Unplugged

A wall hanging tchotchke cabinet - made during the 10 week Artisan program at the Unplugged Woodshop.

Below are some notes and a few pics from the 10 week Artisan Program at the Unplugged Workshop on Gerrard near Pape.

2022-10-03

  • First day in shop.

  • Week of learning about wood, how boards are sourced, tools, shop, etc.

2022-10-11

  • Loose dimensioning of cherry for cabinet side walls.

2022-10-12

  • Build pieces for block plane.

2022-10-13

  • Form hammer head and shape handle.

  • Final glue-up for block plane.

2022-10-14

  • Steam apart block plane, smooth out high point and re-glue.

2022-10-19

  • First coat of oil on neanderthor’s hammer.

2022-10-20

  • Finish dimensioning block plane and apply first coat of oil.

  • Finish inlay on winding sticks and bullets for final glue up.

  • Begin plywood cuts for shooting board.

2022-10-21

  • Second coat oil neanderthor’s hammer, epoxy in brass, done.

  • Second coat oil block plane - done.

  • Final dimensioning winding sticks and first coat oil.

  • Finish dimensioning ply and rip cleat for shooting board.

2022-01-22

  • Dimension fence for shooting board.

  • Cut dado for shooting board and glue plywood.

  • Monday is finish up day. Finish up stuff.

Plane and Hammer

Winding Sticks

2022-10-25

  • Build standing bents with haunched mortices on risers and through tenons on crossbar.

2022-10-26

  • The lore of the coopered door.

  • Solidify design, pick wood, dimension plank into 2 pieces exact door height.

  • Measure and rip 1-7/8” stave perfectly to 1-5/8” brain fart; re-do.

  • Rip first 2 staves for door; dimension and plane bevels at 7.5°

2022-10-27

  • Rip final staves, dimension and plane bevels at 7.5°

2022-10-28

  • Glue two pairs of staves, leaving 2.

  • Finish bent.

2022-10-31

  • Glue two more staves making 2 pairs of 3.

  • Finish shooting board.

2022-11-01

  • Glue up final sections of 3 staves.

  • Rough dimension one side flat board panels for cabinet.

  • Glue fail; final joint required refitting and re-do.

Coopered Door

2022-11-02

  • Dimension sides, top and bottom of cabinet.

2022-11-03

  • Dovetail day - through and half-blind.

  • Door is out of the clamps and “cooking over the weekend” for glue to completely harden.

2022-11-04

  • Measure out and cut tails in the cabinet sides.

  • Total of 14 dovetails attaching the sides to top (half-blind) and sides to bottom (through).

2022-11-07

  • Clean up tails on cabinet sides then transfer the tails to the top to cut half-blind.

  • Saw and chisel out the pins on the top piece to accept tails.

2023-10-09

  • Dry fit cabinet and start rabbet to house back panel and cleat.

2022-11-10

  • Finish rabbet edge on 4 sides of cabinet.

  • Plane inside of door with hand plane made earlier to much satisfaction.

2022-11-11

  • Dry fit cabinet and discuss “design opportunities” for door

  • Chisel in dados for centre panel

  • Dimension centre divider

2022-11-14

  • Rabbet ends of center divider and slide into cabinet

  • Chisel in dados for upper and lower shelf

Shooting Board

2022-11-15

  • DImension upper and lower side shelves and rabbet ends

2022-11-16

  • DImension pieces for back frame

  • Plow plan 1/4” groove to hold panels

2022-11-18

  • Finish bridle joinery for back panel frame

2022-11-21

  • Cut inner back panel pieces to length and rabbet ends

  • Cut 1/8” plywood pieces for panels

  • Assemble back panel, ready for parquetry

2022-11-23

  • Rip 2” ash into strips 1-3/16” x 1/8” for parquetry

2022-11-24

  • Cut, plane and mass produce 75 of one kind of parquetry tile all exactly alike

2022-11-25

  • Cut, plane and mass produce 50 of the other kind of parquetry tile all exactly alike

2022-11-28

  • Glue tiles to 1/8” ply and dry fit parquetry left panel

2022-11-30

  • Laminate veneer for right hand side panels and press overnight

  • Dimension and plane back of top drawer to tight fit

  • Dimension back of front drawer

2022-12-01

  • Dry assemble back frame and panels

  • Finish dimensioning parts for two drawers

2022-12-02

  • Cut and chisel out tails on drawer fronts and backs

  • 5 more days

2022-12-05

  • Glue up back panel

  • Plane ends of door to exact dimensions for cabinet

  • Finish cutting all tails, move to pins

2022-12-06

  • Final glue up and coat of finish on back panel - done

  • Prep and oil-black door spacers to fit top and bottom of door

2022-12-07

  • Finish and final sand door and glue on spacers

  • Cut through dovetail pins on drawers

  • Dimension French cleat for hanging cabinet

2022-12-08

  • Almost finish drawer dovetails

  • Spend an inordinate amount of time hanging the door

2022-12-09

  • Last day!

  • Final plane of parts, toss a coat of finish on and assemble

A pic of the cabinet - as one of the million little things that didn’t get done, I need to cut the curve into the top and bottom to match the door profile. The door is fir, the cabinet is cherry and the drawer fronts we’re calling woodpecker wood. Drawer handles are also on the tbd list.

The hinges aren’t screwed in yet, so with Tom’s help, am holding the door open to show the Penrose tiling back panel - the pieces are fir and oak.

Last day in the shop.

Thanks Tom, for 10 amazing weeks.