Working on the First Ball and Claw

Well I did get some time in the shop yesterday and today.  So I made some progress on the first ball and claw foot that I need for the Townsend Card Table.  In the previous post I mentioned that I was going to carve the two feet in parallel.   Well that is not going to work.  I did carve the two feet into cylinders but that is it.  Once I start to carve the ball I have to finish the entire carving,  I can not start and stop halfway through.  
So, I was able to complete the ball and start to work on the talons.  I did undercut the rear talon.  I should be able to finish up this foot tomorrow.
So here is today's video:

Close up of the Talons

Luke Addington asked if the talons looked fragile.  I did not make mine too thin.  I think I could make them  thinner and still be somewhat sturdy. Here is a picture of the practice feet.

Finished Shaping the Legs and Starting to Carve the Ball and Claw Feet

I shaped the legs using hands tools.  The rear legs are pad feet with no carving, so they are good to go.
The front legs have ball and claw feet and a carving pattern on the knee.
I have the ball and claw foot that I did for practice to use as a reference as well as the plaster cast that I purchased.  It helps me to look at a finished design while carving.
Hopefully the mahogany will cooperate and not be too difficult to carve.  I have noticed that that there are some changes in the grain direction so carving may be a bit challenging.
The first steps are to layout the lines on the two feet, then to carve the cylinder all the way around.  Previously I have carved multiple legs sequentially, first one then the next, etc.  This time I am going to carve them in parallel to see if it goes any faster.
So here is today's video:

 

Done with Practice - Sawing and Shaping the Four Cabriolet Legs

I am finished with practice.  I need to get moving on the real table.  I am going to make the blanks and cut out the shapes for the 4 cabriolet legs for the table..
A few weeks ago, I went to Irion Lumber to purchase some mahogany for the table.  The leg stock was a piece of 12/4 10 inches wide by 8 foot long.  This should be enough for 2 tables.  
Right now I can get 3 legs from the width, so I cut 2 pieces of the length of the legs plus 2 inches so I would have a piece for the knee blocks.  I ended up with 6 legs.  I only need four right now.  So I picked the best of the group.   There are some worm holes in the stock but that only adds a little character.
With the bandsaw I cut the stock to 3 inches and then used the jointer and plainer to square up the legs.
Sorry, no hands tools at this point.
After the stock was squared, I made the template for the pad foot.  I had the template for the ball and claw foot from the practice pieces.  I traced the patterns on to the stock.  I turned the 2 pad feet on the lathe.
Now I am ready to cut out the patterns on the bandsaw.  I have a 1/4 inch blade in the saw and I cut them out as I did in the earlier videos on cabriolet legs.
It was very hot that day in the shop and that is the excuse I am going to use for not doing a really great job at following the lines on the legs.  I have a lot of clean up do.
Since there is no carving on the rear legs, which are the pad feet I decide to work on those first and get them out of the way.  This is where the hand tools come in, I use a spokeshave to smooth out the bumps and get nice clean curves.  Then carving tools to finish the shape, rasp and files to complete the smoothing.  Then using a card scraper of finish.
When I was working on the leg, I started to think about attaching it to the side and the prototype side that I had cut out.  I realized that I had not done it correctly.  I needed to leave it at 5 inches at the end and cut a curve leading to the edge for the knee block.  So I made a new side for the prototype.  You will see that in the video.
Here is today's video:

Completed a Second Practice Ball and Claw

 I did not leave enough material to carve the upper part of the claws on the first ball and claw, I thought I had better do another to make sure I bandsaw the foot blank correctly.   I modified the template for the leg and left a larger bottom section.
Since I was going to do it again, I have the opportunity to see if I can improve on the last one by making the ball rounder and the talons more life like.
It went much faster this time and I think I got a much better looking foot.  So, on to the real mahogany.
Here is today's video:

Trip to the M-WTCA in Columbus Ohio

This week the Mid-West Tool Collectors organization held their spring meeting in Columbus, Ohio.   I have always wanted to go to one of the great tool collector events but either I was busy or they were too far away.  I have attended Ohio Tool Collector events but the M-WTCA is the big daddy of tool events.  Now after a 10 year absence from Ohio, the event was only 2 hours from my home.  I would not miss out.
I joined the M-WTCA so I could attend the event, since it is for members only.   I was surprised to find that they have thousands of members and they sent me a current members directory and copies of the last 3 Gristmill publications. Great reading.
I did not have any special tools that I was looking for but took some cash to buy something that I might find I could not live without.  
I drove down on Thursday to the Tailgate Meeting, which is outside in a flea market atmosphere.  All of the tool sellers and traders were set up in the parking lot with their goods on display on tables, trucks and the ground.  It took quite awhile to make it around to all of the set ups.   I did buy a Stanley #3 for Doug Moulder for a real bargain.

This is a good user plane, not one that would be on a shelf to be admired.  Very little clean up to be done.
I did meet up with a few of fellow SAPFM members, Jim Crammond, Andrew Messimer and Ben Brungs.

On Friday, the indoor meeting began at 10am in the main exhibition rooms.  The hall was very large and there were 50 or more tables to explore.  Quite a display.

It took me hours to explore all of the displays.  Here are some interesting
wood braces.

After all of the searching I did snag a couple of items for myself.  A couple of carving chisels, paring chisel, back saw and folding ruler.  There were a number of items I could have purchased but I did control myself.

In all, it was a great experience and I am looking forward to the next tool collector show for some more great finds.

Finished Carving the Practice Newport Ball and Claw

Woodworking the the summer is a lot harder than the winter.  The weather here has been wonderful the last few days, so it has been hard to spend a lot of time in the shop.   I did get a few hours here and there so I finished up the ball and claw that I had started.  I turned out pretty good but I need to do another one to refine my processes.  I will start that in a few days.
So here is the video of the finished foot for now.

Working on the Newport Ball and Claw Foot

I spent some time yesterday working on refining the Newport ball and claw foot that I had rough carved before we went to Williamsburg.
I undercut the rear claw near the top.  I worked in from both sides of the knuckle with a small #3 but I still could not get it through.  So I used a 1/8 drill to make a hole all the way and then widened it with a chisel.
Then I started to undercut the talons.  I drew an arch on the talon so I had something to follow and then carved away the material.  I used some small files to refine the openings.
These talons seem to be very delicate, I hope that they stay attached until I complete the carving.
So here is today's video:

A Trip to Colonial Williamsburg

I took a break from woodworking over the Memorial Day weekend. My wife and I went on a road trip to Colonial Williamsburg.  It was our first trip there and we were not disappointed.
We were immersed in american history and of course the 18th century period.
There were several exhibits on the grounds that involved woodworking in the 18th century.  The cabinetmaker's shop had a number of nice pieces as well as demonstrations on the work that they were currently doing.  They are reproducing this highly carved card table.  The original is in the local museum.

We were able to see quite a few 18th century furniture antiques in the various houses and we also visited the Cooper shop where they were making barrels and water buckets.  All with 18th century tools.
They have a Joiner Shop where they were make moldings for the buildings and wooden boxes to hold George Washington's personal things at Yorktown.  Again only using period tools.

The highlight of the trip was the visit to the museum and a private tour of the furniture exhibit. Southern Fair is the title of the exhibit at the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum.  Our guide led us through an 1 1/2 hour study of their southern pieces.  I also spotted some pieces which I am going to add to my list of things to reproduce.  Here are two that I have my eye on:

 And lastly we did a behind the scenes tour at Bruton Heights to visit the studio where they conserve the antique furniture for display in the museum and other houses.  What a treat!

So now that I am back home I will continue to work on the Newport Card Table.

Carving the Practice Newport Ball and Claw Foot

The Townsend Card Table is obviously a Newport piece of furniture. If I were to put a Philadelphia ball and claw foot on the table it would be out of context.   So, I have to carve a Newport ball and claw which I have not done before.   I obtained a plaster cast of a Goddard foot from Al Breed.  He sent me one that had a broken talon, but that didn't matter.  In today's video I take a crack at carving the different style.  I have completed the basic shape in this video, and now will refine the shape in the next video.
It was a lot harder to carve than I thought but like any new thing I went slower that I normally would since I wanted it to be acceptable.
So here is today's video:

A Trip to Irion Lumber - Wood Paradise

Doug Moulder and I made a trip yesterday to Wellsboro, PA.   It is about a 5 hour drive from my house, so having someone along makes the time go by much quicker.   Also, it helps to have someone to hold one end of  the heavy lumber.
I am in search of some good Genuine Mahogany for the Townsend Card Table that I am building.
I have been to Irion Lumber before and I don't know of a place that has a better selection of fine furniture grade lumber.
Myron Yoder, who runs the place for Lou Irion took us up to the top of the hill where they have several sheds full of various sizes of Mahogany.  How about 40" wide 10 foot boards!  He also shows us their private stock selection of some really fine and figured stock.
So, we start to sort through the various sizes of lumber that I need, 4/4 tops, 8/4 sides and 12/4 legs.   While we are doing this mother nature comes along and dumps a thunder shower  with hail on us, so we have to duck under one of the shed roofs for awhile.  Wading through the mud now we pick out the stock.  I land a couple of 20" wide 4/4 boards for the tops...
While I am a little poorer as we leave, I am satisfied that we have some really fine wood to make into the Townsend Card Table.
The wood is in the shop getting accustomed to the humidity and I am going to continue to carve the practice Newport ball and claw foot that I have started.  I post a video when I get a little further along.
It was a good trip!

Completing the Prototype and Reviewing the Dimensions

Today I put together the apron, right side and the leg.  To this I added two 2x2 legs cut from a 2x4.
So the front and side are the actual dimensions.  To this, I cut out one quarter of the top to match the right side and front of the table frame that I had made.
After assembling all of this, it is time to take a look at how all of these elements fit together and look.  Are they pleasing to the eye?  Are they functional, can you sit at the table and get your legs under the apron?
Doug Moulder came over today and reviewed the prototype.  He looked at it from all sides and sat at the table.  He gave it his blessing.  Now I am ready for the next steps.  I am going to carve a sample Newport foot and make a trip to wood heaven "Irion Lumber" to purchase some mahogany.
So here is today's video:

More Design Work and Cutting Out the Aprons

I went back to the drawing board and worked on the top view of the table.  This accomplished the view and dimensions of the cyma curves which are in the aprons.  It also allowed me to figure out the swing for the rear legs.  I am not sure about the length of the swing legs yet I think they are currently about 11".  I may want them longer, this would add more support for the back half of the top.  The top is 16 3/4" fixed and 16 3/4 swing, this combines to 33 1/2" top. The width of the top is 33 1/2" as well.
Once I completed the drawings, I was able to trace the outline on to poster board which I use for templates.  I have an inter curve and an outer curve for the apron and top respectively.  
I traced the template on to 1 1/2" stock, added 1" tenons which I cut a 45 degree end and bandsawed the shapes.  
Then I mortised the leg and fit it together.  I'll post another video tomorrow after I make the partial top to complete the prototype.
So here is today's video:

Working on the cabriolet leg

The day before yesterday I cut out the sample cabriolet leg on my band saw.  Now it needs to be shaped.  The Newport style of leg is not rounded over like many other cabriolet legs on 18th century furniture.  I begin by removing all the saw marks and bumps using a spokeshave.  It probably my favorite hand tool.  I really like how you can smooth a curved surface with this tool.
When I first started to use a spokeshave I tried old Stanley and other styles and I had limited success at using the tool.  I admit I never tried a wooden one.   Well finally I bit the bullet, spent some money and bought the Lee Valley set.  These are wonderful tools compared to others that I had been using.
Other shaping on the leg that needs to be done that the spokeshave can't do I use a rasp and files to fit the tight curves.
Normally, you mortise the leg before you cut it out, it is easier to do while it is still a rectangle but I didn't.  So now I am going to add the mortises after I figure out what the apron shape will be.
So here is the video:

Making Progress on the Townsend Card Table Prototype

I completed the profile drawing of the table and made some decisions about the size of the table.
So far the table is 28 inches tall to the first top, if the second half of the top is folded over and closed on the the first top it would be 28 3/4 inches.  The width of the table is 33 1/2 inches which includes 3/4 inch overhang along the edge.
I created a cardboard template of the ball and claw leg and traced it on to a piece of African Mahogany which I had in the wood storage pile.  African Mahogany is not a mahogany but it's real name is Khaya.  It looks a little like mahogany but costs about half as much.  Since I had the 12/4 stock it should work ok to build a prototype leg.
After tracing, I bandsaw the leg on one side and tape it back together and then bandsaw the other.
Now I have the rough leg, tomorrow I will smooth it out with a spokeshave and other hand tools.
So here is today's video:

Townsend Card Table - Step 1 Estimate Dimensions and Make Drawings

I have researched the John Townsend Card Table from books and publications about as thorough as I can.  I would like to see one but there are none within a short driving distance.  I could go to Winterthur but that is not a short drive.  I am going to Williamsburg in the next few weeks but I don't know if they have one in their museum.
So, I have made some large pictures and hung them on the shop wall, I usually do this with my projects.  I gives me inspiration and it helps me fix in my mind what I am trying to accomplish.
I don't have much as far as dimensions for the table, in all of the books I have copied down the Length, Width and Height as they have described it.  None match, so I am going to use them as a guide and do my own thing.  When it comes to height I am going to use 28" to the top of the table.  There is by my estimate a 5 inch apron.  So, that only leaves 22 1/4 clear under the table apron for your legs.  That should be enough but if I made it shorter like some of the books have described then I don't think most people would be able to get their legs under the apron. I am assuming that someone may want to use this table sometime for card play.
The width right now is 34 1/2 inches,  I am not firm on this and won't know until I build a mock up.
I started by drawing the cabriolet leg.  I spent a lot of time trying to duplicate the shape of the curve that I see in the pictures.  In the next video, I will trace it out on poster board and use it for a template and cut out one leg.
So here is today's video:

Starting a New Project - Townsend Card Table

I am excited about a piece of furniture I have seen in a book John Townsend Newport Cabinetmaker from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The book is available in pdf located here: http://www.metmuseum.org/research/metpublications/John_Townsend_Newport_Cabinetmaker.
Here is the card table that I am going to build

This picture is from the book, I am not sure if I can post the image here but the book and picture seem to be in the general domain.
Tables like this are attributed to both Goddard and Townsend.  As near as I can tell the main difference between the two is the way that they carved the ball and claw feet.  The styles of feet are well documented.  I happen to like the Townsend foot better than the Goddard.  This table also appears in the Master Craftsmen of Newport, The Townsends and Goddards by Michael Moses.
These books document the difference between Townsend and Goddard feet as well as some of the construction techniques.
There are some new challenges for me in this piece, the Townsend ball and claw is new to me and there are two knuckle joints (wood hinges) on the back legs so they can swing out to support the half of the table top when open.
I only have general dimensions of the table height, width and depth.  And I am not sure what it is that they are measuring.  For example, when they measure the height are they measuring it closed?
If it was closed, that would mean that 1 1/2 inches is consumed by the 2 top thicknesses.
If they measured it open then it would be only 3/4's' of an inch.
So I am going to have to build a prototype to see how it looks.  I am going to start by making a leg and a portion of the apron.  This should show me how it is going to look.
After I get a good looking leg, I am going to make full size drawings.
The main wood used for the table is mahogany but for the prototype I will probably use maple because it is cheap and I have some.
I keep you posted on my progress.

Completed the Audio Cabinets for my neighbor

There was not much remaining to do.  I had applied the stain to the large cabinet and let it dry.  Then I applied the hardware to secure the top and the bottom of the cabinet.  Now it was time to spray satin lacquer.  After letting it dry over night I rubbed it out with 0000 steel wool while applying a dark paste wax.
I made the dark paste wax by melting the paste wax in boiling hot water.  Like a double boiler.  Once the wax melted I added the stain that I used on the piece.  I just added it until it was dark when I applied it to some wood. .  Once it was mixed, I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to re-harden the wax for applying.  I used it like regular wax.  After that I applied a regular wax to raise the sheen.
So now both cabinets are complete.  On to the next project.
Here is today's video:

Finishing up on the small audio cabinet and glue up of the large cabinet

I have sprayed lacquer on the small cabinet a couple of days ago.  So it is ready for rub out, wax and assembly.  I rubbed paste wax on with 0000 steel wool.  This removed the dust nubs and applied the wax. I rubbed it out with a cotton cloth.  This left a hand rubbed satin finish on the small cabinet.
I attached the top to the small cabinet with metal fasteners which allow for wood movement.
I also glued up the large cabinet.  I did it in two steps.  First I glued up the 2 sides. let them dry for a few hours and then I glued up end panels which completed the glue up process.  Doing it in 2 steps made it much simpler.
I am on waiting for it to dry.  Tomorrow I will spray the lacquer finish, then I will have to wait for it to cure for a couple of days before the rub out.
So here is today's video:

Today the Glue Up of the Small Audio Cabinet

Yesterday I completed the staining of the small audio cabinet.   Today it is dry enough to do the glue up.   I glued up the two side panels this morning.  Then I went shopping for lacquer and more stain.  When I got back the panels glue was dry enough for me to glue up the rest. 

I did try out my new spray gun with the lacquer on a test board.  I got it from Harbor Freight for $30, the guys in our SAPFM meeting said that these cheap guns are as good as the expensive ones, so I am going to give them a try.

Today's video is kind of short with just the glue up and clamping.

Back to Working on the Audio Cabinets

Now that I have finished the TV cabinet for my wife, I can get back to working on the two audio cabinets for my neighbor.  These are made from white oak and the finish that my neighbor wanted was a dark brown. He called it Espresso.  Well, Minwax makes an Espresso color so I bought that and another two colors that I thought would be darker.  As it turns out he still picked the Espresso color.  I think I learned something about psychology in this process.
I have one small hole that I need to fill on the large cabinet.  So, I made my home brew wood filler.  I made some sanding dust from a scrap piece of white oak and then used some hide glue (old brown glue) to hold it together.  The object is to get more wood than glue in a paste ball.  Once I made the filler I pushed it in the hole and let it dry.  Then is sanded it flush.  One benefit from doing it this way is that it take the stain like the wood so it is an invisible repair.
I was not sure what the coverage would be with the Minwax stain so I decided to apply it to the small cabinet first to see how much it used.   Now that I have applied the stain, I have some left over so another small can should be enough to finish the project.
I sanded the small cabinet to 180 grit and applied the stain, waited 15 minutes before wiping of the excess as directed by Minwax.  Looks good.  Now I have to  wait for it to dry and then spray satin lacquer for the final finish.
Here is today's video:

Completed the TV Cabinet for my wife

In case you forgot I put 7 coats of Waterlox tung oil varnish on the TV cabinet that I am making for my wife. Ten days ago I put on the last coat.   I put it aside while I started making the audio cabinets for my neighbor.
Well, it has been long enough for the finish to harden so that it can be sanded.
This time when I used Waterlox it collected a lot of dust.  So, I have to wet sand the finish with 400 grit wet or dry sand paper.  I usually do this with mineral spirits but I don't like the smell.  So I thought I would try using soapy water.  I was pleasantly surprised how well it worked and with out the smell and glove required with mineral spirits.
I sanded it and wiped it down and let it dry.  After that I applied a paste wax with 0000 steelwool and buffed out the finish.  It looks pretty good.
My wife and I moved it into the parlor where she watches TV.
Now I have to finish the audio cabinets for my neighbor.
Here is today's video:

 

Working on the Audio Cabinets

I have been working on the audio cabinets most of the week.  I cut the tenons on the smaller audio cabinet and then dry fit the legs and sides.   After that I cut 1/4 inch slots to hold the side panels.
I glued up the top 24 x 20 out of 3 pieces from the same board.  
After all of that I assembled the entire small cabinet.  I need the practice to prepare for the final glue up.
So here is today's video:

Started the Second Audio Cabinet

Well I started on the second audio cabinet today.  This one has legs, the other long one sits on the floor without legs.  After consulting Doug Moulder about the design of the legs, he suggested that the taper on the legs be about 1/4 inch and only on 2 sides.  I was going to taper all four sides but he suggested that it might look odd.
So I had to whip up a taper jig to cut 10 1/4 in taper on two sides of each leg.  I did that with 1/2 MDF and a scrap piece of maple.  The hold down clap I had on another jig, so I just pulled it off of the other jig. I spent more time making the jig than cutting the tapers.  I have another taper jig but it did not work for the kind of taper I wanted to cut on these legs.
Once I cut the tapers, I marked off the mortises on the legs.  Then I cut the side and front rails to size and left enough for a 1 inch tenon on each side.
Someone ask how I cut the tenons on the long rails in the last video, well in this video I show how I cut the tenons on the upper and lower rails on each of the pieces.  I used the same method on the long cabinet using my radial arm saw and dado blades.  I don't use it that often but this is a good application for that set up.
After I cut the tenons, I have started to drill out the mortises with my hollow chisel mortiser.  It makes quick work out of cutting mortises.  I bought it 10 years ago when I was making art and crafts chairs which had 60 mortises per chair and I made a set of 6.  It saved a lot of time.
So here is today's video:

Progress on the Audio and TV Cabinets

It has been a couple of days since I started on the Audio and TV Cabinets.  I have milled the stock and rough cut all of the material to the specifications in the drawings.  
I cut to length the material for the longer cabinet, mortised and tenoned the joints and fit the pieces together.  So far so good.   After fitting the frame, I cut dados in the rails and glued up the botton.
It is easier to see what I did in the video than for me to describe the steps.
Tomorrow is Easter Sunday so I will not be working in the shop.  But on Monday I will fit the bottom panel and start to work on the top.
Here is today's video:

New Project - Audio and TV cabinets for Neighbor

Well, a new neighbor came over and had heard that I do woodworking.  He asked me if I would make for him two cabinets for his audio equipment and also to put his tv on.
So I went over to his house and measured the area where he wanted to put the cabinets.  From his specifications I made two drawings.  He reviewed the drawings and approved them.  He requested that the cabinets be made from white oak and finished a dark brown (Espresso).  
From the drawing I calculated the number of board feet that I needed and made a trip to Yoder Lumber in Millersburg Ohio.  They have great domestic lumber prices and good supply.  Monday, Doug Moulder and I drove down and picked up the rough sawn lumber.  I bought 4/4, 5/4 and 8/4 white oak for the project.
Yesterday I started to mill the rough sawn stock to size and today I finished.  So, now I have all the stock rough cut.
Tomorrow I can start to join the frame for the cabinets.
So here is today's video:

Applying the Finish to the TV Cabinet

Well I have applied 6 coats of Waterlox Original Finish to the cabinet.  One per day with a rag.
You can see that there has been a build up of the finish and a lot of dust nubs.  I am going to apply one more coat tomorrow and then put the piece aside for a week or two for the finish to cure.   Once it has hardened I will use 400 wet or dry sand paper with mineral spirits to flatten the finish and remove the dust nubs.   After that I will apply a furniture wax and buff the surface to the gloss that I want.  I'll do a video when I get to that point.
So here is today's video.

Working on the TV Cabinet

I received the hinges the other day, so now I can cut the mortises in the doors and fit them to the cabinet.  I used a router plane to shave off the material in the hinge mortise. I think it works better than the traditional method of using a chisel and chopping the mortise.   I attached the hinge on the door and then match the mortise on the cabinet.  The doors where a little large so then I had to plane off a little to make them fit correctly.
Once the doors were fitted I wet down the cabinet to raise the grain and when it was dry I sanded with 320 grit paper so get it smooth again.  Pre-raising the grain is often used when applying water based dye.  Then I sprayed the dye and let it dry.  Then I rubbed it down with 0000 steel wool.
Vacuumed the dust and wiped it down with a clean cloth.
Now I am ready to apply the Waterlox tung oil finish with a rag.  I have just applied the first coat but it will take multiple to get a good build up of finish.
So here is today's video:

Reconditioning a Danish Wooden Smoothing Plane

Well I picked up a Danish wooden smoothing plane this weekend and I think it will be a good user.
I am waiting for the hinges to come from Rockler for the tv cabinet so to keep busy I thought I would spend some time on this plane and recondition it.
I did a little research on this plane since I could not find any maker mark on the plane body I thought it might be a little difficult to figure out.  But the plane iron had the name Erik Anton Berg.  It turns out that the plane is Danish made and probably had JPBO on it somewhere. It stands for Johan P. Bendixen Odense.  The firm is no longer in business since bankruptcy in 1992.  The plane was probably made in the 1970's.   The Danish did not make the steel so they turned to the Swedes to make the irons.  That is why the name on the blade is Swedish.
The wooden body is in good condition but could use some cleaning.  The blade needs grinding since it has a lot of nicks in it.  So, I started by taking all the dirt and rust of the blade and cap iron.
I used sand paper and a wire brush.  Then I started to grind the iron at 25 degree angle on the Worksharp at 120 then, 220, etc.  You will see the progression in the video.
Once I got a decent edge on the iron with the Worksharp, I switched to hand honing.  I used the 3M micro sheets at 5 microns and .05 microns.   I added a minor camber to the blade.
All I did was set the iron and tried it out on a piece of maple.   I have some more work to do to get it running good but I thought I would let you know how I was doing with it.
Here is the video:

SAPFM Meeting and Turret Top Tea Table Plans

This weekend I attended the spring meeting of the Ohio River Valley Chapter of the SAPFM in Rio Grande, Ohio.   We met  at the University of Rio Grande. The university's  Fine Woodworking program has hosted quite a few of our meetings and Eric Matson who runs the program is a great host.  There were presentations on saw sharpening, making a lowboy and a group discussion on finishing.  We had a great meeting.

The show and tell is one of the better parts of the meeting where members bring what they have been working on to show the group.  Here is a Newport Tea Table that one of the members brought. It is quite beautiful.

I have had several people ask me for the plans for the turret top tea table.  They are full size with a cut list.  So here you go.

If you want the PDF's email me at dboeff@sbcglobal.net