Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Flattening a table top with a hand plane

Here is a video clip showing how to use a hand plane to even up individual planks of a table top and also to flatten it across it's width.

This is one of the techniques that goes into a hand made table.  Working with a sharp plane like this is a lot of fun.  It is very satisfying as it hisses through the wood.  This will be one of my Trestle Tables but with have two add-on end leaves.  I will post more about this table as it comes along.
Happy Spring.
Stay dry,
Tim

Friday, May 6, 2011

Chairs, Tables, Rain

I have not posted in a while as spring is here and things are very busy with work, kid's soccer, outside clean up and projects after a long winter and the joy of warmer weather even if it has been very, very, very, wet.
I am working on a couple of dining tables at the moment as well as getting a set of eight New Waltham Side Chairs together.  
These chairs have the laminated leg brace that is morticed into the leg. The picture below shows that being fitted. I rough the fit on the jointer and finish it off to a tight friction fit with a hand plane.


Getting ready to assemble the legs and braces for a New Waltham Side Chair.  Behind me is a cherry table top for a Trestle Table that I am making.  
All of my chairs use wedged tenon joinery. This is the wedged leg tenon coming through the  top of the seat.  This will be chiseled off and then the seat will be ground to it's final shaped and sanded smooth.

Hopefully, we will have some more sunshine soon.  It has been a very wet spring here.  Flooding generally is not an issue in this area but it is getting to be a real problem for some.  The weather does seem to be changing with so much snow this winter and now all of the rain.  
Time to go grind some chair seats. 
Stay dry,
Tim