These always sell so time to replace some inventory.
Not much new on the builds, just some new style panels from veneer smalls.
Picture gallery shows a Prairie design, no dyes, just the raw veneer. The framework is a laser cut trench filled with black wood filler. Wanted to try TimberMate, but could not find any except from high dollar hoarders. Ended up with some from Rockler during one of their specials. Water based "Wonderfill" which worked well. Second photo is some curly walnut Third is quilted maple. Forth is a mosaic of zebrawood. Fifth is walnut burl.
All other woods are walnut, finished with Osmo Polyx.
The tops are 6" x 6" x 5/8" walnut
I used some laser cut hardboard for router templates. Center was cut out with a straight bit, then another template was used with my new Infinity thumbnail bit that I added a bearing and collar for template use. The curve portion is exactly 5/8" tall and did all the cutting. This bit worked great! Very sharp and clean cuts! The templates: Lower oval was for the basic opening (straight bit). Upper oval incorporated the necessary offset for the Infinity bit. The same bit was used for the edge profile following an offset square of hardboard.
The "X" template was used to cut reliefs for the picture buttons I used to hold the tissue box in place.
Only opposite sides (two) were used, but I made the template with four in case something messes up one of the template slots.
The base is a simple mitered and splined frame, the styles are grooved for the 1/4" panels and rounded with a 1/16" radius.
Dowel stubs in the ends of the frame pieces help securely connect the top.
All the other corners and edges were rounded with a 1/8" radius
Now that’s what fine looking tissue box’s look like. I like the thumb nail-bullnose bit. I’ll bet it was cheep since part of the material was missing in its center.
How did you make that small molding? On the router table?
How did you make that small molding? On the router table?
I just used my box joint blade set on the table saw, but a router table w/straight bit would be just as easy. I did use a feather board to keep it against the fence, but the cuts were only 1/8" deep.
As usual your talents are on display with this production run. This was timely, my wife just asked for one and like Earl, I'll probably be copying. To be honest, my wife is also a big fan of most of the things you make.
I have so much veneer and so few ideas. The smaller stuff is good for single piece veneer but I'd really like to find more applications for the cut 'n' piece together applications.
Like Moke with his 3D printer making all sorts of fun stuff, I have the laser which makes it fun to design patterns and burn things 🔥
I must be weirder than most think know... I like the "chaos" of this one, Sorry for the ignorance... a couple of questions/observations:.. after all I'm a puzzle maker and not an engineer/seasoned_woodie (seasoned, but not from wood alcohol... hmmm thatwood may explain weirder.Â
 new style panels from veneer smalls.
 Is it from one sheet or your marquetry (shiit, if it is)?
Do I understand this correctly... did you slip a 12.7mm bearing and sleeve over a 12.7mm shank "normal" bit? If that is correct, did you specifically size the bearing or were you just lucky on the OD. Sticking with the "correct theory"... great idea... may be ho-hum to many, but new and brilliant to me.Â
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
I'm tearing up with how amazing these all are (you know how I love walnut, and there you have two spectacular applications). I may need a tissue (box). 😉 As always, your projects are inspiring. Appreciate the details you share.
Is it from one sheet or your marquetry (shiit, if it is)?
Usually I'll try to go from one sheet for this type of pattern so the wood and grain is more consistent, but often I hate to reduce a larger piece to scraps and will use multiple bit's 'n' pieces (leftovers). For this I cut a bunch of triangles and made up 4 panels with enough edge to trim for an even reveal. Could just make a full sheet and quarter it, but the errors in sizing the triangles stack and can get wonky over large dimensions (plus going blind).
did you slip a 12.7mm bearing and sleeve over a 12.7mm shank "normal" bit?
Ayup! Had plenty of other same-shank pattern bits I could borrow from. One can't really use this style of bit in a router table and rely on the fence for the passes. Unless you leave a sliver of the original wood, it will not follow onto the outfeed fence without leaving a bit of snipe. I'll sometimes attach a template that will ride the fence and clear the cutter, but the bearing just makes it simpler. Didn't really care what the size (O.D.) of the bearing was since I could just change the template to accommodate.
For instance, the hole was a certain size and I used a straight bit with a bearing that matched the bit diameter. This left an oval with clean and square sides. For shaping with the thumbnail bit, I wanted the inside of the cutters radius (3/4" radius curve and 5/8" chord) to just touch the inside of the oval, This required a template with the same oval, but 3/8" offset from the perimeter of the original oval. For cutting the outer edges of the top (6" square), I just used a square 5-1/4" square, centered on the wood. Seems most of these bits have a common outer diameter that finding a matching bearing OD is usually easy (makes for all the pencil pushing calculations easy(er).
