August 2, 201411 yr My sister-in-law asked me to make her one of these- Anyone have an idea on how to sand the insides of the holes? I figured I could drill the corners with a forstner bit and maybe chisel out or use a hollow  chisel mortiser to hog out the waste. The sides of the holes look perfect and parallel- just wondering how it was accomplished. Lew Kauffman-Wood Turners Forum HostTime Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!
August 2, 201411 yr Thanks for posting the pic...I need to make one of those for myself! Rather than hogging out the spaces, I'd approach this as if it were a band saw box. I'd glue up the blank, then slice in at one corner, cut out the spaces, and clamp to reglue the cuts between spaces. I'd work out the cutting pathway on paper first. Alternatively, print multiples of the pattern and use the scroll saw to make the cutouts in each layer. (Pre-glue a thin layer to a thick layer and cut them as one.) If within the height limits of the scroll saw, I'd pre-glue 2 thick layers and cut as one. After all layers are cut out, I'd glue up the layers. With either method, I would then use sanding drums on the drill press to do the internal sanding. With either method, I'd glue the bottom on last and then sand the outside.
August 2, 201411 yr I thought of drum sanding on the drill press as a reaction to your proposal to hog out the waste with drilling and chiseling from a solid glued-up block. A spindle sander or oscillating spindle sander makes more sense for the methods I described. The total height for internal sanding the projects in the pics looks to be 3/4" x 4 = 3" plus two thin veneers @ 1/16" or so each, for a total of 3 1/8".
August 2, 201411 yr Lew,How nice of your lovely wife to want you to make one of these. Â For some of us, If it were not for dear spouses, we may not be so highly challenged. Â LOLAny way, about your sanding situation, you can go it by hand or as Spence mentioned the drum sander on a drill press. Â You can also use a Dremmel or like item to can. Â Sometimes one of the electric carving machines with the flex cable can give you more control over sanding and allow fairly easy work on curves and roundovers.My favorite approach is using those 1x3 sanding pads you can get at the big box stores.The easiest approach though is to hand it off to a child of yours, or better yet get your wife involved so that she can better understand the time and effort put into her projects.PhilPhil Rasmussen, US Army-retiredThe Mountain WoodworkerHendersonville, NCwww.mountainwoodworker.com
August 2, 201411 yr This was probably done with a router, one piece at a time& glued together then hand sanded. It may also have been sanded with different drum sizes as Spence suggested. Here is an interesting YouTube video that I found recently that might also interest you.Square holesCharles NichollsSite Hostnicholls61@att.netProud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRAhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks
August 2, 201411 yr Lewis, I would try cutting each different layer out with a scroll saw, then sanding each piece on the inside with a drum sander. After this I would glue all pieces together in their predetermined order, then you can sand the outside and apply the finish.
August 2, 201411 yr LewI would use a method of glueing up the blanks up to 1 1/2" and cut the them on my scroll saw. Once cut then a drum sander to smooth them out. Cut the bottom a little over sized so when glued to the rest of the project, you can sand flush with the sides. As you joint the top sections, a drum sander or hand sanding will be easier to reach and match the interior sides. Also working with a drmel use a cable extention which gives you much more control. Best of luck buddy.Wayne MahlerGod bless and protect our troops that serve so we can be free.
August 2, 201411 yr Personally, I like Spence's idea of an oscillating spindal sander. Â Scrolling each layer will work for the rough cuts but will still have to be sanded as a unit after glue-up. Â Charles, nifty idea. Â How long can one get a flush cutting bit for the router? Â Might just work for the whole project, whatcha think?Layers of different species of wood is still going to be tricky any way you look at it. Â Gotta be careful in sanding because you will eat away soft wood way faster than hard wood. Â (Of course, y'all already considered that - right????)Fredaka Pop's Shopwww.pops-shop.comScroll Saw Forum Host
August 2, 201411 yr Author Now that's a cool way to drill a hole!Charles Nicholls said:This was probably done with a router, one piece at a time& glued together then hand sanded. It may also have been sanded with different drum sizes as Spence suggested. Here is an interesting YouTube video that I found recently that might also interest you.Square holesCharles NichollsSite Hostnicholls61@att.netProud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRAhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks
August 2, 201411 yr Author Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions! Looks like the consensuses is to put the oscillating spindle sander to work!  Of course, I may have to- wait for it- build a jig!!! Lew Kauffman-Wood Turners Forum HostTime Traveler and Purveyor of the Universe's Finest Custom Rolling Pins!
August 2, 201411 yr Yes, Charles, that could easily be routed with a pattern, 1-2 layers at a time...then the layers glued up. Then osc. spindle sander for the compartments. Then add the bottom and sand the outside. I vote for pattern routing as the way to go for easiest sanding of the compartments.
August 2, 201411 yr Spence Bloom said:Yes, Charles, that could easily be routed with a pattern, 1-2 layers at a time...then the layers glued up. Then osc. spindle sander for the compartments. Then add the bottom and sand the outside. I vote for pattern routing as the way to go for easiest sanding of the compartments.I think the bandsaw method would be second easiest as far as sanding inside the compartments, and lastly the scroll saw method, because of the variability when someone is cutting each layer independently. That could be a sizable sanding job to get the walls continuous and smooth. The main reason to do the scroll saw method is if one's benchtop bandsaw's height capacity is less than 3 1/8" or one can't do pattern routing.There is no doubt in my mind that drilling/chiseling/hogging out the compartments is the most time consuming method of making the compartments AND it would leave the toughest sanding job of the 3 methods.
August 2, 201411 yr I'm not sure Fred. I'd be interested to know though.Fred Wilson said:Personally, I like Spence's idea of an oscillating spindal sander. Â Scrolling each layer will work for the rough cuts but will still have to be sanded as a unit after glue-up. Â Charles, nifty idea. Â How long can one get a flush cutting bit for the router? Â Might just work for the whole project, whatcha think?Layers of different species of wood is still going to be tricky any way you look at it. Â Gotta be careful in sanding because you will eat away soft wood way faster than hard wood. Â (Of course, y'all already considered that - right????)Fredaka Pop's Shopwww.pops-shop.comScroll Saw Forum Host
August 4, 201411 yr Found some nifty ones at: Â WoodcraftCharles Nicholls said:I'm not sure Fred. I'd be interested to know though.Fred Wilson said:Charles NichollsSite Hostnicholls61@att.netProud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRAhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks
August 4, 201411 yr Author Thanks, Fred! I think I'm going to use the pattern cutting bit. That way I can create a large surfaced template and clamp the pieces under it. Then rout with the hand held router.I really appreciate all of the suggestions and tips!!!Fred Wilson said:Found some nifty ones at: Â WoodcraftCharles Nicholls said:Charles NichollsSite Hostnicholls61@att.netProud supporter of The Wounded Warrior Project, Homes For Our Troops and the NRAhttp://www.etsy.com/shop/nichollswoodworks
August 4, 201411 yr That is a band saw box.here is the guy who does ithttp://www.davidlevycreations.com/desk-accessories.htmlHey~!! It's a hobby~!! It's not supposed to make sense.
August 4, 201411 yr Author Thanks, Cliff.I had looked at his site after my sister-in-law had shown me what she wanted. At first, I too, thought these were bandsaw boxes but for the life of me, I couldn't see the entry cuts. At that point, I started to wonder just how they were made. The internal cuts looked too perfect and symmetrical to be done by "hand". Cliff said:That is a band saw box.here is the guy who does ithttp://www.davidlevycreations.com/desk-accessories.htmlHey~!! It's a hobby~!! It's not supposed to make sense.
August 4, 201411 yr well if I were going to do it another way it'd be CNC or maybe on a slot mortiser. But Bandsawing is so straight forward and with the bottom not installed it'd be easy enough to sand the insides.I bet the corners are drilled.Hey~!! It's a hobby~!! It's not supposed to make sense.
August 4, 201411 yr Author aahhh...if I only had a CNC machine!!!Cliff said:well if I were going to do it another way it'd be CNC or maybe on a slot mortiser. But Bandsawing is so straight forward and with the bottom not installed it'd be easy enough to sand the insides.I bet the corners are drilled.Hey~!! It's a hobby~!! It's not supposed to make sense.
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