# A Gem Jewelry Box build thread



## Paul W Gillespie

My most complicated build yet and I am a little nervous. I am building A Gem of a Jewelry Box for my wife. I am using curly maple and padauk. This is a little more complicated than my drill press cart. Wish me luck.

Things are not going as smooth as I was hoping. Mostly because I am learning to use some new tools like my jointer, planer and even my table saw. Some of the problems are my technique, but I am afraid some might be tool set-up related. My first rip cut on the Padauk seemed fine, but my maple edge burned. I also think some of my cuts are not square, I have to double check my TS, but it could just be my eye seeing it weird, because when I put a square on the piece it shows OK. I used way too much glue on the first glue up. I am hoping it does not show when I plane down the material from 3/4" to 1/2".


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## buggyman1

Check to make sure your blade is aligned with your fence and its a perfect 90 degrees. The burning is most likely caused by the blade being out of alignment.


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, wipe of that excess glue with a damp rag once you gets some clamps on it. Once you plane it down, it shouldn't be visible if you have nice cleanly jointed edges.

If you have any questions on this one ask, as I built this same box (but you knew this already :yes


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## woodnthings

*also*

The blade must be parallel to the miter slot and then then fence is aligned to the slot in that order. 

I admire your ambition. :thumbsup: It seems like you are taking on an advanced project for your skill level.

Make certain your blade is clean and sharp, the newer the better. A 40 tooth or 50 tooth blade should give a clean burn free rip, a 60 tooth may or may not. 

Watch the grain orientation when planing and joining. It should run with the cutter, not against it to avoid tearout. Take light passes.... 1/16" at first, then 1/32". Using dissimiliar woods may have a grain direction issue if you didn't pay attention to that right off.

When at all possible make practice cuts on scrap when fitting to a close tolerance. and if there are angles involved, make practice cut especially.

Good for you for taking this on and good luck with it! :yes: bill


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## Dominick

I agree. Good for you and like others have stated. Checking if your saw blade is 90deg to your table. Check to make sure your blade isn't bent. 
As far as glue ups, I prefer letting it dry before cleaning it up. Let it dry and use a card scraper or a sharp chisel. Wiping it of right away pushes glue into the pores of wood, leaving blotches when finishing.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I try and live by the motto "I can do anything I set my mind to." I have build many things in my life from sheds to decks to extensive renovations to our home, but all that is on a larger scale. Building a shed or deck you can be off a little with a measurement or cut, not that I like when it happens. When building stuff like this, if you are off a 1/8 of an inch it tends to mess things up. I will get there and appreciate all your help my friends on WWT. If I mess up some wood trying a harder project it is not the end of the world. I will still not buy the really pricey wood though.


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## Gene Howe

Maple is prone to burning/browning. Your pics don't show a severe problem. Once you have checked for alignment and have a proper and sharp blade, as Bill suggests, I wouldn't be too concerned about slight "browning". 
When that glue dries, scrape it off with a glue scraper like this one I bought at ACE. Scraper Otherwise, you'll get nicked planer blades.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Yeah I blew the whole letting the glue dry before removing on the other side. There was so much I got spooked and went for the paper towels.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Progress. I think it is coming along a little better now. I made a few mistakes. I think my jointer definitely needs new blades and my planer snipes, but I am happy with an afternoons work. Next up will be to dado the back and front rails. This will be my first time using my new Delta stacked dado set I just got from ebay. It is the actual first time ever using a dado set. I will have to find some test wood and practice before using it on my work pieces. I think I would be devastated if I do something that wrecks what I have already done. Then I have to band saw the curves on the bottom pieces and glue it together. I will be using way less glue next time, since now it will be harder to get off.


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## dbales

I love the pauduk with the maple. I'll be following this.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I had bought the padauk months ago, thinking I would use it for some kind of jewelry box for my wife. I then saw the Gem box plans and liked its look. I was going to use wenge with the maple, but then I found out how much if cost. I thought since I already had the padauk, I would use it. I overpaid for the padauk, but was hypnotized by the color and didn't realize what the BF cost was when I was buying it. Yes I think it goes well with the maple.


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## Kenbo

Okay, I'm in for this biuld. Looking forward to it. Looking great so far.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Got about an hour of shop time in tonight after work. No new pics, didn't really do anything on the box, but cut four grooves for the drawer guides. I forgot to do it last night. What I did do was pick up a rough 12' 4/4 poplar board today and mill down a 3' section for a sacrificial fence to use with my TS dado blade. I figured I needed it and it was good practice with my jointer and planer. I was getting some scalloping from the jointer, but it cleaned up with the planer. I really think my jointer blades are dull. Funny how just taking a rough board and making square, smooth and flat was fun for me tonight. Poplar works so much easier than the oak, padauk and maple I jointed the last couple days. I can't wait to get some time so I can work more on the box. I still need a dado insert for the TS before I can proceed though.

Thanks for following my build.


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## Kenbo

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Got about an hour of shop time in tonight after work. No new pics, didn't really do anything on the box, but cut four grooves for the drawer guides. I forgot to do it last night. What I did do was pick up a rough 12' 4/4 poplar board today and mill down a 3' section for a sacrificial fence to use with my TS dado blade. I figured I needed it and it was good practice with my jointer and planer. I was getting some scalloping from the jointer, but it cleaned up with the planer. I really think my jointer blades are dull. Funny how just taking a rough board and making square, smooth and flat was fun for me tonight. Poplar works so much easier than the oak, padauk and maple I jointed the last couple days. I can't wait to get some time so I can work more on the box. I still need a dado insert for the TS before I can proceed though.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for following my build.


 

Sometimes, all it takes is an hour in the shop to wash away the troubles of the day. Although you may not have accomplished much on your project, I would venture to say that you definitely acheived something. Good for you for taking the time to get out there instead of saying "it's only an hour, what's the point". Looking forward to your next installment of pictures.


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, make your own dado insert. Use your current throat plate as a template and cut it out of plywood, MDF, or hardwood.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I am thinking about making my own, just not sure if I have what I need to do it. My router table does not work and I have no table type power sander. I would have to nail the curves on the band saw or really work hard hand sanding. This could give me the excuse to get the Ridgid OSS I have wanted. I could also try looking for drums that would fit in my DP for sanding. Any other thoughts on ways to round the corners? Would poplar work as a material?


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## Kenbo

Poplar would work, but it is a little soft in my opinion. You could cut the curves with a jig saw, band saw, scroll saw etc. You say that your router table doesn't work. Do you have a hand held router? You could tape your existing throat plate to your stock and use your bandsaw to get it pretty close to the shape. A handheld router with a bearing guided flush cut bit would finish off the job nicely and make a perfect duplicate. That's how I make them anyway.


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK looks like my next mini project is making a 1/2" dado insert for the TS. While I am at it I should make a few. I know I need a zero clearance for my everyday blade and maybe a few blanks for when I need a different dado size. I will need to buy a flush trim bit for my router and maybe some 1/2 plywood for the inserts.


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## buggyman1

Watch the 1/2" plywood, a lot of it is not a full 1/2".


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK, a day off and I have some progress to show. I got side tracked and spent the last couple of wood shop session learning how to make and then making my own table saw inserts and sacrificial fences. I needed them for the project. This was also my first use of a stacked dado set. Well I got the dado insert done and was able to cut the rabbits in the back and front pieces. I am glad to be back on the main project track. I have it test clamped here. I still have to glue it up. I must be sure not to go overboard on the glue.




























I still have to band saw the curves in the picture below. My blade on my BS is shot and was wondering what would be a good blade to replace it with. I think the one I have is 1/2" would another 1/2" blade work on these slight curves?










Thanks for following.


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## Dominick

Hey Paul this is the first I've seen this. Looks good so far. Making progress. 
Nice wood choice, great contrast


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## sawdustfactory

Looking good so far.


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## rayking49

Paul that is looking really good.


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## Texas Sawduster

*Looking Good !!!*

Looking Good. :thumbsup:


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Do I have a sanding problem?*

Having read another thread where someone had a problem sanding when they used curly maple and padauk together, I am a bit nervous to sand my project. They said that the red padauk dust bled into the maple and stained it when they sanded. My box is pretty smooth from planing, but I doubt it is a smooth as it should be.

Will I have a problem? Should I try and sand the maple side and padauk sides separately by hand? Tape one side while sanding the other?

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Paul


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## Dominick

Never worked with that padauk before. But if your worried about it, than try sanding it before glue up.


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## Tim G

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Having read another thread where someone had a problem sanding when they used curly maple and padauk together, I am a bit nervous to sand my project. They said that the red padauk dust bled into the maple and stained it when they sanded. My box is pretty smooth from planing, but I doubt it is a smooth as it should be.
> 
> Will I have a problem? Should I try and sand the maple side and padauk sides separately by hand? Tape one side while sanding the other?
> 
> Any thoughts?
> 
> Thanks
> Paul


Your project looks nice. Very clean looking. I don't think you will have a problem with the staining. Maple is very dense and is closed grain. I can't see how it would hold sawdust from another species. If it were red oak or other open grain wood it might be an issue.


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## sawdustfactory

Face or edge grain won't be an issue Paul, only end grain.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Curves and shelves - 5/12/12 update*

Got a couple hours of shop time in tonight with my wife & brother working, leaving me home alone. I picked up some 1/8" hard board for the shelves and drawer slides the other day and tonight I cut the shelves to size. This was the next step towards being able to glue the case together. Well after cutting them I go to dry fit the case and the 1/8" hard board will not fit in the 1/8" saw kerfs I cut. I did not want to cut all the kerfs wider, what a PIA. I wound up sanding the edges thinner and they fit. OK first hurdle of the night cleared.

Now a moment I have been dreading. Cutting the curves on the bottom of the case. Being a novice woodworker I had great fear bringing a band saw blade to my, in my mind, beautiful work so far and possibly wrecking it. I had to layout the curves first. I tried bending a scrap piece to draw the line but could not hold it by myself. The plans said go to their website for free fairing stick plans. Which lead to a small side project of making the fairing stick. It worked well enough and I laid out the curves.

Now the band sawing. I was a nervous wreck. First lesson learned was use a light colored pencil, like white, because I had the hardest time seeing the dark gray line on the dark padauk. I went slow and did the best I could to cut outside the line. I will sand, somehow, to the line later.

Side question, I have a 1/4 sheet hand held sander, but don't think it would be good for this. I was thinking a drum sander in my drill press would work better and keep me from hand sanding. Is this the way to go? I see DP drum kits at Rockler and Woodcraft for around $20. I want to buy the Ridgid OSS, but can't do it for a little while.

So here is my progress. It is just loose fitted with no glue. Once I sand the curves smooth, and the flat parts down some, I will glue it together. 

Thanks for following.


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## Kenbo

First off, your project and your fairing stick look fantastic. Great work on all of it. As far as the spindle sander goes, you can just build an auxilliary table for your drill press and use a sanding drum in the chuck. Do a google search and you will find a ton of ideas of how to do it. It's really quite simple.


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## Shop Dad

Paul, you are doing so great! Really nice work there and I like the fairing stick a lot. :thumbsup:

I have the Rockler set since I don't have an OSS yet and it's OK. The aux table Kenbo mentions will help if you go that route. However, I think this would be a good place to use a spokeshave if you have one. Perhaps some of the hand tool veterans can comment but I think this is one of those places that a hand tool can do a better job than a power tool by sneaking up to the line without over doing it.


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## woodnthings

*I hope it's not assembled yet...*

The padauk will be too hard to hand sand easily. I got a OSS like this at Menards and I think it's great. The HF version is exactly the same and is on sale I believe for around $100.00. It's very powerful for a 1/3 HP motor. 

http://www.harborfreight.com/oscillating-spindle-sander-95088.html

If you do end up hand sanding, make a curved sanding block based on the fairing stick, attach the sand paper with double sided tape, fasten the piece securely, pour yourself a cold one and do about 10 curls with a 50 lb weight and then begin sanding. It will be nothing compared to the curls..... :laughing:


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## cabinetman

An excellent job so far. It will look great. A few tips that might help. If you have a good lumber/plywood supplier locally, you can get ⅛" plywood, some in Maple or BB. The thinner thicknesses are usually right on. It may not be a big thing, but something to consider. 

For creating the curves, a fairing stick works good if you are alone. You can create a template for the curve, and use a stop (like a nail) for the other end and draw it by yourself. You only need to draw half the curve. That way, you cut/create the half, and flip it over for the other half. This could be more accurate than one continuous curve, that may react to the stresses of curvature, and not be accurate for the entire curve.

One of the drum sanders for the DP works well for some sanding, but can make indentions because of a less than gradual feed/pressure rate. I've had them cause the chuck to fall from its mounting due to the side loading. You can use a narrow flat block wrapped with sandpaper to smooth out a curve, by hand.










 







.


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## oldmacnut

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Got a couple hours of shop time in tonight with my wife & brother working, leaving me home alone. I picked up some 1/8" hard board for the shelves and drawer slides the other day and tonight I cut the shelves to size. This was the next step towards being able to glue the case together. Well after cutting them I go to dry fit the case and the 1/8" hard board will not fit in the 1/8" saw kerfs I cut. I did not want to cut all the kerfs wider, what a PIA. I wound up sanding the edges thinner and they fit. OK first hurdle of the night cleared.
> 
> Now a moment I have been dreading. Cutting the curves on the bottom of the case. Being a novice woodworker I had great fear bringing a band saw blade to my, in my mind, beautiful work so far and possibly wrecking it. I had to layout the curves first. I tried bending a scrap piece to draw the line but could not hold it by myself. The plans said go to their website for free fairing stick plans. Which lead to a small side project of making the fairing stick. It worked well enough and I laid out the curves.
> 
> Now the band sawing. I was a nervous wreck. First lesson learned was use a light colored pencil, like white, because I had the hardest time seeing the dark gray line on the dark padauk. I went slow and did the best I could to cut outside the line. I will sand, somehow, to the line later.
> 
> Side question, I have a 1/4 sheet hand held sander, but don't think it would be good for this. I was thinking a drum sander in my drill press would work better and keep me from hand sanding. Is this the way to go? I see DP drum kits at Rockler and Woodcraft for around $20. I want to buy the Ridgid OSS, but can't do it for a little while.
> 
> So here is my progress. It is just loose fitted with no glue. Once I sand the curves smooth, and the flat parts down some, I will glue it together.
> 
> Thanks for following.



Looks good.

I recently built a paduak and birdseye picture frame for my wife, didnt have issue with bleeding.

A trick I use for drawing lines is good old blue tape. Ill just run a strip of tape down the piece, then draw the line on the tape, it helps with any tear out whether i make the cut on the ts, bs, etc.

I have the Ridgid OSS, I love it, absolutely love it. hook that thing up to a 4" dc, and it does so good at leaving no dust. I made an extension bolt so I can put larger sanding drums on it to.

Box looks good, Ive been putting off making this for my wife, but out of solid cherry. Mostly because she has no need for a 4th jewelry box :laughing:, but recently thought about making one from a bunch of scraps, for shop use.


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## Brink

Nice, Paul. Looking real sharp.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Oh yeah, $125 check from a freelance client I did work for just came in and I am thinking about putting it towards the RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander for $199. I was thinking of trying to use the 20% HF coupon, but don't know if I have the guts. Would this sander or one with a belt and a disc be a better choice for a shop?


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## oldmacnut

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Oh yeah, $125 check from a freelance client I did work for just came in and I am thinking about putting it towards the RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander for $199. I was thinking of trying to use the 20% HF coupon, but don't know if I have the guts. Would this sander or one with a belt and a disc be a better choice for a shop?


Ive never used a disc sander, but I cant live without my ridgid sander.


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## thegrgyle

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Oh yeah, $125 check from a freelance client I did work for just came in and I am thinking about putting it towards the RIDGID Oscillating Edge/Belt Spindle Sander for $199. I was thinking of trying to use the 20% HF coupon, but don't know if I have the guts. Would this sander or one with a belt and a disc be a better choice for a shop?


I understand that most guys that have this sander love it. I do not own it. I do own a OSS and a separate belt/disc sander. 2 machines take up more room than 1. I guess my only concern about the rigid that you pointed out is the size of the table for when you want to sand curves on the curved portion. For the pieces that you are going to be sanding now, it looks like it would work fine, but if you get into larger pieces, it looks like there isn't much room on the back side for support. Also, I wonder how the dust collection is when you are sanding on the curved portion of the belt. 

Perhaps some of the owners of the Rigid sander can pipe in and answer some of my questions....



Edit:

I just looked at the pic of the sander again, and it appears that you can just put drums on there.... If that is the case, then you do have plenty of table space to work with..... Sorry for the lack of investigation before my post.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Funny I bought a new spindle/belt sander to help with the curves on my project, plus I wanted one, and I have still spent most of the afternoon hand sanding, both the curves and the body. The sander does a great job taking out the bulk, but I was nervous about blasting past the lines, so I fine tuned with sand paper on one of the curved cut outs. I was hand sanding the body because I feared using a palm sander would spread the padauk dust into the maple too much and stain it. I have not had a problem yet hand sanding. What grit would you guys sand to? I used some 100, 150 and some spots got 220. Should I hit it all with 220?

Thanks and more pics later. This was an update during a sanding break. I wanted to get the bulk of the sanding done before assembly.


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## sawdustfactory

Whatever grit you decide to stop at (180,220,320) make sure you sand everything with the same grit.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I am sanded out for the evening. I think it is my least favorite thing to do. I am sure it is a lot of peoples least favorite. I got everything sanded pretty good so far. I didn't want to have to sand everything after it was glued together. Now I will hit it one last time with something fine, like 220 after it is glued. Next step is gluing the case together. I think I am going to use some blue tape to help keep any squeeze out off the wood. I am a messy gluer.

Hopefully I get some shop time after work tomorrow night.


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## Capacity Workstation

Hey Paul,

I just want to say that this thread is awesome!
I used Padauk, Maple and black walnut on an end grained cutting board, and I sanded it with my orbital, and I didn't have an issue with bleeding at all.

I think you are doing a fantastic job. I can't wait to see this finished.


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## 27207

It's looking good Paul!


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## Paul W Gillespie

*No going back now, the glue is on.*

Like the title says no going back now, the glue monster has attacked. Again I was having second thoughts about jumping into the next stage of the project, gluing the case. It is funny, I worked so hard to get to this point and it seems like every next step has the potential to destroy all the hours of work before it. I think that is what would be the most disappointing, not the expense of the wood, which would suck, but the time loss. I am sure it happens every day to our fellow woodworkers. Oh the feeling must be awful. 

Anyhow, I started gluing the case together and hopefully will finish this stage tonight. What a mess. I got glue in a lot of places it shouldn't have been and missed some spots it should have. All I need to do is glue the two little sticks to the case once the clamps come off the other part. Then I am going to clean up the glue squeeze the best I can and give it a good semi-final sanding.

The next step after that is make the legs.

Stay tuned.










































Wow look at that mess.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Done for the evening. Busy day tomorrow. Might get some time Sunday. Needs some more sanding and glue clean up. Then I start on the legs. It is starting to look like something.


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## sawdustfactory

Ok several things to help down the road. Glue your drawer guides in before you put your box together, just easier. How are you applying your glue? I like to use a small disposable brush and a small cup. Make sure you have a bucket of water and rags ready to wipe off excess. If there is any squeeze out after that, use a sharp chisel to CAREFULLY clean it up.


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## Kenbo

Enjoying this build. The fact that you are taking your time and not rushing anything is a good sign that you will go far with this woodworking venture. Great work. Keep it up.


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## Paul W Gillespie

A couple of hours in the shop today. May spend a few more later tonight. I sanded the whole case down to 220 grit and cleaned up most of the glue squeeze out. A little left inside, but it will not be seen. I cut the drawer runners from 1/8 hardboard and had to sand them down, like the shelves to get them to fit into the 1/8 grooves. Then I moved onto making the leg blank from Padauk. It is glued up and drying. The glue monster struck again and got everywhere. I am going to try and scrape some off once it sets. Then I will mill it down to 1-1/16" square and cut a 1/2" dado in it.

More later.


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## woodnthings

*Paul that's just too much glue...*

Put it on with a stiff brush like for soldering or cut the bristles off to within 1/2" of the hilt on a disposable brush. Use a 1/2" brush for those size pieces and a 1" or 1 1/2" wide for larger pieces. Just a thin film will work, not gobs. The less that squeezes out the less you have to deal with and some glue stains and you can't get the stain out. Nice work so far. :thumbsup: bill


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## Paul W Gillespie

Thanks Bill. I have been using a little silver acid brush from HF. I never know how much to put. I tried using less and I always worry if I don't see it come close to coming out in a spot. I know it is something that I will get better at with practice. I might get one of those bottles with the roller or just a roller.


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## oldmacnut

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Wow look at that mess.



No, that......is a proper mess.











Sent from my Xoom using Woodworking Talk


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## Paul W Gillespie

Update.

Leg blank and top blank glued up. While the leg blank was drying I decided to work on the top blank. I never edge jointed two pieces together like this so I hope they are clamped OK and staying flat. I had a problem with my TS, I have to be extra careful with the fence and that it is square. I made some cuts that did not stay true to the layout line I drew. I am pretty sure the blade is square to the miter slot, but the fence has some issues depending on how I lock it down. My new blade is cutting better than the old one. Just some minor browning of the inside edge.


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK I just pulled the clamps off the top blank above and I have a slight problem. Seems I was slightly off in both planing one of the boards to 1/2" and also in lining them up, resulting in a tiny ridge on the top and bottom of the joint line. If I run this through the planer will it smooth out the board? Should I sand down as flat as I can? It is a very small thickness difference. I am nervous about running it through the planer, when I was planing the two separate pieces, every once in a while it would take out some chunks of wood. I figured it was due to the wrong grain direction being planed. It didn't do it when I found the right direction and didn't change it.


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## Dominick

Hey Paul that's really taking shape. But have to agree with above. You don't need that much glue. What kind of glue do you use?


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## Paul W Gillespie

I'm using Titebond II. When you are putting the glue on, lets say the edge of two boards, do you put a bead on each side and smooth it out?


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## Dominick

I brush it on with an acid free brush. Throw aways. You want squeeze out, just not that much. I like to use gorilla wood glue. It has fast tack time. Tight bond is good to.


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## habs

Hey Paul,

I bought one of those rockler silicone glue brushes. It was 3.99 at the register (an impulse buy) so I thought I'd try it out. Well, it works great. After the glue dries in the brush you just peel it out. Might help you out with all the squeeze out.


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## Texas Sawduster

*Sharp Chisel*



Paul W Gillespie said:


> OK I just pulled the clamps off the top blank above and I have a slight problem. Seems I was slightly off in both planing one of the boards to 1/2" and also in lining them up, resulting in a tiny ridge on the top and bottom of the joint line. If I run this through the planer will it smooth out the board? Should I sand down as flat as I can? It is a very small thickness difference. I am nervous about running it through the planer, when I was planing the two separate pieces, every once in a while it would take out some chunks of wood. I figured it was due to the wrong grain direction being planed. It didn't do it when I found the right direction and didn't change it.


I would use a sharp chisel to remove the glue then use a scraper if you have one. May be a great reason to buy one. I would not run this thru the planer unless all of the glue sqeezeout is removed. It will be hard on the blades.

If you have a smoothing plane, try that instead of the planer.
You may want to practice using one first on some scrap if you have not used one before.


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## The Everyman Show

Paul you are doing a great job and I admire your courage for taking on such an ambitious piece so early in your woodworking life. About 15-years ago I went to a small ‘how to build a heirloom bed’ seminar in Tampa FL and the one resounding thing I got out of it was no matter what project you are working on always try to do something new or something that will challenge you and allow you to learn a new skill or new way of doing a particular task. I can honestly say you are taking that charge and your results are turning out fantastic. Your trials and tribulations are something we have all experienced and the advice you have been getting from the members so far is spot on. Keep on posting, it is very interesting to watch this unfold.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*No shop time until today.*

Well I am in my busy season at the newspaper I shoot pictures for with 20+ high school and college graduations, sports championships and all the other photo assignments, so shop time has been tough to get. It has been a week since I last did anything, so here is an update.

I sanded most of the glue squeeze out from my leg blank and the planed it to the proper size. I then cut a 1/2"x1/2" dado in it and cut four 6-3/16" leg blanks. Now I have to print off some patterns and cut them on the band saw. It took some time to get these to this point, sanding, planing, dadoing and cutting. Lets hope the band saw work goes smooth.

Thanks for following.


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## johnnie52

This is coming along nicely. You'll have a piece you can be proud of and that your wife will be showing off to all her friends. So get ready to make a bunch more of them... :laughing:


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## Paul W Gillespie

Oh my god, making the leg blanks was easy compared to cutting them into curves and sanding them by hand, which is what I am doing now. I might try my new sander for this on the next one, I just worry about it being too aggressive. I also am a little off on my leg blanks as far as thickness. Mine are a hair smaller in the width so I have to be careful not to make them too thin on the bottom and top. I will post pics later. I have one just about done.


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK I am done for the day. Got my legs pretty much done. I want to give them one more shot with 220 grit sand paper and then I will glue them on. I got better with the band saw on my last three legs and they took less sanding. I also used the ridgid oss sander to clean up the tool marks and then hand sanded. Each one definitely looks hand made, being slightly different, but close.


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## woodnthings

*Great job!*

That looks fantastic Paul. Nice color and curves to the legs. ...and it's not even a woman... :blink: bill


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## buggyman1

Thats really turning out nice. Good job on it.


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## Kenbo

I'm still loving that you are taking your time. A large part of learning woodworking is learning patience. Looking great. I love the contrasting woods. Keep it up my friend.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Kenbo I pretty much have to take my time since almost everything I do on this is new to me. Haha.


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, it's starting to really take shape. Looking good. You're curves turned out great. Remember when you're doing something like this that you are your own worst critic. Most people will not see any little mistakes you may happen to make. But since you made them, you'll remember every little thing that is not 100+%. In the end your project will be so nice that people won't notice what you think is an imperfection. Can't wait to see this finished. :thumbsup:


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## Paul W Gillespie

I can't believe it has been 19 days since I got to spent any time in the shop. I was very busy with work, but now it should slow down a bit. Anyway here is a quick update. I had to clean up the shop since it got all the new tools I was given a few weeks ago piled into it. That done, the glue monster struck again and I glued the legs on to the box. I have some squeeze out to deal with and one leg looks like I might not have enough glue. I hope it does.

Bad pic I shot with the wife's point and shoot camera.


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## sawdustfactory

Try wiping your squeeze out off with a damp rag/sponge once you have it clamped, it'll save a lot of headache later.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I have seen people preach two schools of getting rid of glue excess. Some say wipe with damp rag right away and others have said let it dry a bit and then scrape off. I have tried both. The damp rag seems to smear it into a every pour making staining/finishing more difficult. Scraping leaves spots that I just can't get off, which leads to some kind of sanding. Not sure which is better. I am hoping as I gain experience I will get better with the glue. It seems to be my bane of existence. Baby Steps.


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## johnnie52

I've done it both ways and you are right. Either way leaves something that needs to be sanded before finishing. The cleanest thing I've tried is to use tape at the "seams" where the squeeze out occurs. Then let the glue get almost dry before removing the tape. I also have an old chisel that I keep around and use to remove squeeze out. Scrape the glue with the bevel down to prevent the chisel from digging into the wood. I've had pretty good luck using that.

Your chest is looking nice though.


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## Kenbo

For a smaller glue up like you are doing here, the trick is to get the minimum amount of squeeze out possible. I usually clean up the excess squeeze out on smaller glue ups with a dampened Qtip. I use several to clean up the glue and a dry one at the end to clean up an watery smear. The Qtips should be just barely damps. I find it works quite well and even if you do have to do any sanding, it is minimal.
The jewelry box looks great. This is a gorgeous project. Keep it coming.


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## Dominick

Nice tip kenbo. I agree this really looking beautiful Paul. Glad to see you back at it. I was wondering if you forgot about us. Lol


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## rayking49

You're doing a great job. How did you deal with the top glue joint? Hand plane, sanding? Just curious. Looking great!


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## Paul W Gillespie

Ray do you mean the uneven glue up I did for the top lid? If so I dealt with it by ignoring it. It will most likely be one of the next things I have to deal with on the project. Not sure what I will do. I am thinking of running the board through my planer. Don't know if that will work though. I might try hand planing it, but that would require a plane that is tuned properly and skill. I have neither. I have the planes but they need tuning. Any suggestions?


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## sawdustfactory

Plenty of tips on tuning a plane here or videos on YouTube.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Yeah I have been reading up and watching all over the place. It is a matter of putting the words and video into action on my part. I think it is part nervousness and part laziness. I know it is part of woodworking to keep your tools maintained or even refurbish them if you don't have the money to buy new good ones. It is just a matter of making the time to fix the planes I have acquired. I will keep you all posted.


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK, I am off for a week and have my mom visiting town, but managed to sneak in a couple of hours in the shop. I am lucky, we had bad storms in our area last night and many don't have power. I do. If not it would have been more like Roy's Wood Wright Shop instead of Norm's New Yankee. I guess I could have started to learn sharpening my tools, with no power. Anyway. I started to make the handles and bread board ends from the paduak. I got them all cut to size, planed and ready to cut the curves on the band saw. I had one flub when I misread the top handle measurement, made a bad cut and had to redo it.

Since I had the planer set up, I said what the heck and ran my mis-glued, uneven, curly maple top through it. It leveled it out nicely, only problem is I had some minor tear out. I can't plane it any more because it is at thickness. I am hoping some sanding will ease it a bit. If not, I may have to remake the piece. The one side is minimal and may work as the top side. The other side is a bit worse, but I was thinking of maybe mounting a small mirror on the inside top to cover it up. I hate to hide the curly maple, but we will see if I want to redo the piece.









The top planed nicely except for some tear out.
























I got some burning I hope sands out on the back edge of the lid.


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## 27207

It's looking good. If you have a hand plane, it'll take out that burn on the lid edge no problem


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## MagGeorge

I am enjoying this thread. What a beautiful box! It will sure make the wife happy.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Frustrating evening in the shop tonight. Had to cut 1/4" wide dadoes in the bread board ends that will go on the lid. I had never done this kind of dado before. It had to be centered in the side of the piece. I set up the stacked dado cutter in the TS for 1/4" and then tried centering it on a test piece. Tough getting the fence in the right spot. I messed up one of the bread board pieces and had to make a new one. Lucky I had some left over stock, about the right size. It would have sucked to have to break out the planer for one piece. I then took one of the dado blades off and used just one blade. I made the cut off center a little and then reversed the work piece, this centered the cut better. I tweaked it a bit to get the right size and even with tweaking it is a shade too big. I can't make all the pieces over again, so I hope it will do.

I then cut a dado in the main lid piece for the handle. This too did not go as smooth as I had hoped. The dado is a bit loose too. One pass too tight, slight adjustment and bam, too loose. The dado also seems a bit wavy, if that sounds right. I will proceed with these work pieces on the lid through glue up. If it does not look right. I will go back to square one on the lid parts and start from scratch. I will need more curly maple though.

I am starting to think that my TS needs some closer tuning. I thought I had it good, but things are not looking right sometimes. I also think my fence might not be flat across the face.

Maybe some pics tomorrow.


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## woodnthings

*next time*

There's 2 ways to center a dado.
One is to NOT center it but get it so close you can't tell. Just always keep the top side next to the fence on both the top and the breadboard end. Then make a spline that fits in the dado snug.

The other way it to use a narrow stack and flip it using both sides, top and bottom against the fence. This way it WILL be centered. But you must make a practice run or two to get it right and the material must be the same dimension for it to work. 
A slot cutter in the router table will give a uniform width each time and there again either the top or the bottom must be down on the table to match the slot width perfectly. You can use a thinner cutter and make two passes with this technique also, flipping the work over for each pass. 

It's a tough operation to get just perfect. It's even worse when you want a tenon on one piece and a dado/slot on the other. If you rabbet both sides of the tenon to get the thickness, just the slightest change in the height will DOUBLE the error. BTDT :furious: Or if you use the fence and make two passes with just a single blade, the slightest change in the fence setting will change the tenon thickness. It's tough.

These were especially difficult. Just holding the pieces was next to impossible and the jig had to be at the correct angle.... well almost.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Yes it is a learning process. I will get there, someday. I watch these guys on TV and they make it look so simple. Not that I truly believed it was so simple. They are pros and we don't see the mistakes. This was an ambitious project for my third major project. My first was a simple box for a friend. Didn't need to be perfect and the cuts were not need to be as precise. My second, my drill press stand was a project for the shop. Much larger it also did not need as much precision. I could be off a 1/16 or an 1/8" and it would still be OK. This one is a tough one. I will get her done.


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## rayking49

You are doing a good job man. Just taking your time and being patient is a job in itself sometimes, at least for me. I have done so many mistakes on my projects, but in the end, my family, who are usually the recipients of my projects, don't notice. Working to correct the mistakes builds skills also. And learning from the mistakes so you don't make them again is a real trick for me at times. Your wife is really going to love the box. It is looking awesome to me.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Man is anyone even following this thread anymore? It has been tough to find shop time lately. My mom has been in town visiting, plus I've been working. Heck I had eleven days off an couldn't squeeze but a couple hours one day into the vacation. I am slowly making some progress.

Today I cut the tongues on the sides of the lid. I did much better with this than the dado groove they go into. They have a nice fit. A piece of the groove for the handle on the lid chipped off, but I think it is in the area that gets a curved cut, which would have cut it off anyway. I was lucky.

The plans called for a chamfer to be cut on the back of the lid with a router. I don't have the bit, so I figured I would use my $2 Bailey No5. It worked OK, but I realized that even though I cleaned the No5 up pretty nice, they cut like crap if they have nicked blades. I cleaned that chamfer up with my No4. I am new to hand planing, but liked that I could use them instead of the power tool. Just need to get the planes tuned better.

I did some sanding on the curly maple to try and get some tear out cleaned up. It need a little more work.


































Stay tuned.


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## Alchymist

Yes, Paul, people are following it.....
Can't wait to see the finished product!


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## Paul W Gillespie

Only reason I asked is because it is taking me so long, I make a lot of posts and the thread is getting deep in pages. Thanks. Maybe if I spent less time on WWT and more in the shop I would get it done. I am in no rush, but look forward to starting something else. I may attempt a mission style coffee table or sofa table.


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## sawdustfactory

Still watching. :thumbsup:


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## Dominick

I'm still here to. And watching.


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## Shop Dad

Tuned in. Photos look great!


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## DST

Still watching too


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## woodnthings

*How you gonna fix this?*

Maybe you can do what I did on a corner that split off very similar to yours:



Similar:


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## Paul W Gillespie

That chipped out section will be band sawed off. The front gets a curve cut on it and it starts just about where the break is, so I got lucky.


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## firemedic

Looking pretty sweet, Paul!


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## autre

Real nice work, Paul. I do believe you're learning a *lot* from such a, well, rather "elaborate" plan. Not sure I would have attempted it!

Beautifully contrasting woods, too.


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## johnnie52

I'm following along and waiting to see the end product. Take your time. I haven't been in my shop in over a month either. Its either been raining or much too hot to try and do anything. Human sweat doesn't not make a good finish for exotic wood projects.


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## Carvel Loafer

Its looking real nice Paul. :thumbsup::thumbsup: I'm sure it will be worth every minute.


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## buggyman1

Looking really good. It sure doesn't show that you're fairly new to woodworking, you look like a pro to me. This will have to be the best "first project" from someone i've seen so far...makes my bird house project look even crappier (if thats possible). I'm impressed with your work, talent shows, you have it.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I was screwing around on the computer tonight after work and said to myself, I am never going to get this project done unless I get into the shop and work on it. So even though I was only able to put in half an hour tonight, I got the front lid curve laid out, cut and sanded. I also laid out one of the bread board handle curves. I will cut it on the band saw and sand it then copy it to the other side. I was happy that the lid curve cut out my chipped out piece.


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## CasinoDuck

Just sweetness:thumbsup: Great job!


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, double face tape your handles together and cut them at the same time. That way they'll be exactly the same.


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## firemedic

Looking good!


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## autre

Paul W Gillespie said:


>


Looks great Paul. 

Now-

Put that knob back on the sander before it gets lost!


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## Dominick

Looks like your coming along just fine Paul. It's taking shape. Can't wait for it. (either can the wife). Lol
Does she know about this?


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## Paul W Gillespie

sawdustfactory said:


> Paul, double face tape your handles together and cut them at the same time. That way they'll be exactly the same.


Great idea. I might give it a try. I wonder if I cut one and got it the way I want it then copy it on the router table?


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## rayking49

With a pattern making bit, sure.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I have a bit with the bearing on the bottom. I used it to make my zci and it copied the insert well.


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## rayking49

That'll work.


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## Paul W Gillespie

She knows about the box Dom. She is waiting.


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## Dominick

Paul W Gillespie said:


> She knows about the box Dom. She is waiting.


She has patience of a saint. My wife would of divorced me by now. Lol JK.


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## Paul W Gillespie

More progress. I got the bread board end curves cut and sanded. Sawdustfactory you are the man. Your idea to double stick tape them together was awesome. I cut and sanded them both at the same time. I also cut the notches in the front handle. I am going to need to do some more custom fitting for that piece. I think my measurements were off a little, but it should work. I need to do a little more sanding on all the pieces and then the dreaded glue up and most likely more sanding to get the glue off. I may blue tape the pieces around the glue lines to help with squeeze out.


































































Thanks for looking. I enjoy updating this thread and appreciate the positive comments and even some constructive criticism.


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## woodnthings

*Dude, that's lookin' sweet!*

You have exceed expectations and on a difficult project. Way to go! :thumbsup: bill


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## sawdustfactory

Looking good Paul. When cutting 2 pieces the same like that, the double stick tape is the only way to go. Almost there. Keep taking your time, don't rush as you get closer to finishing.


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## firemedic

That's the first I'm getting a perception of scale... WOW! It's tiny! Looking great!


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## Paul W Gillespie

Yeah its not super big, she doesn't have that much jewelry, haha. The bigger the box the more she will want to fill it. Just kidding Jennifer, in case you ever read this thread. The box is about 13" wide maybe 9" deep and 6-7" tall. The small parts leave little room for mistakes. After the lid is done I am onto the drawers. Then finishing it. Not sure what kind of finish to use.


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## Dominick

Wow. I agree with medic. I didn't realize it was that small. Not saying its bad. Just thought is was a lot bigger. It's looking good. 
How much more do you have on this. 
Jennifer wants to know? 
Can't wait to see it finished. All though it looks like it doesn't need a finish. Looks smooth bright and crisp without. 
Thanks Paul.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Wholly crap, excuse the language, but it has been a month since I have worked on this box. As part of the "Weekend of Paul" I promised I would spend at least 4 hours in the shop. Well I am close, but some of that time was cleaning it up. Today I sanded all the lid pieces to 220 grit and then glued them together. I cut myself while sanding and stained the curley maple a nice crimson red in a couple of small spots. It mostly sanded out. As always gluing is one of my weaker areas. I taped all the edges to help with controlling squeeze out. It did but I still got some glue on the lid. I have a habit of sticking my fingers in glue while handling the work piece and then touching it, spreading the glue where it does not belong. I then tried cleaning it with a damp paper towel and it raised the grain in those areas. More sanding.

I also am not sure if it is going to hold together. the plan called for 2" of glue towards the back on the tongues and just a little on the front handle ends. this is to allow wood movement. I hope it holds with my glue job. So not as much done as I had hope, but some progress.


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## rayking49

That looks very nice Paul. She's going to love it.


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## 27207

Its looking great! when you get glue squeeze out a trick is to clean it up with a damp qtip. You'll have a bit to sand but its better then trying to clean up dried glue


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Some real progress today*

Got about 5 hours of shop time in today and made some real progress. I can actually see me finishing this thing before the end of the month, possibly sooner. I thought I would never get there.

I spent a good chunk of time cleaning up messy glue squeeze out that had dried in the joints. This involved scraping and sanding. I hope someday I get better at the gluing and have less to clean up. It is to the point that I am almost scared to glue anything.

I cut out the rear hinge support, notched it and glued it to the back of the case. I may have used too little glue for fear of squeeze out, but it is on there. Is it better to see squeeze out or a slight glueless line where the wood meets?


















So the case and the lid are sanded and ready to get finished. I am wondering if I should do something to even out the breadboard ends at the back of the lid. They are a little uneven. Not sure how to even them out and also fear messing up the lid. I don't want to redo it. 


















Overall looking pretty good.









I started to prep some rough maple to start building the drawers. I jointed and planed it down to 3/4. I then re-sawed it to a little larger than the 1/4" called for in the plans. I will run it through the planer to get the final thickness. 1/4" seems thin and bendy, but that it what the plan says.


















BTW, I love my jointer and I am so glad I didn't rush into buying one of the many 6" used ones I looked at. I lucked out and got this one used for $525 on CL.

















So next time I will plane the drawer parts and cut them to size. Work on making the drawers and assemble them. Stay tuned and thanks for following.


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## Shop Dad

Progress looks great Paul! And that is a nice jointer. For some reason it's become on of my favorite tools. Maybe it's just the ability to make a perfectly flat surface from rough wood. That and it's aircraft carrier-like properties. 

Did you resaw on the table saw?


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## Paul W Gillespie

I love my aircraft carrier jointer and it worked pretty good today. Sure it is not as big as some, but for my basement it is huge. I did use the TS to resaw. My TS needs some TLC after this project. I am getting some real burning and saw marks on the wood I have been cutting. I thought everything was square, but I am not getting the performance I thought I would from this saw. After this project I am going to check everything on the TS. I know I should do it now, but I am close to finishing. Who knows, I still might.


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## Shop Dad

If nothing else just make sure your fence is not closer to the blade in the back than it is in the front. Could be a kickback hazard.

At some point I want to get the PALS kit to help maintain alignment with less fussing. You might find it useful too.


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## rayking49

It's looking better each installment Paul.


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## Kenbo

Glad to see that you got some shop time Paul. The box is looking fantastic. You've really come a long way witht his project. It's been a long time coming, but it has been well worth the wait. Keep up the great work.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Busy two days in the shop.*

Got another four hours in today. I am beat. Mentally and my neck is hurting, not just from the shop though, mostly from my job. I did get a good chunk done the last two days.

Today I cut all the drawer parts to size and did all the dado work on them. I am running into a problem fitting them into the case. Somehow the hole where the two drawers go is little small vertically. This is causing me to get creative with the fitting of the drawers. It has also cost me some of the 1/16" reveal the plan call for top and bottom. I may be able to trim the drawer heights a bit from the 1-1/2 size on the bottom. We will see.


----------



## Paul W Gillespie

*Two drawers glued up.*

OK, I got a couple of hours in the shop tonight. I sanded the drawer parts and got them glued up. I hope I put enough glue in the joints. I have become glue shy lately. Maybe I am just getting better and having less squeeze out, but I had very little, so I worry. I will pull the clamps in about an hour and see. Next will be test fitting them in the case. I think I may have to shave a little off the top and bottom of the drawers. Not sure how I will do this, perhaps one of my new planes.










Thanks for following.


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## Kenbo

Looking great Paul. I'm loving the care and attention you are taking with this project. Fantastic work my friend.


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## woodnthings

Paul W Gillespie said:


> OK,....Next will be test fitting them in the case. I think I may have to shave a little off the top and bottom of the drawers. Not sure how I will do this, perhaps one of my new planes.
> 
> Thanks for following.


Before you take a plane to anything, set them on the table saw top and see if sit evenly or if they rock. A few sheets on sandpaper glued to a flat board will help even out the rock by pressing down and running them across it. A 100 or 80 grit will work. 
Not suggesting you made them crooked :no: but it won't hurt either way if you have to reduce the height.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Two updates in one night.*

The clamps are off. The drawers fit in the case, but they are not on the runners yet. The runners need to be trimmed. I hope they are also in the right spot, so the drawers fit when they are installed. I can't believe how close I am to the finish, literally. What kind of finish, I don't know. What will pop the grain and not be too hard for someone used to slapping on stain and poly with little experience? We are not there yet though.


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## sawdustfactory

Looking good!


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## Dominick

That's really taking shape Paul. I'm glad for you. 
The pics look good. I'm guessing it helps to be a photographer as well.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Wait til its done. I am planning a full on glamour photo shoot with my studio background and lights. Thanks for looking and the kind words.


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## oldmacnut

Watco then spray poly has always given me a real eye popping finish. Let the watco dry first.


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## Paul W Gillespie

What is Watco. I found many different product made by them, so if you could tell me which one you used, I would appreciate it. I am a noob when it comes to finishing.


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## 27207

Paul W Gillespie said:


> The clamps are off. The drawers fit in the case, but they are not on the runners yet. The runners need to be trimmed. I hope they are also in the right spot, so the drawers fit when they are installed. I can't believe how close I am to the finish, literally. What kind of finish, I don't know. What will pop the grain and not be too hard for someone used to slapping on stain and poly with little experience? We are not there yet though.


I've read that pauduk will brown with age, but a really good sealer will help keep it's color. I put a spray varnish on mine, so far so good, but it's only a year old?


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## rayking49

That is a beautiful box. 
Whatevr you use to finish it with, I'm looking forward to it.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I caved and ordered the $24 brass hinges from Lee Valley. They got me with free shipping. I would have made do with a local hinge if not for the shipping deal. I also got some extra incidentals to make the $40 minimum. I hope to get some shop time in later today. Wish me luck.


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## buggyman1

Box is looking great. I second the use of Watco for the finish. It's gonna look good no matter what you use.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Thanks Buggyman, again I will ask what is Watco? I did a google search, but they sell several different products under the Watco name. A link would be helpful.

Thanks


----------



## HandyNative

Probably talking About their Danish oil.

A fellow with the inventiveness of Albert Einstein and the attention span of Daffy Duck


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## buggyman1

Yeah, the Dainsh oil. I like to use the natural. Lowes sells it, i think Home Depot does as well.


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## woodnthings

*Watco*

Woodcraft carries it:
http://www.woodcraft.com/product/2005592/16797/watco-teak-oil-quart.aspx

As does Rocker:
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=17684&site=ROCKLER&filter=watco danish oil


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## Paul W Gillespie

Had a four hour evening session in the shop. I cut new runners for the drawers because the original ones were too big for the drawers. The dry run test fit was perfect, so I glued them into the case. That is when the trouble started. Now the drawers were tight. They fit but did not slide smoothly. I started fiddling with the runners and the drawers, sanding, planing and chiseling. I butchered the runners, started butchering the drawers with a plane, but then stopped and sanded them smooth again. I decided that I would stop messing with the runners and drawers, before I did something un-fixable, and started on the drawer handles. The drawers fit and slide, just not as smooth as I wish, maybe it will be better with handles on them.










I had cut the drawer handle blanks months ago. I decided to cut them both at the same time, a trick I learned from someone earlier in the build with the breadboard ends. I then put painters tape on the top so I could see my pencil marks and made my curved line. The band saw work and sanding on the Ridgid OSS went well. I then hand sanded and glued them on.

Thanks for following.


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## Dominick

Looks nice Paul. I like it. Can't wait for you to get the hardware you ordered. What I sometimes do for a sticky drawer is rub the rails with a bar of soap. Makes it smooth and slippery.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Pulled the clamps. Drawers need some more sanding for the glue and I am tempted to "Adjust" the runners some more. I tried to use a chisel to shave them down, but the chisel dug into the hardboard.


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## Itchytoe

Looks great. Wish I could make things like that. Maybe someday.


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## Paul W Gillespie

I am sure you could do it Itchy. If I could do it as my third wood shop project, I am sure you could build something like this. Heck it has taken me 4.5 months to get to this point. Plus there are many mistakes that will drive me nuts, but others will most likely not notice. That is if I get the drawers to slide right, I am pretty sure anyone who opens it will notice sticky drawers. Plus I see you are into turning, that is something I would like to try someday. Thanks for watching and the kind words.


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## 27207

That's looking great! There are a few variables for wood drawer runners. I just installed my first ones I've ever made for another project and had some trouble as well. Just slowly work at it. Sounds like you are starting to rush with the chisel and planes in that little space. I would just keep working away at it with sandpaper or a file. But you'll get it.


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## buggyman1

Looking good. I second the sandpaper, maybe try some coarser grit. I'm liking the sander.


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## Shop Dad

Paul, once you have finished the box you can wax the runners to help them glide and not stick. Right now its unfinished wood on unfinished wood.


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## Shop Dad

Double post...


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## rayking49

That's looking great. I like the handles.+1 on trying wax.


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## firemedic

Paul, this is coming along quite nicely!


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## johnnie52

From start to finish, its a great build with a beautiful product at the end. Well done!


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## Paul W Gillespie

Thanks Johnnie. I am close to the finish and can't wait to start building my next project, a flip top tool cart. Which will be 1000 times easier than this jewelry box build.


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## Paul W Gillespie

OK, today I got the drawers and handles sanded. Also worked on the drawer slides a bit. They are working OK, but should get better once the box has a finish and I can wax them. Then got the lid hinges on with temp screws. I drilled the pilot holes and then tried a brass screw, which broke off in the hole. Then I spent the next hour trying to drill it out without damaging the box. I was able to drill most of the screw out. I do think it affected the hinge placement, causing the lid not to sit perfect in front. Very close though. I then cut the felt and placed it in the drawers temporarily.

Next up is some minor tweaks and maybe a last bit of sanding touch ups. Then I have to put on a finish. Not sure what I will use. It has to be simple since I have no experience in finishing. I would like something to pop the curly maple. I may start a thread in the finishing forum.


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## Dominick

Bravo !!!!!! Bravo!!!!!! So is it done? It looks beautiful. Far from my capabilities of fine joinery. 
I'll bet your wife is going to love and Cherish this for a life time. Way to go Paul.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Dom, thanks, it is just about done. I need to do a few little things to finish it up and then, well, finish it. I would say it is far from fine joinery. Many little gaps and things that didn't come out quite as well as I had hope. The drawer faces are no longer square. I seemed to have rounded them slightly trying to make them fit better. The lid does not sit perfect either. Also on the back of the lid there are some small gaps. All these things are most likely never noticed by the casual observer, but as the person who built it I see them and I want it perfect. Not gonna happen, but hopefully each project makes me better for the next. But it is only my third wood working project in the new era. I don't count things I made in high school 25 years ago as woodworking. I really didn't take it seriously back then, too bad.


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## Dominick

Don't beat yourself up. We're our own worst critic. We're all like that. Let the wife be the judge. And just enjoy it. 
What's next?


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## Paul W Gillespie

Shop stuff is next on the build list. I need a better set-up. First will be a flip top tool cart, then some storage cabinets and maybe a miter saw station, that can also double as bench top space and underneath storage. I want to get my shop ready for the next phase of my wood working, building Arts and Crafts style furniture for my house.


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## woodnthings

*Right On Paul!*



Paul W Gillespie said:


> Shop stuff is next on the build list. I need a better set-up. First will be a flip top tool cart, then some storage cabinets and maybe a miter saw station, that can also double as bench top space and underneath storage. I want to get my shop ready for the next phase of my wood working, building Arts and Crafts style furniture for my house.


You may have missed this thread on a Mission Style headboard ....modified slightly to suit my taste and woodworking abilities:
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f2/mission-headboard-build-37911/


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## Paul W Gillespie

I saw it Woodnthings, I thought I commented. I guess I didn't, but great work. That wood is beautiful and you did a great job building it. My main goal is to become good at building A&C Style furniture.


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, if you want an easy finish to apply, try spray can lacquer, like Deft. Can get gloss, semi or satin. Spray light coats in a well ventilated area. Hard to mess up and relatively easy to fix if you do.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Thanks Sawdust. Do you think that just the deft will pop the curly maple? Even the plans call for a coat of BLO for the grain and then the Deft lacquer. I have never used either, so I am not sure what I want to do.


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## johnnie52

BLO will tend to add a slight yellowish tint to the Maple, but it will definitely make the grain pop. Clear lacquer won't change the coloring, but it will not pop the grain very much either. You might take a look at dyes to bring out the grain. Alcohol dyes won't cause the grain to lift (requiring more sanding) and the add either just a hint or a complete change in color depending on how much you apply.

Try different things on scrap before putting anything on the chest. That way you can see the total effect before being stuck with something that you don't like later.


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## ObtainiumMaker

Paul, this is just beautiful. Great work! I joined the forum tonight and was really happy to find this build thread. I'm making a jewelry box for my wife for Christmas. Thanks for putting this up for us, and to everyone who replied with tips and advice. Wealth of information here for a newbie like me :thumbsup:


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## sawdustfactory

Paul, + 1 to what Johnnie said, practice on scraps.


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## buggyman1

Great job on the j-box, i wish my third woodworking project turned out half that nice. I always find little things i wish i'd done better on all my projects. Thats hopefully what makes us better on our next project's. I like it that you took your time, learned along the way, and shared it with all of us. Trust me, we learned a few things too.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Hey remember this one?*

Well I finally manned up and begun putting a finish on my wife jewelry box build. Many have been wondering, so I figured an update was in order. As some may know, I am still fairly new to this woodworking. In the past I would slap a coat of stain and some poly on something, either my hardwood floors or a shop project that was not as important to me. This was my first real fine woodworking project and took me many months to build.

I did some quick tests between BLO and Danish Oil on some scraps and decided I like the DO better. So I jumped in and started on the lid. Hope I did it right. I did pop the curly maple's grain. I should have been more selective in my curly maple selection. It was my first time using CM. It looks pretty good. It will hopefully look awesome when it gets a shot of clear spray lacquer to shine it up a bit.


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## hwebb99

As far as glue ups, I prefer letting it dry before cleaning it up. Let it dry and use a card scraper or a sharp chisel. Wiping it of right away pushes glue into the pores of wood, leaving blotches when finishing.[/QUOTE]
This is what I do to.


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## Paul W Gillespie

Thanks HWebb, I will use that next time. I am far past glue-ups on this one. I look forward to finishing this one, so I can start something new.


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## Dominick

Hip,hip hurray!!!! I'm glad you decided to go for it Paul. You can't learn if you don't try. Looks great man.


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## johnnie52

It looks good, but at this rate, you will be retired before you get it finished. :laughing:


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## Paul W Gillespie

I know Johnnie. I did put it aside and build my flip top tool cart while I figured out my finish, but it did take a long time. Almost every step in building it was a learning process so it did take a little longer than I would have hoped. But hey, I am planning on it being done for Christmas, so now it is one less gift I need to buy the wife.

Thanks everyone for following and I will update when I get further along or finished the finish.


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## rayking49

That is going to look great Paul.


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## Taylormade

Really enjoyed going through each page of this and learning of your challenges and solutions for the challenges you ran into. The box is looking great, and I agree with Kenbo, who said that he's impressed with your tenacity and your patience. I would typically have rushed through it to get to the next project but you're plugging away at your own speed and that's admirable. Now slap some oil on it and let's see some finished pics!!


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## WoodWorkinRI

Absolutely one of, if not my favorite build on this site. Excellent work and really makes me want to build one of these in the near future. Seems like a good reason for me to buy some new tools.


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## Paul W Gillespie

It's funny Taylor, I went through each and every page last night and I was glad I posted as much as I did. This whole time I thought I might have been over doing it and people would think it was too much. But now, looking back I think it is awesome having such a detailed record of my project. I also think it was awesome for all you great folks to post and follow along. I am shocked at almost 11,000 views and 178 posts.

Woodpro, jump in and start building. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started and that is most likely the reason it took so long. I had to learn new things on almost every step, but that is why I did it. Good luck.


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## Sorrowful Jones

I haven't commented yet, but I have been watching this build since the beginning. This is a really, really great project, and I am sure your bride will love it. Outstanding job.

Of course, I am reminded of a time when I gave my wife a jewelry box. She complained that it was empty. :blink:


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## BZawat

Very nice work! That's a wonderful gift


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## Adrenalin

Two things,

1. Very Nice! It looks fantastic! 

2. Fairing stick!! Are you kidding me! pure genius!

I am making my daughter a jewelry box for Christmas on the fly, wish I would have seen this thread prior to starting it.

Again, great job!


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## Glassnwood

*confused*



Dominick said:


> I agree. Good for you and like others have stated. Checking if your saw blade is 90deg to your table. Check to make sure your blade isn't bent.
> As far as glue ups, I prefer letting it dry before cleaning it up. Let it dry and use a card scraper or a sharp chisel. Wiping it of right away pushes glue into the pores of wood, leaving blotches when finishing.



Ok guys. I am gluing some maple strips into the face of red cedar. I will let one side dry normal and I will wipe ( w/warm water) the other. 
I'll let you know the outcome.


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## Paul W Gillespie

*Argh! Orange Peeling Lacquer*

Well I knew it would happen. I would start finishing the box and something would go wrong. I got a coat of Danish Oil Natural on it and it looked decent. Then I started spraying the rattle can lacquer and bam, problems. I think it is called orange peeling. What can be done? I made a post in the finishing forum with more info here, but this is a couple of images.


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## oldmacnut

Paul W Gillespie said:


> Well I knew it would happen. I would start finishing the box and something would go wrong. I got a coat of Danish Oil Natural on it and it looked decent. Then I started spraying the rattle can lacquer and bam, problems. I think it is called orange peeling. What can be done? I made a post in the finishing forum with more info here, but this is a couple of images.


When I do watco+poly I usually do a few coats of watco, let it cure, then I wipe the project down with rubbing alcohol prior to spraying. That has kept the poly application problem free.

As far as the orange Peel...wet sand with 400, wipe down with alcohol, spray again. Expect at least 6 coats, wet sanding between them.


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## Lola Ranch

The nice thing about Lacquer is that it comes off almost as easily as it goes on. But what I see in your photo removal does not look needed. Just make sure it is well cured and wet sand the orange peel smooth and re-spray. Make sure it is warm and dry when you spray and also keep your lacquer warm as in 70 degrees. Spray several light coats rather than trying to get a thick coat all at once. Anything that goes on prior to the lacquer must cure completely prior to lacquer.

On small items like a jewelry box you should be able to get a very nice finish with the spray can lacquer. I use the "Deft" brand and use one or two coats of sanding sealer to start out. The ss sands out really smooth and easily and provides a good base for the top coats.

With a little patience, lacquer can provide a really nice finish and it is very fast.

Bret


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## Paul W Gillespie

Could someone please explain wet sanding to me? Am I using water, mineral spirits? I will Google it but always appreciate any advice from you guys. Steve Neul said I could be holding the spray can too close and that is causing the orange peel. I will wet sand some of the orange peel off and then respray, holding the can farther away. I am glad you don't think the lacquer needs to be completely sanded off.


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## BZawat

I don't wet sand, it's a huge PITA. Sand it with 220 (by hand) to remove orange peel, then with a 300 grit to smooth it all out nice. Wipe the dust off with a tack rag and recoat. 

Orange peel is also caused by spraying too fast and not putting down a full wet coat. Only problem is you can't lay a wet coat on a vertical surface or it will run. I'd lay the box on its back & finish the front. Then let it dry and repeat with each side. 

Just my 2 cents. There's more than one way to skin the proverbial cat, or at least that's what they say lol


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## calcnerd

Just saw this thread. Amazing work so far, Paul. It's beautiful!


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## Lola Ranch

BZawat is correct, wet sanding is not really required especially if you use sanding sealer. You do have to get all the dust off before spraying more lacquer and for that I use mostly the air nozzle from the compressor.

Bret


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## Paul W Gillespie

Quick Xmas update. I got the box done the best I can right now. Once I learn more about finishing I may revisit it and work on the lacquer a bit more. But for now I am calling it "done." I gave it to my wife for Christmas and she loves it. I also gave her a Pandora bracelet charm inside the box, to break it in. I plan of breaking out my backdrop and lights and taking better images of the completed box at a later date. I will post them when done.

Thanks for following.


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## buggyman1

It looks great and she looks happy with it, well done.


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## Dominick

Nice job Paul. Congrats in a well completed project.


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## Phaedrus

Nice work! Thanks for the detailed account of the whole process. Looks like you'd better get cracking on next year's present. How does she feel about Conestoga wagons...?

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


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## Paul W Gillespie

I would need ten years to build one of those wagons. After finishing the jewelry box and buildin some shop stuff, my next major fine woodworking project is going to be some kind of table. Most likely a coffee or sofa table, in the mission style. Not that I think it will be easy learning mortise and tenon joinery. But it will have way less small parts.


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## firehawkmph

Paul,
good looking project. A 1/2" blade on your bandsaw would have no trouble making that curved cut. I prefer timberwolf blades. For me they work very well. Keep it up, you're in the home stretch.
Mike Hawkins


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## rayking49

Great job Paul. I know she loves it.


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## Shop Dad

Nice job Paul. Great learning project and something she will enjoy for many years.


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