Travelling Hexagon toolbox – Part 4

See Previous installments on this project here:

Part  1 - Part 2 – Part 3

The deadline (self imposed) for this project is coming up, and I needed to make some serious progress this weekend.  I’ve been busier than my normal level of insanely busy at work due to a “restructuring” that saw 50 people laid off, but my group got three additional people from other groups so I had to get them integrated and up to speed.  So, extra levels of chaos at work and mental exhaustion means I didn’t get anything done last week like I wanted to.

Fortunately this weekend I had some clear space and an accommodating wife who sent me down to get it done.  On Saturday I knocked out two complete panels as well started chamfering the edges for the hex shape.

All five panels finished.

Here is a shot of the finished panels and the the sixth panel will be the bottom, and won’t get decorated.  The order completed is first on the bottom with most recent at the top.  I got more comfortable as I went, and feel like my first panel was the worst in term of ease and final product.  Starting at the bottom, they are arranged in order of completion.
The one with my nickname on it will be on top, and presented a unique challenge, lettering.  I have never done anything like that before, and didn’t have a clear idea on how to do it.  But, I kind of made up my letters based on a mish mash of times new roman, and some letters I saw carved on a chest from the 16th century.  Turned out ok, I suppose.

The top pattern is totally new to me, and is from a partial pattern of a wainscot chair back that I had in my photo collection that I believe came from museum shot from Peter’s Blog.  The pattern was pretty simple to layout with three of my collection of dividers, and I like how it came out.  It works pretty well in the relatively soft Alder I’m working in, since small details can be fragile in this wood.

Last night I had gotten the 30 degree bevel planed on three panels so far, but that was enough for one day.  Today I got back to work on the bevels, and thankfully for my sore back learned a new lesson.

Don’t forget the old tools.

I was spending 30-40 strokes with the #5 fore plane set very aggressive.  I was working up a serious sweat, and my back is sore from yesterday.  I thought there has to be a better way, and then I remembered my old drawknife. I bought this back in the beginning of my woodworking adventure, and never really found a use for it.  Today I learned the lesson, don’t forget the old tool.  The drawknife takes aggressive cuts easily, and I was able to hog off the waste in a few dozen strokes with a lot less effort.  Then a few passes of the #5 and #7 planes and done.

I think I can get this done in time to take it to the Tool Chest class out in Port Townsend.  I’m hoping to use it to carry all or most of my tools I want to take to the class with me.  We’ll see how many fit once I’ve actually got it together.