What I've been working on lately...Mo' pics

[DaveO]

Over the past two weekends, at least Labor Day and all this weekend I have been working on completing a commission that I got a while ago. They will be two cages for Bearded Dragons on cabinet stands. I have completed the cage part sans the finishing (and assembly of the second one) The wood is QSRO from Jeff, and Red Oak ply from the BORG oops two of the side panels will have removal glass inserts that can be replaced with screens, and the front will have bi-pass sliding glass doors. The bottom will be covered in a laminate, and the top will be hinged to accommodate the heat and special spectrum lighting they need to thrive.

I am rather proud of how this joint came out. Thanks to Bruce for the suggestion on how I could use pocket screws to do it. And thanks to the little jig that I whipped up to help hold the pieces while assembling with the pocket screws. I think that this is a better way of making the 45º angle joint than a straight miter joint, and easier to.

I've used several types of joinery in this project from the above mentioned pocket screws, to biscuits, and groove and stub tenon. I have found that despite being the more time consuming joint, the more traditional groove and stub tenon is a far more precise joinery method than the others. With both the pocket screws and biscuits I had slight discrepancies in the fit and alignment, but the groove and stub tenon joints were dead on.

Dave

 

[erasmussen]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Looking good
Intersted in seeing how you do the sliding bypass glass doors:eusa_thin

 

[jeff...]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Great work on those angles Dave - Red Oak is by far my favorite wood - so naturally it's beautiful to me...

 

[DaveO]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Looking good
Intersted in seeing how you do the sliding bypass glass doors:eusa_thin

Me, too. I have a concept in my head, but I haven't put it to the test yet. I am waiting on the glass to be cut so I can size everything to the glass thickness.
Dave

 

[DaveO]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Great work on those angles Dave - Red Oak is by far my favorite wood - so naturally it's beautiful to me...

Jeff, that was some really nice stock, I had very little waste, and only one board that gave me any fits while ripping. Now I wished that I had gotten more. This project is going to take up almost every bit of the 35 BF I got from you.
Dave

 

[erasmussen]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Me, too. I have a concept in my head, but I haven't put it to the test yet. I am waiting on the glass to be cut so I can size everything to the glass thickness.
Dave

I have a couple of things in the house built in japan that have wood sliding bypass doors, and have been thinking of maybe trying to do some, just havent got to it yet:lol::lol::lol:

 

[skysharks]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Nicely done Dave. I really like the stub and tendon.
I know what you mean by the pocket hole joints. I have had some come out perfect and others not so perfect.
I have noticed that when screwing in the screw the pocket holed piece likes to crep forward, so I will usually set it back a tad.

Your piece is looking awesome good job brother:icon_thum:icon_thum.

 

[Travis Porter]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

It does look good Dave, and you should be proud of those joints. Clean and tight. It will be interesting to see it finished.

 

[jeff...]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Jeff, that was some really nice stock, I had very little waste, and only one board that gave me any fits while ripping. Now I wished that I had gotten more. This project is going to take up almost every bit of the 35 BF I got from you.
Dave

Dave shoot me a PM if your going to run short, I have a little bit left over and could toss a few boards on the load going to HF the 16th.

Thanks

 

[LeftyTom]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Good work, with top-notch joints.:eusa_clap:eusa_clap:icon_thum

 

[Ray Martin]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Dave,

The joinery looks great. This is going to look terrific when you are finished. Speaking of finish, what will you put on this project as a finish?

Ray

 

[JimmyC]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Dave,
The project looks great. I sent an e-mail if you need anymore of that wood to finish the project. I am just around the corner.

Jimmy

 

[Big Mike]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Nice work, Dave. I have seen pre-made tracks for by-pass glass doors for sale somewhere but I cannot remember where. Usually they are in a brown plastic and are not all that good looking. You may want to rabbet the frame to conceal the plastic guides if that is what you choose to use.

 

[Alan in Little Washington]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Looking really good so far!!!!

I think I've seen that kind of corner joint on a piece of furniture where the joint between the two stiles is not at the corner of the piece. I think it had 1/4 - 1/2" flats at the corners. One edge of the flat was on the face of one stile and the other at the joint - to camouflage the joint/change in grain appearance. Is that what you did or are doing?

 

[Bas]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

That looks really, really good. The joints are excellent, is the groove and stub tenon already glued?

Bas.

 

[cpowell]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Lookin good Dave!

I also like the goove and stub tenon joint over the other methods. I always end up having to do too much cleanup work after glueup/assembly with pocket screws or biscuits. I got so fed up with biscuit shortcomings that I sold my biscuit joiner...and have wished I had kept it on a few occasions!! :eusa_doh:

Keep the pics coming. I like the plan view pic of the joints - really shows off Jeff's QS ability...and your jointing ability!! :icon_thum


Chuck

 

[DaveO]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Dave,
The project looks great. I sent an e-mail if you need anymore of that wood to finish the project. I am just around the corner.

Jimmy

Thanks Jimmy, I'll keep that in mind. I planned for 35 BF of wood, so I'll hope that I planned enough.
Dave

 

[DaveO]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Dave,

The joinery looks great. This is going to look terrific when you are finished. Speaking of finish, what will you put on this project as a finish?

Ray

Ray, I am planning on using an oil-based stain to match other pieces and then a water-based poly for the top coat because it will have less off-gassing and should be safer for the animals. I'll probably do a seal coat of shellac between the two, just to be safe.
Dave

 

[Gotcha6]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

All the joinery looks really great but I gotta ask; what's a bearded dragon? I must assume it's some sorta plant, but when my wife started menopause a few years back she coulda been named that too. I don't think she woulda fit the case.

 

[DaveO]

Re: What I've been working on lately...

Looking really good so far!!!!

I think I've seen that kind of corner joint on a piece of furniture where the joint between the two stiles is not at the corner of the piece. I think it had 1/4 - 1/2" flats at the corners. One edge of the flat was on the face of one stile and the other at the joint - to camouflage the joint/change in grain appearance. Is that what you did or are doing?

Alan, you nailed it. Instead of making two angled cuts at 22.5º I made one at 90º and the other at 45º. That results in the mating face of the 45º cut piece to be wider than the other. That resulting corner is either planned off, or in my case ripped off on the tablesaw ahead of time. Removing prior to the glue up allowed for easier alignment, but didn't afford me the adjustability that planing it off later would have.
Doing the joint this way allowed the use of pocket screws with enough depth for them to hold well (adjust the standard depth stop setting for 3/4" stock by about 1/8" to avoid poking through the outer face :eusa_doh Also this method eliminated the fine mitered corner that is so prone to getting dinged up or gapping.
Dave