| Contemporary Walnut Bench -- Copper-Veneered Base |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-303 |
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With the base boxes and mortises assembled, work can begin creating the copper veneer for the boxes and making the support posts.
Materials: 16-oz. copper sheeting
Walnut stock for posts
Table saw; tenoning jig
Band saw
Drill press
Jig saw
Disc sander
Table router
Hand-held router
Rotary sculpting tool
Air sander
Epoxy glue
Carpenter's tape
Clamps
Safety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Web site -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc.
Copper Veneer Steps:
- Sixteen-ounce copper sheeting is used to cover the bases. Begin by making layout marks on the copper using the base as a guide (figure A). Add about 1/8-inch to each of the sides to allow for possible slippage of the copper during glue-up.
- To cut the copper sheeting to size, use a bimetal blade on the band saw (figure B). A bimetal blade cuts through wood and non-ferrous metals.
Safety Alert: Use caution when cutting the copper, and wear safety glasses, as cutting can produce sharp, metal slivers.
- On the copper sheet for the top of each base, use the drill press to make holes in the corners of the mortise cut-out (figure C). To prevent the copper from slipping, use double-stick tape to secure it to a piece of scrap wood.
- With the copper still attached to the wood, use a jig-saw to cut out the mortise (figure D).
- Once all of the copper pieces are cut, rough up the glue sides using a disc sander and 80-grit sandpaper (figure E). Roughing up the surface of the copper creates a mechanical "tooth," enabling the glue to adhere tightly.
- Glue the copper to the surfaces of the bases by adding a layer of slow-setting epoxy to the copper (figure F) and the plywood (figure G).
- With the glue applied, set the base onto the copper (figure H). The whole assembly rests on a layer of cork and plastic. The cork helps even out the clamping pressure so the copper adheres evenly. The plastic prevents the cork from sticking to the copper.
- Add clamping pressure, and let the assembly dry for a few hours.
- Adding the copper takes time because it can't be applied to all sides at once. After the first piece has dried, the edges of the copper can be flush-trimmed at the router table before moving on to the next side.
- Once the glue has dried, use a 2-flute carbide router bit rotating at low speed (10,000 rpm) to flush-trim the edges of the copper to the base (figure I).
- Once that side has been trimmed, repeat the steps to add copper to the next side using epoxy and clamps (figure J).
- When the glue has dried, flush-trim that side as well (figure K).
- Continue with this process -- adding copper to the sides (figure L) and trimming the copper flush -- until the entire base piece has been entirely veneered with copper (figure M).
- To remove the excess copper on the inside edges of the mortise, use a hand-held router with a flush-trim bit installed (figure N).
- Finally, flush trim the outside edges of the top at the router table.
- Repeat the steps for the other base.
Walnut Posts With the copper bases finished, work can begin creating the sculpted walnut posts that will support the bench seat.
- The stock for the posts is milled to dimensions of 3-5/8 inches wide by1-1/2 inches thick by 7-3/4 inches long. It's a good idea to mill the stock slightly oversized. The objective is to achieve a snug fit in the mortise. If it's oversized, it can be trimmed down for an exact fit. If it's to small, you'll have to start over with new stock.
- To join the bench to the bases, mortises are cut in the walnut slab and integral tenons are cut in the top of each post. Since the slab for the seat is 1-3/4 inches thick, the integral tenon is cut so that it's 1-1/4 inches tall.
- Begin by cutting the shoulders of the tenon at the table saw. Cut a shoulder all the way around the post (figure O) with table-saw fence set at 1-1/4 inch and the blade raised to 1/8-inch.
- Raise the blade to 1-1/4 inches and cut away the cheeks using the tenoning jig (figure P). Use a sharp chisel to clean up any rough spots on the shoulder to ensure a clean fit.
- With the tenons cut, to add texture to the visible portion of the walnut post, sculpt the wood using a rotary sculpting tool (figure Q). Add carpenter's tape to delineate the portion of the post that will be textured. The sculpted wood surface (figure R) will add both texture and transition between the copper base and the seat in the finished piece.
- Before gluing the posts into the copper-veneered bases, use an air-sander to soften the corners and edges and rough up the copper surfaces (figure S). The rough surfaces will aid the process of adding the chemicals that will create the patina effect.
In the segment that follows, the bench seat is created and a chemical treatment is added to the copper to create the patina.
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RESOURCES :
Fine Woodworking
A magazine devoted to high-quality craftsmanship in woodworking.
The Taunton Press Inc.
Website: www.taunton.com
The Small Wood Shop (The Best of Fine Woodworking)
Author: Helen Albert (Editor)
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561580619
Woodworking Techniques: Best Methods for Building Furniture from Fine Woodworking
Author: Editors of Fine Woodworking magazine
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 1561583456
Mastering Woodworking Machines (Fine Woodworking Book)
Author: Mark Duginske
Publisher: Taunton Press
ISBN: 0942391985
David Marks Website
David Marks, DIY's Wood Works host, is a master woodworker. For more information on cut sizes and project details, please contact him via his Website at www.djmarks.com
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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