Curved top box build
#21
(02-07-2019, 01:01 AM)Aram Wrote: I don't think I can repair the missing chunk. Not respectably, anyway. ...

Maybe it's not so bad. I'll hang onto this box. Maybe I'll try coopering a lid for it someday and use it in the shop.

Very nice project. Lovely pear wood.

I like the music commentary, too. 

As for the missing chunk, it's completely in the end grain, from what I can see, and the board there doesn't have obvious grain. Can you chisel the pin end to make the hole into a trapezoid or rhombus and shape a piece of scrap from the same board to fit? I bet it would almost completely disappear.
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#22
(02-08-2019, 01:57 AM)Brent V. Wrote: Very nice project. Lovely pear wood.

I like the music commentary, too. 

As for the missing chunk, it's completely in the end grain, from what I can see, and the board there doesn't have obvious grain. Can you chisel the pin end to make the hole into a trapezoid or rhombus and shape a piece of scrap from the same board to fit? I bet it would almost completely disappear.

Thanks.

I considered that for sure. I might try -- what do I have to lose? I've done other repairs and sometimes have even made them seamless. Experience says I'm not good at this kind of repair, though. We'll see.
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#23
I would repair that boo boo. I do similar more often than I care to share. Saw and plane a flat, glue in a replacement, shape it to fit, voila'.
Lumber Logs, domestic hardwoods at wholesale prices: http://www.woodfinder.com/listings/012869.php

Lumber Logs' blog: Follow the adventure
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#24
(02-08-2019, 01:29 PM)TomFromStLouis Wrote: I would repair that boo boo. I do similar more often than I care to share. Saw and plane a flat, glue in a replacement, shape it to fit, voila'.

I would do the same.

As soon as I saw that it was endgrain and not long grain my first thought was, "That's an easy fix"

Seriously that is a beautiful box.  I'd fix it.

With end grain the repair will have a strong long-grain glue joint and the endgrain won't show the repair.
Peter

My "day job"
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#25
You’re drawing blood—must be doing something right.
The box is looking good overall.
Gary

Please don’t quote the trolls.
Liberty, Freedom and Individual Responsibility
Say what you'll do and do what you say.
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#26
(02-09-2019, 09:01 AM)Gary G™ Wrote: You’re drawing blood—must be doing something right.


Laugh Truth!
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#27
I spent the last couple weekends making things worse. I tried to fix the busted tail, but none of my chisels are small enough to fit. Narrow enough, yes, but too tall. At some point I guess I'll grind one down and give it a shot. Meanwhile, I built a second box. The dovetails came out nicely and I made the center tails a little narrower, which has a crisper look to it. I also made a small change in the template for the end rabbets, which should make box top construction easier. This second box almost came together perfectly. "Almost" going with "came together." I used slow setting glue, but not slow enough. I managed to bang and clamp 3 sides nice and tight, but there's an ugly gap on the fourth side. So, yep, I built a 3rd box, but have to redo the sides because I blew a couple of tail cuts. I was listening to Rockpile's "Seconds of Pleasure" at the exact moment I realized my amateur hour saw job. I don't get how things can go wrong with Lowe and Edmunds playing, but so it goes (to quote Nick Lowe). The ends are very nice, though. So there's that. And I lost most of today due to a power outage, whee. The Sharks beat the Wings, though, so not everything stunk it up.


I promised a build along. And there it is, screwups and all. Probably hard for you all to relate to, mistakes, I mean seriously.
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#28
Finally back on it. I decided to use the first box, even though I haven't fixed the broken tail. Here's how the top starts.

I posted a project with my music playlist a long time ago, and Rob Lee ragged me mercilessly for not enough indie material. OK, Rob, how about a bunch of ska? Featuring The Slackers (Peculiar, RedLight, and my favorite, Wasted Days), Hepcat (Right on Time, Out of Nowhere, and Scientific), and a SF Bay Area band called Monkey. The CD is called Station Wagon Living, and seems to be out of print. Ok? Rob?

Before I started the real build, I had to mess around with ways of building the top. I knew I wanted frame and panel. There's a decent curve to match. At first I was cooking up table saw jigs for the angled joinery. They might have worked, but I wanted a mostly hand tool build. I have no idea how people normally do this. Here's what I came up with.

The front and rear pieces will be beveled along their length to so they can be tilted upwards. I call these the "hinge bevels" even though only one side actually takes hinges. As you'll see (eventually), the upwards tilt matches the start of the curve. The end pieces will be cut with angled slip tenons, and eventually shaped to match the box curvature. 

Mark the inside bottom of the hinge bevel.

[Image: i-VNhLV27-M.jpg]

Mark the bevel at the outside edge.

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The bevel gauge gets set and stays set. Connect the two gauged lines.

[Image: i-NqkH3jG-M.jpg]

The gauge lines are made a little bit deep for reference, and are penciled in. The triangle will be planed down and the bevel will rest on the front (or rear) of the box. 

[Image: i-4v8dsCh-M.jpg]

I built this plane specifically for this build. Pearwood planes beautifully. The planing is done entirely by eye. Frequent checking is necessary, but once the right angle is established, it's not as hard to nail the gauge lines perfectly as I would have thought. There's no rush, and the shavings are thin and even.

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Not bad.

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Got them both the same.

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This is the one power tool step. I don't trust myself to cut the inside slip joint by hand. Anyway, it is easy and doesn't require any angle jigs or blade tilt.

[Image: i-MFmCGm5-M.jpg]

Front and rear done for now, sitting out with end pieces.

[Image: i-MPr4NJL-M.jpg]
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#29
Now for the joinery. Set a gauge a hair outside the slip joint (top and bottom), and mark end pieces. I'm going a hair wide to allow the tenons to be fitted later.

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The next bit sets the length of the tenon. I tipped the front (or rear) piece up onto its bevel.

[Image: i-vMGRtKC-M.jpg]

Lined the end piece up like this.

[Image: i-KQ8mBrT-M.jpg]

I made sure not to let these slip (not so easy) and marked the slope on the back inside with a sharp pencil.

[Image: i-3Dk5Dd4-M.jpg]

Next, I lined up the bevel gauge with the pencil marks, and knifed the angle. Light strokes but enough of them to make make a definite impression.

[Image: i-xG2kPwD-M.jpg]

I used a double square and knife to transfer the top and bottom marks across, and also onto the other end piece. Knifed all 4 end pieces on the side (bevel) and top and bottom (square). Then the tricky part: using the bevel gauge to mark the tenon. Even though this is face grain, I used a knife rather than an awl, and it worked well for me. That said, it's not easy to get the bevel in perfect position. I went through a couple of pieces cutting the tenons too skinny due to mis-marking just a little. Anyway, I marked out with light strokes.

[Image: i-3ZRKvcP-M.jpg]

I deepened all the knife lines and made shallow V cuts with chisels to aid in sawing.


Sawing the tenons was fun. I tried a couple of techniques, and ended up coming at it from each side and then finishing the job from straight across the top, which I guess is pretty standard.

[Image: i-fBVvqF9-M.jpg]

Flip the ryoba around and cut the angled cheeks.

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I tried a rabbet block plane, shoulder plane, and sharp chisels to flatten and thickness the tenons. They are thin, and I had broken a couple during my practice builds. Keep a light touch! For whatever reason, chisels worked best for me, with the rabbet plane coming in for light touchup. My Japanese chisels worked well enough for this, but I really like the control and flex I get from the Blue Spruce paring chisel for this task.

[Image: i-mSfpCQd-M.jpg]

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All said, this is not terrible. And it sits flat, which is always a relief.

[Image: i-Kh4DkTS-M.jpg]

Next up: shaping the ends and cutting grooves to take the panel.
Best,
Aram, always learning

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Web: My woodworking photo site
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#30
Thank you for taking the time to share the finer details in the build.  I am paying close attention to each step.
"I tried being reasonable..........I didn't like it." Clint Eastwood
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