Traveling Joiner’s Toolbox: Episode 4
Posted 23 December 2020
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Creating raised panels with a smoothing plane makes the whole task simple and pleasant, especially when it is with a zero jig set-up. This is a less usual version of a raised panel, and we are sure you will enjoy making it. The importance of sequenced gluing up of the main box and the panels, and then attaching the components is given step by step.
Enjoyed that video, learnt few more things as I usually do on most. That diamond shape is a very neat idea, I’m thinking of my next job ‘couple small doors’ I’ll add the diamonds to them.
thank you Paul and Team.
Loving this project. I hope to get started on one of these over the holidays. Merry Christmas Paul and Crew!
very enjoyable as usual. I was curious about your clamps. I haven’t seen those here in Alaska, where do you find them? I find a lot of my tools at yard sales and auctions. Something about restoring an old plane or handsaw that is very fulfilling. I have found old Stanley 78’s and 45’s that people didn’t even know what they were and said I could have them if they were something I could use. As a young man I was fascinated by power tools and have more than I have room for in my shop. But now getting totally absorbed in using a well tuned hand tool is much more rewarding. I generally get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee and watch one of you videos. After that I can’t wait to get out to my shop and work. I have several of your DVDs, the one on sharpening hand tools changed my attitude on how I wanted to work.
Hi,
You can find out more about the sash clamps Paul recommends here: https://commonwoodworking.com/sash-clamps/
Izzy
So you raise a panel by planing it down. Isn’t language funny? 😀
Good morning doc. A good source for those style clamps is harbor freight
They are quite cheap and work good if you dont hog down on the tommy bar.
The only thing to know is they are overall length not capacity rated. So the 24 incher will only clamp about 22 inches. Paul has a video on how to toughen them up. With inserts and pads
If I’m not mistaking, it looks like just glue to hold the front rail and back on. First time seeing this on a project of Paul’s.
That is such a great little trick with the nails, to get things lined up so that you aren’t monkeying around with the panels while getting them glued in place. Getting excited to do this project. Gotta clear off the current ones first, but a little excitement to get on to this might just help me clear the bench faster. 😀
Hello Paul,
Thank you for this fascinating episode (like all the others) and especially for explaining the technique used for the raised panel. As you were checking the center panel for squareness while gluing up the frame (at 27:38), I noticed that one edge of the center panel was cracked (top left of the picture). How did it happen? During a previous dismantling? How did you fix this, because the glued frame being drying, I suppose it is difficult to take it apart again ? This kind of problem happens to all of us one day or another (and to me very often given my poor expertise !)
This remark leads me to suggest a new topic for future videos: problem solving and furniture repair techniques (sorry if this question has already been addressed).
Wish you and your team a happy Christmas and all the best for 2021 !
Jacques
Hi Jacques,
Paul says:
I don’t recall how this happened but it is not evident on the tool box at all so I assume it simply closed up itself.
Izzy
@deanbecker and if you do Paul’s upgrade they are as good or better than much more expensive clamps.
Yes they are.
The dubuque clamp is a little heavier and the 24 inch one will will clamp 24 and the notches are 5/8 rather than 1 inch but they are 2&1/2 times as much money.
I have only had to return 2 HF clamps for flaws out of 40 of them. And that was because of ham fists trying to make bad joints good by clamping
Thanks, I don’t think we have Harbor Freight in Alaska, maybe down in Anchorage. I will check and see if that is an option. I am starting to see similar clamps on the advertising that pops up on my computer. Doc.
Kind of disappointing to me that the front and back are just glued on.
While planing the diamond shape on the raised panels, I found that my cabinet scraper was just the thing for making the final adjustments to get the lines straight. I felt like I had a lot more control with it than trying to take those last shavings with the smoothing plane.
I built this box out of American black cherry a few months after this came out (around three years ago). It’s in constant use now & the cherry has oxidized into a very nice oxblood reddish color that looks very regal, imo. I made it a bit deeper & overall larger than Paul’s design, plus I cut more dovetails with very narrow pins, nearly London dovetails.
I did run into the issue Paul mentions in the 1st or 2nd episode. Regarding planing the frame after glue-up & avoiding marring the diamond panel. My panel was beautiful curly cherry only it had some twist. I’d gotten most of the twist out before gluing, though that remaining very small amount of twist did translate to my untwisted frame. While attempting to plane the twist out of my door, my plane toe hit the crisp line of my raised panel causing a deep & ragged dent/scratch, it was a bit devastating, having damaged that amazing panel & knowing I’d probably have to rebuild the door.
I did rebuild the door & it all came out great. Just a friendly & long winded (sorry) reminder to be extra, extra careful while planing the door or back frame after glue-up & to probably use winding sticks to remove all twist esp on the door.
A wonderful project & series (as they all are). Thank you Paul & WWMC team.