Hi Everyone,
Well, I went out and bought a couple of small short pieces of white oak and maple for the tea boxes this morning. I also purchased a thick, very aeromatic piece of pine. It is about 2 inches thick and probably full of pitch. I can hardly wait to turn this! Im going to save the shavings and make a sachet for my closet out of it.
I also have a link on my FB page to the Heritage Craft Association in the UK and they feature all sorts of information about craft making in Britain. A really first rate group of people. They had this video today and I just finished watching it and I want to share it with you. This is exquisite hand crafting.
http://www.finewoodworking.com/item/42136/adrian-mccurdy-furniture-riven-from-the-log
More later,
LaV.
Read More..
When you have a split in your wood furniture you can stabilize it with a left over hinge used sideways.
These photos are taken of the underside of a broken chair.
First I glue and clamp the seat back together, let the glue set for a day.
I also stabilize the repair with a hinge screwed over the split on the underside of the chair.
Here is the fixed chair.
HAPPY FIXING
A closed top window cornice increases the energy efficiency of window drapes as well as ads architectural interest to your windows. Building your own window cornice will save you a considerable of money over buying a pre-made cornice. They are relatively easy to make and dont require many tools. Making your own also ensures you get the perfect size without having to hire an expensive carpenter.
How Window Cornices Improve Drapery Insulation
Window drapes improve the insulative value of your windows by creating an additional layer of separation between the warm room air and the colder air near the window. Curtains however are open at the top which lets air pass through that insulated pocket.
During the winter, when you run your heating system, air circulates due to convection. Hot air rises and cold air falls. As the air passes through the top of your drapes it passes in front of the window which cools the air even faster. By preventing the air from passing in front of the window less heat will be lost to the outside and less energy will be required to keep the room warm.
One way to keep the air from passing through the top of the drapes would be to run the drapes from the ceiling down to the floor. If you have very high ceilings, or just dont like the look of floor to ceiling curtains, a closed top window cornice might be a more attractive alternative.
What Youll Need
For this example well be making a window 36" wide cornice with a 34.5" opening. Youll need to size your cornices based on the size of your windows and how you mount your drapes. Youll want to have a couple of inches past your drapery rod on either side to allow space for the drapes to slide without binding against the cornice. Since the curtain rod will be covered by the cornice you can use more affordable curtain rods
- 1 - 1 x 6 x 8 S4S Board (appearance poplar is nice but #2 whitewood is much cheaper and good enough for painting)
- 5 - Crown Molding (fiberboard molding is much cheaper than solid wood moldings and accepts paint well, finger jointed is also an affordable option)
- 5 small beaded molding (such as WM163 11/16 in. x 1-3/8 in. x 8 ft. Primed Finger-Joint Poplar Base Cap Moulding
- 2 corner braces (for mounting to wall ex: Everbilt 1-1/2 in. Zinc Plated Corner Braces)
- 4 drywall screws (for brace to wall)
- 4 3/4" wood screws (for brace to cornice)
- Wood glue
- Sandpaper assorted grits
- Sealing Primer
- Semi-gloss paint (to match other trim)
Tools
Make sure the pocket holes are on the inside of the cornice box.
Step 3: Attach Top
Attach the top using 9 pocket holes and screws as shown below:
The top will fit inside the front and sides.
If youre willing to spend a bit more you can use a piece of clear acrylic sheet cut to 6 1/4" x 36" and screwed down onto the top instead of using wood. This will still give you the enclosed top for energy efficiency but will also allow light to pass through. It creates a nice uplight effect when your drapes are closed during the day.
At this point your basic cornice is done. If youd like you can just paint it as is or cover it with fabric. To give it a little more visual interest well continue with adding trim.
Step 4: Sand
Sand the outside surfaces of the cornice using 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out any rough spots. Follow up with another sanding using 220 grit sandpaper. Make sure to sand the exposed end grain of the front piece to smooth out any roughness from sawing.
Step 5: Attach Bottom Trim
Weve chosen a small decorative base cap molding to apply along the bottom of the cornice. Cut the molding at 45 degree angles in your miter box or power miter saw at the corners. Make sure the back of the molding is pressed up against the back fence of the miter box/saw when cutting.
Attach the trim to the bottom of the cornice box using wood glue and the 3/4" brad nails. Use the 3/64" drill bit to drill pilot holes so the trim doesnt split. Be careful because the bits are very thin and can span easily if not drilling straight. Follow directions and safety instructions on your tools, wearing safety glasses is also a good idea.
Step 6: Attach Crown Moulding
The crown molding give the window cornice a more interesting shape. It is important to get the mitered cuts right so you get nice crisp corners. To get the right angle set the miter saw to 45 degrees in the appropriate direction (its a good idea to mark which direction the cut will be with a pencil) and place the crown molding in your miter box or saw upside down and backwards (shown right). Its important that the flat edge on bottom and top of the crown molding are flat up against the base of the miter saw and the back fence in the same position as they will be installed. This will insure you get the appropriate angle when you make the 45 degree cut.
The corners on the crown moulding are more critical than on the base moulding so double check your measurements and take your time. Its better to go a little long and then to recut. Especially for the side pieces or if youre using a power miter saw.
Attach the crown moulding to the top of the cornice box as shown, using wood glue and 3/4" brads. Use a 3/64" drill bit make pilot holes. Make sure to glue the crown moulding pieces together at the corners as well. One brad at the top will help keep the pieces joined together.
Well done Tiger T!
***********************************************
It doesnt have enough thickness left in the walls to true it up so this one will have to be tossed.
This is really going to be pretty when its finished. Im going to need to make a lid for it, the question being what kind of wood to use? It think a yellow, vanilla colored wood would really look great on the box and the type of wood that comes to mind is clear pine. It has a similar grain pattern and a wonderful vanilla yellow color so Im going to take some pine I have in the shop and make a top and see what it look like. If it doesnt work out, then well get a hold of some hickory and try that.
As you can see its really distorted and it has two cracks in it.
...sigh...
This plate is getting a Danish oil finish and will be done in a day or two. When the oil is dried, Ill polish it with a little beeswax. Lovely way to finish wood.
It is dry and stable and in a couple more days it will be ready for a finish.
And I just produced this in the last 2 days! Does anyone have an idea as to what I can do with all of this wood? I should have a contest-hmmm....maybe I will.....Ill give it some heavy thought. In the meantime if you would like to have all this wonderful wood, let me know. Its going in the trash if I cant find a use for it.