Sofa Server: Episode 5
Posted 18 July 2018
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With everything fully assembled, the joinery is pared, planed and scraped flush. Then the ends can be shaped with the coping saw, rasp and spokeshave, and the surfaces sanded in preparation for the application of finish and the final polish.
Thanks All, I enjoyed this series, lots of good tips. I would have like to see the dovetail repair expanded upon – maybe with a stand-alone technique video with different tips – I think many of us could benefit.
I’ve tried pushing sawdust into gaps with glue, and for the most part, it looks like I pushed sawdust into cracks..
I’ll have to practice cutting super thin wedges within an existing kerf as Paul did here rather than making a blood sacrifice trying to cut from the end of the board..
BTW, it would be great if you could install an overhead camera to view the progression of things like the end grain when smoothing the curves.
I feel the same as bytesplice regarding the dovetail gap repair. I think a more in-depth, thorough walk-through would have been immensely helpful. I hope Paul gets another chance to demonstrate that bit & elaborate on it more in another project. Wonderful project & videography as always guys. Thanks
Good suggestion on the overhead camera–that would give a great new perspective that we haven’t had before–much more of a “maker’s point of view.”
Question: I’m quite partial to the stop-cuts/chisel work for curves vs. the coping saw–it seems much more energy efficient. Is there a reason the coping saw was used in this project vs. stop-cuts? Is it because, as Paul mentioned, there is a difficulty with using a spokeshave on end-grain cherry?
I think this project was likely more deceptively challenging than some of the more advanced members may have thought (though I’m certainly only speculating and could be wrong). It struck me that there were some new tips and techniques and that the joinery may have been a bit more challenging than the overall design may have suggested. I for one think that chopping through mortises so perfectly square and with such tight joint lines is extremely challenging. But maybe that’s just me…
Thanks team–another great project in the books!
I think it would be hard to get clamps on the dovetails if the bottoms were shaped before glue-up.
May be a dumb question, but could you use a compass plane for the arc in the side? Would one still encounter the tough end grain issue in the cherry as with the spokeshave? I realize the compass plane is not a common kit plane. (I own one through the generosity of a friend.)
I would like to know why leave the arch work on both ends last instead of before the joinery was put together. It seams to me to be bit more easier. Nice project to follow.
Thank you
Ray
Looking back on previous chapter I can see it could be bit of a challenge to clamp the top after cutting arches first.
Ray
Thinking about it again 2×2 across the bottoms might get me out of trouble.
Ray
That should work fine on the concave side. You might need to cut a caul to match the curve on the convex end or one for the top that only contacts the tails and then clamp in the middle where the leg is flat.
Great work, enjoyed every minute .
Thank’s to Paul, and all involved .
David B
I believe stop cuts and chisels would split the grain.
If you look they are always cut cross grain and chopped with the grain. In this instance you would be cutting with the grain and choppng cross grain
Great point! I wasn’t thinking.
When I first saw this project and read the initial comments about the simplicity of it I was tending to agree with the comments. However, once again I have really enjoyed watching the smaller details, even simple tricks like the curve made out of the hacksaw blade.
Some critics have questioned the editing, and wether we need to watch Paul doing everything. For a start we often see Paul doing one process and we are then told that we do the same on the other side (for example). The delightful part is that Paul runs a commentary as he goes along in a stream of consciousness.
Advanced Police drivers are expected to give a commentary as they go along, particularly during training so that their thought processes are known to the instructor. It is very hard to do to begin with but you soon settle into it. This is what we get with Paul.
I think, through Paul and all the other material I have watched and experiences I have gained, that I have become a fairly acceptable woodworker. Paul is the only instructor who makes a point when things don’t go his way, like when he gets tear out, just like the rest of us. It’s heartening to see.
It was arrogant of some of us to think that Paul wouldn’t have a lesson to teach no matter how simple the piece might seem.
Keep up the good work.
Paul, the reason for the clamp sticking as for I have same clamps is that the clamping slide that goes around your post is canting or tipping as the case may be. It took me awhile to figure mine out so if it does that take a mallet or whatever handy and tap it back in line works good again every time. Give it a try wish I could afford full membership. I am disabled and tinker in my little shop in my garage and better half says we can’t afford to do that. I really enjoy watching your video’s I have learned a lot thank you.
Michael,
Paul has addressed this at the beginning of his video “clamp retrofit” six years ago.
One has to remove the arrises at the entry and exit of the moving jaw to prevent them biting in the shaft when askew. Furthermore, a little bit of wax on the shaft will help.
If there are dents in the shaft, some sanding should help.
Paul has taught me to start thinking before I start on a process and continue to use the learning curve that he teaches. There were a few processes that I enjoyed learning. Thank you, Paul.
With water based clear finish I use, brush marks go away after about a month. Could it be wood movement stretching the finishing surface?
I’ve always admired Paul’s phrases, including “the grain is just smiling up at me”. Having rewatched this project recently after a few years & hearing his modification of this phrase regarding how the grain in this particular area of the project is planing “the grain isn’t smiling at me it’s laughing, having a blast at my expense” made me laugh out loud. I can completely sympathize with this experience & sentiment as I’m sure many of us can.
I must have forgot this comment or overlooked it those few years ago.
Now when I am dealing with difficult grain, instead of getting frustrated I think of Paul’s hilarious comment & I’m going to make that grain stop laughing at me & simply “smile up at me”.