Desk tops - first step

I consider a full size desk to be 28-30" deep, 60" wide, and 29" tall.  This size gives a lot of workspace and plenty of room for today's modern technology.

For my sons' desks, I'm going after a student sized desk.  The height is the same but the depth is 20-24" and width is 40-45".  My final target dimensions are  24" deep, 44" wide and 29" tall.

Today, I took the cherry wood for the top and prepped boards for glue up.  My first step of prep was cutting to length (though a little long so after the glue up, I can trim to finish length).  I took the individual boards and further cleaned them up by trimming of the bits of sap wood and any undesired knots.

Prepping wood for desktops

I used hand saws to cross cut the length of the boards to 47 1/2".  I then used my bandsaw to rip the sap wood and undesired knots from the boards.  It turns out I got one extra 12' board than I needed - oh, well!  

The glue up should give me rough tops about 47" by 29".  My next step will be to work on jointing the boards to get it ready for glue up.

MWA - Seattle Meetup (4/27)

Over a year ago, a group of woodworkers decided that it would be a good idea to supplement the solo hobby of woodworking beyond local guilds.  They created the Modern Woodworkers Association.  The 2 areas that I've found beneficial for myself are the MWA Podcast (which I get on iTunes) and my local MWA chapter here in Seattle.

The MWA Podcast provides some fun and interesting conversation about woodworking which often includes interviews with some very influential woodworkers.  Even when I can't make time to get into my shop, my woodworking podcasts keep me interested and connected and the MWA Podcast is definitely one of my favorites.

I've been woodworking off and on for over 20 years and except for a friend or two or maybe the occasional class, it's been a very solitary hobby.  I really enjoy it that way for the most part and can't imagine working in a shop with someone else all the time (kind of a zen thing, maybe!).  When the MWA created my local Seattle chapter (headed by Mike Lingenfelter), I decided to open my horizon's and go to the meetings.  

Mike has done a great job setting up monthly meetings (though meetings imply more formality that what is truly happening so maybe gathering would be a better label).  He finds some woodworking related site we can visit and then we gather for a lunch (or sometimes a breakfast).  We've gone to museums, lumber yards, and even other events like guild sales.  I was often going to some of these on my own but it is interesting going with a bunch of like minded folks.  The real fun part has always been the lunches and not only because Mike always seems to find someplace good to eat.  We get to discuss our current project, new tool purchases, shop layout, techniques, desire to learn some new area (carving, turning, ...) and even get to learn about other outside interests.

So our April meet up is going to be on April 27th at the Northwest Woodworkers Gallery in Seattle.  NWG is having their 5th annual Rising Star exhibit.  We will be out front at 11am and then head off to lunch.  Mike isn't able to make it this month (though he set the whole thing up ...so Thanks!) but he asked me to "host" it.  If you are in the Seattle area and can make it send me a note (maybe through my comments here) and I'll keep an eye out for you.  I'll be wearing an MWA t-shirt so maybe that will help find me.

I look forward to seeing everyone there.

New Project - desks

As I've hinted at in many of my more recent past posts, my next project will be to build 2 desks for both of my sons bedrooms.  The need is for a desk which can hold their computer and give them space to play games and do homework.  My design plan is to have a simple Shaker style desk with tapered legs and 2 small drawers for paper and pencil.

Yesterday, I went and got some wood for the project.

Wood for my sons desks

The desktop will be cherry (near/left) with the base including legs, aprons, drawer fronts will be maple (middle) and the drawer sides and back will be poplar (far/right).

Wood for my sons desks - closeup

In the close up picture above, the poplar is in the middle.  I'm going to let the wood acclimate for a bit (maybe a week or so) and then start the desktop glue up and rough sizing parts.  Should be a fun project.

Who has been most inspirational in your woodworking?

This week I listened to an Modern Woodworking Association podcast.  This particular podcast was  where a couple of MWA guys interviewed lots of presenters and attendees at Popular Woodworking's Woodworking in America last year.  Every interview was the same in that each person was asked the same set of questions.  Of course, each interview was different in the answers (you should definitely listen to Roy's interview - funny!).

One question was "Who has been most inspirational in your woodworking?".  Many of the answers were "my Dad" or "my Father".

My Dad was inspirational to me too.  He did a few woodworking projects while I was growing up but that isn't really what inspired me.  The furniture he built was mostly plywood and not very stylish but it was very functional.  I did similar projects in my early beginnings too including boxes, storage cabinets for our garage and such.  What really inspired me about my Dad was the fact that he would work 5 or 6 days a week and 10 or more hours each day yet he would come home and make time to relax working in his garage shop.  Even more inspiring though was that he was probably looking for some down time and wanted to be alone but I'd come along and pester him with so many questions.  He'd answer each one patiently - sometimes stopping what he was doing to show me something.  As I got older, he'd ask me to help.  This wasn't all the time but these are some of the strongest memories of my Dad while I was growing up.

While my Dad started me down the path, I can also give different answers.  I consider myself primarily a hand tool woodworker though in truth, I'm a bit of a hybrid.  

ASIDE: Marc Spagnola calls himself a hybrid yet when he defines it, he uses machines for most tasks and has just a few tasks (often the finicky bits like fitting joints together) where hand tools come in to play.  When I define hybrid, I like machines for a few of the most tedious tasks like ripping on a band saw or thicknessing a board with a thickness planer but the rest is by hand tools.  Does that mean one of us is wrong?  No, we are both right but on different sides of the scale.

On my path to using hand tools, the first person who inspired me was Chris Schwarz.  He was in the midst of his own journey which eventually evolved into the Anarchist Toolchest.  I have never met him but he's put out so much content, I feel like I have.  I have watched many of his videos and read many of the books and articles he's been involved with.  He presents everything in a manner which makes you feel like anyone can do it, and he does it with a humor I can relate to.  I continue to be inspired by Chris even though all of his projects are not ones I'd build.

Another inspiration for me has been Shannon Rogers.  He started the Renaissance Woodworker quite a while ago and has taken his own journey into hand tools.  He clearly like hand tools in the early days of his blog and podcast but now has even started a real business with it called the Hand Tool School with his semester 5 showing how a hand tool woodworker does turning.  Shannon is intelligent and presents everything in a thoughtful and well researched manner.  His passion for his subjects are very infectious.

I've been doing my blog for quite a while now.  While I raise my sons, I hope that I have an inspirational impact on their approach to life and maybe eventually woodworking.  And as I go on writing this blog, primarily for myself, I have gained readers and I hope that there is some inspiration even if it is simply the inspiration to get into the shop for those readers. GO DO SOME WOODWORKING!

Shop Update

For the past few days, I've been making wall hanging storage items for various shop tools with the goal of improving work flow.

I moved my saw till and unified my western saws with the few japanese saws I have.

Saws and Marking Gauges

Next to my Saw Till, I placed my Wall Hanging Tool Cabinet which houses my hand planes.  Below that I have my bench hooks, files, rasps, knives.

Bench Hooks, Knives, and Files

And the rest of the space on the wall is where all my chisels, a few carving tools, and all my measuring tools go.

Chisels, Carving and Measuring

My shop is organized with 3 main work areas in mind.  First we have a full 8' Roubo Workbench with Benchcrafted vises.

Roubo Workbench with Benchcrafted Vises

Next is my brand new Roubo inspired Joinery Bench with a Benchcrafted Moxon Vise..  I am really looking forward to using this bench for mortises, tenons and dovetails.  I may even try my hand at carving in the near future.

Roubo inspired Joinery Workbench with Moxon Vise

My last station is my Sharpening Station which is a simple 2x4 workbench covered in hardboard.  My 3 elements for sharpening include my Tormek for regrinding any blade, a flat piece of granite used with sandpaper to clean up back of blades and flatten or clean up soles of planes, and finally a bench hook basin for my stones.  I am currently using Norton water stones but have thought about going to oil stones in the future.

Sharpening Station

I have some open floor space which makes this work triangle very functional.  In addition to these 3 work areas, I have some minimal wood storage, shelving for various supplies, a 14" Delta Bandsaw, 2 saw benches and a rolling toolbox.

Now it's time to do some woodworking.  I have a quick project and need to fix one of the guitar's I built.  The saddle cracked so i need to make a new one and install it.  After that, it's about 2 desks for my sons.  I may also make a small desk set for them too.  I'm really looking forward to using my new improved shop!

Roubo Style Joinery Bench with Moxon Vise

After making the base, I needed to make 4 tenon's at the top of the legs.  When making then, it's important to make then square and plumb to the leg and at the same height for all legs.

Tenon's on top of each leg of the base

Next it was time to make the mortises on the underside of the top.  I set the top on top of the tenons and then adjusted the top till it was in proper position in relationship to the base.  I marked the location of the mortises and then drilled and chiseled out the mortises.  

Mortises on underside of top

I then chamfered the tenons and did a test fit.

Fitting top onto base

I was lucky and the fit was tight but perfect and worked the first time (that never happens).  After a happy dry fit, it was time to glue and clamp.

Glue up of top to base

Remove the clamps, then reinstall the chop followed by some last minute cleanup.  One last woodworking step and that is to make the tongue and groove shelves.  Once the shelves are made, then we are done.  Only thing left is to apply a few coats of oil.

Finished Roubo Styled Joinery Bench with a Moxon Vise

I can see the finish line...

Today, I did a bunch of clean up work on the base.  I leveled the base and sanded down the dowels and eased all the edges.

Next, I marked all the tenon's for the top of the legs which will fit into mortises on the underside of the top.  The method is exactly the same as I described in earlier posts.  When going with the tenon first approach, it is important to get the tenon square and perfectly aligned to the leg, stretcher, etc.

First tenon for attaching the top to the base

Once I have all 4 tenons, I will temporarily seat the top on and make any adjustments to get the proper alignment.  Once that is done, I mark the locations for the mortises and then flip the top and hog out the mortises.

I couldn't resist looking at the top temporarily on the base.

Look at the top!

It's getting close and I can almost see myself using this bench.  It's gonna be great!

Base Glue Up

After all the work on the mortises and tenons, I was ready to get the based glued up.  Don't feel sorry for me though because I got a comment via Google+ from Jay saying he was doing almost 60 mortise and tenon joints in his current project.  That makes my effort look puny (though with my 6x6 timbers, my joints are probably bigger and beefier).

My approach to the glue up was to first do a sub glue up with the sides and short stretchers.  I worked fast so I could get everything clamped up before the glue set up.  Once in clamps, I installed pegs into each joint.

Next, I took on adding the front and back stretchers (they are the long ones).  Again, I worked fast to avoid glue set up.  Of course sometimes speed can cause disaster and it almost did.  I had the front and back stretchers glued into the a side assembly sitting on the floor and then started to add the other side assembly.  Fortunately, I quickly realized (before clamps even) that I had the other side upside down.  I would have cried had I come in the next day and found I did that.

Base glue up

Next, I will level the base followed by easing edges and cleaning up any other surfaces on the base.  After that, it's time for 4 more mortise and tenon joints to attach the top to the base.  That is the last assembly step and after that it's time to add a few coats of oil to the entire bench.

Dry Fit

For the last week, I've been cutting tenons and hogging out mortises.  I didn't post anything more because it's all the same as the last 3 posts - over and over and over again.  I had to make 16 tenons and the 16 matching mortises.  I made a lot of shavings and chips.

Shavings and Chips

The chips above were only from one session/day.  I made a lot more than these.

After making the tenons and mortises, I needed to make rabbets for the shelfs into the stretchers.  I chiseled and planed.

Then it was time to see it all fit together.

Dry Fit

You can even see the top with the Moxon vise in the background of the dry fit base.

My next step is to glue up the base.  I am glueing the tenons and then will drill 2 holes through each tenon/mortise for dowels.  I will then work on leveling the feet and finally create 4 more tenons in the top of the base and the mortises on the underside of the top.

Almost done!

Base subassembly

It's been a lot of work and I'm not finished yet.

The Roubo Joinery Bench has a 36" by 25" top that is about 5 1/2" thick.  The base is made with 6x6 (really 5 1/2") timbers that should put the surface of the bench at a smidge higher than the bend of my elbow.  The base has 4 legs and 2 shelves.  The lower shelf is about 4" above the floor.  The upper shelf is about 12" below the bottom surface of the top.  Each shelf is created with 4 stretchers; 2 longer stretchers and 2 shorter stretchers.  The stretchers are joined to the legs with tenon into mortises on the legs.  I will create a rabbet on the interior edge of each stretcher to accept 3/4" thick planks which will be tongue and groove for the actual shelf.

I just finished creating the mortises for the longer stretchers.  That was 2 mortises in each leg for a total of 8 mortises.  I'm only half way with creating the mortises.

Subassembly for base with long stretchers

My next step are the mortises for the short stretchers followed by the 3/4" rabbet on the interior of each stretcher.

As you can see from the picture, the base is going to be very massive.  The stretchers could have been made with much thinner material but that would have lowered the total mass of the base.  I wanted the base to be very hard to move around while I'm doing joinery or carving on it.  I think with my plan that I've succeeded.