Continued from last night…
I stopped by Ace on the way home today and picked up three 1/4-20 screw-in threaded inserts. Why three? Well, they’re $0.50 each, and I always plan on messing up. Drove home and dug in.
I went with the plan to trim the outside edge of the roundel to fit the rebate on the camera. Tested it out on 1/8″ plywood first. After a few iterations, the fit was perfect.
Set up to cut the roundel. Put some carpet tape on the inside face, threaded it over the bit, and lowered it onto the backing board.
Then I lowered the spinning cutter onto the roundel.
LOOK CLOSELY AT THAT! Whatcha think is gonna happen when that cutter bears down through the unsupported edge? Yep – tear out the bejeebers of it. Rookie mistake, but salvageable, I think. But always cut things like this with the backside supported. Anyway, the walnut roundel now fits the camera.
Next, I drilled out the center pilot hole with a 3/8″ bit and threaded in the insert.
The insert projects into the path of the camera carriage, so I cut it flush with a Dremel.
Now to address those stupid screw holes. Truth be told, I’d planned on this being a practice shot, and didn’t give the screw holes much consideration. But it’s a keeper, so they need to be plugged. I drilled the holes out with an 1/8″ bit:
Then made some 1/8″ walnut dowels with a shop-made dowel plate.
(Essentially, you drill a hole the desired size in a piece of flattened 1/8″ steel. Trim some of the desired wood to a little large than the hole, and gently tap the wood through the hole with a small hammer. That’s it.)
The dowels get glued and tapped into the roundel
then cut flush when dried.
The plugs will always show, as they have exposed end grain and are a bit darker finished than face grain. But they look better than holes in the finished piece.
Three coats of sprayed lacquer and a spit coat of shellac on the inside face and it’s ready for installation. I put a drop of poly glue on the insert and installed it for good in the roundel. Titebond II for the camera install.
It’ll stay in clamps until tomorrow, when I’ll reinstall the chrome trim piece to finish it.
Scott Perry Photography 