| Three-Panel Screen -- Lace-Wood Panels and Wooden Hinges |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-105 |
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The three-panel folding screen in this project features lace-wood panels. For each panel, three matched pieces of lace wood are joined together to create a panel 17" wide.
Materials:
Australian lace-wood stock for panels
(For this piece, a 16' piece of stock was cut to length [3 sections], then resawn on a band saw to create all of the panels.)
Table saw with stop block
Band saw
Drum sander
Jointer
Table router; radius bit
Machinist's vise
Drill press
Handheld router; slot-cutter bit (a.k.a, kerf-cutter bit)
Brass pins for hinges
Saftety glasses or goggles
Note: Cut sizes may vary. For exact measurements, please contact David Marks through his Website -- information below under Resources. Safety Alert: Always wear safety goggles or safety glasses when working with wood, saws, drills, routers, etc.
Joining Lace-Wood Pieces to Create the Panels
Steps:
- The lace-wood stock used in our demonstration was 3/4" thick. The stock is resawn using a band saw (figure A) to create a book-matched pair of boards (figure B).
- The surfaces of each board are then sanded smooth using a drum sander (figure C).
- The edges of each board are made perfectly flat using a jointer. Flat edges are important for a successful glue-up.
- The stock used to create these panels began as a board 3/4" thick and 16' in length. The board was cut into three equal lengths, then each length was resawn on the band saw to create two book-matched boards -- each displaying the impressive medullary ray-fleck pattern characteristic of this wood (figure D). Each book-matched pair makes up two-thirds of a full panel. For the third piece, one of the boards cut from the adjacent length is used in conjunction with the book-matched pair. The grain pattern of the third piece is close enough for a suitable grain match. In that way, three boards that are practically identical in grain pattern are joined to create a single panel (figure E).
- The three boards for each panel are first dry-clamped to ensure a good fit and match, then glued and clamped together (figure F) to form the finished panel. Yellow wood glue is used to assemble the pieces. Using ample clamping pressure helps make the three elements join together and appear to be a single panel.
Creating the Wooden Hinges The next step is to make the solid wood hinges for the folding screen. The hinges fit into the notches that have been cut into the framework, and allow the sections of the folding screen to pivot. Each individual hinge piece is made from a cut piece of maple that has been drilled to accept a brass rod (figure G). - Important: When cutting out the hinge pieces, it's important to make sure that the grain of the wood runs lengthwise, horizontally across the piece to ensure strength. If the piece is cut so that the grain runs vertically, the grain will be shorter, and the piece could break under stress.
Steps: - Begin the process by creating a length of hinge stock by cutting some rough maple stock on the table saw.
- With the hinge stock cut, take the pieces to the table router and round off the edges using a radius bit (figure H) so that the finished hinges will rotate easily in the frame.
- With the edges rounded on the length of hinge stock, cut individual hinge pieces to length using a crosscut sled on the table saw (figure I).
- For precise drilling of the two holes that will accept the brass pins in each hinge piece, a precision machinist's vise is used in conjunction with the drill press. The machinist's vise uses threaded rods for exact adjustments and settings. The precise adjustability of the vise -- coupled with a wooden stop block taped in place on the face of the vise (figure J) -- ensures uniformity in drilling the holes so that the hinges will line up accurately and allow proper operation once installed in the framework.
- Create the pins by cutting a brass dowel on a band saw equipped with a bimetal blade (figure K).
- Use a disc sander to smooth the edges on the ends of the pins to ensure that they'll turn smoothly in the holes.
- With the individual wooden knuckle hinges cut, and the brass pins installed in each, the next step is to install the hinges into the precut notches on the frame stiles (figure L). In order to do this, a slot will need to be cut in the stile, on either side of the notch, for the brass pin to slip into.
- The cut slot -- also known as a kerf -- is cut with a hand router equipped with a slot-cutter (a.k.a., kerf-cutter bit). With the slot-cutter installed, a bearing on the bit rubs up against the edge of the stile while the slot-cutter cuts away the kerf (figure M). In that way, the brass pin can be recessed into the wood, and the hinge can drop into the notch for an accurate fit.
The segment that follows shows how to install the wooden hinges so that the pins are concealed, as well as how to install the wood panels in the frame. Sponsored Resource
> Click here to order your tools and materials for this project from Woodcraft!
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
The Complete Woodworker's Companion
Author: Roger Holmes
Publisher: Watson-Guptill
ISBN: 0823008665
The Complete Book of Wood Joinery
Author: Robert J. Decristoforo
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co.
ISBN: 0806999500
Advanced Woodworking
Model: 0783539126
Author: Editors of Time Life Books
1998
Time-Life Books Inc.
Website: www.timelife.com
Popular Woodworking
F & W Publications, Inc.
Website: www.popularwoodworking.com
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