Re-sizing a lid

If you've made scrolled boxes with conventional lids, you know that an ideal fit can sometimes be difficult to obtain.  I accidentally cut this box just a bit too small for the lid, and to fix the problem, decided to cut a new lid.  For a custom fit, I traced the outside of the box onto the lid pattern, and used this as my cutting line for the inside of the lid.

After cutting, I checked the size before I glued the lower piece to the top of the box.  Next time, I'll just cut the box a little proud and save myself some trouble!

Band saw extension table

We rarely buy wood this large, but the legs on the kitchen table we're building required a good-sized piece of 12/4 cherry.  Before running it through the table saw, it needed to be cut into manageable pieces, and the band saw was the best tool for the job.

To ensure stability while ripping, we constructed a simple outfeed table.  When used with our heavy-duty roller stand and a cabinet that was almost the right height, the wood fed easily and safely.  I stood on the outfeed side to help control the wood and adjust for the blade drift.

The rest of the trimming will be done at the table saw, then we'll give it some passes through the drum sander (which handles wood up to 4" thick) to make sure the thickness is uniform.  Then Joe will taper the legs and cut the mortises.  Still need to figure out what to do for the top--something attractive but practical.

The completed acrylic box

Not exactly a quick and easy project, but we solved the problem of using acrylic when you can't cut factory-perfect edges.  The base has a raised plywood insert to hold the top in place. The upper part of the molding, which hides the plywood edges, is offset slightly to facilitate the removal of the top.

Next time we'd do things a little differently, but this one worked out quite well for a first attempt.

 

A useful new discovery

Needed to make an acrylic box for the non-perishable top of my son's wedding cake.  Cutting the acrylic was not a problem (#5 Flying Dutchman polar blade and slow speed works great), but we decided to use wood at the edges since my scroll saw cuts were not precise enough to attach the acrylic edges directly.

Having had little success in the past with CA glue and epoxy, we decided to try caulk to hold the acrylic in the slots in the wood strips.  Although the caulk squeeze-out seemed to clean up with water, we were still left with unsightly residue in places once it dried.  Fortunately, a call to DAP yielded the suggestion to use mineral spirits, which worked like a charm and didn't harm the acrylic.

The assembly is almost complete, and I think it should work out OK.  I'll post pictures when we're finished, regardless of how it turns out!

New tools, new techniques, new possibilities

Here's how to construct, shape and sand a multi-lobe, curved bowl, featuring the small inflatable sander from King Arthur's Tools.  New tools, new techniques, new possibilities!

The new shop is finally complete

We finished the final job--to put in an additional circuit for the dust collector and flip it so the dust ports are on top.  The band saw is stored on the opposite wall, and can be rolled out when needed.  Joe's table saw is in the basement, where he has plenty of room for jigs and stuff.  And we can still get our car into the garage!

Easy fix to make a taller bowl press

I finally got tired of using a stack of books for gluing bowls that were too tall for my press.   I didn't want to undo the press, just add some height, so I added a few coupling nuts and some threaded rod.  For a more elegant version, check out Dave Van Ess's bowl press on scrollmania.com.  It's really neat and fits into its own box.

For now, this will do just fine!

Choosing a Dust Mask

A while back, I mentioned that I was trying out different dust masks, looking for the one that seemed most effective and was most comfortable to use.  With all the sanding I do, using a dust mask is a necessity.

I had been using a conventional dust mask, rated N99, and was pretty happy with it.  However, it tended to fog my protective goggles, so I bought a Dust Bee Gone and a Totobobo mask to see if either of them were better for me.  All were recommended by other users.

The Dust Bee Gone needed to be altered, since the medium size was too large for my face.  I removed the blue banding and cut back on the filtering material so it would fit properly.  I found that it was easy to damage the filtering material with the velcro on the straps, and that dust seemed to come through much too easily.  On top of that, my goggles still fogged, even though they were not supposed to.

The Totobobo was much too fidgety for me to use comfortably.  The adjustable straps are a very thin, stretchy plastic, and felt as though they would break at any time.  They didn't, but I felt uneasy every time I adjusted them.  In addition, the plastic would be quite uncomfortable in warm weather, and you needed to keep replacement filters on hand.  And my goggles still fogged!

So, I'm back to using my standard dust mask.  I keep a supply on hand, and am learning to adjust my goggles to control the fogging.  I know that others have been very happy with the Dust Bee Gone and the Totobobo, but unfortunately, I'm not one of them.

Sanding with SuperMax

Finally gave my new SuperMax Drum sander a proper workout, and it really met all my expectations. Nice when that happens!

Second project from new shop

I'm determined to use as much of my stored wood as possible before buying or re-sawing more lumber. This bowl used part of a piece of teak I've been storing for several years.  Teak cuts very nicely, even though the silica it contains is hard on blades.  The oiliness is controlled by sanding just before gluing, and I used spray lacquer which I find to be pretty problem-free.

In addition to the teak, I used cherry and purpleheart for the decorative rings, and maple and mahogany veneers and thin wood.

The sanding and shaping was demanding and took a long time.  Even then, it wasn't perfect, but I know my limits!