Current Project - Puzzle 05

OriginalAs I await an answer for Puzzle 04 (The Corkboard), I am starting work on Puzzle 05.  It is supposed to be a wooden chalice, but we will see.  As I mentioned in my “On Carpentry” post and in the description of how the Viking Table was built (see the Projects section of this site) I am not a master carpenter to say the least.  Woodworking is a hobby I enjoy immensely but I don’t own the vast array of tools required to perform every possible task.  And even if those tools were to magically pop into existence, I would be largely clueless on how to use them. 

topandbottom.jpgSo I make do with what I’ve got.  Actually, that is part of the fun.  If I had a machine that made quaint 19th century reproduction end tables just by throwing mahogany into the hopper and pressing GO it would really defeat the purpose, ya know?  Not that I would turn up my nose at a free wood lathe, though…

My goals for this project are 1) use only the tools in my garage for construction (no buying new stuff) and 2) spend no money on materials.  Those of you that have read my previous posts on this topic know that I favor re-purposing materials for my projects when possible.  It’s cheaper and it adds a little more fun to the process, I think.

I got the idea for this puzzle while chopping wood with my father-in-law last Thanksgiving.  He has a large shed filled with oak, maple, cedar, pine, and other wood taken from trees felled on his property.  I saw a hunk of maple in there that looked like “it might be useful for something” (other hobbyists know exactly what I am talking about) and he said I could have it.  Actually, every time we go there he insists that we take back at least half a truckload of wood with us, which is cool…

RoundedAnyway, this piece had (probably) been curing for at least a year and it looked pretty flawless – no cracks, good shape, nice and heavy, etc.  After I picked it up it took about two seconds to come up with the idea for the wooden chalice.  It’s gonna take a lot longer than that to make it happen, though, and it may not happen at all if I screw up badly enough during the construction process.  But at least I will get some woodworking XP along the way. :)

The progress so far can be seen in the photos.  In case you are interested, the tools I have used to get to this stage (as of  Jan. 1) are: hammer, hand saw, wood chisels, cordless drill, hole saw, clamps, and a Dremmel.  I don’t have any formal plans, but I will occasionally check out DIY sites for advice from time to time.  The overall look I am going for with this project is “rough hewn” (not that I have much choice, but I like that style anyway). 

holestart.jpgI will post more progress on the chalice every once in a while.  Hopefully, I will be done before Puzzle 04 is solved.

I will leave this section of the site open to questions and comments.  Advice will probably be welcome.  As long as it doesn’t take a DeLorean, a flux capacitor, and an unlikely timed lightning strike to follow, that is.  I mean, what kind of advice starts with “You shoulda…” or “I would have…”, anyway?

After I am done with this project, I will transfer this page over to the Projects section of the site. 

Enjoy!