Well the finished project pics of the Side Tables are up at last. On the whole I'm quite pleased. Well to be honest more pleased than I am usually when I finally walk away from a project. Sure, I could get picky about some things, if I wanted to, but I'm not actually looking at them with disgust, as often happens. So that's got to be progress. I feel like I'm really starting to turn a corner with my woodworking (yes, another one); less went wrong, they came out as I'd imagined without having design opportunities and I can look at them without serious embarrasment. I also felt more in control of the various planes I used. Not that I couldn't get them to do what I wanted before, but somehow it clicked better. I dunno, it's hard to explain. I just feel I've grown up a bit more as a woodworker compared to before I started the tables. That's probably why I started on the CD storage with such gay abandon...Talking of which, I find myself tempted to glue, screw and plug in order to fix the shelves, and have done with it. Tsk. Otherwise it seems to be turning into one of my usual Woodworker's Blocks, and I'll never get shot of it at all. I'm willing to listen to alternatives, but I'd also welcome "sure, why not's"...
You'll have guessed by now that I haven't actually done any woodworking, but the 1930 Woodworker Annual did arrive this morning. Full of juicy goodness, and things to add to the Tuit list... My old school friend who's been staying here with her family also left and I feel rather more depressed about it than I'd expected. Not to say the respite from her little girl's boundless energy isn't something of a relief, to be honest. Especially as she's very girly and just doesn't appreciate curly wood shavings as much as flowers. Crazy, eh...?
I'll start off with...why not use screws and plugs?
ReplyDeleteThen I'll go on to say this. If it were me (be glad you're not) I would investigate fixing the top and bottom shelves.
I would also make a shelf fixed at the rail between the top/bottom panels. I might even be dumb enough to do a sliding dovetail. The female portion on the shelf ends, and the male portion be a screwed on piece on the inside of that middle rail.
The other's I would use shelf pins, and most likely just three at each planned shelf location, maybe 30 mm apart, with sleeves to line the holes.
Alf
ReplyDeleteCongrats-the tables look mighty fine! Did you take them outside to photograph them or did you let them"darken" a bit in the sun? Cherry likes that, I believe.....
Did Mike mention sliding dovetails?? Must be Rat time! ;)
I certainly recommend finishing the project off-if you stall now it will still be there at Christmas! So go with what works, crikey, even Miller dowels if you have too.......
Cheers
Philly
(Who has just got a copy of GW and re-discovered how photogenic he his.........NOT!)
Mike, you know I did seriously consider sliding dovetails at the three rail points. Spooky. As it is I was aiming to make all the shelves fixed, so I can afford to be a bit less fussy I think. Can I?
ReplyDeletePhilly, both. I did infact sit out in the garden "table sitting" to make sure nothing befell them while they got a bit of a tan! :~D Miller Dowels did fleetingly cross my mind, until I remembered how much I hated them the last time I tried 'em. On the other hand then I could get the right size bit for the chisel tangs... ;~)
Why of course. If all the shelves will be fixed and the shelf ends fully seat against the panels, I would just drill them, screw them (I would skip glue), and just plug 'em.
ReplyDeleteMight even use the wlanut for the plugs on the cherry sides.
Just don't tighten down the screws too tightly (snug) to allow movement. But you know that.
Have fun. Mike