Bill Bulloch
07-31-2010, 3:43 PM
Matt Ranum ask for a tutorial on making the boxes and stars that I used in my segmented platters (separate threat). A TUTORIAL sounds too formal, too complicated and too above my level of expertise, so I thought maybe I could just tell how I do it.
First of all, these designs can be used in any woodworking design… Segmented Turnings as well as Flat Work. About 30 years ago (1979) I built a Telephone Table with the box design covering the 14 x 20 inch top. (For you younger folk let me explained what a telephone table is: In bygone days, before the wireless telephones, the telephone was attached to a wire that was connected to a telephone switch in the wall. The Telephone table had a chair attached and people would actually sit at the table and talk on the phone.) A couple of years ago my daughter sold that table at a garage sale for $80.00. In 1979, I would have been lucky to get $30.00 for it new. The lady that bought it said that she had a Victorian Style Home and the telephone table would compliment her Parlor. For you younger folk let me explain what a “Parlor” is…… Just kidding.
Back to the boxes: I cut mine on the table saw using a miter gauge set at 30 degrees. First: You will have to decide what type wood to use. You will need three different types that compliment each other. Then, you will have to decide what size box you want and rip you boards accordingly. I cut boards at 1 ˝ inch for the platters I made. You can make them larger or smaller just rip you boards accordingly.
After you rip your boards set up a stop block to the miter gauge (that is set at 30 degrees) to cut your blanks at the same length as the width you ripped (This will result in a parallelogram). In my case it was 1 ˝ inch. If you were making smaller ones, say 1 inch, then you would rip your board at 1 inch and set the length at 1 inch. Do this to two of the type wood that you choose. You’ll need two (one each type of wood) for each box you are making.
Next you will cut the third piece of the box from the remaining type wood. This piece is more of a diamond shape than the other two, so it will be slightly longer. I use a test piece and trail and error method of finding the correct length. For example: I’ll reset my stop block to about 1 5/8 inches and make my cut. I check this test piece and make adjustments to my stop block until I get a good tight fit.
The fit you get will depend on the accuracy of your miter gauge setting. I spend a lot of time adjusting my miter gauge to get the best possible fit from it. It pays in the long run to do this. Still, know matter how much you adjust you may never get the perfect fit.
When you put the three pieces together you should not have any gaps at all. Put them together with a rubber band and hold it up to a bright light. If you see any light shining through (any at all) then you do not have a good tight fit. In these cases, I use a piece of 8 x 10 sandpaper glued to a flat piece of MDF to sand them flat. If the light you saw was at the bottom of the piece, then when you sand put more pressure on the top end of the piece, etc. Depending on you miter gauge setting it shouldn’t take long to square them up. It is probably a good idea to cut extra pieces of each block just in case you screw one up (experience speaking).
Try it with scraps, and then all you will be wasting is time.
.
Oh, the Star shapes are cut the same way, only use two different colored woods (or all the same color) for the parallelogram shapes. The Diamond shape piece will make the outside boarders.
First of all, these designs can be used in any woodworking design… Segmented Turnings as well as Flat Work. About 30 years ago (1979) I built a Telephone Table with the box design covering the 14 x 20 inch top. (For you younger folk let me explained what a telephone table is: In bygone days, before the wireless telephones, the telephone was attached to a wire that was connected to a telephone switch in the wall. The Telephone table had a chair attached and people would actually sit at the table and talk on the phone.) A couple of years ago my daughter sold that table at a garage sale for $80.00. In 1979, I would have been lucky to get $30.00 for it new. The lady that bought it said that she had a Victorian Style Home and the telephone table would compliment her Parlor. For you younger folk let me explain what a “Parlor” is…… Just kidding.
Back to the boxes: I cut mine on the table saw using a miter gauge set at 30 degrees. First: You will have to decide what type wood to use. You will need three different types that compliment each other. Then, you will have to decide what size box you want and rip you boards accordingly. I cut boards at 1 ˝ inch for the platters I made. You can make them larger or smaller just rip you boards accordingly.
After you rip your boards set up a stop block to the miter gauge (that is set at 30 degrees) to cut your blanks at the same length as the width you ripped (This will result in a parallelogram). In my case it was 1 ˝ inch. If you were making smaller ones, say 1 inch, then you would rip your board at 1 inch and set the length at 1 inch. Do this to two of the type wood that you choose. You’ll need two (one each type of wood) for each box you are making.
Next you will cut the third piece of the box from the remaining type wood. This piece is more of a diamond shape than the other two, so it will be slightly longer. I use a test piece and trail and error method of finding the correct length. For example: I’ll reset my stop block to about 1 5/8 inches and make my cut. I check this test piece and make adjustments to my stop block until I get a good tight fit.
The fit you get will depend on the accuracy of your miter gauge setting. I spend a lot of time adjusting my miter gauge to get the best possible fit from it. It pays in the long run to do this. Still, know matter how much you adjust you may never get the perfect fit.
When you put the three pieces together you should not have any gaps at all. Put them together with a rubber band and hold it up to a bright light. If you see any light shining through (any at all) then you do not have a good tight fit. In these cases, I use a piece of 8 x 10 sandpaper glued to a flat piece of MDF to sand them flat. If the light you saw was at the bottom of the piece, then when you sand put more pressure on the top end of the piece, etc. Depending on you miter gauge setting it shouldn’t take long to square them up. It is probably a good idea to cut extra pieces of each block just in case you screw one up (experience speaking).
Try it with scraps, and then all you will be wasting is time.
.
Oh, the Star shapes are cut the same way, only use two different colored woods (or all the same color) for the parallelogram shapes. The Diamond shape piece will make the outside boarders.