Portable Sharpening Station: Day II

I returned to the project today after the weekend and I had the following steps to do.

• Sand down the box frame after the glue-up

• Make & Install the base

• Cut the top to its final dimensions

• Add some round-overs

SANDING

The glue had set and I think I used a bit too much as the squeeze out was on the excessive side, so I took my random orbital sander and went through 120 - 220 grit sandpaper to clean it up. The finger joints look OK there was a few tiny spaces in between the fingers but I will need to fill them in later.

Anytime I get inconsistent spacing between joinery methods I usually use the saw dust and glue trick. All this is is the mixing of a little glue and sawdust from the same species of wood I use for a project in this case is poplar and rub it into the spacing let the glue set for about 30 minutes and then return to sand it down and magically the gaps disappear. I will do this towards the end of the project.

This picture shows the state of the piece after removing the clamps but before sanding it down.

Here is the box after sanding, need to fill in some little gaps around the finger joints but other than that it looks fine.

THE BASE

The base is nothing special , I am using a piece of 3/4” plywood as it will not be seen and then using the counter-sunk holes I already made around the bottom of the box parts I will use 1-1/4” screws to secure the base. I am not gluing it just in case I need to replace it in the future. I also needed to resolve a problem with keeping tools and accessories in position in the box an not be bumping into each other and possibly damaging them. To solve this issue I decided create a recess for the accessories I will be storing in the box, so I used my palm router and free handed the recesses to hold the tools. I will be using a similar process for the top but that is a much more precise recess and I will need to adapt the process whilst still using the router.

I used this scrap piece of 3/4” plywood for the base. I am cutting it down to final dimensions here on the table-saw.

I am layout out the lines so as that the honing guide sits inside and will not rattle around.

I used my palm router to remove the bulk of the recess and then went back with my chisel and mallet to clean up the edges.

Here is the honing guide accessories all nice and snug, Ill leave it for now and can always remove the base when I need to add more recesses for other tools. I still need to figure out how to store my sharpening stones in the box cavity when its not in use.

Another view of the base, before its secured to the frame.

Base is all secured and looks functional.

THE TOP

I am starting work on the top today but will need to finish it tomorrow. The top has a decent amount of work to do because it houses all my sharpening stones, I am creating recesses in the solid oak top so as that when I am using the sharpening station my stones stay stationary. To achieve this I need to use my plunge router together with a template that I need to make, I also need to use a template guide bushing on my router so as that I remove the precise amount of material for the stones to fit in, I purchased the Bosch bushing pack for my Bosch router which is the 1617 plunge router.

I will need to do a little more research on how to use a template for routing as I have never done it before. What I have so far I will show later.

TEMPLATE ROUTING

As you can see from my 3D rendering of the project below the top is to receive 5 recessed sections for the stones and a stropping plate.

3D rendering of the sharpening station.

USING TEMPLATES TO ROUTE RECESS

After researching online for a little while I found that I needed a couple of things before I could do this recess in the top. I needed to figure out the following:

• Do I need tools that I don’t have for this task?

• Do I need to make a jig of sorts?

• Measurement considerations?

DO I NEED TOOLS?

After researching I found that I needed to buy a template bushing set for my router, a bushing is a router accessory that can be used with a jig, lettering, inlay work, even reproducing furniture parts. Here's the basic concept: A guide bushing mounts to the router's sub-base with a tube that protrudes below. A straight router bit extends through the tube. The outer surface of the tube rides against an edge guide or template, keeping the bit a set distance (offset) from the edge guide or template, see picture below.

Here is a picture that I found online to show the bushing in the router.

In the marketplace you'll find two bushing styles. The Porter-Cable two-piece (shown below) uses a screw-on locking ring to hold the tube part to the router base. This style fits a wide range of models. The other style of guide bushing clicks into place, but only fits Bosch routers. If your router doesn't accept these common styles of guide bushings, consider buying adapters and sub-bases .

The style of bushing I needed was the one pictured on the right below.

DO I NEED TO MAKE A JIG?

I don’t necessarily need a jig of sorts but I do need to make a template. A template is guide that I will use in conjunction with the guide bushing so as to guide the router to the shape that I need to create. I have decided to make the template because I have quite a lot of milling to do as I need to create 5 recesses and to do that free hand would be extremely difficult and would also mean a lot of clean-up when I was done with the router. Using a template negates all that clean-up probably with a chisel and also provides nice clean edges in less time.

I need to figure out how to make the template, that is tomorrow!!

Here is my router and bushing set.

MEASURING OFFSETS

To figure the offset, measure the outside diameter (OD) of the guide bushing tube and subtract the diameter of the bit. Next, divide this figure by 2 to determine the offset. In the example at below subtract the 1⁄2 " bit diameter from the bushing's 3⁄4 " OD. You get 1⁄4 ". Now divide this number by two and you arrive at a 1⁄8 " offset.

This diagram can aid in how to calculate the offset

SO FAR!!!!!

This where I leave it for today, I had the main box, bottom and top made. Below are some pictures as to where I left off today.

The lid is on but that about it, I need to put the recess in tomorrow.

The finger cut out fits perfectly for my fingers to fit in and pull off the top

Some accessories in there nice new recessed homes.

NEXT!!!!!

• Make template for routing the recesses

• Make side handles

• Apply finish, I usually use a poly-crylic for shop projects.

• Start sharpening

Until the next day, take care

Ed

Drill Press Cart: Day 6

So things have been very crazy and I have not gotten down to the shop in a day or so , please remember that if you undertake this project it will not take almost a week to complete, I might only get 1-2 hours at a time in the shop , this project should only take a weekend in the shop to complete.

So Here is what I done today

• Made / Attached the top
• Attached the drawer false fronts

MAKING THE TOP

Making the top is very straight forward thanks to the pocket holes, all it takes is a plywood panel cut to size and some hardwood. Here are the steps I took making the top

1. I cut the plywood panel to its final size
2. I took the ash hardwood panel I purchased the other day and cut it into 1-1/2" wide strips
3. I laid the hardwood pieces around the plywood panel to get length needed, I then used my Japanese pull saw to cut these strips to length
4. Next I needed to put the pocket holes in the underside of the plywood 
5. I clamped all the hardwood pieces around the plywood added glue and screwed the hardwood to the panel.
6. I will still need to sand the plywood top and apply the finish to it but that's next.
7. Finally I need to attach the supports to the underside of the plywood so as that I can attach the top to the cabinet by screwing up from underneath the stretchers I used when building the cabinet 

Here is my bench top bench holding the ash hardwood before using my Japanese pull saw to cut the piece to final length ( Ireally love this bench top bench, I should make plans available to make it)

Here you can see the underside of the top, its all clamped up and the hardwood is ready to be added. I still need to add the cleats to the left & right of the panel so as that I can attach it to the cabinet.

Here is the top almost finished, just need sand and apply the finish.

Here is another angle of the top

Here you see the under side of the top, the solid wood edges give the look that it is very thick, but its all an illusiion.

ATTACHING THE DRAWER FALSE FRONTS

The last couple of days I have been applying several coats of polycrylic to the drawer fronts and cabinet so today it was time to attach them to the cabinet drawers themselves.

Here are the steps I took to attaching them.

1. I added a 1/8" thick spacer to the underside of the false front
2. The keep the false front in position while I screwed them I used clamps and pre-drilled the inside of the drawer to receive the 1-1/4" screws that hold the false fronts in place.

Here you can the spring clamps holding the false front in place, you can also see the 1/8" thick spacer under the false front.

Here is where I attached the screws to hold the false fronts, Im placed the screws to either side of the drawers because I still need to add drawer pulls that I will be making this week.

Here is what the cart looks like after todays activities

Here is a side view of the cabinet, I just love the look of the hardwood around the top, I also love the full extension drawer slides as I can reach the very back of each drawer, which comes in very handy for utilising all the storage space in each drawer.

Here you can see the front of my cabinet, I love how the grain runs from top to bottom on the false fronts.

Here is the top all attached, just need to sand it some more and apply the finish to it.

NEXT

• Since I am using castors that are currently on a cart that I am replacing this with I need to remove them and attach them to this new cart.
• I need to make and attach the drawer pulls that I found online. It entails a lot of router work.
• Finally need to apply the last coats to the top.

Until then take care