FOG for Charities Contest

Eiji Fuller said:
In February I was approached by my son's teacher to build a puppet theater to be submitted for the class in the school's fund raising auction.
...
They expect to get quite a bit for it and that translates into lots of good stuff for the kids.

Thanks for looking.
Click to expand...
Great job.   [thumbs up]  I expect that this will win the contest, but I am planning to submit something in spite of that fact.

By the way, I once built and donated a puppet theatre.  Mine was a lot bigger than yours, it was made of cheap pine, and no one would ever mistake the one that I made for a piece of furniture.
 
Very nice Fuller.  I hope it ends up in a nice home and that someone buys it for a million bucks for it. 
 
Just a reminder,

The FOG for Charity Contest Deadline is coming up.  There haven't been many posts here yet.  This is not a contest of skill.  It is about the spirit of giving - much like this forum.

For more details - go to the beginning of this thread. 

Peter
 
Chinese Checker Board for Civitan Auction

I recently made a Chinese Checker board to be auctioned at the annual Don Mills Civitan silent auction.  This is the seventh such board that I have made and the third one made in order to be donated.  It is somewhat unusual and seems to raise a lot of interest in auctions.

Last year I documented making two such boards in the thread:  http://festoolownersgroup.com/member-projects/chinese-checker-boards-finished-just-with-wax/ but for purposes of this contest will report on the board that I made this week.

The roughsawn cherry and walnut boards shown below:
[attachthumb=#1]
   
were the raw input.  The cherry boards were shorts with quite a few defects, but I expected to be able to find sufficient good portions for the job.

The first step was to run each of the boards through a jointer in order to get one flat edge and one flat side with a square corner between them:
[attachthumb=#2]  [attachthumb=#3]  

One of the cherry boards was so bad that I cut a large part of it away:
[attachthumb=#4]
   
The waste was contributed to my wood stove right away (so made it?s small contribution to the project).

The boards were next run through a planer in order to obtain uniform thickness:
[attachthumb=#5]
   
The remaining edge of the boards was cut square on the table saw then the boards were cut to rough length.  Here they are being sorted and matched for glue-up:
[attachthumb=#6]    

I find the variety of the pattern in the wood to be amazing ?and frustrating.  They were difficult to match and I don?t think that I did a very good job of it:
[attachthumb=#7]
   
I was also somewhat too liberal with the glue so, after the glue had dried, I removed the squeeze-pout with a Deltex sander:
[attachthumb=#8]
   
The assembled cherry panel was cut to width using a guided circular saw:
[attachthumb=#9]  [attachthumb=#10]  
     
Both sides of the cherry panel were sanded with 80 grit paper using a Rotex sander:
[attachthumb=#11]

Then I picked the best looking side for the top.

Next, it was time to work on the walnut plank.  Pieces of walnut are going to be attached to each of the long sides of the cherry panel.  The plank contained much more wood then I needed, so a small portion was cut out of it then processed with the jointer, planer, and table saw to produce the two required pieces of walnut.  These too were sanded with 80 grit paper and the best sides chosen for the top and outside:
[attachthumb=#12]  [attachthumb=#13]
 
Before assembling things, the bottom of the cherry panel and the insides of the walnut strips were sanded and polished with a progression disks using a Rotex sander.  This is the progression that I used:
 Rubin 80
 Rubin 120 -
 Rubin 150
 Brilliant 180
 Brilliant 220
 Brilliant 320
 Brilliant 400
 Platin 400
 Platin 500
 Platin 1000
 Platin 2000
 Platin 4000

The Rubin and Brilliant disks were used on random orbital mode and the Platin disks were used in Rotary mode.

While sanding, I frequently cleaned to disks with a crepe block:
[attachthumb=#14]
   

 
Here the bottom of the cherry panel has just been finished using the Platin 4000 disk:
[attachimg=#1] 
   
Of course, when polishing with the Platin disks, the dust extractor is not connected.

The insides of the walnut strips were included in the progression ?using a different bench.  In this picture the entire board has been sanded with 400 grit paper and I have proceeded to polish to right side with 400 grit Platin.
[attachimg=#2]   
   
The contrast is very noticeable in real life and sort of detectable in the photo.  Things just get better as one progresses to 500, 1000, 2000, then 4000 grit.  The first time that I saw the polish produced by 4000 grit Platin, I was amazed.  As I use this process on other projects I have ceased to be amazed but I remain very impressed.
 
Next, the two walnut strips were glued and clamped to the cherry panel and cherry Miller Dowels inserted into each of the cherry boards through each of the walnut side pieces then sawn off flush with the walnut:
[attachthumb=#3]  [attachthumb=#4]  [attachthumb=#5]     
   
The ends were trimmed off on the table saw, then all the top edges were rounded over on my router table:
[attachthumb=#6]
   
Notice, that I am using a Festool CT22 vac connected to the Tritan router in the table.  The dust collection with this combination is quite good.

Now it was time to use the Chinese Checker template and bit that I purchased from Rockler  (catalogue numbers 34515 and 41463) a few years ago.  First the template was cetered on the board then clamped into place:
[attachthumb=#7]
   
Then the special bit was used to drill 100 indents.  Here is a close up of the special bit:
[attachimg=#8]
   
Here is the pattern formed  by the small hills dust and chips after all the indents have been drilled and the template carefully removed:
[attachthumb=#9]
   
Three grooves to hold marbles were routed into each end of the board using a "core box bit" Chinese Checkers:
[attachthumb=#10]
         
Notice how blocks of wood have been clamped to the fence on the router table.  These serve as start and stop blocks when routing the grooves.
 
Before cutting the groves in the real board, I made test cuts on a piece of plywood scrap of the same width and these grooves were tested for length with the actual marbles that will be used when playing.
[attachthumb=#11]   
 
Next, I turned my attention to the underside of the board.  Some of the leftover cherry wood was used to make a marble holding compartment, four non-skid feet were installed, and I branded the board with my name and year of construction.
[attachthumb=#1]  [attachimg=#2]
     
Now for some more sanding and polishing.  The grooves were hand sanded up to 220 grit:
[attachthumb=#3]
   
I found this half inch ruby carver?s ball at Lee Valley (catalogue # 77J08.31) and it did a pretty good job of smoothing the 100 indents:
[attachthumb=#4]
   
After sanding about every five indents I cleaned off the ball with mineral spirits and that seemed to keep the ball clean enough to do it?s job.

Finally I could sand and polish the top and the sides with my Rotex.  The progression was the same as that used earlier.  This time, I kept track of the time used for each step:

 Rubin 80 -2 minutes

 Rubin 120 -4 minutes

 Rubin 150 -4 minutes

 Brilliant 180 -3 minutes

 Brilliant 220 -5 minutes

 Brilliant 320 -3 minutes

 Brilliant 400 -3 minutes

 Platin 400 -4 minutes

 Platin 500 -4 minutes

 Platin 1000 -4 minutes

 Platin 2000 -2 minutes

 Platin 4000 -2 minutes

[attachthumb=#5]  [attachthumb=#6]
     
I applied a coat of paste wax to the grooves and the indents (labouriously),
[attachthumb=#7]
   
waited about 15 minutes, then (even more labouriously) hand polished them.  

After that applying two coats of paste wax and polishing it with the Rotex was a treat.
[attachthumb=#8]
     
Here a test game is being played on the new board:

[attachimg=#9]  
 

To come:  All that remains is to see how well the board fares at the auction (on April 9th).
 
Shane Holland said:
First, I want to begin by thanking the members and the moderators for collaborating to come up with ideas for our contests on the forum.  We got a lot of great ideas submitted and the moderators did a great job of consolidating the list and helping on the back end.

[thumbs up]

Now, on to the contest information...

It seemed to me like there's no better time than the present for us to come together as an online community and try to make a difference for those in need.  So, our first contest of the year will be centered around charity.  Peter and Forrest recommended that I make the announcement far enough in advance that members have a chance to ask questions and formulate ideas.  I think that having an entry deadline of 2 months should give everyone plenty of time.

Contest Rules

  • The project must be donated to a charitable organization or someone truly in need, excluding family members and immediate friends.
  • You may not get paid for doing the project.
  • You may not submit a project you have already posted on the forum in the past.
  • Entries must contain all items listed in the "How to Enter" section below.
  • Contest entries must be posted by Sunday, April 11th, 2010.
  • The contest is open to members in the US and Canada who are at least 18 years of age.
  • Festool employees, dealers and affiliates are not eligible to win (but may choose to participate in the spirit of giving).
  • Forum moderators are eligible to participate since they are forum members who donate their time here on the forum.
  • Festool reserves the right to use the content from any entries in the SysNotes email newsletter or other marketing materials.

Prizes


Winners will be selected by a panel of Festool employees and our honorary guest judge, Gary Katz, and announced by Monday, April 19th, 2010.  The Grand Prize will be given to the member who is deemed to have done the best job embracing the spirit of giving.  This is not a contest based on skill, but instead on good will.  Additional consideration will be given to projects with video and/or lots of photography.  Second prize will be given to a randomly selected entry which gives everyone a chance to win.  Third prize will be awarded to a randomly selected member from the list of members who contributed ideas for the contests.

How to Enter.

Members must submit their entries for the contest in the form of a post on the forum.  The post must include the following information at a minimum:

  • One photo of a Festool tool being used for the project.
  • One photo of the finished project.
  • A written summary of the project consisting of at least 200 words.
  • The name of the charity to which the project was donated.

Possible charities who accept furniture and similar donations

Contact your local charity of choice before beginning your project

  • Humane Society
  • Big Brothers, Big Sisters
  • Salvation Army
  • Goodwill
  • Habitat for Humanity
  • Churches
  • Homeless Shelters
  • Battered Womens Shelters

I hope we see good participation! Not because you have the chance to win something but because it's a good reason to do something for someone in need.  Charitable donations may be tax deductible - consult your tax adviser for details.

Feel free to post any questions you might have.
Click to expand...

Just reminding everyone that this contest ends on Saturday.  There aren't many entries yet.

Peter
 
Hello,

Here is my modest commitment into charity. These small projects were not made for this contest, but they were made especially for charity. These are everyday items. I just had some spare material, and some time. My major concerns were that it must be functional, and durable. People can use it every day. Material is plywood and pine.  Sorry for pictures, I did not want to show them to general public. Thanks to Festool tools with these tools any project goes smooth and fast. These items were donated to Salvation Army, and Salvation Army distributed or sold them.

First project is Chest of drawers. (End of 2009).
I bought few full sets of drawers hardware with knobs and sliders on liquidation sale.  I used most of them when I make up my closets, but couple sets were extra, plus I had some plywood and pine laying in my garage. I decided to build this chest of drawers for charity.  Design is very simple. I think dimensions are 48" tall 24? wide and 16? deep.   TS-55, ETS-125, OF-1010 router, DF-500 Domino, and CT-22 vacuum

[attachimg=1]

Second project is pine table/ desk (End of 2009).
I had some spare time and lot of pine boards that still laying in my garage shop.  This time I wanted to build table for family, living in apartment.   Kitchen or dining area in the rental apartments is usually small and/or narrow, so table top dimension was 48" x 24". Table top is 5/4 pine lamination. Apron is 4/4 pine. Finish is Wipe on poly over de-waxed  shellac. Tools used: TS-55, RO-150, ETS-125, OF-1010 router, DF-500 Domino, and CT-22 vacuum.

[attachimg=2]

Third project is solid wood (pine) desk (February - April 2010).  Design is extremely simple.  Pine laminated panels and dominoes.  It has 44"L x 24"W x 30"H.  Finish is Wipe on poly over de-waxed  shellac.

Preparing stock. For registering using 5mm dominoes.

[attachimg=3]

Gluing together boards.

[attachimg=4]

Sanding panels. With Festool's sanders that's piece of cake.  Sanding sequence: P50 Rotary, P80 Rotary, P120 Rotary, then ROS, P180, P220.

[attachimg=5]

[attachimg=6]

Cut panels for dimension. TS 55 is the best for this kind of job.

[attachimg=7]

Cutting notches. Horizontal cut made with TS-55, curved cut made with PSB-300 jig saw. Curved cut lines sanded with LS-130.

[attachimg=8]
Dominoes for easy assembly. With dominoes all parts are instantly square.

[attachimg=9]

Finished product.  ETS-125 is the best sander for finishing. It light, soft, with small strokes.  P220 for first two coats of shellac, then P320 and P400 for final coats.

[attachimg=10]
Used tools:

DF-500 Domino, RO-150 FEQ sander, ETS-125 sander, PBS-300 saw, TS-55 saw, OF-1010 router, CT-22 vacuum.

Regards,
VictorL
 
Reminder - about 27 hours left to post your project!  Deadline is midnight tomorrow EDT in the US.

This is an edit from an earlier post.

Peter
 
Frank Pellow said:
...
To come:  All that remains is to see how well the board fares at the auction (on April 9th).
Click to expand...
The board was sold for $120 at the silent auction last night.
 
Originally when this contest was announced, I had grand ideas.  Unfortunately the economy eliminated many aspects of my hopeful endeavor.  I decided not enter ? until noon today.

I suspect that this entry will be controversial.

Here is my entry in the contest.  It is simple, but I believe that it meets the criteria and the spirit of the contest rules.  Does it show the most skill or the best technique?   Absolutely not.  

Giving to charities is often called a gift.  Gifts are wrapped.  For this gift I decided to make a box.  The box was made using the following Festool products:

TS 55 with 2 rails
CT 22 Dust extractor
Domino
TDK 12 Drill
MFT / 3

The box was constructed using left over materials from a job in December 2008.  The sides are .75 in plywood.  The bottom is .25 in. plywood.  The reinforcements for the bottom are .75 in poplar.

The sheet goods were cut using the ts55 and the 3000 mm rail for the long lengths and the 1400 mm for the cross cuts.  The cutting table was pink foam board on sawhorses.  After cutting across the board I butted the two cut sections together and then made the cross cuts.

The box was 36 in by 24 in by 24 in deep.  The joints were dominos ? 6 mm by  x 40 mm on 3 inch centers and they were glued and unfortunately due to the wonderful 13 ply plywood from one of the big box store had to be reinforced / clamped using pocket screws.  The dominos were shortened using a Japanese saw to make them not protrude thru the side.  The main purpose of the dominoes was for alignment due to the condition of the plywood.  The bottom of the box was .25 in plywood inserted into dados cut into the sides using the OF 1400 and the edge guide.    Because I used thinner plywood for the bottom in case this gift box was used to transport tools or was reused for another purpose in the future, I routed the dadoes .75 in above the bottom of the box sides so as to allow for the insertion of the .75 in popular re-enforcements underneath.  These boards were cut using the MFT and the rail stop.  There was not a top to the box.  There is a reason for that.

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

[attachimg=#]

The organization that I decided to give this box and it contents to was a local church ? The Powhatan United Methodist Church.  They have a group of 8 called the ?Movers and Shakers? who do many things within the community.  I am not a member of the church, nor have I ever attended it.  I didn?t even know anything about it until I went to get my paper this morning and ran into my neighbor ? Jim.  Jim is a member of the church and the ?Movers??  The ?Movers? were formed after a church sponsored trip to Mississippi to repair homes after a natural disaster.  After returning home, the group realized that there was a need in the community and decided to focus its attention there.

This group regularly is called upon to make repairs to homes that are basically inhabitable.  One of the members of the church is the director of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter.  He gets calls that Habitat can?t handle and passes the word on.  The last job was a repair to a house trailer where the only thing keeping the owner from falling thru the floor was the carpet.  Being a tool junkie for more than two decades, I asked Jim what kind of tools they used to make that repair.  Unfortunately due to a lack of electricity, they had to use all hand tools.

So, enclosed in the gift box were tools that have been replaced by my Festools and others, donated for their use in future projects by the group.   We all have them ? those unused tools.  Rather than let them sit and become collector items, I decided to put them back to use.  Hopefully the Movers and Shakers will have some better tools and the ability to help more people.  All the donated tools were all fully operational and some were the first tools that I purchased as I was entering the trades in the early to mid 1980?s.  Many were more recent.  They included the following:

Dewalt 12 volt cordless drill
Ryobi 3 5/8 in planer
Ryobi Router
Ryobi Reciprocating Saw
Dewalt cordless screwdriver
Dewalt wet dry vac
Rigid 18 volt cordless drill and saw
Porter Cable 19.2 volt cordless ? drill and saw
Dewalt circular saw
Rigid 18 volt cordless drill and saw
Craftsman belt sander
8? Tru clamp guide
4? Tru clamp guide
Dewalt 5 inch r/o sander

Additionally I have arranged for the group to receive a Rigid radial arm saw that was originally designated as a gift to me.

[attachimg=#]

The box didn?t have a top because the items wouldn?t fit.  

This project and contest was about paying it forward.  Hopefully the unused tools and the 8 individuals can do more good than I can by myself.  Maybe the gift box will be used to transport or store tools or materials.  I had fun piddling with my tooIs.  I can?t wait to hear about their future projects.

Peter

 
That's a good practical gift Peter. 

If they make good use of those tools, maybe next time you could donate some Festool items to them.  [big grin]
 
Frank,

I will NOT donate my Festools.  They will have to be pried out of my fingers.

Peter
 
Well, I have to say that participation in this contest was lower than expected, especially since members helped to come up with the idea.  Hopefully we will see higher participation in the next contest which will be announced soon.  Now on to the winners...

1st prize - Eiji Fuller's puppet theater - T15+3 Cordless Drill Set
2nd prize - Chris Hughes' school bench - Rack Systainer
3rd prize - Frank Pellow (randomly selected from contest ideas contributed by members) - Gary Katz DVD set

Thanks to those who participated in the contest and to those who did a good deed just for the sake of doing it.  I hope the true reward was doing something good for others.  I will be contacting the winners to get shipping addresses for your prizes.

Shane
 
Awesome! I cant wait to get the new drill! It is an honor to be selected as the wiener. ;D
 
Thanks for the contest Festool.  It was nice to see what everybody does their spare parts and the organizations they support.  Thanks you judges.
 
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