Gun Case Design - Question of the Week
This week’s question comes from Tom, who writes:
I am planning a display case for a shotgun (grandfather’s) and a putter (dad’s), and perhaps a smaller case for two pocket watches (grandfathers’). I was thinking simple boxes at first, then I started considering adding some detail that could represent my contribution when I give them to my son (he’s 28).
I’ve been playing with G&G type joints you are using on your gadget station but I seem to be hitting a stumbling block (sketches attached). I think I need a face frame to add some thickness to hold glass, but the top/side/front intersections get a little clumsy and busy. They need to be a little light, since the pieces are fairly small. The face frames are typically wider and fit inside the case on bigger cabinets, and I haven’t been successful at finding examples of more delicate 3-way jointing. I was wondering If you could offer any suggestions.
One way to solve the problem is to “change the question” and build a single cabinet for all four pieces, but I would really prefer a “set” of smaller wall mounts. But I’m open to any reaction or ideas you may offer. Thank you in advance.
And here was my reply:
Hey Tom. Sometimes we can over think things to the point that we make them more complicated then they need to be. And communicating this via email is going to be tricky. So I will do the best I can to explain. Worse case scenario, I can always get on the live cam and show you examples of what i mean.
First off, I would start designing the piece as a basic box. That will serve as your empty canvas and you can simply add things or take things away as needed in order to arrive at the final design. So in your mind, start with 4 sides and simple butt joints. Then add in the back panel, which is set about 3/4″ in from the back in order to allow for the french cleat. The panel has to be at least 1/2″ ply and will sit in grooves that are cut all around the inside edges of the box. The front has a simple face frame with a rabbet for the glass. The face frame can be glued directly to the body since its a long-grain to long-grain joint. Use biscuits or dowels for alignment purposes if you need to. OK so now you have the template for the basic box. Let’s start making it fancy. Start with the corner joints. Instead of butt joints, we upgrade them to Greene & Greene style joints. Although these are a lot cooler looking, they don’t really change much in terms of our basic box design. How about the face frame? Lets have the face frame joined with mortise and tenon joints and lets have them pegged, just as you do in your sketch. The face-frame is then glued to the front of the box, and trimmed flush on all four sides. No need to inset the frame itself into the box. Hopefully you see where I am going with this. This is how I start all of my box designs. I just find it much easier to adorn a simple box than to reverse engineer a complicated design. Hopefully that will help you get rolling. Let me know if you have any questions and good luck!
A Course on Tablesaw Safety and Setup
Hendrik Varju recently released his epic DVD, Revelations on Tablesaw Set-up & Safety. This is not your everyday average DVD. At 9 hrs and 55 min. running time, this is really like a private weekend class. Hendrik is thorough and methodical in his approach, and leaves no stone unturned. This is one of those DVD’s that I like to think of as a reference DVD. Its one that you’ll be pulling off the shelf for years to come just so you can get the low down on some detail that Hendrik covered.
Here’s what the DVD features:
- Step-by-step table saw set-up techniques.
- Crosscutting and ripping techniques.
- Narrow, wide and short stock ripping techniques.
- Dados, rabbets, bevelled rip cuts and other special cases.
- Bonus footage on building a crosscut sled.
So who do I recommend this DVD for? Primarily beginners. I say that with a little hesitation because there are a ton of valuable gems that even experienced woodworkers will benefit from learning. I wish this DVD were available when I first started woodworking as it would have saved me a lot of grief!
You can learn more about Hendrik and purchase his instructional DVDs at PassionForWood.com.
2008 Recap
Well, 2008 was a heck of a year for the woodworking community. We saw an incredible explosion of new blogs and podcasts and Twitter is now a household word for many woodworkers. We witnessed the birth of a new conference (Woodworking in America), the success of which proves that despite all the technology in our lives, most of us have a desire to rely on the simpler tools in our shops. Irony at its best!
It was also interesting to see, in woodworking, a phenomenon that has been occurring in other areas for some time now. Bloggers and podcasters are putting their best stuff out there for free, simply for the love of the craft and the community. This in turn puts pressure on “old media” to come up with ways of doing the same thing, while still making enough money to justify the time and effort. So “old media” dives head first into “new media”, and we all can benefit from the excellent videos, blogs, and community features provided by our favorite magazines.
We witnessed a few new developments in tools, including a new re-designed Unisaw, a handsaw with an identity crisis, and a $1300 miter saw.
And as always this time of year, I like to ponder the stats and see what our site has accomplished. This year we posted over 50 Wood Whisperer episodes and live demos, 50 of your questions, 60 of your projects, and 31 of your shops. And our videos have received over 3 million downloads to date! Our new forum is creeping up on 11,000 posts by 1,100 members. We now have 12 different woodworkers broadcasting live from their shops on the Wood Whisperer Live Page and Wood Talk Online has even moved to a completely LIVE format. We gave away 10 Festool sanders and numerous other goodies from content producers like Charles Neil, Gary Katz, Hendrik Varju, and Chris Schwarz, just to name a few. And who can forget Woodworker’s Safety Week 2008?! And I should also mention that Jan. 1st marks the launch of the new Wood Whisperer Guild where you can get even more Wood Whisperer content and money-saving discounts on your tool and supply purchases.
So Nicole and I thank you all for being part of this incredible community. Whether you are a hardcore dust-jockey, a collector of fine tools, or even an armchair woodworker, you are all welcome here! I would also like to thank our sponsors, Festool and Powermatic, as well as the sites we’ve collaborated with extensively including Matt’s Basement Workshop, Popular Woodworking, Fine Woodworking, and Lumberjocks.
Is My Urethane Bad? - Question of the Week
This week’s question is from Terri who asks: “I make signs out of wood and last Spring (2008), I purchased a gallon of Helmsman Spar Urethane since I go through quite a bit of it (and absolutely love it). I had used a little more than a 1/4 of the gallon then stored it for the summer in the basement. Its a living basement therefore, the temperature was generally around 65-70 degrees through out the summer. When I opened it this fall to start using again, it had a hard coat over the top and about 4 inches of jell under that. I don’t know if the can wasn’t closed tightly or what happened. I was able to break through the hard coat and tried to mix it all up as best I could but now I have small ‘chunks’ of the jell that gets on my wood work. Is there anything I can do to eliminate this? Should I stir it with a drill attachment paint stirrer or would that cause more problems? I would really hate to have to throw away 3/4 of a gallon so would appreciate any help you could send my way.”
And this was my response: “Hi Terri. Unfortunately my friend, your Urethane is half way into the trash. A skin and chunks are signs that the finish has already started curing in the can. Varnishes cure via oxidation, which means air is your worst enemy. So either the can wasn’t sealed well enough, or the little bit of air that was trapped in the can was enough to keep the curing process going. The key is to put the varnish in a container that has little to no room for air. Or, you can use some Bloxygen. Its an aerosol can full of inert gas that creates an oxygen-free pillow on top of your finish, protecting it from oxidation. Another option is to fill the can with marbles or some other heavy item so the liquid level is raised to the top. But sad to say, this is all for prevention. Once the finish starts curing, as it has in your case, its best to just throw it away. But, if you are feeling especially frugal, feel free to strain out the chunks and test the remaining finish on scrap. If it cures properly and seems to bind strongly to the wood, you can probably get another use out of it. In most cases though, I don’t take any chances once the finish starts curing in the can.”
Thanks to Rhyan in Hawaii
I normally wouldn’t do this, but I can’t think of any other way to get in touch. I received some nice treats from Hawaii and I can’t seem to find Rhyan’s email. So first of all, thank you Rhyan! And second, email me so I can thank you properly. ;)
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