Boxes a la Tom Watson

[Scott McCray]

I believe Tom did those from crown molding...nice looking work, huh?

Scott

[Nate Perkins]

Hi,

Perhaps Tom Watson will be kind enough to answer this, but other help would be appreciated as well.

I was admiring the boxes on Tom's web site

'm puzzling on how to work in the curves. How the heck would a person work those curves into the box top and the bottom of the sides?

Thanks in advance, Nate

[Leon]

I have done those type curves on feet for cabinets.

You can do this also with a TS. You clamp 2 boards the width of the piece you are going to shape diagonally over the top of the blade slot. Raise the blade about 1/4" and feed you piece diagonally through the blade between the two clamped boards. Continue to raise the blade until the desire depth has been reached. The greater the diagonal, the wider the arc in the piece you are shaping.

[George]

Which are made on shapers.

You'd be surprised how many types of moldings you can make with your tabled router and multiple passes/bits.

Bit of scraping when complete, and you've got it.

[Swingman]

IIRC, TW has, or had, a "Shaper", a machine similar to router mounted in a table, that is used to cut custom profiles in trim and molding. Multiple passes with different bits can give you basically unlimited profiles.

My bet is that he used it for many of the profiles you see in the boxes.

... gives you an idea of one style of the tool. With different bits, you can do much the same thing in a router table.

[Mike G]

From the pictures on his site he is apparently using a Williams and Hussey machine. A piece of equipment people who know about mill work like Tom's is THE machine to own.

[Charlie Self]

Mike G notes:

Yes, it is. Some weeks ago, Tom had his W&H set-up for sale. Don't know if he actually sold it, but he was willing.

Charlie Self "The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind." Jacques Barzun

[Nate Perkins]

Hi Leon,

Thanks, your post did get me thinking. I have done some coves on a tablesaw and also the asymmetrical coves. So I can see how the concave part of the sides might be done, it it isn't too shallow. I might even be able to use a spokeshave to make a smooth convex side. But the top of those boxes looks like the concave part varies in depth along its length, and the bottom of the box looks like it has a base with a 45 along it that was apparently cut from the same board.

I bet with your suggestion I can get 90% of the way there, though ... probably just have to compromise on the base.

Cheers, Nate

[Nate Perkins]

Ah, I was afraid of something like that. Well the third bay in my gar^H^H shop probably won't hold a Williams and Hussey, even if I could afford one (which I probably can't).

Cheers, Nate

[Leon]

For those curves going in the opposite direction, I bevel ripped them on the TS also. Then use a Steve Knight smoother plane to take care of the final shaping of the convex curves. The concave curves were smoothed up with PSA sand paper wrapped around a round object close to the size of the cove. A hint here, try to do all you shaping and sanding before cutting the boards so that all the corners will be close in shape in case of irregular shaping on you part. DAMHIKT.

[Charlie Self]

The W&H is a relatively small machine. Pricey--costs about what a model 66 does--but small in size. IIRC, it planes about 9" wide, max. Check out the ShopFox version. I don't know the price of that, nor do I know if it's any good, but it should at least be interesting.

Charlie Self "The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind." Jacques Barzun

[Mike G]

LOL, I'm afraid I am going to make you feel worse. Last time I got to see one up close and personal it wasn't much bigger then a bench top planer on a stand. A hell of a lot heavier but not much bigger.

[whateverwood]

Nate -

Doubt Tom uses this method - but I would cut the wavy sides and tops using

a bandsaw with lots of resaw capacity and a 1/4" blade. Followed with lots

of sanding.

Cheers! ref

[George]

[Charlie Self]

George notes:

There you go. Memory is the second thing to go. Knees the first. And I only had the loan of a W&H for a couple, three months some years ago, so for some reason

9" hung in my mind.

Charlie Self "The test and the use of man's education is that he finds pleasure in the exercise of his mind." Jacques Barzun

[Larry Jaques]

On 6 Jun 2004 18:01:51 -0700, n [e-mail] (Nate Perkins) calmly ranted:

You might want to DAGS for "table saw cove cutting" for a less pricy way to do those boxes.

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[Pat Barber]

Here you go:

[Mike G]

Changed the subject a bit to keep the threads straight.

When ever I think about expanding my work thoughts of doing architectural millwork keep poking it's head up.

When it does the same question always also crops up. William and Hussey or Woodmaster. Now, as I have already noted those who know about such things indicate the W & H is as good as it gets but on the other hand the Woodmaster also does millwork with the, to me, extra added attraction of being able to gang rip.

Ah well, it isn't a decision I see having to be made anytime in the near future.

Just an idle thought

[Nova]

Will the Woodmaster do curved molding?

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

[charlie b]

At a local estate sale I found an older 50's or so Woodmaste, I recall a model number like "400" or "408". The friend of the heir who was selling the stuff for her for $350 with one profile. There were some other knives for another $100 but none looked like anything I could use. The manual said there was also a drum sander and jointer accessory but I already have both so that was not worth anything to me.

If you're interested I could see if it's still available, get some digital shots of it and the knives and you can see if it's of use. If so, I can put you in touch with the seller. This was a few months ago so it might not still be available but ....

charlie b