Back On Track - Summer Night Light Pt.4

Back on track.

Although things are going slowly, I'm making good progress with my garden lantern build.

Thinking twice before starting a task take its time. It pays off.

In the last post I've reported about the top and bottom parts and about preparing the stiles.

Fitting the stiles to the bottom was this weeks task.

Fitting the Stiles

All stiles were prepared and waiting for being further treated.

Dimensioned Stiles

What I'm shooting for is this.

Stiles w. Offset

So I have marked the "tenons" and sawed down the cheeks.

Unlike the last time I've used the router plane to trim the tenons. Last time I've done that by paring with a chisel. That was far from square. I'm really not good in paring. I guess I have to train that.

Trimming tenons w. a Router Plane

But trimming with the router went pretty well. I've adjusted the depth in sequences so I was sure not to overshoot.

First dry fit

And this is the first result. A tight fit. I'm pretty glad how it came out.

There's a little bit of love on the underside, but this will be unseen because it is the bottom of the lantern.

Tight fit

As soon as the stile is inserted completely you can't see the gap any longer.

Stile from bottom side

Finally the view from above. Nice crisp lines in my opinion.

Crisp lines from top view

Dry Fit

Repeating the process of trimming and fitting the other three stiles had to be done.
And then a first dry fit was possible.

Dry fit with candle

Looks almost like a lantern.

Making Rails

The rails are made somehow similar to the stiles. First step is to glue up material.

Gluing up the rails

Meanwhile the glue is dry and the rails are dimensioned already.


That's pretty much it for the time being.
The mortises of the top panel are already chopped and the first stile is fitted.
Unfortunately I haven't got a picture because it was late yesterday evening.

What's Next

I'll try to finish to fit the stiles to top and bottom this week. I hope that I can make the grooves this week too. And then I'm in vacation for two weeks. So that means no progress for the next two weeks.

I have to do the rails, which will be easy. Just a few grooves and a little tenon at every end.

More effort will be the insets. As mentioned in my first post I would like to have a plaited fill.

Plaited inset

Therefore I have to cut some wooden strips. Clueless how to do that best. I wish I had a Kerfing plane.
Honestly I started to build one but I don't know if I will find time to finalize it for this build.

Maybe I will switch to glass (maybe colored) insets.

There won't be a project update for the next two weeks because of my vacation.

But I'll be back! ;-) So, stay tuned!

Stefan