Anticipate.

Well. Stanley table is complete. 6 coats of special/secret/magical/oil/varnish mixture.

(not a secret, 50% gloss varnish, 25% Boiled Linseed oil, 15% Tung Oil???, 10% spirits... or 15 to 20% depending on how thin I wanted it. Probably don't need the tung oil but.. why not??? it smells good). 2 coats of wax on the top. Sparkle.

But... This post is not about the finished project. Next time my dears. This time we discuss the butterfly key and how (or the way I) put them in. Essentially an inlaid double dovetailed piece that resembles a bow-tie and joins or prevents a joint from opening by spanning the joint and connecting 2 pieces of wood . Commonly used to stabilize cracks in monolith slabs. I used it on this table to secure the breadboards. I only put one in the middle to allow for cross grain expansion and one on each side spanning the joint.... you'll see.

There are a billion ways to do it. Some use a template set for the router that is quicker, but this method is all hand baby. Here are the steps I use.

First I make the butterfly keys... which we will refer to as "the key" from here on out. I cut a 4"x 2 1/2" piece off of walnut scrap making sure... making double sure that the grain is all long grain at the end. If it is cross grain, the piece will snap within a month. (see pic) Then I glue it to the longer piece of scrap so I can make a stable cut on the table saw. Set the blade to 13/14 degrees and make 4 passes, 2 on each side.

Cut a few off ( 5/8" thick for this table), clean them up with a sharp chisel and I am ready to start putting them in. The first thing I do is find the center of the table, make some reference marks and number each key so I know which one goes into which hole in case things get mixed up.

Now I whip out my knife. Exacto to be exact. But..... first I put 2 little (seriously little) pieces of blue tape to help prevent slipping before I start cutting.

I use a knife here instead of a pencil because a knife is much more accurate plus it gives the chisel a reference point to fall in when cleaning everything up.... and we want a very tight fit. Lightly score around the key. After a light scoring, I go back and carefully make the lines a little deeper. Careful!!! For the next step I trace the lines with a pencil to make them more visible when routing.

Bust out my Bosch Colt router with a 1/8" straight bit. and remove the waste. With a steady hand, you can get extremely close to the edges. The closer the better for cleaning everything up.

I make multiple passes, adjusting the depth gradually. Makes controlling the router easier.

Sharp chisels make quick work of squaring up the sides.

Test fit, cut a little, test fit, cut a little. Repeat till it is a tight fit and your depth is right.

Glue it up with a little clamping pressure and wait. After the glue dries, I take the high parts down with a block plane then finish with a scraper until its flush.

When its finished, it looks badass. Try it.

Hope you are all well.