Something new to try, maybe

[steven c newman]

Ok, first off...when to Lowes today, shopping for some thin Project/Kraft Boards.....Poplar? My fingers looked straighter than their Poplar boards. 1/2" x 6" Clear Pine? None in the rack....which left the Red Oak....there were 4 planks in the rack...1/2" x 6" x 48"...Looked those over....kept three..the 4th one would have made a decent Long Bow....

Letting these sit a day...Price? $22 and change per board...even with my Military 10% discount..still an OUCH! Someone else can do the math...1/2" x 6" x 12' seems to be around..3 bft?


Anyway, was looking around for something to use these boards on....Happen to be watching Paul Sellers Master Class ...Keepsake Box Project....had a few ideas I just might steal, and use...

Might just have enough of this "Gold-Plated Red Oak" to make such a box, maybe....will take the 3 boards to the shop tomorrow, and see what happens..

Stay tuned....

[steven c newman]

OK...Red Oak....been a long time since I used any, been rather spoiled using Ash. But, having to wait another 2 months until I can go and pick up another car load....I am stuck with what I find around here. Soo..
The Sellers Box, lumber supplies.JPG
1/2" x 5-1/2" x 48"....three planks laying there...
The Sellers Box, 3 ends.JPG
Grain IS a little bit on the "hairy" side..
The Sellers Box, Grain details, Red Oak.JPG
Other 2 planks are a bit less showy...but, there is only a single knot to work around. Later today, I'll haul these down to the shop...as one has an appointment with the Stanley No. 358 Mitre Box. Need perfect 90 degree ends.

Paul Sellers has a free Masterclass site/video....for Projects one can download and use his plans...and make your own versions...
The Sellers Box, Title page.JPG
So...having watched the first 3 episodes of this Project...I downloaded the plans ( have to hide them from Boris and Natasha?)
The Sellers Box, page 3.JPG
Just a box? But wait, there's more...
The Sellers Box, Corner details 2.JPG
And...
The Sellers Box, curve details.JPG
So..later today, I'll start adapting Paul's Cut List to what I have...
The Sellers Box, cutting list.JPG

Stay tuned....and, there MIGHT be some cussing involved...

[steven c newman]

First off, I needed to clear the decks for action...as things were a bit ...messy..
Top of the bench, needs cleaned up.JPG
Ya think? As this place is where most of the "Mischief" takes place..
The Sellers Box, clear the deck 1.JPG
So, clean out the tool well...
The Sellers Box, cleaned the tray.JPG
And get the "extra" pencils over to a drawer...
The Sellers Box, clear the deck 2.JPG
While tools that I will be using go into the Tool Well/Tray....as the lumber has arrived IN the shop..
The Sellers Box, lumber is here...JPG
Maybe later, after the football games, I can do some sawdust making? First stop?
The Sellers Box, ready to go.JPG
As I'll need perfect 90 degree cuts for length.

Stay tuned

[Richard Coers]

The best place to buy hardwoods in Ohio is a box store?

[steven c newman]

When my go-to place is on vacation....I have to use what I can find...and LOOK at. And..Lowes is less that 2 miles away. And, the Amish aren't selling any...all their lumber goes into making pallets, they don't even kiln dry anything. Hartville, OH is 4 hours away to the north east....that is, 4 hours each way. Menard's does not carry 1/2" thick hardwood, and the closest one is 35 miles, each way. There IS a Woodcraft store...clear over on the East side of Columbus, OH...about a 90 mile trip, each way. I don't do "On-line" buying of hardwood, as I'd rather pick out my own boards, and see what they look like first hand...not in some fuzzy photo. So...I buy local.

[Gordon Dale]

Great pics. I love the look of a well-used bench!

[steven c newman]

Heading to the shop in a bit, camera in hand....will see how things go....goal today? Starting on dovetails....will see how I do with tails first, this time around. Normal for me is Pins First....but....

[steven c newman]

Got done about 1530hrs today....back started hurting, right knee joined in...figured that was enough fun for today...still processing the photos....and Supper.

[steven c newman]

Got a bit of work done, today...somehow.
Laid out for some crosscuts...
The Sellers Box.first cuts.JPG
Short section was out of square, decided to go back a bit, for better wood...Mitre Box for the cuts..
The Sellers Box, cross cut 1.JPG
Including that short scrap...
The Sellers Box, cross cut2.JPG
Goal was 2 sides and 2 ends cut from one plank...
The Sellers Box, 4 sides.JPG
There was a problem...these are 5-1/2" wide/tall...plan calls for 4"...set up the rip fence..
The Sellers Box, set oversized.JPG
Just over 4"...idea was to rough cut along one edge, joint THAT edge..
The Sellers Box, jointing.JPG
By ganging all 4 together, then reset the fence to exact 4"...and run them all through again, with the jointed edge against the rip fence....
The Sellers Box, follow the plan.JPG
So...according to the Plan....I work on the 2 ends first....and even do Tails first for a change....

Pays to keep a copy of the plan sitting right in front of me.
The Sellers Box, corner details.JPG
First up is to be a rebate on each end....3/16" deep by 1/2" wide...

Stay tuned...this might take awhile...

[steven c newman]

Ok, laid out all 4 rebates, knife walls and all. Even set up the Stanley No. 71-1/2 to 3/16" depth, to mark the end grain...cross cut for the shoulder...
The Sellers Box, shoulder cut.JPG
Just cut to almost the line..then pop the waste off..
The Sellers Box, pop the waste.JPG
Hmm, a bit rough..left the lines, as the next step takes over...
The Sellers Box, one done.JPG
With a wide, SHARP chisel to clean into the corner. Repeat for the other 3 rebates...take your time...no rush.
Plan was needed to lay out the spacing of the tails..
The Sellers Box, measurements.JPG
Which also meant I needed to determine which edge was the "Top" or"Bottom"...as the tails are different....have to allow for the lid to be sawn off..
The Sellers Box, cutting tails.JPG
And the baseline also changes a bit...it is NOT straight across...it angles upwards in the center...I think Paul used a 11mm:1mm angle.......coming in from each edge. Basically, I saw down to a stop line.

Then the usual chop and pare..to remove the waste..
The Sellers Box, tails chopped.JPG
No..that IS the way these are supposed to look....ok, repeat for the other 3 ends...
The Sellers Box, tails done.JPG
And THAT was just enough "fun" for today...back was sore, right between the shoulder blades, back of the right knee was complaining...
The Sellers Box, quitting time.JPG

And a Guinness Draught Stout was calling me name..."Quitting Time, Gentleman!"

Maybe tomorrow, I can lay out and cut the matching pins?
Stay tuned...

[Ben Ellenberger]

That curved edge box is nice! I made one a couple of years ago using that general design and was happy with how it came out.

I’ll be interested in seeing how yours goes.

[steven c newman]

First, I need to cut the pins to fit the tails into....kind of Bass-ackwards for me...usually it is the other way around..but...follow the Plan...
The Sellers Box, last saw cut.JPG
This was the easy part..just saw down to a baseline...
The Sellers Box, pin lay outs.JPG
It is when you go to chop out..that things become...different..
The Sellers Box, dry fit 3.JPG
Because the center 2 pins have to match that curve line...
The Sellers Box, dry fit 2.JPG
Anyway, was able to get a four corner dryfit..
The Sellers Box, 4 corner dry fit.JPG
Then resaw a 7/8" thick board to 5/8" thickness for the lid's panel....but, I'm going to have to use 1/2" for the bottom panel
The Sellers Box, both panels.JPG
So, tomorrow looks like a day to set up and use the Stanley 45....
The Sellers Box, panel details 1.JPG
More "fun" and fine tune the gaposis going on,,
The Sellers Box, dry fit 1.JPG
Box is square, though...might have done something right...

[steven c newman]

Had a quilt, needed to go get washed, AND dried ( might need it tonoght..) Put it in the dryer, timer said 55 minutes...checked on it about an hour or so later..still not fully dry...hmmm,run it through again...while I get the Stanley 45 all set up for tomorrow....3/16" cutter. Can't use the sliding stock...set the fence. Checked the quilt..dryer had stopped, said it was dry....checked the quilt..Nope. Re-do again...finally just hauled the quilt upstairs and left to air dry.


Lid will take different settings than the bottom panel will. Need to get the lid panels grooves cut....then change for the bottom's grooves....sounds like a "FUN" day...anyone want to stop in and help out?

Stay tuned..

[steven c newman]

Tasks for today....to better understand what I am trying to do...go watch Episode 2 of the Sellers' video. Keepsake Box with curved sides.

Bottom and top panels get a groove, even on the end grain.

Bottom and top panels get a "rebate" to the inside edge of the grooves...Bullnosed plane in use.

Sides and ends get a groove at the top and bottom edges, to house the panels

A Stopped dado is chopped on the inside of the ends, to house a divider. Dado is stopped near where the cut line for the lid to be sawn off is...Divider is 3/8" thick. And he wants it to be able to slide up out of the box. Dado is about 1/8" deep.

All 4 sides are then planed to a rounded shape....one side at a time, NOT the assembled box, just each side.

Dovetail nubs are then sawn and pared flush, with the 4 sides being dry fitted back together...

Then, onto episode #3....Episode #2 will be quite enough work for today...maybe. We'll see how the back holds up....

Stay tuned..film at 2300 hrs..

[steven c newman]

Start time was 1230 Hrs...ended time at 1440 hrs...knee wasn't happy, back was just starting to get sore....That will be quite enough fun for today..

Top and bottom panels have been grooved..

All four sides have been grooved

Panels have been fitted

Film at 2300 hrs...I'm bushed

Always tomorrow...stay tuned