30 August 2010
Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 4
22 August 2010
Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 3
Since I completed the side assemblies in part 2, I was now ready to cut some stopped dadoes ( grooves going across the grain) to hold the bottom and the middle shelves... and rabbets ( a long notch at the top edge of the side assembly) to hold the sub-top.
For this operation I used a hand held plunge router. Since accuracy is very important I had to come up with a way so that these dadoes and rabbets will line up precisely in both pieces. I simply ganged and clamped both sides together, so that I can set up a fence across the whole assembly to rout out perfectly alligned dadoes and rabbets (as seen in top photo).
With a little fine tuning the shelves and sub-top fit quite nicely. The last photo shows all the completed cuts in both corresponding sides. The next step will be to rout a rabbet along the back edges of the sides and top and bottom to receive the back. I will also cut some dadoes into the top and bottom pieces to receive the center gable or divider. Be sure to tune in next time for part 4!
Thanks for looking!
Roshaan
19 August 2010
Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 2
The series of photos shows the steps in the order that it was completed.
But we all love the rush!
17 August 2010
Cherry Blossom Sideboard - Part 1
Before I cut into solid wood, I also let the planks acclimatize to my workshop for at least 3 days to a week if possible. Notice the way I have the project lumber stacked up on my bench with scrap pieces of wood in between each layer. This is done so that the underside of the boards will also receive appropriate airflow.
Roshaan
10 August 2010
Cherry Blossom Sideboard
I am embarking on a new project and I am excited to give you an inside look at the progress. It is essentially a sideboard with two sliding doors and these sliding doors will have a cherry blossom motif scroll sawn into the panels. It also has a modern asian appeal, with tapered legs, beveled top and a "rising cloud" curved bottom rail. I have been asked to design and build this piece to hold piano books, which of course has a particular size which had to be considered. My client has been searching high and low for the right piece with no success. She finally contacted me to see if I could come up with a suitable design. After weeks of mulling over the details of the piece I have successfully come up with a design she was happy with. I will be posting in-progress photos, so please check back for updates.
Roshaan
04 August 2010
Mokajade wood studio website
03 August 2010
One-on-one workshop with Lesley
Hello Everyone,
I had a great opportunity to teach a one-on-one woodworking workshop from my modest yet organized garage shop. This workshop was to be a birthday gift for the sister of a great friend of mine. Btw...what a great birthday gift idea! Please take note for future reference :)
Lesley was an ideal student since she had a great passion for anything handmade and she was willing to learn in a very short amount of time. I have to give her credit for sticking with me to the very end of a fun but exhausting 8 hour day. At the end of the day she went home with a great token of her hard work...a lovely keepsake box made out of hard maple with a cherry wood scroll sawn top.
I gave Lesley a few scroll saw patterns to choose from, and she immediately gravited to the elegant, yet intricate dragonfly design. The design was a bit ambitious for a beginner, but I told her she had to be happy with the design since she was planning to keep the box for a very long time. The box sides was mitered which was then further enhanced with cherry splines. Splines not only add strenth to the joint but also dresses up a simple mitered box. There are no visible hinges, because the lid opens with the aid of 1/8" diameter brass pivot pins which is glued with epoxy into drilled holes in the sides of the box.
At the end of the day Lesley was extremely pleased with what she accomplished in such a short amount of time and so was I. I hope she will enjoy the keepsake box for a very long time and will keep it in the family for many more years to come.
Roshaan