The fence work continues...
On to the mortise and tenon joints!
My tool kit for this part included: my new Gramercy holdfasts (thanks sweetie!), mallet, big-boy mortising chisel (almost silly large), smaller chisel for cleaning up the bottom of the mortises, mortise gauge, square, folding rule, knife and my LN dovetail saw. Here's a shot of the bench top after several hours of work.
The piece in the center is a combination layout gauge and M&T tester for this project. I tried a new technique for chopping the mortises that I read about a while ago over at Peter Follansbee's blog - it worked great. A little too great maybe, as I really got into a groove with the mortising - so much so I forgot to take pictures! About all I can offer is a shot of the tester confirming that the mortises are the correct size and depth.
I did remember to take some shots of the tenons being marked and cut.
A final test, and that's one more done...out of 50 total...sigh.
Ahh, now that is relaxing to watch. Nice pics!
ReplyDeleteThanks Eric! This is one of those funny projects. There are aspects that I enjoy - like the technical and design challenges. But there is also time pressure and a sense of "needing" to build it, which I don't enjoy so much. Too much like work I think.
ReplyDeleteDan: Very nice indeed. Really love your work...
ReplyDeleteyou make the Tenons Look EASY, I've only attempted on a Router. needless to say, my Tenons came out LONG and my Mortis come out DEEP LOL Cause no Chisels, I had to Hand drill and knock out with a Screw Drivers lol.
on a Projoect that i started last year, a Screen door for my Front Door, It's still in the Shop waiting to be completed lol.
Anyway, also wanted to say thanks for Posting on my Blog, means alot, you are 1 out of 2 that comments on my Blog, I thought as many Followers and viewers, I would get commenters too, but I don't get any...
Handi
How do you like your Gramercy holdfast, Dan? I got an up close look at them at the PFW open house. And while they had some nice "pig stickers" as my friend calls them, I didn't see any silly large chisels. They did have a few giddy gimlets, however.
ReplyDeleteHandi - Thanks! The tenons are pretty easy once you get the routine down. Not to say I didn't mess a few up big time! And hey, if you sharpened that screwdriver up a bit, you'd have a chisel!:)
ReplyDeleteThis is funny! I have an unfinished screen door waiting in my shop too! Only mine has been waiting three years now...
Comments are funny - hardly anyone leaves them. Which is fine, (I never left comments until I had a blog of my own) but they are our only source of actual contact and exchange - so of course we love them. When I started my blog, it was entirely just for me - a creative experiment. Only later, did I slowly realize that others might enjoy it too. It's nice to hear from them once in a while.
Kari - PFW Open House? Sigh. Do I have to say how much living up here stinks sometimes... One of these days I will make it back East for something...
The Gramercy's are great!. I'd like to attach some leather to them to avoid marring the work, but really it's not that bad, and I can always use tiny pieces of wood. I think I saw some around here somewhere... The holdfasts made my mortising experience the best yet - fast to hold and release, but rock solid in use. The hardest thing about them was getting up the will to bore holes in my bench top - on purpose I mean :)
Giddy gimlet? Wasn’t he Gloin’s son in LOR?
Looking good Dan! I have to agree with you on the Grammercy holdfasts. I love mine. They're not the most traditional looking but they work as well as the best hand forged holdfasts for 1/4 of the price. Fantastic work!
ReplyDelete