# Transformations



## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (29 Jun 2020)

Not quite 4 weeks ago, a good friend, Rita, brought along an entrance hall table she wanted me to fit a drawer into ...












(Note that these photos were taken in my entrance hall, not Rita's).

It was really a boring ... okay, ugly table. I thought that the proportions were completely ugh, and the legs reminded me of detention in a classroom. The table had been a kerbside salvage by her late husband, a close friend of mine, and a very good woodworker in his own right. It had been used as a work table. Rita had just moved into a new home, and the table was used because the width of the top fitted an alcove in the entrance hall.

I said to Rita that I would re-build the table. "But I must have a drawer", Rita emphasised.

The wood was good Jarrah. The first step was to pull it apart. This was not so easy as simply unscrewing the clips for the top ...






Some evil tablemaker had used a nail gun to attach the corner blocks. Pulling them out left holes in the legs.






The legs were attached with dowels. I would never have guessed as the construction was very strong. Pulling them away caused some of the wood to tear along with it. No way to remove them other than saw the ends away. 






Deconstructed ...






Let's begin again ..

I thought that I would do something different with this write-up. Turn it around and start with the finished piece. That's right ... the table rebuild is complete. This will provide a picture of the end result, and we can then look at how certain parts were built. This way around might create a better understanding of where the build was going, and how it got there.

In particular, the drawer. The drawer is a little beauty. I did scratch my head over the construction. No doubt it has been done before, but I could not find any pictures of another like it. I am sure there will be interest in the design. I am chuffed with the efficiency of it. More on this in the next article. 

For now, here is the completed table.






The legs have been brought inward, tapered, and a 3 degree splay added to the sides. 











The top retained its width (I was threatened with death, or worse, if it was shortened) but was made shallower. A slight camber was added front-and-back to soften the outline ...






The apron was also made shallower. The original was 100mm (4") high. It is now 65mm (2 1/2") high. 






Oy .. where's the drawer gone?! I could have sworn it was there yesterday. Aah ... there it is ... 











This is the drawer case ...






With drawer inserted - you need to get close up to see the joins ..






It opens with a pull under the drawer ..






The drawer is shallow, of course, it is just for house keys and the odd remote control. It is just 45mm (1 3/4") high on the outside and 26mm (1") deep inside. The full dimensions are 230mm (9") wide and 280mm (11") deep ...






The sides are 7mm thick. The drawer front is 18mm (roughly 3/4"). 

To maximise the internal height, the drawer bottom was attached with a groove into the drawer sides rather than using slips. Slips would have used a precious extra 3mm (1/8"). So they 6mm (1/4") drawer bottom has a 3mm rebate, fitting a 3mm groove.






The sides and bottom are quartersawn Tasmanian Oak, which is very stable and tough. One screw at the rear, with an expansion slot, to hold it firmly. A nice, tight drawer ...






It sides in-and-out smoothly. I love that it disappears and is hidden.

More on the construction next time, but feel free to ask questions.






Regards from Perth

Derek


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## woodbloke66 (29 Jun 2020)

I know how the front was done as I saw someone do the same sort of drawer construction on a piece for David Linley.
However, I'll stay quiet :lol: - Rob


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## AndyT (29 Jun 2020)

Ok, I'm reading this on a phone screen in bright sunlight, but I expect if I used a 27" monitor in a shady room that drawer would still disappear!

Overall, the proportions do look much more elegant. So hard to get right, so satisfying if you do. 

Also, it's nice to see some evidence that dowels aren't necessarily a poor way to join something together (though I look forward to seeing some snug mortice and tenon work instead).


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## Yojevol (29 Jun 2020)

Great job, excellent workmanship. Itching to know how the drawer front fit was achieved. I suspect there are 2 clues in the pics; the Japanese saw with its minimal kerf width and the fact that the apron was reduced in height.
Brian


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## AndyT (29 Jun 2020)

I've looked again and I think another clue is that the drawer sides are not at right angles to the bottom, they splay out a bit. So maybe a little strategic planing lets it fit more than usually snug end to end. And we all know how Derek doesn't bother with humdrum right angles like the rest of us...


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (29 Jun 2020)

Andy, I thank you for the compliment, but I do work with right angles by preference. Life is so much easier that way!  I suspect the camera (my iPhone) is distorting the verticals. It can do that.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Sideways (29 Jun 2020)

Very tasteful and skillfull work.
I look forward to reading the following installments.


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## Andy Kev. (29 Jun 2020)

I think that the modifications are all just right, especially the camber to the top and the shallower apron. The invisible draw really is tip top. I find it more impressive than your usual complex work!

Did you do the camber with hand tools?


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (29 Jun 2020)

woodbloke66":1z998vhx said:


> I know how the front was done as I saw someone do the same sort of drawer construction on a piece for David Linley.
> However, I'll stay quiet :lol: - Rob



Hi Rob

Do you have a link to that piece? I would love to see it.

My God ... the prices he gets! I need to increase my fees (currently work for free): https://www.davidlinley.com/

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (29 Jun 2020)

Andy Kev.":rw9ldse9 said:


> I think that the modifications are all just right, especially the camber to the top and the shallower apron. The invisible draw really is tip top. I find it more impressive than your usual complex work!
> 
> Did you do the camber with hand tools?



Thanks Andy. 

I drew up a template for one corner. Then transferred this to each corner. Bandsawed close to the lines, then used a hand plane (HNT Gordon smoother) to complete the camber. In the end it was finished by eye.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Sheffield Tony (29 Jun 2020)

A long rip cut, couple of crosscuts and some careful glueing ?


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## woodbloke66 (29 Jun 2020)

Yojevol":dvi9fzvy said:


> Great job, excellent workmanship. Itching to know how the drawer front fit was achieved. I suspect there are 2 clues in the pics; the Japanese saw with its minimal kerf width and the fact that the apron was reduced in height.
> Brian


Nope. It's not the drawer in itself but the way the grain runs seamlessly without a break from the rail into the drawer front. It's clever but easy when Derek shows how it's done - Rob


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## MikeG. (29 Jun 2020)

Sheffield Tony":1zy69nqv said:


> A long rip cut, couple of crosscuts and some careful glueing ?



....or a diagonal scarf in the inch above the drawer.

-

Much more elegant table now, Derek. That looks very nice. I dislike invisible drawers, but do appreciate the skill involved in producing one. I hope your "client" is happy.


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## MikeG. (29 Jun 2020)

Or a non-square cut on the drawer ends (I mean splayed through the thickness of the apron), with the thickness of the drawer front then reduced bringing it forward and tighter in the gap. I know what I mean, even if I've not explained it well.


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## Trevanion (29 Jun 2020)

It's amazing how quite small details here and there absolutely change the look of the work from a very generic piece to an heirloom quality piece. I'm also curious to see how the drawer is done, if I had to guess I would say the whole front face was sawn off as a thin veneer so the drawer front could be carefully cut out with a razor and stuck to a separate piece of Jarah drawer front almost invisibly and then the rest of the veneer glued back to the original piece.

I'm probably overthinking it :lol:



MikeG.":qff6c18r said:


> Or a non-square cut on the drawer ends (I mean splayed through the thickness of the apron), with the thickness of the drawer front then reduced bringing it forward and tighter in the gap. I know what I mean, even if I've not explained it well.



Surely the drawer wouldn't open then, Mike?


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## Sheffield Tony (29 Jun 2020)

MikeG.":svv62e2z said:


> Sheffield Tony":svv62e2z said:
> 
> 
> > A long rip cut, couple of crosscuts and some careful glueing ?
> ...


That was my first thought, but the alignment cross-grain matters more than along the grain, the only way to loose the necessary kerf gap above the drawer without moving the drawer up and creating quite a visible misalignment is if you also loose that kerf width all way across the front :?:


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## thetyreman (29 Jun 2020)

the way it fits is through magic spells, derek is actually a wizard


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## MikeG. (29 Jun 2020)

Trevanion":2523181k said:


> MikeG.":2523181k said:
> 
> 
> > Or a non-square cut on the drawer ends (I mean splayed through the thickness of the apron), with the thickness of the drawer front then reduced bringing it forward and tighter in the gap. I know what I mean, even if I've not explained it well.
> ...



You'd then cut the drawer ends square after having reduced the thickness.

I'm only guessing, as this isn't something I've ever even contemplated doing.


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## MikeG. (29 Jun 2020)

Of course, you could just slope the cuts the other way and have the drawer remain at full thickness whilst the surround is planed thinner.


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## Noggsy (30 Jun 2020)

Stunning work Derek. My breath’s a bit baited here waiting for the WIP. 

That reminds me of a funny incident from a couple of years ago...we had a lot of friends round with their kids for a birthday, or BBQ or something. The kids ended up in our bedroom (not allowed) and one of the Dads, a lovely and very mild-mannered engineer, walked in after them to clear them out. My wife (also lovely, mild-mannered and ginger) then spoke to our friend who said; “I took your whip off the kids”. My wife stuttered, spluttered and turned a shade of crimson only usually seen in beetroot and then came to find me. I was a bit confused until we went to look at the room together and saw her crochet on the bed. I explained that he may have actually said ‘WIP’ (which he later confirmed) and after three or four hours she calmed down enough to speak again :shock:


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## profchris (30 Jun 2020)

Noggsy":1ri2h4sj said:


> Stunning work Derek. My breath’s a bit baited here waiting for the WIP.
> 
> That reminds me of a funny incident from a couple of years ago...we had a lot of friends round with their kids for a birthday, or BBQ or something. The kids ended up in our bedroom (not allowed) and one of the Dads, a lovely and very mild-mannered engineer, walked in after them to clear them out. My wife (also lovely, mild-mannered and ginger) then spoke to our friend who said; “I took your whip off the kids”. My wife stuttered, spluttered and turned a shade of crimson only usually seen in beetroot and then came to find me. I was a bit confused until we went to look at the room together and saw her crochet on the bed. I explained that he may have actually said ‘WIP’ (which he later confirmed) and after three or four hours she calmed down enough to speak again :shock:



So the whip was still in its usual drawer? What a relief!


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## Noggsy (30 Jun 2020)

Wardrobe actually, but yes, phew (it was a fancy dress thing)


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## woodbloke66 (30 Jun 2020)

Somebody was getting 'warm' on p1 of this thread. No names, no pack drill  - Rob


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## MikeG. (30 Jun 2020)

I think I'm seeing a scarf:


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## Sheffield Tony (30 Jun 2020)

I would guess my first idea - rip off the top inch of the apron, crosscut the rest to create the drawer front then glue the apron pieces back together could be done with joins that would escape the attention of >90% of observers.

But I'm drifting towards the veneer idea; slice off a veneer, saw out the drawer hole in the rail and clean up, glue the veneer back on. Then working from the back, cut around the drawer hole with a sharp knife to release the drawer front veneer, glue onto a similar bit of wood, plane the substrate down to the edges of the veneer.


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## Yojevol (30 Jun 2020)

Sheffield Tony":3brkdjek said:


> I would guess my first idea - rip off the top inch of the apron, crosscut the rest to create the drawer front then glue the apron pieces back together could be done with joins that would escape the attention of >90% of observers.
> 
> But I'm drifting towards the veneer idea; slice off a veneer, saw out the drawer hole in the rail and clean up, glue the veneer back on. Then working from the back, cut around the drawer hole with a sharp knife to release the drawer front veneer, glue onto a similar bit of wood, plane the substrate down to the edges of the veneer.


I would stick with your first solution Tony. I was thinking along these lines in my first comment. To develop the process:-
1. Rip off top of the apron and clean up sawn edges.
2. Cut drawer front out of the lower apron using Jap saw for minimum loss.
3. Clean up the cross cuts.
4. Adjust the relative positions of the now drawer front and the two apron bits to get best possible grain match and plane off so they all match height wise. 
5. Adjust the relative positions of the above 3 bits and the apron top to get best grain match.
6. Glue the apron bits back together.

Any takers?
Brian


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## woodbloke66 (30 Jun 2020)

Sheffield Tony":292jwih5 said:


> But I'm drifting towards the veneer idea; slice off a veneer, saw out the drawer hole in the rail and clean up, glue the veneer back on. Then working from the back, cut around the drawer hole with a sharp knife to release the drawer front veneer, glue onto a similar bit of wood, plane the substrate down to the edges of the veneer.


That would still leave you with a 'shadow gap' once the knife cut was cleaned up. There's almost no gap in Derek's drawer but veneering is along the right lines. It can be done to leave a barely perceptible gap like Derek's...but how? :lol: - Rob


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## Sheffield Tony (30 Jun 2020)

I can't say I like the idea of veneer anyway, if you want invisible no scope for any edge treatment on the corners of the drawer or the apron, has to be a sharp 90 degree corner. Very exposed end grain of veneer on the ends of the drawers - any normal use and it will soon be damaged, certainly in my house :roll:


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## Rob_Mc (30 Jun 2020)

My guess on the drawer / apron construction would be to rip off the top inch or so of the front apron above the drawer. The drawer front could then be cut out of the centre of the lower section of the cut front apron.

That only leaves the problem of dealing with the kerf gap either side of the drawer when the front apron is reglued. Assuming a thin kerf saw is used the gap would be small but visible. This gap could be removed when regluing the apron back together by moving the material either side of the drawer opening inboard towards the vertical centreline of the apron thus reducing the size of the draw opening. The grain pattern is such that this small disruption in the grain flow is not detectable unless viewed up very closely.

With the apron opening now created at a slightly smaller size then the drawer front, the drawer could be constructed as standard and 'piston' fitted to the opening.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (1 Jul 2020)

Somehow this area was forgotten, and of course it is important.

All surfaces were hand planed, and then finished in de-waxed Ubeaut Hard Shellac. This concentrated and thinned with denatured alcohol/methylated spirits.






This finish allows the figure to come through and, unlike an oil, does not darken the already dark Jarrah (which is what I wanted to avoid).

The top was, in addition, sanded with a ROS to 400 grit. Jarrah is an open-grain timber and the sanded Shellac doubled as a grain-filler, leaving a smoothed surface.

The next step was to rub in (and off) a water-based poly, from General Finishes, which does not darken or yellow with age. I rub thin coats on with microfibre cloths and then denib with 400 grit grey mesh ...






The final step is to wax (the top) with Howards Wax-N-Feed, which is a mix of beeswax and carnauba wax.






This produces a very soft, warm and natural finish.






Regards from Perth

Derek


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## John Brown (1 Jul 2020)

I think MikeG had it almost right. Rip off the top of the apron. Crosscut the drawer front out of the bottom apron section, at a slight angle, so now you can glue the top and bottom apron sections back together, and you have a drawer front that is ever so slightly wedge shaped on the two sides. Now you somehow(??) fix the drawer front in place, where it ends up slightly behind the front surface of the apron, and then you plane the whole arrangement together, until the face of the drawer front and the apron are flush.
You might have to also angle the rip cut when you take the top section of the apron off - but I'm not sure why.


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## Sheffield Tony (1 Jul 2020)

Agreed a slight "flare" on the drawer front would help. But we can see pictures of the drawer, and there doesn't look to me to be an appreciable angle on the ends of the front, it looks pretty square.



woodbloke66":3nyk2cx5 said:


> Sheffield Tony":3nyk2cx5 said:
> 
> 
> > But I'm drifting towards the veneer idea; slice off a veneer, saw out the drawer hole in the rail and clean up, glue the veneer back on. Then working from the back, cut around the drawer hole with a sharp knife to release the drawer front veneer, glue onto a similar bit of wood, plane the substrate down to the edges of the veneer.
> ...



Ok then, take a thin veneer off the rail, make the rail with what's left, the drawer with another piece, and carefully cut the matching piece of veneer for the drawer front, hoping that the grain pattern doesn't change too much in the thickness of the veneer. Quartersawn stock would help, but I guess here there's a choice of two pieces to work with ! I think I see some slight discontinuities at the right side of the drawer. I think I can convince myself that the front of the drawer looks to have a veneer on it ?

Aside: I have often wondered, when fishing around with a thin steel ruler through the gap above a drawer to try and dislodge the item inside that is sticking up and preventing the door from opening - why not fix a ramp shaped bit of wood to the back of the rail above the drawer, so anything sticking up is pushed back down in to the drawer, allowing it to open easily ?


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (1 Jul 2020)

It was my intention from the outset to hide the drawer as best as possible. This required that the drawer not have a pull or handle visible on the outside. To achieve this end, the drawer would need to be opened from the underside. 

_Issue:_ Opening from the underside meant that the drawer would need to rest in a case which was open from below. Without a case bottom (i.e. drawer blades) on which the drawer could rest, the common method for a drawer would be a form of side hang. 

There are two methods for a side hung drawer that I know of, and I dislike both of them intensely! Partly because they require thick drawer sides, which lack aesthetic appeal for me.

The first is a wooden slide (ugh!) which requires grooving the outside of the drawer sides ...






The second method involves a metal slide (double ugh!!), which is ugly and belongs in a kitchen ...






In the end I decided that I could build a drawer case with drawer blades open at the front. I have not seen anything like this before, but I live a sheltered life. I doubt this is original ... just re-inventing the wheel.






There are four parts to the drawer build: the drawer size and design, the drawer case, fitting the drawer case, and the drawer.

*The drawer size and design*






The drawer is 230mm (9") wide and 280mm (11") deep. The width represents one third of the length of the apron. This works well since the depth of the drawer needs to be greater than the width to avoid racking. Racking would not be an issue if there were side slides (ugh!), but we are avoiding those thingies. 

Note the lip on the underside of the drawer front ...






See the drawer lining up with the apron ... going ... going ..






... gone ...






That lip is the drawer pull, and it doubles as the drawer stop. 


*The drawer case*

Let's make the face of the drawer case. 

The original aprons were 100mm high. The new apron was to be 65mm, which was the height I calculated (with a life size drawing on a MDF sheet).

The 65mm height included the drawer front, which would be 45mm high. That would leave a 20mm rail above the drawer. 






The first step here is to rip away 45mm from the original apron ...






These two sections are jointed so that they may be perfectly flush once glued back together, and no join evident. The jointing was done on my large shooting board ...






The drawer front is marked off - with a knife, not a pencil - from the centre of the 45mm wide board ...






And then the drawer front is crosscut on the table saw. The cut area is covered in blue tape to minimise spelching ...






We are now left with four sections - the wide top, the two lower side sections, and the middle drawer front. The sections are glued back (taking care not to glue the drawer front back!) ...






Once the glue has dried, plane the board flat ...






Did you see it before? 






Now the board is ripped down to 65mm, leaving a 20mm rail above the drawer front.

Here you can see the front and rear aprons. They have also been cut to length, given a tenon at each end. The apron tenons are angled 3 degrees for the splayed legs ...






Part 2 will complete the drawer.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Sheffield Tony (1 Jul 2020)

Hah - my first guess was right, shouldn't have got distracted with veneers. It is amazing, given the not exactly straight grain, that the lost thickness of a tablesaw kerf and planing up both faces is so inconspicuous.

I'm waiting to see what you did about the ugly dowels in the legs, especially the bottom ones that I'd expect to be in a visible position - the finished table doesn't look shorter, judging by the witness mark on the wall behind it ...


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## John Brown (1 Jul 2020)

Well that looks fantastic, but to be fair, Sheffield Tony guessed that back on page one, and even I, who have never made anything more beautiful than a wooden wedge to keep a door open, guessed that was how to do it. I think Woodbloke's commentary made me think it was something more devious...
Which is not meant to detract in any way from the skill and craftsmanship of the execution.


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## woodbloke66 (1 Jul 2020)

Very cunning indeed Derek =D> 

I saw something very similar done using a veneering technique when I was working for a firm making for Linely. He wanted a completely hidden drawer within a front rail but there was no opportunity to chop the rail around as you did.
The chap that made the piece (two benches behind mine) decided to slice the rail into *two*, very thin veneers. The *first *veneer was the show face into which the drawer opening was cut, once it was re-glued back onto the original rail. The *second *veneer, being an almost identical match, formed the drawer front.
It was still a very tricky bit of cabinet work but in the final finished job, the drawer front was indistinguishable from the rail and there was no shadow gap of any sort. I recollect also that he used a Hafele spring mechanism to open the drawer as there was obviously no pull or handle of any sort - Rob

Edit - and there's no way on God's green earth would any of those ghastly metal slide thingies appear in any of his stuff


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (1 Jul 2020)

Rob, in 2010, for a competition, I did make this drawer ...











... using a veneer saw ...






That was pretty good going 











Regards from Perth

Derek


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## woodbloke66 (1 Jul 2020)

Nice Derek  The current project underway in the 'shop also has a secret compartment where said compartment is entirely hidden inside the drawer front and only a very close inspection using the MK 1 eyeball will reveal how to open it!  - Rob


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (1 Jul 2020)

I hope that you intend to post this project, Rob. I love secret drawers!  

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## MikeG. (1 Jul 2020)

woodbloke66":2hc5wt23 said:


> Nice Derek  The current project underway in the 'shop also has a secret compartment......



Just as a by-the-by, almost every piece of furniture I have ever made has a secret compartment. I love doing them. :lol:


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## woodbloke66 (1 Jul 2020)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> I hope that you intend to post this project, Rob. I love secret drawers!
> 
> Regards from Perth
> 
> Derek


Image deleted - Rob


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## AndyT (1 Jul 2020)

That drawer front looks a bit thicker than your usual elegant proportions Rob... and did you _have_ to leave such a clear marking out line?


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## TheTiddles (1 Jul 2020)

Marking out lines on drawer sides are like leaving tailor’s chalk on your suit.

There is a way to do that compartment without the scribe line, though I’m planning on routing the slide into the drawer side too (maybe) so maybe it’s not for everyone 

Aidan


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## MikeG. (1 Jul 2020)

TheTiddles":20us2aw6 said:


> Marking out lines on drawer sides are like leaving tailor’s chalk on your suit........



You don't see tailor's chalk on suits, but you see scribe lines on drawer dovetails all the time in antique shops and auction rooms.


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## Sheffield Tony (1 Jul 2020)

Which is interesting; one of the approaches to making a really snug drawer (see, heading back on topic) that I've seen recommended is to make the front fit precisely, then make the sides out of slightly oversized (thickness wise) stock, then plane the sides of the finished drawer down to match the front. If the scribe lines show, then it wasn't done that way.


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## Andy Kev. (2 Jul 2020)

What I think is an absolute revelation is that the join is invisible after cutting the draw front out on a table saw. I would have thought that the kerf would simply have been too wide and I would have assumed that the use of some fiendishly fine, probably Japanese, backsaw would have been necessary for that cut.

Did you have a confidence in advance that the results would be effectively invisible? (Probably a daft question; I suppose you must have.)


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (2 Jul 2020)

Andy, my reasoning was this: I could cut with a Japanese saw, which leaves a fine surface and a fine kerf. But I am still going to have to shoot the ends to ensure that they are perfectly square to one another - that is, both sides. That can add up to a wider kerf. So, go for the table saw, which will leave a fine and square cut with a predictable cut/kerf.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't. 

The other factor is one of planning. Planning the cutting, that is. It is an illusion that there are three possible kerfs. Or two, if just thinking about the drawer. There are, in fact, no kerfs to worry about (if the saw cuts are perfectly straight): as you cut one side, the next piece is butted against it, and so on. No gaps. What you have to worry about is the effect on the figure. Can you get away with it - will the figure tell the story? Answer: look where you are cutting.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## MikeG. (2 Jul 2020)

Sheffield Tony":ao9r4fex said:


> Which is interesting; one of the approaches to making a really snug drawer (see, heading back on topic) that I've seen recommended is to make the front fit precisely, then make the sides out of slightly oversized (thickness wise) stock, then plane the sides of the finished drawer down to match the front. If the scribe lines show, then it wasn't done that way.



I think cabinet makers of old, particularly those making "country furniture", didn't aim for such a snug fit as we do these days.


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## Andy Kev. (2 Jul 2020)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> Andy, my reasoning was this: I could cut with a Japanese saw, which leaves a fine surface and a fine kerf. But I am still going to have to shoot the ends to ensure that they are perfectly square to one another - that is, both sides. That can add up to a wider kerf. So, go for the table saw, which will leave a fine and square cut with a predictable cut/kerf.
> 
> Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
> 
> ...


Ahhh … I see! (I imagine you can here the penny dropping even at this distance.) The implication is that with something that has dead straight grain, the cut can be done without too much worry but with something like that jarrah, it's a matter of pick your spot carefully.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (2 Jul 2020)

Andy, that is the other issue: shooting Jarrah ... it is brittle and the likelihood is spelching rather than a clean edge which will disappear.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## NickM (2 Jul 2020)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> Andy, my reasoning was this: I could cut with a Japanese saw, which leaves a fine surface and a fine kerf. But I am still going to have to shoot the ends to ensure that they are perfectly square to one another - that is, both sides. That can add up to a wider kerf. So, go for the table saw, which will leave a fine and square cut with a predictable cut/kerf.
> 
> Damned if you do and damned if you don't.
> 
> ...



I used the same technique for the art desk I made (WIP on here somewhere), the main difference being that the apron continued under the drawer so I had to rip it into three pieces before cross cutting the drawer.

I wasn't trying to make mine invisible, I just wanted the drawer to have a similar colour grain pattern so it didn't "clash" with the rest of the apron. Cutting it out of the apron is the easiest way of doing it. 

I also used a table saw (although I think I also shot the ends), and I was surprised how invisible the drawer looked. It didn't end up looking invisible because I fitted the drawer with a small gap, but I think I could have got it invisible if I had really tried.

Rob Cosman did a good series on making this kind of drawer recently. It was incredible the lengths he would go to in order to get the perfect fit (including using 1 thou shim to find the "high" spot). He also had a few foul ups along the way so it was instructive on how to recover from mistakes.

The table looks fantastic Derek. I hope the customer likes it!


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (3 Jul 2020)

There are four parts to the drawer build: the drawer size and design, the drawer case, fitting the drawer case, and the drawer.

Part 1 described the drawer size and design, and the apron of the drawer case. Part 2 describes the rest.

We ended Part 1 here. That is the apron and opening to the drawer case ..







This is where the build ended ...






*The drawer case and its fitting*

I scratched my head for a week how to do this. How to get the case to support drawer blades. I did not want a heavy, complicated arrangement, one which ran the danger of protruding below the table and might be seen at a distance. It needed to be lean and mean. To be elegant. A design to be appreciated by myself and you. This is what I came up with ..

The case sides were grooved 3mm (1/8") ...






.. and matched with a rebated section which would form the 6mm (~1/4") thick drawer blade ...











The thickness of each blade is the same as the depth of the lip on the drawer front (which doubles as a drawer pull). This depth is significant. 

The reason for the rebate arrangement is to get the blade as low as possible on the case side. Recall that the front of the blade acts as a drawer stop as well, and must be coplanar with the lower edge of the drawer lip. 

The side/blades are fitted to the rear of the apron with a mortice-and-tenon joint ...






This was definitely a tricky joint to do and it needed to be precisely positioned so that the entry lined up with the sides ... precisely!






Here is what it would look like with the drawer front inserted ...






To aid with alignment, I made a MDF pattern ...






Here's the fun bit - aligning the case with the front and rear aprons, to mark out the rear mortices ...






The pattern is inserted and a straight edge is attached to the front apron to prevent flexing ...






A lot of repeat measurements are taken on the rear apron before I am satisfied it is square and equal front-and-back.

This is the result ...






By-the-way, note the biscuit joiner-made slots for attaching the table top.


*The drawer*

The drawer build was fairly straight forward. The usual half-blind fronts and through dovetail rears. 

Transferring tails to pins on the Moxon ...






The sides were grooved rather than using slips. This was to save the extra 3mm height needed for the slips (saving as much height as possible for inside the drawer). 3mm grooves ..






Matching groove in the drawer front ...






Below is the stage of glueing up the drawer carcase. You know that it is all coplanar and square (essential for a piston fit) when the dovetail at each end just drop neatly into the matching sockets  ...






The 6mm thick drawer bottom receives a 3mm rebate. This was made with a moving fillester, and then fine-tuned with a shoulder plane ...






The drawer fits well and needs minimal tuning. Got to use the newly-made drawer-planing fixture ...






Two items added: a very fine chamfer to the top of the drawer front, to prevent binding when the drawer is closed. And a stretcher across the tops of the drawer sides, prevent the drawer tipping ...






This aids in achieving near-full extension ...






The end 






Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Andy Kev. (3 Jul 2020)

Derek,

was there a reason for not cutting a stopped mortice? That way the side blades would have simply slotted in and been supported.

Andy.


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## Sheffield Tony (3 Jul 2020)

Nicely done =D> 

A couple of questions - how did you loose / hide the ugly dowels in the top of the legs, as your new aprons are shallower ?

And - forgive me if I'm being dense - why would drawer slips make the drawer 3mm shallower ? Can't you just put the rebate in the bottom the other way up and keep the drawer depth the same ? I would have thought it easier to achieve the thin drawer sides that way.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (4 Jul 2020)

Tony, thanks for asking. I had meant to mention the way I dealt with the dowel, but there was not the opportunity.

Here are the legs, and you can see the ugly dowels. What I did was to turn them upside down, and remove the dowelled section in the taper cut ...






First, the legs were morticed ..






I built a simple fixture for my sliding table saw ...






The nail holes were filled with coloured epoxy, which disappeared after the finish was applied ...






And then smoothed ...






I was asked (when I posted this photo elsewhere) why I planed into the grain. The answer is ‘because I can with a closed chipbreaker’  No, the real answer is because it was easier to keep track of the mark demarcating the flat section.

As to the drawer slips, I like to leave such flat - no protrusions - which then requires a groove. The groove is 3mm below the top edge .... hence 3mm more material is needed.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (4 Jul 2020)

Rita's table at home ...






Regards from Perth

Derek


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## AndyT (4 Jul 2020)

Very nice .... But has she found the drawer yet?


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## Woody2Shoes (4 Jul 2020)

A lovely job - as always. I'd be interested to know what finish/process you use - I don't know if you've included the 'finishing' stage in previous WIPs but it's something of a black art to me. Cheers, W2S


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (4 Jul 2020)

I did mention the finishes used early on. Pictures and all.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Woody2Shoes (4 Jul 2020)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> I did mention the finishes used early on. Pictures and all.
> 
> Regards from Perth
> 
> Derek



Thanks - I missed it in all the excitement about the slicing and invisible re-gluing of the front apron! Finishing is still a bit of a 'dark art' as far as I'm concerned. Isn't it very late/early in Perth?


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## Sheffield Tony (5 Jul 2020)

Derek Cohen (Perth said:


> What I did was to turn them upside down, and remove the dowelled section in the taper cut ...



I had noticed you had quite a taper on the legs. Why didn't I realise what you'd done ? I was looking at one of the earlier photos thinking that together, the taper and the splay looked a bit more than I would like - I was surprised when you said it was only 3 degrees. I think it must have been just the viewpoint in that photo, it looks great in it's proper place.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (5 Jul 2020)

Tony, actually the splay is 2 1/2 degrees. I rounded up as it otherwise sounded a little OCD. 

In other words, just a touch of splay to add to the taper.

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## Gerard Scanlan (10 Jul 2020)

I always enjoy your WIPs Derek and what a wonderful journey this one was. A great lesson in how to reuse timber from a boring table and turn it into something of really beauty. I especially like the elegant splay of the legs and bowed top. I know you are most tickled by the invisible drawer but for me the absolute high point of the build was when you flipped the legs around and removed the dowels with the taper. Trully inspired.


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## Derek Cohen (Perth Oz) (10 Jul 2020)

Thank you so much Gerard. I've just had a look through your webs - such fun and creative work! 

And thank you for the comment about the legs. I was hoping that someone would feel the same about them as I do. It was a great ahha moment. 

Regards from Perth

Derek


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## maznaz (13 Jul 2020)

This is absolutely inspiring. Turning an ugly chunk of table-shaped wood into something that beautiful is so impressive!


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