Sunday, March 23, 2014

Miscellaneous stuff.

This morning I will begin my second day of a private lesson for a new found friend from Texas.

Yesterday we made a miter cornered box with walnut keys used to strengthen the joints. We installed butt hinges in the lid, and installed a small pull. In addition, we cut finger joints, and mitered finger joints. And talked a great deal about design, and of course about wood.

I have a new small invention that is intended to keep a 2 inch square block handy at the saw. Some readers will remember my x +/- 2 system of proportion to be used in box making. And this small block is key. By adding a small magnet to the back, allowing it to be positioned on the saw and not lost on the floor, it becomes an actual tool rather than just a chunk of wood to be discarded and replaced whenever needed. Adding the magnet to the back keeps it handy, and stamping the size on the front looks cool and keeps it from being mistaken for scrap.

I discovered an advertisement in a 1936 craft magazine for an early version of the the multi-tool that would later inspire the making of Shopsmiths. My own shopsmith is a 1948 model. The Walker-Turner "Driver Add-A-Tool" was a near complete woodworking shop. Starting out as a lathe and table saw, you could add various sanders, a band saw, and jointer. The complete shop could be purchased for less than $100.00.

The box we made yesterday can be seen at the top of the post.

Today, we will make trays, dividers, drawers and perhaps some other forms of corner joints, depending on time and interest.

Make, fix and create...


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