Only one, or maybe both? On the left: Walnut, 
with quarter-sawn white oak base; on the right, osage orange. I ordered an iron from Brese Plane — a real beauty!
Stand by!
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Decisions…
June 18, 2009 By
Raise it a notch: A walnut base
June 17, 2009 By
A simple outline on a legal envelope defined my next project:
- Join several boards into a large panel (the base).
- Smooth the glued seams the best you can.
- Make sure all seams are now seamless, and smooth.
- Find thick wood, to raise top platform; machine to size.
- Find one wide board for top platform, and shape properly.
- Shape riser insert and top platform together, for looks.
- Shape the back of the base to resemble the others.
- Sand to 150 grit first; then to 180 grit, taking special precaution with all edges (don’t want any threads snagging).
- Use pegs to join top to riser, and also to join base to riser.
- Remove all saw dust thoroughly before taking into sewing room.
- Important: No finish on this special platform.
- Allow your wife the honors of placing embroidery machine on new platform.
- Wife places granddaughter’s dress, T-shirt, or some other such garment on embroidery machine more easily than ever possible (the garment now slides under the top arm).
- Results: A wonderful thank you!
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I better practice for the ‘Hand Tool Olympics’
June 17, 2009 By
Just announced at the Popular Woodworking blog:
What: Hand Tool Olympics, during the Woodworking in America conference in St Charles, IL
When: Friday, Aug. 14 and Saturday, Aug. 15 (with recreational and fun events on Sunday, Aug. 16)
Where: In the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) booth
Win prizes just for competing, and compete against fellow woodworkers.
Events:
- The One Meter Dash: Rip a 36-inch 2″ X 12″ board using a hand saw.
- Use a jointer plane to straighten and square the edge created during the One Meter Dash.
- Accurately crosscut a piece of 2 x 12 lumber.
- Bore a 3/4″ hole in a plank, straight and square to surface of plank.
- Complete a well-fit three-pin dovetail joint on a 1×4, using hand tools.
- Produce a 3″-long, 3/4″-thick tenon on the end of a piece of 2×4 stock. Your attempt has to fit into a provided test mortise.
Whew! I better start practicing! I have no idea how many, or even which of these I will enter – but enter I will, even if I embarrass myself.
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