Adventures in Woodworking: A cabinet from the cut off pile.

I was reading a blog about saving the wood cutoff that accumulates in the shop over time. The advice was that if a saved piece of wood is not used within a year, move it to the burn pile.

We have a pretty good burn pile going for fire pit use over the coming winter as you can see from this picture.

Last Saturday while reviewing the wood stacked on the rack and having not quite decided on the actual design for the headboard project and found myself wandering down the path of what could I do with some of the scrap that might help me learn something and provide a nice "1 dayer" project.

I had watched a Fine Woodworking web video a while back by Mario Rodriguez (?) about the building of a hanging cabinet, that I thought could be plagiarized for this activity.

The goal of the day would be to build a storage cabinet for the "drill press stuff".

I had some leftover poplar from the Molesworth sideboard, curly redwood from the floating shelf and a thin piece of beetle kill Ponderosa that I had been looking to use somewhere.

Although there were know plans I went with a pretty simple final dimension of 24" tall by 12" wide. It would have a full width frame and panel door, with the top and bottom overhanging and a shelf with maybe a dovetail front drawer for small items.

This will be a warm up for the broom closet cabinet project that I should start next week.

Although I had done a number of these techniques already as the "1 dayer" project progressed my mistakes added to my repertoire. I planned to use dado and rabbit joinery for the cabinet carcass and biscuits for the door frame. If I had time the draw would have a hand cut dovetail front. I had done dado, rabbit and biscuits before, but I was looking forward to the dovetailing. I have no jig or dovetailing saw and my chisels and pretty basic Stanley Fatmaxx's, but they are sharp. For sawing I would use the Japanese backsaw that Derek got me for Christmas a number of years ago, it doesn't have a back support, but what the heck this is my first time, so a little wobbliness is OK.

The carcass when together pretty well until the point that I noticed that the top and bottom piece side rabbits showed in the front on the sides. To fix this first mistake I decided to rabbit the front of the top and bottom and in set the door so that the side rabbits would not be seen. It looked better then the original idea once completed. This did point out that even though this projects was a "shot from the hip", it still should have been committed to paper before cutting wood.

Once the carcass had been glued up and clamped. I tackled the door frame. The contrast between the dark redwood and beetle kill Ponderosa would be nice when done.

The door frame and full length stiles. I learned a trick after completing this from a forum that will help in fitting the next projects that needs a door, but more on that later.

The rail and stiles would be joined using #10 biscuits, cut by my trusty Harbor Freight POS biscuit jointer. Since I believe that tools sometimes seem to have a mind of there own I always refer to this one in less then glowing terms so that it can try and prove me wrong and give me a better joint that I have come to expect. A good biscuit jointer would cost me more then a $100, based on the amount I use one, I though the $30 for this one would be OK. Well as they say you get what you pay for.

BTW the tools having a mind of their own thing can usually be directly related back to the forethought and attention of the operator.

Once the frame had been glued up and drying, the next item was the panel. After cutting it to size I needed to plane it, since it was so thin I figured I would build a sled to give it the need thickness to make it through the planer. This is something I had read about some where, so don't be fooled by my ingenuity. I took a piece of 3/4" plywood and screwed (this will screw me later) a cleat on one end.

Boy am I a jenyuz (genius).

So I but the panel on the sled with the cleat on the backend so that it can pull it through the planner. Well the planer rollers just pulled the panel off the sled.

Aah, the jenyuz thinks, the sled has to be turned around so that the cleat is on the front and the panel pushes it through the planer.

So the jenyuz, turned it around and re-inserted it. Wow, it worked! I needed to take a little more off so I lowered the blade a half turn and sent it back through.

As the roller grabbed the panel on sled and pulled it into the blades I heard a metal on metal sound that was not good and as the piece exited the other side there was a nice grove extending from one of the screws used to hold the cleat all the way along the panel.

Before you say, "you d### s###", I did check that the panel stood proud of the cleat when I screwed it on.

OK now you can say, "you d### s###", I didn't think about how the actual cutting would make the panel thinner by this operation and the impact (literally) this would have on the cleat and screws.

So the blades will need to be replaced. Aah, but I learned this week that the Dewalt 735 has reversable blades, so I don't need to buy new ones...yet or at least until my jenyuosity comes back into play.

So the panel it ready and the frame is dryed, now on to the rabbit in the frame for the panel. Out comes the router on to which I put a edge fence and a straight bit. This operation actually went pretty well, so I thought I would also relieve the edges on the cabinet with a small round over bit equipped with a bearing. This really put a nice finishing touch on the cabinet.

I should have put the router away at this point.

I once read that one of the disciplines an artist needs to learn is when to stop working on a piece and say it is done...before they screw it up.

The door frame was done. But I thought that since the roundover bit did such a nice job on the edges of the cabinet why not do the inner edges of the rails and stiles...instead of just using a piece of sand paper. Heck the router was setup and ready to go and everyone knows that cutting is better then sanding anyway.

So down goes the frame on to the bench and on goes the router.

As I bring the bit into contact with the inner edge I am feeling for the contact of the bearing to so that I can start to move is along the stile...but something doesn't seem right. The bit seems to be taking an awful big bit out of the frame and instead of just rounding over the edge has cut a big groove into the rail.

WTH!

Well there is a slight gap between the bottom of the bit cutting edge and the bearing. This seems to be slightly larger then the edge itself so guess what...the bearing didn't even hit the edge to stop the bit from going any deeper.

So there I am looking at what was a great looking and square door frame not with a big divot in it.

What to do...build a new one? No! Again I read somewhere that how you recover from mistakes in woodworking (and life) is the real learning.

So what to do? Cut a piece to replace the chunk? No this is going to hang over the drill press in the shop not in the house, so out comes the 5 minutes epoxy gel and the box of saw dust.

I tend to be learning...a lot, so I have a collection of sawdust boxes from all of the woods I have used.

Mix up the epoxy, mix in some sawdust, schmooze it into the divot and sprinkle more sawdust on top as frosting, let dry and sand and scrape.

For those of you that have followed this blog for awhile this is the same technique used for the mortise I cut on the wrong place on the coffee table in our great room. I challenge anyone to find that repair without me pointing it out.

OK, at this point the project is going to slip in to the next day.

Due to the slip up I will not have time to build the draw this weekend. but I do a great job of mortising the hinges and mounting the finished door frame with panel. Marlys took a look at it and said it was to good for the barn...you be the judge.

The knob is a piece of deer antler and I still need to build a door catch, but I think it looks pretty good.

BTW here is a shot of my first try at dovetailing. I need some practice before building the drawer.

Marlys, you know for the bedroom dresser project, there is this dovetailing jig for sale on Craigslist.........

Full Moon over South Park, or When Nature Calls be Reasonable People.

Lately we have been going to Pinon Rock via US285 and Colorado Hwy 9. This is a nice drive when leaving from downtown as long as you travel in daylight, because as the sun sets the deer come out along the road and it can be a slow trip waiting for a critter to run out and become a grill ornament or worst yet a rider in the front seat.

On most evening there are a fair number of people out on this road at folks head from the city to homes within commuting distance in the mountains. Marlys even knows someone that commutes from Fairplay, which is just south of Breckenridge over Hoosier Pass.

The traffic drops off the further you get from Denver and by the time we turn south on SH9 it is getting to be pretty sparse. Even so there will be folks going by every now and then.

So back to reason for the post.

Once you get past Hartsel there will be no “improved” rest stops until the Royal Gorge on US50. This can be a long time to “hold it” if you know what I mean.

When nature is the only rest stop available, there are certain protocols that come into play around, which a number of techniques have been developed.

Let’s cover a few as I review a motorist that failed in all regards during Friday’s drive home.

As we came up a hill during the transition from Park to Fremont Counties there was a Chevy Suburban in a pullout on the side or the road. In looking at the rig we noticed a full moon staring at us. I believe the actual moon phase forecast for that evening was waxing crescent.

This moon was full and at the right rear corner of the parked SUV. Because it is a two laner we normally have the lights on, which added to the glare.

I guess the mooner wanted to see if it was anyone she knew, so she looked over her shoulder at us, the moonees. I assume it was a she, due to the male/female center of gravity thing, and the lack of dangling appendages.

This scene was wrong on many different levels.

The location; folks everyone knows that you pull over where you have a good view of the road both to the front and the back, so that in the event that some should drive by you can stop, stand, pull up your pants, and walk around looking like you lost something (your humanity?), until the vehicle drives by and the purging can resume.

Also it is best to pull off where there is a low likelihood that someone else would pull over thinking it is a proper pull off, to ask directions or something, prolonging the purging interruptus.

So pick a place well off the road with only room for one vehicle…not a pull off which invites others to join, this is experience best not turned into a community activity.

The pull-off; this is the Pike National Forest for Pete’s sake (don’t know Pete, but people seem to be concerned about him), pull off where there are trees to block the process from the rest of us. I know, depending on the type of need this can be one of “life’s little pleasures”, BUT ONLY FOR YOU, it cannot and should not be shared.

In reference to the vehicle; don’t go to either end to do your business that gives us, the traveling public, a 50% chance of knowingly being a party to this situation. I suppose there is a math wiz that will dispute this based on the likelihood of the vehicle coming from a certain direction, BUT YOU GET MY POINT. We would rather be a party to the event.

Also, shut the driver’s door, it only takes a nano-second. When you leave it open and are not standing there, it draws peoples attention, wondering what’s going on, did something happen, should we stop to provide assistance (please no).

The reaction to getting caught; don’t look over your shoulder! We are embarrassed enough sharing this occasion, recognition on either party’s part will serve no good purpose.

What it we do recognize the profile, can you imagine our next meeting? Saw you as we were driving in last Friday, you should really get that mole looked at? There is no good end (pun) to this conversation.

OK, enough of the review, lets hit on a couple of technique points for those of you who have not though this through prior to the spirit moving you, at which time rational decision making is long past.

As mentioned previously it’s all about; location, location, location. This will be the foundation on which the subsequent decisions will be based.

Sure it’s cute to see a parent assisting their child on the side of the road, but folks a 50 year olds posterior hanging out is a whole different situation.

Pick a place with some modicum of privacy. If it’s not complete privacy, that’s OK, at least it shows the traveling public that you were thinking of them and tried.

If you pick a road pull off be sure to do a 360 before commencing, as out here in the woods it may be a driveway, and someone may come out to greet you. Hopefully, the greeter will be human and not canine, ranch dogs tend to raise a sink, when a sink is being made. Worst yet a big hi there sniff and lick greeting from the fore mentioned canine could be disconcerting in your current pose.

If the only privacy screen available is the vehicle, hopefully it is a 4-door. Open the ditch side front and rear doors and use them as side screen, which along with the vehicle provides 3 sides of protection. It won’t be pretty for any passengers, but they are lower in priority then the innocent bystanders on the road.

The more advanced roadside users also understand where altitude comes into play; don’t squat to low, especially if you drive a SUV or a truck. Remember we share the road with folks driving small/sports cars that are not proctologist, and therefore could be “shocked and awed” by the view beneath the running boards.

I also recommend a perpendicular alignment to vehicle with the business end of things pointed away. The purgers (or should it be purgee?) facial Technicolor display, as it goes from red to purple to done will provide a little consolation entertainment for any passengers that may be captive witness’ to this natural eruption.

Finally, if caught in the act, with no where to hide, finish up, stand up and take a bow, accept applause if offered, because you just gave someone the gift of a story that will be told for years to come.