# It ain’t perfect, but...



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

...I made it anyway. A kitchen table hutch for a coworker whose wife sketched out the details. Went through the final details with the husband and the rest is history. Muffed the long ‘wall’ by forgetting the layout of the middle portion, etc. Was glad to see I could make dados on both sides of a 1/4” piece of Maple without compromising the material. Used clear Titebond glue which was a big help. A freebie job that I completed in less than a week with about 18 hours into it.

Another good learning experience on how-to and how-not-to make a box. The practice will be useful for a copycat project - a tea box.


----------



## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Nicely done, Bryan, nicely done!

David


----------



## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Looks good to me Brian


----------



## Cherryville Chuck (Sep 28, 2010)

Nice job. That's a very handy design.


----------



## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

Very nice, Brian...


----------



## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Thats really nice Brian ,I’m really liking the radiuses . Thanks for sharing


----------



## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

sweet!!!!


----------



## Oscar36 (Feb 23, 2019)

Classy. Very nice.


----------



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> Thats really nice Brian ,I’m really liking the radiuses . Thanks for sharing


The ‘customer’ was especially taken by them but to me they were a design nuisance. Here’s why - anything off a 90-degree cut widens that mitered surface’s width, so each of those 45-degree radius cuts added half again as much material to mate up as a simple square corner would have. Lining up the interior surfaces left a good 1/16” of material sticking past the joint - I just crudely shaved it off with a chisel and rounded them off with 80 grit until I could go to a lower grade of sandpaper. With all the other warts to try and conceal, this was the worst one. Thankfully, they will love this freebie and never complain but I’m wondering how to do it correctly - if there is a way. The upcoming Tea Box Won’t have any radius corners!


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Sweet! Looking forward to Kit. Table Hutch V2.0...the one that holds a 6 pack and a bag of chips.


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Bstrom said:


> The ‘customer’ was especially taken by them but to me they were a design nuisance. Here’s why - anything off a 90-degree cut widens that mitered surface’s width, so each of those 45-degree radius cuts added half again as much material to mate up as a simple square corner would have. Lining up the interior surfaces left a good 1/16” of material sticking past the joint - I just crudely shaved it off with a chisel and rounded them off with 80 grit until I could go to a lower grade of sandpaper. With all the other warts to try and conceal, this was the worst one. Thankfully, they will love this freebie and never complain but I’m wondering how to do it correctly - if there is a way. The upcoming Tea Box Won’t have any radius corners!


I like the radiuses look rather than a boxy square look. To eliminate the one angle longer than the other on the corners ,you will have to bisect the angle.
Herb


----------



## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Well done. That would make a great choice for a picnic or patio table as well.


----------



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

Herb Stoops said:


> I like the radiuses look rather than a boxy square look. To eliminate the one angle longer than the other on the corners ,you will have to bisect the angle.
> Herb


Can you offer a more detailed explanation, Herb? I think I understand but seriously doubt it! More pieces and smaller angles? (A drawing would be helpful...)


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Here is a video. You have a end board meeting the side board at 45°so the inside angle is 135°. Half of that is 67.5°. This is very important to know because you are going to be running into situations all the time where you have to miter a corner that is not at 90°. This is especially true if you ever have to run trim as in a house. Most corners are not 90° and you have to make a good fit.
Also you can stand the boards together at the angle you want then draw a line between the inside angle and the outside angle with out ever knowing the actual angle is in degrees.






Herb


----------



## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Very nice.


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

I believe Herb's talking about these intersections...
He's suggesting that for a perfect fit on both the inner and outer planes, the matching pieces need to have identical miters, whatever the actual total angle is.


----------



## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I like it. Has kind of a 30s moderne look to it. Only thing I'd add would be some short feet so it stands above instead of in sister Susie's spilled sauce. Reminds me of something out of my way back memory bank. Some good advice on construction. Getting miters right is such a challenge


----------



## Multiwood (Feb 24, 2013)

Very nice Brian


----------



## sreilly (May 22, 2018)

Great design Brian. Working with 1/4" wood must be a challenge, one I haven't tried yet but I do have some boxes to make so 1/4", 3/8", and maybe 1/2" will be likely used. I had to look hard at what Herb was referring to and then I remembered my experience with an 8 sided piece I made long ago. Finding the exact angle versus what I ended up with was just slightly off. When it comes to projects I've done many over the years and a few based on Norm Abram's designs such as a few bookcases and then an entertainment center based on that bookcase design. In almost every project I can think of there is a flaw/design change that I almost always see first when I look at them because I know where to look. Others who have seen the piece many times never noticed but I'm drawn to that each time. 

Each design change/flaw has been a teaching moment and I am still learning evidently......but I seldom repeat the same mistake as I have many more yet to discover. While your table hutch may not be perfect it is highly functional and the next likely will be even better. Just to mention what Tom said adding some small feet would be helpful I think.


----------



## Chris Itin (Oct 15, 2019)

Bstrom said:


> Can you offer a more detailed explanation, Herb? I think I understand but seriously doubt it! More pieces and smaller angles? (A drawing would be helpful...)


Maybe this will help. 
When you make a normal 90-degree miter, you cut the pieces at 45 degrees (half of 90). 
For this application, you are making angles of 45 degrees, so the cuts would be 22.5 degrees (half of 45).
That will make the mating pieces the same thickness.


----------



## roxanne562001 (Feb 5, 2012)

Very nice


----------



## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Chris Itin said:


> Maybe this will help.
> When you make a normal 90-degree miter, you cut the pieces at 45 degrees (half of 90).
> For this application, you are making angles of 45 degrees, so the cuts would be 22.5 degrees (half of 45).
> That will make the mating pieces the same thickness.


Hmmm. Am I thinking wrong, the inside angle is 90°+ 45° = 135°. the bisected angle would be 65.5°.

Herb


----------



## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Yeh, as the total angle opens up, ie gets larger, the actual chopped miter also increases numerically, ie getting _closer_ to a 90deg cut.


----------



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

You are all much smarter than I am - but no more! I have the mathematical solution and will use it on the next piece! Thanks Herb and Chris... please promise me you will reveal my ineptitudes every time you see them.

Many thanks for all the encouragement after such a klutzy start. The 1/4" material wasn't as tough to deal with Steve since it was very sturdy Maple. Another 'improvement' I'll be making is to 'mic' the stock coming out of the planer and fitting it into a test dado for the best fit. This can only get better, right? Hello? Ha!


----------



## ScottyDBQ (Jul 5, 2008)

A very nice project Brian. You've done well.


----------



## MEBCWD (Jan 14, 2012)

I like the overall design. The radiused items add interest to it. For a first try at box building you get a high five, a gold star and an attaboy.


----------



## Danman1957 (Mar 14, 2009)

Brian,

We all tend to be critical of our projects, but lets face it, it is very nice and practical and a gift. It sure beats my table piece that only holds napkins and the S&P shakers !
I do like that mine has a handle, did you consider that as a feature ?

Dan


----------



## Bstrom (Jan 2, 2020)

Danman1957 said:


> Brian,
> 
> We all tend to be critical of our projects, but lets face it, it is very nice and practical and a gift. It sure beats my table piece that only holds napkins and the S&P shakers !
> I do like that mine has a handle, did you consider that as a feature ?
> ...


Yes, it was a good learning experience and I can't ask anything for what is essentially a prototype for gaining skills. I really prefer to gift what I make as most of my friends are looking for or likely to spend what these things are worth. Cuts out a lot of expectations and complication in doing this well.

For a handle, since it wasn't going to go anywhere we didn't want a handle sticking up in the way of all the cubbies. And it's a bit hefty so two hands are needed to move it with all its contents still loaded in it. A smaller, simpler version could certainly use a handle. Good thought...


----------



## papasombre (Sep 22, 2011)

Wow Brian.

Can't image the perfect one.


----------

