Why do I keep doing it?

[whit3rd]

Years ago, I made a track saw. 'Twas a torsion box with some slick
rails screwed to the side, that engaged a vertical rib fastened to
as long a straight edge as I could rip with a table saw.

My Skilsaw clamped into the box, and a plunge-cut through the 'back' of the
box revealed the blade to the workpiece.

To keep the box stable, lacking a suitable jig for making a box joint, I hand
dovetailed the corners, tnen planed the bottom surface accurately flat
and affixed a thin hardwood plywood 'back'.

But the side of the box with the guides, had to stay absolutely
straight or the guides would bind, so... that side was good seven-ply plywood.

It's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling a dovetail in plywood.

Years later, I wanted a weather-resistant cover for a saw on my back deck,
and got some yellow cedar for the frame, and dovetailed those joints, too.

It's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling a dovetail in soft yellow cedar.

And now, with a flimsy wire antenna to mount to a frame, I've got the same
yellow cedar, and am making mortise joints (so some water-resistant
glue will hold). Not only is it a nuisance to chisel it, it doesn't even
take a Forstner bit for a straight hole.

It'll last decades, but takes two days to finish six mortises. Because
it's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling in soft yellow cedar.

[Unknown]

whit3rd <whi...@gmail.com> wrote in
news:a8aa81e6-6da3-48aa...@googlegroups.com:

What you need to do is heat that soft yellow cedar up to the currie
point, then drop it in a bucket of oil or water. Heat it again, probably
to a straw yellow, maybe a blue and quench again.

Now it should be much easier to work with! :-)

Puckdropper
--
http://www.puckdroppersplace.us/rec.woodworking
A mini archive of some of rec.woodworking's best and worst!

[Leon]

Get a Festool domino. It should pay for it self shortly if it takes you
2 days to cut 6 mortises by hand. ;~)

[Jack]

At what, $1000 a pop, he'd have to cut a lot of hand mortises in short
order to quickly pay for itself, particularly since the domino can't cut
dovetails and standard mortises can be cut many ways faster and better
than by hand, without the need for a domino.

Of course if he cuts mortises for a living, or, has an oil well in his
back yard, he might want to look into getting one, or the whole set for
$1500...

--
Jack
Tolerance is the virtue of the man without convictions.
http://jbstein.com

[Leon]

I see $1,000 being paid for in about 2~4 days, regardless of how many
mortises are cut. Time is money and it will not take long to recoup the
expense than 3 mortises per day is your speed. ;~)