The Poet Creek Express - Foamie Hybrid

[KCStudly]

Fell asleep early last night and finally had a day to sleep in. Well rested, it was out to Mecca around noon for more work on the front locker.

Started by laying out the boards for the front panel. The three original boards from the first design iteration are the two on the bottom (lower left in pic) and the second from the top. The middle is two drop pieces butted together in the middle, and the top piece is one of the beveled drops from one of the locker cap pieces. These were laid out with alternating growth rings. With the switch to the rabbeted joints for the locker assembly, all of these boards are long and will be trimmed to final width and height after glued up.


Laid out biscuits 2-1/2 inches from each end and every 5 inches between, plus 2 at the butt joint in the middle board for a total of 38 biscuits.


Cut 76 biscuit slots.


Started the glue up with the butt joint in the center board.


Next, while that was curing, I glued the upper and lower sections. No glue in the middle joint here; just used the same clamps for both subassemblies.


While those were curing I got out the Kregg and started figuring out how I was going to screw the locker together as an assembly. For the sill piece I wanted the screws to be on the underside where they wouldn’t be seen, and they needed to be centered on the thick part of the board. Here you can see the pencil line that will be used to align the board in the drill jig…



…and the resulting screw hole.


Next I laid out and drilled the pocket holes in the side panels. The ones at the bottom of the well won’t be noticeable. I decided to put the ones at the top on the inside thinking that it would be better to have the angle of the screws pulling the joint together (I always seem to get a little joint shift due to the wedge effect of the angled screw). I’ll either glue in some of the proprietary plugs or use some Bondo filler after assembly. I’m thinking the inside of the box will either be painted or lined with felt or maybe padded vinyl.


During the layout of the front panel boards I noticed that the two pieces I was using for the middle board were not precisely the same width. In hind sight I could have put these at the bottom and trimmed everything true after gluing, but I figured the panel would be stronger with the butt joint in the middle. So I was careful to align one edge of the boards very accurately putting the mismatch on the other side. Here is the good side.


Look carefully and you may be able to see the mismatch on the other side; just enough to create a gap in the main glue up if not attended to.


So I set the rip fence on the table saw to just skim the narrow half and pared off the difference on the wider half. The difference was so slight I didn’t worry about affecting the depth of the biscuit slots as those always have a decent margin. Just took a whisper with the hand plane near the middle of the board to true the joint and I was happy with the dry fit, so I glued the panel up.


While that was curing I figured the next move would be cutting this decent sized panel to final size on the table saw, so I figured it was a good time to set up the longer guide rails and start thinking about the extended table, and perhaps a panel sled. So I made a full set of the guide rail spacer washers; enough to replace the three remaining plastic ones and to mount the table extension.


Got the long rails installed.


Here you can see the special washer in between the rail and the edge of the table.


By then the locker panel had set for a while and I felt comfortable pulling it from the clamps and scraping down the joints.


Wrapping up for the evening (about 7 hrs in) Karl and I discussed the options for the table saw extension. He thinks we should bend up a sheet metal pan. I was leaning toward wood, perhaps with a laminate top. His argument was that the metal would be fast and easy. He’s right, and probably already has the material on hand. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is done before I get there tomorrow.

[KCStudly]

Day job has been brutal, including a 13 hr shift Wednesday, all trying to get the “new” lip balm kettle and tube filling line ready for production. None of us wanted to work on the holiday weekend so we slogged it out and got where we needed to be.

And there were taxes to attend to.

So, needless to say, I didn’t get anything done on the build during the week. I did come home on Thursday and take a good nap, and slept in ‘til 7:30 yesterday (Good Friday) before running a few errands. Then it was off to Mecca for a pleasant afternoon working on the front locker.

I had left the front panel laying flat on the work bench and it had curled up some. You can see it here if you look at the top (right side in pic) and bottom (left in pic) where it has lifted up off of the table.


Rather than take the time to build a cross cut panel sled for the table saw, I trimmed the sides of the panel using the straight edge and skil saw. Rather than measure, I matched the width to the space between the rabbets on the top and bottom parts (this would bite me later).


For the beveled top cut and the rip cut along the bottom to set the final height, the long rails on the saw came into play.


Next I spent some time deciding how to get the pocket screw jig configured to work well with the rabbet joints. The standard 3/4 inch board settings would have sent the normal screw out too far.


By raising the drill guide in the fixture the counter bore would be higher allowing for the screw lengths that I had on hand, but it meant that the screw would exit even further toward the opposite face of the board. (In hindsight, I should have just lowered the collar on the drill and removed the spacer from the drill guide.)




So I added a shim between the work and drill guide, or in this case a test scrap.


Now the washer portion of the std. screw stuck up above the face of the wood.


So I adjusted the drill collar and switched to the short 1 inch long fillister head screws that have a slightly smaller diameter.



The depth was still close to penetrating thru, but it worked out pretty good for the most part.



After running a test on a piece of scrap I noticed a little curlicue of blue plastic in with the drill chips. Drill just dimpled the fixture.


Oh well, a tool is only good if it gets the job done.

Double checking, the perpendicular joints would be okay…


… but the angled joint at the top cap, which would reference the long edge, would still put the screw tips thru the other side.



I would need to make another adjustment for the pocket holes along the top edge of the panel.

I used the shims clamped to the table (again) to help position the panel in the fixture and drilled the sides and along the bottom.


Then I made an adjustment and drilled along the beveled top edge.

I started to do a full dry fit by clamping the street side and bottom.


As soon as I looked at the other end I could see that something wasn’t right.


I had forgotten that the panel needed to be 3/8 inch longer than the raised portion of the cap and bottom in order to overlap the 3/16 inch rabbets in each side.

So the locker just got 3/8 inch narrower by cross cutting 3/8 inch off of the cap and bottom and redoing the rabbets across the cut end.

Here is the bottom piece (standing up) after the fix.



Had to go back to the end of the bench clamp up, tho simplified, to fix the rabbet on the “bent” underside of the cap.


And I wasn’t too careful. I started the guide bearing a bit too close to the leading edge and rounded it a bit.


And I rolled out past the end of the side rabbet allowing the cutter to dig into the face of the front rabbet.


But none of that will show after a little filler and covering with canvas.

With the fix behind me I was able to do a full dry assembly on the locker using clamps to pull everything together before screwing.

My next problem was the sill that divides the upper part of the locker from the well. Either I measured wrong, or I put the pocket holes in the underside before I had cut to final length. Either way, due to the extra 3/8 inch removed from the overall width of the locker, the part was even still too long, and at least one of the predrilled pocket screw holes would be chopped in half when cut to the correct length. Oh well, with a tight dry fit the glue would do the work anyway; not going to remake the part. The good end first and the chopped end next.



Here you can see the little wing that needs to be trimmed to complete the rabbet around the perimeter of the locker opening that will poke thru the front wall inner skin. This is the top street side of the locker shown upside down.


Here is the same detail on the curb side after trimming the little wing with a chisel.


Here is the whole assembly in the upright position. Front street side.


Street side showing inside.


Mocked into place on the front of the cabin using a little strip of ply clamped to the key catcher ledger at the top to help hold it in place.



Detail shot of the curb side showing how the locker fits over the toe kick spar and runs to the bottom of the floor.


Looking thru the curb side doorway. The areas to the right and left, in front of the lower well and toe kick spar, and along the top where the strip of ply is being used to mock up will be the front wall skin.


And a couple more from the street side.



Finished out the day by taking the locker all back apart, doing a quickie sanding of the inside surfaces using 180 grit on the palm sander, and starting the glue up by attaching the curb side side panel.


Slept in good and late this morning (Saturday) then spent the whole day gluing up the locker. It was a gorgeous sunny and warm day.

Added the bottom.



While that was setting up I took apart the motor starter on the table saw to clean it.

I had read that dirt/debris could be the cause of the humming noise. No pic of it all apart, but long story short, after cleaning the mechanism, polishing the contacts with a soft paper towel, getting it all back together (twice to get it right), and having to swap a wire because the saw was now running backwards… it still hummed. My guess is that it is the low voltage solenoid buzzing. I feel better about it being cleaned and will no longer worry about the hum.

Once I had the other side and sill glued on the locker I was able to start dry fitting the little 1/4 round maple molding that will support the half lap divider at the sill. First three pics from the underside, forth from the top.





Enough time had passed that I could pull the clamps and move on to the top cap.



I dug a piece of pine T&G out from under the crawlspace in the loft (leftovers from when the barn was built) to use as the middle divider between the upper part of the locker and the well. It’s rough on one side and a little over 3/4 thk (about 13/16 inch) so will need to be planed down, but it was there and it was free, so it was for me. After ripping off the tongue and ripping it to width I put this half lap detail on the front edge to match the half lap in the back of the locker sill.


After cutting to approximate length, several additional skim cuts to creep up on a good fit, then hand working the lap with the little matchbox plane to get a halfway decent flush fit, here is how the divider fit in behind the sill (shown looking from the top of the locker).



And upright.


Once I get the divider planed to the proper thickness I can use it to align the 1/4 round ledgers and glue those in.

Now I also have the final dimensions and can template the cutout in the front wall skin.

Add about 11-1/2 hours to the build tally for the last two days. I have a couple of family gatherings for tomorrow, Easter Sunday, so I won’t make it out to work on the camper, but Monday is another day.

I hope you all have a nice Easter.

[bonnie]

Wonderful work. Happy Easter to you and yours.

[GPW]

NICE woodworking KC ... Happy Easter to you too , and everybody else ...

[KCStudly]

Thanks Bonnie and GPW for the nice words. I am happy with it and it will suit the intended purpose.

It gives me a whole new appreciation of what true wood smiths are able to achieve. Despite all of my efforts there are still little issues with gaps, fine adjustments, and wood warping. I have often thought that I might make a fine custom case with finger jointed corners for my pool cue, but I don't think I am quite there yet. The other thing I want to do someday is make wooden gear clocks; long history of clock makers in my family.

[GPW]

Hey KC, where’s the Food pictures ... Isn’t this a big Food day ?

[Wolffarmer]

He is probably still burping and doing his walrus impression. I know I would.

Randy

[Mary C]

Amazing and beautiful work KC, Hope you had a Happy Easter Day. Mine has been great!!! I an so glad you gave that info about the blue thing. mine is a one holer (I just love saying that ) any way now I feel more confidant about using mine but with the battery drill. I hope you took of all the food............

Mary C.

[KCStudly]

Salivating like Pavlov's dog, you all.

It was a great meal at mom's. Unfortunately I am having trouble loading pics to the forum this evening. When I hit 'continue' it jumps back to the upload screen as if I haven't selected any picture files, or shows just the file selection screen with just the first of the selected files.

I'll keep trying and will post up food pics when able to. And yes, even tho I was reasonably conservative and didn't overeat too badly, I am now beached on the sofa at home.

[KCStudly]

Well that didn’t take long. All seems right with loading pics again.

First we had an early super at my SIL’s; veggie platter, fruit platter, bone in baked ham, stewed apples, shell macaroni and cheese, corn bread, fresh bread, homemade vegetable minestrone soup, butternut squash, broccoli, Easter candy platter, spice cake with chocolate frosting and cherry flavored sugar topping, and pistachio cake with maraschino cherries and pistachio whipped frosting.

That meal was early enough, and I managed to show enough constraint that I was quite looking forward to dinner at mom’s later in the evening.

Roast lamb on the gas grill rotisserie spit.


Mixed olives and feta like a Greek tapenade with baguette toast for starters.



The dinner table.


Our friend, the lamb roast.


Quinoa salad with grape tomato, pieces of zucchini, olives and other yummy stuff.


Roasted potato slices with goat cheese topping.


Asparagus with sautéed grape tomatoes and more goat cheese.


On the plate.


Plus there was a side of mixed olives and feta.


Between courses we watched the wildlife out the back windows; wild turkeys and white tailed deer. The lot down the side in back used to be corn field but has been bought out by the adjacent gravel operation as a buffer zone. Bill has been mowing the brush to let it go to grass and spreads dried corn to attract the critters.


Dessert included the place setting; Easter peanut M&M’s in depression era glass finger bowls (they might actually be soft boiled egg servers?).


My aunt Sandra made a black bean based chocolate torte (no flour, so it happens to be gluten free). Very rich and moist.



Mom made parfaits with fresh strawberries and yogurt blended with lemon zest. Refreshing.


And now there is a quiz. What is it? Mom and Bill had this antique device and no one knows for sure what it is. It is engraved with some fairly ornate flower motifs, and has little hatch marks that are filled with colored paint (enamel?). It seems too light duty to be a serious tool. Bill thought that it might be a fancy lid lifter. I think the tapered edge between the hook and spike indicates that it is a fancy letter opener. The metal part appears to be bronze, or maybe bronze plated.




I’m going to cross post this last bit over in the Vintage section and see if anyone knows what it is for sure.

[working on it]

kc-it seems that you have covered pretty much every subject possible in your epic build thread (except possibly the protocols for meeting, greeting, and/or dissection of E.B.E.'s). And maybe you covered that...I may have skipped over a coupla your posts. You've created a compendium of machining and woodworking procedures that covers it all. And you toss in wildlife and gourmanderic photography as well. I wish I had a fraction of your skills, or an infinitesimal fraction of your patience (considering the number of steps you are taking for each component of your trailer). Simply amazing; hats off to you!

[GPW]

Mmmmmmmm!!! Looks Yummy !!! Thanks !!!

Tool looks like something left over from the Spanish Inquisition ...

[KCStudly]

WOI, Thanks!!!

GPW, One guess was that the poker was "ceremonial" in nature.

[Mary C]

That looks like the most delicious meal. I love the pictures I guess I will have to go on a diet now that sure added a lot of photo caloric drooling. Today my son will be here to help me do some of those things I that I need help with. I will keep the pictures in close memory and it will help the day go faster!!!! Looks like you had a wonderful meal and I love the table cloth and napkins very spring!!!!

Mary C.

[KC's Mom]

Thank you all for the nice compliments about my Easter dinner food and table setting. The small green glass dishes are actually candy dishes meant to be used exactly as I did as individual dishes for each guest. I love them!