A Quick Hour and a Half

I've been working PM shift this week at the real job, but tonight I was released into the wild a couple hours early. So instead of going home and watching the lousy Vikings get beat up by the Saints, I went to the shop and used the time there. I really just wanted to get the drawer for the Saw Till done and glued and the time I took was more than enough.

I took some pine and resawed it down to a between 1/4" and 3/8". and cut it to fit the width of the drawer, (of course you must remember to add the depth of the grooves to the length you need, don't ask me how I know this and I won't tell you a story laden with expletives, but that was a while ago)

I then took my small thumb plane, what I call my small block plane, and gave a shallow chamfer to the boards so they would nestle into the prepared grooves.I made sure to hide the chamfer on the underside of the drawers. This gives a little stability in thickness without taking up more of the space inside the drawer by raising the bed.

I had to rip and plane the last board to the proper width, then a little dry fit.

The boards were in there sturdy enough, I considered just leaving them alone when I did the glue up with just dry fit joints but then I would get some gaping as the pine continued to dry out over the years. I didn't want to do 2 glue ups though I wanted the drawer done tonight. So as I assembled for the glue up I did a simple rub joint on the bottom panels. If I was building this for a client then I would have properly clamped the panel and taken the extra step, but this is for myself as a shop appliance, the hide glue rub joint will work fine. But more on that in a minute.

While I had the dry fit together I was dying to see if my designs for the drawer were adequate enough. Turns out they're just fine. The drawer can hold all the smaller accouterments that go with my saws. the set, joiner, guide blocks and files just fine. Even my extra coping saw blades. And there's room for more in the future.

Then I measured and drilled for these simple wooden pull knobs. I've had a bunch of them kicking around for a few years and it seemed like a good time to put a pair of them to use.

Glue spread and clamps applied. I have to say I have been experimenting a little with this project in using liquid hide glue for the first time ever, and I have to say especially for this kind of dovetail glue up where you need the extra open time. I am really starting to dig the hide.

Well an hour and a half in the shop wasn't very long at all, it was just enough time to get the drawer done and do a little clean up. Locking up and walking away only left me wanting more though. I guess I had better wrap up this post so I can get to bed so I can get up and hit the shop again in the morning. Should have the saw till finished, hung, and in service by this weekend. That will be pretty cool.

Cheers.

Oldwolf