| Pyramid Art Pedestal -- Base Veneer |
From "Wood Works"
episode WWK-210 |
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Australian Lacewood Veneer With the plywood base assembled, it's ready to be covered in a veneer Australian lacewood. Materials: Assembled plywood base
Australian lacewood stock for veneer
Band saw
Drum sander
Jointer
Laminate trimmer
Plunge router
Yellow woodworker's glue; glue roller
Chalk; carpenter's pencil
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. Australian lacewood is a member of the oak family, and is typically quarter-sawn to expose a distinctive medullary ray-fleck grain pattern. This specialized wood is frequently available only in stock of narrow widths. For this project, three slices of 6-inch stock were cut and edge-glued to achieve the width necessary for each side piece. Therefore, a total of twelve pieces will need to be cut to cover the four sides. Three more slices will need to be cut to cover the bottom. Steps: Cutting the Veneer - Using the band saw (figure A), cut each slice of veneer 1/16 inch in thickness from the lacewood stock (figure B).
- Run each veneer strip through the drum sander (figure C) to remove any saw marks that may have been left by the band-saw blade.
- At the assembly table lay out three matching veneer strips, selecting the adjoining pieces for an attractive grain pattern, and mark a chalk triangle as a guide (figure D). This process will be repeated for each of the four sides.
- Joint the edges flat using the jointer (figure E) so that when the edges are glued together to form the veneer, they'll line up perfectly.
- To glue the side pieces together, apply yellow glue to the edges of the veneers. To save time, clamp two veneers together to roll glue onto two edges simultaneously (figure F).
- With glue evenly applied to the edges, lay three veneer slices down side-by-side, and apply tape to prevent slippage. Use clamps and bricks to make sure the veneers try absolutely flat (figure G).
- Once the sides are dry, remove excess glue using a hand scraper (figure H).
- Cut each glued veneer to the proper size -- leaving them about 1/4-inch oversize -- using the band saw (figure I).
Gluing the Veneer to the Base's Bottom and Sides - To glue the veneer to the pyramid, start with the bottom of the base. The bottom piece is glued on first so that the end-grain can be trimmed away. In that way, the bottom piece is covered by the veneer sheets that will be attached to the sides ( figure J).
- Using a glue roller, apply a liberal amount of glue onto the plywood base, as well as the veneer.
- Next, carefully align the base with the veneer bottom. Use a piece of 1/8-inch cork to help distribute the clamping pressure. A sheet of plastic prevents the cork from sticking to the veneer.
- After the glue has dried, the edges of the bottom veneer are trimmed flush with the base using the laminate trimmer (figure K). The base is turned upside down, and clamped securely to the worktable, for this step. A flush-bearing bit is used in the laminate trimmer, and the base of the trimmer is set at a 7-1/2 degree angle to match the angle of the sides.
- Lacewood is a brittle wood, so care must be exercised not to crack or split the edges while flush-trimming them. Climb milling, which basically means trimming in the opposite-from-normal direction, is a technique used to prevent damage to the edges. Using this technique, trim the veneer all the way around the base. Once the climb-cut is complete, go back in the usual direction with the trimmer to clean up the edges.
- The next major step is to apply the veneers to the sides. Using a glue roller, apply a liberal amount of yellow glue to the plywood, and then to the veneer (figure L).
- Place the side of the pedestal onto the veneer (figure M). The weight of the pedestal works as advantage in this glue-up. As before, 1/4-inch cork is used to help distribute the clamping pressure. A sheet of plastic prevents the cork from sticking to the veneer.
- Several cauls are used in conjunction with clamps to clamp the base against the work table surface (figure N) to get even bonding pressure as the glue dries.
- Once the glue has dried, use the laminate trimmer as before, set at a 7-1/2 degree angle, to trim away the excess at the top and bottom edges. Use a plunge router, set at the standard 90-degree angle, to flush trim the sides (figure O). Use the same climb-milling techniques as described earlier.
- Repeat this process for the second, third and fourth sides of the pyramid.
In the segment that follows, the platform top to the display stand is fashioned out of African wengae.
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
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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