Halfway: Carpentry Class #4

Carpentry class tonight was fantastic! (I have just realised I didn't write about the second class, will do that later)

I started off the class by screwing my tray together, took me about 15 mins (with Robert showing me what he wanted me to do) I had to mark and drill holes and then use the drill to screw it all together and give it one final sand to take off the marks left by the clamp and a few machine marks on the base.

One tray - all done! 

Pine sides and ends, MDF base.

My handle makes me happy, it fit around my fingers jut the way I imagined it would.

After the tray was all done, I broke out my plan, which has had to be altered slightly as I'm now doing it in plywood. 

My sheet of ply, had to be cut to fit in the car. 

All ready to cut even more!

I got to use the table saw to cut the lengths to the correct width, then I got to use the drop saw to cut those lengths to the correct size for ends and dividers. I also used the table saw to cut the 20mm trim for around the top to stop the squab cushion from sliding off. It was great fun using all these machines!

Then I made a template for the 'feet' at the ends, penciled that on to the wood and cut it out with the bandsaw! While trying to clear under the blade though, I managed to take a slice out of it where I wasn't supposed to - bugger it! But it was fixable - Robert buzzed of along the bottom where I had sliced it, so it will be vaguely shorter than first anticipated, but I purposely made it a bit higher, just in case - clever me ;) Then I filed down the rough edges, sandpapered them and then... it was time to pack up and go home. I really really really wish I had my own workshop space right now! I really did NOT want to stop!

I had to make a slight adjustment to the height of the box, just because of the size of a piece of wood that was left, so it has gone from being 450mm high to 440mm high. It was really of no coincidence  - it just meant I needed to make the dividers 440 high as well. 

Robert said that I should be very proud of what I have accomplished tonight - and I am! Others in the class said it was really ambitious and that I was very clever. These things all make me very happy.

Next week I will take in the large sheet of 12mm MDF I have left, which will form the seat part of the box. I decided to make that part from MDF, as it won't be seen, with the cushion on the top. It may yet become the bottom of the box. We'll see :)