I love scratch stock.There are things at which it excels, such as getting into places that a router can't reach. Scratch stock also enables you to create your own profiles and saves you from having to buy expensive router bits.
In some instances, however, scratch stock falls short. If you need a really large profile, for example, scratch stock is not going to work as well as moulding planes or router bits.
And endgrain. Scratch stock and endgrain do not play nicely together.
When I first started making this storage box, I made a scratch stock for the bead because my moulding plane was being fussy. The scratch stock worked great until I glued up the box and tried to finish the profile on the short pieces of endgrain. It was like trying to push a St. Bernard through a cat door. Backwards. |
| Endgrain moulding shaped by hand. |
Meaning, two long edges are endgrain.
Back to the moulding plane. I spent more time sharpening the blade and was finally able to unfussy it. It performed splendidly on the endgrain of the lid.
However, I wasn't able to use it on the small bits of endgrain on the boxes because the scratch stock profile was a bit smaller than the moulding plane—they didn't match. That meant the endgrain needed to be shaped by hand.
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| The lid's moulding profile is a bit larger than the box's profile. |
A few moments with a gent's saw, chisel, and file, and the profiles matched up pretty well.
Next is planing the box's sides and adding a finish.
Then building two more boxes.
Without making the same mistakes.
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16 comments:
What are the boxes for gold or something they are just wonderfull
Thanks, Jan Michael. They are for my partner—so whatever she'd like to put in them. She has lots of "stuff."
Very nice work. I am currently building two workbenches for my sons and I miss doing the fine work. You are inspiring.
I love the solution here, and it looks great.
Nice work.
Ummm... I hope these aren't supposed to be a "surprise", Kari.
mokusakusensei, your sons are lucky!
Thanks, Badger. :o)
Ethan, they could have easily been a surprise. She never knows what I'm up to out in my shop. I could be working on a Viking long ship in there and she wouldn't notice. heh.
Lucky girl to be getting these boxes. They're beautiful. Thanks for sharing your experiences with scratch stock. I can't wait to find a nice half-set of moulding planes down the road. I'd love to add some nice details like these to some of my projects.
beautiful! I think you are a bit insane, but I guess just a mad genius. LOL
Rich, a half set would be awesome. Since I started working with moulding planes, I haven't once picked up my electric router. Moulding are too much fun to use.
J. Anthony, you can't go wrong with cherry. These boxes are nothing fancy, but the wood really makes them lovely. :o)
Now why would you ever try to put a St Bernard through a cat door front wards? That is just silly! Don't you know that St. Bernards are engineered to back into small, tight spaces?
Love me some gratuitous Cherry photos! Great solution Kari! I recently heard about skewed moulding planes for situations like this and am finding that they are rarer than a Dodo bird.
Ms Hultman,
That detail is so very nice. I really like it. I also appreciate your efforts and willingness to share 'work process' with us.
Thanks very much. I do very much enjoy your postings.
Chris
St. Amant, La.
Kari,
Great work, as always! You have a knack, a flair, for making just the right detail on anything that makes the piece a beautiful standout.
I wanted to let you know that I made a decision a week and a half ago, to read your entire blog in one fell swoop! 465 posts, clicked to enlarge every picture, followed every link, learned a lot, and, more importantly, got filled with inspiration :) In the midst of it, last Saturday was a Lie-Nielsen Hand Tool Event, the first woodworking event I have ever been to, at which I got to meet Peter Follansbee! I've also found the local WW club/guild, and am going this Saturday to a tool making demo/meeting with that group.
I have been a dabbler woodworker for quite a while, but have recently moved across country back to New England and am at a house I think I will be in for quite the while. I decided to read your entire blog for many reasons, not least of which was to get ideas for shop set up (I have my tools and my old Wood Mag Weekend Workbench) but now I have a full basement to stretch out into ( I was in an 8x14 space!) and room for storage and a real bench and... wow! I'm rambling but you have helped put so many thoughts in my head!
We're of about the same age, I am so jealous you have got to spend the last 20 years doing what you love, I hope to use your inspiration as a jumping off point for the next twenty years. I call myself a dabbler, but my love of the craft and enthusiasm has always been there, just not the time, or space.
I'll stop blathering and say just what I mean. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for your generosity, your shared wisdom, your humor, your expertise. I hope some day to be able to meet you. Thanks again, so much!
David Taylor
Shannon, not sure I've ever seen a skewed moulding plane before. But there are two dodo birds living in my house.
Thanks, Chris. :o)
David, wow! Thank you for reading my blog. I'm saving your comment for times when I need a pick-me-up. :o)
I saw another woodworker's blog post about that LN hand tool event. It looked like a fantastic group of people and demos. I don't know if you're near New Hampshire, but there is a well-run guild with talented woodworkers there. http://www.gnhw.org/
Have fun setting up your shop! Just thinking about the space, storage, arrangement is exciting. :o)
That's a beautiful box, Kari. Well done.
Kari,
I'm glad I could give you a perpetual pick-me-up! :)
I am in New Hampshire, and the tool-making meeting I went to this morning was with the Hand Tools subgroup of the NHGW. I actually found them through one of the links form your blog, that led me to another that led me to them. Very few degrees of separation, as it were.
The demo today was cool. I read your post about heat treating blades, and using Peanut oil, and, wouldn't you know it, the presenter today used a propane torch and a can of peanut oil to demonstrate heat treating steel :) I, of course, already knew about it, thanks to you, but it was nice to see the process first hand.
Take care, keep blogging, can't wait to read your next entry!
David
Very nice, Kari! Your eye for design always serves you well!
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