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| Spargelzeit in Bayern |
Yesterday I was having some problems chopping mortises.
Well, the problem is that banging on a mortise chisel in the basement storage room of my apartment building is likely to get me evicted.
Lucky thing.
My progress yesterday consisted of marking out all of the mortises for the legs on my Shaker side table and chopping out one and a little bit of the other one on the same leg. Then it was quiet time in my building and I had to stop all the racket.
Last night, while laying in bed not sleeping, it occured to me that I marked all the legs the same. In other words, I marked out each leg to take the mortise from an apron. That's OK for the dining table I made last, but this table will have a drawer in the front. Only two legs need mortises like that on each side.
Duh!
When I got home from work, I was worrying about these legs. I have two that the grain is dead perfect gorgeous. These were supposed to be the front two. The rear legs the grain runs out a little bit. Only the back legs get apron mortises on both faces. I figured I had a 50/50 chance that I did it right.
I didn't.
Now the options are to either change the leg orientation or leave the orientation and insert a patch. The patch shouldn't look too bad, as it will be covered by the front drawer.
But I'll know it is there.
What do you think? Please take a moment and answer the poll at the right side of this blog.
At least I only screwed up one leg so far.
Sorry to hear about your "bad leg" incident.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am thinking (not that it happens very often) during a project I try to start every joint etc. on a back part of the project. Then theoretically The first joint will be the least visible one, and hopefully I will have improved by the time I make the joint for the front.
Is there no way that you can make a new leg?
Jonas
That is the unlisted option. I hate to do it though, because there is nothing wrong with the mortises, other than I put them on a leg they weren't intended for.
DeleteGood idea though, I'll do that next time.
Patch it, and make the patch a hidden feature, you have symmetry already!
ReplyDeletePerhaps a secret compartment!
DeletePatch. Actually Shannon Rogers made a video of this same thing on his blog not too long ago, and it turned out pretty nice.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.renaissancewoodworker.com/fixing-an-accidental-through-mortise/
Thanks for the link! I forgot he did that. Good idea.
DeleteI know what you mean by "i'll know it's there". IMO, I'd patch and leave the beauty on display, particularly if it'll be mostly covered.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I've become a fan of your blog. Keep posting. I'm a rookie and appreciate following trials and tribulations. Just wish it would start translating into me making fewer errors along the way. heh.
Thanks, Tinfoilhat! You made my day.
DeleteI wish I could have more tribulations than trials to report. Especially when I get stuck being out of the shop for three weeks.
Yeah, should have noted successes also. And my name is Sean Phillips, in Texas, USA - not sure why the Google account is using that handle.
DeleteHi Sean! Google works in mysterious ways.
DeletePerhaps you should keep your nickname.
Another vote to patch and just continue with the rest of the work. One of the ideas behind speedy handtool woodworking is not fretting too much over the invisable (or nearly invisable) surfaces.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kees!
DeleteHonestly, I figured everyone would say, "Don't worry about it, put the back leg in front!"
Interesting, and I don't think the inlay would be very difficult. That is, as long as it doesn't pop out and bind the drawer.
Brian, you should use a mallet with a urethane head, may be it will be less noisy! patch the leg is my vote! good luck!
ReplyDeleteHi Aymeric,
DeleteGood idea! Perhaps that would be better. However, I suspect that much of the noise comes from the chisel to wood, and wood of the leg to the wood of the bench. I'll try it, though.
Oh, and the poll that blogger provides sucks! The numbers have actually been going backwards. Same thing happened on my last poll. I'll have to figure out a different way to poll from now on.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI do mostly bowl turning and am very self critical of the form and finish. An artist from south Florida was critiquing my work and we were looking at a piece that I did for me. Even my wife didn't get it, but he did. He correctly ID'd the features and theme of the piece. It was great! Of course I immediately started pointing out the short comings and what I should or shouldn't have done. He smiled and said, "You know what's wrong with you woodturners?" "No", I said. "You don't know when to shut up." I still have a problem with self critique, but I am learning not to be so attached to my work, I love it, I even cherish the process, but when it's done...it's done. I enjoy the piece for what it is, let it go. Make it the way you want and move on to the next piece. I dare say it will still be far and away better than anything you will find in a furniture store and you made it.
A secret compartment is always a good idea. Even if it will only hold a folded dollar bill.
ReplyDeleteSo I would like to change my vote from change orientation to "something else" being a secret compartment.
Jonas
When I first saw the photo, I thought it was wood! Oh, and patch the hole! I did the same exact thing one time, I patched the hole, nobody was the wiser!
ReplyDelete