Thread: Wood working help

Impressive. Dovetails always seemed like too much effort to me. A very ambitious way to start boxmaking.

Regarding the lid fitting: You can easily compensate for inadequacies in equipment (in this case the table saw) with time and sandpaper. When you want two surfaces to mate cleanly, lap them down on a flat surface. Mount sheets of sandpaper to a sheet of plywood and sand until perfectly flat. I do all of my cuts on the table saw and clean up by hand. You don't need extremely expensive equipment to get precise results; just patience and a keen eye.

I usually polish my boxes after applying the finish. This allows the oil to penetrate before the grain gets too compressed by fine polishing. After the oil is cured, I hand-sand with 3M finishing paper (progressing from 400x to 4000x). Done correctly, this method will even allow you to see the chatoyancy in woods like Madagascar ebony.

Phillip

chatoyancy?

Looks like you are of to a good start. Will you continue? Phillip's reply has me on edge already this morning. you gotta have joinery...

It takes a bunch of stuff huh? Now you gotta keep going.I wish you the best of luck.

I don't think you are being too hard on yourself. As the craftsman it is up to you to set the standards and methods of work. If you don't set the goal high enough you will not improve. I always try to do my best. Honestly my best needs to be a lot better.

This box proved too much a test of skill for my outta practice body. It is smaller than intended after my hidden mitered dt failed again. resorted to biscuits and I feel like a boob when i see it. Ha, there's always next time.

In gemology, chatoyancy (, ), or chatoyance, is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones.

Very nice craftsmanship. Joinery always separates the men from the boys, and Dovetails further refines the men from the men.

David

Dovetails have never really been my thing. Tight joinery is. I believe that a lot of the magic of dovetailing has been stolen by the router. Many people think that the only way to do good dovetails is to have a machine. It's satisfying to see people learning the craft by hand.

The wonderful thing about boxes is that their small size keeps even ambitious projects manageable. Take your time, and be critical (but don't get discouraged). I've never seen a flawless piece of woodwork. The best you can hope to do is get close.

Originally Posted by mackie

In gemology, chatoyancy (, ), or chatoyance, is an optical reflectance effect seen in certain gemstones.

Yup, it's a fibrous reflectivity. Also seen in most hardwoods and synthetics like carbon fiber.

Originally Posted by PDobson

Dovetails have never really been my thing. Tight joinery is. I believe that a lot of the magic of dovetailing has been stolen by the router. Many people think that the only way to do good dovetails is to have a machine. It's satisfying to see people learning the craft by hand.

I understand what you're saying :P my boss does a LOT with wood, and when i brought him my first set that looked ok, he started telling me how to set up my router correctly, and i told him that it was by hand and i don't have a routher, he was VERY surprised.

I do feel accomplished for building this as my first box, but as has been stated before, there are defects and room to improve. But with some experience under my belt, i know a few different things to do for the next one which is probably going to be either a simple humidor, maybe even mitered dovetail.

Anyway, anybody to comment on how to get the deep almost clearcoat-esque top coat?

Originally Posted by PDobson

Dovetails have never really been my thing. Tight joinery is. I believe that a lot of the magic of dovetailing has been stolen by the router. Many people think that the only way to do good dovetails is to have a machine. It's satisfying to see people learning the craft by hand.

The wonderful thing about boxes is that their small size keeps even ambitious projects manageable. Take your time, and be critical (but don't get discouraged). I've never seen a flawless piece of woodwork. The best you can hope to do is get close.

so what do you use on your box corners?

Originally Posted by kevint

so what do you use on your box corners?

My boxes don't always have "corners". When they do, I use a variety of techniques (such as slipfeathered miters and rabbets) to enhance the design while allowing the parts to mesh together. The important part is to use joinery that compliments the rest of the design. Usually when I see a dovetailed box, it's just that: a box with dovetailed joints. There is little character because the maker is too busy focusing on the joints and not spending enough time on the box as a whole (there are obviously exceptions). Joinery should be a means, not an end.

I have a book about traditional Japanese joinery. Some of the joints described are representative of the pinnacle of Japanese woodcraft. The book then talks about why these techniques are falling out of favor. The skill and time involved in making a complex joint is very high. Additionally, these joints are very weak. Much weaker than simpler joints (rabbets and mortise and tenon) and not even comparable to metal-reinforced joinery. This required the builder to hire very expensive labor and procure huge, perfect timbers (now largely extinct in Japan). Aside from the fact that these joints were difficult to produce (requiring skilled craftsmen), there was little advantage. It was more of a way to show off one's skills.

Back on topic: Many woods will respond well to hand polishing after oiling. This box was sanded to 1200x, given a light coat of Danish oil, and then polished to 8000x. The pink ivory absolutely glows in person. I like that there isn't much of a coating to obscure the texture of the wood.



Another option is to buff a wax into the surface. This fills in scratches and pores, and gives the wood a glossy appearance.

Phillip