Another box - WIP

[AndyT]

I think you are finding an interesting niche, where you can combine jig making, hand tools and a big helping of ingenuity!
Hats off! bscene-drinkingcheers: :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap:

 

[Doug]

If you want to have a delve into doing this kumiko stuff, have a dip into Mike Pekovich's book 'The Why and How of Woodworking' where there's an excellent chapter on how to go about it. Although I usually detest 'murrican books with a passion, this one is exceptional and highly recommended - Rob

https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Why- ... kYQAvD_BwE

Another vote for Mikes book, it was him who inspired me to try my hand at Kumiko about 4 years ago, quite simple once you’ve made the cutting jigs.

 

[Dr.Al]

I might have to get me a copy of that book then. Out of interest, have either of you read Desmond King's books? I've got the first two and they're fantastic so I'd be interested to know how Mike's one compares.

 

[Dr.Al]

Splendid, Al. Really good stuff.

Minor matters arising:

-I think that you are skilled enough now to do your tails without a guide. If you need to, mark the angle using a bevel gauge, but getting the "correct" angle is massively over-rated. They don't even need to be the same as each other on the same face. It's far more important to get the spacings right at the end. Have a go freehand, and see how forgiving they are in reality.

I think you might be a bit more confident about my skill level than I am :lol:

I've been quite enjoying being able to get on and make things and the jigs definitely help with my sawing accuracy. It's not that I'm worried about sawing to a correct angle; it's the fact that without a jig I have to saw in a straight line and square to a side or edge (depending on whether I'm cutting tails or pins). I'm still not very confident in my ability to saw to a line without some assistance. However, I will definitely go back and do a bit more practice of cutting them completely by hand (probably just on bits of scrap for now)

-I don't get the appeal of this Kumiko thing at all, so I've never done it (although making little dividers for a cutlery drawer involves roughly the same skills and processes). However, looking at what you've done, the slightly thinner one definitely looks better (it's subtle but significant). My primary comment would be, though, that the whole pattern looks too deep. You could, I reckon, glue it all up and slice the whole thing in half giving you two identical patterns.

I'm not sure which one you mean by the "slightly thinner one": they're both made out of 10 mm × 3 mm strips. If I put one on top of the other or one next to the other they line up perfectly. It must be a trick of the camera I guess. I quite like the thick look of the pattern (although again, it might be the camera doesn't flatter it); it also gives something to grab to lift the box lid up. I don't think I could slice it in half: I don't think those half-lap joints would survive the experience.

-I've got one of those little mitre marking thingies. Absolutely indispensible when working with mouldings. It can sit unused for years on end, and then be critical to progress as the only way to marking something.

If memory serves me correctly, I picked it up in a box of random clutter at a car boot sale for next to nothing. I'm not sure anything else was useful in that box, but the mitre marking thing has been used loads of times.

-Danish oil and ash is something you might take a view on in a year or two. I am not a fan of the colour it goes over time.

Oh. Oh well, I guess we'll see. What sort of Danish Oil did you use? I've got two bottles labelled "Danish Oil" and they're completely different to each other (in colour, viscosity and smell). I gather Danish Oil is a rather vague term for anything that's a hard drying oil mix (arguably Mike's Magic Mix could be sold as Danish Oil :lol: )

Great WIP and write up. Thanks for doing that. It's great watching your skills developing.

Thanks Mike. It's nice to be gradually feeling more confident in things like chisel handling. Now if only I could saw square...

I think you are finding an interesting niche, where you can combine jig making, hand tools and a big helping of ingenuity!
Hats off! bscene-drinkingcheers: :eusa-clap: :eusa-clap:

Thanks Andy. I rather enjoy the jig making stuff and it definitely helps avoid me having to rely on my sawing skills!