I have been planning to build a portable/field gun rack for some time. (Google Images - "Admiral Baker Gun Rack"). I have been collecting hardware for a while. I built a MDF mock-up a few months ago. The original plan was that the entire rack would break down into long narrow components which would be lashed together with a couple strips of leather. I was going to attach each piece with low-profile flush mounts. Good intentions pave the road, etc. Suffice it to say that a sho'nuff field model that would completely break down is going to need some additional engineering.
The wood is South American/bastard mahogany that came from Pickens Hardwood in Clinton, Miss. I don't remember how many board feet I bought, but most of it was 4/4 in 6" - 8" widths about 6' long. I bought one piece of 8/4 for the legs. The lumber was edged at the mill and planed at Pickens. I also ran it through the planer in Brookhaven and broke is down into approximately 3' lengths. Technically, I never flattened any of the boards, but they were in pretty good shape.
I had previously resigned myself to the fact that I would not get around to building the gun rack before the L.E.G. Quail Hunt this year. But, last night, I took the plunge and started making sawdust.
I started ripping the lumber with a hand saw. I quickly realized that I needed to invite a motor to the party.
Since my table saw is really only good for cutting MDF or plywood, I used a straight edge and Skilsaw to rip the boards.
My first vehicle was a Jeep Cherokee. Today, at the bench, I realized why I loved to drive that truck so much, and why I think I am going to like using planes. It took a helluva lot of work to get/keep it in the condition so it was able to do what it was supposed to do. But, when it did, it was a ton of fun.
I am going to find out if it is possible to wear out a card scraper.
I got ready to cut the boards to final length. I did a trial run on my chop saw and got some awful tearout. The blade is in decent shape, so I figured it was due to the fact that the base/fence opening was too large. Now, most people would have viewed such necessity as a prime opportunity to build an auxiliary fence/base with a zero clearance slot. I tooke the lazy approach. I reached for the handsaw.
But, I thought I may still have a problem with tearout/damage, and since all sides of the board would be exposed, I wanted to mitigate any damage as much as possible. I recently read an article on sawing in Woodworking Magazine by Christopher Schwarz. He had an interesting approach to sawcuts that he attributed to Robert Wearing.
Schwarz divides saw cuts into Third, Second, and First Class cuts. Third Class cuts are for breaking down stock or other cuts that will later be refined. Second and First Class cuts both wind up in joinery, but a Second Class cut is one that is hidden, e.g. the cheeks of a tenon. First Class cuts are those that wind up visible in the final product, e.g. the shoulders of a tenon.
Schwarz's solution for making a crisp First Class cut is as follows:
After marking a line with a marking knife, place a chisel in the mark (bevel out). Give the chisel a light tap.
Next, pare away a wedge of wood from the waste side of the cut. Your cut is made. All that remains is to use the saw to finish the cut. So, by starting with the chisels, you eliminate the chance of the saw gnawing up the face of your work.
Another very handy tip I got from Schwarz's sawing article is illustrated below. Although keeing the Z axis under control in sawing is pretty natural, keeping the X and Y axis with the program can be a little more challenging. The solution is keeping your saw shiny. As a result, a properly aligned saw with let you know if you're square. As you can see in the picture below, the reflection of the board in the saw is aligned perfectly with the board itself.
The wood is South American/bastard mahogany that came from Pickens Hardwood in Clinton, Miss. I don't remember how many board feet I bought, but most of it was 4/4 in 6" - 8" widths about 6' long. I bought one piece of 8/4 for the legs. The lumber was edged at the mill and planed at Pickens. I also ran it through the planer in Brookhaven and broke is down into approximately 3' lengths. Technically, I never flattened any of the boards, but they were in pretty good shape.
I had previously resigned myself to the fact that I would not get around to building the gun rack before the L.E.G. Quail Hunt this year. But, last night, I took the plunge and started making sawdust.
I started ripping the lumber with a hand saw. I quickly realized that I needed to invite a motor to the party.
Since my table saw is really only good for cutting MDF or plywood, I used a straight edge and Skilsaw to rip the boards.
My first vehicle was a Jeep Cherokee. Today, at the bench, I realized why I loved to drive that truck so much, and why I think I am going to like using planes. It took a helluva lot of work to get/keep it in the condition so it was able to do what it was supposed to do. But, when it did, it was a ton of fun.
I am going to find out if it is possible to wear out a card scraper.
I got ready to cut the boards to final length. I did a trial run on my chop saw and got some awful tearout. The blade is in decent shape, so I figured it was due to the fact that the base/fence opening was too large. Now, most people would have viewed such necessity as a prime opportunity to build an auxiliary fence/base with a zero clearance slot. I tooke the lazy approach. I reached for the handsaw.
But, I thought I may still have a problem with tearout/damage, and since all sides of the board would be exposed, I wanted to mitigate any damage as much as possible. I recently read an article on sawing in Woodworking Magazine by Christopher Schwarz. He had an interesting approach to sawcuts that he attributed to Robert Wearing.
Schwarz divides saw cuts into Third, Second, and First Class cuts. Third Class cuts are for breaking down stock or other cuts that will later be refined. Second and First Class cuts both wind up in joinery, but a Second Class cut is one that is hidden, e.g. the cheeks of a tenon. First Class cuts are those that wind up visible in the final product, e.g. the shoulders of a tenon.
Schwarz's solution for making a crisp First Class cut is as follows:
After marking a line with a marking knife, place a chisel in the mark (bevel out). Give the chisel a light tap.
Next, pare away a wedge of wood from the waste side of the cut. Your cut is made. All that remains is to use the saw to finish the cut. So, by starting with the chisels, you eliminate the chance of the saw gnawing up the face of your work.
Another very handy tip I got from Schwarz's sawing article is illustrated below. Although keeing the Z axis under control in sawing is pretty natural, keeping the X and Y axis with the program can be a little more challenging. The solution is keeping your saw shiny. As a result, a properly aligned saw with let you know if you're square. As you can see in the picture below, the reflection of the board in the saw is aligned perfectly with the board itself.
1 comment:
I love how you can "Mitigate Damages" in the wood shop
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