Hardware; Hinges And Hold Opens

I finally settled on hardware for the chest today. I have looked extensively online for hold open/soft close hardware that would prevent an accidental closing, potentially on a child's head or hand, and have found that while there are a number of pneumatic and friction or spring type devices available, only one device actually makes any claim to prevent injury due to slamming, so those are the ones I am using.

I ended up going to the Woodcraft store in Tigard, Oregon as they have these devices in stock. These are also available at Rockler through their stores or catalogs. These devices come in three weight ranges and are handed. A simple formula (width X weight/2 ) calculates a number which you use to determine which size you need, as well as how many. This lid weighs 12 pounds and is 18 inches wide so I came up with 108 which required 2 medium duty hold opens.

These devices are only available in statuary bronze finish which isn't a look I had in mind initially, but, this piece will be going to live with a young family and I assume children will be in their future, so the safety consideration is foremost in my mind. I have convinced myself that the dark color of the hold opens will almost disappear against the dark walnut.

I also bought butt hinges at Woodcraft, bright brass,  2 1/2" X 1 1/2", made by Worcester Parsons. Woodcraft has a nice selection of high quality brass hinges in a surprising variety of sizes from several manufacturers.

I made a template to rout the hinge mortises with. I used a 1/4" bit with a 7/16" O.D. guide bushing, giving me a 3/32" offset from the bit to the outer edge of the guide. Thus I need to make my cutout 3/32" deeper than I want and 3/16" wider as well as accounting for the width of the fence material. I laid this out on a piece of plywood and made the cuts on the table saw. I raised the blade up through the material for the lineal cut.

I used the mitre gauge for the side cuts.

After making the cutouts I then added the fence and gave it a try on some scrap material.

The hinge fits really well. I will have to use a shim for the mortises on the  case since the rails are set back 1/8" from the legs. 

Well, that's it for now. Thanks for taking a look. Check back again. I'll be getting this project wrapped up soon.

It's Coming Together

Well, the chest is almost ready for assembly. Now there seem to be a million little things to take care of. I dry fit the panels to the legs so that I could mark the location of the dado for the floor on the legs.

Here is a closer view of the groove and post intersection.

After marking those locations I then took the chest apart and began applying varnish oil to the frame and top. This is when you really start to see the richness of the grain come out. This is also when you find all the places where your finish prep is not sufficient. I did a pretty good job on this project and didn't have to stop applying oil to clean up anywhere.

I carried the marks I made on the legs around with the marking knife and saddle square. 

I decided I should make a router guide to dado the legs. I used some scrap plywood and maple to make the guide and fence. I glued the fence to the guide and added screws after the glue had set.

With the guide ready I grabbed the test leg yet again and tried the guide and router setup. It looks good.

I use my marking knife to align the cut in the guide with the knife marks on the leg. When it is aligned I tighten the vice and check again before making the cut.

All four legs are done and I am happy with the outcome.

Now I can plane any machine and layout marks from the legs prior to assembly of the case.

I do enjoy planing but these legs only needed about three passes per side.

Well, that's all for now. I'll be laying out and rabbeting the floor next, then assembly and hardware.

Breadboard Ends, Dowel Plates, And Drawboring

I'm back to the blanket chest now. I have been readying the frames for finish and leveling the floor among other things. Today I am attaching the breadboard ends to the top. Due to concerns about wood movement (the 18" wide top could expand almost 1/4") I decided to drawbore the breadboard ends to the top.

I first made some dowel blanks on the table saw.

I then used my spokeshave to make them approximately round and a bit oversize. Finding a good way to hold the piece was a little tough. I ended up putting them nearly vertical in the vise. A shaving horse would be nice for this.

I used a Lie Neilsen dowel plate to form the dowels from the blanks.

I found that one has to be careful to leave a bit of material on the blank to be removed by the dowel plate. It helped to start an end to give me a visual to work to.

If your blank is undersized you will not have a round dowel. Once the blank is ready you then hammer it through the appropriate hole in the dowel plate.

I made a test hole with the bit I planned to use and checked the fit of the dowel.

I marked out the hole locations on the BB ends and made the holes on the drill press.

With the ends tightly on the top I used the bit to mark the hole centers, removed the BB ends, and set the hole centers about 1/32" closer to the shoulder to draw the ends tight.

After drilling the holes in the tenons I widened the two outer holes to accommodate any expansion or contraction.

I then applied glue to just the center mortise and tenon. I also glued the dowels and drove them into their holes. After the glue set I sawed the dowels flush. Now I can plane the BB ends flush and size the panel (it's still a bit wide).

Thanks for taking a look. The chest is moving towards final assembly. I hope you check back again and see how it's going.

Mortise & Tenon Magazine

I received a copy of the inaugural issue of Mortise & Tenon magazine the other day. I had seen an ad for it and it looked interesting, the price seemed reasonable and I ordered a copy. It arrived in a sturdy mailer and to my surprise, the magazine was contained in an inner wrapping bound with cord and accompanied by a card. A very nice presentation.

As to content, well, I purchased the magazine because it was to be devoted to the exploration of furniture making in the pre industrial era and would focus on presenting historically accurate and well researched information on period furniture construction. I am not a period furniture maker but I do have a keen interest in learning about historic furniture making.

The Editors present a nicely balanced series of articles which range from interviews with conservators to articles about period woodworking techniques. I found all the material to be of interest but particularly the articles that detailed pre industrial woodworking techniques. There are lots of photographs which give you a look, not only at the exterior, but at the interior. You get to see many details which are generally hidden from view. From a technical point of view, we are still dealing with many of the same problems inherent in building with wood today and it is interesting and inspiring to see what our predecessors have done in the past.

From what I have seen in the first issue, I will look forward to the next issue, expected in January of 2017.

I'll be back to the blanket chest in a few days. I am out of the ditch and the water is draining nicely now. Thanks for taking a look. I hope you check back and see how it's going.

A Production Note

Last weekend we had our first hard rain here in Portland and a drainage problem at my house showed up which I have to take care of. There is a big storm coming this weekend. As a result production has halted on the blanket chest for a few days. I had wanted to wrap it up this week but have not had the time. I'll be back next week and hope to get the blanket chest completed. I hope you check back and see if I'm still digging drainage ditches!

Veneering The Floor

Here I am laying up the veneer into oversize sheets. The veneer is thick enough that I can glue the edges. I am using veneer tape on the show face to hold the pieces together while the glue sets. I'll scrape it off after I have glued the veneer to the substrate.

Once the glue set I scraped the excess off the back.

I am using a workbench and an assortment of scrap to make a setup to glue the panels.

Here I am testing the clamps etc. Paper is the first layer over the veneer in case any glue escapes, Then I am using a piece of a wood core door. Over that I have four thick blocks which I can clamp from both ends. It's a bit of a jumble but it works.

I tried the bottom piece first to see how it goes. Well, as I sometimes say "live and learn". That is to say that it did not go as well as I wanted. I put a good layer of glue on both surfaces, which made the veneer warp.

That isn't a big problem but when I picked the piece up to transfer it to the substrate, it split in two places. With everything covered with glue I decided to move ahead and not repair the splits first. Everything wanted to slide around. I used a couple of 1/2" brads to hold the veneer in place for clamping and fit the splits together as best I could.

I left the work in clamps overnight. I had removed them after 2 hours but found that the glue still had not set along one of the splits so clamped up again. I removed the clamps with some apprehension and was pleased to see that I had a panel that was usable. I may rout out and replace a section where one of the splits had pulled away a bit leaving a gap, but it is a usable face for the bottom.

Applying what I had just learned to the glue up for the show face, I spread a generous amount of glue on the substrate only,

then carefully moved the veneer into position. I tacked one end down and used my hands to press from the middle a bit, then added the door and blocks and clamped it up.

I left it clamped for about 24 hours. this time when I removed the clamps all had gone well. Since I made the veneer oversize I have to use a spacer against the saw fence for the first cut.

Then I can trim the other edge against the fence. I use a crosscut sled to trim the ends.

Well, thats all for now. Thanks for taking a look. Check back again and see how it's going.

A Bit Of This And That

In between making the lid and floor I have been I have been pre finishing many of the components of this piece. The panels now have three coats of varnish oil and a coat of wax on them. I have dry fit all the frame parts and have been getting the frames assembled.

I use my smoothing plane on the inside (grooved) edges of all the parts prior to glue up. Those edges would be hard to clean up when assembled.

I do one last dry fit to carefully check that everything fits well and to establish a sequence for the assembly and check clamp positioning etc.

When all looks right I start spreading glue and putting it together.

After about an hour I can take the piece out of the clamps and scrape off any excess glue, then plane all the faces. I want to pre-finish these panels before I add the posts and floor so I don't have to work so much inside the assembled chest.

The top back rail has a check in it at the top. I remember seeing it when I milled the lumber but I wanted to use the board (it's a real pretty piece of wood) and it seemed like it would be alright. 

Well, when I look at it now it worries me. It really shouldn't open up any more but damn, if it does it would make me very unhappy, even if it happened 10 years from now. I decided to add a few dovetail keys to try to insure it's integrity.

To make the keys I set up the router table with a dovetail bit and found a piece of material of appropriate width and thickness. I first cut the dovetail shape on the bottom of the blank,

then cut it off at exactly twice the length of the dovetail on the table saw.

Then back to the router table.

Note the two feather boards and the notched push stick. That is a small piece being milled and I would feel really unsafe trying to do this with my hands on the workpiece.

I had to make a test run then I was able to mill a pretty good key blank.

I cut  pieces  about 3/16" thick for the keys. I use the piece I will inlay as a template. Double stick tape helps hold the key in place while the outline is scribed around the edge.

For the key on the top edge I clamp a couple blocks to the faces of the board, even with the edge, so I have a larger surface to run the router on.

I have a 1/8" bit in the plunge router. I set the router to cut a little less deep than the thickness of the key. I freehand rout as much as I can, staying within the scribed outline.

Then I use a chisel to carefully finish the excavation. When a good fit is achieved the key is glued in place,

and planed flush after the glue sets.

I do the same on the inside face, but without the need for the blocks.

Although that took about 4 unplanned for hours, I feel better now.

With that done I can glue up the last frame assembly. This project is starting to come together now.

Well, that 's it for now. Thanks for taking a look. Check back and see how it's going.