Chamfer accident - now how do I fix it?

[Bas]

Don't you just love how a 5 second mistake can wipe out weeks of work? :BangHead: :BangHead: :BangHead: I'm building the "dancing clock" from some plans from Wood Magazine. The edges on the front of the body get a small chamfer (1/8"). Unfortunately, I also routed a chamfer on the face which I wasn't supposed to do.

View image in gallery​

There's another piece that will be glued to the body, and it's supposed to be flush.

View image in gallery​

I can probably live with the way it looks (it looks better in the photo BTW), but what I'm really worried about is what happens when I glue this up. The squeeze out will settle nicely in this valley I created, and it's going to be impossible to get it all out. And there's no way I can hand-sand any dried glue either.

I considered running the body through the drum sander a few times and take off 1/8", but that would probably not look great either. Any genius ideas out there? I thought about enlarging the chamfer into a cove using a core box bit after glueup, but that's awfully hard to do with this shape.

I suppose I could fill it with putty and paint it..... :saw:

 

[FredP]

drum sander or joiner. you can add back an thin piece if you like and route the excess with a pattern bit.:thumbs_up OR you can go easy on the glue and takes ur chances......:rotflm:

 

[Mark Gottesman]

I like the shadow line it creates.

If you wanted to keep it, then a judicious use of tape to protect the surface during the glueup would be the order of the day.

You could choose to accent it by either filling it later on with a colored epoxy or just go ahead, make the chamfer into a channel of some shape and glue in a contracting disc.

Or you could get out the carving knife and make it part of another design element.

I am not sure where you are in finishing ideas, but I think anyway you do it, the end results will be striking.

PS: In a similar vein, a maker of Damascus steel knives and swords has always put forth the idea that the fancy carving on blades originated when a smith was trying to salvage a piece with a bad weld in it that did not show up till later in the fabrication process. You may be starting a new trend here.

 

[Joe Scharle]

Can't you just keep the glue away from the outside edge of the circle thingy?
Looks wide enough from here.

 

[Tarhead]

You could inlay a dark wood strip in there like guitar binding:
Make a channel over the chamfer with a Rabbet bit and matching bearing for the depth of the strip (ie:create a ledge instead of a slope)
Bend a curve in the strip on a hot pipe
Glue it in with some CA
Scrape it flush and it'll look like it's supposed to be like that.

 

[Sully]

Shellac the chamfer -- use shellac with wax in it. Glue it and then pop the glue out of the groove and wipe the shellac away with some DNA.

 

[bobby g]

Can't you just keep the glue away from the outside edge of the circle thingy?
Looks wide enough from here.

+1 and/or route a small, shallow relief 1/4" from the edge to trap any potential sqeeze-out.

bobby g

 

[Canuck]

Is that made of of maple, Bas?:icon_scra

I have some walnut "doweling/stinging" here some somewhere that is about 1/8" diameter.

How about cutting a length to glue into the crevasse? May be a nice and easy accent to the lighter wood and easy to bend to the curvature of the head.:wsmile:

Wayne

(I looked at that plan long and hard too for our new grand daughter.)

 

[gazzer]

I vote for Tarhead's suggestion. Rout the chamfer square and then glue in some contrasting wood.

-G

 

[Glennbear]

+1 and/or route a small, shallow relief 1/4" from the edge to trap any potential sqeeze-out.

bobby g

I would go this route but also chamfer the mating piece to create a nice shadow line. :wsmile:

 

[Bas]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm very tempted to put in some sort of filler (either more cherry or a contrasting wood like walnut), but I'm worried I might enlarge the problem. Anytime you're routing end grain, bad things can happen. Although an opportunity for steam bending does sound like a lot of fun.

I like the glue control options. I remembered I have a can of Waxilit, which is a great glue release. I can dry fit the pieces, wax the chamfered edge using a Q-tip, and go easy on the glue. With a little sand paper, I should be able to blend the back edge of the face and merge with the chamfer on the body. It will be a very subtle shadow line.

Note to self: Use masking tape to mark edges that must not be chamfered/ rounded over BEFORE spinning up the bit.

 

[froglips]

I'll throw two minor suggestions on the lamination/end grain tear out.

This would be a good place to use a low angle block plane and a spoke shaves.

In particular a convex soled spokeshave for the inside curves, flat sole or block plane for the outside.

As long as you go "downhill" you are going with the grain (semi-endgrain), it should work quite well.

A second thought, if you wanna try pattern routing a lamination, soak then end grain with denatured alcohol or mineral spirits (maybe in your case mineral spirits work better, slower evaporation)

Handtool folk "whet" end grain for planing, as it softens the fibers to reduce tearout/spring back.

But, gotta say, my "gut" reaction was a nice dark contrasting inlay.

Good luck!

Jim

 

[Tarhead]

Anytime you're routing end grain, bad things can happen. Although an opportunity for steam bending does sound like a lot of fun.

You can also go from above with a down spiral bit and a roller guide. No tear out worries. I'm using this one on my Colt:
http://www.cpotools.com/bosch-pr003...pd.html?start=7&cgid=bosch-router-attachments

 

[sawduster]

the imagination and knowledge in this group never ceases to amaze me :swoon:

Great job everyone :icon_cheers

 

[michaelgarner]

Bas,
I think this is one of those magical times that you are stretched to learn/do something out of the norm. I would try my hand at some inlay using some nice contrasting exotic wood. All you need is a sharp chisel and patience. I am sure though whatever course you take it will turn out wonderful. Have a blessed day friend.

 

[Jim Wallace]

If you just want to live with it, but don't want the squeezed out glue to show just glue it up as you normally would, then, before it dries, clean the glue out of the chamfer with a rag (cloth works better than a paper towel) and plenty of HOT water. The glue will clean up pretty well and you're not likely to compromise your glue joint because the water just won't penetrate it. Using hot water to clean up unwanted glue is much more effective than cold or no water. You might raise the grain a little with the water, but your first coat of finish would probably do that any way.

 

[Cato]

Bas, that is a great looking project!! Looks like a lot of bandsawing went into it, and extremely good results.

Sounds like the advice given already would solve the chamfer issue.

I like the glue control ideas the best rather than possibly compounding the problem, but that would be mainly for my skill level which is not that great.

 

[kirkpj01]

I can't tell to well but is the body of the clock symmetric? I did not see a chamfer on the back side.... can you just turn it around?

 

[danmart77]

You can fix the chamfer if you have not yet glued the backing piece. I would take the chamfered edge off with a router and a straight bit and guide or use a rabbet bit that will cut deep enough.

Once you have the rabbet cut you have some "new design options" to consider. You might want to glue in a thin stip of walnut or another hard wood to add a detail. Plane the edge flush and glue the backer on. You can do this easily and cleanly and it will look better than a glob of wood glue sitting in the chamfer valley.

Hope that idea is doable.

dan

 

[cpw]

drum sander or joiner. you can add back an thin piece if you like and route the excess with a pattern bit.:thumbs_up OR you can go easy on the glue and takes ur chances......:rotflm:

+1
IF it REALLY bothered me and I just HAD to fix it, that's what I'd do. Otherwise, I'd do the masking tape thing.