Dado With a Vengance

Happy Memorial Day everyone. Be sure to take a minute to remember that it is for more than a three day weekend from work. We might not be able to make saw dust and talk about it like we get to if not for the sacrifice of some.

Tonight I made a couple of further steps on the Joinery Bench. two days ago I spent most of the day with a plane in my hand and I got the worktop flattened to a consistent thickness. Now it was time to begin the planing for the legs. This involved cutting dados in the bottom of the benchtop to support four cleats. Between these cleats is where I can secure the legs using carriage bolts and wingnut washers to allow for easy breakdown.

So again came out one of my pride and joys, the dado saw I managed to make from scratch. (you can read about that journey HERE) like before it worked very well.

I made all the cuts and then hogged out a bunch of the in between with a wide chisel.

Then I made good use of the router plane with the wider 1/2 inch blade. I took it in passes at three depths to level out the bottom of the dado. I have to say I havent gotten to use the router plane to do a whole lot since Ive gotten the rust cleaned up and the blades sharpened, but it is a different kind of enjoyable from other planes. The results are very satisfactory taking the roughed out bottom of the dado and making it a nice smooth playing field.





The dados were done, but it was too late to forge on tonight without pissing off the neighbors, but tomorrow Im going to start on the legs, I am thinking if I really work at it, I can be finished with the legs this week and getting the wrap and accessories done the beginning of the week after that. None to soon either, I want this to be ready for my Medieval Reenactment Groups first real show of the year near Peoria in 3 weeks. Im not sure Ill make it, well see how it goes, Id rather skip doing wood working demos for a show and have it correct and done right for the next one, than field something half assed.

There is at least one other project I need to accomplish this week as well.I guess well see just how efficient I can be from here on out, For more info on the upcoming show and the Medieval Reenactment Group I belong to, you can visit us at the Tribe Woden Thor website.

Cheers!

Oldwolf