Category Archives: Routers

Maple Trestle Table, Session 18 – Attachment Strips and Power Carving

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3

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces;
Session 12 - Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints;
Session 13 - Making Things Better, Worse, then Better;
Session 14 - Battens and Complicated Tenons, Again;
Session 15 – The Trestle Comes Together Session;
Session 16 – Angled Mortises and Tenons; and
Session 17 - Two Feet for Two Legs.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks And… into the shop I go! First thing I do: turn on the lights; then remove the clamps! #flairww -1:33 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll cut the tenons flush. #flairww -1:38 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Because I want to do other things today, I’m not using my small, fine-toothed flush-cut saw. #flairww -1:41 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I then used a block plane to set the tenon flush. #flairww -1:43 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The base is assembled. It still needs to be sculpted. #flairww -1:50 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I cut two attachment strips which will be fastened to the legs and mortised into the battens. #flairww -2:11 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The purpose of these strips is to secure the base to the top and conceal the centre two bolt holes. #flairww -2:12 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks In the finished table, only the two outermost bolts will be used. #flairww -2:12 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It took some careful layout to position the battens. Next, I’ll fasten them with screws. #flairww -2:39 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a 17/64″ transfer punch to mark the location of the 9/32″ clearance holes. #flairww -2:59 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The smaller punch is easier to use because there is no friction between it and the hole. #flairww -2:59 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The mark could be out by 1/128″ but I don’t care. #flairww -3:00 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To guide the drill bit, I used my drill press to drill through a block of scrap wood. #flairww -3:08 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks E-mails are coming in non-stop today. #flairww -3:10 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One attachment strip is mounted. #flairww -3:12 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I use my cordless drill/driver to install the screws most of the way but always finish by hand. #flairww -3:17 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s a picture of the base for you to look at while I tidy up my shop a little. #flairww -3:19 PM May 17th, 2012

CashFromCraft @FlairWoodworks I find setting the cluch to be helpful when driving a number in the same operation. -3:22 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @CashFromCraft The drill’s clutch can be helpful, but I don’t find it accurate enough due to density variances. #flairww -3:24 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @CashFromCraft I have a much greater sensitivity when using a screwdriver than a power tool. #flairww -3:25 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks why not adjust the torque setting on the screw gun? -3:31 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A screwdriver allows greater sensitivity. RT @DyamiPlotke: @FlairWoodworks why not adjust the torque setting on the screw gun? -3:31 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Next, I’ll trace the position of the attachment strips onto the battens. #flairww -3:41 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll remove the two centre bolts which are no longer needed and rout the pocket for the attachment strip. #flairww -3:46 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ready to rout! #flairww -3:57 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My router fence slipped and caused this gouge. I’ll have to patch it. #flairww -4:21 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To fix the gouge, I first routed a straight-edged pocket. #flairww -4:31 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I turned the head of my marking gauge around to scribe a straight line. #flairww -4:33 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I cut a patch and scribed it onto the batten. #flairww -4:45 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I fit and glued the patch in place. After the glue dries, I’ll trim it flush. #flairww -4:59 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to finish the patch before starting the sculpting of the base. I’ll sand the underside of the table in the meantime. #flairww -5:15 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I simply unbolted the battens to allow uninhibited sanding of the surface. #flairww -5:26 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The first Abranet HD 80-grit disc lasted for almost half of the surface. The one on the bench is dull. #flairww -5:33 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is the first time I’ve used the Abranet HD discs aside from testing. What’s nice about them is they’re either sharp or not. #flairww-5:42 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That means there is no doubt about whether the discs need to be changed. #flairww -5:42 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I consumed three 80-grit Abranet HD discs smoothing the bottom. #flairww -5:49 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks that doesn’t seem like long. Mine last multiple projects. -5:49 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks wait, isn’t abranet the mesh ones? That’s what I was referring to. -5:49 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke The regular Abranet discs are mesh and seem to last longer but don’t cut as quickly as the Abranet HD. #flairww -5:50 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If I only did horizontal, flat surfaces, I would have bought a Festool sander because they have less vibration. #flairww -5:52 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks But I find the size and balance (and weight) of the Festool sanders not as conducive to sculpting, especially with one hand. #flairww -5:53 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The Abranet HD discs are more agressive than regular Abranet discs. From the HD 80-grit, I could go to regular 80 or regular 120. #flairww -5:54 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks According to this twitter feed, it’s now been one hour since I glued in the patch so I’ll go back and finish the job. #flairww -6:00 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used my side rabbet plane to clean up the inside edge of the patch. My #4 bench plane flushed the surface. #flairww-6:06 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Do you know what comes next? #flairww -6:08 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Yep! The attachments strips fit in the mortised battens! #flairww -6:11 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Sculping comes next! #flairww -6:12 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to trim the end of this leg so that it does not cover the bolt. #flairww  -6:14 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Cancel plans for tonight – I’m power carving! #flairww -6:29 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m wearing a long-sleeved jacket, gloves, goggles, ear muffs, and a dust mask. #flairww -6:33 PM May 17th, 2012

MansFineFurn @FlairWoodworks tweet-along’s hidden side benefit: work timer -6:36 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Sculpting is going well so far. #flairww -6:51 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The legs are rounded at the top and transition into a rectangular cross section at the bottom. #flairww -7:42 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve finished power carving outside so I brought the base back inside where I’ll refine the shape with rasps and sandpaper. #flairww -7:57 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks what did you power carve it with? -8:02 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke I was just thinking that I should take a picture of my grinder and Arbortech disc. #flairww -8:05 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks How is it to control? Taking a grinder to wood has always intimidated me (concrete & metal I grind away on). -8:07 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke It is certainly easier to dig into wood and cause a catch (than with concrete or metal) but I have great control. #flairww -8:09 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The surface left by the Arbortech disc is far from smooth. #flairww -8:12 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks I’ll have to pick up an arbortec blade and try it out. Can you recommend one? -8:12 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke Arbortech and King Arthur’s Tools are two makers of power carving wheels. #flairww -8:16 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke I use THIS ONE. The carbide cutters last a really long time! #flairww -8:17 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke If you’re serious about power carving, it’s a great way to go. It cuts in all directions. #flairww -8:18 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The Lancelot and Squire wheels don’t cut well on the draw stroke using the cutter’s face.  The edge of the cutter does the cutting. #flairww -8:19 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ready to refine… with 40-grit! #flairww-8:25 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This sharp 40-grit paper doesn’t make dust – it makes little shavings! #flairww -8:28 PM May 17th, 2012

This video shows how I use my 6″ Mirka CEROS (Compact Electric Random Orbit Sander) and a 40-grit Abranet HD disc  to sand the sculpted legs.  I normally wear a dust mask while sanding, but I I forgot while thinking about camera angles.  Use a dust mask!  The CEROS is very good at collecting dust when used on flat surfaces but not as good when sanding rounded surfaces.  The Abranet HD discs are less effective at catching dust from the regular Abranet discs.

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks I’ll check on a PC [power carver] later, but is there a particular model (grit?) good for a newb? -8:30 PM May 17th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks excellent! -8:30 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke As far as an angle grinder, look for one that is compact and lightweight. Power isn’t really a factor. #flairww -8:54 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @DyamiPlotke Paddle switches are suppoed to be more reliable than sliders which can get clogged with dust. #flairww -8:54 PM May 17th, 2012

woodshaver101 @FlairWoodworks things are coming together nicely. keep it up. -8:56 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The sander does not do well on more severe convex sections. #flairww -9:01 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The foam interface pad allows the sander to handle curves like this but doesn’t fair the surface as well and is less aggressive. #flairww-9:01 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll first fair the concave sections with a rasp, then use the sander with the 3/8″ foam interface pad and finer sandpaper. #flairww -9:03 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks When it comes to rasps, I like them as coarse as they come. I rely on them to establish shape, not for smoothing. #flairww -9:08 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t use templates or layout lines. Instead, I trust my eye and sense of touch. #flairww -9:11 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks All I had for lunch was a slice of tiramisu, so I think I’ll need to stop for food soon. #flairww -9:14 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A round spokeshave would work well to fair this concave curve. #flairww -9:26 PM May 17th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s where I’ll leave it for the night. #flairww -10:21 PM May 17th, 2012

Next comes more sculpting.  Care to leave a comment?

Maple Trestle Table, Session 17 – Two Feet for Two Legs

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2

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces;
Session 12 - Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints;
Session 13 - Making Things Better, Worse, then Better;
Session 14 - Battens and Complicated Tenons, Again;
Session 15 - The Trestle Comes Together Session; and
Session 16 - Angled Mortises and Tenons.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks It’ll be a short session today – I just want to get the feet glued onto the legs. #flairww -12:55 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks But first I want to cut the reliefs in the underside of the feet. #flairww -12:56 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I set up a straight bit in my router table and marked start and stop lines on the fence. #flairww -1:12 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This bit is not as long as the material is thick so I will finish the cut-out with a flush-trim bit. #flairww -1:17 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The profile cut of each foot is done so I’ll switch bits now. #flairww -1:20 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ready to rout! The Triton router makes bit changes very simple. #flairww  -1:24 PM May 16th, 2012

TheBoisShop @FlairWoodworks Love that router. I’ve got two of them myself. -1:29 PM May 16th, 2012

Bryigdocious @FlairWoodworks hah, thats a ghetto router table! -1:39 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Unlike many woodworkers, I am more comfortable using hand-held routers than table-mounted routers. #flairww -1:40 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I’m tuning the tenon shoulders for a tight fit between the foot and leg. #flairww -1:42 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This foot is ready to be glued. #flairww -1:45 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This foot gets really tight here. #flairww -1:49 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve tuned the tightness of the joint. Now I need to tune the shoulders. #flairww -1:52 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I start by flattening the top face of the foot. #flairww -1:56 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Sometimes reestablishing flat surfaces is all that is required! #flairww  -1:58 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One end of this foot still shows the saw marks from when it was milled. #flairww -2:00 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I am going to taper the sides of the feet slightly from the mortise towards the narrow end. #flairww -2:12 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I could use the bandsaw but the tablesaw makes the cut easier to repeat for the other foot. #flairww -2:13 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The tablesaw doesn’t quite have enough capacity to complete the cut. I’ll use a handplane to finish. #flairww -2:17 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a chisel to remove the bulk of the waste before using a block plane to bring it flush. #flairww -2:23 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One final dry fit with clamps before breaking out the glue. #flairww -2:25 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The first glue-up was easy. #flairww -2:34 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I drove in the wedges with alternating taps from my small steel hammer until I heard they were fully seated. #flairww -2:46 PM May 16th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That’s all for now! #flairww -2:49 PM May 16th, 2012

 With the base fully assembled, sculpting comes next!  What do you think of the project so far?  Let me know!

Maple Trestle Table, Session 16 – Angled Mortises and Tenons

Posted on by
4

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces;
Session 12 - Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints;
Session 13 - Making Things Better, Worse, then Better;
Session 14 – Battens and Complicated Tenons, Again; and
Session 15 – The Trestle Comes Together

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop working on a game plan. #flairww -11:21 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m going to start by shaping the tenons. #flairww -11:28 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a melamine jig to guarantee a straight shoulder.#flairww -11:33 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If I had a tenon saw, I would consider cutting this joint by hand. #flairww -11:34 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Awesome! I just found a dust collection shroud for my Milwaukee routers! #flairww -11:40 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Using a router is awkward. It seems faster and easier to cut the tenon by hand, even without a saw. #flairww -11:56 AM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One thing I really like about hand tools is how easy it is to be accurate. Hand tools register off knife lines. Power tools don’t. #flairww -11:59 AM May 15th, 2012

TheGravedigger: @FlairWoodworks If you’ve only got one or two to do, it’s definitely faster. -11:59 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Agreed. #flairww RT @TheGravedigger: @FlairWoodworks If you’ve only got one or two to do, it’s definitely faster. -12:00 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The tenons would have been easier to cut before attaching the stretcher… #flairww -12:00 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks … but I couldn’t accurately lay out the tenons until after gluing up the stretcher. #Catch22 #flairww -12:01 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I chopped out the bulk of the waste from both edges, working down to the baselines but crowning the centre. #flairww -12:12 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I need to flatten the hump. #flairww -12:13 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m cutting the tenon close to length. #flairww -12:18 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Cutting the tenon to length allowed me to scribe a line on the end grain. #flairww -12:21 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My medium shoulder plane looks tiny on this big tenon. Even a large shoulder plane would look small. #flairww -12:24 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I can use the shoulder plane to clean up the area next to the shoulder, then any other plane to flatten the rest of the tenon. #flairww -12:26 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to clean up the shoulder next. #flairww -12:33 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To start the second cheek, I’m using a Dozuki to cut the shoulder. #flairww -12:42 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Appropriately enough, as I use the handsaw, Rage Against the Machine’s “Take the Power Back” is playing on the @993thefox. #flairww -12:43 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m chopping across the grain to avoid causing splits. #flairww -12:49 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Time to flip the leg over and chop from the other side. #flairww -12:58 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks There wasn’t much material to remove on this side so it went quickly. I’ll flip it over and finish the cheek. #flairww. -1:04 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I had to take a break to take care of some phone calls and emails. Just two more steps to finish the tenon. #flairww -1:31 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Because the grain would cause the wood to split if I worked from the end, I cut kerfs to control splitting. #flairww -1:38 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks You can see that the short segments still wanted to split into the tenon. The kerfs stopped that from happening. #flairww -1:40 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks There is just one more shoulder to cut! #flairww -1:45 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here, the grain runs slightly uphill towards the shoulder so I don’t need the extra saw kerfs (just one at the shoulder). #flairww -1:47 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One tenon is done! #flairww -1:51 PM May 15th, 2012

asliceofwood @FlairWoodworks nice work. Looks really smooth. -1:54 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m going to turn on the camera and cut the other tenon. #flairww -1:58 PM May 15th, 2012

asliceofwood: @FlairWoodworks livestream or footage for later? -1:59 PM May 15th, 2012

HalfInchShy Be sure to use a stunt double for safety! RT @FlairWoodworks: I’m going to turn on the camera and cut the other tenon. #flairww -2:00 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If you think your shop is small, try putting a camera in it! #flairww -2:01 PM May 15th, 2012

HalfInchShy switch to a telephoto lens the other is too wide #badjokes MT @FlairWoodworks: If you think your shop is small, put a camera in it! #flairww- 2:06 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Well that was a miserable filming session. I had to work in too many awkward positions to allow a decent view. (The resulting video was not worth editing and publishing.) #flairww -4:12 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks As result, it took twice as long as it should have (there was also a phone call in there). I’m going for lunch. #flairww -4:13 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m back from lunch. My next task is to cut mortises in the feet. #flairww -5:20 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I drilled out the centre. I’ll chisel the rest. #flairww -5:29 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Cutting an angled, 7/8″ x 4″ mortise is slow but I’m getting there. #flairww -5:59 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And the fitting process begins… #flairww -6:13 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I just discovered that the back of one of my most-used chisels is convex. Not cool. #flairww -6:17 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’ll be footage for later, provided it’s usable. #flairww RT @asliceofwood: @FlairWoodworks livestream or footage for later? -6:24 PM May 15th, 2012

Aolas @FlairWoodworks Loving your stage by stage photos. -6:24 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks for the feedback! #flairww RT @Aolas: @FlairWoodworks Loving your stage by stage photos. -6:24 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks is [the bent chisel] really that big of an issue? You’ve built some pretty nice pieces using it! Did you not lap the back when you got it? -6:25 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster The convex back made it very difficult to get plumb mortise sidewalls and meant a LOT of extra clean-up. #flairww -6:28 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster I did lap the back of the chisel when I got it. I either did a poor job or it has bent/warped since then. Thoughts? #flairww -6:28 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks check your stones! They may need to be flattened. -6:29 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I use a diamond stone… #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks check your stones! They may need to be flattened. -6:30 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks sooooo… is it flat? -6:31 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Yes. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks sooooo… is it flat? -6:31 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster I checked my diamond stone two weeks ago. It is flat. Good question! Never assume! I like it! #flairww -6:32 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks maybe you just invented the first “scrub chisel” -6:35 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If only…. It’s a shallow bent-chisel. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks maybe you just invented the first “scrub chisel” -6:37 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks then, huh! Im clueless. Can steel warp without extreme temps? -6:37 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Perhaps unseasoned steel? #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks then, huh! Im clueless. Can steel warp without extreme temps? -6:37 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster I know that unseasoned cast iron or improperly stress-relieved steel can warp. #flairww -6:38 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks save that chisel and reshape it with your grinder into a tiny little dovetail chisel -6:45 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve finally got one foot fitted. #flairww -6:45 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster Well, I do need a long marking knife. Maybe I’ll grind a spear-point on the end. #flairww -6:46 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks So now I need to cut the mortise in the second foot. #flairww-6:48 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks or just re-lap it… -6:49 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster Uh… no.  See – it’s really warped. #flairww -6:51 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks ohhhh convex, the length of the blade, I thought you meant convex across the blade. I would guess it’s from chopping with it. -6:54 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster It would be sad if these chisels were so soft that they bent in use. #flairww -6:55 PM May 15th, 2012

SMeekWoodworks @flairwoodworks How the heck did that happen? You using your chisels to open paint cans again? -6:56 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @SMeekWoodworks My paint can lids aren’t on that tightly ;) -6:56 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster“@FlairWoodworks: Cutting an angled, 7/8″ x 4″ mortise is slow  but I’m getting there.” That may have something to do with it… -6:56 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Rather than drill one row of 1/2″ holes, I drilled two rows of 3/8″ holes this time. #flairww -7:12 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t have a bit larger than 1/2″ that is also long enough to pass through the foot. #flairww -7:12 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Oh, how I wish I already had my @FestoolUSA Domino XL. #flairww -7:13 PM May 15th, 2012

BillGriggs @FlairWoodworks I was gonna ask why but you already explained it. -7:17 PM May 15th, 2012

SMeekWoodworks @flairwoodworks You are going to love it! It’s perfect for the furniture you make. -7:18 PM May 15, 2012

FlairWoodworks @SMeekWoodworks Have you used one? #flairww -7:19 PM May 15, 2012

SMeekWoodworks @flairwoodworks We have one at GPD. Used it to make 33 interior doors. Pretty sweet. -7:20 PM May 15, 2012

FlairWoodworks @SMeekWoodworks How long did it take to cut all the joints? I can’t wait to get my Domino XL. But I must. #flairww -7:22 PM May 15th, 2012

SMeekWoodworks @flairwoodworks I think there was at least a day spent cutting all the mortises. Somewhere around 2000 of them. -7:24 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And the fitting of the second foot begins! #flairww -7:53 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Getting closer. #flairww -8:07 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks are you going to draw bore? -8:08 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I want to wedge the tenons. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks are you going to draw bore? -8:09 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ha! I got it! #flairww -8:20 PM May 15th, 2012

thewoodbug @FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster wedge on Sir. Wedge on -8:22 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s the base put together, inverted on the table top. #flairww -8:23 PM May 15th, 2012

Tumblewood: @FlairWoodworks DAMN!! That looks good!! Great job on this, Chris!! -8:26 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks, Vic! It’s nice to see it taking shape! #flairww RT @Tumblewood: @FlairWoodworks DAMN!! That looks good!! Great job on this, Chris!! -8:26 PM May 15th, 2012

BCcraftmaster“@FlairWoodworks: I want to wedge the tenons. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks are you going to draw bore?” Contrasting wood? -8:27 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster The wedges will be under the feet, only visible when the table is flipped upside down, so it doesn’t reallly matter. #flairww -8:28 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I use carpenter’s pencils a lot in the shop, mostly for shading material to be removed. #flairww -8:35 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to cut reliefs into the undersides of the feet to make the table more stable. #flairww -8:42 PM May 15th, 2012

TheWoodBug @FlairWoodworks I will wait for the big stuff, looking incredible Chris, can I help with the finishing?? -8:51 PM May 15, 2012

FlairWoodworks @TheWoodBug Sure, Dan; I’d love your help. #flairww -8:52 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a framing square to mark the feet 2-1/2″ in from the edge of the table. #flairww -8:53 PM May 15th, 2012

TheWoodBug @FlairWoodworks Nice then I get to see the finish project in person, Violet dye might be nice then you can market it as Purple heart -8:58 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A dye might look nice on the table top! #flairww RT@TheWoodBug: Violet dye might be nice then you can market it as Purple heart -9:02 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I cut the ends of the feet at 5 degrees. #flairww -9:03 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Five degrees didn’t look like enough so I recut the ends at 10 degrees. #flairww -9:08 PM May 15th, 2012

Tooltutor @FlairWoodworks Looking pretty sweet. You must be so ripped now. -9:11 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I just want to get the feet glued and go for dinner! #flairww RT@Tooltutor: @FlairWoodworks Looking pretty sweet. You must be so ripped now. -9:11 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My bent chisel works fine for splitting out wedges… #flairww -9:21 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One wedge done… I don’t think I’ll be able to glue up the feet without disturbing the family. #flairww -9:22 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got the four wedges cut. I’ll cut slots for them and stop there for the night. #flairww -9:40 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Last picture of the day! #flairww -9:53 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll do the glue-up next time. #flairww -9:54 PM May 15th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I just remembered that I have a hollow chisel mortiser with a tilting head that would have worked well for mortising the feet. #flairww -10:23 PM May 15th, 2012

FestoolUSA @FlairWoodworks Yeah, the wait is never the fun part, Chris. Just two more weeks until it’s available. 5:05 AM May 16, 2012

DozersWorkshop @FlairWoodworks fantastic! Coming together fast, now! 7:22 AM May 16, 2012

Do you like how the table is taking shape?  Have you ever seen chisels take curvature over time?  Let me know in the comments section.

Next time, I’ll glue the feet onto the legs!

Maple Trestle Table, Session 15 – The Trestle Comes Together

Posted on by
3

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces;
Session 12 - Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints;
Session 13 - Making Things Better, Worse, then Better; and
Session 14 – Battens and Complicated Tenons, Again.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks My first step is to drill out most of the waste. #flairww -7:29 PM May 11th, 2012

HalfInchShy Sounds like RotoRooter :) a plumbing theme tonight! RT @FlairWoodworks: My first step is to drill out most of the waste. #flairww -7:32 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve drilled out the waste. Now I’ll chop the mortise square. #flairww -7:35 PM May 11th, 2012

BCcraftmaster@FlairWoodworks go for it! (#connect4) -7:37 PM May 11, 2012

FlairWoodworks I removed most of the waste before carefully working up to my knife lines around the perimeter. #flairww -7:43 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve squared up one side of the mortise. I’m going to try a different technique to finish. #flairww -7:49 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy I do have a sink to repair later. Seriously. #flairww -7:49 PM May 11, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster I love that game! #connect4 -7:49 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I installed a flush-trim bit in my router and set it so the bearing rides on the bottom of the workpiece. #flairww -7:55 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The flush-trim bit will follow the shape of the mortise I carefully cut on the other side. #flairww -7:55 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Routing the rest guaranteed straight walls and avoided some tricky layout. #flairww -7:59 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I cleaned up the round corners left by the router with chisels. Now for a test fit! #flairww -8:05 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The fit looks good so far! #flairww -8:07 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If I can’t tell if the joint is bound, I draw a line in the tenon and watch to see if it disappears. #flairww -8:13 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To prevent denting the leg, I use a scrap of wood. #flairww  -8:16 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The joint fit tightly with no adjustments required! #flairww -8:21 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And the assembly doesn’t even rock! #flairww -8:26 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That tenon is a perfect fit! Sometimes I impress (and surprise) myself. #flairww -8:29 PM May 11th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks well done, Chris. -8:33 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks, Dyami! #flairww RT @DyamiPlotke: @FlairWoodworks well done, Chris. -8:33 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Another picture of the assembled trestle, inverted on the table top. #flairww -8:39 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The tenons are still proud at both ends. I may leave them that way. #flairww -8:41 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This distance is 1/2″ longer on this side but that doesn’t really matter. #flairww -8:43 PM May 11th, 2012

bltww @FlairWoodworks relative dimensioning FTW [for the win]! -8:45 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That’s right! Adjust to fit! #flairww RT @bltww: @FlairWoodworks relative dimensioning FTW! -8:45 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Right now, I’m mostly just standing here admiring my progress. #flairww -8:46 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The slight angle of the legs does mean that they don’t sit centred on the battens. #flairww -8:47 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks But I can fix that. #flairww -8:48 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a tape measure and level to mark the bottom of the legs where they will be cut. #flairww -8:52 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Just playing around with clamps. #flairww -9:01 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks While the clamps pulled all the tenon shoulders tight, they also pulled one leg off the batten. #flairww -9:04 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t think it would be easy to glue up these tenons the traditional way. #flairww -9:06 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m thinking of applying a thin glue like Chair Doctor to the assembled joint. I can put a pin through the tenon too. #flairww -9:06 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I stood the trestle assembly up on end so the gravity will help the glue penetrate the joint. #flairww -9:18 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I ensured the shoulder was as tight as possible before applying glue. #flairww -9:19 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Take a deep breath and let the glue flow! #flairww -9:22 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I applied glue to all the seams and let it penetrate. This joint is tighter than most so not as much glue is penetrating. #flairww -9:29 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks There is glue here. #flairww -9:31 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And more glue here. #flairww -9:32 PM May 11th, 2012

Tumblewood PERFECT!! Looks great, Chris! RT @FlairWoodworks: It fit tightly with no adjustments! #flairww -9:34 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks For critical glue-ups, I leave them overnight and longer if feasible. I just need to ensure that all the glue doesn’t get absorbed. #flairww -9:35 PM May 11th, 2012

TheWoodBug @FlairWoodworks Wow I thought I liked a challenge ;) -9:35 PM May 11th, 2012 FlairWoodworks Thanks, Vic! I can’t wait to start sculpting the base! (I think that’s what I’ll do. ) RT @Tumblewood: PERFECT!! Looks great, Chris! -9:36 PM May 11th, 2012

Tumblewood How will it sit? Where is the 3rd point? RT @FlairWoodworks: And it doesn’t even rock! #flairww -9:36 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I still need to add the wide feet. RT @Tumblewood: How will it sit? Where is the 3rd point? #flairww -9:37 PM May 11th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Watching this come together is so much fun! #flairww RT @TheWoodBug: @FlairWoodworks Wow - I thought I liked a challenge ;) -9:37 PM May 11th, 2012

Tumblewood @FlairWoodworks It’s going to be a magnificent table! RT @FlairWoodworks: I still need to add the wide feet. -9:39 PM May 11, 2012

TheWoodBug @FlairWoodworks Yes you seem very excited! and rightly so. like a kid in a candy store or is it bull in china shop( batten oops) -9:40 PM May 11, 2012

TheWoodBug @FlairWoodworks Looking great! can not wait to see it once you start carving!!! -9:41 PM May 11, 2012

Do you like what you see?  Leave a comment!

In the next session, I’ll cut the mortise and tenon joinery for the feet.

Maple Trestle Table, Session 14 – Battens and Complicated Tenons, Again

Posted on by
2

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces;
Session 12 – Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints; and
Session 13 – Making Things Better, Worse, then Better.

 (If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks Today, I’m going to continue work on the Maple Trestle Table. Follow along! #flairww -12:25 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s so nice to be working in a clean shop! #flairww -12:27 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s a picture of the clean shop! #flairww -12:30 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Since I messed up one batten last session, I’m going to remake it with this maple. #flairww -12:31 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Actually, I’ll probably remake them both so they are physically identical and with similar grain and colour. #flairww -12:32 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The more I look at this board the less certain I am that it is maple. I think it’s birch. #flairww -12:34 PM May 9th, 2012

WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks It’s too clean… -12:34 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Right you are! #flairww RT @WatkinsWoodWork: @FlairWoodworks It’s too clean… -12:34 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got more maple in the corner. All the way back in the corner. #flairww -12:36 PM May 9th, 2012

malphrusoxide @FlairWoodworks i know that game, ha ha. -12:38 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I was very lucky to find this straight-grained piece of maple behind only a few other slabs. #flairww -12:38 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Nobody else is home today so I get to crank @HailTheVillain! #flairww -12:42 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The slab is about 14″ wide. I could either take 28″ off one end or 3″ off the back. #flairww -12:46 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thinking about future use for the slab, it makes more sense to take a strip off the back. #flairww -12:48 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The slab is a little longer than my sliding table saw can handle, so I’ll use a circular saw. #flairww -12:49 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m set up to make the cut. #flairww -12:53 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I got this circular saw for my 16th birthday. #flairww -12:56 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Off to the jointer. #flairww -1:01 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The dust collector works so much better since I emptied it. #flairww -1:24 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve set up my router table to rout the shallow rabbets in the underside of the battens. #flairww -1:34 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The rabbets are now routed. #flairww -1:43 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve switched to a chamfer bit and installed a starter pin. #flairww -1:56 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The starter pin is an important safety feature that gives me leverage and control over the workpiece. #flairww -1:58 PM May 9th, 2012

McPhersonDoug @FlairWoodworks That’s cool! Looks like that could even be the original power cord [on your circular saw] too! No splices covered by electrical tape or anything. -2:04 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I routed chamfers on the other side of the battens. #flairww -2:09 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The new battens are bigger and nicer looking than the first ones. #flairww -2:10 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a square to transfer the location of the holes in the battens. #flairww -2:12 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Like new! RT @McPhersonDoug: @FlairWoodworks That’s cool! Looks like that could even be the original power cord [on your circular saw] too! -3:01 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I took a 2-hour break to finalize a post for Time Warp Tool Works.  We now return to regular programming… #flairww -4:08 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The new battens are drilled and ready to install.  [Though they appear to be different lengths, they are actually identical.] #flairww -4:35 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Another interruption – my mother, @WiseSisterFay, wants some help making a display for a show tomorrow called Your Wellness Day. #flairww -4:37 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got both the battens installed now. I like how they look. #flairww -5:04 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m spending some quality time with my hand plane and cleaning up the routed chamfers. #flairww -5:10 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve cut one mortise and tenon joint between the legs and stretcher. #flairww -5:22 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to tune the tenon’s shoulders so the stretcher meets the leg without any gaps. #flairww -5:24 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a utility knife blade and shim to scribe a line around the stretcher. #flairww -5:30 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I just need to trim the shoulders to the knife line. #flairww -5:35 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks As I work, I use the stock of my double square to check that the shoulder is square or undercut. This needs work. #flairww -5:44 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m happy to have one mortise and tenon joint fit! Now it’s time for #woodchat #flairww -6:03 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Looks good! #flairww -6:05 PM May 9th, 2012

woodshaver101  @FlairWoodworks when’s that table going to be done? Cant wait to see it on its legs #woodchat -6:09 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Same here! #flairww RT @woodshaver101: @FlairWoodworks when’s that table going to be done? Cant wait to see it on its legs #woodchat-6:09 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used to think that everything had been done. Now I know that’s not true. I like to do things that haven’t been done previously. #flairww -6:10 PM May 9th, 2012

DozersWorkshop @FlairWoodworks coming along nicely! -6:20 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m really happy with how it is progressing. RT @DozersWorkshop: @FlairWoodworks coming along nicely! -6:20 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @uppercutwood You can’t find what I’m making. Anywhere. #woodchat -6:32 PM May 9th, 2012

uppercutwood @FlairWoodworks I can find it on twitter! #flairww #woodchat -6:33 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks You got me. RT @uppercutwood: @FlairWoodworks I can find it on twitter! #flairww #woodchat -6:33 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is where I left off before #woodchat and dinner. #flairww -7:37 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used a level to extend layout lines representing the stretcher across the leg. #flairww -7:44 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I also marked the position of the leg on the stretcher (the two fine lines). #flairww -7:45 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I am intimidated by this tenon. There are so many angles and so few reference surfaces. #flairww -7:56 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Oh yeah, and not one of the reference surfaces is flat, or even concave. #flairww -7:58 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I crosscut the stretcher 1/4″ overlength. #flairww -8:05 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I needed to shim my tenoning jig to get it aligned properly.#flairww -8:13 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Using the jig as a guide, I scored the shoulder line with a chisel. #flairww -8:15 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To provide support for the router at the end of the tenon, I routed a dado and taped in a scrap of wood. #flairww -8:26 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I routed to depth at the end then removed the support piece to finish routing to the shoulder. #flairww -8:29 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The cheek is much cleaner than the tenon on the other end. #flairww -8:31 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I only have two template bits. Something in between these two sizes would be nice. #flairww -8:40 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My big template bit was too long to make the cut while referencing off the jig so I used the smaller one. #flairww -8:41 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks However, the smaller bit wasn’t long enough to complete the cut. #flairww -8:41 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The second cheek is done. #flairww -8:58 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to finish cutting the shoulder and make the two end cuts. #flairww -10:01 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve finished the shoulder and laid out the remaining cuts.#flairww -10:01 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The tenon is cut. Now to lay out the mortise. #flairww -10:02 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got the mortise laid out on one side. #flairww -10:02 PM May 9th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve transfered the layout of the mortise to the other side. I’ll cut the mortise tomorrow so I’m done for today. #flairww -10:13 PM May 9th, 2012

Next session, I’ll cut the mortise and the joint fit!

Got something to say?  You know what to do!

Maple Trestle Table, Session 13 – Making Things Better, Worse, then Better

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3

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL);
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good;
Session 11 - Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces; and
Session 12 – Fitting the Mother of all Mortise & Tenon Joints.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop and I know exactly what to do next. #flairww -10:55 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I routed around the batten to create a flat, coplanar surface. #flairww -11:00 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I need to plane until the shoulders disappear. #flairww -11:03 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A scrap of heavy carpet makes working on your knees more pleasant. #flairww -11:06 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m so used to using my entire body while planing, but when kneeling or sitting, I can only use my upper body – mostly my arms. #flairww -11:09 AM May 7th, 2012

Tumblewood I’ll have let the girls downtown know that! Hehe! RT @FlairWoodworks: A scrap of heavy carpet makes working on your knees more pleasant. #flairww -11:16 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @Tumblewood I thought you might like to know that. You are married, right? -11:20 AM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The Moxon vise is not particularly good at holding boards that don’t extend down past the screws. #flairww -12:07 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m working on getting the battens to fit tightly against the underside of the table. #flairww -12:07 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My Japanese saw has more missing teeth than a hockey player. Might be time to replace the blade. #flairww -12:10 PM May 7th, 2012 TomVTWRT @FlairWoodworks: My Japanese saw has more missing teeth than a hockey player. Might be time to replace the blade. #flairww -12:13 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That’s the fit I like to see! #flairww -12:21 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve finally got one batten completely installed. #flairww -12:41 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The left corner seen here was quite low so I needed to rout a deeper recess. #flairww -12:49 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s most important to get the ends flat to allow a tight fit without too much fuss. #flairww -12:49 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Hmm… that’s a big step! #flairww -12:51 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I lifted the table top onto two rolling shop carts to bring it to a more comfortable height. #flairww -1:05 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Radiused and cambered blades are amazing. #flairww -1:11 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m getting close. My arms are getting tired. #flairww -1:34 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That was work! #flairww -1:41 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I can’t find my ratchet which I need to reinstall the batten. After it’s installed, I’m going to go for lunch, then tidy up the shop. #flairww -1:59 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Somehow, I made this batten narrower than the recess. It’s still functional but I’m not happy about it. #flairww -2:03 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll remake the batten later. #flairww -2:05 PM May 7th, 2012

WatkinsWoodWork @FlairWoodworks You haven’t mixed up one side for the other have you? Weird that it’s fitting different all of a sudden -2:09 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @WatkinsWoodWork No, I trimmed the sides and evidently went too far. #flairww -2:09 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay, I’m back in the shop after lunch (which involved a bagel and stripping wallpaper). I’m going to do some major tidying up and cleaning. #flairww -4:24 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I finished tidying up the benchroom. The machine shop… that’s a different story. #flairww -5:49 PM May 7th, 2012

This time-lapse video shows the work involved in cleaning up the shop.  (Duration – 2:37)

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

FlairWoodworks And now the machine shop is clean. #flairww -6:48 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks While I was cleaning the shop, my family cleaned the garage! Awesome. #flairww -7:00 PM May 7th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m in a cleaning groove! I just cleaned out my dust collector, which was well overdue. Now it sounds DANGEROUS! #flairww -8:34 PM May 7th, 2012

In the next session, I’ll remake the batten and work the other leg’s joinery.  Don’t leave a comment this time – go clean your shop instead.

Maple Trestle Table, Session 11 – Straight Lines on Wonky Surfaces

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2

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside;
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top;
Session 9 - Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL); and
Session 10 - Curvy Legs are Always Good.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop at 11am sharp! Should I tackle this stretcher issue? #flairww -11:00 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I realized this morning that I’d made an error in laying out the angle of the legs. #flairww -11:23 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I had laid out the angle of the leg so that it would be centred at the bottom of the foot, not the top where it enters. #flairww -11:24 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks However, this means that the leg leans even more and does not make it any easier to join the stretcher. #flairww -11:25 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is turning into a mental challenge. Thankfully it does not involve numbers like @HalfInchShy’s project. #flairww-11:27 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here, the centre of the leg where it enters the foot is centred over its position on the batten. #flairww -11:33 AM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I spent an hour on the phone with my partner @GarthTW2 discussing some new products we’re planning. Back to the table now. #flairww-12:31 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The shaded area represents the space that would be occupied by the wide end of the stretcher. #flairww -12:47 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The other end is much smaller and should not be a problem. #flairww -12:47 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Of course, I’ll cut tenons on the stretcher so that I don’t need to remove so much material from the leg. #flairww -12:48 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m confident that this angle for the legs will work so I’m going to go make the cut. Again, I’ll use my sliding table saw. #flairww -12:55 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m ready to make the cut. The slider guarantees the cuts will be in a straight line. #flairww -1:00 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s the completed cut. I will cut the other end later. #flairww -1:01 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks While I’m thinking about what to do next for this leg, I’ll lay out and cut the angle of the other leg. #flairww -1:06 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks By the way, I’m making this table 43″ tall. #flairww -1:09 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks No I’m not. I’m making the table 29″ tall. I just wanted to see if anybody was paying attention. #flairww -1:10 PM May 2nd, 2012

LornaBourke @FlairWoodworks Chris, I’m following but I didn’t catch the start so I didn’t know how tall the table is #youarenotalone #flairww -1:15 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks @LornaBourke Well, 43″ would be a very tall table. It would be unusual to say the least. Thanks for following! #flairww -1:17 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Both legs are now cut! #flairww -1:19 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I had left one part of the leg thicker to allow some sculpting, but it’s a problem now. #flairww -1:22 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks PS: Like my workbench? Working on the ground, Japanese-style. #flairww -1:22 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Before planing the face, I wrapped the layout lines over to the edges to preserve them. #flairww -1:26 PM May 2nd, 2012

Morton @FlairWoodworks 29″ high is what my current dining table project is going to be also. -1:28 PM May 2nd, 2012

luggermatt @FlairWoodworks I spend half my time working on the ground! It saves picking stuff up.. ;-) -1:30 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t like it so far. #flairww RT @luggermatt:@FlairWoodworks I spend half my time working on the ground! It saves picking stuff up.. ;-) -1:32 PM May 2nd, 2012

luggermatt @FlairWoodworks When the timber you’re working with is 15ft lengths of 2″x8″ oak it’s easier. Move the machine to it too ;-) -1:32 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks @luggermatt Well, yeah. -1:32 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks There – it’s leveled. Not my idea of fun… #flairww -1:42 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I need to re-establish my layout lines. #flairww -1:43 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m working on how to position the stretcher. Here, the midpoint of each end is at the same height. #flairww -1:59 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Note that about 10″ will be cut off of the left side. #flairww -1:59 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m standing back and having a drink of water while I analyze the stretcher’s positioning. Should I make one end higher? #flairww -2:00 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I have longer and shorter levels but the 2′ level gets the most use. An 18″ level might be nice. #flairww -2:04 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve decided to go forwards with the balanced positioning of the stretcher. I used the level to mark plumb lines on each end. #flairww -2:05 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks If my shop were wide enough, I could crosscut the stretcher with my sliding table saw. #flairww -2:09 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Since my shop is not that wide, my options include my compound mitre saw, jigsaw, or handsaw. #flairww -2:09 PM May 2nd, 2012

BourbonCremeBot RT @FlairWoodworks I sure could use a Bourbon Creme about now #flairww -2:14 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m opting to use the jigsaw. I clamped a piece of plywood to the top of the stretcher. #flairww -2:21 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The plywood provides a smooth, even surface on which the jigsaw can ride without getting caught. #flairww -2:22 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The trouble with non-flat stock is that it always wants to move. You have to secure it really well. #flairww -2:23 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Well, that certainly wasn’t the best cut I’ve ever done. But it’s good enough since it will be trimmed later. #flairww -2:27 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks So… how do I cut parallel tenons on either end of a long, non-flat, curved, stretcher? #flairww -2:29 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I know I can figure out a way to cut the tenons, but if you have an idea, I’m listening! #flairww -2:30 PM May 2nd, 2012

msnodgrass2 @FlairWoodworks would snapping chalk lines help? I didn’t see the stretcher -2:33 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t think so. #flairww RT@msnodgrass2: @FlairWoodworks would snapping chalk lines help? I didn’t see the stretcher -2:34 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks @msnodgrass2 It’s more the general wonkiness, rather than the curve that makes it difficult. #flairww -2:35 PM May 2nd, 2012

kring_l @FlairWoodworks long semi flexible strait edge for the face but not sure 4 the ends -2:36 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Would that make it semi-straight? #flairww RT @kring_l:@FlairWoodworks long semi flexible strait edge for the face but not sure 4 the ends -2:38 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The positioning of my saw horses indicates that my shop may be a little crowded. #flairww -2:39 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks My winding sticks show the twist in the stretcher from one end to the other. #flairww -2:43 PM May 2nd, 2012

kring_l @flairwoodworks no the edge stays strait the face can bow I use a 4 foot aluminum ruler type strait edge -2:45 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Gotcha. #flairww RT @kring_l: no the edge stays strait the face can bow I use a 4 foot aluminum ruler type strait edge -2:45 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I realized that the twist could help me if it twisted in the right direction. But it doesn’t. #flairww -2:49 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m using the short fence on my table saw to crosscut parts for my tenoning jig to a consistent length. #flairww -2:59 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve marked the direction of grain runout on the jig parts. In this direction, the wood planes cleanly. #flairww -3:04 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I like to assemble my jigs with screws so I can later take them apart and reuse the parts. #flairww -3:19 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks (Have you ever seen an uglier jig?) #flairww -3:19 PM May 2nd, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks That doesn’t look bad at all! Put a flair mark on it :) #flairww -3:23 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Yuk yuk yuk! RT @HalfInchShy: @FlairWoodworks That doesn’t look bad at all! Put a flair mark on it :) #flairww -3:23 PM May 2nd, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks The one from the Ceros demo #flairww -3:24 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I jointed the edge of the jig square to the face. The jig is now done. #flairww -3:24 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy I don’t follow… #flairww -3:24 PM May 2nd, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks In ur Ceros sanding demo, u made a flair mark to be sanded; add 2 here to make it moe betta (asymmetrical of course #flairww -3:25 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy Good call. It looks much better now. #flairww -3:28 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks With the jig clamped to the stretcher, I now have parallel reference surfaces on each side. #flairww -3:29 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay – lunch time! #flairww -3:30 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Darn it… somebody tracked sawdust into the house again. Hey – don’t look at me! #flairww -3:33 PM May 2nd, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks my 24″ level sees the most time too. -4:33 PM May 2nd, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks mark 1 w/ a level. Go across w/ a straight edge, adjust height as desired & level the 2nd one. -4:40 PM May 2nd, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Bet you could go for some Bourbon Cream right about now… #flairww -4:46 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop and I’ll set up to rout the first tenon. #Woodchat starts in 20 minutes. #flairww -5:40 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks There is no way I’ll be able to rout the full length of the tenons without a wider router baseplate. #flairww -5:45 PM May 2nd, 2012

bourboncreambot RT @HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Bet you could go for some Bourbon Cream right about now… #flairww -5:46 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Rather than make an offset router baseplate, I’m going to use a router attached to a table insert. #flairww -5:48 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks That’s right, @HalfInchShy - I don’t mess around! #flairww -5:48 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got the jig set up and router bit installed. Next, I need to figure out how deep to set the bit. #flairww -5:56 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks How do these proportions look? When dealing with large tenons, I leave the tenon a bit thicker than 1/3. #flairww -6:01 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Time for #woodchat. Feel free to join in on Twitter! I’ll resume the project in one hour. #flairww -6:01 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ok, #woodchat crew. I need to go rout some tenons with my inverted router table. #flairww -6:59 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I did what I could with my routers (more router frustrations). I’ll do the rest by hand. #flairww -7:37 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks You want a challenge? Clamp this stretcher solidly! #flairww -8:00 PM May 2nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll finish fine-tuning the first tenon after dinner. #flairww -8:05 PM May 2nd, 2012

Hey – the next day is “after dinner” too.

While you’re waiting for me to return from my dinner break, please leave a comment.

Maple Trestle Table, Session 9 – Mortises the Slow Way (or Why I’m Buying a Domino XL)

Posted on by
16

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top;
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood;
Session 5 - Routing Pockets for Battens;
Session 6 - Making Battens and Installing Countertop Connectors;
Session 7 - Installing Battens and Flattening the Underside; and
Session 8 - Make Your Tools Work for You and Flattening the Top.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I haven’t worked on the table for four days and I’m finally getting a chance to get back at it today! Follow along with #flairww. -2:24 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks When I left off, I had just finished flattening the table top. Joinery between the two slabs comes next. #flairww -2:26 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve laid out on the faces where I want the mortises to be located. There will be three 3″-long mortises. #flairww -2:38 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Since I can use the same layout for the other side, I put pencil marks on my aluminum ruler. #flairww -2:41 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The layout of the second half was ridiculously easy. Now I need to flip over the top and separate the two halves. #flairww -2:44 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Maybe I should clean up some of these plane shavings first… #flairww  -2:48 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Two bags of shavings! #flairww -2:55 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks In the shavings, I found the transfer punch I’d used when I installed the battens. #flairww -2:57 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Well, that was kind of exciting. I didn’t break a horse, but I did knock over one. #flairww -3:02 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m using a socket adapter in my drill to quicky remove the lag bolts. #flairww -3:05 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks They’re free! #flairww -3:09 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll be using a plunge router to cut the mortises. This is easiest with the surface being mortised in the horizontal position (and the slab vertical). #flairww -3:13 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Had I been able to get a @FestoolUSA Domino XL, I could have easily cut the mortises with the slabs in the horizontal position. #flairww -3:14 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I cannot imagine using a stationary machine such as a horizontal boring machine/slot mortiser to mortise these slabs. #flairww -3:15 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I want really deep mortises and my Milwaukee plunge router has a greater plunge capacity than my Porter Cable. #flairww -3:17 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I used my saddle square to transfer the layout lines from the face to the edge. #flairww -3:21 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I use a large X to clearly mark which sections receive mortises. #flairww  -3:22 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I clamped a straight piece of wood to the router’s base to act as a fence. #flairww -3:25 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Why? I’m not positive that the slabs are of even thickness so I am using the face as a reference surface. #flairww -3:26 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s the distance from the face to the mortise that is important. I used the CS-2 because I’d like them to be roughly centred.#flairww -3:27 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks THAT’S where my CS-2 went! :-P Nice build; I’m having popcorn playing with Domizilla thinking how useful it would be #flairww -3:27 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy Thanks :) I hope @BridgeCityTools makes you a new CS-2 soon! #flairww -3:28 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Because of the live edge, I moved the edge of one mortise. #flairww -3:40 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks I like how you Xed out the X for the mortise. Is that a woodworking double negative? #flairww -3:53 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks More seriously, are you going to use the router horizontally or have you mounted the slab vertically like you did before? #flairww-3:53 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy I’ve got the slab clamped vertically to a sawhorse. #flairww -3:59 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve routed the first set of mortises. They are 2-1/2″ deep which is the capacity of my router bit. #flairww -4:00 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Unfortunately, my Milwaukee plunge router requires me to hold down a stiff plunge lock lever with my thumb in order to release the plunge lock. #flairww -4:01 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My thumb is quite sore after just three mortises… #flairww -4:01 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It was a fairly slow process to cut a mortise, too. #flairww -4:02 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And now I need to set up to rout the set of mortises on the other end of this slab. #flairww -4:05 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks You can smell burnt wood from the friction of the non-fluted shank against the mortise walls. #flairww -4:06 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Oh, I forgot to mention that I’m using a 1/2″ diameter up-spiral router bit. I wouldn’t want to use a straight bit for deep mortises because they don’t clear chips as well. #flairww -4:07 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It took me over 2 minutes to rout each of the three mortises. #flairww -4:08 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I guess I’ll rout this set of mortises on my knees. #flairww -4:11 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I applied some DriCote to the router bit. It’s supposed to reduce friction and keep the bit clean. #flairww -4:15 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m going to see if I can defeat the sprung plunge lock on my router. #flairww -4:17 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks There’s the culprit! Remove the spring and I’m a happy woodworker! #flairww -4:19 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I bolted the lever back on, positioned where it is comfortable to operate. Here the plunge is locked. #flairww -4:22 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks And I push the lever down to plunge freely! #flairww -4:23 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I might have broken this handle when I knocked over the saw horse. #flairww -4:27 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Hmm… when the plunge mechanism is unlocked, there is noticeable play in one column. Before… #flairww -4:32 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks … and after. I don’t know if you can see it, but I can see and feel it. Not good. #flairww -4:33 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My Porter Cable has some wiggle too. It’s not as much but still significant at the end of a bit protruding 2-1/2″ from the collet. #flairww-4:34 PM Apr 30th, 2012

malphrusoxide: if you want a better way to measure runout, chuck up a piece of round stock. less tricky to see/measure than a bit. -4:35 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @malphrusoxide Good idea, but it’s plenty clear when you see it in person. I’m evaluating my options right now. #flairww -4:37 PM Apr 30th, 2012

malphrusoxide @FlairWoodworks gotcha. got very little experience with rebuilding routers, but i know the feeling. good luck! -4:38 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @malphrusoxide I’m thinking upgrade, not rebuild. I don’t think it’s a wear issue becuse it has so little use. Blame tolerances. #flairww -4:39 PM Apr 30th, 2012

malphrusoxide @FlairWoodworks i did the same thing. went from old craftsman to new bosch. = night & day. -4:40 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Nice. #flairww RT @malphrusoxide: @FlairWoodworks i did the same thing. went from old craftsman to new bosch. = night & day. -4:41 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @malphrusoxide I have a Bosch 1617EVS plunge router somewhere… gonna find it and see how it feels. #flairww -4:42 PM Apr 30th, 2012

malphrusoxide @FlairWoodworks cool. forget which model bosch i ended up with. was working against a deadline so i didn’t get to shop around like i prefer. -4:43 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I have no idea where the plunge base is. I never change the Bosch 1617 bases because it is very difficult. #flairww-4:46 PM Apr 30th, 2012

DyamiPlotke: my local tool monger has a number of used 3HP PC plunge routers in stock now if you need a new one. -4:52 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I found the plunge base and managed to swap over the router without any drama. The plunge feels good! #flairww -4:53 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Are they good? #flairww RT @DyamiPlotke: my local tool monger has a number of used 3HP PC plunge routers in stock now if you need a new one. -4:54 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The Bosch 1617EVS plunges about 2-3/8″ so it might work.#flairww -4:56 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This table will be for sale when it is complete. E-mail me if you are interested. #flairww -5:03 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks So far the cost is a Domino XL and OF1400 :) #flairww -5:04 PM Apr 30th, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks I have 1 I bought used & like it equal 2 my Festool OF2000 Different feel but both very nice The PC is big & well balanced -5:05 PM Apr 30th, 2012

malphrusoxide @FlairWoodworks dominoXL v. domino… thoughts? worth the extra coin? -5:05 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @malphrusoxide Totally different applications. For me, the XL makes more sense. But I already have the DF-500. #flairww -5:08 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @malphrusoxide So for me, yes. #flairww -5:08 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To ensure the fence is positioned the same on my Bosch router, I first plunged the bit into an existing mortise. #flairww -5:16 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ok… my Bosch router is now set up. Next question: does the switch work? #flairww -5:18 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Yes, it does work. #flairww -5:21 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here goes… mortise set 2… #flairww -5:23 PM Apr 30th, 2012

This video showed how I routed the mortises.  In this real-time video, I routed one of three mortises in this end of the slab.  There were 12 mortises in total.  (Duration – 3:07)

This movie requires Adobe Flash for playback.

woodshaver101 @FlairWoodworks routing bits limit depth,but are precise,I tend to cut deep mortises with a mortise chisel. good luck -5:31 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks … and… done that set of mortises! #flairww -5:34 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @woodshaver101 How long would a 3″ long, 1/2″ wide, and 2-1/2″ deep take you to chop by hand? #flairww -5:36 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks So the second set of mortises took 10 minutes… about 30% longer than the first set. #flairww -5:38 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Before routing this mortise, I should check that it won’t go into this cavity. #flairww -5:43 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I moved the mortise in by 3/4″ to be safe. #flairww -5:48 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Since these pieces are a little awkward to turn upside-down to knock the sawdust out of the mortises, I’m using a stick to scoop chips towards the vacuum hose. #flairww -6:02 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s the third set of mortises done. I added a 1/2″ deep haunch and will do the same with the others. #flairww -6:06 PM Apr 30th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks I have that same set up. Do you have problems getting the motor into the bases? Is the side of your motor all scratched up? -6:06 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster Yes and yes! I took some fine wet/dry paper (dry) and sanded the body smooth. It’s better but not great. #flairww -6:07 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The last mortise has been routed. Now I need to clear out the mortises and make floating tenons! #flairww -6:40 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My crevice nozzle, very conveniently, is a friction fit in the 1/2″ wide mortises. #flairww -6:41 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks So the mortises I cut with my Milwaukee were 2-1/2″ deep and the mortises cut with my Bosch were only 2-1/8″ deep. #flairww -6:50 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m going to extend the bit further out of the collet (still with a full 1″ in the collet) and make the mortises deeper. #flairww -6:51 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay, NOW the routing is done. #flairww -7:05 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Like my Milwaukee, my Bosch also has a spring-loaded plunge lock. It’s not as stiff as the Milwaukee, but my thumb’s still sore.#flairww -7:06 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I found some maple for the floating tenons. The next step is to plane it to the correct thickness. #flairww -7:12 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks To ensure the floating tenons were the right thickness, I planed a test piece ahead of the good stock. #flairww -7:59 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I then used the bandsaw to define the tenons. I’ll use a fret saw to finish the job. #flairww -8:00 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks But first… dinner! #flairww -8:00 PM Apr 30th, 2012

woodshaver101 @FlairWoodworks that should hold good.  -8:32 PM Apr 30th, 2012

woodshaver101 @FlairWoodworks about 5 min I’m a mortise cutting mad man -8:33 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That is really fast! Can you take a video? RT @woodshaver101: @FlairWoodworks about 5 min I’m a mortise cutting mad man -8:38 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop finishing off the floating, haunched tenons. #flairww -9:04 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here is one tenon complete and partially dry-fit. It’s a friction fit and will be a struggle to remove. #flairww -9:24 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got the second floating haunched tenon cut as well. I think they need to be a bit thinner though. #flairww -9:39 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I ran the tenons through the thickness sander a few times to get it to the perfect thickness. #flairww -9:55 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks That’s a big tenon! It makes XL Dominos look diminutive.#flairww -10:03 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now I get to put the two halves back together for a dry fit with the tenons! This is EXCITING! #flairww -10:07 PM Apr 30th, 2012

gvmcmillan @FlairWoodworks I always like dry fitting time – it’s when you really get to see if it’s going to work and what it will look like. #flairww -10:09 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @gvmcmillan I’m excited and nervous. Will my deadblow hammer be seeing a lot of work? #flairww -10:11 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks you even make tenons outta slabs! :) nah no heavy work with the deadblow… you’ve thought of everything (I think :) #flairww -10:13 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy Hey – this isn’t doll furniture! #flairww -10:15 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The deadblow hammer is for scale. If this doesn’t impress you, I want to see what you do! #flairww -10:17 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The first joint went together easily…. #flairww -10:19 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The second side is going to need some clamping pressure.#flairww -10:21 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I wish I had some really big clamps right now. #flairww -10:23 PM Apr 30th, 2012

luggermatt @FlairWoodworks Ratchet strap around the end? -10:24 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks If it comes to that, maybe… #flairww RT @luggermatt:@FlairWoodworks Ratchet strap around the end? -10:25 PM Apr 30th, 2012

luggermatt @FlairWoodworks I use them a lot on the boat. Good for ‘encouraging’ big joints into place ;-) -10:26 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks With one slab butted against my workbench which was butted against the wall, I was able to use my deadblow to close the joint. – 10:29 PM Apr 30, 2012

FlairWoodworks Next, the countertop connectors are installed and tightened.#flairww -10:35 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Then the battens are reinstalled… #flairww -10:40 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I feel like a kid on Christmas day! #flairww -10:40 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The dry-fit tenons worked brilliantly. There’s no more than a paper’s thickness in deviation between the two slabs on the surface. #flairww-10:45 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Now… should I glue it? #flairww -10:45 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m going to clean up the shop while I ponder that. #flairww-10:46 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks yes :) #flairww -10:46 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks You’re probably right. Might be an intense glue-up! I’ll have to get some slow-cure glue. RT @HalfInchShy: @FlairWoodworks yes :)#flairww -10:47 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Oh definitely a slow cure; do you have a slow-cure epoxy? #flairww -10:48 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks 5-minute? Um… no. RT @HalfInchShy: @FlairWoodworks Oh definitely a slow cure; do you have a slow-cure epoxy? #flairww -10:49 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Glue the tenons into one slab then you can take your time to get the other in position; wet w/glue slab 2s mortises #flairww-10:56 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks once in position but before pushing together, apply glue to the tenons then push like hell, man! #flairww -10:56 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy That’s definitely how I’d do it! #flairww -10:58 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks I hear my neighbors chanting ‘Chris!’ ‘Chris!’ ‘Chris!’ I think they want to see glue-up. Man up. :) #flairww -10:59 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy Oh, you…. #flairww -10:59 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks It was either that or a Canucks joke… #flairww-11:00 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @HalfInchShy I don’t think I actually need a slow-curing glue, thought it could make it less stressful if I have trouble. #flairww -11:01 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks On edge, the table is up to my chest! #flairww -11:03 PM Apr 30th, 2012

luggermatt @FlairWoodworks Jolly good :-) -11:03 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Then do your other idea and mix your own TB Extended; first slab do as usual; second wet mortises with TB-Ex #flairww -11:03 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks When you wet the tenons just before pushing it together, use normal TB; home-brew extended wont skin in the mortise#flairww -11:04 PM Apr 30th, 2012

HalfInchShy @FlairWoodworks Get your brother to snap a pic of the table on edge with you behind it or peeking through the center #flairww -11:04 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s not so easy to get this spring-loaded plunge-lock lever back reinstalled! #flairww -11:34 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay, it wasn’t that hard – it just took some lateral thinking.#flairww -11:36 PM Apr 30th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m done in the shop for the night. Now for some video and blog editing. #flairww -11:45 PM Apr 30th, 2012

The top is nearing completion.  The legs and feet have yet to be started.  What’s next?  In Session 10, I began work on the legs!

I would be delighted if you left a comment.

Maple Trestle Table, Session 5 – Routing Pockets for Battens

Posted on by
4

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring;
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs;
Session 3 - From Two Slabs to One Table Top; and
Session 4 - Clamping Odd Shapes and Sketching on Wood.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop and starting off by routing the edge with a template bit to make the table’s edge square and even. #flairww -10:40 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The danger of bits with shank-mounted bearing is that the bit can be tipped into the workpiece. #flairww -10:42 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

atully1 @FlairWoodworks what’d you decide on the cavity? -10:43 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Nothing yet. RT @atully1: @FlairWoodworks what’d you decide on the cavity? -10:47 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ll leave that gouge alone for now because I still haven’t decided how I’m going to profile the edge. #flairww -10:47 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s amazing how the grain glows! #flairww-11:04 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve turned the slabs over and planed away some of the rough surface to see what’s underneath. #flairww -11:33 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve decided that I’ll use countertop connectors to hold the two slabs together and allow the table to be taken apart for ease of moving. #flairww -11:35 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I want to establish two flat areas on the bottom for battens to keep the tabletop flat. #flairww -11:36 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Lunch time! #flairww -11:54 AM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Back from lunch. Today, lunch meant mowing the front lawn, repairing a bicycle tire, visiting with my uncle, and eating a cookie. #flairww -2:24 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

GenWoodworks @FlairWoodworks well at least you got to eat something … Lol -2:26 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks That was a good cookie! #flairww RT @GenWoodworks: @FlairWoodworks well at least you got to eat something … Lol -2:26 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I want to make a template from this piece of plywood to rout the flat surface for the batten. #flairww -2:30 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I installed a template guide and straight bit in my router and measured the offset. #flairww -2:40 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks With this dimension known, I can figure out how much wider to make the template. #flairww -2:40 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I ripped the plywood into three strips, the middle one being the width of the slot, then cut off the ends. #flairww -2:51 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I installed a 6mm bit and cut mortises for Domino tenons. #flairww -3:03 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I like how the Domino tenons fit snugly so I don’t even have to glue the template together. #flairww -3:04 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Pocket holes would also work. *GASP!* #flairww -3:04 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

Tooltutor what IS the stigma with pocket holes? Is it “cheating”? RT“@FlairWoodworks: Pocket holes would also work. *GASP!* #flairww” -3:06 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Well, it’s not Festool. It’s also not wood joinery. RT@Tooltutor: what IS the stigma with pocket holes? Is it “cheating”? #flairww”-3:07 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

DyamiPlotke @Tooltutor @FlairWoodworks let there be no shame with pocket screws. -3:12 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’ve got the jig set up and placed shims under the router before bottoming the bit to set the depth. #flairww -3:14 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Here’s the first pocket done. #flairww-3:20 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

DyamiPlotke: @FlairWoodworks what’s the pocket for? -3:25 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s for a batten on the underside of the table. The legs attach to it too. #flairww RT @DyamiPlotke: what’s the pocket for? -3:26 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

DyamiPlotke @FlairWoodworks ah. You’re recessing the batten for aesthetics? -3:29 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Mostly to get a truly flat surface. #flairww RT @DyamiPlotke: @FlairWoodworks ah. You’re recessing the batten for aesthetics? -3:29 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks The two battens may actually be the most important part of this table. #flairww -3:31 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks I needed to roughly flatten the area before clamping down the template. #flairww http://t.co/1lof2pNE -3:35 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Okay, I need some actual lunch now. #flairww -3:47 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

prevailingcity @FlairWoodworks I’m loving seeing this thing come together. -10:26 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Thanks for that, Jake! RT @prevailingcity: @FlairWoodworks I’m loving seeing this thing come together. -10:26 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

WVWoodshed This is excellent! I am really enjoying the tweets, blog entries and project photos a lot!!! Thanks!!!!! -11:23 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

FlairWoodworks Glad to hear it! RT @WVWoodshed: This is excellent! I am really enjoying the tweets, blog entries and project photos a lot!!! Thanks!!!!! -11:24 PM Apr 22nd, 2012

What’s next?  Why, Session 6 of course!

Maple Trestle Table, Session 3 – From Two Slabs to One Table Top

Posted on by
5

On the morning of Sunday, April 15th, Morton and I exchanged ideas about trestle tables, spurred on by a recent sketch of a table on which he was working.  That got me yearning to build a trestle table.

I documented my progress live on Twitter which was useful because each update had a time stamp so followers could see the rate at which I progressed.  Here is a list of the previous Sessions:

Session 1 - Flat Boards are Boring; and
Session 2 - Playing with Slabs.

(If you are not familiar with the format used on Twitter, every update, or “tweet” below starts with a username, being the author of that tweet.  Sometimes, you see two or more usernames in a tweet.  The second (and third, etc) usernames are preceded by a @ symbol and are people to whom the author is talking.  The other symbol you see is #, which serves as a category.  I try to remember to categorize all my tweets pertaining to this project under #flairww.)

FlairWoodworks I’m back in the shop! #flairww -10:39 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I swept the shavings from my surfacing session into a pile.#flairww -11:09 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I started laying out possible feet for the trestle table, but I need to first determine the width of the top. #flairww -11:24 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It’s no fun lifting the slabs onto sawhorses by myself so I cleared the floor. #flairww -11:28 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I laid down strips of wood on which to lay the slabs and allow clearance for my fingers! #flairww -11:29 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I must be crazy to be building such a large table in my shop.#flairww -11:33 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I need to cut the pieces to join them together so they look something like this. #flairww -11:39 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks As much as I like the continuation of the main bole, it would make seating awkward. #flairww -11:43 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The drawing bow is a great tool. The strap holds the curvature. I just wish I had a longer one. #flairww -11:44 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I hold down the drawing bow with one hand and transfer its shape with a pencil in the other. #flairww -11:47 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I work one short section at a time to avoid flexing the drawing bow with pressure from the pencil. #flairww -11:48 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks A pencil line can be hard to see so I draw a squiggly line on the waste side using the drawing bow as a stop. #flairww -11:49 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Standard jigsaw blades aren’t long enough to cut these 2-1/2″-thick slabs so I bought longer blades. #flairww -11:56 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The black blade is about 1/4″ too short. I have to use the loooong blade which is 6-3/4″ long overall. #flairww -11:59 AM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I elevated the slab using I-beams (H-beams if you’re French) to provide clearance for the blade. #flairww -12:05 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I got the idea of I-beams from my buddy Serge. He’s said to be the most prolific tipster! Serge’s blog. #flairww -12:07 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m not sue why, but I’m a little nervous about this cut. Here goes! #flairww -12:10 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I decided to redraw the cut line with a black marker before making the cut. I feel a little less nervous now. #flairww -12:16 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks One cut down… #flairww -12:24 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I pretty much ignored my layout lines and just cut a smooth curve. #flairww -12:27 PM Apr 19th, 2012

(I recorded this video to show what a cut in 2-1/4″ thick Western maple is like.  I used a Festool Trion PS 300 EQ Jigsaw which draws 6 amps with a Trion S145/4FSG blade set for a maximum orbital stroke for a quick cut.  Duration – 0:55)

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FlairWoodworks This is the bade after one cut. The teeth at the very top are a little blue from heat build up. #flairww -12:30 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The saw seemed to cut more slowly with it set for a full orbital stroke than none at all. #flairww -12:32 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My curve was pretty even except for this bump. #flairww -12:35 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks It was at the bump that my cut was the most out of square. I’m not sure what happened there. #flairww -12:37 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I broke a blade. I have no idea why I broke. The cut seemed to be going fine. Any ideas? #flairww -12:55 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks your lucky you have a festool jigsaw, if you had a normal one that “out of square” would have looked like a 30 degree bevel! -12:50 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks @BCcraftmaster My old jigsaw didn’t even have enough power to cut 2″ maple. #flairww -12:57 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Ha ha ha!! I take back my comment about the saw cutting more slowly on full orbital than none… I read the scale backwards. #flairww-12:59 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks heat weakened metal? -1:05 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I don’t think so. It didn’t bend, it broke. It’s still as straight as an arrow. RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks heat weakened metal? -1:06 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks why does it look so black right above the break -1:08 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I believe that is from the carbide guides. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks why does it look so black right above the break -1:09 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks ohhhh… then I’m clueless -1:11 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks so does this mean your S.O.L until you get a new one? -1:12 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I bought a pack of 5 for $30. #flairww RT @BCcraftmaster: @FlairWoodworks so does this mean your S.O.L until you get a new one? -1:16 PM Apr 19th, 2012

BCcraftmaster @FlairWoodworks Im that Guy that would only buy 1 and then be running back out after it broke #lame -1:20 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I got interrupted by a half-hour phone call. Back at work now.#flairww -1:40 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is coming along nicely! #flairww -1:48 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m working on designing and building a jig to cut the joints. The plywood pieces will serve as the guides. #flairww -2:03 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Pretty nice-looking for a quick and dirty jig. #flairww -2:15 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m set up to joint the first mating surface of this slab.#flairww -2:35 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is a better angle at which to work. #flairww -2:37 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Oops. I forgot that I had planned to use the jig and a template bit in a router to joint the mating surfaces. #flairww -2:49 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks My biggest template bit isn’t long enough to make the cut in one pass. #flairww -2:56 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks This is as far as I can work with the router. I’ll finish by hand. #flairww -3:02 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I could remove the plywood to gain more depth, but it is my reference surface and the angle of the router might change without it. #flairww -3:03 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I forgot to close the drawer before routing. I also “forgot” to use a Festool router with dust collection. #flairww -3:05 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks I’m using a chisel to pare away the waste. The routed area provides solid registration. #flairww -3:09 PM Apr 19th, 2012

HighRockWW @FlairWoodworks I can laugh only because I have done the same thing before… -3:12 PM Apr 19th, 2012 RT FlairWoodworks I forgot to close the drawer before routing.

FlairWoodworks One surface done. #flairww -3:15 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks The second surface is now jointed as well. #flairww -3:26 PM Apr 19th, 2012

FlairWoodworks Lunch time! #flairww -3:27 PM Apr 19th, 2012

Keep reading!  Session 4 is the next instalment.