The Pain Of Learning

A famous Michelin chef was once asked:

"how did you get so good?"

He said "It's all in the recovery, How to correct your mistakes."

Mistake Number One:

I cut the outer shell of the Octagon too small.

So I decided to use the two extra pieces and cut the outer shell in a ten sided Decagon. Above shows the outer and inner metal lining.

• The test cut shows that I can make it work.

Mistake Number Two:

• I cut 10 sections at 18 degree angles and aligned as best I could. Do you see the challenges? Because I used the two rows of the striped section, they are not lining up the way I planned.

• I decided to continue and because of the size of the build, I need to reinforce it with as much tape as possible.

• Precision cutting and glue up is mandatory. The glue on the inside is no issue since this will be covered up with closed cell insulation and the metal liner.

• With the clamps removed, my mistakes sine through!

What to do differently?:

There are several paths I could take on another build.

Path One:

I could go to the extreme high end and build the shell of the octagon and then skin it out with veneer marquetry perfectly matching the stars and stripes. The labor is extreme but for this to be at the highest level, this is the way to go. What would be required? CO2 laser makes the job easier; however, you could scroll this by hand. Below is an example of detailed and precision veneer marquetry I do on other pieces.

Think of a USA octagon cooler that has detailed and perfect colored veneers used for the red, white and blue stars and stripes. I estimate the hours for just the veneering to be 30 hours.

Path Two:

I could use a UV Printer to precisely print each of the 8 sections carefully lining up each section so they match. This approach would also be amazing but I don't have any experience with this approach; however, I have a UV Printer arriving to my shop soon. Printing on wood is possible where I would then spray high end P2K finishing over top to lock in the brilliance. Then cut each section into the octagon components.

Estimated labor to pull this part off would be 10 hours.

Path Three:

Instead of using a 3X5 American Flag, use 4X6 or 5X8 and only use the center stripe of it.

Example using two strips of 3X5 flag, which I did.

Example of what I could have done instead by using a larger flag and only use one strip which would improved the stripe line-up!

What did this cost?

Outside of having the correct tools, there are no material costs associated with this section. One thing to note is to be sure to use a waterproof glue. I used Titebond III.

What is the next stage?

To clean up the surface before performing three more sprays on the octagon. Once that cures, I will work on the top and bottom which is where my CNC comes into play. The idea is to cut an octagon top that the metal liner attaches to (underneath). I will use solid mahogany an marry the transition of Octagon to Decagon. Once that is complete, I will cut the bottom Decagon and prepare for closed cell filling and drain attachment.

Have any questions? Ask away!

Mark Petrilla, Gorilla Bark Studio's

Paying tribute to those who keep us safe.