Saturday at the Commons Shop

My overall plan for Saturday was to make the cuts to divide the four sections to my box.

I began my morning by drilling the hole that would have the rotating rod. This was my first cut before dividing my box into sections because I wanted to make sure the hole was consistent throughout the entire vessel.

 I wanted to send the drill through the entire block of wood, but stop a little short. This would be where I glue in my rod.

As you can see, the hole passes through the top

But not the bottom

I had measured my wooden block into guided sections, the middle two sections being 1/2" in width and the top and bottom slightly narrower than that.

I then started making cuts on the bandsaw.

I used the fence for the first cut and quickly decided that I was never going to do that again. The assistants in the shop said that usually, if you go slowly, you can be a little more accurate on the bandsaw if you free hand

 So I did that. And....eh. Not the best, but it could have been worse

My next step would be to cut the two middle sections in half. I was really nervous about it. The amount of material I had left didn't leave a lot of room for error - in both wood AND my fingers. There isn't much material to hold on to.

 I started off pretty good. Looks relatively evenly spaced, right?

Then I got closer to the end and my hands. That's when my cuts got a little wonky.

OMG OMG OMG
Making intricate cuts on the bandsaw with very little material is STRESSFUL!
My heart was pounding. My hands were sweating. I really didn't want to make these cuts. In hindsight, I probably should have used a jig to ease my mind and help with making straighter cuts. I also could have gone a little slower.

I ended my day having all my sections cut. The next time I went to the shop, my plan was to practice on the scroll saw and then make the inside cuts that would hold my pics.