Learning with destruction

[Jeremy Greiner]

I was working on a small desktop book rack this weekend so I could try out some new techniques, router templates and figuring out some good joinery system.

For joinery, I Tried the Zip Slot mortis mill, had a lot of difficulties with accuracy so I decided for a more traditional mortise and tennon joint for the shelves to the sides.

I made the router template with the curves that I wanted and the mortises to plunge out. I used a drill and a jig saw to cut out the mortise in the template. I hated it, they don't really look straight to me and I think they would have produced poor mortises.

After reading a bit, I decided that my mortising will have to wait until I get a drill press, mortiser or a mortis jig for the router.

I thought I'd give dowels a try, I already had all the parts I needed (drill bit and stop collar) the only thing standing in my way is not having a drill press to make repeatable accurate holes.

I ended up making a template which I then used to drill 2 jigs, one to attach to the side of the rack, the other for the shelves themself.

The jigs worked out great I drilled all the holes and dry fit the entire peice together and it all fit together.

I used some double stick carpet tape and taped the template to one of the side peices. Clamped down with my flush trim bit I cut out the template. The first time around it took a bit, clamping and unclamping to rotate the peice but it came out flawless.

For the second side I clamped the peice a bit differently in hopes to limit the need for rotating and reclamping as much. This was my fatal mistake when I went to round one of the feet, pow tear out. A large chunk of the leg was torn out of the shelf bottom.

The chunk was splintered into a ton of peices so I couldn't really glue it back on. And since it was the leg, there isn't really a way to sand it out without totally destroying the level of the shelves.

Since I don't really need the book rack, I don't think I'll be rushing out to get new peices of wood to rebuild the sides but I learned a lot and got some good experience with router templates which are totally awesome.

Pictures:
1. A clamp up of the 15 degree mitered peice for the dowel template, I used to the scrap that came off to re-square it for clamping.

2. Template that went on the long part of the shelves

3. Angled template for the bottom set of holes.

4. Same template rotated for the back set of holes, using the same template for the back and bottom on both sides (just had to flip the template over) made for nicely lined up shelves that where slanted 15 degrees to hold the books

5. Tear out!

6. Router template, with my really bad mortise holes in it, I still used the template for the outer edge I liked how that turned out.

7. The other side of the book rack, it actually came out great.

-jeremy

[Ed Morgano]

Jeremy,
All is not lost. I've made plenty of repairs a lot bigger than that. Cut the tearout back about 1/2". Glue a small block on it trying to match the grain. Then, after the glue dries, finish routing again or trim it with a jig saw and sand it.

[Carl Babel]

I agree with Ed, and I am not too proud to say that I am basing that statement on experience - I did exactly the same thing that you did. This is a great learning opportunity.

It won't take a very big block to make your patch. When you go to route that particular area again, you should make sure that area has a backer board behind it - just about any old scrap will do. Clamp it up with a wooden hand screw clamp and just make sure that you don't route into your clamp. Of course, if you do, you can patch that too. DAMHIKT :o:D

[glenn bradley]

Almost everything I do is a learning experience. I would give you a hearty 'well done' for the various ideas you tried and the things you learned by trying them. I have generated a reasonable amount of firewood by building mock-ups or prototypes of pieces.

I do a fair amount of template routing and direction of cut is always a consideration to avoid tear out. For things I do often I have template bits with upper and lower bearings so that I can always route "down hill". The things you have learned will benefit you on future efforts. Keep it up and have fun.

[Lee Schierer]

Tear out at that location was entirely predictable. That area of the leg should have been routed with a climb cut taking a shallow cut. Any time the router bit cutting action is tending to lift the ends of the grain you run the risk of tear out.

If you don't already know, climb cutting can be hazardous as the bit will tend to pull itself into or along the wood being cut. When climb cutting you have to take very shallow cuts and have a good grip on the part or the router, depending upon which is in your hands.

[Jim Rimmer]

I have generated a reasonable amount of firewood by building mock-ups or prototypes of pieces.
+1 on the prototypes. I keep a lot of pine in the shop just for that purpose. If you want to learn how to prevent tear-out, try routing pine. :rolleyes:

[Jeremy Greiner]

Thanks for all the feedback, I didn't think about patching the leg I should have tried that. I've already salvaged the shelves into peices for my miter gauge on my table so so I'm pretty boned there.

I've started planning my next project which is a shoe bench based on the Tansu II design at http://www.woodistry.com/shoe_bench.htm


It's a fantastic looking bench, I've already modeled it in sketchup and have my final measurements so I know what I need to get. I'm going to prototype it with some plywood, 2x6 and some pine. Once I learn how to build it with the innexpensive wood I'm going to look at getting some nicer lumber to build the bench out of.

-jeremy