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Location: South Central Oklahoma
I have been making knives for a while now, but not for sale. I make them for myself, Miss Tina, or for friends and family. NOW, I am running out of things to do with them, and I don't sell them so they are piling up. Tina told me I need to make a display case and get them of the table in the entry area. Two concerns... a kid could pick one up and they are RAZOR sharp. Secondly, someone we don't know well could palm one on the way out the door. (Service Person of some sort..) There goes $350 to $1,000 retail value if I was selling them, out the door. Right now there are a dozen on that table.
So, a couple months ago, I started thinking about the display case. HER suggestion was wall mounted, above the table. Move the picture and get rid of the lamp. I started designs, and tossed them. Started designs, and tossed them. Eventually, I settled on 48" wide, same width as the table... and 16" high. Then it was a matter of choosing the wood and the actual layout of the construction. I was shocked at the cost of the project. Wood, finished oak and birch at Home Depot has gotten dear. I searched through my woodpile and came up with some walnut. That meant it would go thru the planer and get Ripped to size then cut.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Location: South Central Oklahoma
After planing the boards to size, I hand planed the rough edge on one side so I could rip them to width.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
Set up the table saw for the rip cut...
Then cut the main pieces for the shadow box sides.
Then I used the chop saw to cut them to length with the 45 degree angles
Set up the dado blade with the proper depth for the passes for the rabbit for the bottom to rest in.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
Next, cleaned up the dados with the shoulder plane
Test fitted the sides using pressure of the band clamp. Good to go.
Measured, cut, and fitted the bottom. I used OSB because it will never be seen.
Magnets laid out and marked on the osb for rough reference.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
Threads: 1
Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
So far this has been a QUICK overview of a very long project. NOW we came to the part where I took a couple days deciding what I was going to use for the background. I had been leaning to a burgundy velvet, very classy. Like the lining of a violin case. Miss T had a Gold of the same material in the sewing shop that SHE liked and I had a Silver Gray, but NOPE, would clash with the knife blades. I was LEANING heavily toward the Burgundy, and then... I thought, tooled leather.
 My skills had been getting much better. This would take some thought. Tooling a side of leather that large? Was I up to that? The leather would cost as much as the wood.. (Though I had that on hand as well.) Finally I committed. I was going to go for it. Then I had to decide WHAT to tool.
First up, carefully cut the leather to fit the space.
I played with the idea of what to tool for a day or so, then practice the tooling for the next twenty four hours. Finally committed I went to home depot and bought quarter round molding, and cut that to fit. It would be the way the leather would be held in place. I cut that to fit, using the bare osb to fit it. I was very careful NOT to scar the leather panel.
Once it was cut, I fit the quarter round over the leather and using a sharp pencil marked the edges ON the leather. This defined the "tooling window." The area into which the tooling layout would be defined.
After carefully measuring and laying out the design, and carefully measuring again, the design was cut into the leather with the swivel knife. This prepares the leather for the tooling. With a panel this big, the tooling would be done slowly and carefully. On a small panel, if you make a mistake, you start over with new panels. You make a mistake here, you live with it, or it's very expensive in money and TIME.
The open area down the center is the location of the magnets. The circle in the lower corner will be for the maker's mark. I had decided on a tooled quilted pattern in the center and a serpentine border. I was looking forward to the work, but with arthritis, I expected three days, with two to three hour long sessions per day.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
The VERY first step in tooling is taping off the back of the leather. This prevents the tooling from cupping the leather or deforming it. In a pattern this size we are talking thousands of strikes stretching the leather. The tape insures the leather holds it's shape and size.
I started tooling the quilted pattern on the inside. It is done by beveling the lines in an alternating pattern to make it appear that it's a basket weave.
Slow and steady, always referring to the lines around you. Each block will have opposing lines that are either beveled IN or OUT and the other pair will be beveled in the opposite direction. The next pair on the same linear position on the line will be in the opposite direction. Simple rule, follow that and you can't go wrong.
It's a long slow process in an area that big, two full days to complete the basket weave / quilt pattern. You do the basic beveling, then go back and bevel with an accenting bevel, then cut accent lines. The result is startling. But if you tire you have to take a break, you can't push through and get sloppy or you ruin the illusion.
Once I finished the interior, I started on the border, the pattern is called serpentine.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
Finished the serpentine border, and even added my little personal touch. I always thought the corner flourish the pattern produces looked like snake heads, and it is called Serpent - ine, so I add eyes.
A yellow dye is applied, people always say I ruined it. I tell them to wait, it's just the base, just the BASE, an underglow.
Once the dye dries, I treat it with Watco Natural Oil stain, it tones it down a bit.
Next up, we cover it with a dark walnut antiquing paste. That brings out the accents and tooling.
It's allowed to sit for a half hour or so, then wiped away, leaving that dark walnut color in the indents and grooves, cuts, and holes created by the tooling, plus has darkened the leather a bit. A tan coat finish is applied over the antique to seal it.
Keep in mind all these views were wet. The next time you see the panel it will have dried overnight and calmed down.
It's awesome.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
Set aside the leather panel and did some final sanding of the shadow box with my cabinet scraper. Love it in lieu of sandpaper, cheaper, faster, and leave a glass smooth finish.
Better safe than sorry, one final pressure test fit, before glue up and assembly. Everything fits great. How does that panel look now that it's cured and dry?
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
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Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
10-16-2024, 01:01 AM
(This post was last modified: 10-16-2024, 01:02 AM by BrokenOlMarine.)
Marked all the pieces so they go back together in the same order, then began taping them so any areas that will get glue, don't get Watco Oil.
The pieces get Watco Oil and then beeswaxed prior to assembly.
Once that is done, and they are buffed out, they are glued up and into the clamps to set.
After the glue sets, I drill countersinks with a forstner bit.
Finish nails set with the brass mallet and a punch to offer excellent control, nail has a dab of glue on the tip.
Plugs cut from leftover scraps with the plug cutter are set and flush cut with the chisel after the glue sets. We are golden.
The joint will be repaired when final sanding is done. It pulled apart somehow.. I was NOT happy.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
Posts: 11,709
Threads: 1
Joined: May 2014
Location: South Central Oklahoma
Lined up the magnets using two 36" rules and the guidelines set up during the tooling of the leather. Each was secured with screws into the osb thru the leather.
Came out very well, looks just like I planned.
Jim in Okie
You can tell a lot about the character of a man -
By the way he treats those who can do nothing for him.
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