I actually need to make 20 of these but will do 5 each week until I get them finished.  I simply don't have room to store enough lumber, to clamp them all, and to finish them to do all at the same time.  The finished size will be 28" x 17" so they're basically like an end table top.  They'll get a Roman Ogee edge treatment and finished in clear gloss Nitrocellulose lacquer. 

 

There will be channels screwed to the front side so engraved name plates can be interchanged.  The good part of that is if there's a slight blemish with a knot hole or crack it won't show so I won't have to spend much time fixing those.  The bad thing is that this beautiful Walnut will be mostly covered with plastic name plates.

 

Anyway, this isn't any special technique or job, just gluing up boards and then trimming to size and spraying finish on.  But, all 5 are glued up, I'm waiting on my wife to get home, I have supper warming, and there's not a lot I can do right now in the shop so I figured I'd post some photos.

 

Cut to length and width, still in the rough -

 

Surfaced (I really wish I had an 18" or 20" helical head planer! - this takes a while with a lunchbox planer) -

 

Gluing -

 

All 5 glued and drying -

 

Enjoy!
David

 

Edited December 5, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
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Those plaques will look very nice. Like you said, to bad they get covered with name plates

i would have used walnut plywood, edged with solid walnut.

18 minutes ago, DAB said:

i would have used walnut plywood, edged with solid walnut.

 

Considered it but I like using lumber.

 

David

That's some beautiful walnut!

Beautiful pieces of walnut David...

 

5 hours ago, difalkner said:

I'm waiting on my wife to get home, I have supper warming,

I see you've been properly trained also....

Why use biscuits?  

I know the wood is thick enough to not have them telegraph thru.  

Was it to help you align them or was it to add structural strength or both?

I normally joint one face  joint  both thickness edges (actually joint 1 then TP the other) then glue them all together and not over my TP width run them thru the TP.

If my assembly is wider than my TP I then will get them close 1/8" or so and then glue together all the pieces to make one flat plan then I pull our my plane and work it down to the final thickness.

Just wondering if I am following the correct procedure.

For alignment, period.  Gluing two joints at a time is a slippery task and it's pretty easy for a board to slide if the clamp isn't just perfect in its placement.  Also, if a board has a very slight bow and wants to get out of alignment in the center, where' it's hard to reach, the biscuit keeps it fairly close.  In doing this solo without an extra pair of hands it's just easier to use biscuits.  And I don't have a planer wide enough to handle the full width of the glued up boards which is about 18" until I trim them to their final size of 17".  That means I have to take care of any imperfections with the drum sander and that's a slow task.

 

And my jointer is only a 6" so I can't true up one side on some of these boards and then run through the planer.  I have to just use the planer to clean up both sides.  All but a couple of these boards were dead straight but a couple had a slight bow or twist.  Once they're glued and then surfaced with the drum sander they'll be fine, though.

 

Thanks, Michael. 

David

I use biscuits on all my edge joining only closer together than in the picture. Just lets me sleep better at night. And I am fond of sleep.

     I also do this from time to time to see if I am applying the right amount of glue in each slot. Its hard when using different applicators on different glue brands to get the same amount. When I have enclosed biscuits in wood I didn't use I like to cut them open and see ...

    But this is like guys who say they would never buy a joiner for they can do a perfect edge job with their table saw!!!    WRONG!!

 

   You can see the many years of practice is still not good enough. But I'm learning!

The guitar tops and backs I'm working with are about 16" across so when it was time to buy a drum sander we got the SuperMax 19-38.  That way a back or top that was slightly wider than 16" would have no issues in sanding.  Now I'm really glad we did that because the boards are 18" right now (I'll trim them to 17" soon).

 

It definitely uses most of the drum to sand these.  Here's one board going through -

 

And the obligatory 'artsy' shot -

 

David

That sure is going to make some beautiful plaques!

These are ready to spray in the morning.  This is the back side, front side has a Roman Ogee edge.  They need 20 of these and I should have told them I would do 4 at a time instead of 5.  I don't have room to spray 5... oh, well - it'll work out.

 

 

David

Recipients of these plaques probably won't realize the value of what they received...not just the $$ amount but the craftsmanship from rough lumber to award. 

One coat of sealer, one coat of gloss.  I think they look nice.  Might do this again sometime and make some end tables - all these need are aprons and legs! The figure isn't that pronounced in real life, I think it's the lighting and camera that accentuate the look.  It's there, just not quite so dominant.

 

 

I'll deliver these tomorrow and then start on the next four or five.

 

Enjoy!
David

40 minutes ago, difalkner said:

I think they look nice. 

Nice No...Gorgeous YES! Those certainly would have made beautiful table tops, panels in doors and the list could go on & on! Thanks David!

I wasn't satisfied with the photo so I took a couple more and these are closer to what they look like in person.  The first one is under natural and fluorescent lighting and the second is incandescent.  They are somewhere in between the two but not quite as red as the incandescent shows.

 

David

They still look VERY VERY good to me!

Goodness, what are your plans for that book match panel in the second picture? You are going to show us aren't you?

Thanks, Dave!  Yes, posted that a couple of days ago - Found a nugget

 

David

1 hour ago, difalkner said:

One coat of sealer, one coat of gloss.  I think they look nice.  Might do this again sometime and make some end tables - all these need are aprons and legs! The figure isn't that pronounced in real life, I think it's the lighting and camera that accentuate the look.  It's there, just not quite so dominant.

 

 

I'll deliver these tomorrow and then start on the next four or five.

 

Enjoy!
David

 

 

Love the way that Walnut pops. Those are going to be really beautiful!