My Major asked me if I could design and build a going away plaque for the squadron Chief’s going away gift. About a year ago I built a similar one for our previous commander. So, I told him that I could make one again. I really enjoy getting asked to make gifts for people because it means that they value my skills and think that someone else will too.
Building the going away plaque
Normally when I have built mitered joints, I have just put glue on them and haphazardly placed them together in the hopes that the glue would dry with the project in the correct position. This time, I bought a strap clamp (like this one) and had much more success when gluing the frame of the box together. It works just like a standard ratcheting strap, but it has four plastic holders that are shaped with a 90 degree cutout. These are adjustable and I found the clamp very easy to use.
The build was fairly straight forward and consisted of just building a frame that was approximately three inches thick. I then used my router to make a groove for the glass plate and add a recess to the back for the back panel. The only non-standard piece would be the mallet. I used the lathe function of my Shop Smith to turn it and then burned some decorative lines into the handle. Overall, I am happy with how the going away plaque turned out, and so was my Chief.
If you are interested in seeing the full build procedure, check out the video that I have uploaded to my YouTube Channel. I also have other creations that I have made posted on my channel. If you enjoy the content that I produce, please consider subscribing.
Nice! I’m sure he loved it.