Tuesday, May 18, 2010

tapered sides

Today at Clear Spring School, I had a number of students practicing work on the lathe, some worked on their trebuchet, others carved spoons and still others made tops. After school, I packed up some inlaid boxes to send to a gallery, and began work on a very small walnut chest of drawers with sides that taper toward the top. "How does one make sides that taper toward the top?" You ask.

It is simple, as shown in the photo above. A block of wood attached with double stick carpet tape under one end allows the wood to pass unevenly through the planer, taking off more at one end than the other. It takes several passes through the planer to get this result. Attend the blog over the next few days and you will see more.

3 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:39 AM

    Very ingenious jig for the planer! Definitely an Aha! moment.

    Mario

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  2. I assume you must slowly hand feed several times until the infeed and outfeed rollers do their job. Does it cause any problems?

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  3. The first cuts are kind of jerky as the infeed rollers engage. Then as it levels in in last passes it is very smooth just like planing a normal board.

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