The Post

The post is designed to be adjustable in height. To accommodate this it is formed by two pieces which telescope; one within the other. The pieces are mitred, then splined together. My set up was less than ideal, some by hand, some on the jointer.

Internal frame of the lectern table: Part 1

The internal frame of the table parallels the base. However, this time the sides are parallel but the bottom is set at 15 degrees and the top at 30. And my sliding bevel is lost in action. I wonder if Chris Vesper would consider sponsoring a new sliding bevel...

Internal frame of the lectern base

I completed the joinery for the cedar carcuss sometime last year. With the post now finished I could size up the internal framework.

I''m using a light soft timber I sourced from Boutique Timber. The timber was ripped and cross cut by hand but dressed by machine.   

Impressed upon me again is how nice it is to use good quality tools. My Lie Nielsen saws makes quick and easy work of this sort of joinery work. And the Chris Vespers marking tools are still as solid and comfortable as ever.

The internal frame is rabbetted into the external carcuss and then half lapped to each other.

Before final glue up I need to fine tune the plan for the electrical components. This will involve a series of holes for the wiring and mounting the XLR microphone cable plates into the timber. Should be fun.

Jointer Blade Set Up

The Woodfast PT3100 is a very hand (and heavy) thicknesser/jointer combo. It's been out of action for a while as the blades were dulled. Newcastle Saw Works offerred quick servicing and charged $33 to sharpen the 3 12" blades. 

Three springs provide resistance for levelling the blades.

Not ideal, but a spacer (in this case a ruler) and a straight edge provided reference height to the out feed table. The trick is not to use metal on the freshly sharpened blade. I use finger pressure to push the blade down and the straightedge to hold it there.

Test piece. Highly figured Tasmanian Mrytle.

Result. Not too bad. A few small areas of tear out but hardly noticeable and probably as good as this set up could be. No areas of rippling or irregularities suggesting blade mal-alignment.

The Lectern Project: The Post

So anyway... two years ago I started building a simple adjustable height lectern... and today while procrastinating from needed study... I did a bit more. 

The adjustable main post is made of two sections which telescope together. Each section is made of four 3/4" pieces of cedar, mitred together and re-enforced with a long spline.

The mitre was cut by machine on the jointer. The groove and the splines where hand planed. A bit of fun. 

The pieces fitted together reasonably well. A small gap along one edge which I burnished into shape with the edge of a screw driver. The twin leg vises served well to hold the piece while the glue dried.

The next step will be trim the edges and fine tune the fit with the smaller section. 

To 'lock in' the adjusted height, I'm planning a series of holes and a wooden or metal rod that slides through to lock the selected height. I'm happy for any further suggestions on this. Remember though that two microphone cables will run through the centre smaller section.

Quotes from the Anarchist's Tool Chest

'If the sole is garbage, your work will be also.' 

(C Schwarz p.96)

I wasn't sure if this one should be filed under woodworking or theology...

The Anarchist's Tool Chest

Sitting on my desk is a copy of Christopher Schwarz's The Anarchist's Tool Chest. 

Chris operates Lost Art Press a company that publishes books on traditional woodworking techniques . Many of their works are a translation or republications of books from the 18th to 20th century. 

This book is a personal one for Chris. It is the story begins with him gutting his cluttered workshop, and selling most of his tools. After near 20 years of collecting, researching and woodworking, he consolidated his working tools down to a single tool chest. A tool chest form which he could build nearly anything - using only hand tools.

The woodworking has been a little light on in my shop at the moment. But I'll be keeping track of interesting thoughts and quotes from the book and sharing them on here. Hopefully, it make for some interesting discussion.