challagan

Thanks Harry, I guess it will be easier to see the skids in operation on the DVD. I am glad Mike gave you that info, that makes it easier for us Yanks!

Corey

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curiousgeorge

OK guys. Lets try this one more time. In picture #11 (bottom row, left-most pic) we can see the router is in ski mode but what Corey and I are asking is how is the template itself being held down to the bowl top to keep it from moving around while skiing around it? Are you using tape, nails, screws, gravity....?

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George
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harrysin

As just discussed with you on Skype George,the router was sitting on the plug which was a tight fit into the box but also had packing beneath it to ensure nil movement, the skis were then fitted and adjusted to the same height and so the router could be moved freely in all directions controlling it by holding the ski ends. Next week I shall give some further details in an attempt to clear-up remaining questions. Harry

curiousgeorge

Thanks Harry,
Your the best! I really enjoyed talking to Tom, Dick and Harry on Skipe.

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Joe Lyddon

Hi Harry,

I was still using a Router... it is still a "Router Project"... I wasn't proposing changing that.

Actually, what I was proposing, is exactly what you did except I would have gone around the outside of the box, using a guide & template, to form the box, but staying more than 1/8" away from the cams ... and making a simple / light cut... as the first step. Cutting out that deep big bit-wide groove (like a mortise) around the inside edge of the box looks like it could be a little dangerous to me to say nothing about being very hard on the cutter.

I wasn't sure if that was a band saw blade or not in your picture... makes sense. I would have just cut around the outside edge instead. As it turns out, you used a 'straight bearing cutter' the same way I proposed, except I would have been cleaning up a little more material up to where the cams were.

In thinking about the Top / Lid, the same template that I used to make the outside cut, could also be used, with different Guides / bits, to form the main lid as well as the underside rebate to fit into the box (I think) (could that work?)

I look forward to the lid.

Just trying to understand your steps and to inject my own questions / ideas.

harrysin

Joe, there is one sure way to tell if you're method will work,why don't you drop everything and make a box for all to see,believe it or not,I am always prepared to learn from others,that's how I learned to use the plunge router from Template Tom.Would you please keep the same measurements, 9" x 41/2" and about 2" deep.I, and probably a lot of others are looking forward to seeing a blow by blow photographic exhibition of the making of a plunge routed box made by you're methods Joe.I'm sure this challenge will result in a work of art in the very near future. All the best Joe, Harry

Joe Lyddon

I'm trying to get your thoughts on whether YOU THINK it would work or not.

It seems to me that it should... I do not really know... But you experts in the use of Templates, etc., I thought, would know.

If you were to attempt it, do you think it would work?
You are not sight impared are you?

If I had to be restricted to the same size of box, I would start with a smaller chunk of wood because I would not be wasting that outer cut.

I have too many projects lined up to do... it would be a long time before I could get this project done.

Thank you for your thoughts.

harrysin

Hi Joe,yes it would work but for the sake of a little more lumber,the increase in safety is well worth the extra cost. I have just about finished the lid but will not post the details until it is all sanded and polished.By the way Joe, I do wear glasses for close-up work and reading but am not sight impaired. The whole idea of presenting these projects is to teach beginners and even long term woodworkers who only use the hand held router for things like edge round-overs and who mainly use the table mounted router that there are interesting and safer methods of routing, let's face it Joe, hobbyists generally look for pleasant ways to pass their spare time and learning plunge routing fits this description.Cheers, Harry

Joe Lyddon

Harry,

Thank you.

I wear glasses too... when it comes to closeup work, I can see better when I take my glasses off... otherwise, I could get impaired in other ways!

I look forward to seeing the top lid and how you did it...

I think Safety is almost like Beauty... never thought of it like this before... but it seems to fit...

"Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder."

Safety is very much the same way... what is unsafe to one, may seem safe to someone else and vice-versa.

To me, it's safer to make the small outside cut than to make the huge full bit cut making the outside of the box.

Hey, Harry, I just remembered a technique used by one of your contrymen... David in Cairns (have you seen his work?)... Anyway when he wants to make a Temporary connection so he can work with it easier... like temporarily gluing a chunk of wood to a 'carrier' so he could mount it on a lathe, turn it until done, then undo the glued pieces.

Edit (added):
http://www.woodworking.org/InfoExcha...profile&u=1399
Looks like he has not been around for awhile... hope he's OK... He just vanishes... then after a few months / years, pops up again. This time... ???
/Edit


He uses Paper... He places a few sheets of paper between the two pieces and glues them together (with the paper in between them)... When done, and by exerting some force into the joint, the paper simply tears away and is cleaned up.

Anyway, I was thinking about how that same technique could be used to afix the Box wood piece to a bottom section and placed into your holding jig. NO Cams... No Clamps... etc. You could get the workpiece very close to the edge... close enough to allow a small space to the point where you would feel safe in cutting around the workpiece to form the rounded corners, for the outside of the box. When done, just pry it away from the base.

It has been a long time since I've seen projects where he does this... If you can, see of you can find him and ask him... I will try to find links, etc. about him.

Later...

sawzall

love that first fixture..

the cam locks ROCK..

thanks for the idea.. thats so simple I'll use it tomorrow..

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