Saw blades are not just for wood

Hi Everyone!

I was browsing the Lee Valley store and came across an eye-catching 3/4" square rectangular piece of acrylic. I was thoroughly mesmerized by the shimmering, translucent and brilliantly coloured piece of plastic. What I was looking at was a pen blank used by pen makers which they turn on a lathe to take on the cylindrical shape of a pen. I then thought to myself, I could use this great piece of acrylic to make other wonderful things. I could for instance use it in combination with a piece of exotic hardwood to make a pendant, or I could cut it into smaller squares and use these as inlays as small accents in a piece of furniture. The possibilities are endless!

The question now was...how do I cleanly and accurately cut acrylic using my woodworking machines? The answer was simple... use specially made saw blades in my machines to safely and cleanly cut acrylic to size. To cut acrylic using my table saw I reached for my Triple Chip Grind or (TCG) saw blade. This refers to the way some teeth of the blade is ground. I'm not an expert on the various saw blades by any means, but this is the recommended saw blade used to cut acrylic and it works! The cuts came out clean without any tear-out and the saw marks are virtually invisible.

Being a woodworker, doesn't only mean that you work with wood. Most woodworkers would welcome the chance to incorporate different materials into their woodworking projects and I'm no different. So I'm always looking for fun and interesting materials to work into wood.

So many possibilities!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Heather's Netbook Cherry wood box- the reveal

Well, here is the finished netbook cherry wood box!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Heather's Netbook Cherry wood box-Part Final

Hi Everyone!

Well I am finally done with the netbook cherry wood box! The last week I spent oiling the box with a Danish oil finish. I also finished the box off with a rich plush felt liner to cushion the netbook while it is stored and especially during travel.

I applied about 5 coats of the oil finish over about a week's time. Notice the difference between the unfinished cherry to the left and the cherry with one coat of oil applied to the piece on the right. I love using an oil finish to bring out the natural beauty and richness of the wood's color and grain. Although the cherry is still a bit light in color, over time it will age to a nice reddish tone making the contrast of the maple splines pop even more.

The inside of the box received a felt liner to cushion the netbook. The felt was a breeze to apply because it already had a peel and stick backing. All I had to do was cut the felt parts to the exact dimensions of the inside of the box. I first applied the bottom and then proceeded to apply the sides.

After the felt was applied, I re-attached the stop hinge and the latches. I did however had to clear the dried oil from the screw holes with a drill bit.

I am happy with how the box turned out and I hope my client will be as well.

Thanks for joining me!

Roshaan

Interior Design Show West

Hi everyone!

I will be heading to the Interior Design Show West this weekend to show support for a fellow alum of the Fine Furniture Program at Camosun College. He is very a talented and energetic custom wood furniture maker. His name is Steve Guan and he is absolutely a rising star! He is located in beautiful Victoria, BC. He is the founder of Fineline Creations and you can have a peek at his website to see his beautiful creations. I will be going to the show...will you?

See you there!

Roshaan

Elsa's Jewelry Box

Hi Everyone!

This jewelry box is my new studio piece that was built especially for Elsa. She is the one who took the great step-by-step photos for my book Simply wood. She was also instrumental in the preparation of the manuscript. I will always be indebted to her. Thank you Elsa!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Heather's Netbook Cherry wood box-Part 5

Hi Everyone,

Well, we are almost there! It is starting to look like a great little box.

In this part of the project I focused on installing all the hardware, like the stop hinge and the latches. I prefer to install all hardware before I apply a finish in case I run into any issues. It is easier to deal with an issue while the box is still unfinished.

I had to cut a mortise on the back edges of the box parts to receive the stop hinge. This is a great little hinge if you want to keep the lid from flopping backwards. It will automatically stop the lid at about 100 degrees. I could have also used a lid stay with regular hinges, but it was not feasible in this application, since the box is meant for storing sensitive computer equipment.

I cut the mortise using a palm router equipped with a 1/4" straight router bit. I marked out the exact measurements of the hinge onto the box and just free-handed the mortise with the router. I stayed well away from the layout lines and just went in afterward to clean up the mortise with a bench chisel.

I then placed the hinge into the mortise to mark the screw holes. To accurately drill these holes I used a drill press instead of a hand held drill.

When all the holes were drilled I screwed the hinge in place to check the fit of the lid on the bottom part of the box. A great tip for driving in fragile brass screws is to lubricate the hinge with some beeswax. The screw will drive into the hole much smoother and it also will prevent the screw from snapping off into the hole. Believe me I have done it quite a few times and it is not a pleasant sight or an easy fix!

After I was happy with the fit of the box parts, I then attached the two brass latches. I think these latches adds a great finishing touch on a beautiful cherry wood box and it functions well.

In the final part I will be focusing on applying a finish and lining the box with a plush felt.

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

The new Fox Chapel Publishing 2010-2011 Fall Catalogue

Hi Everyone,

I'm so excited about the new Fox Chapel Publishing fall catalogue! Not only because I made the cover, but also because it is full of new and fresh woodcrafting books! In it you will find some modern and hip eco-friendly projects made out of twigs, branches and fallen trees as seen in the book called Tree Craft written by Chris Lubkemann. How cool is that!
Also look out for a book called Woodburning with Style written by my good friend Simon Easton. He gives you an in depth crash course in the art of pyrography. This book will appeal to woodworkers and artists alike. I can't wait to try one of the many great projects from the book.
This is just a tidbit of new and fantastic books in the new catalogue. Check it out today! Just click on the title of this post for the link.

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan