I attribute my success to my relentless push to try to fail. Insanity 2 is about trying to design something which I cannot create.
Since my last blog update on Insanity 2, I laminated two curved sides and a curved bottom. Then I was faced with the task of joining them together. Although the four sides of the cabinet were curved like potato chips, cutting the joinery by hand wasn’t any more difficult than any other situation. However, layout was exceedingly difficult and I took my time.
First, I coped the ends of the sides to fit tightly between the top and bottom panels. After that, I used a combination square to draw a line 5/8″ from the coped edge. One challenge I faced was using the square, with a large, flat reference surface, to mark a line parallel to a curved surface. This wasn’t ideal, but I did my best.
My next challenge was laying out the fingers. If the end were straight and face were flat, I would just use a square to extend layout lines along the edge and face. But since neither were flat, I had to modify my techniques. I clamped the side panel in my wooden twin screw vise, approximately level. Then, I set a square on the front vise jaw and marked the face of the board with the vertical leg of the square.
To mark guide lines on the end of the board, I used the slot down the centre of my Veritas Large Saddle Square for the panels with flatter faces. For other panels, I clamped a straight edge to the board and referenced the square off of it.
The first corner joint was an adventure. The second went much better and the last two were a piece of cake.
I dry-fit the cabinet and sat it on my bench. I clamped the doors in the vise to get an idea of what it will look like together.
I left the fingers long to make assembly, disassembly, and clamping easier.
My next steps, the order of which is to be determined, are to figure out how to install the back panel, design the shelves, and glue-up the cabinet with the back and shelves at the same time, if necessary.
Links:
Sculptural Woodwork by Chris Wong 
Bravo on your joinery skill, getting the parts in the right place for layout must have been challenging. All that spacial geometry is really fun and risky, when you nailed it, you must have felt unstoppable. That cabinet is really shaping up to be something Ted Geisel would be proud of. Are you going to leave the fingers? I like them, they help punctuate the curved intersections, drawing attention to the seam (if that’s desired) Maybe play with how they extend, like a ruffled edge. Is it safe to assume the shelves won’t be planer? Great work!
Jeremy,
Joinery layout was a real challenge, that’s for sure. It was pretty exciting when I got the third corner together, and even more when I assembled the fourth.
I haven’t decided if I’ll leave the fingers proud or trim them flush, but I’m leaning towards leaving them proud. I could also cover them by veneering the entire cabinet, etc.
We talked a bit about ideas for shelves at the last #Woodchat. Non co-planar isn’t a bad guess.
Chris
Awesome! Reminds me of something you might see in the Maitland’s house in the 1988 classic film Beetlejuice. I guess that makes you the Tim Burton of woodworking?
Carter,
So very odd that you mention Beetlejuice. It is being screened in Vancouver tonight at a theatre, and also on TV! Guess what I’m watching tonight.
Chris