Project Help

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 9:07 am

Yes, I intended to make them pyramid. I just liked it better.

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 11:43 am

Actually Heath, I like them better as pyramids also. It adds more depth.

We'll to call the style 'Heathicus and Heathicus' joinery.

bluekayak · Post by **bluekayak** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 8:07 pm

I also like the pyramids, especially for your project. Somehow it seems more "military" to me. Kind of hard edge instead of soft pillow.

Jerry Floren
St. Peter, MN

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 1:11 am

After a few hours work in the shop today (am I going to get this finished by Christmas??), I have the plugs installed. Here are some pictures.

Cutting the square holes. I first drilled a hole with a 9/32" drill bit, then used a 1/4" chisel to make the hole square.

Each peg is a custom fit. I had to trim out each hole to fit the peg I inserted.

A dry fitting of one of the joints:

Dry fit of case with Plexiglas installed. The Plexiglas fits in a saw kerf and still has the protective plastic coating.

Still have a lot to do and I hope I can get a full day in the shop tomorrow!
I still have to round over the edges of fingers, do a small bit more sanding, apply final finish, and work on the back and interior display. Getting nervous and short on time, but really proud of the result so far!

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:59 am

As you should be. Looking great.

cocacola1012 · Post by **cocacola1012** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:49 am

How are you going to join it since the plugs are cosmetic? Are going to screw thru the square holes then cap them off?

mickyd · Post by **mickyd** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 8:07 am

Looks REAL good Heath!! I think you'll make it by the big day. Just make sure the finish is dry before you wrap it.

Did you mention your wood choice? I don't remember and don't have the eye yet to guess. How about finish choice?
I take it your on staycation this week too?

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 10:16 am

cocacola1012 wrote:How are you going to join it since the plugs are cosmetic? Are going to screw thru the square holes then cap them off?

I was worried about splitting the wood with screws, so I'm just going to use glue. The joints fit pretty tight and there's a good bit of contact area. The back will also help hold everything together. And I don't think there will be any stress on the joints. Any thoughts on whether that decision was a mistake?

mickyd wrote:Looks REAL good Heath!! I think you'll make it by the big day. Just make sure the finish is dry before you wrap it. Did you mention your wood choice? I don't remember and don't have the eye yet to guess. How about finish choice?
I take it your on staycation this week too?

Yep, staycation this week! And I'm enjoying it!

I couldn't tell you what kind of wood it is. I might start a thread with good pictures of the wood and maybe the more experienced folks here can help. I'm guessing oak? The wood was actually from a pallet I broke down.

For the finish, I picked up a can of "natural" Watco Danish Oil. I don't have much experience with finishes but ToolMonger named it one their 2009 favorites and since that list included the Shopsmith I decided their judgement was reliable.

. The can claimed good protection and fairly quick drying time. And it was cheaper than most other finishes. I looked for it on clearance at Home Depot, but they didn't have any so I got it at Lowes.

heathicus · Post by **heathicus** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:14 pm

I'll try to post pictures later, but this is what I've done today and where I'm at...

I used the disc sander (12" sanding pads were an early Christmas present) on my 10ER with my table set to 15 degrees to put a 15 degree chamfer (same as the plugs) on the finger joints. With the pieces dry fit together, I marked a light line indicating where the fingers met. Then I measured 2mm outside that line and made a new one. I carried that line all the way around, then just sanded to that line. Result is the fingers are 2mm proud before the chamfer begins. I left the lines sharp, same was with the plugs. I just like that better than the soft pillow look.

Then I took a break and tried to fly this huge X-Wing (Star Wars) kite with my son. The wind was gusty, but it just wasn't steady enough. After several minutes of running all over the back yard trying to get the thing to fly, I had had enough!

I put on a couple coats of Watco Danish Oil before assembling and gluing because there were going to be some tight spots that would be hard to reach, and the plexiglas would have to be put in when the parts were glued together and I didn't want to get the finish on it (although I did leave the plastic coating on until the very last thing. The instructions on the can said to wipe on a coat, wait 30 minutes, then apply a second coat so that's what I did. I really like the resulting finish! I stood there for about 10 minutes just admiring the wood. And it dries fast! After the 2nd coat dried enough, I wiped it down with a clean cloth, then proceeded to the glue up.

And that's where I made my biggest mistake so far. I did not have my clamps ready for the glue up. I applied the glue, stuck everything together, then had to rush to get the clamps ready before the glue dried too much. By the time I started clamping, the glue had started drying, and it was difficult to clamp and get all of the fingers seated all the way and the whole thing square. I think I managed it ok, but still have one gap I'm not happy about. It really made me upset.

Later tonight, after the glue has sufficiently dried, I'll unclamp it and start working on the back. I'll have to use the case to mark the cut lines for the foam board and the plywood back. I want to get those two pieces ready for final assembly and finishing tomorrow.

This project has taken me a LOT longer than I had anticipated. When I first discussed it with my mom, she asked me how long it would take and I said, "Oh, a good weekend." I didn't realize how much I had to learn in the process. But now that I've learned what I learned, I probably could knock one of these out in a weekend.

dlbristol · Post by **dlbristol** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 6:41 pm

a project once that went as planned, but maybe not:D I have become a bit paranoid about dry fitting and setting up assembly sequences. (just cause you're paranoid don't mean they ain't after ya) It seems to work better if I try things first, as I seem to be really good at convincing myself that something is easy when is barely possible

I will bet however that this project will be a huge success with your dad. My guess is he will never see the gap and you will soon forget about it as well. Tell the old guy Merry Christmas from an old Ranger.