Raised panel door - mini success

[Betsy Yocum]

Finally decided to try to make a raised panel "door" instead of a flat piece of ply for the panel. Rails and stiles were a piece of cake. Must admit though the panel really made me nervous. Of course, the nervousness came in the fact that I could not make just any raised panel - I had to make a mini one for the side of a jewlry box. It came out ok. But I really need to work on a better hold down system for the small panels. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks for looking.
Betsy

[Jim Becker]

That's absolutely lovely, Betsy! Sometimes I think that things like this actually have greater effect than they do on large projects. Wonderful! ('Can't wait to see the whole box...)

[Dennis Peacock]

Nicely done Betsy.!!! I like the raised panel and it all looks like you did a really fine job on the cutting and assembly.!!! I can't wait to see the whole box when you are done. :D

[Betsy Yocum]

Nicely done Betsy.!!! I like the raised panel and it all looks like you did a really fine job on the cutting and assembly.!!! I can't wait to see the whole box when you are done. :D
Thanks Dennis and Jim. I have to be honest though :rolleyes: - it was supposed to be for a tissue box cover - but I measured just a weeeeee bit off - and so now it's for a jewlry box!!! I, of course, blame the poor measuring on the fact that the only tissue box I had had crushed sides - so that had to be the problem.:rolleyes:

But as they say there are no mistakes in woodworking - but opportunites!!

Thanks for your kind comments.
Betsy

[Jim Becker]

Congratulations! You've just proved you are a true woodworker...you've acknolwedged a most important premise...some projects go through several design revisions before the wood agrees with what the final product will be! :D

[mike lucas]

Are you planning to cut the rail and stile down to a more proportionate size? The way it is now, they over whelm the raised panel. But good job none the less.<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Looks great for a first try! Mine was a flat panel, but it wasn't nearly as nice as yours....congrats!!

[Jerry Olexa]

Betsy great first result!! Raised panels are fun and worth the effort. Good Job!

[Betsy Yocum]

Are you planning to cut the rail and stile down to a more proportionate size? The way it is now, they over whelm the raised panel. But good job none the less.<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p
Mike - glad you asked - I really pondered the porportion size for the rails. I'm porportioned challenged for sure. Besides the ole "it looks good to me" is there a formula for the right porportions for these types of projects????

[Gary Max]

Besty that's easy----if you like it---it's great. That's the formula I use.
If any one ask just tell them--- it can out just the way you had planned.
Plus I like it the size it is.

[Betsy Yocum]

Besty that's easy----if you like it---it's great. That's the formula I use.
If any one ask just tell them--- it can out just the way you had planned.
Plus I like it the size it is.
Thanks Gary - that's a pretty good formula!!:D

[Steve Evans]

Betsy

Regarding your quest for a hold-down for small parts, has anybdy tried this product that Lee Valley sells. I think it might work well for this situation, but I've never tried it.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41780&category=1,43000&ccurrency=1&SID=

(The price is in Canadian dollars on that link)

Steve

[Michael Stafford]

Betsy, you keep taking giant steps in your progress as a box maker! Your raised panel looks fine. Someone in another thread regarding words of wisdom for the shop said that you should keep challenging yourself with more difficult projects. Absolutely! Each time you try you learn and the more you learn the better you get. Have fun!

[Betsy Yocum]

Betsy

Regarding your quest for a hold-down for small parts, has anybdy tried this product that Lee Valley sells. I think it might work well for this situation, but I've never tried it.

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.asp?page=41780&category=1,43000&ccurrency=1&SID=

(The price is in Canadian dollars on that link)

Steve
WOW - now that's what I like someone who knows where to find things!!! thanks Steve. I think from that picture I can actually make something similar and see if it will work.

Michael - thanks for the kind words - I'm hoping to be good enough to sell some of the boxes some day to help offset the tool buying disease I seem to have picked up. But we'll see about that!
Betsy

[Michael Stafford]

Betsy, I enjoy selling to help pay for my woodworking addiction but I think, no, I know I give away a lot more than I sell. That is more fun actually. I guess that is why it is an avocation for me instead of a vocation, huh?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Betsy....excellent first raised panel.......I'm going to show this thread to the LOML so she'll know that purchasing large expensive tools isn't just a "guy" thing! :rolleyes: :p Keep up the good work and the learning process!

[Kevin Brown]

Betsy

Mark Sommerfeld has some good techniques for holding small pieces in his "Mini Raised Panels Made Easy" video, but I'm not sure it's worth $15, don't get me wrong I personally like Sommerfeld's prices and service (I buy all my CMT from them) but I watched the video and would have been disappointed if I payed $15 for this one (only $5 if you order it with their router bit set)

anyway when you are cutting your profile cuts in your rails and stiles cut one in a larger piece of wood you can use for a push block later. then he leaves the panel piece long and cuts 3 sides(using the extra lenght to help support the piece) then cut panel to proper lenght, now you can use that pushblock to hold one of the sides you already cut and place another piece of wood on top to hold it down as you push it through for you final cut. It works pretty well.

I hope all that rambling makes sense :rolleyes:

[Dan Gill]

I don't know how you routed the cope cuts on the rails, but I use a sled with two hold-down toggle clamps for that. I don't see any reason you couldn't use the same thing (or another one made for that purpose) for routing small panels. I don't have a picture of mine, but it's basically a shop-made version of a commercially-available coping jig. It's just two pieces of MDF, one overlapping the other, with two toggle clamps. One edge of the top piece rides against the fence, and the rail is held down by the clamps against the side of the top piece.

[Betsy Yocum]

Betsy

Mark Sommerfeld has some good techniques for holding small pieces in his "Mini Raised Panels Made Easy" video, but I'm not sure it's worth $15, don't get me wrong I personally like Sommerfeld's prices and service (I buy all my CMT from them) but I watched the video and would have been disappointed if I payed $15 for this one (only $5 if you order it with their router bit set)

anyway when you are cutting your profile cuts in your rails and stiles cut one in a larger piece of wood you can use for a push block later. then he leaves the panel piece long and cuts 3 sides(using the extra lenght to help support the piece) then cut panel to proper lenght, now you can use that pushblock to hold one of the sides you already cut and place another piece of wood on top to hold it down as you push it through for you final cut. It works pretty well.

I hope all that rambling makes sense :rolleyes:
Kevin - I've gotten that video and while its ok - it certainly lacks in the finer details. I really like Marks stuff and have bought quite a bit lately from them. But I think like most videos they only show you the highlights in the perfect shop. They need to make those videos in a shop like you or I have and that will really give us the low down!

Dan - I think I like your idea for the jig - I might try that one to and see which version I like better.

Thanks for all your ideas.:)