Frame P - true grit

I started building frame P, which is almost identical to frame A. The only difference is at the top, where there’s a curved pine piece similar to the ones I made for frames C and D. Because of that, I wasn’t expecting any major surprises this time — just more careful repetition of techniques I’ve already practiced.

Frame P

Since most of the process followed the same steps as before, I won’t go into too much detail. What’s more interesting is a realization I had while working on the curved section and the plywood bulkhead cut. It has to do with how to approach complex shapes, especially curves. When sanding, we usually move through different grits of sandpaper — starting coarse to remove material quickly, and finishing fine to get a smooth surface. I realized this same principle applies to all the tools we use for shaping wood.

Bandsaw, rasp, file, sandpaper to get to a well finished curve

You can think of the bandsaw, jigsaw, rasp, file, and sandpaper as a sequence of “progressive grits.” Each tool refines the work of the previous one. When cutting with the bandsaw or jigsaw, it’s best to stay well outside your marked line — two or three millimeters away is a safe margin. Then, move on to the rasp: it removes material fast and lets you start smoothing the rough line left by the saw. As you get close to your markings, switch to the file, which cleans up the scratches from the rasp and brings the shape closer to final form. Finally, use sandpaper to finish the surface perfectly smooth.

Using the rasp to remove excess plywood and irregular jigsaw cuts

I used this method both on the curved pine piece and when adjusting the plywood panel to the frame, and the results were excellent. It’s a more deliberate way of working — slower at first, but more precise and much less frustrating in the end.

Dry fitting the plywood panel

With frame P finished, I can see light at the end of the tunnel. Only two more frames remain before moving on to the next stage of the build. Next up is frame E, which is much simpler than the previous ones — hopefully a quick and pleasant job!

Ready to glue the plywood knees

And then the plywood panel to the frame