Day 2 of the Shade Structure

Carol Reed

In Memoriam
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Location
Coolidge, AZ
Didn't get a lot done today but did come up with a more predictable process. All 4 posts now have tenons milled on them. Sorry, too dark when I finished to take a picture.

I did spend considerable time getting two mortises housed and fitted. That was the most predictable process. First I draw out the post position on the header. Then I mark of the center of the holes to be drilled to hog out the waste. I set out the outline with a 1 1/2" chisel and a dead blow hammer.

G Marking out the nortise.jpg

After drilling the holes, I chopped out the waste. Getting holes to the right depth eluded me for a while until my brain kicked into gear and I set a few gauges to measure the depth. Trying to remember numbers and read rulers each time is a recipe for error. Set the gauge and then I don't need to remember the number.

Part of the problem was that I intended to house the post and that 1/2" more in depth didn't translate to the hole depth until the first tenon didn't fit for depth! Re-drilled and cleaned out the bottom and I was good to go.

Somebody mentioned no routers up to this point. Well, here you go! I sawed the housing for depth and then set the router bit depth to clean out the housing.

H Setting router bit depth.jpg

Purty, ain't it?

I housed mortise routed flat.jpg

And, the final fit.

J Housed tenon & mortise joint done.jpg

Next up are the knee braces. This out to be interesting.

knee brace.jpg
 
I have been playing with D-Handle ideas for a couple of my routers. I was over-thinking it and although not the focus of your thread. the picture of the router plate handle is a winner for me. Go, Carol, Go!
 
Plans for the Big Foot for the router are in my previous book. If you don't have that, trace a hand saw handle you find comfortable. Adjust the bottom for the angle most comfortable for your wrist. Draw a circle slightly larger than the router base. Measure out for the handle base. Draw an arc around the back of the handle. Dra straight lines tangent to the base circle, and there you have both the pattern for than handle and the pattern for the base.
 
No glue on timber framed structures. Since this structure will be moved, I am going to use 3" screws. When it is moved and set up in its final destination, white oak pins will replace the screws.
 
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