Archive for August, 2009
Playing With New Designs
One of the good things about having multiple products is when I get tired of working with one; I can shift gears and work on a different one. I worked all last week on face grain boards using ash. The ash has provided a lot more character to these boards, so I decided to apply these same wood combinations to my dipping boards. This week I changed gears and have been making a new series of dipping boards using ash as the primary light wood.
Dipping boards are no more difficult to make than cutting boards, but they are a little more time consuming. After glue up and sanding, I place them in a homemade jig and route the circular well for the bowl and the tray portion for the food. Since this operation requires two different bits, I use two routers that are preset for the correct depth.
This is my Dewalt router with a straight bit and brass template. The glued up board is clamped into the jig and I just follow the circle cut into the jig to make a 3 7/8” diameter by 1/4” deep well.
I use a CMT bowl bit in a Porter Cable router to cut the tray portion of the board.
This router has a large MDF base to keep the router from falling into the jig. It takes five or six light passes to cut the tray out. My router is only 2HP and cannot cut too deep or it will stall.
Once the tray portion has been cut out, I use a random orbit sander to smooth it out, and a 2”, foamed backed sanding star chucked in my drill to sand into the corners.
After all this, I do final sanding to 220 grit by hand, and put three coats of salad bowl finish on the board. The one on the left is unfinished and the one on the right is the finished product.
Back in the shop
I’m finally back in the shop and focused on cutting boards for a while. I have about a month and a half before my next big show, so I have a little time to work on new designs and products that have been floating around in my head. All of my light woods are hard maple, but the grain, or lack thereof, doesn’t have a lot of character. Figured maple can be very dramatic, but it can be a little pricy and not always available. Because of this, I am experimenting with ash. Ash is almost as hard as maple and has a very pronounced grain pattern.
I have a large inventory of end grain boards, but I’m getting low on the less expensive face grain ones. Face grain boards are simpler to make, thus requiring less labor. The lower price points contribute to more sales and a faster turnover of inventory. I’ve always had a few at each show, but I was never satisfied that I had a big enough selection and styles. This will be changing this week. I also have some new dipping board designs drying in the clamps right now using ash.
