Toss that dovetail router jig!

Last night I was guest presenter at the North Metropolitan Triton Club.
I called my presentation: "Five Good Reasons to Chuck Away Your Dovetail Router Jig", where I went briefly through the history of the joint and different types of the joint. I followed this with a demo on hand cutting a Through Dovetail Joint. Then it was time for them all to have a go.

I had taken enough tools and timber for 20 people to be making their joints simultaneously. It was a lot of fun, with all the usual traps and pitfalls being experienced along the way, and lots of people being pleasantly surprised with what they achieved. For some it was the first time they'd ever cut a dovetail by hand ... for others it was the first time since they last did it at school half a century ago! A great night.

The Club meets in a high school woodworking classroom. Busy cutting dovetails by hand.

My demo worked well, despite the low light conditions! It's hard to see pencil lines on jarrah in low light. 

A nice contrast, jarrah and pine. Joint straight off the saw a tight fit, no trimming of joint required. 

While it is fun to tease "router-ophiles" about their screaming power tools, on a serious note I was suggesting the potential benefits to their woodworking skill development which the hand cutting of dovetails can offer. Accuracy in marking out and accurate tool use apply across all aspects of woodwork. Then there is the matter of personal satisfaction...
Yes, it was a fun night at the North Metropolitan Triton Club Inc...


Learn the pleasures of hand cutting dovetail joints.
For those people in Perth, Western Australia, I am offering a workshop for the public on Friday night, June 21 : "Unlock the Mystique of the Dovetail Joint". It'll be a lot of fun, and a chance to learn and have a go. Email me for more info if you would like to book in or know more about it.

Appreciating the wonderful wooden sash moulding plane.

A customer had a couple of old window sashes which were rotten. They wanted to make up the new sashes themselves, but asked me to machine up the material for them from a pile of rough old jarrah they had supplied. This arvo I measured the old component profile dimensions, and machined up the sticks over-long. This included cutting the glazing rebates and the mouldings.

Cutting the profiles with  a sash moulding plane. Stick mounted on a sticking board.

Amongst my growing range of wooden moulding planes, I have a couple of sash moulders. One was a pretty close match to the original, so I used it to run the profiles, after the sticks had been machined to the correct dimensions.

I then cut the rebates over the table saw. Job done. Now it's up to them to cut the wedged mortise and tenon joints and make up the sashes to replace the originals.

Completed sticks, machined, profiled and rebated.

Such a beautiful tool to use, cutting nice clean profiles in the jarrah components.

Wooden moulding planes have been around for centuries. They still have their place, and are a joy to use. No screaming electric router, throwing dust and chips everywhere... just the beautiful sshwiishhhhh sound of the moulding plane cutting the profile. Yes, these old moulding planes are a joy to use.

Saw sharpening day.

Today was a saw sharpening day. I have a couple of teaching workshops coming up where I will be teaching the pleasures of hand cutting dovetail joints. It was time to get more dovetail saws organised for the bigger groups.
Much of my dovetail saw collection has been amassed (like the rest of my saw collection) over the last few years from antique tool sales, garage sales and flea markets. I am not a Tool Collector, incidentally, for my purpose is to put tools back into service, not into glass cabinets. Many of the priority saws have been piling up in a box awaiting for a sharpening day. That day arrived today.

A few of the saws awaiting cleaning up and sharpening...

Some of the saws needed to be "given a birthday" first: Many needed surface rust removed, some needed a bit of straightening of their saw plate, the odd bit of nut tightening, and a bit of nourishment for the handles. The cleaning up of the saw plate was done with the wire wheel in the bench grinder, wet and dry paper, WD40, steel wool, etc.

When the saws were ready, I donned my magnifying head gear, sharpening equipment, saw vice, and got onto the next phase of the task. Sharpening day was well under way.

What a beautiful array of dovetail saws!! Several of them are well over 100 years old. The brands represented include Sheffield companies like Robert Sorby, Marples, Sanderson Brothers & Newbould, Bowden and then of course Disston from the USA. There are a bunch of other unknown brands present in the pile too, including the inevitable "Warranted Superior"which many companies seemed to use.

The dovetail saws in the pile are a mixture of open handled models, gents saws, and a few closed handled models. I had a few other saws waiting in that pile too, including a couple of old panel saws and small carcass/tenon saws. I'd do them if I had time. Such a beautiful array of saws and all oozing with history.

One of the Gents Saws in the saw vice.

The Gent's Saw. What's in the name? In the 19th century, upper class recreational woodworking gentlemen did not want to appear like the lower class tradesmen, so I understand. Gentlemen required a different style of handle to the tradesmen's saws. Hence the Gent's Saw was born. This style still bears the name to this day.

Sharpening a Gent's Saw using the new Veritas filing guide.

What makes saw a Dovetail Saw? Ideally, they will have a thin saw plate for minimal kerf, minimal set of the teeth, be only 8 to 10 inches long, and be filed with ripping teeth.  Saws are generally filed for ripping (cutting along the grain) or for cross cutting (cutting across the grain). It is the various angles of the teeth which makes the difference. Dovetailing involves cutting along the grain, so the best dovetail saws are filed for ripping - that is, filed straight across. This creates a chiseling action by the teeth - the most efficient and clean way to cut along the grain. Crosscutting teeth are filed on a different angle to create a slicing action on the fibres of the wood. Whatever the style and size of the saws in my pile awaiting sharpening, I was setting them up to be used almost exclusively for dovetailing, so they would all be filed for ripping.  There is a science to getting the shape of the teeth right - but I will save a discourse on that for another post.

In the past I have used a block of wood driven onto the far end of the file as the guide for consistent filing. This was the first time I have used the new Veritas filing guide... and I like it very much.

Looking good. Another saw done. The test cut was good too.

While the filing generally went well, there was one sad story. One of the really old open handled saws had a couple of bad patches of corrosion on the saw plate. There were almost no teeth left on it - I'm sure the previous owner must've been cutting bricks with it! I was having to re-form the teeth on the saw plate. Sadly, while filing a corroded section a small piece blew out. At least the beautiful handle and nuts can be used on another saw.

Bummer. Too much corrosion, so filing caused a blow out. This saw now in the spare parts box.

Keeping the saws sharp.
Some hours later, I had finished filing assorted 10 dovetail saws.

Ten beautiful dovetail saws all cleaned up, freshly sharpened and ready for action

However, the saws would need some protection on their edges to ensure they don't knock against other or against other metal objects, as this bluntens them. I commonly use a piece of 1/2" trickle irrigation tubing slit along much of its length, and held onto the saw with rubber bands made from cross-sections of a bicycle tube. The recycler's solution to protecting the saws' edges.

Protection in place. A pile of ten sharpened dovetail saws.

A good day's work.
It can do your head in, staring hard through your magnifying head gear for hours on end while filing and setting saw teeth. By the time I called it a day, I had filed 14 saws. Ten dovetail saws filed for ripping, three small tenon/carcass saws filed for cross cutting, and a panel saw filed for cross cutting. Sensitive finger tips from too many pin pricks from the sharp teeth, tiredness from concentrating hard for so many hours, and a sore back from so much stooping over the saw vice.

Despite all that, I was very satisfied with the day's achievement. I have never filed so many saws in one day, and I was a few steps closer to getting enough saws ready for the dovetailing workshops coming up in June. It was a good day's work.

At the start of the year, I had resolved that 2013 would be the year that I become very competent at saw sharpening. I reckon things are going according to plan... my skills are improving.

All in a day's work.

Saw sharpening day was a lot of work but very successful. However, I need to do many more such days if I am to make a dent in the huge pile of saws awaiting similar treatment!!  Hopefully my skills will keep improving as I go...  


 

Making Small Picture/Photo Frames by Hand.

Amid the usual array of workshops on offer during my last series of public workshops in March, there was a couple of new ones, including: Making a Small Picture/Photo Frame.
We used hand tools only. It was a great process and it's a fantastic little project.

This project will be offered again in the coming public workshop series I'm offering in June.

Nice job, Jenny!

I reckon this will be a popular workshop. Get in early to secure a place!

To tantalize you, here is a bit of a look at the process:

It all starts with the materials.
I regularly obtain some beautiful timber from packing crate material. This comes either from the UK or from USA/Canada. I wish I knew what the timbers were. I just refer to them generally as "Northern Hemispherical Softwoods". Much nicer and closer grained timber than the introduced softwoods grown here in Western Australia: Pinus radiata and Pinus pinaster.


So much potential! That could be a lot of picture frames...

Although I am an enthusiastic hand tool user, I am smart enough to use my machinery to break down the material for all the participants into the required dimensions first! So having pulled apart the packing crates with handsaw, hammer, pincers and pinchbar, the timber was denailed, straightened over the buzzer and machined to width and thickness through the thicknesser. I then docked up a couple of dozen 800mm (32") lengths ready for participants to use for the picture frame project.

Tools for shaping the profiles.
While machinery was used to create the blanks from the packing crates, at 60mm x 22mm x 800mm long, hand planes would be used to create the profiles on them. The four sides would be cut from these prior to the cutting of the mitres.
Hollows, Rounds, and designated moulding planes would be used for the decorative profiles on the face and edges. A rebate plane would be used to create the double rebate to house the glass and plywood back. With an adjustable fence and depth stop, the metal (No78) rebate plane is easier to use than a wooden rebate plane without all this "fruit".

Wooden moulding planes are used to create the profiles.

 

No78 duplex rebate plane is used to create the double rebates.

The Plan.
The pieces of 3mm clear glass for the frames were 250mm x 150mm (10" x6") in size. I had a bunch of these cut at the glazier's. Therefore, this glass will effectively determine our frame size. To make the frames properly, the back will have a double rebate - one to house the glass and one to house the plywood backing which will be screwed into the rear of the frame. Two pieces of timber at 800mm long (32") would give plenty to cut the 4 frames sides from. Using two shorter pieces, rather than one long piece,  would be easier for the planing the profiles. The frame has the double rebate on the back, and a profile on the front side and/or the edges. This profile would be formed with the use of traditional wooden moulding planes. The mitres would be cut and shot by hand, then glued and cramped with a band cramp. While the glue is drying some staples will be put in the back corners of the joints, and the ply back fitted and screwed in place. Flip it over, and start cleaning up the face before the squeeze-out dries. When the glue has dried, off comes the cramp. Final clean up, and coat the frame with whatever finish you're using. When completed, unscrew the back, insert the photo/picture, and fix the back on again. Then all you have to do is decide and apply the hanging method. A great little project.

Cutting the double rebate.
The first task is to create the double rebate on the back of the two pieces of timber.

The drawing above gives a rough idea of how the double rebate works. Apologies to those readers who do not use metric measurements. Set your No78 rebate plane to cut a 7/8" wide rebate, with the depth stop set at 5/32". This will cut the first rebate, which will take the plywood back. When this has been done to both of the sticks, change the setting of the rebate plane to 3/8" wide and 1/8" deep, and cut the next rebate within the first rebate. Hence the double rebate is created. Again, do it to both sticks.  That job done, now it's time to create the profiles on the front side and edges. 

Cutting the decorative profiles on the front face and edges.

The double rebate drawing above shows a couple of example profiles, cut with wooden moulding planes. I have a growing array of wooden moulding planes, including a number of hollows and rounds, beading planes, sash moulders and more. There are endless possibilities.

A couple of examples of easily made profiles. You can see the double rebates.

At this point we won't get into the nitty gritty of using moulding planes - especially untapping the infinite possibilities that hollows and rounds have to offer. We'll save that for another time. It's interesting to note however that for beginners, the simplest method for this project is to use designated moulding planes, like bead moulders and sash moulders. In the pic above, the big sweeping cove (top right) was cut with a No 17 Round (1 3/8"). Left top and right bottom were cut with different radiused bead moulders, and left bottom was cut with a moulding plane commonly used on window sashes. These are designated moulding planes, and each has only one purpose - one profile that it is designed to cut. These are the simplest to use and can still make great profiles for the picture frames. 

Beading plane in use with piece secured on the sticking board.

Preparing the mitres for the frame.

The pieces of glass we have for this project are 250mm x 150mm (10" x 6"), so the frames would be made to fit this piece of glass. With two 800mm (32") sticks on which we have cut our double rebates and profiles, there is plenty of room to cut the 4 pieces. Much of this pine we're using is from packing crates from the USA. Lower grade younger material is used for packing crates - hence there are quite a few small knots amid the material.  The extra material means we've prepared enough to be able to avoid nasty knots, tear-out and other blemishes, as we cut the mitred components. Beaudy.

Check the fit of the mitres in a test drive with the band cramp.

Allowing about 2mm extra overall for the glass to fit, the mitres are marked with mitre square (like on a combination square) and these are cut by hand with a carcass (tenon) saw and a bench hook. 

These are then cleaned up with a block plane using a mitred shooting board. This removes saw marks, inaccuracies, and makes for well fitting clean joints. The four prepared components are put together for a test run with the band cramp. 

If necessary, the joints are tweaked further with the block plane on the shooting board until all four mitred corners are coming together beautifully.  

Gluing up the frame.

My favourite glue for this kind of project is Titebond III. It's strong and dries quickly. Ideal for a gig like this. End grain tends to soak up the glue, so I stick it on all the surfaces, then re-apply on all surfaces again before putting the band cramp around the frame. You can't beat the finger for good glue spreading! A bit of tweaking of each joint alignment before the cramp is tightened, and then the pressure is applied. A cramp like this hold the corners together under pressure beautifully. I do this rebate side (back) facing up. A damp rag is used to clean up squeeze-out. This type of cramp is good because we can get on with cleaning up the joints while the frame is still in the cramp. For this job, there is no additional dowel, spline, or other device to secure or align the joint. The glue does the trick and is enough, because the plywood backing will be screwed into place, adding a significant degree of strength to the whole frame. 

However, I also often apply a couple of staples from a manual upholsterer's staple gun across the joint in each rear corner for additional strengthening, just like picture framers commonly do. Probably not necessary, but I do it because we keep working on the frame while the glue is drying and it is still in the cramp.

Fitting the backing.

Unlike cheap frames which have one rebate which holds both the glass and backing, the double rebate with the backing screwed into it's rebate creates a far superior and more durable frame. If this one falls off the wall the frame will not break. It is tough and made really well, as the fixed plywood backing adds considerable structural integrity. 

The plywood is cut to fit to be housed into the rebate. Small screws, about 1/2" x 6g are used, about 2 per side = 8 screws total. Using a hand drill and countersink, the holes in the plywood re prepared. With the pine frame, there is no need to drill the frame. A spiral ratchet screwdriver can pump the screws in easily. The frame can now be cleaned up with sandpaper if you wish, again while the cramp remains in place. The outside edge of the frame is cleaned up once the cramp is removed. 

Cleaning up the completed frame with a light sanding.

Job done.

The cramp is removed, the light sanding completed, and the frame is ready to receive a finish once the backing is removed.

The glass would then be cleaned and inserted, the photo or picture fitted, and the backing screwed back in place. The hanging method would then be applied and the picture hung. Nice job! 

Such a great little project. Thanks to Ryan for the funky photos in this post.

It's a heap of fun to create such beautiful well made frames by hand - from packing crate material.

The No78 rebate plane and wooden moulding planes are a joy to use, too. 

Come and be part of the fun...

Exciting program of Workshops coming up in June!

The coming round of Joy of Wood workshops I am offering in June 20-23 has been finalised.
The venue will be Earthwise in Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia.

As well as the usual favourites like "Carve a Wooden Spoon", "Make Kitchen Spatulas and Salad Servers" there are a few new ones: "Make a Traditional Saw Horse" , "Make a Pencil Box with a  Sliding Lid" and "Unlock the Mystique of the Dovetail Joint". Then there are the workshops for kids on the weekend.

Brief details of the workshops are listed below:

The workshops can be divided into 3 types:

1.   Workshops for people aged 12—112.

 

Make a Traditional Saw Horse

The best companion to every hand saw is a saw horse. Learn to cut the joints and enjoy making this wonderfully functional item. Use it as a small bench, as extra seating at a BBQ, let the kids ride it like a horse, even keep it in the lounge room if you wish — and use it as an indispensable aid to woodworking.

Carve a Wooden Spoon

So much fun, and one of the best ways to get to understand how to work with wood rather than against the grain, as you go from the initial design to the finished product. Learn to use a gouge and mallet, various saws, spokeshave, scraper and rasp. Not only is it a functional item, each spoon is a unique reflection of it’s maker!

Make Kitchen Spatulas and Salad Servers

Stunning and beautifully functional salad servers and cooking spatulas are easy to make and lots of fun too. Get your creative juices flowing as you design and then shape your utensils. Learn to use a range of hand tools as you create these wonderful objects. Make several of them as you get quicker at it...

Make a Pencil Box with a Sliding Lid

Use a range of traditional hand tools to create a lovely lidded box. So simple really, once you know how!. That’s the trick, really.... So be ready to be taken on a journey of discovery as we create these useful little boxes with sliding lids.

Unlock the Mystique of the Dovetail Joint

For thousands of years the dovetail joint has been used to effectively join pieces of wood. In this workshop we will look behind the mystique and discover how simple it really is to make.  So let’s learn to cut some dovetails! They are a joy to make...

Make a Small Picture/Photo Frame

Here’s a great chance to learn to use a number of traditional hand tools, including wooden moulding planes,  to create a beaut little picture/photo frame. A very satisfying project.

2.   Workshops for people aged 6—12.

 

Woodworking for Kids (Make a wooden stool)

Using recycled wood, after a bit of free creative play making stuff we will do a great little project—we will each make beaut little wooden stools, using a range of hand tools.

Woodworking for Kids (Make a useful carry box)

Not just an open box with a carry handle, but also a great way to learn and apply  skills with a range of saws, planes and other hand tools and fixings. Great for storing tools, gardening gear, magazines, and so much more. You’ll reckon it’s too good to use!

3.   Workshop for parents and kids together.  (minimum age 6)

Make a Cajon Drum

Brilliant! We’ll each make one of these drums and then play them together! Cajon drums are an Afro-Peruvian instrument, which you sit on to play. Versatile, awesome, and great fun to play. Learn and use a few basic woodworking skills to create your drum, including hammer and nails, glue, saws, brace & bit. Making your drums is a great experience to share in together.  Take your drums home and get jamming!

 

The Joy of Carving Wooden Spoons.

I love carving wooden spoons. And I'm not even Welsh.

Over the last few years, Spoon Carving would be one of the most popular of the public workshops that I run. It is a wonderfully tactile process and a lot of fun.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wooden spoons are predominantly made from green wood. We don't have such a menu of suitable timbers here in Australia. So we do some things differently. 

I use mostly hardwoods for wooden spoons. This requires different tools to the green wood spoon makers. Hardwood spoons are incredibly durable as kitchen utensils. As decorative items they are great to carve, take a finish well, and are pretty tough.

A sample of spoons ... such fun to design and make!

The sample of spoons pictured above are as follows, from the top down:

• The first spoon I made, 1990. WA Blackbutt. Rather mechanical in nature.
• Sugar spoon, WA Blackbutt. 
• Kauri Pine spoon, recycled from old fireplace surround. (See below...!)
• Cooking spoon, Native Cypress.
• Cooking spoon, Jarrah.
• Decorative spoon, Sheoak.

Story of a spoon. Life after a fireplace surround...

An old fireplace surround, over 100 years old, came my way. It had 3 of the original 4 split turnings nailed to the face for decoration. The whole thing was made from Kauri Pine, so I pulled it a apart for the timber. What to do with the half spindles?... I cut one in half and carved one into a spoon. Both of those pieces are pictured above - a kind of "before and after" thing.
The 4 old layers of paint are visible on the back of the spoon. This is a decorative, not a functional spoon. It would be a shame to lose the paint from it, as this tells a story. Love this spoon.

Another look at my first spoon - side profile.
It has two design faults: a LH thread and short grain on the cranked shaft.
Well... ya gotta start somewhere!

 Spoons are such fun to design and make. There'll be a Spoon making workshop in the next round of public workshops I'm running in June 20-23, to be held at Earthwise in Subiaco.

We will use traditional hand tools only - no noisy power tools. Just traditional tools like a mallet and gouge, coping saw and compass saw, curved scraper, spokeshave, etc. When you make a spoon in this way, it's a bit like you need to establish a relationship with your piece of wood. It is one of the best ways to understand the importance of working with the grain direction and characteristics.

Don't miss it... no previous woodworking experience required.

Hand Tool Sale 20 April... don't miss it!

After many years of meaning to get around to it, I have finally become a member of the Hand Tool Preservation Society of WA. This wonderful bunch of enthusiastic collectors of old hand tools are an amazing pool of knowledge and expertise.

A number of times a year, members of the Society hold a Tool Sale. The next one is to be held on Saturday 20 April. These sales are not to be missed!   It's Hand Tool heaven.

No cheap and nasty modern mass produced tools here, just the good old stuff.
Tools of quality, oozing with history, and made to last.

The April Tool Sale will be held at the East Victoria Park Anglican Church, Washer Street, East Victoria Park in Perth Western Australia. As I recall it is an 8:00am start, until noon.

If you're interested in hand tools and/or are in the market for some quality hand tools, you'd better get there quick on the day. Watch out, or I might just beat you to the bargains!