The Great Outdoors

This morning I spent some time outside practicing cutting dovetails. I'm really enjoying the folding workbench. Not having a vise is actually kind of fun and I'm looking forward to trying out more of the work-holding solutions on Steve Branam's blog. Working outside is very enjoyable too (as long as the weather is nice). An added bonus is that it forces you to put your tools away when you're done, so the "workshop" is never a mess.

Cutting the pins.

Chopping out the waste.

The result. Not perfect yet, but that's what practice is for, right?

Tiny Boxes

I made three of these small boxes for a local printmaker. The outside dimensions are 3 in. x 3 in. x 8 in., which made the joinery a little more complicated than it would have been on a larger piece. For each corner, I made a lap joint which then became half of a second lap joint. Most of the work was done by hand because the parts were too small to safely use power tools (and because hand tools are more fun). In the last photo you can see how the back slides open to insert the artwork. The wood is black walnut and the finish is Poly Whey from Vermont Natural Coatings (an environmentally friendly alternative to polyurethane).