derekcohen
Member
- Joined
- Jun 22, 2008
- Messages
- 922
A decade ago (!), while road testing the new Veritas chisels (then only O1 was available), I built a box partly to house them and partly to demonstrate them in use ...
Then one weekend recently, I was due to be part of a dovetailing workshop, and decided that it was time to build a new box for these chisels. These are the chisels I use in demonstrations, such as wood shows.
For one thing, the number has grown from 5 to 7 chisels (I had made a 1/8" from a spare pre-production 1/4" - this was before this size was available from Veritas - as well as a 3/8" fishtail chisel. At some stage Veritas will be producing their own version. I do not have any details).
A second factor was that I thought the existing box was a little OTT, and wanted something more subtle, and less in-your-face. The fact is that the joinery in the replacement box is far more demanding than the first box, but only those experienced might recognise this.
The light wood is Jacaranda (in both boxes), which is the last harvested from a tree on our property several years ago. It is softish, not so nice to saw and dovetail, but planes beautifully. The darker wood is Makore. Another wonderful wood to work with.
The construction of the box is mainly mitred through dovetails - all lower corners and the end upper corners. This makes it easier to plough through grooves for the base and top. The mitred corners are also, in my view, far more aesthetic, lending a balanced presentation from the top.
The finger depression was carved with chisels ...
Inside the box, the chisels are held very firmly with a combination of rare earth magnets and individualised spaces for each chisel ..
The original chisel box was repurposed for marking tools. Inside are a two cutting gauges, a 12"/300mm combination square, a 4"/100mm double square, dividers, marking knife, sliding bevel, and two dovetail gauges - all those needed for setting out any joinery.
Note that these tools are to be used in demonstrations at wood shows and workshops. They are not jewellery boxes. I decided that their construction might present a sample of different corner joints as part of presentations.
The third box is for a couple of dovetail saws, in particular a Veritas 20 ppi and a Veritas 14 ppi (which I have re-filed from 14 degrees of rake to 10 degrees of rake and 15 degrees of rake for the first 1 1/2" of the toe). The 20 ppi is excellent for thin board and softer wood, plus works well for crosscutting (such as the shoulders). The idea behind the progressive rake in the 14 ppi saw is to make it easier to start in hard, brittle wood, and then cut more aggressively.
The wood here is US Black Walnut, and the 20 ppi saw was used. This is another with mitred through dovetails. The feature is rounded edges at the top.
The last of the four tool boxes features simple mitred corners. The notable feature is is that there is no spline or reinforcing. Instead, the end grain corners are sized and glued.
Sizing involved a layer of glue on the end grain, allow to near-dry, then add fresh glue. The glue fills the straws and the joint avoids being glue-starved.
Black Walnut and Hard Maple.
The opening to the top in at the end facing the camera ...
Knew Concepts 5" Titanium fretsaw with one of my custom handles, and a kerfing chisel.
Regards from Perth
Derek
Then one weekend recently, I was due to be part of a dovetailing workshop, and decided that it was time to build a new box for these chisels. These are the chisels I use in demonstrations, such as wood shows.
For one thing, the number has grown from 5 to 7 chisels (I had made a 1/8" from a spare pre-production 1/4" - this was before this size was available from Veritas - as well as a 3/8" fishtail chisel. At some stage Veritas will be producing their own version. I do not have any details).
A second factor was that I thought the existing box was a little OTT, and wanted something more subtle, and less in-your-face. The fact is that the joinery in the replacement box is far more demanding than the first box, but only those experienced might recognise this.
The light wood is Jacaranda (in both boxes), which is the last harvested from a tree on our property several years ago. It is softish, not so nice to saw and dovetail, but planes beautifully. The darker wood is Makore. Another wonderful wood to work with.
The construction of the box is mainly mitred through dovetails - all lower corners and the end upper corners. This makes it easier to plough through grooves for the base and top. The mitred corners are also, in my view, far more aesthetic, lending a balanced presentation from the top.
The finger depression was carved with chisels ...
Inside the box, the chisels are held very firmly with a combination of rare earth magnets and individualised spaces for each chisel ..
The original chisel box was repurposed for marking tools. Inside are a two cutting gauges, a 12"/300mm combination square, a 4"/100mm double square, dividers, marking knife, sliding bevel, and two dovetail gauges - all those needed for setting out any joinery.
Note that these tools are to be used in demonstrations at wood shows and workshops. They are not jewellery boxes. I decided that their construction might present a sample of different corner joints as part of presentations.
The third box is for a couple of dovetail saws, in particular a Veritas 20 ppi and a Veritas 14 ppi (which I have re-filed from 14 degrees of rake to 10 degrees of rake and 15 degrees of rake for the first 1 1/2" of the toe). The 20 ppi is excellent for thin board and softer wood, plus works well for crosscutting (such as the shoulders). The idea behind the progressive rake in the 14 ppi saw is to make it easier to start in hard, brittle wood, and then cut more aggressively.
The wood here is US Black Walnut, and the 20 ppi saw was used. This is another with mitred through dovetails. The feature is rounded edges at the top.
The last of the four tool boxes features simple mitred corners. The notable feature is is that there is no spline or reinforcing. Instead, the end grain corners are sized and glued.
Sizing involved a layer of glue on the end grain, allow to near-dry, then add fresh glue. The glue fills the straws and the joint avoids being glue-starved.
Black Walnut and Hard Maple.
The opening to the top in at the end facing the camera ...
Knew Concepts 5" Titanium fretsaw with one of my custom handles, and a kerfing chisel.
Regards from Perth
Derek
