May 24, 2012

Curvy legs

I wanted to try my hand at curvy legs for the little table I designed with SketchUp (image on the right — click on the image to enlarge it). The best way to accomplish this is to resaw the board to get thin pieces. I estimated that resawing the pine to a thickness somewhere between 0.060″ and 0.100″ would be best, to minimize spring-back following the glue-up. This was important, to get the correct angle to glue the (more) upright portion of the legs that connect to the underside of the table top.

Resawing was an uneventful event with the new Driftmaster fence and the Resaw King blade — until I was finished resawing, that is (I had to use lacquer thinner remove the sticky pitch from the blade and the guide bearings after this operation):

Glue-up of two legs goes well when both are done at the same time; I used three layers of the resawn board per leg. In this next photo I apply and distribute the glue (Unibond 800):

Then the two legs go into the mold — in a separate article I will show how to make this two-part mold:

The results are great. Spring-back was only one inch:

Cutting to width, to remove the bulk of the glue that squeezed out:

Now it was time to make sure the spacing is correct, to get the scarf joint at the proper angle:

I suspect the scarf joint will not be long enough to hold the corner joints. I hope that epoxy will hold the joint together; if it does not, it means the bevel must be longer. I can always wish, right? What follows now: Sanding, prior to gluing up this part of the legs.

Al Navas

A little SketchUp, please

As I mentioned last week, I received a copy of the new e-Book by Bob Lang, Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp. Over the weekend I spent a little time learning some things beyond the basics of the program, and also reviewing (again!) most of the basics. The following is the result; although the model requires  refining, it is a complete model at this point (at least, in my mind…):

Is this a project that can be built? I don’t know — but I will try. The following was the starting point; I drew a sketch on the proverbial napkin, as I did not have my sketch book:

The concept sketch.

Thanks, Bob, for sending me a pre-production copy of your new book. It was wonderful to have the e-Book open on one monitor, and work on the model on the other monitor!

Al Navas

Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp and my drawing skills

I received my copy of Bob Lang’s e-book Woodworkers Guide to SketchUp last week. Thanks, Bob! I am sure this computer-based tool WILL take me to the next level with SketchUp!

For years I have been using eCabinet Systems to design furniture. But that is about to change. With this new electronic book, loaded on my laptop and ready to go any time I have a few spare minutes to play with it, I learned in less than two minutes how to make Groups:

Arranging parts into Groups.

I love to make boxes; this includes drawers for furniture. I have puzzled for a long time about the “secret” to making dovetailed boxes using SketchUp. I will fret no longer, as this Guide makes it child’s play:

Dovetails the "easy" way.

I am convinced this was the learning tool I needed to take my drawing skill to the next level with SketchUp. I have been using it during spare time, and it works – the wonderful, short videos reinforce the text. I even cheat sometimes, and watch the video before reading the text in some sections… You can read a great review by Christopher Schwarz on the Lost Art Press blog here.

Run, don’t walk, to buy Lang’s CD from his web site, CrafstmanPlans.com. Until July 1 you will save $10; the special introductory price is $29.95, which includes free shipping.

Al Navas

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