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  0 Thread: Spalted maple burl
Post: RE: Spalted maple burl

When we bought our small farm in VA nearly thirty years ago, we bought a silver maple from one of those mailers.  A thin stick about a foot long arrived and we planted it.  It grew to forty feet.  A c...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 22 3,052 09-10-2023, 11:43 AM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Stwood_ Wrote: (03-22-2023, 06:13 PM) -- Both look great!! Like the leather work and the spalt. On the sawing the box in half, I would have made the long cuts last. -- Good advice.  Next time, I...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-22-2023, 10:58 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

One last task on the project.  I went out this morning and waxed and buffed the wife's sewing room box.  It turned out great.  I love the soft glow and am a bit jealous as she got the best grain from ...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-21-2023, 10:34 AM
  0 Thread: Backgammon board is done!!
Post: RE: Backgammon board is done!!

Nice work indeed.  Backgammon was popular with the Marines when I was in, during down time in the Shops when the Aircraft were out flying, or when we were deployed aboard ship.  I never played.  I pre...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 10 1,738 03-20-2023, 07:58 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Back out to the shop for the last phase of the two box project, finishing Miss T's sewing room box.  The glue had set, so it was time to oil the walnut guides and call this one done. I oiled  the ent...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-19-2023, 05:19 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Went out to the shop this morning to put the hinges on the letterbox.  I looked thru the available selection and not one of the fancy sets would handle the weight of the mahogany top.  So, I took a 3'...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-19-2023, 12:20 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

A session today... Assembly has begun. ;) Started with the letterbox bottom.  The rails hold the letters in place, and allow space at the bottom of the box for the handles.  The walnut looks good, ...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-18-2023, 07:43 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Session this morning concentrated on two goals.  Antiquing the letter reference strips and making the dividing wooden strips for the letter tray and inside cover between the reference strips.  I start...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-18-2023, 02:34 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

We are getting close to done, so time to use a small trick.  Tooling the leather insert caused it to draw "just a bit" and the last time I laid it in it's place there was a very small gap on both side...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-17-2023, 01:44 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

iclark Wrote: (03-14-2023, 05:24 PM) -- Thanks for the explanations/clarifications. I had missed the part about cutting the sides on the TS after the cases were finished. That is why I was concern...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-14-2023, 10:13 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

First up, let's take a peek at the carved leather panel for the letter box.  I did work on it yesterday.  I applied the antique fairly heavily to the panel, then let that dry a bit.  Afterwards, I wor...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-13-2023, 05:35 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Yesterday's shop time was focused on hand sanding the maple inlay.  I started with 120 grit.  I slowly worked thru 220 and 325.  At 325 it looked pretty good.  Here is the inlay at 120 locked in the b...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-13-2023, 09:33 AM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

grwold Wrote: (03-11-2023, 06:24 PM) -- Jim, have you finished the top's frame yet?  If not, will oiling the leather leach into & darken the wood? -- The inlays have not been glued in place in ...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-11-2023, 11:31 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

A couple hours in the shop.  The first hour spent tooling to try and bring some life to the flat design.  Far from what is possible... but it is much better than I used to do.  I am learning.  It will...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-11-2023, 03:56 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

My trip to the workshop yesterday was specifically to work on the letter box.  I started by measuring the space for the inlay in the top of the letterbox.  I measured twice and came up with 12-5/8 x 3...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-11-2023, 10:26 AM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

iclark Wrote: (03-09-2023, 11:43 PM) -- Looking really good. That spalted maple is spectacular. A couple naive questions: How do keep the letters from scrambling in the box? How do you get t...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-10-2023, 08:08 AM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Today's session was all about the wife's box for her She Shed... :smirk:  I started by seeing which piece of wood called my name.  I found a burled piece and laid it aside, it would work.  I didn't wa...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-08-2023, 11:07 PM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: RE: letterbox

Out in the shop for a session this afternoon.  I used some time fitting and planing, fitting and planing, until I got the wife's box exactly right.  Then I pressure fitted it to insure all was right. ...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-08-2023, 11:46 AM
  0 Thread: letterbox
Post: letterbox

I was planning on making a cane, just to pass the time.  But, when I started to plane the long piece of black walnut... :s ... and planed off the discoloration from the four sides... That's not walnu...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 24 3,843 03-07-2023, 01:03 AM
  0 Thread: Outgrew the Shelf on my Leatherwork Bench
Post: RE: Outgrew the Shelf on my Leatherwork Bench

Went back into the shop this morning and added a rod into the space above the slots and drops to hold the paper towels and the rolls of thread.  Worked out great.  Miss Tina had been on the way to tow...
BrokenOlMarine Woodworking 8 1,478 02-28-2023, 02:15 PM

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