After posting that I was looking for a Stanley #45 on LJ’s, a fellow member mentioned he had one, but it needed all the accessories. It wasn’t long after it showed up in the mail.
After a long time trying, I finally scored some additional cutters for the 45. I bid on a lot, and got beat a lot. But finally I prevailed and these showed up in the mail.
Next was the longer rods. I recently won a set and they should be on their way here, so it was time to figure out how to keep this stuff together. Time to make a box to keep it all in.
I decided to use some self-cut popular I already had. I wanted hand cut dovetails and a raised panel top. Here what I came up with.
I marked out the dovetails. I still haven’t made a dovetail template yet, so the marking was done with a sliding t bevel. A standard 14 degrees. It also gave me a chance to use my restored disston 70. and my marking guige I made several years ago. I’ve had a wing bolt on my list of things to pick up ever since I made it. I always forget!
Clean ‘em up with one of my restored chisels. I don’t know the make of this chisel. There is some really bad pitting in one spot, and that spot happens to be where the name is.
Mark the tails from the Pins. I know its better to use a marking knife, and I made a couple to use, but my eye sight isn’t what it used to be, so I keep the pencil sharp.
I also always mark the waste. There is nothing more annoying then cutting the wrong side of the line because you got confused what was waste and what was not. Yes…I get confused easily and often distracted (shiny objects do that) so, pencil it in.
Now break out the #3 to smooth up the sides before putting it together.
Glue it up.
I usually cut my raised panels on a shaper, but my shaper needs a little work, and I haven’t decided if I’m going to set it up in the new shop or just buy some raised panel bits for the router. So off to the table saw to create a raised panel for the top.
I decided to go with a butternut raised panel. First because I had a scrap piece almost the perfect size, and second, I love butternut. Almost the same deal with the skirt. I made them out of red oak because I had a few pieces just laying around.
Next the frame for the toip was cut with my new miter saw. This will be the first time actually using it for something real. I must say, I like it.
I wanted to darken and highlight this, but just a little, so I gave it a coat of BLO, then a coat of Walnut Danish oil. I’ll give it a few more coats of BLO.
I plan to make another small try for inside the box, but want to wait until the other set of rods gets here. I want to make sure there is room so I don’t have to remove them to put the plane in the box.
Handle Update.
I decided while the turkey was cooking this morning to add the handles. I almost always make my own handles, and wood seemed to be the general consensus.
One of the first pieces to catch my eye was a piece of red oak the exact size I needed. To much karma there to NOT use it and it would match the skirt perfectly. Grabbing a round over plane (I love this set of molders I found at a flea market this summer) from the cabinet to go with it.
Give it a quick sand with some 150:
And off to the MF Miter to cut it exactly in half.
Then measure in from each end exactly 1” and mark it. Then clamp the 2 pieces together and drill for the inside of the handles.
Drill pilot holes and then Counter sink the holes with my trusty MF egg beater always hanging in my cabinet with a countersink bit on it.
Cut it on the band saw.
Round over the inside with a round over bit in the router.
And for those who haven’t seen my home made router lift, its invaluable for operations like this.
And for those of you saying “I’d never let my fingers get that close to the bit”, well I won’t say never, but not today.
Off to the sanders for a little power sanding. I wanted the ends just softened a little, not a full round over.
And counter sink the back side of the pilot holes. Why didn’t I do that when I did the front side you ask. Well, I was day dreaming about turkey at that point. With an egg beater daydreaming is ok. Serious injury is unlikely.
And here are the handles.
Add them to the box and give everything another quick coat of BLO.
Thanks for looking.