DavidCBaker
Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2010
- Messages
- 537
I hope these project documentations aren't boring you folks, but I enjoy doing it?and it helps me think through things logically. If all the steps are boring, just skip to the last picture, which is the end result of all this.
I wanted to make a nice box for a Christmas present, so I bought some curly maple for the box proper and some burl maple for the lid. I seem to like making lids first, maximizing the wood, and then making a box to fit it. Weird, I know.
Here's the piece of burl. I don't have a jointer, so I have to make do, creating (what I hope is) a square edge and then referencing off that.
I don't have a band saw, either, unfortunately, so this is how I split the piece, by cutting at the max depth of my TS, four times:
And then cutting the small center piece that remained by hand:
I ended up with two pieces, each an inch thick, but only used one for this project:
Then to the thickness planer. (Is this thing a good value or what? I'm impressed with how well this DeWalt works, especially for the price.)
Then sanding the "blank" to get it all smooth.
Next it was time to take the curly maple to the thickness planer:
Then to the Kapex to get a square edge:
And then cutting the four sides out so that I can get a nice grain pattern all the way around:
Next it was time to set up the 1400 router to use with the VS-600 to create finger joints. It starts with using the right copy ring (part no. 492-180) and mounting the right bit, the carbide part no. 490-980 that matches with the FZ 10 template (part no. 488-880). The router has to be plunged all the way down (AFTER the copy ring is mounted). Then loosen the black, long knob and move the adjuster all the way down:
Then loosen the adjuster clamp and slide the piece you'll be routing between the two so that you can get the exact depth set appropriately. I don't know if the rest of you do this, but I've found it to be a quick shortcut:
Flip the template down so that it just touches the right side of the black plastic arrow, then lift it again. As I mentioned above, this is the FZ 10 template, which is the larger of the two templates that make finger joints:
Then flip the template up and align the two sides (these are test pieces), one against the finger and one against the knob, like this:
In both cases you'll need a backing board that is THICKER than the depth you'll be routing or you'll end up with aluminum everywhere! [big grin]
Then flip the template back down like this:
And route the slots. I've found that this is the most efficient dust collection method:
When you're done it looks like this. Notice the offset slots. In all cases, the top of the side pieces should be against the outside of the template, and the two outside faces of the side pieces should be against each other (in other words, the inside edges of the side pieces are facing out):
Now the exciting part starts: a dry fitting.
Then glue up:
Then "rounding over" the top and dadoing a slot in the bottom:
I glued two strips onto the bottom against which I glued the bottom shelf:
Then final sanding:
Four coats of satin finish:
And the final project. I was very happy with it. I still made a couple mistakes, but I at least know what mistakes I'm making, which is progress. [tongue]
I wanted to make a nice box for a Christmas present, so I bought some curly maple for the box proper and some burl maple for the lid. I seem to like making lids first, maximizing the wood, and then making a box to fit it. Weird, I know.
Here's the piece of burl. I don't have a jointer, so I have to make do, creating (what I hope is) a square edge and then referencing off that.
I don't have a band saw, either, unfortunately, so this is how I split the piece, by cutting at the max depth of my TS, four times:
And then cutting the small center piece that remained by hand:
I ended up with two pieces, each an inch thick, but only used one for this project:
Then to the thickness planer. (Is this thing a good value or what? I'm impressed with how well this DeWalt works, especially for the price.)
Then sanding the "blank" to get it all smooth.
Next it was time to take the curly maple to the thickness planer:
Then to the Kapex to get a square edge:
And then cutting the four sides out so that I can get a nice grain pattern all the way around:
Next it was time to set up the 1400 router to use with the VS-600 to create finger joints. It starts with using the right copy ring (part no. 492-180) and mounting the right bit, the carbide part no. 490-980 that matches with the FZ 10 template (part no. 488-880). The router has to be plunged all the way down (AFTER the copy ring is mounted). Then loosen the black, long knob and move the adjuster all the way down:
Then loosen the adjuster clamp and slide the piece you'll be routing between the two so that you can get the exact depth set appropriately. I don't know if the rest of you do this, but I've found it to be a quick shortcut:
Flip the template down so that it just touches the right side of the black plastic arrow, then lift it again. As I mentioned above, this is the FZ 10 template, which is the larger of the two templates that make finger joints:
Then flip the template up and align the two sides (these are test pieces), one against the finger and one against the knob, like this:
In both cases you'll need a backing board that is THICKER than the depth you'll be routing or you'll end up with aluminum everywhere! [big grin]
Then flip the template back down like this:
And route the slots. I've found that this is the most efficient dust collection method:
When you're done it looks like this. Notice the offset slots. In all cases, the top of the side pieces should be against the outside of the template, and the two outside faces of the side pieces should be against each other (in other words, the inside edges of the side pieces are facing out):
Now the exciting part starts: a dry fitting.
Then glue up:
Then "rounding over" the top and dadoing a slot in the bottom:
I glued two strips onto the bottom against which I glued the bottom shelf:
Then final sanding:
Four coats of satin finish:
And the final project. I was very happy with it. I still made a couple mistakes, but I at least know what mistakes I'm making, which is progress. [tongue]
