Drydock pallet frame cabinet part 2

Browsing through my phone, I suddenly realized that I had forgotten to make a blog post about the pallet frame cabinet completion last year.

We ended up having a bit of a tight deadline for the completion, since it was a wedding gift for Klaras friend. Furthermore I had to remain calm and pedagogical while trying to explain that: If you want the cabinet to be completed in time - well then you need to work on it. 

For some reason it was very hard to understand that you couldn't both go to the movies or go to a sauna all evening and at the same time work on the cabinet.  And that realization was really hard to fathom.

But after I had explained very clearly that the clock was ticking, and that I had spent hours helping, which was why I sort of expected some effort being put into completing the project, Klara saw what I meant and worked at it. 
Klara originally intended to paint the cabinet, but lack of time made this impossible. I told her that the recipient would no matter what be thrilled to receive a homemade cabinet, and that painting was one of the things that she could easily do at home without my tuition.
She also needed to decide on a closing mechanism (magnetic or latch type)

Lessons learnt:
For young people it is very hard to miss out on anything social in favour of a project that they have started themselves. So I should probably have advocated for a much less complicated project from the start. But I had been completely honest with the amount of time that it would take to build something like that, and also described how it could be achieved by a steady effort each day for maybe a couple of hours. But somehow the coupling between doing other stuff for 6 days and suddenly be short of time was not clear.

The actual build was helped a lot by the fact that we had a table saw at our disposal and also a thickness planer. 

Mouldings really help giving a finished look, as does a raised panel door.

It itched in my fingers to do part of the project myself, to speed up the process, but I managed to not do it, I wanted it to be her build, and I would only make sample joints so she could see how they should be carried out.

Klara planing a moulding.

The cabinet with the face frame on.

The completed cabinet with mouldings and a raised panel door.

Barnsley hayrake table for my sister in law

 Mettes sister turned 50 this year, and her husband asked me some time ago if I could make a table for her birthday. 

They have recently bought a summer house and wanted a slab table of sorts. 

I showed him some pictures of the tabletop I made a couple of years ago, and some pictures of the Barnsley hayrake tables that I have made. and he confirmed that it was something along those lines that he would like to give her. 

We settled on a family price, and I got the joy of being able to make a complete table this time. Not just the tabletop. 

I wanted to blog about it during the build, but given that it was a birthday gift I couldn't out of fear that the surprise was blown. 

All the wood comes from the blood beech that I milled a couple of years ago, save for the pegs that I used for the drawbores that are made of ash, and the butterflies that are made of elm. 

I had forgotten how much work there is in flattening a massive slab using hand planes, and at one point I considered if I should try to make a flattening jig for a router. But I decided that it wasn't worth the while for just one slab.  

A thing I remembered from last time was that it was important to make the breadboard ends before putting too much energy into the flattening. Simply to keep the split parts of the crotch in place. So that is where I started. 
As soon as the breadboard ends were in place, a regular workout using a jointer plane with a scrub blade in it was the next task. I switched a little with a regular jointer and going either diagonally or traversing the grain. 
The slab had twisted a bit during drying, so one small area in the top end of the crotch kept being about 1/4" lower than the rest of the surface. I decided that it would be a waste of time, wood and energy to remove that much wood from the rest of the slab, just to get everything flat. After all it was an area about half the size of my palm, and I felt that it gave a bit of character to the table. 

I made a bunch of butterflies in progressively larger sizes out of elm, just to give a bit of contrast to the beech. The butterflies serve both to stabilize the split crotch area and to fill up the void so you don't accidentally push a dinner plate through the large hole. 

Once the butterflies were glued in place, they were dressed down to the surface of the tabletop, and I sanded starting with grit 40 on a belt sander and ending with grit 240 on a random orbit sander.

The undercarriage for the table was interesting to make due to the tabletop not being rectangular. I decided that it would look the best if the legs were sort of the same distance from the edges of the table. To avoid any hiccups, I made some full size drawings of each end, so I had something to work from. 
I mounted the two traverse pieces with a tenon through the center, and the traverse piece itself set into the top of the leg (I am a bit uncertain what the technical name of that type of joint is).

After chopping in MMXXV in the lower stretcher, the table got a couple of coats of a wipe on finish (linseed oil, spar varnish and turpentine) And it was moved inside the house to be ready for pick up (and to make a bit of space int he shop again).

As always a challenging and satisfying project. The biggest issues were that he top was heavy and unwieldy, and that it takes up a lot of space during the build. 

I clocked my hours, and all in all there is 60 hours of work in the table.

Drydock pallet frame cabinet part 1

 We have a volunteer engineer apprentice on board. She is doing her initial training and is doing a great job. We talked a bit about making stuff one day where she was knitting a sweater. I told her a bit about what I had made earlier of woodworking, and she told me that one of her oldest friends were going to get married - and that she would like to make something for her as a wedding gift.

After discussing the various possibilities and showing her examples from my blog she set her mind on something like the small hanging cabinet with drawers which I made 9 years ago.

As per usual, we started off finding a decent pallet frame so we had some wood to make the cabinet out of. Since we are in drydock at the moment, and due to the nature of our ship, we have a lot of the carpenters machines ready set up in a warehouse on the yard. So stock preparation was much easier than it used to be. We have a small Makita planer that could trim the boards to the desired thickness in very little time. The table saw is out of service at the moment due to someone sawing into a hidden screw and activating the Sawstop. So for the ripping of boards we had to use the band saw.

Klara is new to woodworking, so I decided that a rabbeted construction would be the best bet, also given that we need to complete the cabinet before the wedding.
For some reason we don't have a router plane, so for the dado for the shelf, I had to make a small router plane out of a block of wood and a sharpened screw. That worked OK.
There is a Lie Nielsen rabbet block plane on board that we used for the rabbets. I like my Veritas skewed rabbet plane better, or the old combination plane that I have in my ocean going tool set. I didn't bring this set with me, so we had to rely on what we could find on board.

The case was assembled using some headless brads and glue. We had glued up a back panel which was reduced in thickness to 1 cm (3/8"). The back panel was attached in a rabbet with a dab of glue in the center and some more headless brads. The idea is that the back can then move a bit with the seasons without splitting.

I demanded that the face frame was built traditionally with mortise and tenons and rails and stiles. No mitered corners and quick solutions. Klara really liked the look of the face frame on one of my other old cabinets, where there is a small moulding on the inner part of the frame. In order to make something like that, we found an old moulding plane that someone has once donated to the ship, and it was still sharp enough to work. 

So far we have made one corner of the face frame, but today we are going to see of we can complete it and glue it onto the case.

Klara planing wood for the face frame.

The case with the back panel mounted

Klara using the moulding plane.

Saddle holders

Some of the products our little company makes are what is generally known as eventing inventory.

The idea behind this description is something you can use at any type of horse event where you will keep your horse(s) in a competition stable such as a giant tent stable. This will mean that you suddenly haven't got the access to the stuff you normally have at home such as holders for the halters and bridles, holders for the saddle blankets or for the saddle itself.

Generally people bring a saddle cabinet which is sort of a transportable cabinet on wheels with room for a saddle and other stuff. But in addition to this a lot of people like to have the stuff ready at hand and that is where our products excel.

For some time we have offered a saddle holder for two saddles. A lot of people like those because you can have the saddle on the upper peg and the saddle blanket in use on the lower peg. The spare saddle blankets are kept on a saddle blanket holder.

But we have had some inquiries for a saddle holder for one saddle. One of the ideas is that it takes up less space when you need to pack the trailer and your car, and some people keep the saddle blanket under the saddle even when it is stored during an event. 

This time at home I made one horse saddle holder. It is 20" high, and on the back of it there are two sheet metal hooks that are each 1.52" wide. These are used to hang the holder over the edge of the box where your horse is kept during the event.

The board is made of first grade pine, the edges are routed to look nice. The wood is then stained using some mahogany stain and finally it receives a double coat of spar varnish. That makes the stuff easy to wipe over with a damp cloth to remove all the dust that inevitably comes from being in a stable.

Saddle holders mounted on a pallet.

Single saddle holder.

Journeyman's certificate as a carpenter

 About a year ago, Gustav completed his exam as a carpenter and got his journeyman's certificate.

Needless to say, I was as proud as a peacock. If I remember correctly, they had 2 days to complete their building assignment and then one day where they had an oral exam.

The building assignments are drawn by lots, and each holds to focus points. There are off course measurements that has to be observed and adhered to, and beside that they also need to make an assessment of the delivered materials and make remarks if they would have sent some of it back in real life if it is twisted or otherwise damaged. 
Gustav had to make an inside corner with a roof that has to be prepared for clay tiles, and the construction of a wall and an opening for a window.

For the oral exam, I think they also drew a lot and had to talk about that subject. Gustav got a question about moisture based problems in wooden constructions.

The building part is made as a small portion of a building to save materials. They have to show how the things are constructed, so they deliberately leave part of the wall and roof uncovered so the censors can see that they know how to place the sub roof and the wind breaker and insulation etc.

When all the projects have been examined, the tradition calls for that the families and the colleagues from the various companies including the masters meet at the school to congratulate and to have a look at the completed building assignments. 

Finally the next day, the school hosts an arrangement for the parents and the masters where the actual certificate is given to the new journeymen.

For someone like me who has got a bit of interest in history and traditions, it was awe inspiring to participate in the ceremony where the certificates were handed over. the certificate itself hasn't changed the last 100 years I think, and the feeling that this ceremony has been going on continuously for the last 500 years or more was just so amazing. The recognition of the fact that this small certificate means the same now as it did back then, and that it is recognized from Australia to Zimbabwe that a carpenter is someone who can build a house or a structure out of wood is just amazing.

Pedder from two lawyers toolworks gave Gustav an ebony handled dovetail saw with a German silver back. That was almost enough to make me want to be a carpenter!

In Denmark if you get straight A's at a journeman's exam, you will get a silver medal. The idea behind that it is not a gold medal is that no handcraft can be perfect, because perfection is divine. And even the most skilled carpenter can't see inside a piece of timber if there is a small defect hidden inside. and that is why silver is awarded as the highest recognition. (Gustav got a silver medal)

Gustav right after the oral exam
Two Lawyers Toolworks dovetail saw ready!!

Gustav and Martin Vester (the master carpenter)

Gustav and his building assignment.

Gustav with his new dovetail saw

Making a staircase

 Given my lack of blogging the last couple of years, I often forgot to take pictures of whatever little or large thing I have been making. And contrary to my earlier blogging where I tried to take logical pictures of the process, all I have at the moment is a bunch of pictures on my phone that shows a bit of the progress on various projects.

The company that Gustav and I have together invested in a house. The house hadn't seen much maintenance or modernizing in the last 30 years or so. 

One of the interesting details was a really narrow staircase going to the basement. The staircase was hidden inside a cabinet in the kitchen, so it looked kind of an entrance to the Bat Cave.
The problem with this layout was that the staircase was incredibly narrow. I think it was only around 18" wide. 
When we discussed the plans for our rebuilding, we agreed that we still needed a staircase to go to the basement. But it had to be a bit wider so that someone could carry a hamper with clothes to and from the washing room which we planned to put in the basement. 
Technically there is also a door and a staircase outside that leads to the basement, but I know that I wouldn't want to go outside just to go down the basement and then go back inside again. So that entrance is mainly for when you get home in the winter time covered in mud or soaking wet from the rain.

The limitations were the height of the ceiling in the basement and the spacing of the joists. The spacing meant that placing the new staircase in the other end of the kitchen would give us a width of some 36" (as far as I remember). We still had to make the staircase fairly steep in order for it to work without using too much floor space for the descending hole. Still it is not as steep as the original one.

I sawed some spruce for the sides and the steps and milled it all in the planer. 
The positions for the individual steps were marked, and I clamped on a batten and sawed to the intended depth. A chisel and a router plane made quick work of getting a dado that the steps could be seated in. Given that it is sort of a secondary room staircase, I felt that it was most appropriate to not go overboard in ornamentation and fancywork. So each step just received a nice little chamfer on all sides and then a couple of saw cuts  were made that would allow the front of the step to pass over the sides.

When all the steps were made and I had checked that each of them would fit, I transported the pieces to the house. I had figured out that if I'd assembled the staircase at home, I would most likely not be able to get it into the basement.

I swept the floor carefully where I was going to work, in order to avoid marring the sides of the stairs while working on it, and then I assembled it. Each step was glued and nailed in place using two large nails for each step. 
Technically screws would be easier and perhaps even hold better, but I think that large nails look the part on a staircase, and would have been the traditional way to do it in a house of that age anyway.

Once the staircase was completed and I had ushered it into place, the protruding ends of the steps were sawed off in something like a 30 degree angle. 

Test fitting in the workshop

The front of the staircase.

Assembling in the basement.

View form the backside of the staircase.

MMXXIII (2023)

The installed staircase.

Repairing a riding boot

 I have begun making more and more out of leather in the past years. Part of it is for our little company, where I change zippers in riding boots and occasionally make other small repair jobs on shoes and boots etc. 

Gustav had an old set of riding boots where the sole had come halfway off, I have kept them in the workshop for about a year, with the intention of one day taking them apart and see if I could use them as template and make a new pair. But in the mean time I got inspired to try and fix them myself.

First the sole was removed by means of a set of pliers. 

The insole needed to be replaced as did the midsole. both of these were made of some cardboard like material. Kind of surprising actually that a set of decent boots are made with such crappy materials.
Another thing that was surprising was the fact that the insole and the uppers weren't sewn. it all relied on glue to hold the boot together. 

I made a new insole form a piece of vegetable tanned leather and glued it into place. Then I used an awl with a hook to sew it in place. The steel stiffener was glued in place and the voids were filled with some small scraps of leather. I had tried to make my own filler putty of of some PVA glue, sawdust and a bit of latex paint. After about a day I decided that I didn't trust that enough, so I removed it again. In addition to being difficult to remove, it left an ugly white deposit on the lower part of the boot. (So much for that experiment).

The next thing to come on was the midsole that I also made out of a piece of vegetable tanned leather. With that in place, the underside was sanded using a sanding wheel. This was done to get nice flowing curves and make sure that it would fit the rubber sole that was also going to be glued on.

I don't have a heel press for shoes and boots, so all the pressing of the contact glue was done by means of a hammer.

Finally the boots got some long needed black leather grease, and now they will hopefully last a couple of seasons more.

The damaged boot.

Closeup of the damage.

left to right:
Sole, inner lining, midsole, insole (with the metal stiffener on top)

New insole glued in.

After the sewing (not very pretty)

Voids filled with leather scraps.

Midsole glued in place and sanded.

Boots ready for service again.