Attempting to Route Precise Parallel Grooves

[Frank Pellow]

Frank,

If you are not using the Wonder Pup to advance the workpiece to the position for routing the next groove, why are you using it and not a Festool Clamping element which is much faster to release and reclamp at any position?

Dave R.

I'm not using the Wonder Dog to advance the workpiece.  I am using it, rather than the Festool clamping element, because the clamping element is too high and gets in the way of the router.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Frank, great thread.  How are you moving the jig for the next groove?  Are you adjusting the MFS and repositioning the workpiece, or are you turning the threaded rod on the wonder dog and moving the piece and MFS until you get to the next position.  I just want to know if the wonder dog can be used like a quasi micro adjuster.  If it can, it would be niece to position 2 along a board for ripping.

JGA.

Thanks Jesus.  To move the jig for the next groove, I release the clamps, slide the Rectangle the desiered amount (18 mm in this case) along the Reference Fence, then tighten the clamps again.  The wonder dog is not used as a micro adjuster, just as a clamp.

 

[Frank Pellow]

On with the box ...

Having routed the grooves in two pieces of Baltic Birch plywood (58cm by 28cm by 15 mm), the next step was to cut one of the pieces lengthwise down the middle, producing one bottom and two lids.  Then, four 5mm holes were drilled along each of the interior outside edges:

[attachthumb=#1]
   
The same edges were then roouted with a 1/2 inch roundover bit:

[attachthumb=#2]
 
The holes are intended to hold pin hinges that I purchased at Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=46693&cat=3,41241).
Each lid is to be held closed with two 1/4 inch magnet, cup and washer sets, again purchased at Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=58750&cat=3,42363,42348&ap=1).
Here is a picture showing som of the hardware temporarily in place while I was testing everything for fit:

[attachthumb=#3]

Here are two more pictures of the temporarily assembled box, one with a lid open, another with it closed:

[attachthumb=#4] [attachthumb=#5]

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Very nice, Frank.  And for the Ends Game, what is next?

Keep the photo essay coming.

Dave R.

 

[Eli]

Very cool Frank. Is the plan to breadboard the edge of the box, or do the pens stay in by friction? Dave sort of beat me to it I think. By seconds.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Dave and Eli, there will be sides much like the ones on Mack's small box that I showed at the very start of this thread.

Since this box is made of plywood, there is no nead to allow for wood movement as one needs to do with a breadboard.  The Baltic Birch model was supposed to be just a prototype, but it looks good enough that I am going to give it to Isla on Sunday. In the future, she might get a Cherry and Walnot replacement.

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Please be sure to post photos of the final product of this "First Edition."  I'm already imagining what you or others might come out with if you combine your ideas with some of those exhibited in the works of Bill Wyko and Charles Wilson and Nick.

Dave R.

 

[richard.selwyn]

I would imagine that you could use the new Festool parallel stop  FS-PA  for this with a reasonable degree of accuracy, but I've not tried it out yet.

 

[Frank Pellow]

When I selected the wood for the top, I did not notice that there was "Dutchman" on the outside surface.  It bothered me and I was sure that it would bother Isla -so I decided to feature it and make it look like I had chosen the wood on purpose.  The shape of a Dutchman is much the same as the shape of a medallion, and this gave me the idea of burning Isla's name into the Dutchman.

[attachthumb=#1]`
 
I created a name of the proper size on my computer then traced it onto the dutchman.  Then, I burned the letters.

[attachthumb=#2]`
 
Small opposing semi-circles were cut in the centres of the two lids.  

Ends were cut and connected to the box bottom using dowels.  

Everything was finished with three coats of Min-wax satin wipe-on Poly.  When I use this product, rather than following the directions on the can, I wipe it on and then wipe what I can off after a wait of only 10 minutes.  I wait a day between coats.

Here are two pictures of the finished box:

[attachthumb=#3]` [attachthumb=#4]`

 

[Dave Ronyak]

Very clever and very nice, Frank.  Are the top cover pieces of the pencil case held closed by magnetic catches?  I thought I could see those in the photos.

Dave R.

 

[Frank Pellow]

Very clever and very nice, Frank.  Are the top cover pieces of the pencil case held closed by magnetic catches?  I thought I could see those in the photos.

Dave R.

Thanks Dave.  Yes (as I said back in post #22 ib this thread  ): "Each lid is to be held closed with two 1/4 inch magnet, cup and washer sets, again purchased at Lee Valley (http://www.leevalley.com/hardware/page.aspx?c=1&p=58750&cat=3,42363,42348&ap=1).".

 

[BarryL]

Frank

As you are putting on a coat of the poly...and you wait a day between coats, do you sand between coats?  If so what grit?

 

[Frank Pellow]

Frank

As you are putting on a coat of the poly...and you wait a day between coats, do you sand between coats?  If so what grit?

I do not sand veery v ery lightly after the first coat in order to get the minor amount of raised grain caused by that coat.  After that is no need to sand since I have wiped up the excess poly soon after the application.

 

[Frank Pellow]

The photos that I had placed into  this thread were missing.  [sad]  I have now restored them all from my computer backup disks.  [smile]