Two Year Look Back

[Chet]

Submitted on the old forum by tmize

Two years ago almost exactly I drove off into using traditional joinery an handplanes. So I decided I wanted to a nice simple classic project. I was so proud when I finished it. At the time is was the nicest piece I had ever done. Over the past two years I had started seeing the flaws in from the large areas of tear out, poor fitting drawer and plane tracks in the top. Also my first attempt at hand cut half blind dovetail the fit was good even now the spacing tho was awful an to spaced out. 

So the wife asked for another side table. To set the record straight this has been the table that refused to be built. Luckily I’m more stubborn than the material I’m working with. To name a few of the issues I cut one of the leg tampers wrong well to be honest I started cutting it the correct way a 3/4” into the cut I thought I was wrong. I stopped flipped it an finished the cut I was wrong. I choose to see if I could fix it before I would recut the mortises. I glued a piece on the grain matched an squared it back up. The repair turned out well where it meets up actually come out looking like curly portion of the wood. So that explains why the new one is a touch shorter than the original. 

Some if my tenon shoulders aren’t great the tenon fit well. I still need a lil more practice of them but a 5” shoulder line is tough with chisels an hand saw. At least it is for me I look at it as a place to improve. Now the biggest improvements from this table from the last is the plane finish and dovetails. But enough talking here is some pics. I learn from y’all’s experience an criticism so the next will be even better

   

   

    

   

    

     

    

Follow up posts

 

1) Hey bud, I think you’ve come a long way, much further than I would have ventured. Great job!!

2) I think I have said this before but part of the journey in this hobby is getting better as we go and to challenge ourselves to develop new skills. I use hand tools to fine tune my work's fit and finish but I will tell you right now that I don't think I have the patiences to go all hand tools as you have. my hat is off to you tmize.

3) I think it's always interesting to build the same project twice with some time/projects in between!

I've built 2 large beds now. It would be a natural thought to say that the second one turned out better than the first. However, reality is (for me) that I like the first one better. Fewer mistakes most likely because I was going much slower finding my way through the build. Regardless, they both came out great and only I really know where the bodies are buried..

4) Like you all said it’s the same details that makes a project better even if you are the only one that notices. Chet I’m not all hand tool but a lot of. Nearly all joinery an finish prep. I still not crazy enough to do all the grunt work by hand. I have a planer, table saw and bandsaw I do joint everything by hand tho. To me I make fewer mistakes doing it this way. 

5) I think it is absolutely amazing that you do all that with hand tools! It would be an awesome table built with nothing but power tools, the fact that it was done with hand tools makes it all the more impressive. Great progress in your skills! Am jealous as all hell in your abilities!