DIY Keva Planks Complete!

The finally tally is 1,212 planks, with a total cost of $120.  Not too shabby.

I'm not 100% convinced I picked the right color rope.  If it continues to bother me, I'll change it later.

Plank you very much.

Alright.  So.  It turns out 1,000 of something is an exercise in tedium.  It's easy to just say you're going to make 1,000 of something, but the reality of that number is lost among all the millions and billions we hear about on a daily basis.

When's the last time you did something 1,000 times, on purpose?

Step 1: Order Lumber

Dunham Hardwoods, hard rock maple, 4/4 thickness, 5" wide, 60" long.  Done.

Step 2: Slice it on the bandsaw.  

6 boards, 15 rips per board = 90 rips.

4/4 lumber is already 3/4" thick.  Coincidentally, Keva Planks are 3/4" wide.  Ripping 5 feet long x 1/4"+ thick strips over and over again results in quartersawn hard rock maple strips, which is the most stable choice really.   If that makes you feel any better.

Ripcuts

One of the boards had some resistance in it and it pinched and snapped my carbide-tipped bandsaw blade.  *Grumbles*

Step 2.5: Order a new Lenox Tri-Master.

In the meantime, swap to a spare blade and keep ripping.

Step 3: Thickness Planer 

Plane the strips down to an even 1/4" thickness.  90 strips / 12 at a time x 4 passes through the planer = 30 passes.

Step 4: Sand to soften the four long edges.

Did it by hand with 120 grit.  Took 1 minute per strip, so about 90 minutes total.  4 long edges x 90 strips = 360 long edges.

Step 5: Wax the long strips

It's easier at this stage.  2 wipes of wax x 90 strips = 180 wipes.  Let it dry.  I didn't buff off the excess.  It'll wear off with life.

Step 6: Crosscut to length.

I did stacks of 7, with 15 crosscuts per stack.  90 strips / 7 in a stack x 15 crosscuts = 192 crosscuts.

Crosscuts

Step 7: The crosscuts weren't perfectly square.  Awesome.

So now you have to shoot the end of every. single. plank.  The planks should be able to stand on end, unaided.

1,000 planks, 2 ends per plank, 2-4 shoots per end = 4,000 - 8,000 shoots.

This is just the last 10%.

Step 8: Sand to soften the 8 short edges.

8 edges per plank x 1,000 planks = 8,000 edges.  One swipe of each across 180grit sandpaper is enough.

Box on the right has been shot.  Box on the left has been sanded (and are done).

I think that's it.  The ends aren't waxed, but I don't think that's going to be a problem.

DIY Keva Planks

My son (Workshop Gremlin #1) is turning 4 this month.  I set out to find a gift to give him on his birthday.

He has tons of toy trucks and cars, tons of LEGOs, a big bag of randomly shaped building blocks.  He doesn't really need more of those, but I didn't want to buy him just another toy.  I like buying him things that stimulate his brain.  He's a smart kid, let's keep his brain moving.

I stumbled across Keva Planks, showed my wife, and as quick as that, the decision was made.  I'm building him 1,000 Keva Planks and a box to store them.

First step: The Dovetailed Box.  I made this out of pine, which really demands the sharpest of tools.  Geez.  But it's so nice to work with soft wood for once.  Planes with ease and a gentle shooshing sound, smells wonderful, and is plenty strong.

The cambered clamping cauls work like a charm!

I've got it on four small casters so it slides around.  I may drill holes and make some rope handles for it.  We'll see.