Oak Pedalboard Build - Complete

strat84 · April 2023

I've managed to get a start on a pedalboard build with the lighter nights and decent weather so thought I'd share my progress so far.

I bought 3 metres of 95 × 19mm Oak from Ebay as it was fairly priced, had some nice grain and looked to be straight and square. I'd already cut down my existing IKEA Gorm pedalboard to the dimensions I wanted the new one to be so was able to get started with the cuts. I only have 5 pedals so wanted it as compact as possible - About 400 x 300 mm with space for a power supply and extension lead underneath.

I was hoping to use hand tools only for this but the rip cuts were quite tough so ended up using a circular saw. This is the first time I've used any sort of hardwood, a bit different to pine

BigMonka · April 2023

I'll be keep an eye on this as I've got plans to make something similar (although a little bit larger).
Do you have a plan or sketch of what you're making?

strat84 · April 2023

@BigMonka The only thing I've got is this cardboard cut out of the side profile, just so I could get an accurate layout of the slats. These are 45mm each and will sit through each side. The sides measure 55mm at the back up to 65mm at the front

strat84 · April 2023

Joints complete. Not perfect but not bad for a first go with a saw and chisel. I did think about doing dove tails but this was stressful enough

nero1701 · April 2023

Looking great!

strat84 · April 2023

nero1701 said:

Looking great!

Thanks

strat84 · April 2023

Starting to take a bit of shape -

strat84 · May 2023

A spot of rain so I brought the fun indoors.. the Mrs was pleased with the sawdust all over the conservatory

Everything has slotted together nicely, not far off glue up time

JCA2550 · May 2023

You can be very proud of this it's going to be rather gorgeous.

What's tasty looking handsaw you're using? Japanese?

strat84 · May 2023

JCA2550 said:

You can be very proud of this it's going to be rather gorgeous.

What's tasty looking handsaw you're using? Japanese?

That's very kind @JCA2550 thanks, I am quite pleased with how it's turned out so far. It's actually only my second wood working project after acquiring my Grandad's power/hand tools.

It is a Japanese saw yes. Double edged for cross/rip cuts. The longer toothed side wasn't that great for rip cuts in this Oak but the smaller teeth are superb for cross cutting.

JCA2550 · May 2023

What finish are going to use?

strat84 · May 2023

JCA2550 said:

What finish are going to use?

That's something I was going to ask here as I know nothing about wood finishing

strat84 · May 2023

Main body glue up done. A couple of small gaps to fill but nothing major, all pretty square. Last pic is it sat on some IKEA furniture feet

Next job is to cut the slats just oversized and finish with a flush trim bit once glued in.. then roundover all outside edges which I'm a bit nervous about

BigMonka · May 2023

That’s looking lovely, great job! Be a shame to cover all the lovely oak with Velcro!
In terms of finish you could just oil it (with varying degrees of darkening the wood available) or for a bit of extra robustness you could use a hard wax oil like Osmo PolyX (super expensive), Fiddes, or Treatex.

strat84 · May 2023

Thanks @BigMonka - Yes it is. I may use thinner stuffed than I had planned just so less is covered.

Cheers, I'll look into those. Does the hard wax oil darken the wood? I quite like the colour as it is, although I wouldn't mind darkening the end grain of the slats.

strat84 · May 2023

Just wanted to show what kind of cross cuts you can get with this Japanese style saw. It was relatively cheap as well, £18 I think.
@JCA2550 ;

Each slat needed a little trim before glueing in.

rsvmark · May 2023

JCA2550 said:

What finish are going to use?

I can recommend osmo for oak. I did a load of work to my house over the last year or so and had lots of oak- stair case, window seats, ledge and brace doors, liners and architraves. Love osmo for oak

richman6100 · May 2023

@strat84 That's an excellent, professional looking job. Consider me seriously impressed! As @rsvmark says, Osmo is great stuff and I've had really good results with it. Others on the forum may be able to contribute other suggestions of course. I'm really looking forward to seeing this finished with some pedals on board. :-)

strat84 · May 2023

Cheers guys and thanks for the kind words @richman6100 ;

Have just ordered some 5ml samples direct from Osmo, free of charge and no postage cost! I ordered clear satin and clear matt, just to try on a scrap piece.

strat84 · May 2023

I was wife and childless this afternoon so managed to get in the garden. Not a great deal of progress but all glueing is done and the slats are trimmed flush.

I decided to use a pattern bit instead of a flush trim so I could take very small amounts off at a time. There wasn't much to begin with but I didnt want any balls-ups at this stage

strat84 · May 2023

I've spent a bit of time testing roundover sizes on some scrap. I was planning on doing a 1/4" radius or perhaps a bit bigger but quite like the look of this at 3/16" -

normula1 · May 2023

Very nice indeed

LastMantra · May 2023

Looks sturdy!

strat84 · May 2023

Cheers chaps!

I managed to get in the garden last night and test a newly restored Stanley plane on this. It's given a lovely smooth finish and is pretty much ready for a coat of osmo

slowbones · May 2023

Looks lovely. I 2nd Osmo for Oak - might be cheaper to go for a few coats of Danish oil though. Osmo can get expensive though but goes a long way.

strat84 · May 2023

Thanks @slowbones ;

Does danish oil colour the wood at all? I actually ordered some samples of osmo and tried it on some scrap. The osmo added a nice light tint, I wouldn't want it any darker though.

Rocker · May 2023

Lovely work my friend. Well done.

strat84 · May 2023

Rocker said:

Lovely work my friend. Well done.

Thank you

slowbones · May 2023

strat84 said:

Thanks @slowbones ;

Does danish oil colour the wood at all? I actually ordered some samples of osmo and tried it on some scrap. The osmo added a nice light tint, I wouldn't want it any darker though.

It definitely darkens it a little but it is pretty neutral. It can be found quite cheaply so may be worth trialling it.

strat84 · May 2023

slowbones said:

strat84 said:

Thanks @slowbones ;

Does danish oil colour the wood at all? I actually ordered some samples of osmo and tried it on some scrap. The osmo added a nice light tint, I wouldn't want it any darker though.

It definitely darkens it a little but it is pretty neutral. It can be found quite cheaply so may be worth trialling it.

Thanks again. Yes will definitely try a few different options before committing.

Bellycaster · May 2023

That's fantastic, some skill there. I would have erred on the side of caution though and made it at least 4ft x 3ft

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Oak Pedalboard Build - Complete

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