A small project - Shou Sugi Ban Trivet

[nicer20]

Today is a "World Creativity and Innovation Day".

Creativity is a trait that differentiates us humans from rest of the animals.

So here is what I made using some scraps lying around. Also wanted to try my hand at the Shou Sugi Ban technique. Hope you guys like it.

Thanks,

NG

[LCHIEN]

I do like the simplistic style.

Maybe I'm being critical, but it would have been more interesting if the grain pattern of the adjoining pieces was a continuous match across the gaps.
Just looking at it, it gives me a nagging impression that the wood all came from four totally unrelated pieces because of their grain and lack of gradual change.
Maybe its just me but I think the use of grain is important here especially where the grain is emphasized by the char finish?
But you did say they were scraps. To do what I suggested you would need a wide scrap and rip it into 4 side by side grain strips and keep the order carefully as you assembled it.

[nicer20]

Yes sir - that is true and I did realize it. But as you guessed they were 4 independent pieces of scrap. Was just trying Shou Sugi Ban first time. Thanks for the critical review - I need to pay more attention.

BTW this is another project where I wished I had a drill press since the holes had to be perfect for the dowels to pass through and not twist the strips. I used my handheld dowelling jig for the purpose but a DP would have been quite useful.

NG

[LCHIEN]

I was thinking a dowling jig would be useful for that project. Or a set of Dowel Centers.

[leehljp]

BTW this is another project where I wished I had a drill press since the holes had to be perfect for the dowels to pass through and not twist the strips.

I used to use dowels long ago and knowing the precision needed, your simple project boggles my mind just from the above perspective only!

[LCHIEN]

I like to look at things like this and wonder how would I do it, as a mental exercise.

For this one, a trivet might be 7x7 or 8x8 inches the raw material might be a 1x6, charred.

At 5.5" true width and 4 pieces, 3 gaps 7" wide with 0.5" + kerf gaps would work conveniently.

So

1. cross cut the charred piece to 7" long.
2. Use masking tape on the ends to mark them 1 2 3 4 to keep the grain straight and in order and the right side up and correct ends matched. Make sure the 1 is underlined to show which way is up.
3. each piece is going to be 1/4 of (5.5" minus 3 kerfs) or 1/4 of 5.3" if you have a thin kerf (.093") blade or 1.325 or 1-21/64.
4. Rip the first strip off. leaving a piece about 4" wide left.
5. Use a machinist vise like https://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch...ise-30999.html
6. I keep my drill press table square to the bit axis as a practice. I then level the drill press itself so that a level placed on the table is flat level with the horizon in both directions This makes it easy to check that your work is square to the everything if you want it to be.
7. Place the vise on the table, the wood on the vise on edge (7" side facing up) and check the level of the edge of the wood.
8. Mark the 5 equi-spaced locations for the holes, centered on the width. 3/8" brad point drill, set the RPMs to ~1500 softwood or 750 Hardwood. You just need to mark the five locations from one end and then mark the center of one of them.
9. Set the vise so that its base is against the fence, lock the fence so that the bit is centered over one of the hole locations.
10. Drill the five locations to 3-1/2" deep.aligning one to the centered mark and then sliding the vise down the fence to make the remaining holes on the same centerline.
11. Rip the three remaining pieces with two more table saw cuts.
12. Place the number one piece in the vise with the edge that mates to the number two piece facing up and some amount above the jaws of the vise, use a level to make and check the piece is flat w.r.t. in the vice and DP
13. Take the no.2 piece and align carefully with the number one piece. Use a piece of flat square scrap to line up and several small clamps to align the two pieces together with the mating edges matched perfectly on the length and width.
14. Now adjust the level of the DP table and set the vice over one of the holes. If the fence is in the same place as before the bit should be able to line up in one direction.
15. carefully lowering the bit you can accurately re-enter the exiting hole in the number 2 piece.
16. Set the depth stop of the DP to drill halfway (1/2") into the number one piece.
17. Drill all holes re-entering the existing hole and drilling into the number one piece.
18. Cut five dowels (3/8") about a hair under 6" long.
19. Cut some scrapwood spacers exactly the width of the gap... approx 0.5" plus a kerf (0.93 if you used a thin kerf blade)
20. Put the five dowels into the number on piece.
21. Work the #2 piece onto the open end of the dowels and use a small rubber non marring mallet to work it down the dowels using the spacers as a stop.
22. I think I would use a micro pin nailer with 1/2" pins to fix the strips to the dowels from the back/bottom (as opposed to gluing).
23. Using more spacers put the remaining strips in place and pin to the dowels.

Done

Of course, that's based on the tools that I have. Failing a drill press, a dowel jog and a hand held power drill would be the next choice.
But this assures the holes will be nicely lined up and parallel.