progress pics - Woodworking Talk

btyirin · 12-11-2008, 05:34 PM

I put some more time on the next inlay table today. I made one of the inlay templates and cut six inlays. I glued and mounted one in the table top. Its about 1/32 high. I'm using a router with a baseplate jig to level the inlay later. I have not decided on using 6 inlays or 12. You can see I have them layed out in the pics. I kinda like the idea of having the full 12 going around the table. I made the pieces so they have the same curve as the table which I really think is going to make the whole thing work. Everything stems from them center. the outercapping will be about 2 inches past the inlay and the inner ring will be about 2 inches innerward from the inlay. So I think it will all flow nicely in the end. This is all assuming I don't go and mess it all up by sanding or cutting through the paper thin oak veneer. (Here we go again with Brian complaining about his faulty design, when will he learn to order real veneer in 1/16th thinckness in stead of 1/4 oak plywood and spare his sanity?) I might not ever learn. But this time I'm not cutting any of the outer capping material until all the inlays are level. So I'm not wasting that material in the event of a tragic fail.

The center will be a small disk of some sort. Maybe not even wood. I don't know yet. some type of medallion looking thing about 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

The table is the same as my last one, same three legs(they are all ready built) and the base is ready for inlays now too. With the holidays coming I probably won't get this guy done until mid Jan.

The last pic is the glued and inserted inlay. There is a little chipped part on the bottom that I'll have to fill. Bummer.

Kenbo · 12-11-2008, 06:37 PM

Looks great so far. Looking forward to seeing the final piece.
Ken

42Hickorysouth · 12-11-2008, 06:57 PM

Looks very good, nice design. I guess you could say bow tie's on steroids. :-)

smitty1967 · 12-11-2008, 07:11 PM

Brian: nice to hear back from you again. This project looks great! I can just about hear the clock ticking, for all the time you must have in it so far. Personally, I would vote for the 12 inlays over the six. It looks better to my untrained eye. But, it's you that's bent over doing the labor so don't let my vote count for much.

Keep up the good work and pictures.

regards,
smitty

btyirin · 12-11-2008, 07:31 PM

I'm looking forward to seeing the finish piece too. I forgot to mention that this whole table is me chasing mistakes. the veneer was damaged near the seams in the oak pie sections. So my initial plan for 1/4 inch straight inlays was ruined. So I made these ones 5/8 inch thick to cover the mistake. Because I did that I couldn't use maghogany (not enough) and had to use oak. I know the solid oak will except color different then the plywood.

Sigh, and then I chipped the veneer off again in two places. The bowties on sterioids were developed to hide those mistakes.

Lets see happens next.........................

btyirin · 12-30-2008, 01:39 PM

I successfully cut out all the bad parts. I'm left with this so far. Putting the inlays in throughout this week. And on disk in the center.

I kinda dig it. Its wild looking.

But I have these very small areas of tearout on the veneer. I'm talking really small. But not small enough that some type of filler is not needed. What do you guys recommend for filling red oak ply?

I want the least amount of sanding so I'm not doing saw dust and glue. That has always been my go to. Im really not knowledgable about a good filler.

Any thoughts?

Brian

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

btyirin · 02-10-2009, 01:19 PM

Getting some more time on this table. I had a long unplanned break. I miss the shop! Top is coming along pretty good. Inlays are very close to being flush. Its going to take some elbow grease and hand sanding to get them perfect. But i'm coming to enjoy that part. Music and sanding. No problem.

Only thing left on the top is the center piece and the outer capping. I got the legs pretty much done and the base is halfway done.

Almost there.

Kenbo · 02-10-2009, 04:56 PM

Haven't seen you in a long time. Welcome back. I hope everything is well. The table top looks great. For a while there, I was beginning to think that it was going to be a scrapped project. Glad to see that you stuck with it.
Looking forward to seeing the final product.
Ken

btyirin · 02-15-2009, 10:23 PM

Thanks Ken, everything is going pretty good. I have no intentions of scrapping this one. The show must go on. I made some real progress the past 2 days and I am pumped.

My single most satisfying woodworking experience................was today. After battling the last table for ways to level the inlays and outer capping I came up with this. Gentlemen, I give you......

"The Record Player Jig"

I have no planer. Otherwise I would have planed each piece before I installed them and been done with it. But anyway..... Each outer capping piece was about 3/16 proud of the oak veneer. Last time I did this I resawed each piece on the table saw as close as I could get but with with slightly warped pieces that turned into a pain and left me with lots of hand sanding. This time I installed them full thickness. So I had to take 3/16ths off them and not go through the veneer. I made this jig to do that and it worked so well I had shivers in my spine. I am soooooo happy. With the bit right up against the curved running piece and 2 huge stiff backs to keep it all straight. There is no way in hell that bit is going to touch the veneer. I just took about 5 passes moving the pivot point each time. With each pass the running board rests on the last cut. Then I dropped the bit to cut off the excess and get my final diameter cut on the top. I went clockwise for the surfacing and then for the drop cut I switched back to the normal, counter clockwise rotation. That almost tricked me at first. But I caught myself just in time. Tuesday I'll finish hogging out the bottom half and then work on the center piece and the final leveling of the inner inlays.

It was a real pleasure using this jig. I had it lag bolted through the center of the table with 2 washers and some oil between them. It was so heavy you didn't have to keep any downward pressure on it at all. smooth. the stiff backs made it awesome. A keeper.

Now, I still have to sand it down another 64th or less. But I am happy with that. This table is the result of chasing mistakes. Hiding mess ups with more inlays. I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the turn out so far. This only thing I'm worried about it how the oak veneer and the solid oak inlays will take the poly. I know there will be a contrast. I just hope it looks good.

The base and legs on this table are going to be more on the plain side. Nothing too fancy.

Geoguy · 02-15-2009, 10:48 PM

Fantasic!!! Love the record player jig! Good Job!!

btyirin · 02-20-2009, 08:05 PM

This is my new and final method of dealing with the inlays. I made a nice family of sanding blocks out of walnut. Each fitted with assorted grits. Next to them is my Peltor(family blockers) FM radio hearing protectors. Screw the Radio though, I hardwired my Ipod into it instead. I think the newer models have an aux input but I'm just gonna rig mine and save money.

Progress is slow, but its a pleasure. I'm about half way done now. The entire Ryan Adams collection, UB40, Bob Marley, Widespread Panic, and The Black Keys have passed through my ears while sanding this top down.

I'm just digging it.

Hoping to be done by next week

Geoguy · 02-20-2009, 10:26 PM

Nice sanding blocks,,,,,,,,,,,,, do you really sand that all by hand?

Love the table - keep the pics coming!

btyirin · 02-20-2009, 10:49 PM

After I get them to about a 64th high of the veneer with power tools, yeah I hand sand the rest. Then I'll take a few passes with a random orbit palm sander at the very end. That is all ways the scariest time for me.

Bri

Kenbo · 02-21-2009, 09:27 AM

Metallica gets the sanding done faster but you risk smacking your head on the wood while your are head banging.

Looking great man.
Ken

AZ Termite · 02-21-2009, 05:32 PM

Kenbo, you have to mix it up a little,GNR, Aerosmith, Tool, Van Halen, AC/DC, System of a Down. The combination helps to get the work done faster.

smitty1967 · 02-21-2009, 05:47 PM

Bryan: dude, the table is looking awesome, man. Glad you came back and gave us an update. I am completely, thoroughly impressed with the Record Player Jig. And I'd have to add some Mudvayne to the ol' Ipod. (They are from Peoria, you know?) And some 3 Doors Down.

Can't wait to see the finished product, and good to hear from you again.

regards,
smitty

btyirin · 02-21-2009, 06:52 PM

Lol, thanks guys. Today it was Breaking Benjamin, Black Sabbath, and John Mayer..........but John Mayer after the first two bands really threw me off so I'm taking a break. That's like going from Metallica to Steely Dan.

I noticed something today since I'm getting close to the final sanding. I have a Dewalt random orbit sander. I used to use it to sand my handrail fittings back when I was stair railing installer. The edges are all chewed up and bent downward on the pad. I'll be damned if I'm using that pad on my table. Does Home Depot or Lowes sell replacement pads? Anybody know offhand?

Bri

AZ Termite · 02-21-2009, 08:26 PM

If they don't look at http://toolpartsdirect.com
They will have it. You will need the model # to get the right one.

btyirin · 03-07-2009, 12:03 AM

Its done. Top, base, legs, all of it. Finally. Done. Its sitting in the shop ready for poly. I spent the day cleaning the shop making it dust free. I'll probably be doing that all weekend.

Last time I used semi gloss brush on poly, oil base. I'm thinking of using satin this time. My thoughts are that there is so much going on in the top that the glare a semi gloss or gloss leaves (in certain lighting situations) would just take away from the beauty of the table. I think satin will make the inlays stand out more at all angles. I hope I'm right with this logic. Any opinions would be greatly appreciated

I'm not filling the grain either. I didn't last time and I really liked the way the last table came out.

I attached one pic of the finished top. Next weekend or the week after I'll post the final pictures. The ones that are going on the website too.

I'll probably do one ebay run and then I think I'm going to go talk to some furniture stores and consignment shops. There is a really nice woodworking place about 30 minutes from my house. Some type of restoration soceity. Huge. They do everything there. I'm thinking of checking them out too. Maybe they need help. I need a job.

Take it easy guys. (BTW, it was Pearl Jam that finished off the table these past two days. I love that ipod)

Brian

AZ Termite · 03-07-2009, 09:23 AM

Brian, That table is amazing man. You did an awesome job on it. I glad Pearl Jam got it finished for you. Good luck with the job.