Timber & Working with Wood Expo: Sydney

The Sydney Woodshow has undergone a number of changes this year.

• The organisation running the show has changed it name from Everything Exhibitions and Events (EEE) to Impressive Exhibition.
• The website has moved to www.iexh.com.au
• The dates have changed to 27, 28 and 29th of July 
• The venue has changed from Fox Studios to Sydney Showground (Olympic Park) at Homebush

'As I get older, I simply have less desire for money and more desire for time'

'We expect to receive money when we work, so that we can spend it when we are rest. Woodworking has taught me to reverse that equation. I build things in my free time so I can avoid buying things. And if I don't have to buy as many things, I don't have to take on jobs that I don't like...

As I get older, I simply have less desire for money and more desire for time. This mental shift might be just the early 40s realization that I'm mortal, but I think it's more profound.

... My anxiety is merely despair that I am wasting time that could be better spent building, writing or cooking.

I want to make things that are permanent, inspiring or just chewy. And because my head is on backward when it comes to modern capitalism I want time more than I want money.'

C. Schwarz, The Anarchist's Toolchest, p 342.

You can never be too careful...

This is my first woodworking accident that required a trip to hospital. I was searching for some lost microfibre (that I need for the next stage of glueing) when I caught my hand on some sheet metal shelving. With thanks to the local emergency department, a few sutures and its all better. (I'm still to find the tin of fibre).

The Lectern Dry Fit

 It's always a good time when the pieces come together and the project comes to life. 

The internal frame of the lectern top is complete. The joinery (all done by hand) is formed by interlocking half-laps and rebate. The angles sat at 15 and 30 degrees made for a bit of fun. 

The design at this point again becomes complicated. A series of holes need to be drilled for the adjustable height mechanism and to tunnel the wiring. Final decisions need to be made in relation to the location and size of the holes. This is not a step to be rushed.

(And I really need to clean up my bench.)

Lectern: Locating the XLR sockets...

 

Part of the lectern design brief was to incorporate microphone cabling within the structure. Essentially this acts as an extension cable from a socket at the tope to one at the bottom and looks neater. By using two increases flexibility; it allows redundancy should one break, stereo microphones if required, or one can host a gooseneck lamp. 

Now I need to decide which of two options would be best to place the mounts. The first  inside the top carcass, the second outside it. Placing them inside is easier and neater, but runs the risk of the documents on the lectern overlapping. Placing them outside requires extra pieces of wood as the top is too thin.

Any suggestions?

More to come on the construction of the top carcass. But here's a sneak peak.

Schwarz on Sharpening

'When you pick a sharpening system, think of it as an old-fashioned wedding. You should devote yourself to one system. Spurn all others. Try to explore the system you picked in immense detail. Take good care of your sharpening medium. Keep it clean. Keep things true. Keep everything ready to go at all times. Do these things, and the rewards will be immense.'

C. Schwarz, The Anarchist's Tool Chest, p. 267.

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.