So they called a few weeks ago with a rush order for some maple boxes and so I am compelled to drop everything to give them my attention. Schedules get pushed and late nights in the shop are required but today the product shipped, hours to spare. (Actually, only 90 minutes or so.)
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Not that there isn't plenty to do. The trestle ends need shaping, which is roughed out with the bandsaw and then shaped finally with hand tools, primarily a rasp. It's time-consuming, but quiet enough to listen to music. Been enjoying the new Giant Sand album lately.
But even so, sometimes a full scale drawing on plywood helps.
As does a quarter-scale model:
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The top is from Irion Lumber, in Wellsboro, PA. Minnie and I drove down there a few weeks ago, 90 minutes from here, and I picked out a set of boards, all from the same log. The color should be consistent, the grain matching.
Commence sawdust production.
Recently the oven stopped working. I assumed it would be a simple fix, probably a new heating element or the thermistor, both of which I replaced. Turns out it's the control board, the electronic brick with the clock and all the buttons, and something I can't even begin to try fixing. I got on the computer to track it down but soon came to realize that Thermador (which is actually Bosch now) no longer makes or sells this. The appliance tech who came out told us that this is the way these companies try to sell more new products, by making the old ones wear out and by forcing the consumer to replace it.
When did this become acceptable?
Our neighbors up the road experienced something similar at about the same time. The dishwasher they've had for the past 30 years finally stopped working and couldn't be repaired so they figured they'd go out and buy a replacement, one that would perform as well for as long. Not possible anymore, as it turns out. Dishwashers have a lifespan now of 5 years, tops. In the pursuit of efficiency of operation, the manufacturers have compromised longevity.
How can this be, and how can it continue to be? Should a new appliance start out its life on its deathbed?
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Come on out!
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A ten-inch wide board may be that dimension in the fall, 10 ¼" wide in the summer, but 9 ⅞" or so in the winter. What's happening is that as the humidity of the air changes, so does the moisture content of the wood. The humid summers here are what cause doors to stick and drawer sides to grow to the point at which they no longer open. The remedy is to make the overall width of the wood narrow enough to accommodate the opening in the summer and accept the fact that it will be slightly loose in the winter. The better approach, though, is to design the piece so as to minimize the effects of this movement.
Different species move in different amounts, and the method of sawing the wood from the log also affects this so, for example, a flat-sawn piece of yellow birch would make a terrible choice for a drawer side because of its high rate of expansion, whereas a nice piece of quartersawn sugar maple would tend to move less and therefore give a better fit throughout the year.
I went to bed last night reading Eric Sloane's book, "A Reverence for Wood." He gives an example of wood movement that I'd never heard of, which is the way that old shingle roofs can 'breathe out their nails.' What happens is that, with the daily changes in moisture and atmospheric pressure, the shingles will all expand and contract a tiny amount, slowly working the thousands of nails outward and producing a porcupine effect. (He goes on to talk about the benefits of having those nails hold the insulating layer of snow on the roof all winter as well, but that's another issue.)
One of the advantages of custom furniture is that it's more likely to be made with these considerations in mind. In a factory setting, there is often a utility grade wood that's used for all the hidden parts and isn't necessarily the best choice. Another plus is that, if the drawers do stick a bit, most custom furniture makers will be happy to stop over with a plane and true up the edges of the doors or of the drawer sides as needed. It's a simple procedure and every maker I know would much rather spend a few minutes doing this than have one of their pieces out there in the world functioning imperfectly. I know I would.
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Answer: yes. Woodworkers use machines and so I have almost as many mechanic tools as wood tools.
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The method was decidedly old-school: a box built around an old Victrola motor and a spool of several hundred feet of 21 gauge copper wire with a hook and spoon at the end. The mechanics weren't without hitch, but we got it figured out mostly and ended up with 2 good-sized trout each.
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