Crafts / Craftsmen / craftswomen (craftspeople, I suppose)

Grain symmetry?
(Only just thought about it)

Thought you wanted the symmetry line with the blade.

Second ever attempt at dovetails. Ash and walnut don't make it easy, but they look a bit better than my first attempt.

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The tails look very neat. A little bit more practice on marking and cutting the pins (my weakest point when it comes to dovetails) and you'll be well on your way.

It also may help you to practice getting the cut started many people get this wrong. Assuming you're using a western saw you need to start on the push stroke which can take a bit of getting used to. Lots of people my age were taught in CDT at school to pull back a couple of times to seat the saw, this is easier but there is a high chance of the saw jumping and you starting the cut in the wrong place.

ideally i'd now like to make this dishwasher safe.

options i have:

wax - wood wax, but not specifically waterproof
varnish - whatever is in the shed
resin - i can paint a thin layer on
superglue - rub on, wipe off

i'm not sure any of these will really make it dishwasher proof. Suggestions?

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Wax and don't put it in the dishwasher!

I like that a lot.

FWIW it was almost certainly the dishwasher that did for mine in the first place. Polyurethane varnish might cope with the range of temperature and humidity found in a dishwasher, but I wouldn't risk it myself - perhaps oil it in the much same way wood utensils and worktops are finished?

Edit: just worked out the significance of 'options I have'...

i forgot about oil - that is an option too. think there is tung and danish

think i'm going to just keep it out of the dishwasher to be on the safe side.

Went for a wax finish in the end. This was a fun little project. Am thinking of getting some cheap knives off of ebay and making some more.

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I feel moved to do something with mine, given that time is no longer a problem.

There looks to be a worryingly precise distinction between a table knife and a butter knife, and a determined lack of distinction between the two on eBay !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Job-lot-of-vintage-table-knives/373048921511?hash=item56db72cda7%3Ag%3AIWMAAOSwA7deuUGu&LH_Auction=1
-but only if you're quick.

won them. £0.99 + postage

Is the only way to see prices on the Hafele site to have a trade account?

Probably. It's not too difficult to open an account but I can get you prices if you want. Sometimes their stuff is available online for the prices they want to charge me though. Especially with delivery which is expensive from them.

No problem. I guy I used to work with has an account apparently, so I'll get him to check the prices before placing an order.

@Airhead, have you used their Smuso hinge before? Seems to me like 'e' is labeled wrong in this diagram, as it seems to show the same dimension as DBE. 'e' should be the gap between the panel and door surely? Negative overlay = inset gap?

So if I want a 3mm door clearance, I should use a 2mm mounting plate and inset the bore 6mm from the door edge...

*sorry for the lack of wood carving or cabinet joints, but I'm far too unskilled for all of that.

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Negative shims innit! It does look wrong, I keep looking at it but it's at the very least confusing.

Your assessment of it seems correct. I think you could use a 0mm mounting plate and a 4mm DBE because the mounting plates are designated 0,2,4 from a standard height, not that the mounting plate is literally 0mm thick, that would be incredible engineering.

Cheers, glad to see I still have some problem solving faculty intact after 2 months in isolation, though I may have permanent sight damage from squinting at that diagram.

DBE's are always mental. It's pretty common that I wish I had looked at the diagram before starting the job!

I’ve been mirroring again....

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That is terrifying.
Well done.

That’s awesome. Any more info on how it was done?

So for years I worked as a props technician, am just getting back into it.
There’s not much to say really, mirroring sculptural pieces is about trying to follow the form of the piece as best as possible which at times is tricky as you’re putting squares onto curved surfaces...
To do that piece in a day to a quality good enough for a photoshoot wasn’t that easy..
The mirror supplier and adhesives used(it gets hot under tv studio lighting) is all company-specific and hard to come by.

Another recent sparkly project. I’m not 100% sold on the mirror pattern in places but the raised section on a t-bird body throws things out a bit.

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Nice. So you have to put a blob of glue down and place each one? Must take ages. And presumably you paint in the gaps?