"Festool System - Making a CD Storage Cabinet"

With the board sawn from both sides, there is just over an inch in the center. I can use a hand saw for this. This Japanese hand saw has two types of teeth — crosscut and rip.
	Both sets of teeth on the hand saw were too fine. The cut would have taken an hour to have completed. I really would like to do the very same type of resaw with a more aggressive hand rip saw.    However, instead, I moved to the bandsaw and completed the cut. I must say, that the method of resawing boards worked very well.  Cutting with the table saw gave a good and accurate start. It made the bandsaw cut much easier to make. The blade wanted to stay in the pre-sawn kerf.
Now to start the task of sanding away the resaw marks. The Festool Rotex RO 150 Sander/Polisher is a superb machine. I have used it just a bit but enough to know that it  will make smooth boards out of my resawn halves. I have laid out the disks from 36 grit to 220.
	I use the 36 grit on the sanders more aggressive orbital setting. The unit is well balanced. I am using both hands mainly to put pressure on the sander. I was delighted to find that adding pressure sanded faster but without any machine problems. It was cool and easy to control on the board.
When I came to a side that had saw marks greater than I wanted to sand out, I pulled out my very sharp block plane to whittle down the edges. This was particularly useful in the center area where the board was still high.
	Then back to sanding smooth. At this point I took it only to 120 grit.
I will use In-Lace inlay system. I have seen it in catalogs and in stores for a couple of years, and I have used it once for sampling, but this will be my first real time. I thought the blue-green "Lacey" mix would make a nice "gem" insert in the walnut crevices. You mix the stuff the same as any epoxy. The fine granules are in the can of the "A" part. You can add larger aggregate to the mix but I am guessing that the fine grit straight out of the can will work best. [from Woodcraft - click here.]
	It does look like I have a catastrophe about to happen — it is a mess. As I spread the mix on, I am concentrating on getting the mix into the fine cracks. The wood tongue depressor allows me to apply and dab the stuff over the crack. If anything, I want to leave the material "high" so that it can be sanded down smooth.
The material hardens in an hour or so, but I wasn't going to take any chances — I left it alone over night.    Now I am using my block plane to smooth out some of the highs. I have tried using the 36 grit paper, but think that it "gloms up" too fast. The plane works well across the grain and seems not to put as much stress on the In-Lace material. Once planed smooth, I then start sanding with 80 grit discs. The board at the left has been smoothed to this point.
	This piece of walnut is hard but nothing compared to the hardness of fully cured In-Lace. I  tried the block plane, the smoothing plane (on side at left) and finally this scraper. They all worked, but I found that this scraper worked the best. I used this to get the In-Lace even with the wood and then turned to the Festool sander with 80 through 120 grit paper.    Of course, having finished one side, I went to work on the other.
Well, here are the two panels that I have been working at so hard. To me, it was worth it. I never get over the beauty that wood can have. When this gets oiled and finished, the look will just get better.    On the table are the woods that I will cut down to be the rest of the CD-cabinet. The heavy plank at the right is a very nice mahogany that I will resaw for the rail and stile frames. The walnut remnants are those out of the same board that I cut the notch from. I plan to resaw them for the sides and partitions.    I have ordered the plastic racks for the CD's and they should be here on Monday, so maybe I will have it all together by this time next week.