Random Projects & other Shenanigans - The big cat's back

I'd go (and have done this exact thing before) for your alternative and mount a box on the wall, you can incorporate a start button in the box and it makes it easy to add in an E-stop / pullwire switch etc. Having the contactor before the VFD shouldn't cause any problems with it. Certainly the ones I've built have been trouble free ...... so far
You can buy ready made starter boxes complete with buttons, pretty cheaply, although they are not hard to build especially if you already have the parts.

Since getting my MR2 project on the road and the Norway trip i have been a bit quiet.
Its not that i havent been doing anything but i do seem to have missed out on updating you all.
You may have seen i have been playing with the lathe and that has taken a fair bit of time.

I finally got some finishing touches done on the workshop.
Only taken 3 years but i finally got the doors insulated and the vapour barrier up



Followed by 9mm mdf and white emulsion



This also meant that i could finally finish the wiring for the lights.

With that done i spent a few weeks tidying up my storage areas since it was getting a bit overrun.

On the smaller jobs side its mostly just been playing on the lathe,
I needed a dimple die of a particular size so made it.



Found someone on ebay selling a load of bar ends for cheap so grabbed a bunch. And threw a quick storage solution together.


Needed a new handle for the lathe tailstock.


I bought a few drafting sets


Mega cheap and just needed a bit of a tidy up.




A set i gave my dad was missing a lead holder so i turned out a quick one




I wanted to make a slightly bigger tap handle since i have the odd tap that doesnt fit my usual one.
I'm copying the presto handle i already have which is pretty much a lathe only project. Which is convenient since i don't have a mill. Hole marked up and then drilled on the pillar drill.


The flats were done on the bench grinder and then finished with the file.


I realised later that i probably could have used the surface plate and made the hole and flats on the lathe. Maybe a challenge for another time.


Oh and i made a new scribe, nice bit of fun.


Then for a bit of something different there is a project i have been trying to get around to for years.
I could do with a shrinking stump.
An oak sleeper stacked in the back of my dad's workshop seemed like a good candidate.
Cut into 3 lengths, planed and thicknessed


I aimed for 30” which seemed a good hammering height for me.
Drilled out for some m20 threaded rod since i had some laying about.


Then a bit of 2” 10mm flat bar cut and folded to make a strap for the top.


Glued the 3 pieces together and bolted it all up.


The base was a bit overkill being 50x100x8mm angle but its not going anywhere.


Carved a bowl into the top and applied a bit of linseed oil.


Then it would be rude not to test it.


Followed by a bit of dolly and slapper work we have a workable panel.


Its not a particular panel for anything but mostly just a practice piece.

Then i made another one trying to keep it matching to the first one, so at this point i might aswell make something so I'm going to weld a strip inbetween them and make a motorbike style fuel tank.
I don't have a bike but maybe it will make my little diesel heater work a bit better

Thats a good idea. i have a permenent 12v supply in the workshop so probably could rig something up rather easily. Even an old mr2 fuel pump would probably do the job 

Very nice, better than the original, you won't break that in a hurry 😎

Getting a start i ripped the main planks of walnut i needed down to side and rough width


Then planed both faces flat to each other.


Cut finger joints in the edges and glued together



I cut the rest of the parts i needed including the shelf supports and draw fronts while all that was gluing up.
The draw bodies are going to be made from oak.


So lots of cutting and planing later and i have a good stack of parts.


Along with 2 very bored looking dogs.


The sides and top come out of the clamps the next day and left in a stack with the rest and a bit of weight on top to stop curling


Time to test and setup the dovetail jig


Came out pretty good and i made a few small adjustments after that..


Then time to do all the box body


It all came out rather well, I'm not doing a dry fit until everything is ready to go as all the joints are very tight and i don't want to risk splitting the sides by taking it apart multiple times.

There are “shelves” and uprights to take runners for smaller draws.
These bits are also getting a dovetail joint into the box sides, so i cut them in next.


And then the corresponding piece


Still more slots to cut for various other bits, then ready for the outer box assembly.

+1 it certainly is 👍

That's really nice wood

Bit of oil on that and you'll be to dive into the grain, looking forward to seeing the finished article 👍

Making a bit more progress i put a radius on the inner section panels.


Fitted the runners and fitted them into the box.


This is where a things went a little wrong, The glue was starting to go off by the time i was trying to fit everything and the dovetails were all a little tight. They took some hammering to get in place and i was worried about splitting the box seams. In the end we got them down though.


The top 2 vertical bits didnt seat all the way down due to a miscalculation in the upper dovetail and there was no way they would come back out so will have to stay where they are.


Next i moved onto the lid, because of the way its done my dad recommended adding some extra strength to stop the lid curling over time.


This is where the creature we all know and love as Project Creep reared its ugly head.
The decision was made to use this bit as a document wallet.
I'm also using oak again since i have some oak faced ply that will be good for the front and back.
The frame made and mitered


I cut some ply for the front and back, also cut the front piece to have some indents in the top and bottom.


This means that i can get hold of any papers from the top and also pull out any small bits from the bottom that get dropped in.

The miters were grooved and i cut a loose tongue for them for a bit of extra strength.
Then time to glue up, Originally i was going to use pins but was worried about splitting the thin piece of oak so decided on brass screws instead, of course with a liberal amount of glue.


Should be able to get a good wad of papers in there


Next it needs recessing into the lid side pieces and some pins fitting so it swings forward, along with a catch to hold it in place.

Oh and another project turned up, more on that later.