After posting a couple more photos to my Facebook page, I realized that I should post these progress pictures here from time to time, especially while recording an episode that will take awhile to complete.
I'm currently working on a number of tasks on the project, some for the current episode and some for the next two, simply because they all need to be done now to an extent.
After many finish experiments, I settled on a schedule and color for the burl panels. Was nice to see color go on those! The next episode goes over some of the finish work, gluing in the burl panels, and shaping the boxes. Boxes get their finish, too, by the end of the episode.
I've been working on the columns, too. There's a fair amount of work to do on the column start to finish after the inter-tier rods are installed. Oh, yeah, did some experiments to decide on which tubes to use for those interconnects; heading to Industrial Metal Supply tomorrow!
The project gets some wire inlay. Actually, 35 feet of it :) I need the exact dimensions of the inlay now though it won't happen for at least 2 episodes. Went to Jared Fine Jewelry and sweet talked the manager to run some sample wire through their rolling mill. Picture a small, very heavy clothes wringer that squishes wire as it goes through. Squished it perfectly although apparently that's not the common way to run it since I spent more time explaining what I needed than it took for them to spin it through. But, was enormously helpful! Here you see some different gauge wire inlaid proud on a board where I did sample finishes.
To do the inlay, I needed a jig for the Foredom to run it on a guiderail, so built that. I recorded a bit on making it since you could adapt the technique to any number of tools.
Here's the panels after color and finish; one is dry-fitted into its box. I need to prep some inlay parts before the tops get glued in, though. The panels appear redder in these photos than real life.
Everything is a dependency on everything else right now. Sorting it out into episodes that don't jump around proves a bit tricky.
Also, besides the
Frank Klausz class and
Paul Schürch class, I took a class with
Michael Fortune; it's tough on the schedule to have three week-long classes within a month and a half, but well worth it for these three. I haven't yet written up an article on this latest class... soon! It is another unfinished project, but I'm doing a special metal inlay on the project and will cover that here, as well.
In all my ample free shop time (?!), I also built a built-in cabinet for a friend who just got a house. This cabinet will go into a laundry closet and will have the washer/dryer on top of it (yes, there's a stack of cleats to attach everything to the wall studs!)
The 4 drawers have chalkboard paint on the fronts since he has a full wall like that around the corner.
30" long drawers for storing those 24" levels conveniently.
Though this was a plywood project, I opted to resaw Basswood so I could dovetail the drawers... turn it into skills practice.
The open area to the left is for a cat litter box. Since that sh*t stinks :) I put a low-speed 120mm fan in a box shaped to hold a pack of
lava filtering media. That will hopefully contain odors. Now if they'd stop feeding the cats burritos...
There are also two shelves above the machines hence the stile post standing there (it is attached at installation). The left end is not glued into the groove; instead it has a cleat glued to it and will be attached with screwed from above at installation. The cabinet has to be moved into the closet tilted then dropped into place; that would be impossible with the left end in place.
Not a great project, but thought to share the photos in case it gives you some ideas. I'll add photos here of the install when that happens.
Naturally, I like woodworking as a hobby, but an ice hockey tournament will easily get me out of the shop :)
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