Labor day in the shop
Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2017 12:12 am
So just to share this last weekend's project I thought I would post a few pictures here. But, a bit of background is always fun.
So a few months ago my mother in law asked me to build her a game for a 13" decorative tile. I ran some sketches by her and this is what it came out as. However, I wanted to use some wood I have around here so I pulled out some purple heart and got to work only to find out my board had acclimated and twisted. So it sat for a few months.
This last week I got over my postponing and got to work. But the board was too wide for the jointer and I got lazy in not wanting to remove the guard to joint the face on each side, so I went old fashion hand planes. The board was square and after a few days I got restless just in time for labor day weekend.
So here is the result of one board and a small bit of scrap hard maple. A very simple design with inlayed butterflies to join the edges of the cross (not enough for a lap joint) and also I inlayed the tile itself (above reason I couldn't do a lap joint). The grain direction of the sides also prevent expansion from having and snapping the tile which was a bonus.
So a deceptively simple looking cross with a bit of hidden craftsmanship. Turned out great and soon I have to hand it over. I must say that purple has an amazing color too it.
I had planned on some added scrollwork in an overlay, but stopped as I just loved the simplicity of where it ended up. (and yes those edges where the tile meets the wood are cut to match the tile stove it has an uneven edge.
So a few months ago my mother in law asked me to build her a game for a 13" decorative tile. I ran some sketches by her and this is what it came out as. However, I wanted to use some wood I have around here so I pulled out some purple heart and got to work only to find out my board had acclimated and twisted. So it sat for a few months.
This last week I got over my postponing and got to work. But the board was too wide for the jointer and I got lazy in not wanting to remove the guard to joint the face on each side, so I went old fashion hand planes. The board was square and after a few days I got restless just in time for labor day weekend.
So here is the result of one board and a small bit of scrap hard maple. A very simple design with inlayed butterflies to join the edges of the cross (not enough for a lap joint) and also I inlayed the tile itself (above reason I couldn't do a lap joint). The grain direction of the sides also prevent expansion from having and snapping the tile which was a bonus.
So a deceptively simple looking cross with a bit of hidden craftsmanship. Turned out great and soon I have to hand it over. I must say that purple has an amazing color too it.
I had planned on some added scrollwork in an overlay, but stopped as I just loved the simplicity of where it ended up. (and yes those edges where the tile meets the wood are cut to match the tile stove it has an uneven edge.