whit3rd wrote in
:

Years ago, I made a track saw. 'Twas a torsion box with some slick
rails screwed to the side, that engaged a vertical rib fastened to
as long a straight edge as I could rip with a table saw.

My Skilsaw clamped into the box, and a plunge-cut through the 'back'
of the box revealed the blade to the workpiece.

To keep the box stable, lacking a suitable jig for making a box joint,
I hand dovetailed the corners, tnen planed the bottom surface
accurately flat and affixed a thin hardwood plywood 'back'.

But the side of the box with the guides, had to stay absolutely
straight or the guides would bind, so... that side was good seven-ply
plywood.

It's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling a dovetail in plywood.

Years later, I wanted a weather-resistant cover for a saw on my back
deck, and got some yellow cedar for the frame, and dovetailed those
joints, too.

It's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling a dovetail in soft yellow cedar.

And now, with a flimsy wire antenna to mount to a frame, I've got the
same yellow cedar, and am making mortise joints (so some
water-resistant glue will hold). Not only is it a nuisance to chisel
it, it doesn't even take a Forstner bit for a straight hole.

It'll last decades, but takes two days to finish six mortises.
Because it's a TERRIBLE nuisance chiseling in soft yellow cedar.


What you need to do is heat that soft yellow cedar up to the currie
point, then drop it in a bucket of oil or water. Heat it again, probably
to a straw yellow, maybe a blue and quench again.

Now it should be much easier to work with! :-)

Puckdropper
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