So here’s a terribly not to scale and freehand drawing of a lap joint I learned to do in class a few weeks ago. I initially wanted a reminder of what I did in class, as in:
step one: start with wood!
step two: draw center line, measure out the width of the wood you want it to fit
step three: saw in multiple places within the area that will be removed
step four: use the chisel to remove the strips and chisel out the area until it’s smooth and have no bumps
step five: do the same thing to the other piece of wood
step six: put them together
…..but this drawing is as far as I did.
There’s a few ways to draw the center line, but I was taught in class not to have to do the math and just use the number in the center-ish and count how many lines are included from the center or from the edge… whichever is easiest and voilà! the center! There’s so much I could say about my first piece and everything I’ve learned but this is enough for now.
So happy about the way this turned out. It is so tight too, so I’m afraid to get it off to show the parts. I have to use a mallet and knock it out to get the parts off, hence my (badly drawn) figures. There’s no glue to this joint. It’s held on together through compression fit.
My sawing ability on the other hand leaves a lot to be desired. Look how uneven that end piece is in the above photo. But I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. It was my first cut… in my first wood class ever and I learned a lot from the uneven-ness. I need to keep most of the saw in as much of the wood as possible as to ensure I’m still sawing in the same plane, and use longer strokes, not shorter ones. I’m sure there are many other lessons here, but the little hamsters in my head can’t possibly run on those wheels any faster.
That said, look at how the center lines come together! It’s amazing!!
Then in a weekly “painting group” I go to, I used that time to mostly finish a little house for a diorama. There’s so much metaphor for houses. I love using these but making them can be a bit tedious, especially since my eyesight has gotten worse. According to the optometrist, it’s apparently normal “for my age.”
Lastly on this post because it has nothing to do with anything else but my desire to branch out into other subjects, but actually it’s one of the first things I drew today… speaking of age. I love that right forearm (on the left side of the page). That blob in the middle of the chest is an unsightly keloid scar that has plagued me since the early 90’s, but apparently, according to a friend with whom I discussed this, I’m not me without it.
