All day making little boards out of big boards

[Cliff_Johns]

Mornin Cliff,
As you remember I'm building an extension table for the kitchen.

Oops. For some reason I forgot that completely. Kind of you to imagine that I remembered though. I can't even keep track of the posts in a thread I started.

All I've accomplished in the last week is staining the drawer bottoms. I've got high hopes for the weekend though.

Cliff

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evenin Guys,
Today I whipped up a template to relieve the bottom sides of the aprons. I used 1/4" lexan and kinda cheated using a CNC Bridgeport miller but you could just have easily used 1/4" luan.

As you can see in the first pic, I use a 1/2" follower bit in my table mounted router. I used double back tape to afix the template to the apron but you can also drill a couple of small holes and just slightly tap in finish nails so the template wont move.

This method gives you a nice smooth surface and you can generate any profile that your heart desires !

The second pic is the aprons finished routed.

BTW Cliff, what did you say you were building on YOUR thread ?

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin Guys,
Nothing like a cold January morning to get gunk holed in the wood shop

First pic is the t-slot rails that will be mounted inbetween the end aprons.

Second pic is the apron end cut for the runners that will attach to the bottom of the top.

Third pic is end aprons mortised.

Fourth pic is the t-slot rails fitted to the end apron.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Slow down Scotty, you're making me feel like a lazy slob.

Very nice work though. That oak sure makes for sharp edges and clean mortices. Watch out for those arises. You can cut yourself pretty easily on newly machined oak. Then you have to sand the blood stains out. Oh, and it hurts too.

So far today, I put a coat of Shallac on the drawer bottoms. I'll be sanding and staining the insides of the drawer parts later today. Then shallac and assembly tomorrow if I'm lucky and industrious.

Cliff

 

[Cliff_Johns]

I took some photos so folks would see what a little stain and Shellac will do for cheap birch plywood. Here I've used honey maple stain (carver tripp) and Zinsser shellac.

The first photo shows before and after. A drawer bottom and a plywood leftover piece.

The second photo shows some of the the drawer bottoms racked for drying on the drawer rails.

The third photo shows the type of Shellac I use. I like the premix, although on some projects I mix my own from flakes. Here I've used the Amber because I like the depth it gives on light woods.

The last two photos are the side pannel with and with out the finish applied sitting in the spot where it will eventually be attached with a surround molding.

Cliff

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Cliff,
Very nice so far, it looks like you made some real progress ! Ive never used that shelac before, it looks like your getting great results. I will have to make a note of that in my senior moment memory bank, and pick some up myself

In the first pic I have the whole base dry assembled.

Second pic is the brazilian rosewood pegs I will be using to pin all the tenons after the final assembly. I also just put in the shallow mortises in the legs where the pegs will be positioned.

I see alot of sanding in my future which is pretty boring stuff, oh well, gotta do it

BTW The rosewood pegs will have a diamond shape on the proud end and they will stand proud about 1/16" above the leg surface.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Scott,
It looks like the table is coming together very nicely. I like the way you've done the skirts and I bet those pegs will look great. A classic accent.

Sanding is noisy, dusty and, as you say, boring. Some hand planing will avoid some of it, but I know I'm sure not good enough with a hand plane to avoid it all.

I stained and shellaced the insides of the drawer sides. Here's how the finish looks on pine.

Cliff

 

[scott_vt]

Good Evening Cliff,
Good idea on getting that finish on before the glue up ! I do the same thing when I do raised panel doors.

The first pic is using my laminate trimmer to put the cutouts in the t-slot rails.

The second pic is the t-slot rail cut, and the guide rail with the hardwood dowels that will slide within the t-slot rail. I made up a guide bushing for the trimmer for small jobs like this.

The third pic is the guide rails with the hardwood dowels.

 

[Cliff_Johns]

Is your template Lexan?
Cliff

 

[scott_vt]

Is your template Lexan?
Cliff

Mornin Cliff,
Yep, I kind of have an unlimited supply of lexan from work I use 1/4" thick lexan for most of my templates. It really works out great for this type of stuff.

The top halves will be attached to the guide rails, and where those cutouts are I will be able to lift and remove the entire top. The top halves only need to slide about 10" back from the center position to accomodate both leaves.
I will probablly put a stop blocks on the underside of the top to restrict movement to what is needed to position the leaves .