

Kristina's box is being produced out of the same billets of material that I used on the original box; Ambrosia Maple (Acer Saccharum) for the top, American Cherry (Prunus serotina) as the primary wood and Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra) as the interior  and a secondary piece of Hard Maple (Acer Saccharum) for the bottom of the box.

The Sewing box will be produced out of several exotic pieces I have sitting on the shelf; Bocote (Cordia Eleagnoides) as the primary wood, Jatoba, or Brazilian cherry to some (Hymenaea Courbaril) for the top, Wenge (Millettia Laurentii) accents, Honduran Mahogany (Swietenia Macrophylla) interior and a secondary piece of Hard Maple (Acer Saccharum) for the bottom of the box.

[caption id="attachment_625" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="2 Boxes, 1 Story"][/caption]

With the stock to dimension the real fun is set to begin. I'm sticking with the dovetail sides on these pieces rather than going with my usual splined leg combo that I use on my jewelry/keepsake pieces. It should pose as a nice hand tool refresher and get me back into practice for cutting dovetails after a few months off.

Up next: It's ALL About the Tail]]> Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:07:25 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/10/a-stitch-in-time http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/2/this-is-the-end-beautiful-friend-this-is-the-end

With that said let's put this baby to bed and get on with building something that doesn't weigh hundreds of pounds...

At this point there were 3 tasks left on the to do list before I could really put this puppy to work: 1 - shape a dead man & track, 2 - build the gap stop, and 3 - put a coat of finish on everything.

Lets start at 1:

The dead man was a piece that was throwing me for a design curve, much as the leg vise had. It too was an up front and in your face piece that really needed something that said, "Look at me and my shiny new body", but wasn't over stated and gaudy. I was stumped...stuck in the woodworking equivalent of writers block...So what now? Well, I took a similar step to how I pulled the leg vise together by milling up my blank and propping it up on the bench rail and then hunkered down across the shop staring at the thing like a mad man. The more time I spent staring at the damn thing the more I thought that I really needed to continue with the art deco'ish theme. I also knew that I wanted to keep the base as wide as possible to ensure the piece would always be stable when in use. I also wasn't convinced on tapering the piece as it neared the slabs either...so how do I make this piece interesting and not just a block of wood with holes in it? That's when it hit me...pull the rising sun rays from the leg vise and incorporate them into the deadman as well, but make them more differenty...you heard me...I said differenty...

I ran through a few different options over the next few minutes with the rays originating at the bottom, the middle, the top, the left, and so on, but I always returned to them originating at the bottom but had trouble with them as they neared the top and keeping them clean and inline with the holdfast holes. What to do, what to do? On a whim I mirrored the rays and had them originating at the bottom and the top and meeting in the middle...AH HA! that's it...the clouds parted and mana fell from heaven...ok, that's a bit over dramatic but I had the design and I was satisfied with it. The added bonus to the look was one of a butterfly or dovetail and easily fell into the fit/finish of the bench.

[caption id="attachment_619" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It's a butterfly...it's a dove tail...no...it's Zombie art deco"][/caption]

After roughing out the butterfly shape at the band saw I used a large flush trim bit and a strait edge (in this case my woodpeckers bench rule...it does so much more than measure) held in place with some double sided turners tape to smooth and clean up the cuts. With that out of the way it was over to the drill press to put a bazillion and one holes into it. As I laid these out I followed the recommended patter in 1" spacing. The overall effect was more of a 180* mirror image to the piece, but as I finished up I realized that I wanted one more hole closer to the top of the piece to allow for better support with narrower stock and ended up putting one last hole in; effectively screwing up my nice mirror image...

With all that out of the way I turned my attention to shaping the rays; following the same process as I had on the leg vise using a fence (again held in place with double stick tape) and a 1/4" down cut spiral bit; slowly chewing through the material in order to keep it from splitting out the grain as the ray approached the focal points. Once everything was shaped to satisfaction I turned to my trusty chisel plane to bring the ray meeting points to a sharp transition. After some block plane work and a sanding block the dead man was fully zombified and ready for a test run in the bench.

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Dead Man Track Glued in Place"][/caption]

With the dead man out of the way I then turned my attention to step 3...true I totally skipped over step 2, I admit it...I neglected my poor poor gap stop. Actually this was done on purpose simply because of my overall timing and needing to let the finish have a good 24 hours to cure between each coat and my available time fit perfectly to this schedule so that I wasn't losing any potential build time while I waited for the finish to cure. So you see...there really was a method to my madness.

There was a fair amount of discussion throughout the guild as to what the best finish was going to be to put on our benches. After reading through the discussions and hearing the feed back I stuck with my original choice...plain and simple tung oil. It builds a finish easily, is easily repaired and dries quickly and in my 85* shop with very little humidity, it dried VERY quickly at that. For those of you that are interested the official finish is Formby's low gloss. Overall I'm fairly happy with it in function...it's not the best looking finish that I've ever used but it did dry a little rougher than I had expected; so between the 100 grit sanding and the rougher finish the top is not overly slick and should give any pieces I'm working on that extra stickum power. Ultimately I've given the entire bench 3 coats; which should last me quite a while...or so I hope.

With the finish dry and a few more hours on hand to actually do some work I turned back to number 2 on my list. I mulled my options over on the best material for the job as I still had a full stick of 8/4 hard maple, a number of pieces of 8/4 alder and a few 4/4 alder pieces that were left over from prior builds. The thought of re-sawing a piece of 8/4 hard maple down to a few pieces of 1/2" material wasn't too enticing. Nor was the thought of doing the same on the 8/4 alder...although less opposing, was still not sitting well. That's when I turned my attention to a few pieces of 4/4 alder that were in the lumber rack that mostly survived the flood. They were water stained and the ends were checking from the abuse of "disaster shop". They had dried satisfactorily and were still fairly flat (even after they took the full brunt of the flood) and in my mind had earned their place as a part of this bench...they were a part of my history, just as this bench will become a part of it as well.

So after bringing the alder strips into flat and milling them to 9/16" I was ready to build the stop. If you've been following along from the start of my build you'll remember that I've changed a number of dimensions over the entire bench. One of those dimensions was the overall width of the bench which in turn widened the gap between the two slabs to just over 2-5/8" wide. I know it sounds like a lot of room between the slabs, but when it really comes down to it, it's not that much. However this did pose a problem for the gap stop...even with the strips being 9/16" thick, I was left with about 1-1/2" of open space. I, like many of the others building the bench was drawn to the bench by it's ability to hold tools nicely in the gap stop and work as a pseudo tool caddy; but with over an inch of open space, this was not going to be possible. In order to remedy this I milled up two fillers that I fit into the two center most openings of the gap stop, which brought the open dimension down to just under 1"...just right for catching the handles of the majority of all my hand tools.

[caption id="attachment_622" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Look at that GAP!"][/caption]

I will admit that I do have 2 additional tasks that still need to be completed before I can officially declare the bench done. I still need to apply some finish to the gap stop and to the bench dogs, but in all honesty this is so minor that I'm not worried about it.

So that's basically it...

What?

You're still here? It's over! Go home...

No?

Ok, how about some pictures then, will that make you happy?

[caption id="attachment_608" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Art Deco Rules the Bench"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_607" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tail Vise & Condor Tails"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_606" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bench-a-polooza"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_605" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A Head On"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_609" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Parallel Guide Block"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bender, You're The Greatest!"][/caption]

And with that...all I can say is: This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the end...

Was it worth the time, effort and monetary cost? Absolutely...as a wise man (boy in this case) once said..."It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up!"

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons…includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-1.5 hours (cutting and dimensioning bench dog stock)

-1 hour (routing bench dogs to profile)

-0.5 hour (fine tuning bench dogs to shape)

-1.5 hours (bench dog assembly & fit-n-finish)

-0.5 hour (dimensioning & laminating chop stock)*

-3 hours (dimensioning & carving parallel guide)

-1 hour (fit & finish of parallel guide)

-2.5 hours (design & shaping of chop)

-0.5 hour (drawboring parallel guide & chop)

-2 hours (shaping & finish of parallel guides)

-4 hours (installation of nut block, parallel guides, phenolic bushing & fine tuning vice operation)

-0.5 hour (marking drawbore locations & drilling them out)

-1.5 hours (making dowel plate and dowels)

-1 hour (assembling the base)

-2 hours (leveling the base & mortising slabs)

-1 hour (fine tuning slab placement & attaching slabs to the base)

-1 hour (milling router sled rails, positioning the rails & building the router sled)

-2 hours (flattening top with router)***

-1.5 hours (drilling out inclusions & filling with epoxy)

-0.5 hours (fine tuning top with RO disc sander)

-3 hours (milling, routing & fine tuning dead man)

-0.5 hour (milling dead man track)

-1.5 hours (milling & assembling gap stop)

-3 hours (finishing bench with tung oil)****

-3 hours (finishing gap stop & dogs with tung oil - completion date TBD)****

-100.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours

*** With a heavier duty router this process would have been about an hour

**** Drying time of tung oil not added into total. If you want to add it in you will need to add an additional 96 hours to the total.]]> Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:17:48 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/2/this-is-the-end-beautiful-friend-this-is-the-end http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/2/the-flatter-the-better

One of the final steps to putting this behemoth to work was bringing both slabs into a coplanar state. And yes, this is far easier said than done. I had toyed with the thought of leveling the bench using hand planes, but as I progressed to this point, my inner neanderthal took a back seat to the more modern inner woodworker and I accepted that I would follow Marc's & Nick Offerman's tutelage and use a router and router sled.

In all honesty, I actually followed Marc's process damn near exactly...right down to the green coated 1/16" wire cabling to bring the router sled rails into parallel. But more on this in a moment.

After jointing and planing a couple of 2x6 fir boards I lightly clamped each one to the sides of the bench and strung my line in an X.

[caption id="attachment_588" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Leveling Rails Ready"][/caption]

Let's talk about this for a minute because this is one aspect that I think Marc didn't touch enough on in his demonstration of the process. I admit, that after watching his video a few times I was always left with this gnawing feeling that something was missing. I actually started the process with some heavy masons twine from my tool box when it dawned on me what that feeling was. The process that Marc was demonstrating, relied heavily on the use of a material that wouldn't compress underneath one of the lines. The reason behind this is that for this technique to give you the most accurate alignment, one line needs to be placed over the opposing line at the exact height/thickness of the line that you're using. So if you use a material that is compressible, you're going to wind up with a twist in the surface you're flattening as one corner will end up higher than the remaining 3 in order to allow the lines to pass each other. However if you're able to raise one line the exact thickness of the 2nd line, you'll be able bring them into that sweet spot of just kissing; resulting in a coplanar set of rails. Clear as mud? Yeah...I thought so...Over all, Marc did an awesome job documenting this process so don't think I'm bagging on him...I just think he needed to give a bit more information on the type of line to use and why.

So...with that in mind I happened across the same line that Marc had used while looking through the local giant big box hardware store...which honestly worked awesomely. From there it was a simple matter of building my router sled using some 3/4" Baltic Birch ply. The only issue that I ran into was a tendency for the sled to slide out of place side to side when in use. I remedied this by clamping a piece of scrap to the very edge of the sled, ultimately limiting the side to side travel.

[caption id="attachment_590" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Router Sled"][/caption]

Ultimately I found that the rear corner of one end of the front slab had twisted up by about 1/8", what this translated into is about 3/16" of the top being removed. I'm sure I don't need to say it, but this produced a fair amount of chips...it was like it was snowing maple flakes in the shop...

[caption id="attachment_582" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Maple chips pile up like snow"][/caption]

Even with the large flattening bit I used, the entire process took a bit of time to complete. I had to hit the top in 3 different sections in order to keep from burning out my router because of the strain the larger bit and the amount of heat the motor built up after a number of passes...

As I worked across the top everything went swimmingly...that was until I hit the spot...and by the spot I actually mean two bark inclusions, one of which held a cut nail. Thankfully as I crossed the inclusions the router bit cut through the old cut nail without issue. The router actually jumped more when it hit the first inclusion without the nail. You can see the router jump gouge just to the side of the inclusion to the left in the picture below and the head of cut nail shining merrily away in the right.

[caption id="attachment_580" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mystery Bark Inclusions"][/caption]

Another issue I ran into was one of my router bit not creating a truly flat surface...it more dished out the surface rather than flatten. Thankfully the dishing issue wasn't deep enough for me to really fret about.

I also had to remove the cut nail or risk damaging work pieces as they slid across the head of the nail. It would also cause issues if I ever ran a plane blade or chisel into it...let alone the issue of ever having to re-flatten the top. The nail was embedded enough that I couldn't simply pull it and the steel was soft enough that I couldn't really get a grasp on the head in an effort to pull it with a variety of tools. So I turned to the thought of drilling it out. I remembered from my days working construction that I had seen a drill bit for plumbers and electricians that was made so it would sheer through any nails that it might hit, so off to the hardware store I went. The options were fairly limited, but I actually found what I was looking for, an Irwin demolition speedbore bit.

With bit in hand I turned back to the process of getting rid of that damn nail. When I started drilling it out, the nail essentially popped right out...or more to the point wrapped itself around the tip of the bit rather than getting chopped up into glorious little metal shavings. In retrospect I'm actually quite happy that it decided to put up a fight; it'll serve as an interesting bit of history to bench and I'll always wonder how this nail (and the one on the bottom of the slab, as I'm sure now that that's what it is) came to be embedded in this piece of maple.

[caption id="attachment_583" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cut Nail Drilled Out of the Rear Slab"][/caption]

Now that the nail was out of the way I was left with 2 holes that needed filling. Thankfully I had a tube of 5 minute Gorilla Glue Epoxy on hand and used it to fill each hole. After letting it set for an hour it was cured enough to scrape flush to the top and I was ready to move on.

[caption id="attachment_585" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="5 Minute Gorilla Glue Epoxy"][/caption]

With the slabs now coplanar and the voids filled with epoxy I turned my attention to evening out the slight dishing of each pass of the router bit. I opted to give this job to my random orbital disc sander with 100 grit pads. I was worried that the 100 grit would produce a surface that would be far too smooth for the top of a work bench, but it actually produced a nice finish. It evened out the finger nail edges and dishing left by the router bit and actually gave the top some nice bite.

Now that the top is flat and coplanar the only thing left to do was to reinstall the leg vise and start thinking about the finishing touches...

Up next: This Is The End, Beautiful Friend, This Is The End!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons…includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-1.5 hours (cutting and dimensioning bench dog stock)

-1 hour (routing bench dogs to profile)

-0.5 hour (fine tuning bench dogs to shape)

-1.5 hours (bench dog assembly & fit-n-finish)

-0.5 hour (dimensioning & laminating chop stock)*

-3 hours (dimensioning & carving parallel guide)

-1 hour (fit & finish of parallel guide)

-2.5 hours (design & shaping of chop)

-0.5 hour (drawboring parallel guide & chop)

-2 hours (shaping & finish of parallel guides)

-4 hours (installation of nut block, parallel guides, phenolic bushing & fine tuning vice operation)

-0.5 hour (marking drawbore locations & drilling them out)

-1.5 hours (making dowel plate and dowels)

-1 hour (assembling the base)

-2 hours (leveling the base & mortising slabs)

-1 hour (fine tuning slab placement & attaching slabs to the base)

-1 hour (milling router sled rails, positioning the rails & building the router sled)

-2 hours (flattening top with router)***

-1.5 hours (drilling out inclusions & filling with epoxy)

-0.5 hours (fine tuning top with RO disc sander)

-89.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours

*** With a heavier duty router this process would have been about an hour

 ]]> Sun, 01 Jul 2012 21:24:12 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/7/2/the-flatter-the-better http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/27/it-lives-it-liiiiiives

With the legs and rails ready to assemble the only missing piece was to lay out the holes for the drawboring and to make some pegs. The layout for the drawbore holes was a quick and easy process of simply dry fitting the rails into the matched leg and marking the center of the hole that was already drilled into the leg with a matched brad point bit.

[caption id="attachment_512" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Drawbore holes marked"][/caption]

With each tenon marked it was a simple task to offset the holes in the tenon by about 1/16"  towards the end of the tenon. The end result being as the peg is driven into the leg and tenon it will suck/draw the rail & tenon nice an tight against the leg.

With the rails and legs ready to assemble I turned my attention to making some pegs. I had initially intended to use some walnut dowel stock that I had left over from a previous project but forgot that the stock was actually 1/2"; not the 3/8" that I needed. Rather than place an order for some new pieces or head to the big box store for some oak dowels I opted to re-size the 1/2" stock I had on hand.

The easiest way to do this would have been to use a dowel plate to down size each peg. The problem? Well...I don't own a dowel plate. I had often thought about getting one for a top secret piece that I make (I may release it to the public one day...but till then all you need to know is that you don't need to know about it...you heard me!) but never got around to buying one. That's when I remembered something I read about another guild member just using some steel plate to make his own dowel plate (sorry but I can't remember who to credit for this...if it's you, let me know and I'll give credit where it's due).

Among woodworking another of my passions is Jeeping...and with that comes a serious amount of metal working...and with that metal working comes a stock of cut off/random pieces of box/bar/plate. As I dug through my scrap bin I happened across some 3/8" thick steep plate that I could make my own dowel plate out of. The best part is that it already had a 7/16" hole in it so all I had to do was drill another 3/8" hole and I was in business. I also took a few minutes to grind down each hole so that the edges were a nice and clean...and sharp 90*

[caption id="attachment_521" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ghetto Dowel Plate"][/caption]

For those of you in the know you'll no doubt recognize my ghetto fab dowel plate was actually a leaf spring shackle in its prior incarnation...look at me...I'm recycling...

Where I have never attempted a process like this before I was kind of running blind. I had the process that Marc laid out the guild build video but still had a few questions that in all honesty were best answered by simply jumping in and doing it.

I cut my dowels to about an inch longer than I needed and started with the process of downsizing them. My first attempt was...well...a disaster. I took a utility knife and trimmed one end down so that it would fit into the 7/16" hole and started whacking it with a hammer...yeah...not the best idea. I did achieve the end goal of shaving the dowel down to 7/16" but it also crushed the fibers and looked like a rabid walrus gnawed on it for a few hours. There was no way that it was going to put up with another round of whacking it through the 3/8" hole in one piece. There had to be another way.

That's when I turned back to Marc's example and tried shaving the over sized stock down a bit with my block plane...what an eye opener. A few passes of the block plane was enough to allow the stock to be hammered through the plate without compressing the wood fibers and gave me a consistently sized peg.

[caption id="attachment_516" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Shaving the original dowels down"][/caption]

Oh yeah...it also gave me a chance to use the tail vise again...and how sweet it was...

[caption id="attachment_515" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Driving Dowels"][/caption]

Now that I had the pegs, it was time to assemble the base...hooooray!

Even though I opted to drawbore the entire base I also used a fair amount of glue in each mortise and on each tenon. I started by assembling each end of the base first to keep the pieces manageable until the very end. With each rail in place and the clamps on just tight enough so that I could make adjustments I double checked all measurements and made sure that the distance from the bottom of each leg to the bottom rail was the same across the entire base. With everything matching and in square I tightened up the clamps to a comfortable level and then slathered some glue into the drawbore holes and onto the pegs before driving them home. I was a tad skeptical about the whole drawbore process but am now a convert. After each peg was driven home the rails sucked up nice and tight against each leg without having to apply a huge amount of clamp pressure.

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Base Ends Cooking"][/caption]

With the ends cooking nicely I turned my attention to the long rails. These were going to take a little more finagling than the ends. Rather than fight the entire base assembly I decided that the drawbore supplied enough clamping pressure that I could work on the piece end by end and then put the entire piece into the clamps, but I was still going to have to work fast.

[caption id="attachment_514" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finished Base"][/caption]

With everything cooking nicely in the clamps all that was left to do was give it enough time to cure. In order to keep from wasting time I used the next 24 hours to clean out the bench's new home behind the table saw and next to the lumber rack. It's a good thing that I let everything sit for 24 hours, because I needed every minute available to clean that space out.

By the time the clamps were ready to come off, the bench's new home was clean, clear and ready for it to arrive. But before I put the base in its final home I took a few minutes to chamfer the bottom of the legs and give the entire base a good sanding. It also gave me the chance to prop up the slabs so that I could mark the mating mortises before positioning everything one last time.

[caption id="attachment_525" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Marking Mortises in the Slabs"][/caption]

Once I had the mortises marked in the top all that was left to do was to clean them out and get the bench into use.

[caption id="attachment_524" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Slab Mortises Cleaned Out"][/caption]

After hogging out the mortises with a router I cleaned everything up with a chisel, making each one nice and square. Along with cleaning out the mortises in the slab I also cut the groove for the dead man in the front slab. With those tasks down it was just a matter of flipping the entire thing over and mating the base to the slabs. Although it really didn't matter, I took a few minutes to level the base prior to setting the slabs in place. Nothing bugs me more than having a tool or something else roll off a work surface because it's not level...so for me, it was more of a matter of satisfying my inner crazy than anything.

With the base leveled and ready it was time to flop the slabs into place and make things permanent. Thankfully I sized the mortises perfectly and the slabs dropped right into place...what a satisfying thud it was when they dropped home.

[caption id="attachment_528" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Slab & Base Are One!"][/caption]

Up next: The Flatter the Better!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons…includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-1.5 hours (cutting and dimensioning bench dog stock)

-1 hour (routing bench dogs to profile)

-0.5 hour (fine tuning bench dogs to shape)

-1.5 hours (bench dog assembly & fit-n-finish)

-0.5 hour (dimensioning & laminating chop stock)*

-3 hours (dimensioning & carving parallel guide)

-1 hour (fit & finish of parallel guide)

-2.5 hours (design & shaping of chop)

-0.5 hour (drawboring parallel guide & chop)

-2 hours (shaping & finish of parallel guides)

-4 hours (installation of nut block, parallel guides, phenolic bushing & fine tuning vice operation)

-0.5 hour (marking drawbore locations & drilling them out)

-1.5 hours (making dowel plate and dowels)

-1 hour (assembling the base)

-2 hours (leveling the base & mortising slabs)

-1 hour (fine tuning slab placement & attaching slabs to the base)

-84.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours

 ]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:27:18 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/27/it-lives-it-liiiiiives http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/27/givem-tha-clamps

I was lucky to have had 1 board from the lumber yard that was wide enough to meet my needs for the vise chop, but it was only 8/4 thick. What this meant is that I was going to need to laminate two pieces together to achieve my 12/4 needs. The board also had some interesting figure at one end that I opted to use as a focal point in the face of the chop.

[caption id="attachment_536" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Glue up of the chop"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_538" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Chop Face Figure"][/caption]

The next piece to this puzzle is the design of the chop and in all honesty is one of two pieces that I have been dreading. Well dreading is a strong word...more like contemplating ever since the start of the build. The reason I've been in such turmoil over this piece is that it's such a key piece and can be such a reflection on the builder. And have we met? I'm a bubbling cauldron of design indecision...hence the weeks and weeks of fretting over the design. Over the weeks I've come up with several different prospects but could never pull the trigger. Designs ranging from Greene & Greene, Stickley, Molesworth, Western, Southwestern, basic arts & crafts etc...but none blew my skirt up...

So here I am...standing in front of a slab of hard maple, pencil in hand and wrought with indecision. That's when it hit me. The beauty of the Split-Top is its simplicity and what's more simple, yet striking than the art deco movement. So in a flurry of measuring and marking I had my lay out...a simple sun ray radiating from a tapered bottom with the rays stepping consecutively down the sides. But I deviated a tad from basic art deco design. I opted to make each ray slightly wider or narrow and deeper or shallow than the last. The last thing I wanted was the piece to feel machined or mass produced, which many art deco pieces fail at.

Before I started cutting into the slab I needed to layout the rest of the chop to accommodate the vise hardware and parallel guide.

Speaking of the parallel guide I then turned my attention to it in an effort to cement the art deco design in my mind. I was lucky enough to have a piece of quarter-sawn hard maple in my lumber rack that was just larger than what I needed. After cutting it to dimension I started laying out the bazillion and one holes that would ultimately be drilled in it. I also started thinking hard about any embellishments that I wanted to add to the tip of it...This is where I was going to make my mark and truly make this bench my own. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do. After a few minutes I had the piece marked up and ready to start making some saw dust, but hadn't really come up with any great ideas...oh well...I could stall a bit longer by taking a few pictures of the layout process... This is when it hit me. I picked up my phone and as it woke up, I noticed the wall paper I had on it and that's when I knew I had it. Need a hint? take a gander at the picture below of my phone's screen.

[caption id="attachment_564" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Inspiration"][/caption]

That's right...my parallel guide is going to be graced by a robot...and what a better fitting to an art deco piece than the addition of an art deco robot. The profile of Bender fit perfectly as the end to the parallel guide...it was meant to be...my all time favorite animation with the bench of a lifetime.

I decided to take the easy route and printed out a black and white template that I sized down to fit the exact height of the parallel guide and then used that as my hard reference. With the design penciled in I turned to the bandsaw and cut the end profile to my liking and then pulled my old art supply carving tools out of the drawer and started in on defining the rest of Bender.

[caption id="attachment_539" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bender in the Rough"][/caption]

After a few more minutes of carving I was fairly satisfied Benders shape and turned my attention to the back side. I was a little torn between carving his face on the back side as well or making it...well, his back side. The thought of carving him facing in one direction was hilarious to me, but ultimately I decided to carve his face on the other side as well.

[caption id="attachment_541" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finished Parallel Guide"][/caption]

With the carving done I turned my attention to drilling the bazillion and one holes for the guide pin and cut then cut the tenon in preparation of mating it with the chop.

I sat the parallel guide aside and turned my focus back to the chop...the best part of all of this was that my decision to run with the rising sun ray art deco design was still standing firm in my mind. With that finalized it came time to start cutting the chop down to size. Because of the thickness I was dealing with and the fact that it was also hard maple I decided to cut the taper at the bandsaw and then cleaned up the cut with an equal number of passes on each edge across the jointer; giving me a glass smooth finish. I then propped the chop up on end and gave it a long look. Were the sun rays still in the correct position? Were they distinct enough, deep enough, wide enough etc... Once I was happy with the design I started in on cutting the rays with a router.

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Roughed out Sun Rays"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_545" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Chop Sun Rays"][/caption]

With the rays finished up I turned my attention to shaping the top of the chop with a simple bevel and routing the mortise for the parallel guide.

[caption id="attachment_535" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Chop is Beveled"][/caption]

After drilling 2, 3/8" holes in the side of the chop I installed the parallel guide. I ran into a problem here...specifically the pegs I made to drawbore the guide to to the chop were a tad oversize. Not really a huge deal except they were being driven into hard maple which had no forgiveness for me. The end result is that the peg split and crumpled under the hammering before it even reached the parallel guide. Super awesome...I know...so in a rush I wiped out all the glue from the mortise and off the tenon and then turned my attention back to the broken pegs. Thankfully they broke in a place that was deep enough in the chop that I could drill out the peg without damaging the holes in the chop. After a few tense minutes I was back to square one and ready to try it again. This time I took an extra few minutes in sizing the pegs and had them to a snug but not tight fit...so with that I gave it another go and this time it worked beautifully. The drawbore pulled the parallel guide nice and tight to the chop and everything was nice and square.

[caption id="attachment_537" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Chop & Parallel Guide Drawbore"][/caption]

Up next was the need to transfer the center line of the vise screw clearance hole on the leg to the chop. In order to do so I had to introduce the chop to the leg for the first time. Amazingly I haven't screwed anything up yet and was able to transfer that line across without issue. With that done all that was left to do on the chop was to drill the vise screw clearance hole on the chop and install the vise.

With the vise screw installed in the chop it was time to locate the nut block on the back side of the leg. I opted to inlay the nut block into the leg rather than simply face mounting it. The problem with this is that I needed a way to accurately remove the stock in the leg. I could free hand the router around the lay out and then clean it up with a chisel, but why do that when I have a template bit that could easily accomplish this without issue, but alas I had no template...or did I.

I traced the nut block onto a piece of 3/4" MDF and then marked up the center of the area to be cut out. Because the nut block is round it actually made this process that much easier because I also have an adjustable circle cutter at my disposal. After over-sizing the hole by about 1/16" I cut the template.

[caption id="attachment_553" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Leg Vise Nut Block Template"][/caption]

With that done I could clamp it to the leg and clean out the material using a template bit. The fit was actually far better than I had expected...the template worked beautifully. I was then able to drill and tap the mounting holes for the nut block and install the vise in prep for the parallel guide blocks.

[caption id="attachment_551" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Nut Block Installed"][/caption]

I did run into a few problems while drilling and tapping the holes for the nut block. Because I don't have a brad point bit small enough I had to use a standard twist bit...the problem with this is that rather track strait in the wood it pushed off course due to the grain patters in the leg. What resulted was that the nut block shifted just enough that it caused some binding. I ultimately had to spin the nut block a few degrees and re-drill/tap new holes. These went much better and cleared up the binding issue I was experiencing.

With everything going rather swimmingly to this point it was time to turn my attention to building the parallel guide blocks. I decided to continue the art deco theme into these pieces too. I laid out several step cuts to the tops of each, each a different depth and thickness than the others and cut them out on the bandsaw. After cleaning the pieces up and installing the guide wheels it was time to bring all the pieces together as a complete vise.

[caption id="attachment_556" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Parallel Guide Blocks"][/caption]

When I installed the vise screw into the chop I initially noticed some binding, but it wasn't enough, nor regular enough that I gave it much thought...I actually chalked it up to the vise binding under gravity etc. Even after I installed the vise into the leg and tried to fine tune its operation with the guide blocks I was still randomly experiencing binding. Ultimately the binding continued to get worse and worse the more I operated the vise.

As I dug through the installation I couldn't really locate a reason for the binding...even after I uninstalled and reinstalled the vise screw several times and adjusted the position of the nut block...nothing seemed to matter. So I gave it 24 hours to sit and think about how it was misbehaving. It just didn't make sense...the only piece to the puzzle that I had was that if I tightened the screw mounting flange all the way I would have binding...but if I backed the mounting bolt off as little as 1/8 of a turn from full tight the binding would go away...I was stumped. As I let things sit I shot an email off to Bench Crafted in hopes of a miracle solution. Jameel was awesome in his response time and suggestions...He was even willing to have me ship the vise back to him (even after I baked it in flax oil) for a replacement. As I thought about his suggestions and the issues I was seeing directly, I decided to pull the screw out of the chop one last time. It was then that I noticed a black smudge on one edge of the washer clearance hole in the screw clearance through hole...after a closer look I found the binding was due to the flange mounting bolt holes slipping a fraction of an inch out of alignment when I initially drilled them (and by a fraction of an inch I mean it was so small that you couldn't see it by eye). After giving a little extra clearance to the washer, any binding that I was experiencing was gone.

This whole experience spoke volumes of the Bench Crafted vise. Their support was top notch and the fact that the hardware is so precise that a bolt being out of alignment less than a fraction of an inch was enough to keep the piece from working optimally is absolutely amazing for a piece of woodworking equipment.

With all of this behind me I was able to get the vise working like greased lighting and could turn  my attention towards the final piece to the puzzle and inlay the phenolic bushing into the front of the leg.

[caption id="attachment_547" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bushing Inlaid & Ready for Installation"][/caption]

With the bushing in place I was able to finally button up the leg vise.

[caption id="attachment_549" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Leg Vise is Finished"][/caption]

Now that I have both vises installed I can honestly say that I am absolutely tickled pink with the Bench Crafted pieces. I know I said it earlier but there really is no better descriptor than to say that they both work like greased lightning. They are an absolute treat to use.

Up next: It Lives! IT LIIIIVES!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons…includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-1.5 hours (cutting and dimensioning bench dog stock)

-1 hour (routing bench dogs to profile)

-0.5 hour (fine tuning bench dogs to shape)

-1.5 hours (bench dog assembly & fit-n-finish)

-0.5 hour (dimensioning & laminating chop stock)*

-3 hours (dimensioning & carving parallel guide)

-1 hour (fit & finish of parallel guide)

-2.5 hours (design & shaping of chop)

-0.5 hour (drawboring parallel guide & chop)

-2 hours (shaping & finish of parallel guides)

-4 hours (installation of nut block, parallel guides, phenolic bushing & fine tuning vice operation)

-78.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:21:12 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/27/givem-tha-clamps http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/26/oofda-my-dogs-r-barkin

I had a few wider cut offs from the top that worked out swimmingly as the bodies for the dogs and some nice clear thin strips for the springs. I cut enough material for a total of 20 dogs. I know it sounds like a tad overkill but where the pieces are small enough they'll be able to sit in a drawer as back up over the coming months/years without worrying about them twisting or warping. This actually worked out in my favor due to an issue I ran into when flattening the top...but more on that later.

[caption id="attachment_501" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Dogs in the making"][/caption]

I made sure that the stock I used was as clear and strait grained as possible...no one likes a crooked dog after all. In all honesty I also opted for the cleanest pieces in order to make the initial dimensioning as easy and quick as possible. I also had to satisfy my natural underlying belief that I tend to transpose a measurement or two by test fitting the dimensioned stock in the top...amazingly everything fit..

[caption id="attachment_504" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="It fits..it fits"][/caption]

Once the pieces were to dimension I cut everything to length using my miter gauge on the table saw. With the large number of dogs I was making I looked for the quickest way to mass produce the rough stock. I could cut the face of the dog on the table saw but would then have to turn to the band saw or router to cut the profile. I could cut everything on the bandsaw, but even with my best blade it still left a far rougher surface than I would be happy with as a finished piece. This left me with looking to the router as the best option. It would leave me with the finished surface that I was looking for and would allow me to make 90% of my cuts in one step. To Marc's credit this is the same process that he opted to run with in the WW Guild Build.

With the stock to size all that was left was to lay out the profile and cut my template. From that piece I could then build my router jig and get to making some dogs. The jig is the same piece that Marc built so I won't go into it here...simply because I failed to take any pictures of it...so yeah...there you go.

[caption id="attachment_503" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Bench Dog profile"][/caption]

The only problem with using the router is that it left a cove under the face of the dog that really should be cleared away to ensure that the dog sits deep enough in the dog hole. In order to remedy this I turned back to the bandsaw and gave each one a little clean up.

[caption id="attachment_505" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rouhged out Bench Dogs"][/caption]

After setting up a quick assembly line the dogs were zipped up in no time.

[caption id="attachment_500" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dog Assembly Line"][/caption]

With the dogs together I took a few minutes to ease all the edges with a block plane and finally put them into action.

[caption id="attachment_502" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Dog Pack!"][/caption]

I was amazed by the amount of clamping pressure that the tail vise could apply and at how little pressure was needed to securely hold a work piece in place. Having the dogs together this early in the build definitely aided in pulling the rest of the bench together.

Up next: Give'm Tha Clamps!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons…includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-1.5 hours (cutting and dimensioning bench dog stock)

-1 hour (routing bench dogs to profile)

-0.5 hour (fine tuning bench dogs to shape)

-1.5 hours (bench dog assembly & fit-n-finish)

-65 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours

 ]]> Tue, 26 Jun 2012 11:29:33 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/26/oofda-my-dogs-r-barkin http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/10/look-at-dem-gams

[caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="250' of 8/4 stock Oh MY!"][/caption]

I think the euphoria of being at the lumber yard got to me as I was sorting through the stack for my base stock. In my delusion I had forgotten that the legs on the base were actually 5-3/8" wide...not some random number that I don't recall at this moment. Either way the stock that I selected should give me the necessary width, but with my luck probably not. Oh well...who wants fat legs anyway?

So as I was saying...I began sorting through the stack for the widest pieces I had in an effort to keep my legs at the designed width. On top of this I also had to sort through the pieces in an effort to cull the best and most clear piece I had....after all what's the point of having a kick ass, heavy weight, of a slab if the base is just going to fail due to some poorly placed knots. If you haven't worked with Western Red Alder you may not be aware of it, but it is known for its tendency to be fairly knotty...(insert gutter minded quip here)...Ultimately I was able to pull out enough pieces that would allow me 5 blanks...yes I said 5...no I'm not building some sort of mutant inbred red headed step child of a bench with 5 legs. I ran with a 5th leg as a precaution. Each blank would be extremely close to my final dimensions and in it's rough form it was tough to tell just what I was going to end up with after a trip to the jointer and planer. I also had 2 pieces with fairly large knots that I had to work with...the plan was to laminate these pieces to a clear piece in hopes of limiting the knots impact....so again that 5th leg could pose to be a life saver.

After milling one face and one side flat it was time to put everything to the clamps.

[caption id="attachment_479" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Give'm Tha Clamps!"][/caption]

While the legs dried I turned my attention to making a whole mess of dogs...bench dogs that is...but again, that's a post for another day.

When I pulled the legs from the clamps everything looked good. I had minimal slippage and only needed a light pass on the already jointed edge to bring everything back into flat. I also took the time to joint one face in preparation to send everything through the planer.

[caption id="attachment_477" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="5 legs? Yes...and don't ask!"][/caption]

As I progressed through the planer I was able to quickly bring everything to final thickness without any issues. However when I got to working down to the final width I began to run into some trouble. One of the problems with rough-sawn red alder is that the edges are often a mess of misleading fuzz (at least for me I seem to run into this issue all the time). The problem with the fuzz is that it generally hides some saw mill marking/compressed fibers that you're unaware of until you shave that fuzz off and remove the aged edge. In my case I found each leg to be solid but most of them had some serious discoloration from the rollers used to process stock through the saw mill. Nothing wrong with it really...especially if you like that dalmatian look, but I personally don't like to incorporate this into my pieces and tend to mill them out. As I started several light passes through the planer my thickness quickly hit the 5-3/8" mark...then passed that mark...and then it passed the 5-1/4" mark....But mercifully it stopped at the 5-1/8" mark. Not the end of the world but still shy of the plan...oh well!

[caption id="attachment_481" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="The Final 4"][/caption]

I'm glad that I glued up a 5th leg as it gave me a little more freedom when it came time to the final dimensioning. As I ran through the process I had one leg that continually kept coming up short or thin or whatever, than the other 4. Even at the point that I stopped with the other 4 I still had a few rough-sawn low spots on the 5th blank...again thanks to the yummy brown fuzz...mmmmm fuzzy...

Now that I had 4 legs ready and waiting I could turn my attention to carving them up in preparation of turning them into a base and not just a set of nice gams...

I first turned my attention to chopping them to length. This actually proved to be a bit more difficult that I had expected. I attempted to cut them with my mighty Harbor Freight sliding chop saw...but as you can imagine the cut that one gets from the marvel of precision engineering that is Harbor Freight and Chicago Electric I thought this would be faaaaar too easy of a challenge...ok...fine...the chop saw failed miserably...and by miserably I do mean amazingly miserably. That's when I turned to my trusty table saw. The problem I ran into here is that with my blade stiffener (again insert proper innuendo here) installed I couldn't cut through the entire piece in one shot...and where I'm more of the lazy demeanor I opted to not remove it and make 2 cuts. What's funny is that I am lazy enough to not unbolt my blade and remove the stiffener (chuckle) but not so much so that I won't take an extra 10 minutes fine tuning the alignment of my Jessem Mit-R gauge perfectly 90* to the blade...yeah...it's a total conundrum that I live with every day of my life...soooo lazy....yet soooooo anal...

After dialing in the miter gauge I was able to slice my legs to length without too much trouble. With that out of the way I set about examining each one over and over like a 500lbs gorilla searching for that one tasty tick on the back of my best gorilla buddy. My end goal in this examination was to discern which leg would work best as the companion to my leg vise as well as a 2nd best to act accept the holes for the hold fasts. The other 2 just got the once over for the best face to be placed out. Once I completed my gorilla tick search move I marked each one for it's appropriate location. Where each one was going to play a pivotal role in the assembly of the base and ultimately the use of the bench I made sure that I marked each one clearly...as in with a black grease pencil that I hold on to for these very occasions. Yes..I'm not only a lazy anal gorilla...but I am also a paranoid, lazy anal gorilla. I also took the time to lay out the tenons that will mate with each slab while I had my giant black pencil out of its hiding hole.

[caption id="attachment_483" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Look Mom...I can Read!"][/caption]

After reviewing the layout of each leg one final time; ensuring that I had the best possible configuration for the base it came time to cut the tenons. I opted for the easy/lazy man's option of using my miter gauge and dado blade. True a cross cut sled would be the absolute wisest tool to use here, but since mine still looks like a warped, disfigured mess from the flood I had no choice but to run with the miter gauge. Don't get me wrong. I've been meaning to get to building a replacement sled for a number of weeks/months now but just haven't gotten to it...Did I tell you how I'm a lazy woodworker when it comes to things like this? Anyway...after getting the dado set up and the fence set for the first cut ...well...in all honesty...I fell victim to my first Mr. Cock Up...I'm sooo ashamed. After all of my careful planning, measuring, marking, re-measuring etc. I let my concentration slip. Ok actually this is a problem that I often run into. I have a problem with my dado stack and I'm ashamed to admit it. I regularly set the dado to the wrong edge of my cut... This resulted in my first cut being on the bottom edge of my markup line...aka 3/4" too low...ooooopsie...

[caption id="attachment_487" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mr. Cock Up..."][/caption]

Thankfully this was the back leg and easily repaired with a 3/4" filler...so after a quick adjustment to the fence and cutting that filler strip I was able to rip through the tenons like a Packers fan through a wedge of cheese.

[caption id="attachment_488" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finished Tenons"][/caption]

With the tenons buttoned up it was just a matter of hogging out the mortises for the rails. I have to admit that being able to use the tail vise to clamp the legs and rails while I carved them up was a game changer. I'm absolutely stoked to get this puppy assembled and into use. I have a feeling that it's going to prove to be a game changer in how I work in the shop.

The mortises for the rails actually went extremely well, and much faster than I had anticipated. With these out of the way I turned my attention to the rail stock that was patiently sitting by and started in on the associated tenons. With the dado blade still in the table saw I opted to run in this direction, just as I had for the tenons on the legs. After a bit of testing I had a piston fit of the rail tenon into the leg...it's a beautiful feeling when that tenon just slips in so smooth and snug.

[caption id="attachment_491" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="It FITS!"][/caption]

Rather than take the time to futz with rounding the edges of the tenons I opted to square out my mortises and think this is actually much quicker than rounding a tenon. So much easier to make something square than round in my opinion. Especially where I have a Sorby corner chisel at my disposal that makes these tasks sooooo easy.

[caption id="attachment_489" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Squared Mortises"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_490" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Dry Fitting the Rail"][/caption]

With the dry fitting out of the way it was time...Time to bring this baby into the home stretch and get it assembled. True there was some minor pieces to still be considered...like marking out the drawbores and making a few dowels, but hey we're getting close.

Up next: Oofda, My Dogs R Barkin!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-1 hour (initial milling of legs)

-1 hour (leg glue up)*

-2 hours (milling base rails to final dimensions)

-1 hour (milling of legs to final dimensions)

-2 hours (setup and cutting leg tenons...includes Mr. Cock Up)

-2 hours (layout & cutting of mortises in legs, drilling dog hole access & hold fast holes)

-1 hour (cutting rail tenons)

-2.5 hours (fine tuning mortise & tenons & dry fitting base)

-60.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I’m including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don’t want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours

 ]]> Sun, 10 Jun 2012 12:34:16 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/6/10/look-at-dem-gams http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/29/those-arent-my-special-brownies

As I was perusing the Wood Talk forums; more specifically those relating the Wood Whisperer Guild and the Roubo workbench build, I stumbled across a thread discussing how to bake your steel hardware with a coating of flax oil. The result of which turns the steel an awesome bronze and gives the added benefit of seasoning/protecting it. I was intrigued by the 3 or 4 posts in the thread. It sounded extremely interesting and could provide me with that extra touch I was looking for on my build. I did a quick search of the internet for a more in-depth how to as well as looking at the blog post provided by Bench Crafted directly.

Basically what it boils down to is a few key processes.

1: Make sure each piece is absolutely clean of any oils (this includes touching it with bare skin)

2: A little goes a long way: The thinner the coat the better the results

With those key pieces running through my head I set out on my baking adventure.

[caption id="attachment_464" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mmmm Chocolatey Bronze"][/caption]

After searching town for as pure a flax oil as I could find I finally found it at the local WalMart of all places and the price wasn't that bad (look for it in the nutritional supplements in the pharmacy). You won't need a lot of oil, so don't run out and buy a gallon of it. with the oil in hand it was time to get started.

1: Set your oven to 500*

2: Clean your hardware (or whatever) with a degreaser or similar product. I actually just washed everything in as hot of water as I could stand with some liquid dish washing detergent

3: Dry your hardware completely. Remember water and oil don't mix...if your piece is remotely damp the oil isn't going to adhere and will leave you with a blotch.

4: Apply the flax oil in every nook and every cranny.

5: Remove all the oil from every nook and every cranny.

6: Remove all the oil from every nook and every cranny again. You only want the thinnest of coatings. (I also wore nitrile gloves to ensure that I didn't leave finger prints)

7: Bake at 500* for an hour.

8: Turn off the oven & let everything cool to room temperature

9: Repeat

[caption id="attachment_469" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Baking Vise Hardware with Flax Oil"][/caption]

The more coats you put on the darker the end result. Also I found that the rougher the steel the darker the results. I opted to coat every piece of hard ware...nut blocks, screws, handles etc. My thinking for doing so is in a hope that the added anti corrosion protection will keep my maintenance requirements to a minimum as well as give that extra bit of longevity to the entire bench.

I also found that applying the oil with a tooth brush worked beautifully....especially on the rough cast iron. I highly recommend the cookie monster tooth brush pictured below...

[caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="My vise wheels are organic now"][/caption]

If you're not careful with the amount of oil you use or if you don't wipe it off evenly or if you happen to touch it with your bare hands prior to baking you might end up with some blotchiness and no amount of oxyclean will get rid of it. In all seriousness if you do end up with some blotches you can lightly scrub the area with a scotchbrite and re coat. I had a problem with a large area that I must have missed when wiping the hand wheels on coat #2.

[caption id="attachment_462" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Blotches...bain of every greasy teenager"][/caption]

By the time I got to coat 5 the blotch was mostly gone...so don't fret if you have one or two early on in the process. Also remember to make sure that you clean out all the grooves/threads in the nut blocks and screws...if the coat of oil is too thick it will form a thick vanish on the threads and impact the performance of your vice...trust me...I know from first hand experience.

[caption id="attachment_463" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Finished Hardware"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_466" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Soooo Tasty"][/caption]

The process is extremely time consuming. Each round of coating, baking and cooling took about 3.5-4 hours....multiply that by 5 or 6 coats and you have a fair amount of time on your hands. All in all I ended up at about 22 hours in all.

Up next: "Look at Dem Gams"

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-22 hours (cleaning, coating, baking and cooling of Vise hardware)**

-48.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

** I'm including the baking of my vise hardware into my build. If you don't want to include this reduce the total by 22 hours]]> Tue, 29 May 2012 09:00:48 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/29/those-arent-my-special-brownies http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/29/pizzazz-for-all-or-pizzazz-for-none

After I milled up the strip it came time to face one of the design elements I've been mulling over in my head. With the extra thickness in the slabs my hope was that I could get a little creative in the dove tailing in the end cap. As I was mulling this over I happened to be watching one of my favoriteFuturama episodes (Watch the Clip Now! Do It! Do It!) and I knew I had my design. That's right...my dovetail design is a space invader...or remotely a space invader inspired by the Futurama space invaders...you heard me...

After laying out the design I roughly followed the process outlined by Marc in his guild build by cutting my tails on the band saw first and then using a router to cut the pins. The process was pretty good and for the size of the work piece it was actually easier than I had expected and far more friendly than trying to cut such a large dovetail by hand.

[caption id="attachment_447" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Roughed out end cap dove tail"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_448" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Pew pew....pew pew...waaccaa wacca waccaaaa...pew pew...I mean...Finished End Cap Dovetail"][/caption]

While the glue dried on the front strip I spent the remainder of my weekend baking all of my vise hardware in flax oil...but that's another post.

With the front strip dry, it was time to install the tail vise. One of the added benefits of extra depth in the slabs was the ability to bury the entire tail vise hardware into the slab, hiding it completely from view. After positioning the vise rails I was able to give things a test run. As I got to the end of the vise's travel I ran into a slight problem...a clearance issue with the slab and the vise nut block.

[caption id="attachment_453" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="There's Your Problem"][/caption]

Because of the extra depth in the slab I found that the sliding nut block didn't have enough clearance to travel the full length of the vice. As a result I had to route out a 2"x3" section.

[caption id="attachment_455" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="End of the tail vise cavity after clearancing"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_454" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Tail vise nut block"][/caption]

With the vise cavity cleared out enough to allow the nut block to travel the full length of the cavity I was able to finish the installation and after a bit of wax in the rails and on the nut block I had things moving like butta.

[caption id="attachment_456" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Installed tail vise"][/caption]

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-0.5 hour (milling of front slab dovetail strip)

-1 hour (set up and layout of End Cap Dovetail)

-1.5 hours (milling and fine tuning of End Cap Dovetail)

-0.5 hour (front strip/dovetail glue up)

-3 hours (routing front slab  & installing tail vise)

-26.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

Up next..."Those aren't my special brownies"

 ]]> Mon, 28 May 2012 20:18:21 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/29/pizzazz-for-all-or-pizzazz-for-none http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/13/who-let-the-dogs-out-or-stupid-song-makes-it-big-as-blog-title

Anyway...

With the end cap and tail vise cavity out of the way things are going to really start looking like a work bench.

The first order of business now is to get the dog strip put together...

I've been thinking this over for the past few weeks and have opted to run with the traditional square pegs. Round pegs definitely have their advantages mind you, but for me they seem like more hassle than the square. True I will have to cut every hole and produce more than few square dogs when it would be easier at this point to simply drill some holes and drop in a peg...or would it? To me the round dog hole is fraught with drawbacks. The biggest to me is that while clamping a work piece is it really registering square or is it skewed and ultimately going to allow the work piece to slip. The next would be having to dink with that dog and cobble together some sort of spring to keep it located in the dog hole. True you have to fab springs etc for the square version, but the piece is already square, which naturally lends itself to easy attachment of said spring. That aside, the design of the square peg also keeps the peg from ultimately dropping out of the top if the spring were to ever fail...the same can't be said about the round dog holes I have seen. True I could purchase a number of commercially available round dogs...but why? This project to me is about the labor of love and that I am producing every piece possible in house. So whatever...if you  want to use round dogs no worries...I won't judge you....much...

With that decision made I then took another long hard look at adding an accent strip into the top by making the dog hole strip out of a different species of wood. If you remember back to an earlier post I indicated that I had every intention of running in this direction, but when I got to the lumber yard I just couldn't do it. I'm sure there's some subconscious reason behind this decision, but for now, all I can say is that this was the same direction that many of the other guild members were heading and I really didn't feel like going with the crowd. I also had some concerns about the overall longevity of this strip and felt it best to give it as much of a fighting chance at surviving the long run, so I kept it hard maple.

The first step was digging out the piece of rough stock that would soon become the dog strip. In my case I had purchased a few extra lengths of hard maple simply because the stock from my local supplier was a tad questionable after I pulled the first 5-6 really good boards. What this resulted in was my using all my best stock for the initial slab glue up, so my options were once again fairly limited with what remained in my pile. I pulled the clearest and straightest board I had and hoped that I was going to be able to re-saw it down to the two pieces I ultimately needed. However after a few passes over the jointer this quickly became a no go. I finished jointing down my two surfaces and sat it aside to await final dimensioning with the 2nd piece I was now going to need to mill up. One of the boards I brought home was far worse than I had initially believed at the lumber yard...It had a wicked twist to it. So bad was the twist that it wasn't useful for much so I figured it would make a good candidate for the 3/8" cap strip. I was right that it wasn't good for much because  by the time I got one face flat on the jointer I was down to just over 1" in thickness. There was no way this piece was going to be good for much simply because of the amount of material I had to remove just to get one edge flat.  After a trip through the planer to bring the pieces down to just over 4-5/8" thick (to allow for the inevitable slippage during glue up), I then passed them through on their faces to bring them to final thickness.

[caption id="attachment_438" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Dog Hole Strips sans Dog holes"][/caption]

With the milling out of the way it was time to dig through my scrap piles and put together the router jig for the dog holes. I was lucky enough to have a piece of 1/2" Baltic Birch that mostly survived the flood without too much damage. The piece was just big enough for me to slice off a section that had bubbled/de-laminated slightly and still work perfectly for the jig. After applying the template with some rubber cement and running it through the table saw I had my jig...I did have to make sure that the template was longer than what was called for in the plans in order to accommodate for my extra slab thickness.

[caption id="attachment_434" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dig it maaaan...it's a dog hole"][/caption]

With the template done I turned my attention to how the dog hole strips would be oriented. I opted to place the edges of both the strip and the laminate cap with the straightest and cleanest grain at the top of the bench. In doing so I'm hoping that if I ever flatten the bench by hand that this little bit of extra attention will aid in less possible tear out.

I did however run into a bit of a snag at this point. I had thought that I had a 1/2' shank, 1/2" template bit, but noooooo it was actually a flush trim bit....what's the big deal you may ask...well not much, other than the guide bearing is at the wrong end of the cutter. So I had a few options at this point. 1- head to the big box store where all they were going to have is a 1/4" bit at best, 2- try the local hardware store that honestly would be a crap shoot if they even had router bits or 3- order one online and wait a few days to finish this portion of the build. I opted for option 2 and lucky me they actually did carry router bits and they had a template bit...albeit a 1/4" shank, but it would still keep me in production. All that was left to do at this point was to put in a pair of ear buds, turn on the ipod and get to routing. If I had a 1/2" shank template bit I would have just gone to town all in one stroke, but because it was a 1/4" bit I wasn't too thrilled with that idea. Thankfully I have multiple routers at my disposal which allowed me to do the majority of the stock removal with my 1/2" spiral cut bit and collar, which I then followed up with the template bit. It actually went much smoother and much faster than I had expected. Don't get me wrong, it still took a chunk of time to complete. I would say at least 5 minutes per hole when you factored in setting the template and routing.

[caption id="attachment_432" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Let's get reaaaady to Rrrrrrroooooute!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_433" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Close Call"][/caption]

The only piece of advice I have for anyone using this template....Don't rout through the fence; I came dang close! Thankfully I used a fence that was wider than my bit was deep, so the two pieces of the template wouldn't have come apart but they wouldn't have remained as firm and could have resulted in some flex/misalignment of the template in the long run...so just be careful.

[caption id="attachment_437" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Look at dem dogs yo!"][/caption]

With the dog holes routed it was time to laminate the cap to it, effectively closing in the dog holes. I opted to use some 1" brads to help align the cap strip and then with some cauls to aid in even clamping pressure I let it sit over night to let the glue dry. Once the strip was complete it was time to laminate the assembly to the front of the front slab. I used several #20 biscuits to help with the alignment and to help keep it from slipping too much during the glue up.

[caption id="attachment_430" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dog Hole Strip in Glue"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_439" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nearly There..."][/caption]

Now that the dog hole strip is laminated to the face of the front slab I'm one step closer to a complete top. I thought the addition of the end cap really made the slab look like a bench...well the addition of the dog hole strip only cements that look. Once the clamps come off it's time for the front laminate and end cap dove tail. I've got a couple of ideas on the dovetail and will have to see just what I'm able to do when I get to that point. I have a hunch that the extra slab thickness is going to work in my favor here and that I'm going to be able to add in a little extra pizzazz.

So up next is, Pizzazz for all or none!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity – includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap – includes markup/layout)

-1 hour (milling rough stock for dog hole strip and laminate cap)

-2 hours (production of dog hole template & routing of dog holes)

-0.5 hours (glue up of dog hole strip and laminate cap)*

- 0.5 hour (glue up and alignment of dog hole strip to front slab)*

-19.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each glue up sat for 24 hours

 ]]> Sun, 13 May 2012 16:56:48 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/13/who-let-the-dogs-out-or-stupid-song-makes-it-big-as-blog-title http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/7/work-work-work-all-day-long

Ok, not really...

With the front slab tenon done, it's all about the end cap. Unfortunately for me my local lumber supplier doesn't carry anything over 8/4...why? I think its to spite me because I must be their only customer that ever asks for it because I always get the same exasperated answer of nooooo 8/4 is all we have unless you're going to place a custom order of over 500bf...Trust me, I considered it...but then what would I do with 500+bf of 12/4 hard maple? Ok that's what my wife said...my answer was something more along the lines of what wouldn't I do with 500+bf of 12/4 hard maple? I mean really...the options at that point are limitless.

So the end cap began life as 2 pieces of 8/4 hard maple...I simply rummaged through my cutoffs from the pieces I used to mill up the slabs and pulled out two pieces with the clearest and straightest grain. My thought process was that the end cap potentially could see the most force of anything on the bench as it houses the tail vice. I didn't want to risk a wavy piece here, especially where I was having to laminate it from two pieces. I must admit that I nearly committed a "Mr. Cock-up" here. As I was milling the pieces in prep of getting them laminated together I nearly milled them to final dimensions....yeah that could have been exciting as anyone that has ever laminated two pieces of wood together can attest that their likelihood of slipping past one another and creating a lip on one edge is invariably guaranteed when you absolutely can't afford for it to happen. Thankfully I realized this as I was about to pass the pieces through the planer for a last pass or so and was able keep enough stock in place to negate any possible slippage.

While the end cap cooked happily away under as many clamps as I could squeeze onto it I turned my attention to the screw cavity. As I was laying out the cavity I kept having this sneaky little voice pop up in my head and whisper that something was wrong...what the hell am I missing? I kept stepping away from the slab and my markings only to return to them to check and recheck each one was correct. I did this for probably 30 minutes before I realized that what was wrong wasn't with the slab or the end cap...it was simply a matter of not having enough tool length...I know...I had to say it...in reality I'm still 12 years old...

I couldn't believe what I was seeing...had I really overlooked something as simple as making sure that down cut spiral bit I had planned on using was long enough to reach the bottom of the screw cavity, especially with that extra 5/8" added in for good measure? I had...after chucking the bit into my router at the absolute threshold that I comfortably would accept a chunk of high speed steel sharpened to a razors edge spinning at 25K RPM at, I found it to be short...nearly 3/4" short. Ahhhh Hell!!!

The joy of living where I do is that I can't simply hop into the truck and head down to the local tool supply store and pick up a new bit...nooooo that would be convenient and I seem to thrive in living in a location where everything is absolutely inconvenient. So off to the internets I go in search of my next tool purchase. After all...everyone wishes they could get an extra inch...yeah...there's that 12 yr old again...sorry...

[caption id="attachment_405" align="aligncenter" width="203" caption="Triple = Better...riiiight?"][/caption]

Fast forward 96 hours and this is what I have: A shiny new Eagle America, triple flute, 1/2" x 4" down cut spiral bit. Why 96 hours and not something like 48 or 24? Well I will admit that this is actually the 2nd bit that I ordered. The first was my preference...a Whiteside bit that I picked up off of Amazon...but the company I bought it through didn't understand my desire to get the bit and get my butt back to work...as such their shipping time was like 10 days...yeah...thanks guys...Anyway the Eagle America bit performed beautifully. It sliced through the hard maple like butta baby and was actually a very stable and chatter free bit...but more on that in a few.

While I waited for the man in brown to grace me with my salvation I turned my attention back to the end cap. Fresh out of the clamps I finished milling it to size and got to work on laying out the mortise. I'm not sure why...but I stopped at laying out the mortise. Call it gun shy about the router bit or whatever but for some reason I couldn't pull the trigger until I was ready to rout the screw cavity.

With my shiny new bit in had I finally got down to the nitty gritty of clearing out the screw cavity.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Screw cavity routing set up"]

[/caption]

I milled up a 2"x6" piece of fir, running it through the jointer and planer to give me 2 flat edges to register off of. With this in place I got to work hogging out that chunk of material. After my first 2 passes I felt something strange with my plunge base...it was as if the plunge setting lost all of its plunge and was just floating around even with the lock lever in place. In this momentary lapse of concentration I must have tipped the router just a hair into my fir support and in doing so experienced what I call router kick back causing the router to jump a bit. I'm not sure how all of this happened but as the router jumped the plunge base sort of disintegrated/blew up...ultimately sending the base half way across the shop while I hung onto the router for dear life. Thankfully I instinctively spun the router bit away from my body and into the air as I simultaneously flipped the power switch...I know this sounds like a lot is happening but in looking back at it, it lasted all of a second or two.

[caption id="attachment_420" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="KaBOOOOM!!!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_419" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="There's Your Problem!"][/caption]

You can see in the picture above the moment that the router disintegrated in my hands. The better piece of this is that the fir support actually acted like a fence of sorts and probably kept the router from coming out of the piece towards my body. After the dust settled and I was able to begin to piece things together all I can figure is that the tension pin that holds the plunge base onto the plunge mechanism of Hitachi routers fell out (I found it in the sawdust just to the left of the chewed up wood in the pic above) causing the base to become unstable and must have resulted in an off camber situation that led to the kickback.

After I calmed down and changed my underwear I got back to it...this time with a borrowed older Porter Cable that honestly worked like a dream...well that is other than its deafening roar.

[caption id="attachment_416" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Nearly There"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_412" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Ta Dow!"][/caption]

With the cavity cleared out all that was left was to clean up the end of it and get to fitting the end cap. I took a few chops at the end of the cavity to clean it up and square off the rounded inside corner and all was hunky dory.

[caption id="attachment_409" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="End Cap Mortise"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_406" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dry Fit of the end cap"][/caption]

After dry fitting the end cap and being happy with the overall fit I marked it up for the vise and started drilling holes.

[caption id="attachment_407" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Screw Hole"][/caption]

The end cap actually took far less time than I had expected. After the holes were drilled  in the end cap I was able to lay out the bolt holes in the slab and got them drilled and squared off to accept the nuts and actually installed the end cap and vise screw for the first time. I swear it was like Christmas...things were actually looking and feeling like a bench now....

[caption id="attachment_410" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Finished end cap"][/caption]

I did throw the nut block onto the screw just to give me that extra bit of....ohhh look, it's a vise....and noticed that with the extra thickness in the slab I was going to have to remove a bit of material from the bottom in order to allow the nut block plate clearance to travel the full depth of the cavity. Rather than spend too much time on this now I opted to wait for the dog strip and front strip to get glued into place to aid in determining exactly what would need to come out.

Up next...Who Let the DOGS OUT!!!

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon)

-0.5 hours (milling and laminating end cap)

-2.5 hours (milling screw cavity support & routing screw cavity - includes markup/layout)

-0.5 hours (routing mortise in end cap)

-0.5 hours (fine tune end cap fit)

-2 hours (drilling and installing end cap - includes markup/layout)

-15.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each slab sat for 24 hours each]]> Mon, 07 May 2012 06:00:38 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/7/work-work-work-all-day-long http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/6/connecting-the-dots

But I do need to square up the right edge in prep for the end cap tenon. I believe my front slab has a bit of a twist in it so in an effort to counter act that twist I made all of my marks from the front edge of the slab.

[caption id="attachment_396" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Front slab is ready trim"][/caption]

As I mentioned in my last post I did end up with some hairline gaps in the laminate. Thankfully the worst of them are on the left edge (right side in the picture as we're working from the bottom) which allowed me to really only have to cut off the first few inches of the right side in order to cut off any snipe that may have resulted in the initial milling. This is where I wish I had a larger circular saw...in all my years of woodworking I never thought I would say that...honestly I didn't see it coming. I've only ever needed my cordless circular saw as I typically rely on my table saw or sliding compound miter for these kinds of cuts. But then again I never thought I would be cutting a slab this large either...

Anyway...with my saws depth of cut sitting just over 2" I was golden...well I would have been if I hadn't left my slab thickness at 4-5/8"...Yeah...oh well not the end of the world. What this translated into was not the nicest of cuts and my having to saw through roughly 1/2" of material over the length of the cut with my crosscut saw. Again, not the end of the world but not really my ideal outcome either. I did have to spend a bit of time with my block plane and chisels to bring the nub left by the crosscut saw down to match the rest of the end. With that out of the way it was time to get my tenon on.

[caption id="attachment_399" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Trimmed & Marked"][/caption]

After laying out the tenon and X-ing out the waste I set my saw to the depth of cut and got to work on hogging out most of it. I used an old timber framing trick of running multiple kerfs through the waste (also used by Marc over at the WoodWhisperer during his build/instruction) which then makes the task of cleaning up the face of the tenon that much easier. As I did this I couldn't help but think back on my younger years when I learned this trick from my grandfather...I never saw that man cut a dado, rabbet or tenon in which he didn't use this technique. I remember asking him why one day and the answer was simple...time...in the time it would take for him to swap to a dado blade in his ancient behemoth table saw he could run several kerfs through a piece with a hand saw or his circular saw and have them clean as a whistle with a chisel. It's funny how over the years I've opted to swap my dado blade in for a single cut...I think the next time that rolls around I may just have to give his lesson another go.

[caption id="attachment_398" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Rough Rough"][/caption]

With the multiple cuts made it's an easy task to just knock them cleanly away with a wide chisel. With the pieces gone I flipped the slab on to its back side, giving me access to the leading/vice edge and made the final cut as deep as my saw would go. A few strokes from the hand cross cut saw and the last chunk of waste fell to the floor.

[caption id="attachment_397" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rough Rough Rough"][/caption]

Now it's just a matter of cleanup. A few passes with the chisel brings the tenon into shape and removes the nubbin left by the hand saw. A pass or two from the block plane and my trusty old Stanley  rabbet plane brought everything into final dimensions.

[caption id="attachment_395" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ta Da!"][/caption]

 

Now it's time to wrangle an end  cap and make this slab start to look like a proper bench.

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-0.5 hours (trimming end and bringing into flat & square)

-1 hour (cutting and finishing tenon

-9.5 hours total

*I haven’t included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each slab sat for 24 hours each

 ]]> Sun, 06 May 2012 15:04:27 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/5/6/connecting-the-dots http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/22/pressure-pushing-down-on-me

After sorting through the pile of boards and reassessing them for grain direction, bow/cup/crown etc one last time I had my slabs roughed and ready for some glue.

[caption id="attachment_383" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sizing & Sorting"][/caption]

Due to the number and sizing of clamps in my collection I knew that I was going to have to tackle this process in two lumps over different days. In hindsight I wish I had thought my processes through a tad more rather than jumping in all gonzo, but hey...that's me and that's my woodworking style. Due to the smaller number of pieces I opted to run with gluing up the front slab first. In the days leading up to this point I had very good intentions of stopping and picking up a small foam paint roller to aid in my application of glue, but alas my brains must have been clouded with too many malted hops because I totally forgot. No worries, it'll work out with just my squeeze bottle of glue and my glue roller....right? Weeeeell.....mostly as you'll see in a few moments.

In an effort to assist with aligning a stack of 5 heavy slippery boards I opted to install a few #20 biscuits in each piece. In retrospect I wish I had placed one about every foot or so rather than the every 18-20" than I did. I also placed these from the bottom of the slab as deeply as my plate joiner would allow (about 1.5"). Can I say that I was and still am fairly jealous of those guys out there that have a Festool Domino at their disposal because it would have made this process that much sweeter and my alignment that much better. But even with my #20 biscuits the alignment and process wasn't too bad and I'm actually pretty happy with the overall end result.

[caption id="attachment_381" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Ready and Waiting for Glue"][/caption]

In my experience biscuits work better if they're glued in place so I made sure that each pocket received a squeeze of glue directly before inserting the biscuit and capping it all off with the next board. I don't have any scientific evidence of it but to me the extra exposure to glue directly in the pocket causes the compressed beech to expand that much quicker and makes the alignment of the pieces that much better. I could be totally off base here...and if I am...oh well.

So after what felt like an eternity and a TON of glue it came time to apply some pressure....as in the 8 or so parallel clamps at my disposal and a few F clamps from my rack. The problem I ran into is that as I was rolling the glue my little glue roller just took too much time. Overall the process took about 18 minutes and I thought I was rushing through. For those of you not in the know that is damn near if not over the limit for the open time on basic titebond.Thankfully I had cooler temperatures on my side which pushed the open time back a bit and just may have saved my butt.

[caption id="attachment_379" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Front Slab"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_384" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Front Slab Glue up"][/caption]

I also think I had a few different factors in play during this time. 1: the amount of time it took to do the glue up, 2: the amount of glue and 3: not enough clamping pressure. Add all of these factors together and what have you got? A mess...well not too bad, but it could have been really bad. Thankfully the extra length I added into my pieces saved my butt and I mean SAVED my butt. After I pulled the clamps I found a few pieces that hadn't laminated nice and tight, resulting in a hairline gap. But these gaps were only at the very end of one end and due to my extra length it gave me just enough to chop this piece out and move on.

After realizing my potential faults during the front slab I made sure I wasn't going to have a repeat on the rear slab. I picked up a 4" foam paint roller to do my spreading and man am I glad I did. The amount of time it took to glue up the rear was only 12 minutes and that's with an extra 2 boards in the mix. This time around I wasn't taking any chances on clamping pressure and pulled out all the stops. With the extra few boards in the mix I didn't want to give the slab any opportunity to move.

[caption id="attachment_382" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rear Slab Cooking away"][/caption]

At the end of the day I was fairly happy with the end results. Each slab was fairly flat with minimal slippage on each piece. Each slab did have a board or two that had bowed a tad or slipped a bit during the glue up but a few passes with my #7 jointer and things were ready to run through the planer again.

[caption id="attachment_380" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Squaring after glue up"][/caption]

Did I mention before that the slabs were big? Cause they're EFFING HUGE now...If it wasn't for the wife giving me some support (emotional and physical) I don't think I would have gotten each slab through the planer...at least not without blowing a gasket lifting each one for a few passes through it. After it was all said and done my final slab thickness at this point is 4-5/8".

Up next is the front slab tenon, screw cavity and end cap...if I'm lucky

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

- 1.5 hours (slab prep and glue up*)

-0.5 hours (preliminary flattening of both slabs)

-0.5 hours (Final rough slab milling)

-8 hours total

*I haven't included my clamp time in these figures if you want to add those figures in, each slab sat for 24 hours taking the entire process to 56 hours with down time.

 ]]> Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:07:21 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/22/pressure-pushing-down-on-me http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/16/ooofda-or-hernias-for-all

Now that the lumber is nicely stacked in the shop (sorry no pic...not sure why I didn't take one, must have been the sheer joy of that much lumber in my shop) it's time to tear into it. I, like Marc, assessed that starting with the bench tops really made the most sense. I mean really people...we're talking about a serious piece of equipment and it really only makes sense that you would at least get the pieces to a fairly finished stage before starting in on the supporting acts. Seriously...do you make all the side dishes for Thanksgiving first? Hell no! You unwrap that giant ass turkey and slap it into the oven before working on the potatoes, rolls etc. So to me it me only made sense to get the tops built and sized so that as it came time to build the base I could match my sizing and process any changes that I'm mulling over for it after I know the key elements are together and more importantly what their true dimensions are going to be.

I dug through the stack of maple and categorized my pieces; front slab, back slab and chop. From there I then refined the front slab pile down to outer face, inner face and dog strip. The front pile received the best pieces or if you prefer those with the least amount of bow/cup, twist and clear strait grain, with the absolute best of the best going to those key visible surfaces and more importantly the dog hole strip. The rear slab pile ended up with the rejects...poor guy...but the fact of the matter is that it's only going to receive a clean up of it's overall length before it's labeled as done.

With the sorting done it was time to fire up my new toy...the Grizzly G0634XP...ohhhhh yeah!

After my last post I want to take a minute to clarify the purchase of this piece of machinery. I did not purchase it solely for this build. I did however purchase it because of this build. It's a piece that I have been contemplating for several years and honestly saw myself purchasing 2 separate pieces in a 10-12" jointer and a stand alone 16" planer. But with the surge in the industry with safe and reliable combo pieces such as this, it just made more sense to run in this direction vs. two separate pieces. The other key is that this honestly has been a purchase in the making for quite some time. I just needed that last push to make it a reality and this build was it. So don't jump to conclusions that in order to take on a build of this size that you need a huge piece of machinery, because the simple fact is that you don't...now back to the action...

I have to admit that being able to surface stock of this size down to an S2S grade for the first time in a number of years was soooooo nice. Not having to pay the lumber yard or rent shop time or weasel my way into a friends shop was worth every single penny. Rather than having to conform to someone else's timeline I was now at my own discretion and could work at my pace and on my own terms.

[caption id="attachment_371" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="S2S Care of my New Planer/Jointer Combo"][/caption]

With the stock surfaced on two sides it was now time to rip it to rough width and length. Where I was using a new machine I opted to cut my lengths long...as in 106" long. The reason I did this was to account for snipe out of the new planer...but without running a piece or two through there was no way to really gauge what I would really be looking at. Is this machine going to give me 1" or 8" of snipe? Who knew? So to play it safe I went long.  I also had the length out of the 10' pieces and didn't really see any reason to go shorter than that. Once I had them to length they were then ripped to 5" in width. I know the plans call for 4" but again where most of my boards were in the 5-7" range anything thinner seemed pointless. After all, this is hopefully going to be an heirloom piece and I sincerely hope that it's is passed from one generation to the next with many, many, many re-flattening of the top...so more thickness in my mind would equal a greater longevity.

[caption id="attachment_373" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Length Cut off"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_372" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Width Cut off"][/caption]

With the rough cuts finished up everything was skip planed to a consistent thickness and height. Once everything was said and done I was looking at pieces in the 1-3/4" wide range by about 4-13/16" thick. What this translated into was the rear slab being 3/4" wider than in the plans and the front slab being 1/2" wider. I could have taken these down to the plan sizing, but honestly, at $4.27/foot I couldn't bring myself to do it. That 1-1/4" is a minor change in my mind and honestly I really would like the overall width of the bench to be in the 26-28" range anyway. It may not sound like a lot, but those 2-3" in width translate into quite a bit of extra work space with minimal impact.

Now that the pieces are to a rough dimensions it's time to invest in some glue...but that's for another day.

Total Build Time:

- 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

-4 hours (Top Slab milling)

-5.5 hours total

 ]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:03:15 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/16/ooofda-or-hernias-for-all http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/15/holy-lumber-batman

The most logical step (at least in my head) was to place my order for the vise hardware. The kits are from they guys over at Bench Crafted; boutique operation if you will (seems boutique is everywhere...so why not in metal & woodworking?) producing some of the finest vise hardware on the market. When I first placed my order the back log was enough that I potentially could have been out 8-10 weeks, but the woodworking gods were smiling on me as it would seem and only took 4 for delivery. I admit that delivery was far quicker than I had expected, so the box of goodies sat under the bar in our kitchen...for 8 weeks...but that's besides the point right?

Not only did I purchase the goods for the wagon and leg vises I also splurged on the hardware to produce a kick ass Moxon vise at the tail end of the build. I'm looking at it as a reward for all the hard work and effort that is going to be put in building the bench...True the bench would be reward enough for many, but I'm motivated by reward and felt the reward on top of the reward was totally necessary...I feel like I've said reward too much...reward...

After perusing the plans I quickly came to the realization that I was going to really need another piece of machinery in the shop. Something I have been dreaming of for quite awhile. Actually that's not toooootally true. The thing is that the bench design deals with several LARGE pieces...and by LARGE I mean LAAAARGE. We're talking at least 4 inches thick and nearly a foot wide by nearly 8 feet long. Yeah...I remember those things from my carpentry days...they're called beams and are used to hold up floors and roofs. I do have an acquaintance here in town that owns and operates a custom door shop that has the equipment to handle these pieces, so I felt comfortable that I could take on the challenge. But as time wore on I began to believe that placing an order for my long dreamed of piece of machinery actually made more sense. I'm the first to admit that my desire to have a 12" jointer and 12-16" planer in my shop is enough to keep me up at night waiting for the delivery truck just like I did in my younger years for the fat man in red to slide down my chimney for a strange reverse breaking and entering...but so was my desire for a suitable workspace that I was also willing to drive the 30 some odd miles to the door shop to mill my pieces. But alas common sense prevailed and the wife agreed that maybe it was time to look at picking up my long desired machinery...yes I think I may have fallen out of my chair when she agreed...The convincing piece of evidence, for me at least, was watching Marc maneuver and assemble his tops via the guild website. Seeing that video truly put the pieces into perspective and the thought of having to lug them back and forth and back and forth to the door shop and my shop became more and more daunting. ..so buying that piece of machinery really began to make the most sense.

From that decision a few more weeks went into the planning process as the wife (I would say that I helped...but in all honesty the wife made it happen and for that I love her that much more) quietly squirreled away enough cash to purchase the piece I had decided upon. Having a separate 12" jointer and a 16" planer would absolutely rock. But at this point in my career I don't have the space, nor the funds to support such a purchase. I do however have the space and the funds for a 12" jointer/planer combo. The piece of machinery I decided on was a Grizzly G0634XP. The key deciding factor was the length of the input and output beds, but more importantly the segmented cutter head.

Before I knew it the piece was in a truck and at my doorstep...yet another piece to the workbench puzzle down.

[caption id="attachment_354" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Like a Tiger...the Jointer/Planer Combo prowls its cage"][/caption]

 

It was such a beautiful day...I nearly cried...

[caption id="attachment_355" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ready to Make Some Dust"][/caption]

 

With those pieces in place it was time to take the final plunge and buy some lumber, but what species? I had given this a lot of thought over the past several weeks. I knew I wanted to keep it domestic and had really thought about making it special. I kept returning to maple and black walnut...2 species that would give me the durability and the look I was going for. But as the weeks went buy the lumber costs in my area nearly doubled, (maple went from $2.50/foot to $4.27/foot). Also the more time that went by the more I began to question the walnut. My initial plan was to make the dog hole strip, leg vise chop and end cap out of walnut, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I don't know if it was the number of other guys out there that were doing much the same, the cost of walnut or the overall look and durability of those pieces, but I couldn't do it. I got to the lumber yard and had the maple for the top pulled and loaded when I asked about Red Alder...hmmmm....the pricing was excellent at just over $1.00/foot and Alder is another one of those woods that I absolutely love using. I asked the fork lift driver to pull out their bundle of rustic 8/4 stock for me to take a peek at. Amazingly the pieces were mostly strait grain with minimal knots...however the knots that were present were fairly large and weak...but still this change in plans was going to work. So with that my bench took a 180 and I'm extremely happy that it did.

[caption id="attachment_357" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="250' of 8/4 stock Oh MY!"][/caption]

After it was all said and done I ended up just over 100' of Hard Maple (Acer saccharum) and just over 150' of Red Alder (Alnus rubra). I did purchase heavy on the Alder simply because of the rustic grading. I fully suspect that I'm going to have to pick and choose my way through the pile to pull together enough solid pieces for the base. But I'm not too concerned...like I said Alder is one of my favorite species and having a few slabs of it hanging around the shop isn't the end of the world to me. The other issue at hand is simply that my supplier didn't have maple in anything over 10 inches or under 5 inches...damn near every piece in their bundle was 5-7". The two 10" pieces they did have most definitely made their way into the truck though. The other issue is that all of their stock is either 10' or 12' in length; ultimately ending up in having to purchase high on the total footage.

I still can't believe that it's all coming together. If you would have asked me at this time last year if I would be building a bench of this nature in the next year I would have laughed. Funny how life turns out when you're not paying attention...

Up next is actual woodworking...I know...exciting right...

As an added bonus to you arm chair wood workers I plan on documenting the total time I've spent on building the bench, so with that, here it is:

Total time spent on the build at this point: 1.5 hours (lumber selection, transport & stacking)

 

 ]]> Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:06:42 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/15/holy-lumber-batman http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/8/lets-get-ready-to-rrrrrrrrrrroubo true woodwork bench. Over the years I would come to lust after the benches of the masters. My dreams always had me standing beside a bench the size of a Humvee...a true European cabinet makers bench; big and beefy with huge vises capable of clamping the very movement of the Earth if the need ever arose. A bench who's mass is so vast that it would in fact throw the laws of gravity into disarray as the Earth would be attracted to its gravitational pull. A bench  that would be mixed with the various species of wood; a veritable encyclopedia of wood on display for all humanity.

It was a nice dream...

But as with every dream it fell victim to the rays of dawns approach. What would I really do with a bench that was that big? Seriously...what? This question always rang in my head as I lazily allowed myself to slip into this dream state.

It was ultimately that question that kept me from taking the plunge and building my dream. Ok, not really but it was always there, lingering in the back of my mind. I also had hesitations with the types of vices that were generally used. The one problem I always had with traditional tail and face vises was the inherent clamping limitations. The traditional tail vise of many cabinet makers benches was about the only one that really made any sense to me, but the sheer size of it always made me hesitate. That giant L shaped slab of wood working its way back and forth and back and forth and back and forth always seemed so inefficient to me. But then again I didn't really see any other viable options so that's just the way it would have to be. So on and on went my mind, the ultimate tug of war with myself; build it...don't build it...build it...yes...no...yes...no!

So fast forward to the middle of 2011. That's when I stumbled upon this guy that's my age and producing woodworking videos for his website and crafts guild...Marc Spagnuolo His website was astounding to me. Nothing like the others that were out there. There was none of the ego wars that so often accompany online forums and there was definitely no better than everyone vibe about this guy. So I started digging around over the next few months...that's right...I was a lurker...I lurked the shit outta that site...but never really took the jump to do anything other than lurk. I had been burned so many times before on the other woodworking sites that I just didn't have it in me to fight that fight anymore. I was content doing my thing and everyone else could stick it! But then there was one item that really stuck with me; an announcement that the guild portion of the site was going to be tackling a work bench...HA I thought, no way it'll compare to the Humvee of benches I had been designing in my head for all those years. But as the weeks wore on, I started to find myself thinking more and more about the picture of the proposed bench. Where's it's mass...no traditional tail vise? No face vise? WTF...and this guy calls himself a wood worker? That thing is going to blow over in a stiff breeze...or will it? But, as it so often does, life got in the way and woodworking fell victim to paying the bills and ultimately rebuilding my precious shop after the great pipe burst of 2011.

But that bench was always pounding away in my brain...begging for me to give it attention. Finally after a frustrating day of cutting dovetails on my wobbly table and hand screw/vise setup, I dug up thewoodwhisperer.com again. It was time for a show down. It was going to be the blow out of the century, my Humvee bench vs. this thing called the Split Top Roubo...pssssha like it even remotely has a chance...after all I've had this psychosis...er...I mean dream for years. There's no way a frenchypoo bench was going to blow my Humvee of a bench off the beach. But then again, after digging through the documents and videos that Marc had pulled together concerning the bench I had the realization that the constant question of why build this behemoth was no longer there. This bench made absolute sense to me. The simple sliding wagon tail vise was pure genius and the the leg vise had so much potential that I was kicking myself for never really giving it more than a few cursory glances over the years. A split top? BRILLIANT...And the base? big and sturdy yet not so huge that Earth wouldn't be able to continue turning on its axis. For the first time in years I was truly excited about building a true workbench.

So after a few more days of ho humming about joining the guild and a few more about the cost of the hardware and lumber I decided that it was time and took the plunge. I dove into that pool without looking to see if I was in the shallow end or not and damn that murky bottom, the time had come to get off my lazy woodworking ass and build the tool I have been lacking for all those years.

So sit back and follow along for what I am certain is about to be a fairly interesting roller coaster ride...and if I'm lucky there just might be a usable workbench at the end of it all.]]> Sun, 08 Apr 2012 15:55:45 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/4/8/lets-get-ready-to-rrrrrrrrrrroubo http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/3/12/ready-and-action

The past two weeks has been absolutely wacky...and by wacky I mean WACKY!

I have no idea where the time has gone to.......

Ok, so maybe that's not the total truth but honestly it feels like I have been running nonstop since my last post. Part of my time has been consumed by the idea that I would produce our first video blog post. WOW, what a moronic idea that was. No Seriously...let's take the miniscule amount of free time that I do have that is normally allotted to working in the shop and add in video production. I am CUH RAAAAAZY...I have heard from several other woodworkers who have successful video blogs about the sheer amount of time necessary to film, edit and post these creations and man oh man were they right. But its been a fantastic experience. I never thought I would ever produce something of this nature let alone feel some excitement towards producing another video/set.

So with that: I now proclaim the Watkins Wood Work video series OPEN!

Our first video is actually 4 smaller videos that I shot in one long progression over 3 or 4 days. The topic at hand is a review and tune up of some lesser quality hand planes produced by GROZ. And by lesser quality that is my polite way of saying that many woodworkers feel the only place in their shop for these tools are as paper weights or trash can ballast. I personally take a bit of offense to this mindset; simply because I'm of the mind that just about any tool can be a good tool with a little TLC. There are most certainly exceptions to this rule, but in this case where there really are no moving parts I think the condemnation directed towards them might be a bit more out of bias rather than actual facts. So that's where our videos come into the mix. I wanted to give these pieces a fair shake and produce it so that anyone looking to make an educated purchase could see  what to expect with any of these plane fresh out of the box, what it will take to get them into a useable condition and ultimately what kind of end experience are you going to have with them. Are they worth the time and effort necessary to clean them up, get them flat, true and sharp? In the end I answer all of these questions. So sit back, grab a nice beverage and watch along while I take a $15.00 #4 Smoother, $16.00 #5 Jack and $40.00 #7 Jointer from garbage to gold.

In order to make the piece easy to digest I've broken it up into 4 parts. Each is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

Part 1: Initial Impressions or 1st Impressions Aren't Important...right?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQMQaK0KUBI]

Part 2: When Steel Meets Sand

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph_R2SZ8lmg]

Part 3: Where Blade Meets the Grindstone

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRHslLK4WMs]

Part 4: Final Judgement!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0uiYhdq0Bo]

In all honesty the process was actually kind of fun and if it helps someone make an informed decision on spending their hard earned cash, then even better. I have a feeling that these are just the start of something even bigger.

I've also put together what I'm calling our uncut, full length, enhanced, remastered, re-remastered directors cut version and can be found on our feed over at blip.com So if you aren't in love with YouTube....as much as I'm not in love with YouTube but currently have no other choice for embedding videos into this blog...definitely check it out over at Blip...the feed is better in my opinion but I didn't really think/say that out loud and no on heard it....move along....move along...

As for the planes themselves. They actually cleaned up to be pretty decent. Do I think that they're on par with say a Lie Nielson or Veritas? Not really, but they do get the job done and aren't the most horrible tool I've ever used as many professionals would have you believe of them. I did have to put in a fair amount of sweat equity to get them into what I thought was an acceptable condition, as well as producing some fine shavings. Ultimately if your budget is rock bottom and are primarily a hybrid or strict power tool woodworker they will fill your needs very nicely. I'm actually very happy with them and have found myself using them more and more rather than turning to that piece of machinery to do the same job as of late.

So there you have it. My two cents on cheap planes. If you have an idea or a cheap tool you want me to look into reviewing/tuning up let me know, it might just end up as my next project and or video.]]> Sun, 11 Mar 2012 21:07:22 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/3/12/ready-and-action http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/22/should-have-sent-a-poet Thomas Molesworth inspired, His and Hers matched box set; affectionately titled "Curvy Lurvy".

Who could have guessed that an iPhone 4 could provide pictures like these. We'll have the gallery updated with these and more in the coming days. Both pieces are still available, contact us for pricing.

Curvy Lurvy, His Edition:

[caption id="attachment_296" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Curvy Lurvy, His Edition"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_309" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Curvy Lurvy Corner Detailing"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_315" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Side view"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_305" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Splined leg detail of His box"][/caption]

 

 

Curvy Lurvy, Her's Edition:

[caption id="attachment_317" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Curvy Lurvy for Her"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_301" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Center Silver Medallion on the Hers box of Curvy Lurvy"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_302" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Legs legs legs"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_312" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Interior of Hers Curvy Lurvy"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_298" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Rear View"][/caption]

 

These pieces were a long time in coming, but the wait was definitely worth it. They turned out absolutely stunning and I almost hate to see them go.

 ]]> Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:41:55 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/22/should-have-sent-a-poet http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/19/diamonds-in-the-rough-or-everyone-needs-a-little-tlc

Anyway...

In that post I also spoke of picking up a task in the shop that I've been putting off for far too long. The tuning of my block planes. The reason I've been putting this off is simply that I'm lazy and that both were going to require a TON of work...well one more than the other but that's not the point. What? You don't believe me? Telling tales out of school am I? Well take a look at the picture below.

[caption id="attachment_274" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mill Marks from the Devil"][/caption]

What you're looking at there my friends is a new Stanley #60 (before they reintroduced the Sweet Heart Series) low angle block plane. Take a closer look at the mill marks running the length of the thing. Unfortunately this is the only picture I took of the tool in this state so you'll have to trust me that that abysmal amount of marking runs the entire length of the plane, both sides and the entire sole. YEAH...talk about a PITA to tune into  something more than a carpenters paper weight. So why not just drop the thing into the trash or better yet give it to one of my enemies? Well, honestly it was a gift from a family member who's heart was in the right place and because I'm cheap (most of the time...pipe down @onblank). Seriously the most expensive hand tool I currently own is my dovetail saw...my other block plane is something I picked up as an add on in an Ebay auction from an antique plane I bought a number of years ago. I needed a block plane one day and out it came; after a bit of tuning up it was working for what I needed and that was all the attention it has received over the years. So I figured while I tuned this...lump of coal into hopefully a shining diamond I would also give my other block plane the same attention.

Thankfully I must have spent more than a few minutes on the older plane as the sole was mostly flat and had only a few deep milling marks/scratches from it's prior life left. After a few hundred strokes I had it shining and in a condition that was ready for some waxing and continued use.

[caption id="attachment_272" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Flat and Clean"][/caption]

I'll be honest here. Shaping up the new plane wasn't the only reasoning for my cleaning up the older one as well. It seems that when we had our shop disaster some moisture must have found its way into the drawer that was housing the plane and subsequently added a few decent sized rust spots on one side. Mercifully the sole was left untouched...

Back to the Stanley...I began my flattening process with some 100 grit paper adhered to a giant slab of granite I picked up years ago to act as my sharpening station before I found the "scary sharp" method using plate glass.

[caption id="attachment_275" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="God Give Me Strength"][/caption]

After the first 100 strokes or so I checked my progress and hoped for the best.

[caption id="attachment_277" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Sooo far to go yet"][/caption]

As you can see in the picture above there was still so far to go. Out a new sheet of 100 grit came and a few more hundred strokes ensued.

[caption id="attachment_278" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Still So Far to Go"][/caption]

Even after all that sweat and grumbling I really wasn't making head room. The milling marks in the steel were just too deep to be removed by these means alone. So now what? Drop the thing in the garbage as mentioned earlier? Close...I seriously took a moment of pause to reflect on if this thing was really worth attempting to salvage.

That's when lightning struck my brain. What am I trying to accomplish here? If I can't move the plane enough or long enough to remove the milling then why not make it stationary and move the abrasive? AH HA! So out came my bench top belt sander.

[caption id="attachment_273" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Last Stand"][/caption]

How much worse could I really make this I thought. Even if I destroy it in the process it's no real loss simply because in it's current condition it was suited for rough carpentry at best. So I flipped the power on and carefully applied plane to belt. I made sure that I applied even pressure across the plane body and was very careful to keep it flat against the belt during the process. I checked my progress often and made sure to keep things nice and cool with a dunk into some water when things heated up. Even with this drastic measure it still took longer than I had expected to remove the milling. But after a few more minutes I was to a point that I was confident that I could finish it by hand.  I returned back to my slab of granite and started over. This time around however the story was much different. After a few strokes on 100 grit things were uniform and flat as could be.

[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="TRIUMPH!!!"][/caption]

With the soles flat and ready for use I sharpened the blades to a mirror shine and fit everything back together. After a bid of fiddling and fine adjusting I had each one ready for test cuts. Slowly advancing the blade, checking and rechecking after every few swipes I had them dialed in. Each one was giving a whisper thin shaving. Amazed that after all of that I was able to produce a shaving that fine and a tool that felt that good was astounding.

[caption id="attachment_276" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Fresh Shavings"][/caption]

I admit that I am absolutely dumbfounded that I was able to get each one into a condition that with a factory blade would produce a shaving of this nature, let alone be such a joy to use. I couldn't believe it. I had pulled off the Cinderella story here. A block plane that I had just about written off and left in its packaging or re-gifted has turned into a useable fine woodworking tool. Don't get me wrong here. Both tools are sharp and working better than I had ever expected. Does this then mean that I don't need to purchase a true fine woodworking piece like a Lie Nielsen 9 1/2 or 60 1/2? Probably not...why? Well the answer is simple, the sides of the plane are no where near square to the sole. While this doesn't really matter for making fine shavings etc. It does mean that if I ever need to use one on a shooting board that I won't be able to...not the end of the world, but a limitation to tuning a cheaper tool. Could I square the sides to the sole? Probably, but honestly I'm not sure it would be worth the effort. The planes are performing those tasks they would normally be used for and I'm just going to have to remember to reach for something else if I ever need to true something up on a shooting board. The point here is that for those woodworkers out there that don't have the capital to buy top end tools (like myself) the lower end pieces can provide the ability to continue working after a little TLC.

So before you toss that old or less quality tool in the trash give it a second look. You might just be holding a diamond in the rough; one that could make the difference to a new woodworker.]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 16:39:48 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/19/diamonds-in-the-rough-or-everyone-needs-a-little-tlc http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/19/progress-at-last

What did get done was the glue up of the bobbin boxes and some tool prep/clean up that I've been putting off for a while now.

On Tuesday the man in brown delivered the missing pieces; well piece really, the infamous 1/8 spiral cut router bit. True...like any other red blooded woodworker I also picked up a set of up and down cut 1/4" and 1/2" bits to round it out. The current bits I have are due for a replacement and I figured shipping was the same for 1 bit or 5 bits.

[caption id="attachment_269" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bits n Bits n Bits"][/caption]

With the bit in hand  I was finally able to put the new router lift to the test. Nothing like baptizing it into the shop by forcing it to cut small, precise blind dado's in thin stock. All I can say is WHY did I wait so many years to make this one of the fixtures in the shop. Setting it up was an absolute breeze...seriously...it took me less than 2 minutes to zero it out and dial in my depth of cut once I installed the bit...and don't get me started how sweet it is to change the bit from above the table. All I can say is that if Woodpeckers discontinued this model because of a new version...then what a triumph of engineering that one has to be, because the plain and simple truth is, this version  works like a dream. I admit that I had some problems when I initially installed it but honestly those were of my own making because I was using a router motor that it simply wasn't made to accommodate. Once I picked up a Porter Cable 7518 and installed it, the problems I was having with difficulty in raising and lowering the lift, completely disappeared. I couldn't be happier with it (and that is a totally unbiased review).

 

[caption id="attachment_270" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="It works...it really does work!"][/caption]

Once the dado's were made for the top and bottoms all that was left was to glue everything up.

[caption id="attachment_267" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Waiting for the glue to dry"][/caption]

When the glue was dry I pulled them out of the clamps and was really happy with their fit. Ok...not totally true. The box on the left in the picture above has a few gaps and problems with its dovetails, but what did I expect for the first set of tails I've cut in the last year. Hand work really is an art that needs to be practiced on a regular basis. Thankfully the issues I'm unhappy with aren't such that I can't make slight repairs and move on from. The box on the right however came out absolutely beautifully and is more in line with what I had envisioned from the start of the whole bobbin box project.

[caption id="attachment_268" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nearly There"][/caption]

I'm getting excited to see the finished product. I have a few different ideas on how to finish/divide the interior of the box, but first I'm going to have to cut the dang thing open. It seems the wife isn't too thrilled about being the owner of a box that doesn't open

 

 ]]> Sun, 19 Feb 2012 15:31:01 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/19/progress-at-last http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/13/why-must-we-live-in-the-boonies-why

[caption id="attachment_259" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Mmmmm Cherry"][/caption]

Well all was hunky dory in the neighborhood and I was making some great progress on them; finishing the dovetails and being sufficiently happy with their fit. I will admit I wish they fit a tad better, but not bad for not having cut a dovetail in over a year. But I digress...so I finished the dovetails and milled up the stock for the tops and bottoms and was ready to begin sizing these pieces.

[caption id="attachment_258" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="So Close; Yet So Far"][/caption]

That's when I began digging for my 1/8" spiral cutting router bit...where the hell did I put that? More rummaging, getting a tad annoyed now...scratching my head...WTF? Where did I put that damn thing? Then it hit me...ohhhhhh riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...it was in the router when the ceiling decided to cave in under the weight of all that wet insulation...which in turn made it rust like a SOB and eventually made its way to the insurance pile...now I remember.

so that put me out of commission for the night on Saturday. No worries I thought, I'll just pop into that one big box store that likes blue so much and pick up a new one...they sell them right? Hmmmmm...I believe so; well if not the one store that loves orange will. Do you see a problem here? No? Well trust me it's a problem...my one resource for local woodworking supplies/tools unfortunately fell victim to the economy and shut their doors over a year ago, leaving me with no other choice than the two big box stores in town...SUCKS! So with my fingers and toes crossed I ventured into the first store...only to find that the only spiral bit they sold was either an up or down cut 1/4" bit...encouraging that they had an up and a down...but alas no 1/8" bit...dang! But they do have a strait cutting 1/8" mortise bit...hmmm, it should work, but to be safe I'll head to the other store too. So off I went, hopes high that I would find my elusive treasure in the next big box hell. Wrongo bongo...even less selection than the last store...

So I return home with my only option...the 1/8 strait bit and a sneaking suspicion that I shouldn't give it a go and should rather order the correct bits online. Well after a few minutes of ho humming I decided to give up on gluing the pieces up this weekend and would place my order...soooo depressed, oh well...I did need a night off...I've been meaning to watch "Tron Legecy" again...after all the 1st one BLEW my mind back in the 80's...and it has the Dude in it, who doesn't love the dude, man...

I also figured it would be a great night to break out the new table top light box and take some pictures of Curvy Lurvy aka the Molesworth boxes. It started out pretty good.

[caption id="attachment_261" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="MMMM Touch Me!"][/caption]

I'm not in love with how the box is so wrinkled...or the seams that you can see, but overall it worked as advertised and did turn out a fairly decent picture. So now for the acid test...the box itself.

[caption id="attachment_260" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Houston...we have a problem"][/caption]

Hmmm...yeah...it barely fits inside, that's going to be a problem right? Double damn...I think I need to go watch that movie now...]]> Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:44:40 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/13/why-must-we-live-in-the-boonies-why http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/11/mmmmmm-crow-tastes-like-chicken

So you''ve been out in the woodshop all week and have stepped out of your comfort zone a few times now and everything is going great...or is it?

Just when you least expect it you see it...something is wrong...oh man, how the heck did you miss that...it's HUGE and wow there's just no fixing that...WELL F***

Just what does this have to do with Get Woodworking Week? Well everything really.We've all been there...no really...we've all been there and we have all screwed up a piece we were working on. The point is that we all have our screw ups but the key is how you decide to move forward. A lot of newbies find themselves in this spot and freak out a bit. It's not the end of the world, a screw up can lead to something new and exciting, or point you in a new direction entirely.

Let's take a peek at two of my screw ups as an example.

Earlier this week some of you may have seen the picture below and wondered...what's that line that is dividing that dovetail into two segments? That's kind of weird...

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Dove Tail Screw Up"][/caption]

Well to be honest I was so caught up in laying out the tails that I completely forgot that the box I was building was going to need to be split into two pieces a.k.a. top and bottom. I'm sure I now have two groups of readers right now. On one side the new guys are scratching their heads and wondering what I'm getting at. The other group is the vet woodworkers out there that are now looking at the pic and saying to themselves "yup, that's a bad place to make your split." Why? well, if you split a tail you end up with a very week segment of wood with the wood grain of the tail really having little to support it. As such you have a high likelyhood of having that piece of the tail blow out completely. So now what? Start over, keep going, do something entirely different or just put the whole thing into the freezer so it can think about what it did wrong? Well since the wife thinks I'm strange enough I don't think I'll put this one in the freezer. But I really don't want to start over, but I'm now kind of stuck as the pins are too small for me split the piece in this more ideal location...

What to do, what to do...

Well honestly I guess the best course of action is going to be to start again...BUT with one small change. Instead of building one box I am now going to build a matching pair. One with the clam shell opening as originally planned and the second (being the current piece) as something totally different.

As I said earlier; a screw up isn't necessarily the end of the world and can sometimes work out in your favor.

So let's take a peek at my second example.

Are you ready? are you really ready?

You sure about that?

It's pretty scary...

Ok...I warned you...

Take a look at this:

[caption id="attachment_30" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Joint Failure...AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"][/caption]

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH RUN!!!

I told you it was scary.

Ok ok, calm down...it's ok...

Joint failure is enough to scare the booties off even the most seasoned woodworker.

Anyhow, what you're looking at is a piece I built from my Kane Tsugi series of tables. Unfortunately I had thought I had given the solid wood enough room to move with the change of seasons, but alas no such luck. It's never a good feeling when a customer calls you and informs you of a problem.

So why am I showing you this? Shouldn't I file that picture away and never ever ever....ever look at it again? Well no, how would I learn from my mistake if all I ever did was fix it and forget it? In my opinion the better woodworkers out there recognize their screw ups, own up to them and most of all, learn from them.

So the next time you're in the shop and something doesn't go quite right, just chalk it up to experience and don't back down from it. Good luck out there and remember to have fun while you're at it. ]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:23:18 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/11/mmmmmm-crow-tastes-like-chicken http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/10/to-sharpen-or-not-to-sharpen-that-is-the-question

So you're new to woodworking huh...

You've been making a few things here and there and it's all going swimmingly? Good, I'm happy that you're finding out what woodworking is all about.

But you've decided to up your skills a notch by trying your first set of dovetails...you've read that one guys blog about laying out and cutting dovetails and if a hack like him can do it there's absolutely no reason you can't too. Sounds good...BUUUUUT...but I have one question for you. How are you going to cut clean dovetails with that chisel...yes I'm talking to you...and that chisel you're holding, it looks like you've been jack hammering concrete with it. At this point I'd say it's probably only good for spreading butter or slicing some cheese...soft, soft cheese.............................................................

Sorry, drifted off there...I do love cheese though.................................................

Sorry, sorry....Chisel...yeah...that's what we were talking about. So just how are you going to cut those dovetails with that blunt instrument after all?

Well don't worry, we're here to help...we? we who? why the internet of course...didn't you know there's a billion search results out there on how to properly sharpen your chisels, plane blades, marking knives and on and on and on and on? Don't believe me? well give it a try...just go to Google and type in "sharpening a chisel" go on...I'll wait...

See...Told you sooooooo....

But, I'm here to help and will gladly give you a few tips to get you started. I know, you're excited but calm down....I said CALM DOWN...(sheesh you're as excitable as the last guy who thought dovetails were as exciting as Scarlett Johansson). Anyway, I'll give you a few pointers and before you know it you'll be shaving the hair off your arm and getting lost in your own eyes as you gaze deeply into them from the mirror polish you'll get to...I mean you'll soon be sharpening like a pro in no time and all at a minimal cost that is too.

So let's get started.

The first thing I recommend to anyone and everyone is to take a moment read "Get Woodworking! Basic Sharpening Notes" by Ron over at Hock Tools. This piece should be come a basis for all of your current and future sharpening tactics.

Now that you've read Ron's technique and suggestions it's time to get to work. I have been sharpening along these lines for a number of years and is my go to method for quick, reliable and repeatable edges.

My tools:

1. a 2'x2' square piece of 1/4" plate glass
2. Automotive Wet/Dry sandpaper  in grits of 400, 800, 1200 and 2000
3. Spray Bottle
4. Permanent Marker
5. Veritas Mark II honing guide.
6. Slow Speed Bench Grinder

That's it? Yup...that's it. I'll be honest that I do also have a leather strop and some chromium oxide as well as several Japanese water stones ranging from 800-6000 grit. I typically will only break these out when I have a lot of sharpening to do as well as some serious maintenance (as in regrinding a bevel etc). If I just need to bring an edge back into sharp I will stick with my piece of plate glass and sand papers.

Before we go any further let's talk about the bench grinder. In all honesty I rarely break it out as I try to always keep my tools in a state that the plate glass sharpening method I'm detailing below will maintain and rarely change my bevel angles. Some would call it set in my ways...I prefer to call it lazy...

So back to it:

Break out your piece of plate glass and find a corner of your work bench, assembly table etc that you can clamp it down to...making sure not to crank the bujeebus out of your clamps...this is a piece of glass after all.

[caption id="attachment_242" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Sharpening station"][/caption]

I try to arrange my sheets of paper so that I have access to each edge of the plate glass. This is done so that you can easily and quickly lap the backs of your tools that may not be 100% flat by design or have a handle. By laying them around the perimeter of the glass you can easily rotate the station to quickly give you access to each grit. As for your paper you can buy the kind that has an adhesive back or not, both work fine. If you opt for the non adhesive backed pieces you can adhere them to the glass using some spray on contact cement. I will also label each pieces location on the glass with a permanent marker; not necessary but an easy way to keep track of where you're at during the processes.

When everything is laid out and your paper is stuck, give it a spritz from your water bottle. Sharpening via this method is very much the same as using a water stone so it's important to keep your paper wet as you sharpen.

[caption id="attachment_240" align="aligncenter" width="224" caption="Spritz away"][/caption]

Now that your paper is ready and waiting it's time to get wet. I sharpen in 3 steps, 1) flatten the back, 2) hone your bevel (& and mirco bevel if you like) and 3) remove the burr/flatten the back again.

Ready? Let's get started.

Grab the tool you want to start with and your permanent marker. Once you have these two pieces it's time to introduce them to each other by coloring the back side of the tool i.e. the area you are going to flatten.

[caption id="attachment_241" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Coloring is Fun"][/caption]

Now why would I have you do that? After all that's your prized chisel that you just colored all over...well all I can say is GOT YOU SUCKER!!! HA HA HA...ok not really. The reason we did this is to act as a guide while you flatten the back. The coloring is going to tell you where your low spots are and act as your indicator for when you have things nice and flat.

So let's apply tool to sand paper.

Starting at your most course grit begin rubbing the back of your tool of choice back and forth in a nice and easy fluid motion. Back and forth, back and forth...

[caption id="attachment_239" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Back & Forth Back & Forth"][/caption]

I personally like to angle tool in one direction and then after a few strokes angle it the other direction 90 degrees. Why? well for me it seems to produce a better/flatter back in less time. It also ensure that if there's a high or low spot in your paper that you're not grinding that spot into your tool.

If you're doing this correctly you'll end up with a nice cross hatching on the back

[caption id="attachment_238" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cross Hatch Cross Hatch"][/caption]

Continue to flatten your back in this fashion all the way around your sharpening station. By the time you finish with the 2000 grit paper things should be looking flat as can be and more than likely nearing a mirror polish. Keep in mind that a mirror finish is not necessary. It's a nice feature and a good way to check your hair in a pinch but completely unnecessary.

Once you've flattened your back it's time to break out your favorite honing guide. You do have a honing guide don't you? No? well no worries you can do this free hand, but you have to be careful that you're matching the bevel as you move your tool back and forth and back and forth. It can be done; it does take some practice but once you get the hang of it it's no sweat. If you're not that adventurous you can always pick up a cheap honing guide from the internet for a few bucks or go a bit higher end and buy one with the extra features like the Veritas model I'm using. Either way the important part is making sure that your tools bevel stays flat and square against the sharpening surface.

[caption id="attachment_243" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Hone This..."][/caption]

So break out the guide (or your hand) and get to smoothing that bevel. Just as Ron expains in his post, the important part is making that rounded cutting edge as thin/small as possible. Make sure to check your work as you progress and move to the next grit when your edge is looking sharp. Looking sharp? helpful right? I know...You can hold the tip up to the light and look for a glint of light reflecting off of the cutting edge, if you see any light reflecting than you still have work to do. I will hone my edges on the 400 grit until I can no longer see that glint of light before moving on to any other grit. Remember a sharp edge won't reflect light...it just absorbs it like a hungry black hole...ok, not really but it's true that it won't reflect light as the edge is sharp enough that there's nothing there for the light to bounce off of...make sense?

When you've made it around your station and are satisfied with your edge it's time to do one of two things. Re-flatten your back or add a micro bevel. There's a lot of discussion out there about the benefits of having a micro bevel as well as a fair amount for not having a micro bevel. Honestly it's up to you and I'm not going to get into that fight here. I personally add a micro bevel to my tools simply because I like the way they cut when I have one vs not having one and I seem to get a longer span of use from a tool with a micro bevel than one without, it's simple as that.

So if your honing guide has the ability to add a micro bevel, now is the time to so. The process is the same as sharpening your main bevel so I'm not going to delve into the micro side here.

Now that your bevels are sharp you may have noticed a slight burr has formed on the back edge of the blade. This is easily removed by flattening your tool back once again. To do this I simply give it a few strokes on the 2000 grit paper and in no time that burr is history. Once the burr is removed you're all set, and if you've done it right your tool should be sharp as a razor. Some woodworkers test the razor theory out by shaving a spot of arm hair off. Personally I just trust that it's sharp, but that's me; I guess some guys just like looking like a wookie with mange.

So there you have it. Sharpening in a simple 1, 2, 3. No rocket science. No mystery...just a little elbow grease.

Before we call it a day keep in mind that as you're sharpening your bevels, keeping the tool square to the sharpening surface is absolutely important...like breathing air is important...well maybe not that important but it's still up there. A bevel that's ground/sharpened out of square is going to cut a bit wonky and trust me...no one wants wonky when you're dealing with sharp edges.]]> Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:49:41 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/10/to-sharpen-or-not-to-sharpen-that-is-the-question http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/7/dovetails-bane-or-bliss Last night was the first time I was able to get into the shop for a day or two due to life getting in the way, (it's always getting in the way these days it seems). But just because I wasn't in the shop working didn't mean I wasn't woodworking in a sense. I spent every free second that I did have thinking about the joinery on the bobbin box. How should it be built? Through dovetails, half blind, mitered splines, dovetail keys etc. How should I join the sides, bottom and top together...you see my thinking here?

Ultimately I've decided to join the box with through dovetails, namely because I love working with cherry and any excuse to make a little sweet smelling dust is well worth it. The other reason is that I especially like how through dovetails look in cherry.

So this is where our "Get Woodworking Week" comes into play. I know for a large number of newbies out there, dovetails scare the bejeebus out of you, but honestly it's just another joint; one that can be cut by hand so no specialized pieces of machinery are needed.

I know that for a lot of new woodworkers the dovetail scares them because it's easy to screw it up...and once it goes bad, it generally tends to go really bad. The key is to remember that it's not the end of the world if one is tad loose or your saw kerf goes astray a bit, that's not the important part of all of this, the thing to remember is that cutting dovetails is a skill that can be learned by anyone and as with any skill gets better and better with practice. Unfortunately I can't remember who said it but someone wiser than I would often tell new woodworkers that a hand cut dovetail lends a level of quality to a piece that can never be matched by machine. The joints may not be perfect, but that's what makes the piece so special...the knowledge that it was crafted by hand with love and dedication.

So where do we start?

Well, there's been a surge in debate about the best way to layout dovetails in recent weeks across the woodworking blogs. I chalk this up a bit to Chris Schwarz and a blog post on his Popular Woodworking blog about laying out dovetail spacing using dividers. I have to admit that his post intrigued me quite a bit as this is how I've been laying out my dovetails for quite awhile now. Don't get me wrong, I've run the gambit and have been known layout my joints by eye, but the more OCD side of me really likes the look of a evenly spaced hand cut dovetail. I also have a few vague memories of my grandfather laying out a tool box or some other case work in this manner when I was very young (the only time I ever saw the man cut a dovetail) and it has always stuck with me, but alas without the details/understanding of exactly what he was doing.

Over the years I've seen a variety of examples of how to layout with dividers, but honestly in my opinion the best example that in my mind easily explains and outlines how to do this is from a series of woodworking videos that Chris Gochnour put together for Fine Woodworking. Unfortunately you do have to be a paid online member over at FWW to view the videos, but honestly if you're having trouble laying out your joints or just cutting, chopping etc on your dovetails it's well worth the cost to view the series. Either way I'm going to give you the crash course in Chris's technique intermixed with some of my own, so get out your dividers and follow along.

The first piece to the puzzle, (other than having your work cut and sized to near final dimensions that is) is deciding on your layout for the work pieces. I personally use a combined technique of my own and how Chris lays out his pieces.

[caption id="attachment_196" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Laying out your pieces, what is the inside/outside and front/back"][/caption]

In the picture above you can see that I use Chris's suggestion on using a triangle to outline the direction of the pieces as well as which face is going to be inside and outside. The point of the triangle (in the center of the boards) act as your directional guide as well as dictate which face is the inside of the piece. I also go a step further and dictate which piece is going to front, back, right and left sides and place an additional directional arrow as my fail safe (or just to placate my OCD, but we won't go there).

Once you've decided on how you're going to orient your work it's time to get serious and breakout your favorite marking gauge. IF you don't have one don't worry, you can do the same thing with a combination square and a pencil or marking knife or even in a pinch just a ruler and a strait edge. The key here is to get a consistent mark all the way around the piece that is the same distance from the edge of the piece. How far do you mark this line? Well it depends on the type of joint, but in this example we're going for through dovetails so the mark should measure the thickness of the stock.

[caption id="attachment_205" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Setting the Marking Gauge"][/caption]

The key here is to get it as close to exact as possible; the closer you are in this setting the better your joint will fit. Once you've got your gauge set it's time to mark your stock. I will typically mark the tails board all the way around the piece and the pins board just on the faces...why? well for me it's just that many less marks that you will have to plane, scrape or sand out on the piece at the end of the day.

You can see in the picture below what I'm talking about when I say I mark all the way round on my tails board and only the faces for the pins boards.

[caption id="attachment_200" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Stock is marked and ready for joint layout"][/caption]

On to actually laying out the joint.

A great suggestion that I have also incorporated from Chris is to do your layout marking and cutting of the tails on both tails boards at the same time. Take a minute to match up each one, aligning your directional markings and get them clamped into place with enough stock showing to allow you to make your marks without interference by the clamp. Don't have a work bench? Don't worry about it, you can get creative here and use whatever works. I'm currently using a hand screw clamped to the top of my assembly table.  The only key item is to make sure that your stock is secure and isn't going to move on you when you begin to cut your joints.

Let's talk half pins for a moment. There's a variety of thinking out there regarding the best way to figure out how thick these should be. Personally, I typically run with about 2/3 the thickness of the stock for through dovetails. In the two pictures below you can see what I'm talking about. The first picture shows me sizing the pin to approximately 2/3 the thickness of one piece of the stock. This honestly is purely an aesthetic vs. structural decision here. If the piece is going to see a lot of direct use and abuse (in a box for example) I will go with this rule of thumb. If the piece is going to see more reserved use I will go even thinner to give an even more dramatic look...again it's purely a personal choice and you should mix it up and find a look that works for you. Once you've decided on a thickness go ahead and mark your half pins by aligning one leg of the dividers to the outside of the stock and marking the stock with the other leg.

[caption id="attachment_195" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Setting the divider for the half pins"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_203" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Marking the Half Pins"][/caption]

Now the fun begins. With the half pins marked it's time to set your tails. This again is purely up to you. Do you want your piece to have more or fewer tails. By spreading your dividers further apart you'll have fewer tails and vice versa with narrower giving more tails. The process can be a bit finicky for those of you just starting out with dividers but once you get the hang of it the process goes fairly quickly.

In the picture below you can see that I've spread my dividers and have begun working my way across the piece beginning at the mark that was made for the half pin on the left side of the screen (not shown), walking the dividers across the piece until I get to the right edge of the stock. The left leg of the divider is sitting where the left edge of the last tail would be marked if I chose this layout. The right leg of the divider is sitting beyond the mark for the right half pin. The distance between the half pin mark and the right divider leg at this point represents the distance between the top edge of the tails. It's important to note that you need to make sure that you have enough space between the half pin mark and where the right leg of the divider is hitting as this represents the narrowest point between your tails and directly impacts how much room you have to a) initially cut the tails and b) to chop out the waste in between. Also the number of times it took you to walk the dividers across the work surface to reach the opposing half pin will equal the number of tails that will be cut. If you're happy with the number of tails as well as the spacing between the top edge of each tail it's time to make your marks.

Clear as mud? don't worry; keep reading and things should become more clear.

[caption id="attachment_202" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Marking for the Tails"][/caption]

The picture below shows the progression of the above process as well as the marking of each edge of each tail.

Stay with me here as it can get confusing. Starting at the black arrow on the left (this is the mark made for your half pin) you will place the left leg of your divider into this mark. The right leg corresponds with the 1st white arrow moving to the right. You will then circle your left divider leg out of the black arrow; (with it becoming the new right leg of the dividers), ending up where the 2nd white arrow is as we  move to the right. Is this starting to make sense? (If you're still deciding on your over all layout you will continue on moving your dividers across the work until you end up with something similar to the picture above and it's associated paragraph). As you swing each leg you should be making a small mark with the point of the divider until you reach your half pin on the right end of the stock. Once you've made all of  your marks moving from left to right you will reverse your movement and do the same thing starting on the right of the stock and its associated half pin mark (the yellow arrow);  then moving from right to left to the first red arrow on the right and so on.

[caption id="attachment_191" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="How the dividers flow"][/caption]

Once you have your marks from the dividers it's simply a matter of making your layout lines with a fine pencil and your choice of combination squares, bevel gauges or saddle squares. I personally use a Veritas 14 degree dovetail saddle gauge and love it. Quick and reliable marks on the end grain and down the face.

So now that you've made your marks it's time for the scary part...actually cutting wood. I know, I know, you're afraid of screwing this up and being laughed at by your peers and wife/husband/significant other...we've all been there, trust me...we've all been there. But don't worry, if you screw it up you screw it up, after all nothing is perfect and you only learn by doing so stop hesitating and get that saw out and get to the doing. I do have to recommend that you do have some sort of finer toothed backed saw at your disposal for this process...not necessary, but will make your life much, much more simple and your joints that much better.

I start my cutting on the left side of the piece (strange...I've just realized that I mark my pieces right to left but then cut them left to right...weird), the key here is to leave your line. To do so I will place my thumb nail on the line, using it to guide the saw. Unfortunately I don't have a pic of that, but I do have a pic from the opposite side of the saw...helpful right?

[caption id="attachment_194" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="First Cut..."][/caption]

Remember that you're not only leaving the line at the top (where you're using your thumb to guide) but also down the edge of the piece as well. Progress through each cut, remembering to leave the pencil line and to stop...yes...stop each cut once you reach the layout line that was scribed along the face of each board way back in step 2.

[caption id="attachment_188" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Cut the Tails"][/caption]

When you're finished you should have something that resembles the above picture. Notice that my cuts are not perfect and that's just fine.

Let's talk a moment about sawing. The biggest piece of advice I have for you and your saw is to not fight each other. Your job is to guide the saw and provide the power, aka the back and forth piston motion. The saws job is to cut the wood...brilliant I know...but seriously, many new woodworkers end up fighting their hand saws and wind up with a poor cut that's off track etc. There's no need to force your saw, an easy fluid back and forth is all that's needed. Let the saw do the work. I like to think of it as this: Is your say saying Shhhhhhhhhhhika, shhhhhhhhhhika, shhhhhhhhhhika, or is it saying Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzupa, Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzupa, Zuuuuuuupa much like a the sound of a file. If you're hearing/feeling the latter than you're not letting the saw track and are trying to force the cut. If you're worried about getting your cuts just right spend a few minutes with a piece of scrap and get warmed up by sawing a few lines from the get go. The key is to get to that sweet smooth feeling and sound of Shhhhhhhhhhhhika, where the Shhhhhhhhhhhh is the saw cutting on the forward cut (for western style saws that cut on the push rather than the pull) and the ika as the end of the cut and you pulling the saw back to its starting position. This is one lesson I do remember with clarity from my grandfather and I remember the exhilaration and excitement I had when I finally got to the Shhhhhhhhhhhhhika...

So now that you've cut your tails it's time for more scary...removing the waste, iiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...

Ok ok, calm down, calm down...I SAID, CALM DOWN. It sounds scary but it doesn't have to be. You have the tools at your disposal to make this job easy. No one said you have to chop the entire amount of waste out with a chisel did they? Nooooope...they didn't so don't hesitate to get creative, use a coping saw to cut out the majority of the waste, hell, use a scroll saw...that's what I do from time to time, so why not this time? The key is to be careful not to nick/damage the edges of the tails and to stay 1/32-1/64 away from the shoulder line. if you do those 2 things this step is easy peasy. Once this is done it's a simple task to chop out the remaining lip of material and by removing that extra amount before chopping it will make your chisel run truer and cut easier as it's not having to plow through all that wood.

[caption id="attachment_185" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Jig Saw the waste"][/caption]

When I do my chopping I will also add a slight back bevel to the tail and pin boards. By doing so it creates a void/low spot that allows for a cleaner joint. Just make sure that as you do so you keep the shoulder clean and strait as any bump off mark from here will be visible. The picture below gives you an idea of what I'm talking about...and it's a tad exaggerated just to get my point across

[caption id="attachment_182" align="aligncenter" width="448" caption="Back Beveling the chop is easy"][/caption]

Now that your tails are cut and clean it's time to move to the pins...and baby...the pins are the easiest part of this puzzle if you ask me.

At this point I will also lay out my pieces to aid in matching the correct set of tails to the associated set of pins. To do this I simply pair up my pin boards (oriented front to back according to our layout triangle) and the place the approriate tail board on either side.

[caption id="attachment_197" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Setting the layout for the pins"][/caption]

The quickest and easiest way I've found to mark your pins is to align the edge of your pin board with a support of some sort...a block plane on its, the top edge of your clamping surface etc. In the picture below I've matched it to the top of the hand screw with an identical hand screw on the table top acting as further support. Once you have your tail stock lined up it's time to mark your pins. Take the approriate tail board that is associated with the pin board end you're currently marking. Flush the ends of the tails to the leading edge of the pin board as well as the sides. Once that's done grab your marking knife (x-acto, etc) and mark each edge.

[caption id="attachment_201" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Time for the pins"][/caption]

Once you've marked your tails you can raise the pin board and darken the marks with a fine lead pencil, remembering to transfer the line down the face of each board to the shoulder.

[caption id="attachment_199" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Marking your Pins"][/caption]

When that's accomplished all the way around your boards it's time to start cutting again...no worries...these cuts are nice and easy vertical cuts, besides after cutting the tails you're all warmed up and this should be a walk in the park. Just remember to let the saw do the work and think...Shhhhhhhhhhika. The processes is exactly the same, using your thumb to guide the saw and leaving the line.

Once everything is cut it's time to CHOP...AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH...

Don't worry about it...pins are easy to chop. Everyone has their own process and thought process for chopping. I personally do the following. With the pin board face down, so the waste looks like a big V, I will drive my chisel in with a few taps to score across the grain about half way down the waste. I will then flip the board over so that the V is now upside and do the same thing on that side. I will then carefully pare out the was that has been cut. The reason I orient the board in this succession is all about pressure.

[caption id="attachment_184" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Clearing the waste from between the pins"][/caption]

If you look at the picture above you can see that if you were to keep chopping from this angle the waste is getting wedge into your pins. In doing so it's possible to damage the edge of the pin as well as potentially cut into the pin.

[caption id="attachment_183" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Chopping the waste"][/caption]

By flipping the board that pressure is no longer wedging into the pins, and if you happen to chop clean through as I've done on the left side you're not in danger of cutting or damaging the pin. Continue with this process until you can easily chop a clean line down the shoulder, remembering to give those final cut a bit of a back bevel to aid in your fitting.

Once you're done with cleaning up the pins, it's time for the initial fitting. This can take a little finesse, but you'll get it by taking shallow cuts with your chisel and exorcizing a little patience. Keep fitting your joint until you're happy with the fit and then take a step back and admire your hard work.

Remember if it doesn't look perfect or fit perfect it's ok...your next one will be better and the one after that will be better and so on. It's all about practice.

[caption id="attachment_193" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Finished up"][/caption]

Before we wrap up here let's talk about one item I've purposely left out...your chisels. If you don't have a full set Lie Nielsen chisels it's not the end of the world. You can cut these joints with any chisel you can buy at the big box stores in your neighborhood. The key is that they be sharp...the sharper the better...and if you find that your tails and pins are a bit closer together than any of the chisels you can find at the box store will allow you to work without damaging things...well, no worries, you can always make your own. Don't hesitate to grind down a big box chisel to fit your needs.

[caption id="attachment_186" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Sometimes Custom is needed"][/caption]

The above picture is a perfect example.  A simple $10.00 1/4" Buck Bro's chisel from a certain home store that loves orange that I ground down to just under 1/8" for those smaller dovetails.

So what are you waiting for? Get out in the wood-shop and get cutting some dovetails, you'll be glad you did.]]> Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:47:18 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/7/dovetails-bane-or-bliss http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/6/get-woodworking-day-2-or-setting-up-shop

Last night found me in the shop for a few hours. I had hoped to be able to jump into getting the top and bottoms for the latest box milled up but no such luck.

When I began squaring up the cherry sides the other night I ran into some trouble at the table saw. No matter how long I futzed with the factory throat insert I couldn't get the damned thing to sit flush. As such when I ran the sides through to cut them down to size, the piece would get trapped against the slightest lip, forcing the stock into the blade and we all know where that leads...kick back city...Thankfully I recognized the problem quick enough and was able to avert disaster but it made it absolutely clear that I needed to take some time and get my router station back up and running...and then make some inserts.

Well over a year ago I picked up a PRL lift system from Woodpeckers tools on closeout. I never got around to installing it; kicking it around the shop for far to long. But in this case I'm kind of happy that I procrastinated its install or it would have gone to the junk pile with so many of my other tools after Niagara Falls visited the shop. So out came the new toy and I got to work.

[caption id="attachment_161" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="It\'s all bling bling in gold like that"][/caption]

I have to admit that I actually paid $15 for the template...I often scoff at the idea of buying an installation template, but this is one time I'm thrilled that I did so. Where my free time is at an all time low these days, every second is precious and if I had to kerputz around trying to get the opening for the plate just right I would probably still be there.

I did find that a support rail under the table top ran smack dab through the middle of my soon to be opening, but the lovely thing about MDF is that it's no match for a dead blow hammer. Actually judging by the way the included extension table of the Grizzly G1023RLX table saw is built I have little doubt that I will be building my own...more likely sooner than later, but I'm sure that's an entirely different post all together.

[caption id="attachment_162" align="alignleft" width="448" caption="No more MDF"][/caption]

I also have my doubts about the Formica top as it was far too easy to drill through which makes me wonder how long it's going to put up with the use and abuse that is sure to be thrown its way.

[caption id="attachment_156" align="alignleft" width="448" caption="4 holes makes a square?"][/caption]

So with the rough size of the opening cut into the top it was time to apply the template and route it down to final sizing. So out came the handheld with a flush trim bit and bingo bango bongo the opening was done. Again...I really can't believe I paid for the template, but man oh man did it save me a ton of time in getting the opening laid out, roughed and to final dimensions.

[caption id="attachment_157" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Templatastic..."][/caption]

Next came the undertable support for the insert. I cut a rough opening in some ply I had in the scrap bin and screwed it to the bottom and edges of the table. Not the best solution but for now it's serving its purpose and should hold together until I can get a new table built (again, another post). Once that was finished up all that was left was to drop in the lift and level it with the top.

[caption id="attachment_159" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Support me..."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_160" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="It\'s so pretty against that grey laminate...ok...both are kinda ugly"][/caption]

With all that done it was time to fire up the router and give the entire thing a test run and make some zero cleranace table saw throat inserts. I'm a fan of the phenolic DIY insert kits that you can pick up from Rockler, they're not the cheapest item out ther but I really like the phenolic and think it defelcts less than a wooden shop made insert. Either way I'm now set to get back to making safe and burn/mark free cuts on the table saw.

[caption id="attachment_158" align="alignright" width="600" caption="Mmmmm tastes like mint, freshly minted that is..."][/caption]

I do have to say that the Woodpeckers PRL system is nice, however I am having some trouble with it. I'm not certain that this has to do with anything on their part and very well could be of my own making. I'm using Hitachi 12MVC 2.25 horse routers in the shop because they're cheap and I've had good luck with them. When I placed my order with Woodpecker I was instructed that their adaptor collar for Makita brand motors would work for my Hitachi. However I don't know if this is exactly true as that collar fit like an OJ Simpson glove...it took some convincing to get it on and it fought me the whole way. But I prevailed and got it installed and the entire assembly into the lift. The problem I believe is that the collar spread out of round due to the poor fit over the Hitachi and as such is putting pressure on the lift assembly, essentially spreading the lift bars/guides to the point that they're binding. The lift still operates but not as smooth, nor as easily as I would like. So I'm left with more than likely pulling the motor and either buying a Porter Cable 75182 motor (which honestly I probably should have done from the get go due to its heft and power) or cobbling together a less snug collar and giving the Hitachi a second go. Either way I think I'm going to give a few days to think it over and get back to making the bobbin box.

]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:18:25 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/6/get-woodworking-day-2-or-setting-up-shop http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/5/lets-get-ready-to-ruuuuumbllllle Today marks the first of what I hope to be many of what the woodworking community is calling, "Get Woodworking Week". Tom, over at Toms Workbench has been been thinking about pulling this concept together for quite a while and I'm thrilled that he was able to get it coordinated.

Basically what it boils down to is doing anything and everything to introduce your craft to someone new, expand your current skill set or to just get out into the shop and do something...

So with that in mind I've taken a small commission from the wife and thought it a perfect match for this week. As we were shopping for a missing wire clamp at the local hardware store yesterday she asked if I could make her a bobbin holder rather than buying the $5 plastic POS the store was selling. Absolutely I said to myself. So after buttoning up a few other tasks I drug her out to the shop and pointed her at the lumber rack and said choooooose (ala Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade). She immediately jumped at several pieces of purple heart I had in the mix, but then after a few more questions began to question her choice (not that purple heart is a bad one at that), but after a few more questions I began to get a feel for what she was looking for. It was then that I remembered two cut offs that I have been carrying around of Ambrosia Maple (Acer saccharum). She picked them up and gave me a quizzical look as if I had lost my mind. So I quickly scrapped a smooth spot (oh how I wish my new Roubo bench was built) and gave it swipe with some mineral spirits to give her a view of the true nature of the wood and the result was immediate...YES...that's the piece. So after a few more questions and some discussion about secondary woods etc I had her narrowed down to a few choices.

[caption id="attachment_140" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bobbin Box Begins "][/caption]

The finial decision was figured American Cherry (Prunus serotina), Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra)and the Ambrosia Maple.

I have to admit that I was fairly excited and extremely nervous about this. This after all would be the new flagship of our new shop...the first piece to be produced since disaster shop changed everything.

It took a few minutes to get back into the swing of things but I got the cherry blanks squared up and then with a re-saw pass on the band saw I had the sides. A few passes through the thickness sander and I was ready to move on...

[caption id="attachment_143" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Bobbin Box Sides"][/caption]

So what's next? tops and bottoms my boy...tops and bottoms, but for that you'll have to come back tomorrow.]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:40:32 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/5/lets-get-ready-to-ruuuuumbllllle http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/5/with-this-plug-i-thee-wed

BUT...

I am officially calling an end to "disaster shop"...I just realized that this entire time I've been putting disaster shop into quotes...why is that do you think? Hmmmm, I'm sure I'll wake up drenched in sweat some night in the future with a realization why, but not today. So back on task...Yes, I am officially closing the door on disaster shop (see...no quotes...I can change). I believe that I have dug through the shop enough over the past week or so as well as put the final assembly together on a few pieces of replacement machinery; so I'm calling it done.

I thought it fairly fitting that yesterday afternoon saw me finishing up the last task before I could really get back to making dust. What was that last task? A simple outlet for the table saw. That's it...that last piece to the puzzle had kept me bound up for longer than I care to admit...well that and the feeling that even though the shop was back into a recognizable state that it still wasn't my shop...the new tools aren't my tools. I've been looking at them as alien interlopers into my comfortable world and was using them along with the depression of losing your once treasured space and tools as a reason to keep finding other things that were more important.

So...in a moment of clarity (I guess that's what you would call it) I realized that wiring up that outlet was really the closure of my old life and my old shop and that I really had little say in how I was going to progress from there. I could either pack it all up or I could accept these foreigners into my world and make a new beginning of it. That's when today's blog title popped into my head.

[caption id="attachment_136" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="With this plug...I thee wed!"][/caption]

Of course there's still going to be tweaks here and there that I need to accomplish and pull together, but for now...that chapter of my life is closed and it's time to get on with it and make some dust.

That...and I'm going to remember that it's ok to laugh...even if it's at yourself...or in this case your wife...(sorry honey...I can't deny the world your comedic brilliance any longer)]]> Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:02:45 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/2/5/with-this-plug-i-thee-wed http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/27/so-many-questions-all-without-answers-it-seems-is-this-the-story-of-my-life Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:52:38 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/27/so-many-questions-all-without-answers-it-seems-is-this-the-story-of-my-life http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/21/disaster-shop-no-more weekend let me rephrase....What a Week! You see I originally wrote this post a week ago and honestly never really got a chance to publish it; such has been my week. If I were a cursing man I would have said it was a week from Hell...oh wait...I am a cursing man and it most certainly was the week from Hell! So there!

It wasn't all for naught though. I was able to finally wrap up the remaining problems and chores left over from "disaster shop" and can say that life has officially returned to normal on this front. True I am still missing a few tools here and there but nothing major and honestly nothing that I'm planning on replacing anytime soon.

What? You don't believe me? Well too bad...it's true.

[caption id="attachment_77" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The end of Disaster Shop"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_76" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="The Disaster is officially behind us. "][/caption]

I was also able to get everything out of the entry way of the house, a.k.a. "New Age Tile Floor Drying Rack" and back into the lumber rack again. Kinda nice to stumble down the hall early in the morning looking for coffee and not having to wonder what step number was I on...was it 8 or 9...ooofda...stubbed my toe yet again.

[caption id="attachment_75" align="alignnone" width="224" caption="All Racked Up..."][/caption]

I also ordered my replacement table saw from Grizzly, along with a new drill press and a few other odds and ends. The best item though has to be the super sweet vice hardware that I ordered from Bench Crafted for a new split top Roubo bench. I have to admit that I'm super stoked about this one. It's a guild build from the guys over at The Wood Whisperer and is absolutely right up my alley. I've been meaning to build a true bench for years and now is the time to pull it all together...or so I hope...

So that was all last weekend...you know...before the week from Hell...

What possibly could have happened that it over shadowed the joy of finally being able to put "Disaster Shop" behind us as well as the sheer anticipation of a most tasty (as we used to say in the 80's) bench build and the arrival of new shop toys? Well, it seems that the family business is on the verge of bankruptcy...Yeah...super duper awesome...or if you prefer, awesome to the max! (who doesn't love the 80's lingo?) But with that bombshell the week rapidly descended into the depths of Hell. It's a tough situation, what do you do after that? Thankfully my income isn't tied to the success or demise of the business, but Kristina's is and as a result I now have to focus more time and attention on it than I had ever thought, in an effort to keep her pay check flowing to our bottom line. So now I'm forced to split all my free time to helping that business regain its feet all the while maintaining the day job and attempting to grow Watkins Wood Works; all I can say is oofda...when it rains it pours.

Ok, things haven't been that bad, (ok it's still really bad but I'm trying to remain positive here folks), the extra work is nice and God knows I could use the extra bit of activity as well as the little bit of cash that this will all bring in. Who knows...at the end of the day when we turn the family business around, I may have just enough saved up for that super sweet and totally bodacious 12" planer/jointer combo I've been drooling over.

Anyway...back to the wood working...

Like I mentioned in my last post, I finally got my old table saw blades boxed up and ready to ship back to Forrest for sharpening. Yes...it's only been like 4 years, but better late than never I guess. I also opened up my post Xmas boxes and got the new blades de-greased and ready for use...

[caption id="attachment_73" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Bye bye boys....travel safe and I\'ll see you again when you\'re nice and sharp. "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_74" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Welcome to the family Boys..."][/caption]

now if I only had a table saw to use them in...

Oh, but wait! What's this?

[caption id="attachment_78" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Hooray for FedEx!"][/caption]

Could it be? Could it be?

[caption id="attachment_79" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Could it be? Is it true? "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_80" align="alignnone" width="224" caption="It\'s True, It\'s True!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_81" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="It\'s sooooooo pretty...I might cry"][/caption]

It's such a wonderful sight. I think I might cry...hey...who dipped this thing in the Crayola crayon vat? This thing has more wax/rust inhibitor on it than I know cuss words...and trust me...I know A LOT of cuss words...I'm hoping to find some time in the next few days to begin digging into those boxes and finally get things buttoned up, and if I'm lucky maybe make a little saw dust.

So that folks has been my round about week. Exciting, No?

Just remember that at the end of the day you have to indulge your inner 5 yr old from time to time...

[caption id="attachment_82" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Raaawrrrrrrrrrrrrrr"][/caption]

And when the fuzzy slippers aren't enough don't hesitate to drown him with a giant glass of wine...don't judge...I never said I was a good parent...

[caption id="attachment_83" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Mmmmmmm tastey tastey wine..."][/caption]]]> Sat, 21 Jan 2012 14:04:13 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/21/disaster-shop-no-more http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/13/it-must-be-xmas

The other thing that dawned on me was that before disaster shop struck I was having some burning issues with my blades. Upon closer inspection there was a fair about of pitch build up and a chipped tooth here and there. Over the past few years...like 4 or so...I have totally had the best intentions of sending them out for a sharpening and tune up, but again...cheap...so that never happened. So last night I had that AH HA moment...now is when I should have those blades in the mail so that when they show back up I have my wizbang new table saw to use them in, BRILLIANT!!! Why hadn't I ever thought of this before?

So this weekends projects not only include taking an in depth look/review of the website and how we can perk it up...I would say give it "pop" but I know the wife will eviscerate me with her kitchen shears and I think it's just best for everyone involved if we avoid that all together...so I'm going to stick with perk, cool? cool... So along with the website is a photo shoot in our new photo booth for curvy and lurvy as well as digging through the odds and ends that I've been stacking in the shop waiting for life to return to normal. I need to dig out some degreaser and clean off all the shipping oil slathered all over the new F-Clamps as well as the bottom dollar planes I picked up from WoodCraft...of which I'm still giggling about. I mean really who in their right mind would pass up a new #7 jointer plane for $48.00? I mean really? Who? Ok, ok...the catch is that they're Groz planes and may or may not be made with the most strict manufacturing processes in mind, but still, even if I drop in a new quality Hock blade and chipper I'm still taking money to the bank. Seriously...I picked up a #7, #5 & #4 for less than $85 bucks here people, we're a VERY long way off from Lie Nielsen. So with those cleaned of their shipping gunk I can evaluate just what is in store for them. I have no doubt it's going to be at minimum a few hours of honing the mill marks out of the bases as well as regrinding and honing blades, chippers and frogs to make these baby's useable for more than trimming toe nails, but hey... I got at least a few weeks before the shop will be back in a condition that I will be able to make any sort of dust...so I gots tha time...]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:06:19 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/13/it-must-be-xmas http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/11/34

So ah...yeah...I know it may be well over a year since I started on them but hey...greatness sometimes takes time...I have to admit that they turned out as well as I had envisioned. I'm pumped to give the design another go and see where it leads.

So without further adieu here's Curvy Lurvy...

[caption id="attachment_40" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Finished!!!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_50" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Look at that texture...mmmmmmm...texture"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_51" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="A look at the interior"][/caption]

See, I told you they were done.

So what's the deal you may say?

Well a week after putting the finishing touches on them the wife and I headed out to Austin for a conference (yeah...day job...gotta pay the bills somehow) for 10 days. On about day 8 we received a call informing us that our home and more to the fact my shop was attempting to do the back stroke from a broken pipe in our attic. Yeah...super awesome!

The only way I can think to do this is to offer it up as a good friend has done in the past...so here goes...

Whooooooo wants to see pictures of CARNAGE?

[caption id="attachment_37" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Notice how things decided that it would be best to rain down on my lumber rack, convenient right? yes...con...venient!"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_47" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Who doesn\'t love a nice panorama?"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_46" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Mmmmmm I can taste the panorama "][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_45" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="I can see my house from here"][/caption]

So there you go...a few pictures of my misfortune. Don't worry, you can snigger...I won't hold it against you.

The bestest most awesomest part of this entire deal...my table saw...my baby...took the brunt, who knew she didn't know how to swim.

[caption id="attachment_44" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Help me...I\'m drowning"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_48" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="So much for that Forrest HiAT cross cut blade...it is kinda pretty though"][/caption]

So there you have it...Disaster house redux...

But it's not all for not, the replacements have begun to arrive in a flurry of post Christmas ecstasy...

[caption id="attachment_52" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Who doesn\'t love new toys?"][/caption]

]]> Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:43:12 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2012/1/11/34 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2011/10/10/approaching-the-finish-line

I've dug out the new Molesworth series that got moth balled just prior to finial finishing during the move into our new location. I've affectionately come to calling them Curvey Lurvey due to the insect inspired figuring carved into the tops. I can't wait to get these pulled together in the next few days.

Along with digging these pieces out we've been giving the website some needed attention. So please stay tuned, we'll have the new site up and running in the next few weeks.]]> Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:24:02 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2011/10/10/approaching-the-finish-line http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2011/2/24/tick-tock

Anyway, life is returning to normal, the sun is shining and more importantly those little projects that have kept me away from the shop...like having electricity to run a few pieces of equipment are all nearing completion and I should happily be back to making piles of saw dust in the next few weeks. The first project to finish work on is actually one I discussed in an earlier post "curvey lurvey" I honestly don't have any clue what I'm going to do with them after they're finished up, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. The biggest issue is that once they're done, I don't have any plans for something new yet. I have a few projects that I've been kicking around for a few weeks/months but nothing that has really jumped out and said AH-HA. The closest is an adaption to a Gatling rubber band gun I made a few years back as Christmas presents for my brothers. I've thought about producing them for sale but they proved to be so time consuming that I'm not sure that I could produce one cheap enough that someone would be interested in buying it. I think I'll post up a few pictures and maybe a youtube video to see if there's any interest.]]> Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:33:58 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2011/2/24/tick-tock http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/10/9/are-we-there-yet-2 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 01:36:34 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/10/9/are-we-there-yet-2 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/18/curvy-lurvy

Fast forward a number of years to a "New Yankee Workshop" where Norm builds a cowboy side board in the Molesworth style and the memories of my youth came flooding back. Summers spent sitting in chairs and rockers at the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone with my grandparents as I munched away on mint chocolate chip ice cream cones and traced the insect trails on the furniture with my finger.

After seeing that episode I knew I had to incorporate some Molesworth into some of my pieces. Thomas Molesworth was a Western designer who lived in and was inspired by the Wild West in the early to mid 1900's. His designs reflect those of the local Native American tribes as well as the natural features of wood and insects. He was also inspired by the arts and crafts movement that was going on at the time and incorporated his flare for the West with the simplicity and clean lines of the Arts and Crafts movement. He often used bold colors and materials to add focal points and add life to a piece.

So with that in mind I've added a new series of boxes to my collection. Our Molesworth inspired boxes will use darker woods with rich texture and grain structures that will be at home in the summer cabin or to add a touch of Western flair to any modern home.

Here's a peek at the first go round. It's a his and hers set with matching tops. Hers is quartersawn Bubinga and his is figured Rosewood. They've received the initial coats of finish and will be buttoned up shortly,so stay tuned.

And a close up of the quintessential Molesworth design feature.

]]> Wed, 18 Aug 2010 01:28:19 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/18/curvy-lurvy http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/17/state-of-the-union

What does this mean for me? Well, simply it means I'm back to mail order or mass purchases when I travel to Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. It also means those last minute changes or short sights in planning will make or break projects.

It's a shame that another small, indipendant store has fallen victim of the economy.]]> Tue, 17 Aug 2010 01:27:35 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/17/state-of-the-union http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/16/houston-we-have-a-problem

Unfortunately after it made its debut as an outstanding Christmas gift for my client, it seems I fell victim to the enemy of every wood worker...material movement. When working over the details I really wanted to produce the top as a solid top out of two or three wide pieces. I was concerned about solidly enclosing the top into the frame that is built when using the kane tsugi but thought I had planned through it enough that any movement would be minimal. Unfortunately I still fell victim to mother natures whim.

But before we get to the injuries lets take a look at the finished product. It definitely turned out better than my expectations and was well worth the effort at cold pressing the drawer fronts. The book matching of the drawer fronts also added a spectacular touch.

I had debated long and hard about splitting the top drawer into two, but I think it gave the piece a bit of life. The drawers also presented a bit of a challenge in cutting the compound half blind dove tails. Cutting through the Wenge banding was fairly nerve racking as it proved to be extremely fragile and extremely tempermental requiring a very sharp set of chisels and taking very light cuts. Not having cut dove tails in a number of years it was refreshing to get back at it and interestingly very relaxing.

Cutting through and half blind tails in the Hard Maple was a good test of skill. It allowed for a very true and even cut, but was not forgiving at all. In the end it was definitely worth the effort as the contrast between the buttery maple against the chocolates of the Wenge are absolutely stunning.

The small banding around the legs also added some character and helped the piece feel lighter. As I had mentioned earlier, I was not so happily reminded that although the piece is no longer growing and producing leaves, it is absolutely still very much a living thing.

I thought I had given the top plenty of room to expand and contract with the seasons, but as they say...the best laid plans...The expansion was not too devastating and in all honesty the client was more than willing to allow it to swell in the winter and close up in the summer, I however was not. So back to the shop it came and a new top was produced. This go around I used 1 wide piece which I then sliced into a book matched 3/16" veneer that I attached to a piece of Baltic Birch ply. After it was all said and done the veneer finished down to an approximate thickness of 1/8" which should keep things nice and stable.

So with that all said and done we're off to the next project.]]> Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:21:12 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2010/8/16/houston-we-have-a-problem http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/12/11/nearing-completion

After several hours of deliberation it turned out to be just as straight forward as the other joints in the top. Ultimately I did have to change up the flow of the joint; moving from a side to side flow as in the original side tables into a front to back. This was forced mainly out of the limitations of being able to machine the joint cleanly on the wider plank that was necessary to accommodate the bow in the front. Overall this is of minimal impact to the piece but definitely gives it a different flow.

I also side stepped tradition a little as I completed the case of the table before completing the drawers. Historically on curved pieces such as this, where the bowed and banded drawer front becomes a fixed size from the get go, the drawers were completed and the case built around them. In my case I knew I had the drawer fronts sized and set, there was no changing this without starting over. I was able to take the width of the drawer fronts and use this to size the table case openings and ultimately size the table. Not a huge deviation from tradition but more of my reflection of Bill McDowell and his going "gonzo" way of working from time to time. I find myself following this style of wood working more and more as of late. It seems to leave things open for interpretation and allow who knows what to occur...and usually it results in a far better piece than a true structured paper design to product.

You can see in the pics above that I continued with the Asian theme arched rails just as in the earlier side tables. I also added a little something extra to the legs and banded them with some wenge and quartersawn bubinga. It should give some nice flow to the piece and draw the eyes through out it.

The top is a bit oversized as I wanted this to be a true table, so there is about 2" in overhang.

The project is proceeding fairly smoothly now. The drawers have been built and the top is finished. The drawer supports did give me some trouble, requiring two different versions to be produced but it all worked out in the end. Just a part of working gonzo I guess. The piece is now in finishing and should be completed sometime in the next week or so. I think it's going to turn out better than expected. It is a bit larger than I had anticipated or even planned, but I think it's going to be good.]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:06:08 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/12/11/nearing-completion http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/11/12/progress

Just before I left for the conference I did get my new toys from the man in brown. After ripping into the box I was extremely happy with my purchase. The Lie Nielsen saw is everything I have ever heard it to be. I was able to cut a few kerfs in some scrap and the saw tracks absolutely true.

I couldn't wait for the real thing so I promptly threw a quick 5 minute dovetail together just to see the new saw in action. Not the cleanest joint, but this was after all a test run of the saw...not my chisel action.

Even with the rough chisel work the joint fit very nicely, snug, square and true. I'm hoping to have the table casing assembled sometime this weekend giving me time to focus on the top and the drawers. Can't wait.

]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:01:03 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/11/12/progress http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/10/9/new-additions

I've also had to make a few additions to the tool box this week. In order to do the Kane Tsugi bowfront table justice I decided that the drawers really needed to be dovetailed. The problem with this is that cutting blind dovetails into Wenge is not an easy job, nor is cutting through the hard maple that will make up drawer boxes. I've been looking at picking up a better dovetail saw than my old gent's back saw that has served me well for a few years now. The problem was always the pricing of say the Lie Nielsen dovetail saw or an Adria saw. I just couldn't get myself to drop $100 + on a hand saw. That was until now...

Being faced with the questionable temperament of Wenge, as well as its overall density, I had to doubt my old gent's saw. So I placed an order for a new Lie Nielsen dove tail saw from Highland WoodWorking, which should be on my doorstep any day now. I also was having trouble with my old wheel marking gauge on the last set of tables I produced so I placed an order for a new Veritas micro-adjust wheel marking gauge from Lee Valley Tools. I was a little torn on the wheel gauge as I've been leaning towards picking up a new cutting gauge to replace my old unit. That was until I watched a clip of Chris Gochnour laying out dovetails with nothing more than a caliper, a wheel gauge and dovetail saddle. I was convinced...his method made absolute sense, allowed for variability and was quick. I had been toying with the idea of picking up a dovetail saddle marker for the last year or so, but never followed through with it until I saw the ease and consistency that it allowed. So I also ordered a set of Veritas dovetail layout saddle gauges from Lee Valley.

I'm excited to get the new tools in and get cutting some dovetails. It's been far too long since I last hand cut a dovetail and it's going to be nice getting back into the swing of things again. It's funny that as I progress through things I seem to be heading back towards more and more hand tools. Sure machinery is nice, especially a wide belt sander...oh how I would be lost without it...but I'm beginning to dig the simplicity and the adaptability of hand tools. They're becoming a lost art it seems and only a few masters out there seem to know the intricacies that they allow, maybe one day I'll be able to call myself one of those masters...]]> Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:59:52 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/10/9/new-additions http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/9/30/kane-tsugi

The Finished Product

Fast forward a few months and I was asked to produce another piece by the same client to mirror the two tables, but it had to be different. So the question became how to mirror a piece using the same requirements set by the earlier commission and yet still be different enough to stand out on its own. After some head scratching I decided the best piece would be a bow front table. The kicker is that it had to have at least two drawers and not be the size of typical bow front piece.

The design seems to be evolving as I go on. Knowing that the drawer fronts were going to dictate the flow of the piece I decided to start there. I produced a simple arch that was pleasing to the eye and transfered this to a sheet of 3/4" MDF; eventually ending up with a bending form large enough to bend a 40"ish by 8" slab (larger than I need, but large enough to accommodate future pieces). With that out of the way I re-sawed a piece of 8/4 (2" thick) red alder to yield 10 slabs, approximately 3/16" thick, milling them to a final thickness of around 1/8". I then laminated these pieces using a polyurethane glue and clamped them up to the form. Over all I wasn't thrilled with the results. The spring back was greater than I liked and the glue foamed (even though the brand used claimed to be non foaming) leaving a few undesirable after affects. With that failure at hand the project stalled for a few weeks as I searched for a better way to clamp the pieces without damaging the plys.

When I attempted the bending again, my processes were the same except for two key elements. I changed back to standard yellow cabinet glue and used band clamps in association with my bar clamps. The results were much better this round. However as I left the pieces to sit and acclimate, the arcs changed drastically. Needing two pieces it became clear that I would not be able to uses these as I had hoped.

Not wanting to lose anymore time on the project, nor burn through more expensive 8/4 stock I returned to my original pieces. I realized that I would be able to trim out the pieces and achieve my overall goal as well as add a striking difference to the piece.

The past few days has seen me scratching my head on how best to trim the drawer fronts. The only wood in my mind that would complete the look I am after is Wenge. Wenge is the mother of all underhanded, low down, dirty species of wood. I mean this stuff is like dealing with the the mob, give it an inch and you'll be at the bottom of the Hudson with some new concrete shoes. It is extremely dense, dulls cutting tools in no time flat and is one of the most coarse and fine grained woods all in the same piece that is out there. I have had pieces literally explode as I cut through them due to differences in its grain. However for all of its drawbacks, when finished, smoothed and polished it has no other comparison. It finishes to a striking chocolate brown and black mix, with a gorgeous sheen. So the issue became how best to trim the drawers and at the same time flush up the Wenge with the Alder. The easiest and most logical way would be to use a flush cutting bit on the router. BUT having the experience I do with Wenge's dark side this scared me to death. Would the router catch the coarse grain and cause the piece to splinter, sending razor sharp pieces throughout the shop or would it behave?

I don't know whether it was my sensible side or my self preservation kicking in but I decided to pick up some Black Walnut, all on the off chance that I was either A: too afraid to trim the drawers in Wenge or B: too afraid to trim the drawers in Wenge. Off to the lumber supplier I went and brought home a strapping 10 footer of 8/4...at the rock bottom price of $103.00. Wood pricing is beginning to kill me lately.

So overall what direction did I take?

I took the Wenge. My desire to achieve the vision I have in my head of this piece drove me to do it. Thankfully the squaring of the drawer fronts and prepping the Wenge all went very smoothly. I even decided to break up the top drawer into two, effectively breaking up the front of the piece and should result in very nice look. The only problem that I ran into is a slight chip out of the trim piece on the end of one of the drawers. I knew it was a possibility due to its grain structure and even removing 98% of the material using a climb cut on the router wasn't able to keep it from happening. I do think that it will cut out when it comes time to attach the drawer sides. Time will tell.

The next steps are going to be milling up the rest of the table pieces now that I know how big the drawers are going to be. I also need to come up with a plan on what to do with the new slab of Walnut.]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:00:07 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/9/30/kane-tsugi http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/9/30/watkins-gallery-3-0 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:54:24 MDT http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=2009/9/30/watkins-gallery-3-0 http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=10/3/18/curvey-lurvey

Fast forward a number of years to a "New Yankee Workshop" where Norm builds a cowboy side board in the Molesworth style and the memories of my youth came flooding back. Summers spent sitting in chairs and rockers at the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone with my grandparents as I munched away on mint chocolate chip ice cream cones and traced the insect trails on the furniture with my finger.

After seeing that episode I knew I had to incorporate some Molesworth into some of my pieces. Thomas Molesworth was a Western designer who lived in and was inspired by the Wild West in the early to mid 1900's. His designs reflect those of the local Native American tribes as well as the natural features of wood and insects. He was also inspired by the arts and crafts movement that was going on at the time and incorporated his flare for the West with the simplicity and clean lines of the Arts and Crafts movement. He often used bold colors and materials to add focal points and add life to a piece.

So with that in mind I've added a new series of boxes to my collection. Our Molesworth inspired boxes will use darker woods with rich texture and grain structures that will be at home in the summer cabin or to add a touch of Western flair to any modern home.

Here's a peek at the first go round. It's a his and hers set with matching tops. Hers is quartersawn Bubinga and his is figured Rosewood. They've received the initial coats of finish and will be buttoned up shortly, so stay tuned.

And a close up of the quintessential Molesworth design feature.

]]> Wed, 31 Dec 1969 11:00:00 MST http://watkinsgallery.com/shop-blog-52?post=10/3/18/curvey-lurvey