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 The Making of...



  

I did a little reverse engineering on this project laying out and building all componants before dimensioning the base itself.


  

For the slope on the back wall I cut a long blank corner to corner on the TableSaw and trimmed off the top.


  

I want to use the factory edge so I need to cut the bottom to reverse the angle and smooth the edges on the Jointer.

  


The angled back blanks are cut on the Miter Saw with a scrap of wood clamped on as a stop to make equil sized multiple pieces.


I wanted to add a lip to the top of the bottom blank of the back wall so once the angled pieces and the partitions between them are added it will give the offset pieces something to sit up against for a even look and to hid the joints.

  

A simple strip is added across the tops of the partitions.


I routed two shallow dados into the blank for the bottom of the back wall and sanded them by cutting strips from a foam sanding pad.


Since I didn't want to overdo the detail I decided to make a clean version of what I refer to as the wall ornaments. My simple versions starts with a thin stip of MDF with a 1/4" Dado cut down the middle.


  

I then measured for the width of the bottom leaving a 1/8 gap on either side once applied to the wall angles. Then setting a stop on the Miter saw flip the stock over with each cut.

  


  

A backing board is dementioned with just the top half primed. Then the bottom of the wall is brad nailed on.


  

I need to mark a line just below the tops of the angles before applying glue to secure the angles and partitions.

  


The two half walls are then roughed out.

 By using a V-groove bit on the Router Table lines are cut to section off panels on the (right) side solid wall.

  


  

A Beading bit is then used to round off the front edges.


  

The componants to the (left) door side are glued together then a pair of V-grooves are cut on either side of the front and decorative Dados added to the inside.


  

Now that I know the exact placement of the wall componants I can cut the base to size. Since this is coming out of a large piece of MDF I'll make a rough cut with a Circular Saw by hand then make the finish straight cuts on the Table Saw and curved cuts on the Bandsaw.


  

Next I use a home made spacing jig to drill my floor modifications using a Forstner bit for a flat bottom hole.


  

Dropping the figures down a half inch below floor level lines them up with the table just as if they were seated.


  

Even though the radii are equil on the front of the board the right side just didn't look right in comparison with the holes so a larger radius was rough cut to give it a more uniform look and smoothed on the Oscillating Spindal Sander.


  

Extra attention is needed with hand sanding the drop holes before priming and painting.


  

One more floor adjustment is neccessary to raise Darth Vader to complete the illusion that Tarkin is seated. The scrap cut from the left front is planed down to 3/8"for this.


  

Last the wall ornaments as well as the top strip are hot glued in place. Now it's to make some Imperial Style Shelf Brackets.



      

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