Big Flowerpot

Hooray for found wood.  A couple of weeks ago this construction grade spruce was in a pile by a dumpster. I couldn't let it go to land fill.

 

  What to do with the find?

  What indeed.  A large flowerpot, actually a large wooden pot to cover a smaller plastic pot or, in this case a large pot to be filled with weights to hold  our Norfolk Island Pine from being blown over.   

  This is another project that will cost almost nothing but time. The base is a case off piece of MDF and the sides will be found wood.  I began with a circle and I then cut it into an octagon. My first error was not to mark out the octagon very,very carefully and so all the eight sides are slightly different widths. 

  I made four sides rectangles and 12 inches tall. What then remained was to fit the other four sides.

  I realized as I began fitting the tapered pieces in place that had I made all the square sides the same then all the tapered sides would have been the same and all the angles could have be cut with jigs set on the table saw, or jointer.

  Anyway, I didn't plan that far ahead.  Originally the pot was going to have vertical sides but as I thought about the project I decided it was time to push the project a bit. I cut a 5 degree angle on the bottom of each side which gave me a about a two inch flare for each piece.

  

  I cut and installed each wedge shaped section one at a time.  As with so many of this type of job.  By the time I was finishing the last couple of pieces they were quick and easy. I hand ripped the boards and hand planed each board. By the 7th and 8th it was easy.  The first couple took a tonne of fussing and fooling.  You can see the copper staples I made to hold the top of the boards together. 

  

12 inch base, 12 inches tall and 16 1/2 inches  

across the top.

    I cut two dadoes on each side in which I glued a stretched nylon strap to help hold the container together in use.

  I  may do this again. I have the materials and having learned from this experience the next one will take half the time and be twice as good.

  Anyway, mother nature will batter the pot and not care if it is adequate or a work of art.  I like making stuff with found wood.

cheers ianw

 

 

  

Road Find and Jig

 I have recently made a couple of picture frames.  I have the good fortune to live with a Glass Artist that can cut the glass for the frames, I've had no luck cutting my own glass. What was then needed was clear glass to put in the frames, preferable cheap glass.  As I drove home the other day,  what was at the end of someones drive way but....free glass.

  Once it is taken apart I will have to wash the glass before it can be used. Eva can cut the terrarium  into small pieces and hey presto, custom frames from re-used materials. 

  The other thing I though I would  share is a jig that has been used quite a bit lately.  I made this jig a while (years) ago to help me accurately make 45 degree angle cuts and to trim the pieces using a plane.

  I use the jig to hold the wood while hand cutting the small pieces or to hold the material while shooting in with my low angle smoothing plane. When shooting I set the jig on a piece of counter top, the plastic/acrylic top is smooth and slippery so the plane slides along very nicely. It's maybe time to make a new cutting  jig this one is getting pretty cut up.  

   I have found that fine mitres,  as on picture frames require some fine tuning with plane

 and/or sand paper regardless of where the cuts are made.  I have a pretty good sliding mitre saw and its cuts still need fine tuning where the joint is going to be highly visible.  If you go onto the inter-web there are many many videos on how to make jigs for all type of saws. Invest the time a a good jig and mitred corners should cause you no worries.

  cheers ianw

  I love fall colours.

worthy of a Group of Seven painting. 

 

Christmas Gifts

 

 This is some of the typical seasonal stuff that I make in my shop.  Many people I know like wood grain and slightly rustic decor items.  The only special tool that you need for this sort of thing is a Forstner bit of the correct size.  It is nice to have a drill press too when drilling those big holes.  I buy my candles at the $ Store and drill the holes to fit.

  

  A quick project for our basement bathroom.  I used scraps and left overs to make the bathroom tissue holder. I doubt that there are many bathrooms with elm paper holders. Glue and dowels,  so when the floor is flooded by a grand kid nothing will rust.

  The joy of doing a project like the paper holder was working the wood with my planes.  I have a scrub plane, a plane I recommend for all shops and two smoothing planes.  The plane at the bottom of the picture is a A 33 Stanley,  copy by Anant from India.  I have been happy with my Anant planes for the price, very happy. The top plane in the photo is my low angle smoother from Veritas.  It was a Christmas gift a couple of years ago.  Properly set up and sharpened those planes are wonderful to use.

  I am still working on the wheel barrow.  Once I got the handles glued and shaped I discovered I was not going to be able to undue most of the nuts and bolts without serious violence.  Also I was pretty sure that I would need to do more metal work than I like or have the proper tools for.  It is always good to have a plan "B".

  Tomorrow sees more of plan"B" in action.

  IMO this is a great year for personal, homemade gifts.  We all need some extra encouragement this year.

cheers, ianw

  

A barrel making video and a Hand Plan Project

Barrel making video. 

   As I was relaxing last evening this video came up in mail box.  I think barrels are one of the most beautiful and useful wooden vessels.  I've seen them being made by hand in Colonial Williamsburg and seen various demonstrations at wineries and distilleries. There are many videos showing the special skills, tools and machines that make oak barrels and 'We Know Barrels' is long enough for one relaxed coffee.

  The part of the blog relating to my actual wood working is all about hand planing.  A while ago I made a bench top work table  (June 2016)  actually.  I used the portable top for rough work, carving and some clamping tasks.  It was only good for rough clamping as it was left rough and not very flat, until now.

 I decided I wanted this portable clamping top for more small assembly work and so I needed to get serious and flatten its surface.

work top with winding stick 

The final result is smooth with the  T-track mounted flush on two sides. With six 3/4 inch dog holes I'm able to cover all the angles when clamping on it or clamping it to my large work top.

  Initially the top of these boards was so rough I thought about using my belt sander but didn't want to deal with the noise or the dust so I opted to use my Veritas Scrub plane to knock down the really high spots. This panel is made from 2 x 4 soft wood and the scrub plane drove through it without any problems, it even flattens knots. I flatten both sides, but didn't bother smoothing the underside, flat was enough.

  Next  plane I used to flatten the top was my Anant Jack Plane.  I was for a time the Canadian Importer of Anant planes.  I found their planes to be good value and adequate for most carpenter's needs.  For my purpose the plane worked fine.  The blade is okay but would have to be upgraded if I used this plane by the hour.

  Both the scrub and jack planes are narrow.  The scrub plane is a modern design and the jack plane is a copy of an old Stanley model 5 but with a narrower blade.  

  

   Beside the Jack plane is my favourite plane, my low angle smoother. My Mom gave it to me for Christmas a few years ago and it is my 'go to' plane for anything requiring fine finish work. 

  The rabbets had been cut first on the table saw but now needed to be levelled and smoothed out.  For that I used my 1/2 inch  Varitas shoulder plane and my old flea market Stanley 192.

  The 1/2 inch shoulder plane is a must for a small shop. It is quicker and easier than setting up a router table for one of a kind operations or cleaning up a channel or shoulder.    The Stanley cost $10.00 at a flea market in Mennonite country, it had been broken and welded back together.  I checked it out carefully and measured to see that it was repaired square and decided to risk ten bucks.  It was money well spent.  Using those two planes I grooved and smoothed the shoulders for the T-track.

  End end result is awaiting a coat of wood sealer and I will be using it shortly. I have a couple of small boxes to make and the portable work top will give me a good surface to work on and let me move the whole project out of the way if I want to do something else.

Three very useful planes for a shop.

  The Stanley 192

and its little friend 

the 1/2 inch should plane.

cheers, ianw