Table top buttons.

[Lardman]

Just don't work out of softwood do they

I don't have a hardwood supplier locally and the ones I was looking at on ebay don't seem to have anything available at the moment. I really don't want to use ply but better that than metal stretcher plates.

Any suggestions or should I wait for a mixed box of hardwood to come up on ebay?

 

[Waka]

Where are you located?

 

[AndyT]

In my experience, there is really no need to buy wood specially for something like that. If you don't have any odd offcuts from the work in hand, surely you can find something lying about - an old chair leg from a skip would do nicely! (Quite likely to be well-seasoned beech.)

 

[Lardman]

Im in Worcestershire.

Theres nothing in my scrap box other than softwood as thats all I've had chance to work with. Most things in skips around here are either MDF or Chipboard but I'll keep an eye out.

I do have some ash branches in the garden that I cut at the start of the spring - wonder if thats dry enough to use ?

 

[big soft moose]

pm me your address and i'll send you a parcel of offcuts - enough for buttons anyway- likely to be oak , unless you want iroko

 

[bobscarle]

Where about in Worcestershire? If you are somewhere near me, you would be welcome to come over and have a look at some offcuts.

 

[woodbloke]

If you get hold of some hardwood offcuts, buttons aren't difficult to make if you have access to either a router table, plough, shoulder or rebate plane - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

If you search your back copies of British Woodworking magazine, you will fine a jig that I use on my bandsaw. It's quick and accurate and means you can use long narrow stock rather than short wide stock (which is the easiest way to do it on a RT).

I forget the actual issue, but it's not the last couple of issues nor the very early ones.

Something for you to do as the nights draw in...

Cheers
Steve

 

[xy mosian]

That's Issue 15, dated Dec/Jan 09/10.
I read that and found it to be a well designed jig, of course. I did wonder however if it might be a good idea to drill the fixing holes before forming the buttons/turnbuckles. The timber would be easier to handle at the pillar drill or just a one off operation if clamping in a vice to use a hand drill.

xy

 

[Steve Maskery]

That's a good idea, xy. I've never found it a problem, but it is a better approach, in principle. I'll try it next time. It's not a jig I use very often, but it's there when I need it and it does the job perfectly, safely and quickly.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Jacob]

If you get hold of some hardwood offcuts, buttons aren't difficult to make if you have access to either a router table, plough, shoulder or rebate plane - Rob

Or just a jack plane, marking guage and a tenon saw.