Alder and Purpleheart Knife Block WIP

Ryan Smith

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Hey folks. I finally got a chance to get started on some of the small projects on my list. I bought my GF a cheap knife block set a few years ago and she hates it. It stays in a kitcheb cabinet at all times. So i recently bought her a new set of kitchen knives, and now we need something to put em in.

I havent broken down and bought her a really great set yet so i thought a box-style universal block would be appropriate for when she adds or replaces knives in the future.

This is my first WIP here so a quick disclaimer. Im not a proffesional or master woodworker like many of you. Im a carpenter/multi-tradesman on custom homes and have taken up woodworking as a hobby in my garage. I use mainly portable carpenters tools and lefover mateials from work. But ive seen people do amazing work with alot less so thats no excuse!

The lumber is Knotty Alder leftovers from a rustic guest house job, highlighted by some not-so-purpleheart. The slab of PH was given to me cheap by a friend and has aged well beyond being purple. Ive tried a few tricks to bring back the color to no avail so its brick red heart now :).
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I decided to try out jointing on my router table. The Alder Im using is pretty crooked and wild because we used all the good stuff on the job. The fence on this Ryobi table is a joke so i made my own and shimmed the outfeed with a thin strip of plastic.
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After some tuning it works really well as long as im doing short stock.

Glued up a panel 3 boards wide with #0 biscuits and tried to get a decent grain match on the joints.
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Then i mitered up the panel into four 7" box sides and glued that up. Lesson learned there, glue-only miters need good clamping in all directions during glue-up. They looked perfect when i walked away but a few of them moved. As u can see below i need more long clamps! I just threw 2 on there to oppose the main clamping direction but it didnt work so well.
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While waiting for the box to dry i ripped and rabbeted some PH for the base and cornice, to be added later.
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Next it was time for a new jig. Seems like every project requires atleast 1 new jig :). This one worked but after using it i thought of a much better design so it will be replaced if i do miter keys again.
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Lesson: A table saw with a ripping blade isnt great for miter keys. It left the little v-groove in the kerf. Fortunately the Leatherman Wave came to the rescue with the exact right size file to clean them up, but i think a router will do a better job of this.

Got the PH keys fitted and trimmed and had some little gaps due to the hand filing. After some repair work i think theyll be acceptable. I also feel that the keys a disproportionate to the box. 1/4" may have been better.
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Next was a weird idea i had to add some character. I ran 3/16x3/16" rabbets on each corner to give the keys a M or W shape. It looks OK but apparently my bit was dull so i have some burn and tear-out to deal with. It also gives the box a Native American or Tribal look which i dont care for. I think i can down play that with the rest of the design.
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More to come when i get the time, thanks for looking. :)
 
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Looks like you are off to a great start Ryan :thumb:

I find that band clamps work very well when gluing up a mitered box. Getting all the parts to stay in place with clamps has proven difficult for me as well.

I wonder how a 3/16" square strip of purpleheart would look in the corners ???

Nice job. I'm looking forward to seeing the next set of photos :)
 
Coming along nicely.
I just experienced the problem clamping miter joints that you referred to. Miters are slippery when glued. Looks like band clamps are in order; perhaps I can make my own from extra ratchet straps.
I had the same thought as Bob & Larry where corner strips would dress the block up very nicely.
 
Thanks everybody. I like the idea of corner strips. When i rabbeted the PH base i did it on the table saw so i have some strips that could be fitted and planed flush.

Do you think i would have problems from the opposing grain direction though? The strips would be vertical.

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Great job Ryan! And welcome to the family!

So will this be one of the blocks filled with bamboo skewers? I like the corner details, very nice job on those.

Yes it will get filled with bamboo skewers amd made with easy to remove base so that if the skewers take a beating over time its easy to cut them off and replace.

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Added the corner strips and it looks much better. Hopefully i can do the top and base tomorrow and then prefin before adding the bamboo.

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Top and bottom trim done, base inserted.
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I came to realize that this thing is huge for a knife block, and too boxy. I should have made it a little narrower and a touch shorter. Also 1/2" stock would have been more appropriate. But thats how we learn i suppose.

It will fit her entire new knife set including a whole set of steak knives.

Next step is to finish inside and out 1 coat, then install the bamboo, then the rest of the finish coats on the outside. I havent decided on finish yet. I might just go with Shellac so i can be done and move on to the next project.

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Thanks Bob.

I put a first coat of dewaxed shellac cut 50/50 with denatured alcohol on and it turned the whole thing pinkish! It seems the shellac or maybe the alcohol pulled some of the color out of the purpleheart and tinted the alder! Ugh...

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Can anyone gimme some insight as to why this happened or how to fix it? I blew the dust off the wood after final sanding and then applied the shellac/alcohol.

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never worked with purple heart ryan, but i have worked with alder and it also had a pinkish cast after being finished with lacquer.. so i dont see how shellac would react much differntly.. now if you used amber shellac which is waxed you would get a light orangish cast to your project.. what shellac are you using ? sealcoat by zinnser? that is dewaxed and is clearer when applied than amber.

after going back and looking at your pics again i can see where it does look like the purple heart has bled threw some??
 
never worked with purple heart ryan, but i have worked with alder and it also had a pinkish cast after being finished with lacquer.. so i dont see how shellac would react much differntly.. now if you used amber shellac which is waxed you would get a light orangish cast to your project.. what shellac are you using ? sealcoat by zinnser? that is dewaxed and is clearer when applied than amber.

after going back and looking at your pics again i can see where it does look like the purple heart has bled threw some??

Yes zinsser sealcoat is what i used. I think your right about the alder. Part of the hue is the wood itself and part of it must be the purpleheart. My cup of finish even turned pink after dipping the brush into it a few times.

Perhaps i shouldve pre cleaned the purpleheart somehow before finish. Next time maybe ill spray a few light coats instead of brushing to trap in the color.

Yet another lesson learned! I guess its good to discover all these "dont's" on a knife block rather than a chest or armoire or something. :)

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i would do a search for finishing purple heart and see if that is normal and you might find a fix for it.. but if the brush turned the finish pink then the wood either had dust or it is bleeding.. maybe a wash down first would have helped?
 
i would do a search for finishing purple heart and see if that is normal and you might find a fix for it.. but if the brush turned the finish pink then the wood either had dust or it is bleeding.. maybe a wash down first would have helped?

Yeah Larry i did some googling and apparently this happens sometimes. Purpleheart has so many unusual characteristics, i shouldve reseached more thoroughly.

Although i blew it off before finishing, i probably still had a little dust in the pores, combined with the woods tendency to bleed color. I think wiping with spirits (just on the ph) then vacuuming the surface would have helped.

It seems that purpleheart + solvent = stain. Now i want to whip up a batch with sawdust and see what it does to pine, poplar etc because i bring home lots of that stuff from work. Lol

Never the less it looks....interesting i suppose. She likes it so i guess i will live with it and chaulk it up to experience, though im not too thrilled about having it on display in such a visible part of our home.

I may repurpose it as a chisel block in the shop or something ;-) and build her a properly proportioned and properly finished knife block.


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