Secret Puzzle Book Box

Video HERE

This project - or something like it - has been rumbling around my brain since long before the Shed was built. Sketches of puzzle box mechanisms (rather Heath-Robinson-esque) fill a number of sketch pads, but I have neither the skill nor the tools to actually make most of them!

It's difficult to write up the method I used, mainly because it was a rather fluid process and I didn't take notes... or photos along the way (yes, I will do better in future)... So here are the stages I remember, and what I've learned during the process...

1. Firstly, I picked out a box that already had a lock (much easier to build on to one that already has that mechanism) then sketched a general idea of how many working parts I wanted and where to hide the key. This box provided only one place where I could drill a hole big enough so that informed the design.
2. Then, I made a simple mock-up of the moving blocks using stirring sticks - more substantial than paper and cheaper than actual wood for a test of the sketch. Once the design works in model form I made scale templates in paper and started to cut veneer.*
3. This stage was long and tedious, I cut about 60 strips of veneer for each piece - at this stage I could have cut out the notches, but there was a substantial risk of the veneer splintering so I decided to glue them into blocks first.
4. I lined the sides of the box with masking tape and used a strip of veneer as a base then glued and stuffed in as many pieces of veneer as would fit and used the box itself as a clamp.**
5. I removed the lock and the hinges - actually they pretty much fell out in my hands - perils of buying joblots of damaged stock, but better it happens now then once the piece is finished.
6. To build up the inside of the box I added 4 layers of mahogany veneer, alternating square and mitre joints for added strength, wide enough to cover the edge of the box and sit level with the veneer blocks.
7. After cutting out the notches and leveling the pages I glued in the fixed blocks and secured them with pins through the original box and the veneer block, then stuck on another layer of veneer to cover the edges of the lid.
8. I used all the blocks to help the new pages glue in place and equalize the pressure to keep the pages mostly level. Sanding was difficult with so many thin edges, but I rubbed over the blocks to 120 grit, knowing that the paint would cover many of the rougher patches.***
9. Then, whilst everything was held together I added strips of plywood to extend the covers over the level of the pages. On the lid it was easy to stick everything together, but the bottom couldn't be completely glued so I used strips of paper to add extra glue area to hold things together.
10. Having removed the original hinges I had to build up the edges to match the new level, so I cut thinner strips, leaving 2 layers of space for the new ones to fit in on either piece. I trimmed these back a bit, but probably could have removed more to allow for smoother opening.
11. I decided to fill the cracks between the moving parts as well as hiding the joins and used a piece of acetate to create separation, which was only half successful. For future reference, add a little more PVA to the filler mix to help hold things together, and wait until completely dry before separating. When the filler was half-dry I cut along the pages to try and smooth the transitions between blocks.
12. Once the filler was dry I painted the pages with a thin layer of black acrylic, then another of darkish brown - using a cheap brush is easier to scrub into the gaps, but I didn't make too much of an effort to cover everything to give it more depth and character.****
13. For the mechanism I used a few pins to mark in and out positions, then carefully drilled away with a hobby drill between the points to make slots. (Masking tape placed over the cutting area to hold everything together and reduce splintering) I cut slots on both sides to add stability, but I suspect cutting all the way through would save a lot of extra fiddling around - and longer pins would help make it more solid.
14. Before I fixed the mechanism in place I gave the back sides of the blocks a thorough sanding up to 120 grit, then rubbed them with wax to add a little lubrication. I didn't do much to the sides of the original box... perhaps I should have. Once pinned I stuck on another layer of veneer to cover and add strength.
15. The outer covers needed new surfaces so I attached a thin sheet of ply to either side and pressed them flat overnight. The original plan was to do a pyrography design, but after testing on a scrap I really didn't like how it burned so I decided on more veneer instead with edge binding of brown paper to give it a tidy surface.
16. For the spine I used a scrap of leather, reinforced with card for a more book-style spine, then added ribbon and stained the cover edges to a matching colour.*****
17. For some reason I am yet to understand, now I decided to drill out the key holes... much sawdust and swearing ensued... and top-up painting. Now that I could access the lock from both sides I realized that the gap was a too tight for my fat fingers to turn the key - and for the key itself to turn... more hobby drilling required to cut back a bit on both sides so that the key can actually twist... and 15 minutes work with a dowel and some ply offcuts made a big novelty key with a secret.
18. To give it a more old-fashioned book-look I added a thin coat of gold acrylic to gild the pages, then added a little watered-down black to the cover edges to weather them slightly.
19. I decided on a simple felt lining - rather than a full padded one, the opening isn't very large so I didn't want to fill it with unneccessary stuff.
20. The weather wasn't particularly pleasant by the time I was ready to add finish, so I put the spray varnish on hold and went with a good coat of wax instead.

This was much more of a learning experience than I expected... as these things often are.

*As I've said before, I have a ticket to Veneer Mountain, and all my previous projects have barely made a dent. This was mainly made with scraps, plus about 5 large-ish sheets of mahogany. If you have actual blocks of wood then I expect that you can do this just the same way, but probably with less glue.
**Using the side of the box as a clamp was an ideal shortcut as I don't have any of the right kind of clamps to do it another way - this also meant that the blocks were guaranteed to fit.
***Sanding the pages could have been avoided if I'd taken some sandpaper to the individual strips, BUT I have a life and sanding 240 individual strips of veneer is not what I want to spend my time doing! Rubbing over the blocks with a piece of 120 in your fingers (not on a block) is an interesting experience and I have learned to move slowly and steadily, or spend time removing needle-thin splinters from my knuckles.
****I could have been very particular about the arrangement of the pages to create that realistic book-arc, but this is a prototype, and cutting 240 pieces of 15mm width was plenty of work for me. I like the more rustic look... and I worry about the strength of sliding blocks with different thicknesses of veneer which might not be stable for the mechanism.
*****My initial plan was to use a piece of veneer as the spine, but I had a concern for the strength after repeated bendings. Next idea was veneer strips glued around fabric... but in the end I decided on a strip of leather which would look more like an actual book when stacked on a shelf, and stand up to flexing stresses better than both of the other options. The only major problem I have with the leather is where it joins the covers. This point recieves the most strain and it shows after only a few hours where the corners have peeled back slightly. I will need to put in a stitch or something to reinforce the joint in the near future, and I will need to adapt that joint if I decide to repeat this build.

These pictures have come out a little grey, apologies, this actually has a really rich mahogany glow to it... If I remember I will bring it up in the March report so you can see the finish in more flattering light.

I have another seconds quality book box in my stash so this design may resurface in the future, although I have a hankering to try leather-effect decoupage... watch this space.

3-Minute Skill - Right-Angle Weaving

3-Minute Skills

Right-Angle Weaving

Video HERE

OK, this wasn't very well shot... hopefully this write-up will help...

1. Anchor your thread to the clasp or whatever you're using.
2. Thread on your beads in multiples of 4*.
3. Loop back through the first 2 (reds) and pull tight.
4. Thread on 6 more beads.
5. Loop through the purple and green beads, pull tight. Continue until you reach the desired width.
6. Bring the thread up to the top and thread on 6 more beads.
7. Loop down through the bottom row, then back up and around (purple and dark blue).
8. Thread on 4 more beads and continue to loop through until you reach the end, then turn the work around and start again from step 6.

This technique is great for making large beadweaved nets, be sure to pick beads with holes big enough to pass the needle and thread multiple times.

*Use whatever beads you like, you can even mix sizes as long as each square side is a similar length so that it all comes out even in the end.

Thai-Spiced Salmon Fish Cakes

Thai-Spiced Salmon Fishcakes

Now the fish cake comes in many forms, and as many kinds of fish that can be found, but all start with potato... except those that rely on cornflour and egg to bind...

We have a habit of over-doing it on the mash when it comes to cooking, so I find it's often easier to freeze the excess for later use - BUT - on this occasion my mash stockpile was depleted so I had to resort to nuking a couple of handfuls of old tatties instead... nothing wrong with that, but I know the traditionalists would have kittens for suggesting it! I have to admit that this technique made it easier to make, with the mash still warm rather than trying to revive a mash-cicle with extra butter or milk.

Click for Video HERE

Ingredients:
2-3tbsp Thai Curry Paste (I used readymade Green, but Red or Massaman both work well, or make your own if you have the time)
1 Red Onion, half sliced, half finely chopped
Salmon Fillets (roughly 350-400g)*
Rapeseed Oil +
450-500g Small Potatoes (Or the equivalent in mash)*
30-40g Butter
Small Bunch Coriander, snipped**
Seasoning
150-200g Breadcrumbs***
1 Egg, beaten
50g Flour

Method:
Preheat Oven to Gas Mark 7/ 200C

1. Spread 1-2tbsp curry paste onto a large sheet of foil, scatter with the sliced onion and lay the salmon on top and drizzle with oil before squidging around to coat. Seal the foil into a parcel and bake for 25 minutes. Leave to stand for 5-10 minutes for the steam to dissipate before opening.
2. Stab your potatoes all over then microwave on HIGH for 10-15 minutes until cooked through, stand for 5-10 minutes. Or, reawaken your mash with butter or a splash of milk.
3. Chop the potatoes and mash in a bowl with the butter, somewhere between crushed and pureed, I prefer them lumpy and with the skin still on.****
4. Flake the fish into the bowl, don't break it up too much, the next few processes will do a lot of that for you, then scoop in any leftover paste from the foil.
5. Mix briefly, then add the rest of the onion and coriander and mix well. Taste, then adjust the seasoning, adding more curry paste if you want more of a kick. Mix very well - nothing worse than a mouthful of curry paste!
6. Shape into patties with your hands - If the mixture is still hot you can leave it for a while, but this is best shaped whilst still warm. Once shaped you can leave these to cool, then chill until ready to coat and cook.
7. Blitz your breadcrumbs (or whatever you're using) and spread onto a plate.
8. Line up three plates/dishes with seasoned flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Coat each patty with flour, egg and breadcrumbs, then shallow fry in batches until golden.
9. Drain on kitchen paper and serve, or drain and allow to cool and chill until needed (These can be frozen for up to 3 months)
10. Bake for 20 minutes at Gas Mark 7 / 200C, 25 minutes from frozen, until piping hot.

*Any fish will do, but oily fish like salmon will stand up to spices better. You can easily multiply up or down as long as you have 2:3 fish:potato, otherwise you may need to add egg or cornflour to bind everything together. If you have already buttered your mash you should not add any more, just make sure it is completely thawed out - room temperature is doable, although it helps if it is still warm, not re-heated... it also helps if the mash isn't completely smooth.
**Yes, I know coriander is the least popular of herbs - it is what I had in the fridge at the time of filming. Use whatever you have, Thai Basil, regular Basil or Parsley work well.
***Use panko or old dry bread if you like, I prefer to blend up whatever I have to hand - in the video I used an end crust, a few crackers and some prawn crackers that were left over from a takeaway, all add different types of crunch.
****Keeping the skin preserves most of the vitamins in a potato, and adds fibre as well as texture. Unless your spuds are full of eyes and bruises just leave them on and chop your potatoes into chunks without peeling. - Obviously if you want fluffy roasties you'll have to peel them anyway.

Winter Project - Chess Set Part 3

The Dragon Shed Winter Project - Part 3

Making mistakes and attempting to fix them... pretty mych the theme of my projects!

This is my original design, reproduce for personal use not personal gain.

STAGE 3 - Video Part 3
Materials:
Sandpaper
Filler
Black Acrylic Paint
Mug of Coffee
PVA Glue
Epoxy Resin
Pyrography Tool
Sponge Brushes
Coloured Card

Method:

1. Sand and re-fill any spots that require it, then allow to dry and sand again.
2. Realise what a mistake you've made and attempt to re-colour the filler with coffee...
3. Screw 3 small screws into the bottom of the chess pieces to raise them off the surface. Use the pyrography tool to burn down any rough edges and top-up the dark patches.
4. Repaint the inside of the lid, then cover the outside with resin. Brush the pieces with resin, then leave to set for 24 hours. Spread any leftover resin inside the lid... Obviously not all at the same time.
5. Cut 12 isosceles triangles, 1"x6" and 1/2"x4" from 2 colours of card and glue into the lid, be careful to cover the surface with glue and allow to dry.
6. When the weather/temperature is appropriate, sand down all the pieces and faces of the box, then brush a thin coat on the pieces and the sides of the box. Pour a thick layer of resin onto the top of the box - ensure it is on a level surface - spread to the edges and catch any drips.
7. Let everything set completly before attaching the lining.

 Yes, I have decided not to use the stays that I cut off the pieces in the beginning... just too much variation, and I didn't really like the idea of bright rainbow felt, so you'll have to wait until I film the update in the summer to see what I'm planning.

Overall, this was a real learning experience - but not one I'm intending to repeat any time soon. Back to more traditional Scroll Saw projects next month, noe that Santa has brought me some plywood!