Wednesday, April 25, 2007

 

I love my Domino!

Here are some pix I took today. This first image shows one of the vanities on it’s back for a fit up right after I mortised all around the face frame and carcase to attach the frame. It is a terrific way to join the two pieces. Fast and very precise. I used the Cross Stop today - what a great accessory for Domino. It made spacing the mortises a “nothing burger”


Here is a picture of the Domino’s in the face frame. The Cross Stop makes the spacing uniform without thinking.


Here is one of the vanities in the clamps - never enough clamps!!


I got some more birch for my other ongoing project the other day and rough cut it day before yesterday. It is really moving around. I have to take a bunch of it back AGAIN! My supplier is very good about returns like this, but it is still a PITA from a time standpoint.

Monday, April 23, 2007

 

Progressing

Here is a picture of the master vanity face frame fit up to the carcase. I took this on Sunday evening.


I don't think I could have moved nearly this fast without Domino - no way!

I worked on the doors today. Something seemingly as simple as a metric slot cutter for plywood should be an easy problem to solve - go to the lumber yard and pick up a 5 mm slot cutter that fits the plywood sold today which is all metric widths - all of it. After looking around I ended up kluging a cutter together. Kind of PITA!

After I got the slot cutter, things moved along pretty well. Here are the doors in the clamps.


Again, Domino was a real workhorse today. All of the door joints are M & T. Fast, precised, strong -- I really like this tool!

Still shooting for later this week!!!

Sunday, April 22, 2007

 

Weekend progress

No pix tonight, I'll take some in the morning and get them up later in the day. I finished both face frames and the second one is still in the clamps. All mortise and tenon joints, courtesy of Domino! Good fit and the frames are very strong.

I will attach them to the carcase using Domino m & t joints as well.

I'll start on the doors tomorrow and also I hope to get at least one, if not both of the cabinet doors finished on my other project. I hope to try out a new HVLP spray gun later this week.

Time to take a shower, make some popcorn and watch TNG, season 7...

Thursday, April 19, 2007

 

A couple of lost days

I lost a couple of days of work this week - just the usual stuff of life. Trying to get things back on schedule.

The second carcase is done - still in the clamps - it is raining and I’ll leave the clamps on longer to make sure it dries. It is very frustrating to pull the clamps off, start working with a piece and find that the glue hasn’t dried...


I'm going to try and get a paint sample done tomorrow - hope the weather will cooperate a little.

Here is a picture of the line of Domino tenons. It is an easy way to make a very strong joint on the end panel.


This tool makes fast track projects a real possibility. Also, the joinery is really high quality. Even on simple joinery tasks like this, Domino just works - very well!

When I go to equipment dealers, I am amazed at how much I don't feel any need to get "conventional" equipment. I mean, cutting 72" long rails on a table saw, even with a sliding table seems like such a hassle... Guess I'm spoiled with my system.

Monday, April 16, 2007

 

Master Vanity Glue-Up and ----- rippin’ good

Today I finished cutting Domino mortises and the dadoes for the shelf supports. Then the carcase was ready to be glued-up - so I did it. As with all larger pieces, it was a little bit of a “wrasseling match”, but Domino actually helps reduce that to a bare minimum - surprising how that tool makes life simpler in so many ways! Here it is in the clamps.


I also thickness planned the oak for the face frame and ripped rails and stiles. You can see the first batch on top of the carcase. My oldest son, Apprentice #1, helped with the thickness planning - he handled the wood as it came out of the planner, returning the pieces back to me - good team I think! Of course he was wearing sound suppressors and safety glasses!


I’ve got a couple of more pieces to rip. I was hoping to get a little more done, but getting wood and a stop by Healdsburg Lumber, took up a bit longer than I had planned. I’m going to go down and do a little more this evening.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

 

Dry fit up

I’ve finished the carcase except for the shelf dadoes. This picture shows the master vanity up for dry fit up. Domino made the joints fast and easy and precise! Every time I use this tool, I am amazed at how easy it is to get precise, strong joints. It has changed the way I work - significantly. I am much more efficient than BD [before Domino].


Tomorrow I’ll go and get the rest of the wood for both vanities and another piece of plywood to finish the carcase. With a little luck and some good work, I should have both carcasses ready for glue up tomorrow eve or tuesday morning and the face frames by Tuesday night or Wednesday morning.

There is a tight schedule on these and the cabinets and the doors and drawers - there’ll be no rest for the weary this month!! I love it like this!! Time in the shop goes so fast I hardly know the day has passed. I truly enjoy being busy. And I have the greatest job in the world! I get to make beautiful furniture and cabinets for people - quality pieces that should last 100 years.

Saturday, April 14, 2007

 

Dadoes

I dadoed the floor today for the section panels. Using the Festool guide rail and micro-adjust [fine adjuster is their part nomenclature] is such a fast, easy way to cut dadoes. You just mark the centerline of the dado where you want it, line up the mark and route. Fast, easy and clean.



I’ll be routing the edges for the tops and backs and the panels for the shelf inserts tomorrow. Also, I’ll be using Domino for the side panels and face frame attaching tenons. I should have this one ready for the face frame very soon.

I really love the way the FesTool system helps make me more efficient. It is a real joy to use the system to make quality furniture and cabinets. I often sound like a commercial for them, but I would probably not be able to make the things I make without them.

I spent most of this morning working up cutting diagrams and dado cutting diagrams with my boys - it was a rainy morning and it seemed like a good thing to do. Oldest son is reading Swiss Family Robinson and #2 is really into his letters and phonics. A quiet, but very pleasant morning.

Friday, April 13, 2007

 

Vanity carcases

I started cutting the vanity carcases today. With my FesTool Guide rails [2 1400 mm] put together, cutting sheet goods is a breeze. It takes almost as long to work up a cutting diagram to get the most out of each sheet as it does to actually cut the sheets.

This is two sheets, now ready for dadoing and mortising. I have one more to do on Monday.


It is as simple as looking at the diagram, marking each end and cut, repeat for another piece. Including pulling the sheets from the stack and putting them on the cutting table, each sheet only takes about 15 minutes to reduce down to individual pieces. For me it is much easier than wrassling them on a table saw, even one with a nice big sled. And I certainly don’t have room for one of those. Also, the FesTool saw is safer, IMO.

I will start assembling the carcases using my Domino over the weekend. It will be the first cabinets I’ve made using Domino, and I’m looking forward to putting it through it’s paces. My experience thus far tells me that this will be a precise and fast joining into the final carcases, ready for the face frames. I will do a little dadoing as well. I’ll try and get some pix up over the weekend some time.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

 

New Project

Here is a new project I just started. I am now using SketchUp software as well. It is really great for clients to be able to see their project in 3-D!

Here is a 2-D snapshot of the cabinets exported from SketchUp.


I am amazed at how easy the app is to start using and how powerful it is and its free from Google http://www.sketchup.com/.

I will be working on a couple of bath vanities as well - they actually come first. Of course, I'll be using Domino a whole lot. Nothing fancy on these cabinets, just a lot of joints done quickly and accurately.

I am still working on the birch cabinet doors and drawers - pix likely tomorrow. I've got some paint samples to do right now.

Thursday, April 05, 2007

 

Finished Sample

Here is a picture of the the finished sample door [please excuse the image quality, I was in a hurry]. I went over yesterday and hung it for their viewing over the weekend. It looks very nice in place.


It is going to make for a very different look and feel in their kitchen. It will be much lighter with a more open and airy feeling I think.

The mahogany pulls look very nice with the existing face frame. The tapering makes them easier to use.

I’ll start work on the rest next week - I pick up some more doors on Monday.

I’ll also be starting on some kitchen and bath cabinets next week - thank goodness for Domino! It will make short work of the M & T joints on the face frame and also attaching the face frame to the carcasses.

Gonna be a busy month!

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

 

Micro-farming

Even though I had some work to finish - or finishing work to do on the sample doors, my cold really flogged me today.

It was, however, a good day for micro-farming. We have 6 half wine barrels that the Sons of Holeman & Sons use to raise a vegetable garden. It is part of their schooling - and tasty too!

Last year was a bit haphazard. This year Dad was prepared. We did a full plot plan - or rather #1 Son did the plan with a little help from Dad. #2 Son was very interested in the circles, but wanted action sooner than later. He also wanted to make sure he got to plant the seeds. Planning didn’t seem to be his strong suit - action is.

After a morning snack, we took inventory of our seeds and discovered that we had no carrots and no peppers [one of our favs from last year]. #1 Son was determined to have carrots this year and Dad was determined to have peppers - so we took a quick trip down to Bosworth & Son - the Geyserville General Store - been about the same for about 100 years - and got some carrot and pepper seeds. We were good to go.

After the plot plan, we made little signs with the names of the crops. Then it was time to start real farming - 32 Son was happy at this move outside.

We did some soil prep first - pulling weeds that had sprung up, loosening the soil, adding some where it was needed and the usual gardening/farming type tasks. Pretty soon, we were ready to plant.

#1 Son was responsible for reading the planting directions - which we had for evrything except for some fancy beans given us by some friends. Planting got underway.

Finger holes were made to the requisite depth. Both boys took great delight in counting out the right number of seeds to go into each hole and area. #1 Son - really the lead micro-farmer - was in charge of placing the signs in the right place and did an excellent job. #2 Son was really good at covering up the seeds - we all had our jobs to do.

Pretty soon we had planted: Cucumbers, Carrots, Beans, Peas, 3 kinds of Peppers, Okra and Sun Flowers. We saved some space for tomato plants, which we’ll get in the next couple of days.

The final task, watering, was enjoyed, so it seemed, by both boys - and Dad too.

It was a good day!

Sunday, April 01, 2007

 

Ready for final sanding

In spite of a crumby spring-time cold [whine] that oldest son brought home and gave to all the family, I was able to get some work done on my sample doors. They are ready for final sanding.


The pulls are tapered. An easy job for my FesTool saw and guide rail - set at 15 degrees --- and rip away.


I cut the hinge mortises by hand - the old fashioned way with a chisel. They fit quite well and it’s nice to know that these old hands will still do what they’re told!

I’ll finish sanding tomorrow morning and start putting the finish on -they should be ready to hang on Tuesday.

I like the simple elegance of them - they do appeal to me.

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