Monday, March 04, 2013

Cabinet Woes

My entire w'shop time this weekend, and I achieved... this.

Am I disheartened?

Well, yes, actually.

I'd hoped for a tad more progress than that. But it's all trying stuff out and ripping it apart again with a view to the long-term solution. Eventually. So I need to keep reminding myself that the physical evidence of my efforts is not the whole story - and at least three planes that previously had no proper homes now do so. But it's other useful stuff that's really important, like how actually 9in of interior depth is not as generous as I thought it was.

Ouch, that's close. About the thickness of a gnat's wage slip in between that tote and those chisels... And things like the bevel-up smoother blow it completely out of the water, being entirely Too Long.

Anyway, lots of things confirmed and/or learned. Such as:
  • An existing cupboard with an interior height of 21 1/2in is not a good research tool. How long is a jointer plane, boys and girls...? Yes, exactly.
  • Saws that may fit within a 21 1/2in height, will not necessarily do so once handle support allowing for flamboyant Wenzloff totes is taken into account (saw storage discarded).
  • Flat doors are, as I knew, a waste of everyone's time and space.
  • The back has to be strong enough to hang things off - obviously not the case here.
  • Hinges have to be well out of the way - again, not the case.
  • It'd help if said case was actually square...
  • Far eastern ply is the most God-awful splintery hell and I hate it. Also one particular piece (on its third or fourth bit of recycling now) smells distressingly of piddle when cut.
  • And...
Well, you get the gist. But it's all grist to the mill, and if I can just get all the tools out of the dust and rust, it'll be something. Then I need to make something to use the Southern Yellow Pine, so I have the room to buy something else with which to build a proper tool cabinet out of. Some time. When I've finally decided what I want.

'Cos guess what? I don't much fancy dovetailing a load of SYP. Coward, ain't I?

5 comments:

  1. what's piddle.I'm from the southern states.

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    1. It's a small river in Dorset. Piddling in same may or may not go on, depending on the proximity or not of the local hostelries, I imagine. Wildlife are a given as piddlers in same, naturally. Have you ever seen a trout get out and go to the bathroom? No. So yeah, definitely piddling goes on in the Piddle. (Other rivers are available)

      You know, as an exercise in answering this question without actually coming over all un-British and just saying it I should probably just have said DAGS...

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    2. you made my day. i really enjoy your post.i'm home recovering from blood clots to my lungs.no woodworking at this time. so my joy reading blogs to kill time....please keep it coming

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  2. Al, those wooden carpenters clamp thingies in the pic...are they any good? I quite fancied making myself some using a wooden thread making kit, but guess what? Axminster sell an imperial tap/die set and metric dowels. Torpedoed before I've even hit the 'submit' button! Bu§§er!

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, they're not bad. Those are no-name ones I found locally (Gasp! New tools worth having for sale in Cornwall?!) I imagine they're the same stable as the similar no-names that Axy and Buttlands have. Daresay the Jorgensens are superior, but spendy. I have some all wood ones too, but honestly, aside from the "oo, they're old and cool" factor, the one's with metal screws are a lot quicker to use and less frustrating. Very handy devices to have in the stable.

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