The Improved and Safer Pencil Sharpener

This is a revision of a little instrument I made a few years ago from a bonus spokeshave that had been

included in a Japan eBay purchase

 

The blade was made into a pencil/lead sharpener.

It worked and remained in this configuration until I brushed up against the business tip of the blade

several weeks ago while cleaning up my benchtop. Only a superficial cut requiring a small band-aid but,

nonetheless a warning. When I had first shown it to DW, she thought it was cute, but did not want it in

the house, calling it an injury waiting to happen.

So the shop cleanup stopped and v.2 of the pencil sharpener began after first aid completed.

The first step after removing the protruding part below the blade  was a taper where the blade seats into

the block- easily done with a thin wood slice from a remnant piece of hardwood.

Matching the woods was not a priority. In the groove hopefully can be seen the cherry wood piece.

The next step was to make a cap that would cover to top of the blade waiting to slice, perhaps impale someone. This required a tapered groove to fit the shape of the blade. A western style plane blade would have made this fitting simpler, but 1) that’s the blade the design was built around and 2) I prefer Japanese blades. With the help of my miter jack jig the cap was made of three pieces glued together and then shaped to cover the tip while allowing the rest of the blade to do its work. 

Another photo with the blade cover on and a little dish for the shavings.

There are much simpler sharpening devices and much more automated ones. But a very useful aspect of the design is that it allows for differing angles as well as different points- standard, blunt vs sharp as well as chisel. It can serve for sharpening lead points as well (lead pointer).

Then there is the mechanical pencil option. I've been a geek about that instrument since I was able to write and have a bunch of them in varying lead thicknesses and quality; many passed on from my mom and DW. Right now, as I'm typing this, mechanical pencils are on my shit list. The black cloud over mechanical pencils is due to after having splurged on a putative marvel of design and craftsmanship, it arrives DOA- point won't advance and the retractable lead guard tip will not lock in place. After all that bally-hoo, the thing does not write. I'm not outing the brand as I've sent a complaint today and am waiting on how this is addressed.

It looks nice, though. What I got out of making and using my pencil sharpener versus buying this (at this time) lead holder led to a consideration of value which is a longstanding interest. One of the books I read this year, Having and Being Had, touched on many aspects of living in a capitalist society but did not dwell on them deeply. While I gave it a middling grade for that, the book was very much worthwhile as a thought/reflection activator on value. The pencil sharpener is valuable to me (an important qualifier) because of the IKEA effect (the increase in valuation of self-made products), scarcity (who else has one?), versatility (see above) and aesthetics (Wabi-Sabi). At the same time it has limited commercial prospects as the few who might be attracted to it, most can either make their version and those who can't would likely balk at the price at the Etsy level of production. If mass produced, then it turns into just another trinket likely to be discarded (see Veritas pencil sharpener).

Back to pencil sharpening. I suppose I ought to have better things to do with my time than doing things this way. But I like doing crafty stuff and this is the IKEA effect applied to the pencil sharpening act itself. But then, just as with anything done by humans, there's any number of folks who will make you look reasonable and moderate. This guy provides a frame of reference as to what can happen: $38.00 in paperback.

"...I am so thrilled David Rees is picking up the reins of the forgotten art of manual graphite-encased-in-wood point-crafting. I love my pencil!"
—AMY SEDARIS

Sewing Machine Makeover

 As covered in an earlier post, it was important that my Mom’s sewing machines stay in the family. One reason is sentimental, the other is that DW was a prolific sewing enthusiast in her younger days. Work and other adult stuff led to that activity hibernating, but with her planning to take that up again when she had more time. So the machines sat in our spare room for a couple of years.

With the pandemic and retirement, her interest in sewing  resurfaced. Also, while the spare room saw no use this year due to lack of out of town visitors, now it was being used more often after becoming the holding library for DW’s children’s book collection. With that, there was less room for the machines. The only wall left was the one from where the photo was taken.

The easiest solution would be to saw off the overhang where the side drawer mounts. Would provide another foot which would allow for the machines to be side by side and for the closet door to open fully.

Machines to be where cat and daybed are

While that would be easy to do with a track saw in situ, it would generate a lot of dust and an ugly end result. That meant dismounting the machines then removing the tops. The part I was least looking forward to was the first.

Underside of the Fomax

The main challenge of the Fomax disassembly was the position and weight of the motor. The overlock machine in one aspect was easier as the machine and motor were not attached to the top but to a supporting platform that hung from the top with bolts. Below shows the scaffolding for that platform was done to allow for removal of the top. It also shows quite a bit of sagging- one of the many reasons I despise particle board.

The machines are built like tanks given that they were meant for professional use. The tabletops though, were made of particle board and formica veneer and left much to be desired. Again, easy solution to the placement problem is to chop off the side where the drawer goes in the shop, remove the edge veneer on the othe sides, replace with new edging and reinstall- but that would not solve having to live with particle board and formica. So between DW’s renewed interest in sewing and my non-work activity options limited thanks to the pandemic, it was a good time for making new tops.

The cutouts for the machines were straight forward given that I was making the replacements from planks as opposed to plywood panels.

The old tops served as templates for drilling mounting holes for the machine and for the tops.

One source of concern had been the difference in table thickness as the hardwood was 1/4th inch thicker than the original top which might have made a difference in the motor belt tension. Thankfully the motor provided a mechanism to compensate for that. Another little wrinkle that was easier to solve with the machines partially disassembled was providing leather pads for the metal feet. The last problem was addressing both the sag and the appearance of the overlock machine platform- Replacing it with a plywood one would have been more work than it was worth. The rabetted hardwood piece in front both hides the end "grain" and with glue and screws corrected the sag.

Here are the machines with the new tops. The change from 48 to 41 inches long for the tops allows them to be along a shorter wall. 

The room looks much more lived in now. Have to think Mom would be pleased with the new tops.

Little Free Library

 

After making a waiting area for G’s classroom library collection at home, the next step in finding these books a new home was to make a little free library. Our neighborhood- great evidence of why it’s a great neighborhood-does not lack for little free libraries-there is at least one more not shown on the map 

But our immediate area could use one and building one is something that has been on the back burner for awhile, so after looking at a few LFL’s  online and getting an idea of project size and placement from our local ones it was time to get back to the shop.

A neighbor once characterized me as overbuilding, which is OK as I’d rather be safe than sorry. This tendency was particularly evident this time;  I likely would have been just fine with lesser materials and finishes, but having a project on your front yard go wonky would be a drag.

The first decision was materials. I went with marine grade plywood given our very rainy climate as it was available locally and for a reasonable price, albeit 3x the cost of the regular sheet. Even then, it was recommended that it be treated with a good sealer product. This was my opportunity to work with an epoxy sealing product. I’m glad I bought the quart size. The instructions were to mix only an amount that you would be able to apply in 5-10 minutes. Being my first time, I mixed much more that that and had the mixed product spontaneously become hot, generate some very worrisome fumes and then solidify after about 15-20 minutes- pretty dramatic. 

No worries, however, as I promptly took the evolving mess outside and still had plenty product to seal both exterior and interior sides. 

Woodworking being a hobby, I try to learn something new with each project. In addition to the above I wanted to design a structure that stayed away from right angles and straight lines where it didn’t interfere with function. 

The roof was an area that I wanted curvy in the slope and there were a number of ways to get that shape. I went with a combination of kerfing to allow the plywood to bend as needed, then used ⅛th inch flexible plywood (a find at CrossCut Lumber in Portland- a specialty product that’s worth stocking at home as it comes in handy) glued to the kerfed side and placed in molding forms to achieve the desired shape were used to make the roof.

The shingles were labor intensive as they needed shaping themselves to follow the contours of the roof- otherwise the curved roof shape looked more like a straight line. Thankfully, it only took me a couple of rows to see that. Removing the guilty shingles and shaping them was easy as it is a small area and cedar is nice stuff to work with that way.

The remainder of the build was straightforward. I was able to use the cutouts for the doors as the doors themselves- a first.

DW did the exterior painting- she’s good at that for which I’m most grateful as I don’t like painting. Thanks to the epoxy product the interior did not need further work.

Making and installing the post was not something I was looking forward to as it involved working with concrete. My first concession to age was buying 60lb sacs instead of the 80 lb. The other was mixing a little at a time in a five gallon container instead of all at one in a wheelbarrow or mixer which is what I’d done in the past. It took a little longer but worked out well.

But no battle plan survives first encounter with the enemy and when placing the LFL on its stand, DW felt it was too tall; unfortunately she was (rrrrr…) right.

After painstakingly putting it together and making sure it was square etc, having to modify it with a hand saw looked to be a drag of a chore, but- wasn’t too bad- a 30 minute bonus step.

Here is the finished LFL, official plaque and all. We’re very happy- it’s our idea of curb appeal and it was a fun project.

And we're on the map.

It’s gratifying to have G’s books find new homes and a bonus to see new books in the LFL. I’m hoping to have my clinic’s LFL built in time for the holidays- that one will be in the lobby and as such will save weather resistant measures.

A Major Book Migration

 

DW retired this year after 35 years of teaching mostly fourth and fifth graders. During that time she accumulated a sizable library in her classroom. Some inherited from her mom- also a teacher, some donated to her classroom from former students and their parents, but most purchased by her over the years. She originally intended to leave them to her successors who are good friends. The pandemic changed those plans. With her former team reassigned or laid off and with classroom learning on hold, we did not want the fate of these books left to the SK school district bureaucracy. Neither dropping them off at GoodWill or other donation sites do justice to the memories these books held and how important they were to DW. Thus her books came home with us rather than the collection face an uncertain future.

Redistributing these books to kids to continue promoting reading is our hope and wish as our lives have been richer in many ways because as kids we both had books in our homes. But how to store 2000 books while slowly having them find new homes w/o the house starting to look like a Hoarders episode?

The above is our spare room- of sorts. It was our guest room, but with the pandemic, not much need for that purpose- recently or for the foreseeable future. It also serves as a sewing room and had room for a bookcase. The challenge was to maximize shelf space while minimizing the footprint. Since most of the books needing a home were less than 7 inches wide, a floor to ceiling shallow bookcase was the solution. 

As no such bookcase was available and distant approximations were either made of MDF and of disposable quality or of solid wood and very expensive, the best option was DIY. One benefit of having owned Ikea bookcases is that while I hate particle board, their design and assembly approach is very functional and their cross dowel and connector bolt construction has worked well on other projects. 

The most practical way to make a 72” wide by 90” tall and 7.25” deep bookcase with 8 shelves is in effect as knockdown furniture- an Ikea Billy case but with solid hardwood sides and plywood/hardwood shelves.

I went against adjustable shelves in favor of fixed height shelves for rigidity as that allowed the use of festool loose tenons for knockdown assembly/disassembly.

This bookcase build was notable for a number of challenges that- thanks for the evolution of my shop over the past several years- could be accomplished with the resources at hand.

The number and variety of clamps needed to do the glue-ups proved the old woodworkers rule that one can never have too many clamps.

Bessey clamps can be joined together to make 100” long clamps- a  feature that’s come in handy in past projects and now in this one for the side panels.

Then cutting plywood and hardwood in 6 ft long lengths for the shelves, top and bottom panels in a manner that they were all the exact same length was made possible with my moveable workbenches.

Another challenge solved with mobile work benches and machines was the holes needed for the  cross dowels.

Here is a view of the side panels with the Ikea style cross dowel assembly used for the bottom and top shelves with the other shelves held with  Festool loose tenons. Thus the bookcase can be disassembled and more easily relocated if needed.

The bookcase was assembled in the room and presto- there’s storage for +/-1000 kid’s books. BUT,

not enough for all the books shown on the top photo plus probably another 1000 books in books in our basement.

So the leftover books were boxed and will be stored in the basement area. 

Here is the children's book section/guest bedroom/sewing room (the sewing machines against the wall not pictured)

The next step in the redistribution process is a Free Little Library for our home's front yard and another one for my clinic.

The OED

MY first meaningful awareness of the Oxford English Dictionary was in the mid-2000’s when I started reading David Foster Wallace. He’s become one of my favorite authors, but damn if he wasn’t making me look up words constantly. Unsurprisingly, it turned out he was a dictionary fan in general and of the OED in particular.  When I first vaguely ideated acquiring it, DW promptly disavowed me of it- to the effect of where the hell are we going to put it? The below being our living room prior to 2012

So that notion lay dormant even after a 2012 home remodel to accommodate our growing book collection, 

Forward to the pandemic markedly limiting our activities while increasing our reading and finding another author- Annie Dillard whose vocabulary required frequent dictionary use. Yes, this is 2020 when it’s simple enough to google the word or use a dictionary app.  But in the meantime, in reading Simon Winchester’s The Professor and the Madman, the LA Public Library’s 2016 celebration of the OED along with other periodic references to it. the OED went from ideation to plan.

Making room for 20 volumes was as they say necessary but not sufficient. It also needed to be accessible and in a setting where it can be used- with a flat surface to rest an open volume and with good lighting to read comfortably. This is the new shelving and books.

The read comfortably part ruled out the compact version requiring a magnifier. 

DW wasn’t happy at first with making the existing display spaces for photos/artwork smaller, the below being the before photo

She eventually humored me, after negotiating for a future project. Ordering individual used volumes through eBay, Biblio and Abes instead of a new complete set was time consuming but worth the savings. The shelving was straight forward with the only challenging aspects involving the recessed light.

The only wrinkle was installing the recessed lighting- a simple task requiring a bit of router work. 

 Hiding the wiring to the electrical outlets and for on/off operation without hiring an electrician and patching wall plaster took a bit more work but also was not too bad.

I had also, in the interval, purchased the concise OED edition in two volumes. It's a nice edition used but in very good condition and only missing the case which was not important to me.

The main advantage aside from being, well, concise, is it's a 2007 edition. It seemed more practical (I know- incongruous in this context) than getting the additions to the 1989 volumes (which are themselves dated as they were last published in 1997. In the reference material department, my remaining “want” is the OED Thesaurus which I have not been able to find used. 

Quarantine Project Kitchen Cabinet and Bookcase Addition

Our kitchen is small by modern day standards and with storage limitations even with all the work done on it over twenty five years. Some of the appliances and other items infrequently used are either in the laundry area or the spare bedroom. A classic first world problem but I figured DW would appreciate my doing something about it now that I had the time. Fortunately the lumber stores I frequent were open and I also had purchased some of the material as it was planned as a Summer project.

The initial obstacle was going to be removing and eventually replacing the granite countertop.  The local place I had done business with over the years was partially open for business but was not allowing customers to look at the available slabs and did not do any slab removals. The reason given for the latter was unwillingness to take on liability for damaging the cabinets. The phone contact also noted that most customers worked through contractors who replaced both cabinets and countertops. He wished me good luck with the project. Here is the 2015 before photo of the area that would be revised. The first step was to remove  the bookcase section

 I remembered they had used a liquid nails type adhesive when they installed the granite 8 years ago. 

A  heavy duty reversible Bessey clamp was able to exert sufficient upward force to allow a thin kerf Japanese flush cut saw- to fit in gaps with no adhesive and cut easily through the glue.

Note condition of saw- it's reserved for ugly tasks such as the above.
Another obstacle was the granite appendage extending past the inland.

A worm drive saw with a diamond blade, a plastic sheet covering me and the area getting sawed off and several pssses along with a disproportionate amount of granite dust and - Bob's your uncle. This was an important step in the process- it allowed the continued use of the existing countertop while making and installing the new components and awaiting the replacement slab.

Next was making the cabinet. Given that the cabinet was going to be used to store appliances such as mixers, cookers, etc, deep and tall drawers were preferable to shelves and doors, though the latter involve less work and the additional expense of drawer slides. Inset drawer design and full extension ball bearing slides- again more work and expense than the alternative overlay doors- were used to keep consistent with the rest of the kitchen cabinetry. The top, bottom and middle horizontal partition of the cabinet frame have cutouts both to facilitate further assembly steps as well as cutting down on the weight of the piece.

The skeleton and boxes and drawer faces were made and finish applied in the shop. 

Watco applied to so much surface area made for a very unpleasantly smelly workspace even with all doors and windows open. It also made for a crowded shop. So the bookcase would have to wait until the shop was cleared of the cabinet components.

Once the smell dissipated, the drawer and slides were installed with the cabinet shell in its place in the kitchen.  The drawer boxes were installed with the faces trimmed and fitted. Besides being easier on my back to install w/o drawers, there are inevitable shifts and need for slide adjustments and inset design leave very small margins for error.

The bookcase design is simple and construction easy thanks to my Festool loose tenon joiner. The difficult aspect is fitting it into a corner that's not quite square and a 50 year old ceiling with a bit of sag in two directions and doing so with 1/8th inch tolerances. Another item which needed assembly in place. Again, something that would have been way more difficult without using loose tenons. 

The conversion fro bookcase to cabinet  provided an opportunity to remedy a narrow storage space by extending the existing island another couple of inches. Hopefully, the newer cherry wood will age to match the existing and sun-darkened cherry.

 I had attempted to use part of the old door but  this happened. I was using the table saw to trim the  rail remnants off and while flipping the piece over the tip caught the blade and shattered it. Scary as wood shards shot all over.

Fortunately the only thing damaged was the stile but that meant none of the old door could be used. 

All's well that ends well. Here is the revised and widened existing island area

and the new storage and bookcase.

In the TolstoyTogether timeline of reading War and Peace, begun on day 18 and completed for the most part  on day 74.

The qualifiers are still waiting on door hardware,  a possible base drawer for me to make and new countertop installed. The latter part will happen after W&P is completed. In the meantime, there's a ebonized oak plank to cover the portion extending past the existing countertop making the kitchen presentable for the month or so that it take for Marble Center Inc to measure, make and install the new countertop. 

In my younger, scuffling days, I might have left it at this stage, but our attraction to soapstone prevailed.