Pekovich One Board Table Template
jimhelminski
| Posted in Jigs, Fixtures, Tips & Tricks on
Review Mike Pekovich’s Video Workshop on the “One Board Table”. When Mike gets to forming the legs he refers to using a full size leg template. How does one make a full sized template? Please give me a better alternative than Sketchup. I don’t have the Sketchup skills or the printer to accommodate a larger printout. Any thoughts?
Mike is a great teacher and artisan, but some time in these video workshops you get all psyched about making the project “Yeah I can do this” and then one little aspect comes a long and you say say to yourself “Well Sh%t, there goes that idea.” And when I search on Fine Woodworking all I get are How To’s with Sketchup.
Jim
Replies
If software is not your friend, a pencil, rule and some butcher paper is the way to go. Draw out your shape to scale, transfer to 1/4" hardboard, rough out on the bandsaw and file/rasp. shave to shape.
Sorry, that was a little short I had to run . . . back now ;-)
Draw your shape on suitable sized paper (taping pieces together or lightweight paper only make this more clumsy) and cut it out.
Attach the paper to your template stock (I use 1/4" and 1/2" MDF depending on the use) with a light tack spray adhesive.
Cut out at the bandsaw as close to the line as you feel comfortable. If there are any completely straight edges I would do those on the tablesaw to give me a good reference line.
Clean up the template to the line using a sanding block, a rasp, a spoke shave or whatever you are most comfortable with.
Peel off the paper (or not) and clean up any residue with gloves, naphtha and a paper towel.
Write on the template with a felt pen. Be verbose. I cannot tell you how many times I had to try to figure out what I was trying to tell myself about a template until I got serious about documenting things on the template.
Example:
G&G 9 drawer chest
1/2 cloud lift divider.
Flush cut, 1/2" bit.
Watch for tenons.
Seems like a lot to say but, after a half a dozen other items I would find myself going back to a set of templates and making errors with position or cutter sizes. Seems like it should be obvious but, if an extra word or three will save me from ruining a part, so be it.
+1 for GeeDub.
I bought a couple rolls of paper, one white which is fairly thick, and thinner brown paper for drawing on. That and some graph paper will be your friend.
I looked at SketchUp but nawww....
Largest size graph paper you can find. I do all my designing on graph paper. The learning curve foir sketchup takes time I would rather use on other things.
“[Deleted]”
A little orthogonal to the question but consider the opinions offered about CAD (Computer Aided Design) for woodworking in this ancient Knots thread:
https://www.finewoodworking.com/forum/cad-kills-craftsmanship
Personally I draw a shape needing a template straight on to a piece of plywood or whatever else is going to serve as the thing that a tool of some sort will follow to copy the shape into a wooden part. I don't get the need for the intermediate paper drawing stage. After all, an eraser works on plywood just as well as it does on paper ......
..... Unless you're using CAD, of course.
I've never tried feeding a sheet of plywood into a printer but it seems unlikely to end well. On the other hand, someone somewhere will have made a print-on-ply printer, probably in Japan or maybe Sweden. Baltic birch only, though!
Lataxe
Somewhere, I remember hearing about a printer (inkjet,I think) that would work for printing signs on doors up to at least 2 inches thick! It could also print a white background as well as full color.
The suggestions so far are great, but I thought I'd add my method to your arsenal. I do use CAD to design everything before I actually make it, but like you don't have a printer to print the design. As a result I often make my curves using wooden splines, specifically 1/8" mahogany. For this table leg I took a piece of 3/8" ply wood and marked the dimensions of the leg, bottom points and top points. Then I mark the straight parts, using a combo square or ruler. For the curved parts I pick 3 points along the curve (CAD helps me figure these out) and drive in some finish nails. Then I bend the spline using the nails as guides and trace the spline onto the plywood. Then proceed as others have said, shave, file and sand until happy. I've used this for legs, aprons and even cutting boards. Attached is a picture of the Mike Pekovich's table, in Mahogany with the legs made using this method. To me they look pretty close to his design.
I know you said Sketchup is not your friend but if you use another drafting / design program (to many to list) you can turn it into a PDF and take it to a printer such as Office Max or search the internet for an architectural printer near you. It will cost you a couple of buck but they can print it full size on 24" x 36" or 30" x 42" paper. The advantage is you can create a couple of different design on one sheet so you can look at design options.
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