Getting started with the box

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Chris Hall
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Location: Greenfield, Massachusetts
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Getting started with the box

Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:36 pm

So, at this point 3 days in, many of the new members (but not all) have posted up a self-intro, and a few have gone on to post on topics here and there on the forum. All great!

At this stage I've put up a drawing or three giving an overview of the project, and indicated that the individual maker has the option to make the box dimensions as they please, and to please feel free to share their designs with the rest of us. I've started a build thread, showing some initial milling steps. I've made some suggestions about materials and noted that once you have your design worked out a little further that it would be a good time to obtain some wood.

So, what I'm wondering, at this early stage, is how this is shaping up for you? Were you expecting complete plans down to the last peg measurement? Would some folks feel more comfortable if the parameters of the project were more narrowly defined? What are you expecting as far as a 'pace' goes. I've found that I can easily outpace people in the Carpentry Drawing study projects, so I seek to find the right balance where the fast ones aren't bored and the slow ones aren't struggling and feeling desperate that they are falling behind. The more I know about what you want the better I can tailor the course. Your feedback would be most appreciated.
Ro
Rogu

Re: Getting started with the box

Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:54 pm

I am enjoying the process and am enjoying discussing various permutations with some of the other board members.

I have draughted up plans in AutoCAD but I don't have enough knowledge to know why some of of the joints have been employed or what some of the details are. Some of the material thicknesses would allow me to proportion some of the joints. For me the drawings go a long way to explaining the design reasoning.

I think that I would like to start by receiving the detailed drawings after the initial concept drawings and the various permutations. The detailed drawings allow me to stretch and alter the project to my needs. I am a draughtsperson so this works best for me. It might not work for others.

I like that we received some very beautiful design drawings and I like that there were shown samples of other similar projects.

Those are just my thoughts.
djwong
Deshi
Location: Cupertino, CA
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 12:52 pm

Re: Getting started with the box

Fri Feb 03, 2012 8:31 pm

This toolbox project is more difficult and open-ended than I expected, but that is not to say that is a bad thing. It threw me at first, but forced me to really look at my tools and how I might organize them. I don't know if I can finish the build in a timely manner, but I do like that the project can be scaled down to fit the individual builder.The SketchUp views you have provided are really fantastic and honestly enough for me to extrapolate the details I need now, but some detailed drawings on the joinery would be helpful.

David
Koot
Raw Log Import
Location: West Kootenay, BC, Canada
Posts: 28
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 3:30 am

Re: Getting started with the box

Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:44 pm

I must confess that I was expecting a complete plan down to the last "peg". Do I actually need that? ... No, I really don't, although it would make it easier getting started.

Before I start a project I create a cutting list for each part that includes sizes and specifies joinery on that part. This means that I know what the finished product will look like and what joinery is needed to make it happen. What you have provided so far allows me to do that, although I still have to decide on size. I am used to working from a 3 view paper plan, not SketchUp projections, but if you can use SketchUp to post 3 view drawings of each part that would help me in creating my cutting list.

As far as "pace" goes, IMO fly at it, the faster workers should not be held back and I may gain from their experiences. I'm going to be working at the pace that is comfortable for me in the time that I have available. My wood is dry in an unheated shed. It may take me a couple of weeks to condition it in a heated room before preliminary cuts. Another group member may have finished the toolbox by then and be looking for the second project before I have put a saw to wood. So, it is probably best to run this at your pace Chris.

Working online creating a group project is going to be a learning experience!

Marv
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Chris Hall
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Re: Getting started with the box

Sat Feb 04, 2012 4:24 pm

I realize that there are no specifics provided for the joinery yet, but don't worry, that's coming soon. While I leave it to the maker's discretion as to the size they make your box or what is put in it, the point of the project in most respects is the way it is joined together, and I would very much like people to adhere to the joinery methods shown. When we get to those sections I provide plenty of detail.
ya
yanai

Re: Getting started with the box

Sun Feb 05, 2012 7:43 am

Chris Hall wrote:
So, what I'm wondering, at this early stage, is how this is shaping up for you? Were you expecting complete plans down to the last peg measurement? Would some folks feel more comfortable if the parameters of the project were more narrowly defined? What are you expecting as far as a 'pace' goes. I've found that I can easily outpace people in the Carpentry Drawing study projects, so I seek to find the right balance where the fast ones aren't bored and the slow ones aren't struggling and feeling desperate that they are falling behind. The more I know about what you want the better I can tailor the course. Your feedback would be most appreciated.
I think this seems like a great project to start with. I like the way you posted a basic drawing of the idea, so that we can begin to wrap our heads around it and think about how we will use it and tailor it to our own needs. This also gives us a chance to think about wood and milling, as well as getting our space ready.

I think leaving the dimensions up to the builder and doing without exact measured drawings is fine, but (for me at least) this study group is where I plan to learn joinery and expect to see more detail there. Which seems to be exactly what you are aiming at Chris when you wrote that you'd like us to adhere to the joinery methods you've outlined in the drawing. I think that it would be great if the other members (as well as Chris) put up some posts detailing their methods for executing the joinery and build rather than just posts of the finished project. For me that seems to be a better way for us to share information and help each other learn.

mike
ch
chas.cavanaugh

Re: Getting started with the box

Sat Mar 10, 2012 7:25 am

Hello Study Group,

I am a yurt builder in Switzerland and am gathering skills with hand tools for building furniture
for the yurts. I was attracted to Chris Hall's ideas and fine furniture through his blog so I
decided to jump in to the study group and make some tool boxs.

My goals are to build my skills with handtools and build a set of boxs for specific sets of handtools.

Chisels, Hand planers, Saws, Measuring/Marking, Squares, Screwdrivers, Hammers.

The drawings from Chris are good. I will start soon to layout my tools and find the right
combination of dimension and trays based on Chris' input.

More soon,
Charles Cavanaugh
www.milarepa-ecocamp.ch

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