A couple of days ago I posted to see if there was any interest in this project. It seemed that there was enough for me to invest the time to do this thread.
Keep in mind this is in the beginners section and this is a project for beginners. Questions are always welcome. Comments should be on subject.
For something different, at least for me, I'll get to different points then ask what tool/method you would like to see me use to accomplish the task. More on that as we get started.
The plans for this nest box can be found here:
http://dnr.state.il.us/education/classr ... ODPROJ.PDF
If you decide to really build one of these you will need at least pages 22-23, 26.
Next we will talk about several aspects of materials selection.
Ed
Nest Box 10 build (for beginners)
Moderator: admin
Wood is the material of choice for this project. In this case cheap pine out of the cut-off at my local Menards store. Cheap is defined as 69 cents for a 1" x 12" x 4' board. If the wood were perfect 3 boards would give the 12' but for this version I think getting one extra board still keeps us on the cheap side and provides for an easier build. Wood cost $2.76.
Other options would have been to purchase a single 12' piece. This I dare say will not fit in most cars so transportation could have been an issue. I have a mini van and I can't contain that length within the van. Roof rack or leaving the rear door open would have been my options.
Another point here is that as beginners cutting up a 12' board on the shopsmith might seem a step to far. The 4' boards will be less daunting a task.
The pine pictured below will be about 3/4" thick, 11-1/4 wide and about 4 feet long. It has knots, loose knots, knot holes, sap pockets, cracks, and all manor of defects. Keep in mind this is for a Nest Box and it will be painted. It should be somewhat rustic and the box will be setting in a tree in all sorts of weather, have perfect wood and a plastic perfectness is not in the picture.
Here is a photo of the wood I brought home.
[ATTACH]16823[/ATTACH]
Next post we will look at some of the defects up close.
Ed
Other options would have been to purchase a single 12' piece. This I dare say will not fit in most cars so transportation could have been an issue. I have a mini van and I can't contain that length within the van. Roof rack or leaving the rear door open would have been my options.
Another point here is that as beginners cutting up a 12' board on the shopsmith might seem a step to far. The 4' boards will be less daunting a task.
The pine pictured below will be about 3/4" thick, 11-1/4 wide and about 4 feet long. It has knots, loose knots, knot holes, sap pockets, cracks, and all manor of defects. Keep in mind this is for a Nest Box and it will be painted. It should be somewhat rustic and the box will be setting in a tree in all sorts of weather, have perfect wood and a plastic perfectness is not in the picture.
Here is a photo of the wood I brought home.
[ATTACH]16823[/ATTACH]
Next post we will look at some of the defects up close.
Ed
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The following pictures show a few of the "defects" that can show up when you purchase these cut-offs.
Let's start with a knot hole. You may have to trust me on this as it looks like a black hole. In this case it could be worked in as vent hole, cut out for an entrance, placed in the back against the tree or simply trimmed off.
[ATTACH]16824[/ATTACH]
Below is knot hole along the edge of the board. I'm inclined to say that might be something to be trimmed out. While it could be used on the outside of a joint without effecting the box it would also then be very visible... It is also possible to use it for bottom as an additional drain area. In some situations it could be part of the rustic charm.
[ATTACH]16825[/ATTACH]
This next find is one that I plan to classify as not useable. The crack could be a sign of more problems farther then what is visible. I would cut that end off about 2 lower then were it seems to end the look at it again. Unless it becomes critical to have that extra length it is not necessary to spend any more time on it. (If you are interest it could possible be saved by drilling a stress limiting hole and watering down some glue to work into the crack....)
[ATTACH]16826[/ATTACH]
This next knot is looking OK to use. I would not plan to cut through it as it could become a projectile. I might thing about applying wood glue and filler to keep it from holding water in the rain but again this is a nest box. It will have to be sealed before painting.
[ATTACH]16827[/ATTACH]
This last photo show a sap pocket. The sap pocket will have to go. I don't want it to be near any feathers or fur on the inside or have to deal with it on the outside. You will want to keep your blade and table top out of the mess.
[ATTACH]16828[/ATTACH]
Next post we will start on mark up.
Ed
Let's start with a knot hole. You may have to trust me on this as it looks like a black hole. In this case it could be worked in as vent hole, cut out for an entrance, placed in the back against the tree or simply trimmed off.
[ATTACH]16824[/ATTACH]
Below is knot hole along the edge of the board. I'm inclined to say that might be something to be trimmed out. While it could be used on the outside of a joint without effecting the box it would also then be very visible... It is also possible to use it for bottom as an additional drain area. In some situations it could be part of the rustic charm.
[ATTACH]16825[/ATTACH]
This next find is one that I plan to classify as not useable. The crack could be a sign of more problems farther then what is visible. I would cut that end off about 2 lower then were it seems to end the look at it again. Unless it becomes critical to have that extra length it is not necessary to spend any more time on it. (If you are interest it could possible be saved by drilling a stress limiting hole and watering down some glue to work into the crack....)
[ATTACH]16826[/ATTACH]
This next knot is looking OK to use. I would not plan to cut through it as it could become a projectile. I might thing about applying wood glue and filler to keep it from holding water in the rain but again this is a nest box. It will have to be sealed before painting.
[ATTACH]16827[/ATTACH]
This last photo show a sap pocket. The sap pocket will have to go. I don't want it to be near any feathers or fur on the inside or have to deal with it on the outside. You will want to keep your blade and table top out of the mess.
[ATTACH]16828[/ATTACH]
Next post we will start on mark up.
Ed
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For this project we will be using the wood pretty much as it comes from the store. Some project will require steps like planning or drum sanding or jointing and perhaps even more operations as prep to the next stage that we are going to.
This post will cover a few things that beginners really need to know about store bought wood. One thing you need to know is that the ends of boards are not normally all that square. Yes you might get lucky but lets get real, even for this nest box I want to have a nice square cut.
By now I have selected 4 boards to use for the build. This is the first board up for mark up. As a sample of the squareness this is one of the ends.
[ATTACH]16829[/ATTACH]
One could live with this on a nest box but we want to develop skills beyond this. One of those first skills will be cutting square corners.
Next up is another reason to trim the ends. Again this will vary by each cut be in most cases the cuts are very raw. Yes you could sand it, yes even plane it but a quick cut with your shopsmith will get you both a square cut and a clean cut. For the most part better blades give better cuts, the blade that did this cut actually tore out wood rather then cutting it. Later when we are cutting wood I try to remember to include a picture of a cut end to contrast this to. BTW this raw end on a finished project is a dead give away of either an amateur woodworker or someone taking a short cut to save time.
[ATTACH]16830[/ATTACH]
It is also interesting to see the measurements of the wood. It is quite common on these cheaper cuts to see them under sized, or even over sized. The more important aspect is to have them all very near the same size. On this sample you can see it measures just over the 11-1/4". If all the pieces are the same then we will run with it. If we find that any of the others are much different then we will be ripping them to a uniform size.
[ATTACH]16831[/ATTACH]
Like wise the thickness should be close. My guess is that the thickness is less of a critical thing so I do not think that will be something to deal with on this build.
[ATTACH]16832[/ATTACH]
I now have to go dark for an hour...
Ed
This post will cover a few things that beginners really need to know about store bought wood. One thing you need to know is that the ends of boards are not normally all that square. Yes you might get lucky but lets get real, even for this nest box I want to have a nice square cut.
By now I have selected 4 boards to use for the build. This is the first board up for mark up. As a sample of the squareness this is one of the ends.
[ATTACH]16829[/ATTACH]
One could live with this on a nest box but we want to develop skills beyond this. One of those first skills will be cutting square corners.
Next up is another reason to trim the ends. Again this will vary by each cut be in most cases the cuts are very raw. Yes you could sand it, yes even plane it but a quick cut with your shopsmith will get you both a square cut and a clean cut. For the most part better blades give better cuts, the blade that did this cut actually tore out wood rather then cutting it. Later when we are cutting wood I try to remember to include a picture of a cut end to contrast this to. BTW this raw end on a finished project is a dead give away of either an amateur woodworker or someone taking a short cut to save time.
[ATTACH]16830[/ATTACH]
It is also interesting to see the measurements of the wood. It is quite common on these cheaper cuts to see them under sized, or even over sized. The more important aspect is to have them all very near the same size. On this sample you can see it measures just over the 11-1/4". If all the pieces are the same then we will run with it. If we find that any of the others are much different then we will be ripping them to a uniform size.
[ATTACH]16831[/ATTACH]
Like wise the thickness should be close. My guess is that the thickness is less of a critical thing so I do not think that will be something to deal with on this build.
[ATTACH]16832[/ATTACH]
I now have to go dark for an hour...
Ed
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This is the first marking of the wood for cutting. This is the piece shown in an earlier post where I want to remove a section of wood due to some cracking/splitting.
I want to use the inside of the square as it is tight to the wood and I can then measure from the new line to the second cut reference line without moving the square. As can be seen I'm also avoiding a knot on the far side of he work piece.
[ATTACH]16833[/ATTACH]
As I was taught I make the waste side with a "W". In this case it is obvious but it is so automatic with me that I don't even think about it. Some people have other methods of doing this, some even mark on the work piece so do as you see fit. The waste side is important as when the cut is made the waste side is cut away and the line is left. Again some people take the line in the cut but the way I learned is to leave the line. Again this is plain second nature with me.
[ATTACH]16834[/ATTACH]
This was as far as I got the other day so we will stop here for now.
Stay tuned for future installments.
Ed
I want to use the inside of the square as it is tight to the wood and I can then measure from the new line to the second cut reference line without moving the square. As can be seen I'm also avoiding a knot on the far side of he work piece.
[ATTACH]16833[/ATTACH]
As I was taught I make the waste side with a "W". In this case it is obvious but it is so automatic with me that I don't even think about it. Some people have other methods of doing this, some even mark on the work piece so do as you see fit. The waste side is important as when the cut is made the waste side is cut away and the line is left. Again some people take the line in the cut but the way I learned is to leave the line. Again this is plain second nature with me.
[ATTACH]16834[/ATTACH]
This was as far as I got the other day so we will stop here for now.
Stay tuned for future installments.
Ed
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I hope that with Spring already upon us here in Tennessee, that you being in Illinois still have time for the nesters. The kids have already found a Robin's nest that got blown out of the Hackberry in our yard. I know it's this year's, because it's made of my son's and my hair from cutting on the deck a few weeks ago.
Any plans that you know of for hummingbird houses? We have several pairs that build near our house, and I would love to help them too.
Any plans that you know of for hummingbird houses? We have several pairs that build near our house, and I would love to help them too.
Hand Engraver of Metals; Maker of Exquisite Kindling; 1955 Greenie Mark V (NOW with a 1989 Headstock); Magna Band Saw; Magna 4" Jointer; Miscellaneous Craftsman & Porter-Cable electric woodworking tools.
3D CADCAM Designs - Gemstone Facetor
3D CADCAM Designs - Gemstone Facetor
mgdesigns wrote:Any plans that you know of for hummingbird houses? We have several pairs that build near our house, and I would love to help them too.
Did ya click on his link in the first post?
SS 500(09/1980), DC3300, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, Strip Sander, drum sanders,molder, dado, biscuit joiner, universal lathe tool rest, Oneway talon chuck, router bits & chucks and a De Walt 735 planer,a #5,#6, block planes. ALL in a 100 square foot shop.
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Bob
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Bob
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terrydowning
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- Location: Windsor, CO
Ed,
Nice skill builder and good choice of wood. This is turning into a nice little primer on wood selection. It's frustrating in the magazines sometimes, with their selections of dozens of board feet of hardwoods that are some times unavailable or very expensive.
Keep up the tips and pointers!
Nice skill builder and good choice of wood. This is turning into a nice little primer on wood selection. It's frustrating in the magazines sometimes, with their selections of dozens of board feet of hardwoods that are some times unavailable or very expensive.
Keep up the tips and pointers!
--
Terry
Copy and paste the URLs into your browser if you want to see the photos.
1955 Shopsmith Mark 5 S/N 296860 Workshop and Tools
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http://sdrv.ms/MaXNLX
Terry
Copy and paste the URLs into your browser if you want to see the photos.
1955 Shopsmith Mark 5 S/N 296860 Workshop and Tools
https://1drv.ms/i/s!AmpX5k8IhN7ahFCo9VvTDsCpoV_g
Public Photos of Projects
http://sdrv.ms/MaXNLX
Hi, time to get back at this project.
Today I want to mention a few things about marking the boards that might help some of you new people out.
Note that we are using pencil lines from a standard pencil and a not so sharp one at that. These can be though of as reference points so we have an idea of where we will be cutting. Since this is a nest box we could be quite far off and still have everything work fine but since we are also attempting to advance our skill level, so the plan is to work as best we can.
In the first picture you can see the tick mark made after a measurement.
[ATTACH]16864[/ATTACH]
Place the tip of the pencil on the line as shown:
[ATTACH]16865[/ATTACH]
Then slide the square against the edge of the wood until it hits the pencil lead. Now you can mark the line without having to guess how far the pencil needs to be from the ruler or having to deal with shadows.
[ATTACH]16866[/ATTACH]
This is something learned from drafting classes but works very well for woodworking.
Ed
Today I want to mention a few things about marking the boards that might help some of you new people out.
Note that we are using pencil lines from a standard pencil and a not so sharp one at that. These can be though of as reference points so we have an idea of where we will be cutting. Since this is a nest box we could be quite far off and still have everything work fine but since we are also attempting to advance our skill level, so the plan is to work as best we can.
In the first picture you can see the tick mark made after a measurement.
[ATTACH]16864[/ATTACH]
Place the tip of the pencil on the line as shown:
[ATTACH]16865[/ATTACH]
Then slide the square against the edge of the wood until it hits the pencil lead. Now you can mark the line without having to guess how far the pencil needs to be from the ruler or having to deal with shadows.
[ATTACH]16866[/ATTACH]
This is something learned from drafting classes but works very well for woodworking.
Ed
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As I mentioned the other day, I have the wood marked for length and working around the "bad" areas or taking advantage of features of the material. Once I have decided on parts I often mark them so I know what they are for such as these two examples.
[ATTACH]16867[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]16868[/ATTACH]
This is correlated with the drawing as seen here:
[ATTACH]16869[/ATTACH]
This is strictly not necessary as certain parts are all the same size, in this case B, C, and D. How ever we will be doing something a bit different on D when we add the hole and in this case we need to have a piece dedicated that has a special feature.
This will be more clear when we get more into it.
Ed
[ATTACH]16867[/ATTACH]
[ATTACH]16868[/ATTACH]
This is correlated with the drawing as seen here:
[ATTACH]16869[/ATTACH]
This is strictly not necessary as certain parts are all the same size, in this case B, C, and D. How ever we will be doing something a bit different on D when we add the hole and in this case we need to have a piece dedicated that has a special feature.
This will be more clear when we get more into it.
Ed
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