Category: Woodworking

Casket: Hardware

Woodworking

Last weekend I took my concept and materials up to Dad’s shop to start making things. The first day I was on my own, so I decided to stick to things that didn’t require much in the way of power tools that I didn’t know how to operate. This meant it was time to play with metal.

I started simple, with the straps for the corners of the box. I drew up a paper template and transferred it onto my metal. Between the various processes I needed to use to fabricate these I knew they wouldn’t be perfect, so I didn’t get too worked up over precision at this point.

First I cut the pieces apart on the Beverly shear (that is much nicer and sharper than my Harbor Freight knock-off). Unfortunately, I insisted on a design with inside curves and corners that the shear wasn’t able to cut. This meant spending some time with chisels.

I cut the rough outline out with a cold chisel, using the other end of my dowel making tool underneath it so I didn’t wreck the anvil face. Then it went to the drill press for holes and the grinding wheel to clean up the edges.

A few light taps with the chisel and some time with a square file made the straps a little bit decorative.

Then I bent them over the side of the anvil. That’s one done. Seven more to go!

Next it was time to lay out the hinges and some ill fated bonus bits. You can see here some of the templates I was using. Again, I knew the hinges wouldn’t fit exactly right without some filing, so I just got them in the right general shape at this point.

A bit of cutting, bending, and filing got them in working order, with bits of coat hanger wire serving as hinge pins. The final shape of the hinge straps is yet to be achieved, but the basic concept is there.

Voila! A bunch of corner straps and hinges. These have to wait a while before they get into the action again. First I have to work out the lock…

Casket: Beginnings

Woodworking

I have made a couple of boxes in the past, but it’s been several years since my last one. I originally conceived of this casket as a secret project, but I decided that I liked it enough that I was going to keep it for myself. This means I can go ahead and start making progress posts.

At right you can see the initial concept. I collected a bunch of pictures and tried to find elements that I thought would go together in a plausible fashion. In particular, I liked this one, though we will see later that my interpretation of it was flawed.

Almost from the start I started changing my plans. At first I wanted to just have a hasp and staple, with a separate padlock or loop of wire or whatever to hold it closed, so that the recipient wouldn’t have to keep track of a key. Unfortunately, after my survey of extant pieces, I saw that virtually all of them had an integral lock (except this one). Fortunately, I really enjoy making locks, so I amended my plan.

Some of my materials stash has gotten low, so I had to actually buy some things. For the hardware I got some 22ga steel and a piece of round stock to make into the bolt for the lock. Later, I visited the local architectural salvage place and got a couple old skeleton keys, which are much nicer to look at than the sort you can find at the big home improvement stores.

Turned Nib Holders

Calligraphy & Illumination, Woodworking

This weekend we were at my parents’ house, celebrating a belated Christmas with my brother. While we were there, I decided to avail myself of dad’s shop and make some nib holders. He had made some for Adela a while back and she yells at me when I steal them, so I figured I should have my own. Are steel nibs period? Of course not. Are they convenient? Definitely. Are the plastic Speedball holders attractive? Not at all. Okay, let’s fire up the lathe!

The actual turning part is not too complicated, provided you have access to the tools. The fiddly bit is the part up from that actually holds the nib. It’s a hole with a slightly smaller plug inside, leaving a narrow ring that grips the half-tube of the nib snugly. Some measurements and trial and error led me to the conclusion that the hole should be 15/64″ and the plug 13/64″. Drilling the holes probably did not strictly require a two axis vise, a drill press, and a torpedo level, but they sure were helpful. After drilling the larger hole half an inch deep and the smaller hole another half inch further, I just needed to pop in a bit of dowel. Could I have gone out and found dowels that would fit? Probably (looks like a 5mm dowel would do the trick). Is shopping more fun than making stuff? Heavens no. Therefore the only answer is:

Step 1: Cut some 1/4″ square bits of wood on the table saw. Take them over to the shaving horse and take off the corners with a spokeshave.

Step 2: Drill a countersunk hole in a 1/8″ thick steel bar.

Step 3: Cut your bits of octagonal wood down to a manageable size and whack them through the hole with a mallet.

Okay, now that you have dowels ready to go, grab some wood. How about some beech? Oak? Poplar? Mahogany? Hickory? Why decide? Cut everything down to 3/4″ square, chop it up into reasonably sized bits, and drill your holes.

Now comes the fun part. Pop it in the lathe and turn it into a curvy little number that fits just so in your hand.

Stick in a dowel, cut it off flush, finish as desired. Now repeat until you run out of time, wood, or ideas for how to decorate the skinny end.

Turned Pilgrim Staff: Beginning

Woodworking

A couple Pennsics ago I made myself a pilgrim’s staff to help keep weight off a dodgy ankle. It turned out to be one of my favorite accessories, both for dealing with the aches and pains of advancing age and carrying the occasional heavy load. The original was made with a broom handle and a couple of inaccurately drilled 2″ wooden balls. It was thrown together quickly before the war, along with several poorer copies. I’ve dreamed of making a better one ever since, and now the opportunity has arisen.

Recently, my dad has been playing with the lathe that’s been in his shop for as long as I can remember (and which is surely older than I am). He’s made a bunch of handles for things, as well as some nifty pens for Adela. It seems most likely to me that pilgrims’ staves were turned on a lathe rather than constructed from a stick and two knobs like I did. I’ve gathered some images of staves that have some more interesting features that I’d like on the new model. Some have a slightly bulging profile between the knobs, some have flattened doorknob-shaped knobs, and one Durer woodcut shows some decoration next to the knobs. I’d like to incorporate all of these elements if I can. Since the lathe doesn’t have enough room to work on a whole staff at once, I’m going to make a top section with a socket to attach the same sort of broom handle that I used before (and which has served quite well).

Last night I glued up some beech wood that was handy in the shop and learned how to use the lathe. It really is an addictive toy, and I stayed up almost until midnight getting the basic shape laid out. The flattened knobs didn’t quite work out, but spherical ones ended up being easier to make than I expected. The surface is still pretty rough, and beech may not have been the best choice of wood, but I’m reasonably happy with my first attempt.

Ignore the bits to the left where I was learning how the lathe worked.