# Small walnut side table with drawer



## AndyT (14 Dec 2017)

There's a really helpful and generous member on here. He lives down in the New Forest, where he makes astonishingly beautiful furniture for discerning customers who appreciate quality work. He also finds time to patiently answer loads of questions, drawing on his practical experience. 

You may have noticed that he has posted several times about this little table:







He mentioned this table a good while back, when I was just starting to think about making one. Not only did he send me some magazine articles to help inspire me, he offered to sort out some "offcuts" that I could make it from. Naturally, I took him up on his offer and after a pleasant drive down to Hampshire I met him in his workshop where we talked for a couple of hours and he started filling the boot of my car with wood. 

I am of course, talking about *Custard*, the grinning pink cat with the most thumbs-up thank-yous of anyone on this forum. Custard's offcuts are not tiny little scraps like mine, fit only for making dolls house furniture - they are lovely boards of high grade timber which he "just happens" to have sawn and carefully planed to the right sizes to be used as table legs, tops, drawer sides and so on.

So this project starts with a great big _Thankyou_ to Custard. And a big helping of embarrassment that it has taken me over a year of doing all sorts of other things (going on holiday, painting the house, contributing to sharpening threads...) except starting this table.  But now I have finished my other projects. I've done the Christmas shopping. I've tidied the workshop. I've even flattened the top of the bench. I feel really apprehensive about this and don't want to mess it up, but now it's time to start!

One thing I have done in the time is to sit and think carefully about the details of the construction and the size of the table, to fit the one spot in our house where there is room for it. I have studied articles and books and I have forced myself to draw a full-size diagram so I am sure I understand how it all fits together. I've also written out a cutting list. 

The design is an old Shaker one. It's in Thomas Moser's book "How to Build Shaker Furniture". It's also featured in a magazine article by Christopher Schwarz available here: https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-c ... 4-Seg2.pdf 

I need to modify the design a little - I want my table to be rectangular, not square - but I will follow the suggested widths and thicknesses quite closely. That's one reason why I will work in inches on this project. (Other reasons are that most of my measuring tools are imperial and so is most of my brain.) Also, I won't be machining rebates for the drawers, but doing them old-school with dovetails and slips, like I did on my little chest of drawers. 

Here is my drawing, on a piece of lining paper, somewhat faded from the weeks it spent laid out on a desk in the spare bedroom. 






Here's part of the top, possibly close enough to see the pencil lines






The point of the drawing was to force myself to think about the sizes of all the components, including the awkward little runners and stretchers and spacers. There are more separate pieces in this than you might think.

So here you can see the wood that Custard gave me - enough to make two or three tables!






After an hour or so, I had sorted out which pieces of walnut and oak will be suitable for each item on the cutting list, and labelled them all, so I can be confident that I am using wood which will look right, while not wasting it. Here are all the parts, piled up on my table saw - probably its only contribution to this project.






The first step has to be gluing up the two pieces of lovely book-matched walnut that will make the top. I want to keep the top as large as I can. If it ends up not the same as I have drawn it, I can adjust dimensions of the other pieces to suit. I'll then make a rod to give me actual dimensions to work to.

So, first decision - which way to edge-join these two pieces. Like this:






or like this?






Now, that's sort of a rhetorical question, as I have already glued them together but I hope you all agree that the first option is the right one. I think it looks more like a single piece of wood than the other, where the busier grain doesn't join up so well and the pattern seems to divide into three stripes. 

So, I boldly carried on, with a No 7 






and a 4½






taking not very much off and repeatedly taking each piece in and out of the vice and holding them together up to the light. Eventually I was happy with a very slight gap in the middle and tight ends and moved on to the glue up. I'm using Liquid Hide Glue which says it's ok above 50° F. It's about 56°F / 13°C in my workshop so I should be ok. Out with the protective cloth, Record sash cramps and an antique wooden one. No action shots of putting the glue on, but you all know what that looks like.






Next time, I'll get the top flattened and squared up and then embark on the framework.


----------



## monkeybiter (14 Dec 2017)

Looking forward to this, agree with the orientation decision, love that antique clamp[cramp].


----------



## will1983 (14 Dec 2017)

Looking good already, I'll be following this one with interest. I love shaker furniture.


----------



## El Barto (14 Dec 2017)

Also looking forward to this.

And kudos on the shoutout to Custard. Without being all gushy, his generosity and knowledge are one of the reasons this forum is so great.


----------



## nabs (14 Dec 2017)

excellent, I will enjoy following along (and 100% agree about Custard - top chap!).


----------



## Racers (15 Dec 2017)

Nice Andy, Custard is a great chap.

You got the top the right way round.

Pete


----------



## Chris152 (15 Dec 2017)

Looking forward to seeing this develop. I've learned one thing already - using an off-cut each side of the boards to spread evenly the load exerted by the clamps? I'd not seen that before.


----------



## John15 (15 Dec 2017)

Watching with interest Andy. I'm currently making something similar myself but I'm so slow you will be finished long before me. Good luck.

John


----------



## ro (15 Dec 2017)

Looking good so far! Looking forward to the next steps


----------



## Sheffield Tony (15 Dec 2017)

Ahh great. I do love your projects Andy.

But ... I'm not sure your rhetorical question has a completely obvious answer. I can see the option you chose avoids jarring mismatch of the grain patterns at the join. 
It fits very much with advice I've seen in earlier thread (from Custard ?). But for someone used to seeing wide boards sawn "through and through", it looks strangely inside out !
I mean that in a single wide board, you'd get the annual rings at the steep angle towards the edges, and nearer parallel to the face in the middle, so the wide, 
wavy grain in the middle and the close straighter grain at the sides. Not that I disagree with your decision, but I think the question is worth considering.


----------



## AndyT (15 Dec 2017)

Thanks all for your interest and encouragement - it's really welcome. Tony, thanks for your thoughts on the matching - I see what you mean, and it's why I hesitated, but in the end it was my desire to make the join disappear which won. 

Anyone who's looked at one of my earlier projects will know not to expect rapid progress, but I like covering things in some detail. It's interesting to compare methods and there's always the chance that someone will learn from what they see, or suggest a better method I'd not used. 
Today's update is on a couple of hours of work, but won't look much. 

I took the top out of the cramps and was pleased to see that the glue line was nice and tight. 
The wood was not perfectly flat, so I knew that I would need to do some planing, but I don't want to do more than I have to. The wood is only about 5/8" thick, which is fine - I want this to look delicate - but there is no gain by wasting away wood.

It was high along the outer edges and low in the middle. 






Simple planing against a couple of bench dogs was all it needed, skewing the back of the plane on the low middle. 






The plane was a bit hard to push, so I stopped and sharpened it. I mention that just to stress how frequent sharpening needs to be - just like sharpening a pencil - not because I want to discuss _how_ to sharpen. 






I stopped flattening before I had got the top completely flat. I wouldn't normally bother measuring flatness, I'd just test against a straight edge, but for the sake of clarity, it's about 10 thou hollow in the middle. I can easily deal with that later when I can give the top its final surface. If I do it now I risk having to take more wood off if I accidentally mark it. I'll put a bevel on the underside later, but not until I have made the framework and can check the sizes of bevel needed. 






A question - the top has a pair of tiny insect holes. I would fill these with walnut sawdust and hide glue - but can anyone suggest anything better that I ought to be using? Do I need to do anything to remove the blackening on the outside of the holes?






In my drawing, the top is 18" by 13½". In practice, I can enlarge it a bit, to 18 7/8" by 13 15/16" (800 x 339 mm if you prefer). I will do this - there's no reason not to. Making a free standing piece I can choose the dimensions and they don't have to be round numbers. 

The ends need to be trimmed square. For this little amount, there was no need to saw the ends, I could just plane them. I knifed a line all round, then chiselled a chamfer. The chamfer prevents chipping or spelching at the edges and show how near you are to the line. 





















This walnut does plane really nicely, even on end grain.


----------



## DTR (15 Dec 2017)

Watching with interest!


----------



## AndyT (15 Dec 2017)

Having sort-of done the top, I now need to get the legs and aprons etc to size. 
The wood that Custard gave me for the legs is lovely and straight, with the grain carefully selected to look good on all four sides of each leg. (This is explained in detail in the Popular Woodworking article I linked to in my first post.)
There is some slant to the grain as well, which I should be able to exploit when cutting the tapers - some of the tapered surfaces can follow the slanting grain. 
That's easy to describe, but you wouldn't want to watch me shifting all the legs around into all the possible positions before deciding which way round to arrange each one... :roll: 
(Including time to check that the tapering happens on the _insides_ of the legs, not the outsides, and then rearrange them and mark them...)

Anyway, I ended up with a stack of four pieces






They are over-long, so I cut some of the length off. I didn't cut to the finished length though - that will come after the joints and tapers are cut. This is the sort of job for which I like my trusty old Burgess bandsaw, so here's a posed shot of it having cut two legs to length.






And then it was planing time. Not much for you to see, but these pieces are about 1 3/8" square and I want them to be 1 1/8" square. Being a careful sort of chap, I planed an eighth off each side, using a Stanley 5½ and finishing off with a 4½.

An hour or so later my bench was looking like this






and then like this






It's a bit frustrating that most of the fresh planing on two faces on each leg will be removed to make the taper, but I think this is the right way to go about it - make all the legs straight, square and matching, cut the mortices, then the tapers. The walnut is lovely stuff to plane - much nicer than softwood. 
Did I mention the need to resharpen when the plane gets hard to push? I reckon once per leg is about right. 

I'll do some more when I can find the time, and leave you with this for now.


----------



## Racers (15 Dec 2017)

AndyT":9ek3yffm said:


>



Didn't I see that on last nights Masterchef? with some granita and chocolate soil?

Pete


----------



## Bm101 (15 Dec 2017)

In the middle of a loft extension here Andy, my beginners side projects down the shed don't get a look in and won't for some time. My brain is working on 4x2 and nail gun accuracy scales, tiling and celotex. What a fantastic timing that you've started this now then. It's shed by proxy. :wink: 
I learn a huge amount on UKW from all sorts of different people and I'm thankful for all of them but I have to say I do enjoy a good read of your WIPs more than most. Sure I won't cause offence by that as I have no doubt it's a feeling shared by many. You have a great writing style, enjoyable to read, unforced yet enthused, modest but I _realise_ a lot every time I read one. You shine a light on details that others often miss out. I look forward to seeing more as always.
Cheers fella.
Regards
Chris


----------



## StraightOffTheArk (16 Dec 2017)

Bm101":2and6ac2 said:


> In the middle of a loft extension here Andy, my beginners side projects down the shed don't get a look in and won't for some time. My brain is working on 4x2 and nail gun accuracy scales, tiling and celotex. What a fantastic timing that you've started this now then. It's shed by proxy. :wink:
> I learn a huge amount on UKW from all sorts of different people and I'm thankful for all of them but I have to say I do enjoy a good read of your WIPs more than most. Sure I won't cause offence by that as I have no doubt it's a feeling shared by many. You have a great writing style, enjoyable to read, unforced yet enthused, modest but I _realise_ a lot every time I read one. You shine a light on details that others often miss out. I look forward to seeing more as always.
> Cheers fella.
> Regards
> Chris




My sentiments also, only written better than I could have! (Except that I'm not in the middle of a loft extension, for which, considering the temperature, I am thankful!)


----------



## El Barto (16 Dec 2017)

Looking good Andy. I sure do love a good plane shaving photo. Can't believe how clean that end grain looks!


----------



## AndyT (17 Dec 2017)

It's really nice to see the interest in this little project. It will help me get on with it as often as I can, though there is some sort of big event coming up in a week or so which might interrupt a bit... :ho2 

Today, I have been mostly planing...

I've reduced the other legs down to the skinny-looking 1⅛" required, taking shavings from all four sides, which everyone says is important. 

Looking at my earlier pictures of the lovely curly shavings coming off this walnut, I realised I was using a jack plane and could probably be taking a heavier cut. I found I could still (just) push the plane with a deeper setting. 
The immediately noticeable difference was that the shavings stopped coming off in full length curls and started crumbling in much smaller bits, like this:






I guess it's all part of the subtle relationship between timber type, shaving thickness and position of the cap iron. The good thing was that it did go a little bit quicker and I soon had a set of straight-ish, square-ish legs. I've marked them in pen on the top ends and in chalk to remind me of which sides are going to get planed down for the tapers later on.






The only other thing I have made so far is a tub of designer packing material!


----------



## Fitzroy (17 Dec 2017)

Looking good! Shavings are ace for getting the fire going. Just about used the last of a massive box I had after making oak framing pegs.


----------



## AndyT (21 Dec 2017)

Ok, a quick update. I have spent several hours in the workshop, but in some ways there isn't a lot to show for it yet. But I think that's because I always underestimate how hard it is to sort out all the parts and get them marked up right, the right way round and checked several times. 
Most written articles and videos start with selected, dimensioned pieces of wood, but although it's not the most visually interesting stage, it is an important one. So here are some photos and random notes.

The wood Custard gave me included suitable stuff for all the parts of a table. Sometimes it was very easy to decide what to use:






but there's still scope to go wrong - that saw cut gives me enough wood for the width of drawer that I need - but only just, and I have to mark and cut out carefully. Having managed to make the top a little bigger than planned, I decided to keep the underframe as drawn, not enlarged - and the length of this nice piece was one reason for that decision. The drawer front will be marked from and fitted to the aperture it will fit in, later on. 






The apron rails at sides and back need to be 5" deep so as to get a drawer deep enough to be worth having. The suitable pieces of wood were a little bit wider but had some sapwood and splits at the edges. Fortunately there was enough room to plane away the defects.
This is part of the fun of working with wood - you can remove defects or hide them where they won't be seen - but it all takes up thinking time. 






I could bandsaw away the little knot on the edge and avoid the other one altogether. 






Defects like this can be hidden away on the inside of the framing - the wood is perfect on the side which will show.






I've done most of the planing so far with a Stanley 5½ but for this job I tried my rather nice Preston jointer (£5 from a stall at the Westonbirt Woodfest a few years ago). Although I don't use it very often, I actually found it easier to keep upright than the Stanley plane, and its greater mass made it good for taking off a fairly thick shaving. 






There are a few measurements on this project which have to be right to make it all square. The actual size in inches is not so critical, but you do want pairs of rails and all four legs to match. The simple solution is to cut them over length, clamp them together, and mark off the shoulder lines in one go. You then separate the parts and mark all round. This is what I did. 
















It still took ages. With the legs, the two at the back have mortices on two adjacent faces. The two at the front have a long mortice each, plus a tiny mortice for the rail below the drawer and a dovetail at the top. The legs each get tapered on the two internal faces.
So it's really important to get all the marking done on the right faces, following the reference side and edge properly.

I shall probably bandsaw away the bulk of the wood for the tapers, then plane to the line, so I need a line I can see. This pencil line is just not clear enough on this dark timber. 






It's much clearer in macro shots here than it is in real life. (Clear enough to see where I have left some tear-out - which will get removed - and failed to plane down to my gauge line - though it is also in the waste  . )

I tried using tape instead and I think it will be much clearer. It is also easier to position than holding a steel ruler at the right angle to draw along. 






I'll try and get some actual cutting done before Xmas, but please bear with me. It will all speed up, provided it doesn't slow down too much - and I seem to have hurt my back putting up Xmas cards!


----------



## AndyT (24 Dec 2017)

Mortice time. 

Like I said at the beginning, on this project I'm mostly following dimensions from a magazine article by Chris Schwarz. Dimensions are important - this doesn't need to look clunky - so I've not strayed far. The legs are really quite slender and there is little room for mortice and tenon joints. 
In the article, the mortices are only 3/8" wide and 3/8" deep. Chris cuts them open to the end of the leg, using some sort of power tool technique, which I won't be following.
I did an experiment on an offcut, which showed me better than any drawing that these mortices (cut blind and square-bottomed) almost meet along one long corner. That seems weak with them open to the end, so I'll stop them in the usual way.
In retrospect, I'd like to have made them meet, mitred together, but having obediently assumed I'd just stick with the 3/8" measurement I have cut my rails to that size. Never mind - my offcut experiment confirmed that although the tenons will be short, they are 4¼" long and will have enough gluing area for this small, light table. There's no room for haunches. 

So on with the cutting. 

Here I am set up and started. 







You may notice that I have chosen to use a Marples ¼" bevel edge chisel from the 70s. Despite quite a long discussion, I'm not sure if this will be better or not!
It's narrower than the finished mortice and I will be paring the sides. This is not what I would do if I was making something bigger like a garden gate, but there is so little margin for error here I think it is appropriate. 

After chiselling nearly all the way along I used a little Stanley 271 router to get down to depth 






then pared down the sides to the full width. 






Here's the finished job.






For the second mortice, I switched to a "proper" mortice chisel, though still only ¼" wide.






You will see that I was still taking tiny nibbles, using one of my smaller mallets. Maybe it's because the cuts were shallow or maybe it's my eyesight, but the cut here is not very straight, so it would need clearing up whatever I did.
After the first row of vertical cuts, it was quicker to chisel horizontally, freehand - I managed not to go too deep.






And would you believe it, the finished mortice looks just like the one I did with the other chisel! 






But rather than fill up the thread with identical pictures, here's a tip when you want to advance a little router like this progressively, to take a thin shaving off and work down to the required depth. Put a shim under the body of the router and drop the cutter down to rest on the bottom of the mortice. Tighten the screw, remove the shim.
You can then take a fresh cut knowing that you won't accidentally be trying to remove twice as much in one go as you wanted to.
I used a very thin steel rule, because it was handy, but a piece of thin card or veneer would do just as well. 






That's it from me on this job for a while - I'll be back when I've done the others and then we can look at some tiny tenons. Happy Christmas to all. :ho2


----------



## El Barto (24 Dec 2017)

Damn that mortice is perfect! Neat trick with the router plane too.


----------



## custard (24 Dec 2017)

AndyT":2vp61kae said:


> I did an experiment on an offcut, which showed me better than any drawing that these mortices (cut blind and square-bottomed) almost meet along one long corner. That seems weak with them open to the end, so I'll stop them in the usual way.
> In retrospect, I'd like to have made them meet, mitred together,



Swings and roundabouts. 

It's true that having meeting mortices and mitred tenons gets you an extra square centimetre or two of glue surface. But it also brings with it a penalty in that during the glue-up you'll get glue flowing from one mortice to the adjacent mortice. If you're gluing up in stages (which I'd strongly recommend unless you're very slick and experienced or using a slow setting UF glue) that glue contamination may cause problems. I appreciate you're using scotch glue, but most people will use a modern bottled glue, and these rarely stick very well to cured versions of themselves. Plus if there are big lumps of dried glue in the adjacent mortice then you'll have clean it out, besides being a faff, if you use a chisel then it risks opening up the mortice so the next tenon isn't such a good fit.

I'm not saying one mortice solution is always better than an another, but it's worth weighing things up in the context of each individual project.

On a different point, in an earlier post you talked about planing the leg taper. There's a common trap that a lot of people fall into during this operation. The normal taper arrangement is something like this,






There'll usually be a gap of about 3mm or 1/8" between the end of the taper and the bottom of the apron rail. But it's very easy when planing to go sailing past that line and end up with an unsightly gap at the bottom of the apron. I always have a pencil line to delineate the end of the taper, but then I have a _second _pencil line about 6mm or 1/4" further down towards the bottom the the leg. I try to preserve _both_ pencil lines until near the end, and only then do I run a couple of through planing strokes to take out the lower pencil line. The fact is the taper isn't a joint surface, so it only has to _appear_ reasonably straight and reasonably square, the priority when tapering is to preserve that final pencil line rather than put in plane stroke after plane stroke aiming for engineering levels of straightness and squareness. 

However, judging from these photos it's clear you're bringing your usual high standards to bear on this project, it's looking really good!


----------



## custard (24 Dec 2017)

El Barto":3dt82c2v said:


> Damn that mortice is perfect! Neat trick with the router plane too.



I'm not taking anything away from Andy's craftsmanship, because you're right it does look perfect. But the thing to remember is that cutting a perfect tenon is much harder than cutting a perfect mortice. It's puzzling why there's a lot more column inches on this forum about mortices than about tenons, when consistent and accurate tenons are much trickier to achieve?


----------



## AndyT (24 Dec 2017)

Thanks Custard - your practical advice is always welcome! I shall add extra lines as described. Chris Schwarz allows himself a full inch below the apron before the taper starts, so I was going to go with that and see how it looks - I shall definitely aim to stop before the joint. He suggests bandsaw followed by plane. I'm not sure whether to do that or just plane the lot.

I've done a practice tenon on scrap too - but that will have to wait while I cut some more mortices!

Any thoughts on the joints between the bottom rail (under the drawer) and the legs? I was thinking just a single short mortice and tenon, but does it need to be twin tenons?


----------



## custard (24 Dec 2017)

AndyT":2ckji6z4 said:


> Thanks Custard - your practical advice is always welcome! I shall add extra lines as described. Chris Schwarz allows himself a full inch below the apron before the taper starts, so I was going to go with that and see how it looks - I shall definitely aim to stop before the joint. He suggests bandsaw followed by plane. I'm not sure whether to do that or just plane the lot.
> 
> I've done a practice tenon on scrap too - but that will have to wait while I cut some more mortices!
> 
> Any thoughts on the joints between the bottom rail (under the drawer) and the legs? I was thinking just a single short mortice and tenon, but does it need to be twin tenons?



Hello Andy, 

a full inch above the taper just looks a bit clunky and obvious to my eye, maybe compromise and call it 1/4"?

IMO it has to be twin tusk tenons for the rail below the drawer, three reasons for that. Firstly it prevents any twisting of the rail which would jam the drawer, secondly it gives an extra bit of glue surface, and thirdly it doesn't cut across the grain of the leg so much and therefore retains leg strength. It's an odd joint in that it's possibly the only example where the mortice is more difficult to cut than the tenon (purely because the mortices are small and square), it's a breeze with a morticer but if using hand tools then it's probably best to drill out most of the waste and just pare the sides flat with a chisel. An easy option is a pair of dowels.

You'll nail it though, twin tusk tenons are miles within your capabilities.


----------



## El Barto (24 Dec 2017)

custard":1xwqnusg said:


> El Barto":1xwqnusg said:
> 
> 
> > Damn that mortice is perfect! Neat trick with the router plane too.
> ...



It's funny you mention that because I said something similar the other day on a workbench build thread here. Cutting the tenons for that were infinitely harder than the mortices and you're right, it's strange that it's often overlooked.


----------



## custard (24 Dec 2017)

AndyT":s19ysiaf said:


> I shall add extra lines as described.



There's a similar trap when it comes to spokeshaving a shallow curve on an apron rail.






The curve is a bit exaggerated in this sketch but it illustrates the principle. It's normally a good idea to leave a tiny flat of about 1 or 2mm at the two ends of the curve. The first reason is that avoids a short grain feather edge which might snap off. But the second reason is more subtle, like when taper planing a leg there's an almost irresistible temptation to cut beyond the line, which in this case would make the apron rail narrower at one end than the other, or if you went far enough might even expose the mortice. After bandsawing out the waste it's best to smooth off to the line with a spokeshave starting in the centre and working out to the end in shorter sections, only when you're kissing the pencil line would you make a final one or two full length through cuts with the spokeshave. Also, like the tapered leg example, it's not a jointing surface; so the curve only has to be fair to the eye. It's as if we're programmed to chase a curve that's _perfectly_ fair and square with long through spokeshave strokes, but we don't really care about being shy of the terminal pencil line until we've gone sailing past it!


----------



## MikeG. (24 Dec 2017)

That's a quirk.

[/_semantic aside_]


----------



## AndyT (24 Dec 2017)

custard":2ab9o0g9 said:


> Hello Andy,
> 
> a full inch above the taper just looks a bit clunky and obvious to my eye, maybe compromise and call it 1/4"?
> 
> ...



Ok, challenge accepted - flattery works!

To me, the term "tusk tenon" means a complicated joint used in flooring, where you want to join two joists at a right angle without weakening either one. Most of the weight is borne on a thick stub, with a thinner strip passing through the second joist and wedged. 
That's probably not very clear, so here's a picture.






I might enjoy cutting one of those full size in a bit of 9 x3, but I'm not doing two of them in miniature!
Presumably you mean a pair of little vertical tenons, side by side. They'll need to be about 5/32" or 3/16" thick, so they could be the perfect justification for having acquired one or two narrow chisels.

A challenge for the new year, I think!

(The picture is one of the marginal notes in an old book of mine on building construction. Its first owner must have been a model student - his pencil notes are delightful, 140 years on.)

And thanks on the taper too - I'll re-mark at 1/4".


----------



## Racers (24 Dec 2017)

AndyT":1ejth61u said:


> Thanks Custard - your practical advice is always welcome! I shall add extra lines as described. Chris Schwarz allows himself a full inch below the apron before the taper starts, so I was going to go with that and see how it looks - I shall definitely aim to stop before the joint. He suggests bandsaw followed by plane. I'm not sure whether to do that or just plane the lot.
> 
> I've done a practice tenon on scrap too - but that will have to wait while I cut some more mortices!
> 
> Any thoughts on the joints between the bottom rail (under the drawer) and the legs? I was thinking just a single short mortice and tenon, but does it need to be twin tenons?



I have seen a half blind dovetail from the inside in the lower draw rail and the top rail with a half blind dovetail into the top of the leg.
It looks a very strong method of construction but I am not sure you will have enough space for a dovetail on the lower rail.

Pete


----------



## toolsntat (25 Dec 2017)

AndyT":245qqagd said:


>



E T phone home.....


----------



## cowfoot (27 Dec 2017)

Enjoying this one.
I can post you the Lie-Nielsen DVD with Chris Schwarz making this table (with hand tools only) if you’d like, Andy...not that you need his help, by the looks of it!


----------



## AndyT (27 Dec 2017)

cowfoot":2fmnpric said:


> Enjoying this one.
> I can post you the Lie-Nielsen DVD with Chris Schwarz making this table (with hand tools only) if you’d like, Andy...not that you need his help, by the looks of it!



That's a nice offer but I think now that more instructions might confuse me!
I've looked at some other articles and some Garret Hack videos of a similar build.


----------



## AndyT (29 Dec 2017)

Ok, interruptions over and I'm back in the workshop. A nice steady 13° despite the hail showers outside. 
I finished cutting all the mortices for the apron rails. Just to cheer up El Barto, here's a less than perfect one where I got a bit over-enthusiastic with the chisel. 






I think I will get away with it once the table is glued together, so please keep quiet about it... :wink: 

Chisel spotters may be interested to know that on these narrow, shallow but long mortices I got the best results with a 1970s Stanley 5001 firmer chisel, despite its plastic handle, which I see no need to replace. 

I reckon it's a good idea to accept Custard's advice on this project - or any project - but wanted to practice making a twin mortice and tenon joint on this rather small scale, before going ahead for real.

I do have a 5/32" chisel which looks the ideal thickness to use. Marking out is a bit of a challenge though! Mortice gauges only go down to about 1/4". I want to use the same gauge settings for both parts of the joint, but the front of the rail is set back from the front of the leg by ⅛"
I decided the answer was to use an ordinary single pin marking gauge but shim it out when marking the tenon. I made the first mark equal to the thickness of the chisel, then moved it over by that much to get the next setting.







On the tenon, the nearest thing the right size was an ⅛" drill bit. This worked better than this clumsily posed photo would suggest, but I think I will plane something flat to the right size next time. 






Sawing the tenons was just like sawing dovetails






with the spare bit in the middle sawn out with my bread and cheese powered fretsaw






I could pare the cheeks with a nice slender old bevel edge chisel






which fits easily between






Custard suggested drilling and paring the little mortice. This needs something to hold the drill nice and vertical, while allowing slow hand control. Time for the Millers Falls No 207! 






I set a special depth stop at the top of the feed 






and made a little row of holes






which I pared out






I seem to have missed out on taking any photos of the next step, which was to compare chiselling out the other mortice, so here are some pictures of the chisel I used instead














After a little more paring and fiddling about, I got this far






then this far






I hadn't planned to, but I did take a very small trim off the tenons to make a little setback on the shoulder on top. I didn't do so on the underside, which is why it looked like this






which is the point of doing a trial version before spoiling the real thing, at least when picky woodworkers come round and lie under the table to inspect its hinder parts. :? 

The really good thing is that the joint is plenty strong enough, even without glue, and will be fine for the table.

Back to the tenons next time.


----------



## El Barto (29 Dec 2017)

Great update, thanks for taking the time to post it up and for thinking of my feelings too


----------



## Starjump (29 Dec 2017)

Hello, I am posting as a forum newbie having not strayed out of the for sale forum before now. I wanted to say your series on the little table is appreciated. I am learning through doing mainly handwork towards being a better woodworker at present and the details are helpful. I like the little step or shoulder on your cross rail which goes under the drawer for example.


----------



## AndyT (30 Dec 2017)

Tenon time!

Here we go with the six long tenons on the ends of the apron rails. I've already settled on these as being 4½" wide, ⅜" long and ⅜" thick. First step is to mark around the ends of the rails, using the same mortice gauge as before, with the pins still set on ⅜" but now centred on the ¾" rails.






I then sawed down the shoulders






but cut away from the knife line so I can plane up to it later






Rather than saw the cheeks, I split the wood away, which was quick and easy in this well-behaved walnut






I then crept up on the lines using the shoulder plane I made for myself a few years ago. 











I'm not saying this to boast about my plane making abilities - you can see here how rough it is. I just want to stress that you can make a useful, functional tool with a few basic tools for about £25 including a bought iron. I think it's a really worthwhile tool to make if you are reluctant to shell out for a new one or can't find an affordable old one. (And making an ugly plane will increase your admiration for those who can make a beautiful one.)

I planed the shoulders as well






on the bench hook and with the wood vertical in the vice. 

There was also plenty of careful chiselling






and offering up. I marked the width of the tenon from the mortice and sawed the corners off as well. 
One thing that I found helpful was that I had settled on ⅜" as the length and width. It's also the thickness of my small engineer's square, so laying it alongside shows me how square the tenon is and where it needs planing down to length. 






The end result looks like this






and like this






I've completed the six tenons now which has taken most of a pleasant day in the workshop. I know other people would have made these on a router table or table saw in a few minutes, but this is something I really enjoy taking time over, and a project like this is as much about the journey as it is about the destination.


----------



## custard (30 Dec 2017)

AndyT":3djqdc6e said:


> I then crept up on the lines using the shoulder plane I made for myself a few years ago.



I'm envious. Apart from trivial stuff like scratch stocks I've never made a "serious" woodworking tool. It must add immeasurably to the satisfaction of furniture making to do fine work with tools that you've actually made yourself.

=D>


----------



## MikeG. (30 Dec 2017)

AndyT":r5fo454t said:


> .......One thing that I found helpful was that I had settled on ⅜" as the length and width. It's also the thickness of my small engineer's square, so laying it alongside shows me how square the tenon is and where it needs planing down to length.



Nice stuff, Andy.....and isn't walnut an absolute pleasure to work with?

Just a small comment on the above. There is no great need to be accurate with the length/ depth of the tenon. The end grain contributes nothing to the glue-line strength, and is thus irrelevant to the strength of the joint. OK, with a tenon only 10mm long/ deep, you don't want to be hacking too much off, but you take my point.


----------



## AndyT (30 Dec 2017)

Yes indeed Mike - and I am really grateful to Custard for giving me the walnut to use, which I have not tried before. You're right about the tenon length too - I was really just making sure they don't bottom out in the mortice. No need to plane those ends smooth, but I did!


----------



## MikeG. (30 Dec 2017)

I know the feeling, Andy, when you've got a plane "singing"..........you look around for anything at all that could possibly do with a little planing.


----------



## AndyT (30 Dec 2017)

custard":5y8gtu6c said:


> AndyT":5y8gtu6c said:
> 
> 
> > I then crept up on the lines using the shoulder plane I made for myself a few years ago.
> ...



It is a nice feeling, yes. Tool making can also be a great big distraction, and it does feel good to be started on a challenging project again - I'm just embarrassed at how long it took me to get started on this one.
There will be a pause for new year and doubtless further distractions will arise, but I want to complete this table before the Spring.


----------



## AndyT (1 Jan 2018)

After a few more peaceful hours of fussy chiselling, I present not just one twin mortice and tenon joint







- which actually fits!






but a pair of them






which both fit!!






I know it may not look much, but it is a relief that the joints are tight enough to hold together quite well without glue and haven't burst through the slender slivers of wood remaining in the legs. 

I guess the next thing is to trim the tops of the legs, leaving a little bit spare to plane level with the aprons after glue-up, so I can cut dovetails on the upper front cross rail, the one that goes above the drawer.

I'm also starting to think more about the runners which will support the drawer. Underneath the drawer these could just be glued to the apron, but my preference is to stub-mortice them into the cross rail. It's not essential for strength but it will help with getting things lined up accurately. I'll need to have runners at the top as well, so the drawer doesn't droop down when you open it. I'll also need to add some slim guide pieces to fill in the offset between the aprons and the legs.

I don't see any need to put a cross-rail at the back, unless I am going to use it to screw through into the table top, like I did on my little chest of drawers. I could fix the top using screws through the upper drawer rails on the front and sides, with buttons at the back. Or I could use buttons all round, fitted into slots on the upper rails. The magazine articles rather skip over these details. 

It's such a small, lightweight piece that I don't think it will need much fixing. Four screws? Six? Four screws and two buttons? Six screws and two buttons? Stay tuned for future instalments if you can stand the tension!


----------



## Bm101 (1 Jan 2018)

Enjoying this Andy and learning lots. Keep it up! Great progress. =D>


----------



## ro (1 Jan 2018)

Those are some good looking joints! 
Thanks for the update, it’s making for a great read.


----------



## AndyT (2 Jan 2018)

After thinking some more about how to arrange the bits that the drawer runs on, I've found yet another option. 

I was wondering about the front-to-back pieces which stop the drawer drooping when open. They are called "kickers", which I had forgotten in my earlier post. This diagram is from the useful book by Bill Hylton, "Illustrated Cabinetmaking" and shows a single central kicker, which can be anchored by tenons in a groove.






Now, I know I should have decided all this stuff by now, and I thought I had, but I wonder if I should use this method? 

Having got as far as sorting out a picture and thinking some more, I think I won't. The single kicker would be acting just on the top edge of the back of the drawer; a kicker on either side, working on the long top edges of the drawer sides would be smoother. 
They would still have the advantage of helping to stiffen the top, and could be fixed to allow for movement like giant buttons. I think that's what I will do, but comments or examples are of course welcome.


----------



## AndyT (3 Jan 2018)

And so the construction hurtles along at breakneck speed and it's time for another update. 

I have been cutting the joints to connect the upper front rail to the legs. Conventionally, this has dovetails into the tops of the legs to tie the two front legs together. Often, the rail is relatively wide and has extra dovetails into the side aprons, but that's not the case here. 
First job was to saw the spare wood off the ends of the legs. I sawed slightly away from the line so that I can plane the tops flush after it's all glued up. 
Second job was to mark out the tail parts. 
Third job was to mark them out again, with the piece of wood the right way round. There's no point spending time choosing a piece with the best grain pattern on it if you are just going to hide it on the inside. That's why you can see two sets of marks here.  






Fortunately I spotted it in time and managed to saw on the right lines.






Have you ever noticed how video demonstrations and instructions on books about how to cut joints only ever use nice short pieces of wood? When you come to mark out and cut a joint on the end of a leg, things get a bit more challenging. I could do the side cuts ok with the wood clamped at an angle in the vice, like this






and do what I could to saw some of the wood away but there's very little room here. When it came to paring, what would have been a cut down onto the bench became a forward facing horizontal cut. What you can't see is that I'm kneeling on the floor to do this - fortunately I have a nice soft mat and the walnut is lovely stuff to work with. Soft to cut but strong enough to support itself without being crushed like pine can so easily be. 






What doesn't show here is that I cut away half of the thickness of the wood on the dovetail itself, so that it doesn't interfere with the top of the tenon. In this photo you can see a spot of light where the two sockets are just beginning to overlap. Working with skinny little bits of wood like this does need some careful planning and the time I spent doing a full-size drawing was very useful, even if I do depart from it a bit. 






Here it is assembled - the tail is central on the leg which is why it was offset on the rail. Not too pretty in the close-up photo but ok for a joint which will be hidden for its whole life.






There's one at the other end too, which will show up in a later instalment, so don't go away! :wink:


----------



## custard (3 Jan 2018)

AndyT":2ywbzke6 said:


> Having got as far as sorting out a picture and thinking some more, I think I won't. The single kicker would be acting just on the top edge of the back of the drawer; a kicker on either side, working on the long top edges of the drawer sides would be smoother.
> They would still have the advantage of helping to stiffen the top, and could be fixed to allow for movement like giant buttons. I think that's what I will do, but comments or examples are of course welcome.



What isn't spelled out in the Bill Hylton diagram is that a central kicker only works with that particular design of drawer, a classic English drawer will _generally_ have the back piece about 1/4" shallower than the sides, in order to allow the air to better evacuate in a piston fit drawer.

How an individual furniture maker chooses to put a drawer together is all about personal preference, but here's two photos showing how I usually go about sizing the drawer back. As you can see a central kicker wouldn't work here,


----------



## custard (3 Jan 2018)

AndyT":l3et9dlv said:


> Not too pretty in the close-up photo but ok for a joint which will be hidden for its whole life.



More important than being gap free is that the joint is flush with the top of the leg, and that requirement you've fulfilled perfectly! Incidentally, if you plan on screwing through this component directly into the top (which is what I normally do, leaving the buttons to soak up movement at the back and sides) then make sure you drill and countersink before assembly, it''s a pig countersinking afterwards!


----------



## AndyT (3 Jan 2018)

Thanks Custard. My drawer here will resemble the ones in my little chest of drawers, so should be close to the one in your picture (in a dim light!)

I've done some more looking at measured drawings of old pieces and lots of them don't have a front to back kicker at all, just rails side to side at front and back. I know this is only a small drawer but I don't want it to drop down or knock against an edge, especially as it's underneath a bit of an overhang. 

On our old dressing table (as seen in this thread about damage to the top) I find that there _is_ a full length kicker, but ingeniously it's attached to the central divider and one piece of wood serves both top drawers. Not a design I can copy here, but it does confirm that it helps the drawers work nicely. 

I can't see any reason not to simply glue suitable strips to the side aprons, taking care to make sure that the openings are square and parallel.


----------



## AndyT (3 Jan 2018)

custard":18bwwj8d said:


> AndyT":18bwwj8d said:
> 
> 
> > Not too pretty in the close-up photo but ok for a joint which will be hidden for its whole life.
> ...



Thanks for the reminder - I was slowly coming down in favour of that. How many buttons would you use? I was thinking of two at the back and two each side, with two screws through the cross rail at the front. Probably overkill on such a small piece but there is room, and there is not much thickness for the screws to go into.


----------



## custard (3 Jan 2018)

AndyT":21jmzphi said:


> custard":21jmzphi said:
> 
> 
> > AndyT":21jmzphi said:
> ...



Yes, that's what I'd use too, I try and get them well into the corners and fairly close up against the legs, that way it holds the top flat against any cupping. Incidentally, after several years tops almost always cup upwards at the corners/edges, no matter which direction the grain is orientated. You'll see exactly the same thing on decking as well. There's various explanations for this but the more you look at real world examples the more you see it's almost always the case.

Here's a side table where I've gone for just one central button in each side, but there are also corner blocks that are screwed through directly into the tops with "pivoting" screws to allow some movement, again this is to ensure the top stays flat.


----------



## AndyT (3 Jan 2018)

Thanks again!


----------



## undergroundhunter (4 Jan 2018)

Coming along nicely AndyT, I was thinking about making a pair of these to use as bedside tables only the other day.

matt


----------



## AndyT (4 Jan 2018)

undergroundhunter":3nf7sb5e said:


> Coming along nicely AndyT, I was thinking about making a pair of these to use as bedside tables only the other day.
> 
> matt



Thanks. I suggest you go for it - I'm really enjoying this build.
One of the many advantages is that you get all the interesting processes to do, but you don't have to fill your workshop with big heavy lumps of expensive timber and keep moving them out of the way. The parts for this project sit tidily on the tablesaw!


----------



## custard (6 Jan 2018)

AndyT":2604ejtx said:


> I know I should have decided all this stuff by now



Have you decided on the drawer stop arrangement?

Traditional drawer stops, with an L shaped profile that sit in mortices cut into the lower drawer rail, ie something like this,






might need a lower drawer rail that's wider than the leg thickness in this particular build; but they have the advantages of great precision, stability over time, and taking no space from the length of the drawer. However, if you go this route the mortices must be cut _before_ assembly, as you won't be able to access the lower drawer rail after the glue-up. 

Just a thought.


----------



## AndyT (6 Jan 2018)

That's a really helpful thought, Custard.
Not thinking about this before now means I have a lower rail which is only 1/8" wider than the drawer front, but I reckon I can design something suitable and strong enough _while I can still get at the rail properly._


----------



## custard (6 Jan 2018)

It's not critical, there are plenty of other options. 

Small blocks glued and screwed onto the drawer runners, blocks glued onto the inside of the apron rail _opposite_ the drawer front so the drawer buts up against them, a couple of screws in that same apron rail that do the same job. 

They all work, and furthermore they permit different styles of drawer boxes. It's just that, at least IMO, nothing else speaks of quality in quite the same way as traditional morticed-in drawer stops.


----------



## thetyreman (6 Jan 2018)

how on earth did I miss this one? looks great so far andy T, subscribed now.


----------



## AndyT (6 Jan 2018)

thetyreman":2zdoz8dm said:


> how on earth did I miss this one? looks great so far andy T, subscribed now.



Don't worry, I've not got to the end of the first reel yet! Plenty more to come.


----------



## AndyT (6 Jan 2018)

One thing I forgot to show on the last update was the drawer runners. These are from oak, which is what I am using for the drawer sides and other internal parts. They have little stub tenons which fit into open slot mortices in the back of the lower rail - not for strength but to help with lining them up. They will be glued to the side aprons after assembly of the main frame. 







But today's fun was tapering the legs. 

Some people like to make a table saw jig for cutting the tapers. Others prefer the bandsaw. I could have done that, but on this scale, it's easier just to plane them. 

At first, I was bothered about how to mark them out well, as a pencil line is hard to see on the walnut. I thought I would try masking tape, stretched from a reference line 1/4" below the aprons down to a 5/8" marked line on the bottom of each leg. 






Here's the finishing mark - in pencil - plus a previous pencil line, no longer needed, and two advance warning lines in white pencil to show when I am planing near to the end. (One of many useful tips from Custard.)






I just clamped the leg in the vice and planed it down with my trusty 5½ jack plane. The pile of shavings shows how little work that was. 






I soon had a second leg done, which I could put alongside and compare. 






I realised that although the tape is nice and easy to see, it doesn't automatically make a straight line so I soon needed to peel it off and use the original pencil line as my reference. (I used a spirit level as a nice steady straight edge to draw these lines.)
After some more time planing, checking, planing, comparing, planing etc I had a set of four legs with one half of the tapering done. I know that an hour had passed as the afternoon play on the radio had finished. 

For the second taper, it's not so easy to hold the legs in the vice, so I switched to working on the bench top. In retrospect, I could have done this from the start. My workholding setup got simpler as I progressed. 
I was planing against a plain adjustable wooden bench stop, built in to the bench. To stop the legs sliding sideways I used these bench dogs which are a snug fit in the bench. They are made from holly wood so are very tough. 










At first I used a handscrew cramp on the square end, held down to the bench with a holdfast and some bits of scrap.






but actually there is no need to fix the cramp down - it provides a useful bit of stability on its own. (I realise now that the round dogs don't show in this photo - they are behind the leg - but you can see them later in another photo. )

The point of mentioning all this is that I found the best solution was the simplest, because it meant I was able to pick up the leg frequently to look along it and check that I was planing square, without having to interrupt the flow to undo or release anything. This meant I checked more often and did a better job. I soon dispensed with the cramp, which meant I could also hold the leg I was planing up against one I had done, and make sure that the planed surfaces matched (well, nearly) for angle and flatness. 

The job got easier and I got more confident as I went on, which is just as well. I'd done my best to arrange the pieces so that I was planing with the grain all the time. I scored 7 out of 8 - on the last leg I did, the grain was a bit more wild, and I was against the grain for much of the taper. I removed most of the bulk with the old Preston try plane (just for the pleasure of using it) and then switched to a freshly sharpened, fine-set and reliable 4½ which gave me a smooth enough finished surface.






And so this was the result.






There are still a few things to sort out before glue-up starts - such as kickers and buttons - but they shouldn't take too long. 

Thanks for the encouraging comments and practical suggestions - they really do help - I'm doing quite a bit of this for the first time or what feels like the first time, so it's all a bit tentative and exploratory for me - but it's good to feel that there's safety in numbers and people will speak up if I'm heading too far off piste.


----------



## AndyT (11 Jan 2018)

I've found time for a few more hours in the workshop, so here's another update. 

The top will be held on with buttons, as per tradition. The idea is to allow for timber movement - which is not going to be much on something this scale - but I'm not going to argue. 
Custard's bumper fun box of wood included this bit of oak, which was not only the perfect size, but was already rebated at both ends. I marked it out, drilled some holes






and sawed them apart. I then planed them to a nicer shape and pared away the sides a bit with a chisel






until they looked like this






This isn't just a gratuitous vintage tool shot - for countersinking I really find the combination of a snail bit and an old beechwood brace ideal. Lightweight, quick and controllable. 






Here's the back apron getting a pair of mortices to take buttons






- the others will be fitted into the edges of the kickers later on. (I'll cut and fit the kickers after I have assembled the frame.)

Next there was a period of careful headscratching to make sure that there wasn't anything left to do before beginning the glue-up. 
I have decided to assemble each end, then unite them with the back and front components. It's probably perfectly ok to do the glue-up all in one go, but I don't need to, so I won't. 

Before any glue came out I gave the legs and apron an initial sanding, using 120 grit Abranet on a vacuum cleaner. It's much easier at this stage to manipulate the separate pieces and get into what will soon be corners. 






I also realised it would be sensible to chamfer the tips of the legs at this stage - easily done with a block plane.






One potential problem at this stage is that sanding removes useful identification and face edge/side marks. However, these felt pen marks survive until the last moment






so having checked several times that the right bits were the right way round, it was out with the glue and my favourite lightweight long cramps











I used liquid hide glue on this, as I generally do. It gives plenty of assembly time and is perfectly strong enough. But I think it's biggest advantage is how easy it is to clean up. It's hard to photograph clearly but here's the squeeze-out along one apron to leg joint:






A wipe over with a damp rag and it's gone






and I can be confident that what little glue is left in the pores of the wood will make no difference at all to the surface finish later on.

I'll be back later with the rest of the assembly and soon it will be time to start on the drawer.


----------



## nabs (12 Jan 2018)

looking good Andy. I love those cramps!


----------



## AndyT (12 Jan 2018)

nabs":10uyte2q said:


> looking good Andy. I love those cramps!



So do I!
There is more detail on them here how-to-make-your-own-wooden-sash-cramps-t103631.html


----------



## El Barto (12 Jan 2018)

So many great points about this update. But those cramps are definitely a highlight. Also the buttons. I think back to that recent post Custard made about someone flipping a table over and seeing some effective yet forgettable buttons, or seeing that the same attention has been given to the buttons as the rest of the piece. Good job.


----------



## AndyT (14 Jan 2018)

A little bit more progress to report. Sorry if I miss out on some things by forgetting to stop and take photos. 

Finishing off on the buttons to hold the top, they will fit on to "kickers" - front to back pieces that will keep the drawer horizontal. They fill in the space between the sides of the drawer and the underneath of the top.
I used some of the same ¾" thick oak that I used for the runners. This meant that when I cut mortices, they would be very near the edge, so I marked them out a second time as open notches, rather than mortices. Then I thought some more and realised it's important to have a continuous smooth surface for the drawer to slide along, and having big gaps in it would be a bad idea. So following my original markings, I cut some more little mortices. Sometimes going slowly does give me time to avoid a blunder like this.  






Prompted by Custard's reminder a while back, I wanted to do something for drawer stops while the lower rail was not glued in place. By following the plans from the magazine article I had made this rail quite narrow, so it was only about ⅛" wider than the drawer front thickness. That doesn't leave room for conventional stops. So I decided to set some extra bits into the back of the rail. 

First I cut off a scrap of walnut about ¼" thick and planed the edges to a 1 in 7 angle. Then I marked out a ⅛" deep socket on the back and chiselled it down.






I sawed one end of the cutout to the same angle but left the other one short, and then pared it at the required angle to just fit the sliding piece











Here it is with the extra bit fitted, before trimming it to length.






And here's the finished thing. It will be slightly adjustable if it needs to be once the drawer is built. 






And then it was on to the next glue up. Although this was fairly simple, I didn't stop to take photos during the process. Here's a photo of the frame and legs looking a bit more like a table.


----------



## Sheffield Tony (14 Jan 2018)

I do like that glue up stage when it all comes together. Usually I enjoy it so much I rush to it and forget some critical step I should have done first (*). On the bench I had thought that the taper of the legs made them look very slender, but in place they look right. How will you retain the drawer stop blocks ? A screw from the back, or glue ?

(*) That was part of the reason I bought that mini brace. Got carried away with assembly and forgot some of the holes I needed to bore whilst there was still enough room for the brace to work !


----------



## AndyT (14 Jan 2018)

The stops are pretty secure as they are, but I'll add a dab of glue.
Same with the rest of the framework round the drawers - just simple flat surfaces glued together. After all, it's a very lightweight piece and the drawer won't be loaded. In fact, I'm not sure if anything will be kept in it at all!


----------



## AndyT (21 Jan 2018)

Sorry for the delay in updates, but progress has been interrupted by jobs for other people and similar distractions. However, a rainy Sunday allows me to give you a glimpse into the world of slow woodworking as I see it!

Last time we left the legs sticking up from the bench like a dead thing, so here's a slightly more dignified shot of what is still not a table.






There's a little step, of about ⅛", between the insides of the legs where they make the drawer opening and the inside faces of the aprons. These need to be filled in with an extra piece on each side, to guide the drawer smoothly. On bigger work they could easily be half an inch thick but here they are about the size of a ruler. Also, I've noticed that with the way I have cut the drawer runners, there's a gap where I should have notched them round the legs. I reckon I can take care of both gaps with the same extra pieces. In a big chest of drawers, the sides of the carcase have the grain running vertically so construction needs to allow changes of width to happen on the sides relative to the runners and guides. But on a table like this, the grain goes horizontally in the aprons, so runners and guides can just be glued on, quite simply. 

I chose a bit of suitable walnut, planed one face flat and square and sawed off a slice about 3/16" thick on the bandsaw. 






Here it is, stood in place, showing that it is too thick and needs to be planed to fit. 






I needed to know how thin the piece needed to be. These clumsily posed photos show the sort of steps I take when confronted by a problem like this. First, I used a depth gauge to measure the step directly. The numbers are irrelevant but the gauge is small and handy. 






Then I transferred that setting to a marking gauge






gauged all round the piece of wood






and planed it to size






It's probably a convoluted series of steps but I much prefer to use direct measurement rather than rely on transferring a number. I checked the guides with a straightedge and they looked ok. so the next step was simply to glue them in place. 

Here I used some little lightweight cramps from one of Robert Wearing's books. They are easy to make from scraps of wood, coachbolts and tee nuts. They are ideal for a job like this but for good measure I added a couple of handscrews. 






Next time I can fit the runners in a similar way, then the kickers.


----------



## AndyT (27 Jan 2018)

Some time in the last week I found a few minutes to fit the drawer runners. I seem not to have taken any photos, but that's no great loss. They were two bits of oak, with stub tenons at the front, glued onto the aprons, carefully set square to the legs. 
Today it was another rainy day so I got on with a few of the next steps. 

I wanted to glue the kickers in place. These are front to back pieces of ¾" thick oak which go above the drawer to fill in the space above the upper rail and help the drawer open smoothly and stay horizontal. They need to be exactly parallel to the runners. Now, I could have just squared them up like I did for the runners but I thought it would be easier if I had a dummy drawer side in place. I could have cut the drawer sides at this stage but decided to use some scrap instead. These scrap pieces can fit the whole space snugly as they won't need to slide. I found some short ends of T&G cladding which were suitable and carefully planed them to width so they just fitted into place. The T&G machining gave me an easy indicator, even though the two sides seem to be very slightly different. Here they are fitted and stood in place, with one of the kickers stood in position. 






This enabled me to align the kickers all the way along. (The mortices are for the buttons to hold the top.)






On this side it came out just like it should - the top of the runner is simply at the same level as the top of the rail.






However, the other side has a smidgen of difference, so I think it was worthwhile bothering to do this. 

Here's another shot of the story so far with an assortment of cramps, old and new, waiting for the glue to dry.






But rather than just go and sit down in the warm, I decided to do a little bit more. 

This is the wood for the sides, a lovely bit of quarter sawn oak, planed to ⅜" thick. Before I start cutting it up to make the drawer, I wanted to make the slips which will hold the bottom of the drawer. Doing them at this stage meant I could just work on the edge of the wide board which is easier than holding a tiny stick. 






First I made sure the edge was straight. 






I needed a groove in the edge, ⅛" wide and ⅛" deep. Like last time I made some drawers, I used my "modern" Record 044C, though this one does have a home-made handle which I prefer to the original blue plastic. 
When the groove is as deep as it is wide, an easy way to set the depth stop is to use the cutter as a gauge, as seen here.






The groove didn't take long.






The top side of the slips needs a little bead to be cut on it. As before, I used this spokeshave. It was made for me by a close friend who left us far too early. It's a great reminder of him. The cutters came from Bristol Design when I bought a Stanley 66 beader - Veritas do something similar for their little beader. 






Most of the cutter disappears into the body or a slot in the fence.






And this is the result a few minutes later.






I then gauged ⅜" off the edge, sawed it off in the bandsaw and proceeded to plane it down. 

This can be awkward - there's not much to get hold of and it bends easily, so needs the support of the bench. I used a triangle of ply and a wedge, but still needed to prop the work up on some scrap to clear the 9mm ply.






That's all for now. Next time might be first fitting and bevelling of the top, or I might embark on a drawer pull - the drawer pull needs to be chosen before I assemble the drawer, as it's much easier to drill holes and fix things on a flat front rather than a finished drawer, so that's one mistake I shan't make!


----------



## custard (27 Jan 2018)

AndyT":27cbk4mh said:


> And this is the result a few minutes later.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You've put a decent size quirk in your bead, and IMO that's a good thing. A lot of woodworkers shape their bead cutters with a really fine quirk, but when you slop water on the drawer slip (as has to be done in order to clean out the glue squeeze out) then the beed swells, closes up the quirk, and it looks almost invisible. Your quirk on the other hand will remain loud and proud!


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

Custard, thanks for the kind words about the quirk. 

As promised, I have cleared the junk away from my woodturning lathe and had a go at making some prototype knobs. There are so many possibilities here - I can vary the species, the shape, the size and the colour, but somehow I have to decide on something. The table design is basically a Shaker one, and I know that they favoured small turned knobs so I thought I would have a go. 

I don't pretend to be any sort of accomplished turner, so if you want tips on technique, head over to that section - this is just a record of what I have tried and whether it worked. 

Here's a little bit of dry beech branch getting roughed down






and here it is with each end turned to 1" diameter so I can hold it in a chuck.






Here's my first attempt.






Not too sure about this. Take 2. Coming on ok:






But then a moment's careless tool holding produced this:






Fortunately, I have some superglue so I could continue and finish it a bit more






Here is the first one, fitted into a piece of scrap wood the same size as the drawer front






And here is the second one






I'm pretty sure I don't like the first one - it's too rounded, and it's probably a bit too close to what you'd find on cheap 80s pine furniture. I think the second one is a bit more "correct" but it's not right either. 
I find turning things like this is hard - there's the technical challenge of getting a smooth surface without reducing all the wood to shavings, but there's a heap of subtle differences between what looks nice, or ordinary, or downright ugly. 

What do you think? How should I change this? Any thoughts on species or colour? (I have a great selection to choose from, thanks to Custard's generosity and my own reluctance to throw away even tiny scraps of wood.)

I'm quite tempted to go for a bar-type pull like I did on my little chest of drawers, like this






What should I do?


----------



## marcros (28 Jan 2018)

I don't know what is authentic, but I quite like the top one in https://www.caseyswood.com/shoppingcart ... x&cPath=42


----------



## Sheffield Tony (28 Jan 2018)

I think a small round knob would look more the part to me. Could you go for box or spindle or other tight grained wood so that it could be finer and more elegant than you would see commercially ?

It does surprise me when I see power lathe turners turning branch wood, and wood in the round with the pith in. As a green woodworker the branches are for the fire - the stresses mean they will warp. And anything with the pith left in is likely to split - that early growth is weak. I'd start with a bigger log split in 4. I guess starting with seasoned wood you aren't worried about movement in drying, but the pith is still a weak point. So maybe it is more the selection of the wood than your turning that went awry.


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

marcros":12ey48ny said:


> I don't know what is authentic, but I quite like the top one in https://www.caseyswood.com/shoppingcart ... x&cPath=42



Yes, thanks, that does look better. Such good value at only 20 cents too!

I've had a go, using the rest of this bit of beech. This one looks a bit too small in real life but a bit better in these photos











This one is a little bit bigger, and I have rounded over the base.


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

Sheffield Tony":364y91aa said:


> I think a small round knob would look more the part to me. Could you go for box or spindle or other tight grained wood so that it could be finer and more elegant than you would see commercially ?
> 
> It does surprise me when I see power lathe turners turning branch wood, and wood in the round with the pith in. As a green woodworker the branches are for the fire - the stresses mean they will warp. And anything with the pith left in is likely to split - that early growth is weak. I'd start with a bigger log split in 4. I guess starting with seasoned wood you aren't worried about movement in drying, but the pith is still a weak point. So maybe it is more the selection of the wood than your turning that went awry.



Tony - don't worry - these are just disposable "sketches" from bits and pieces, not the real thing. To look at the shapes and also to explore what cuts to do to make a proper one. 

I have plenty of little bits of nice clean dry wood to choose from, including box, lime, maple, plane and holly among the tight grained pale woods. I also have rosewood, bog oak and leadwood if I decide that a nice dark accent is required.  

But I think I agree with you and am coming down in favour of a turned knob of some sort, which at least means I can get on and make the drawer knowing that I don't need a pair of countersunk screw holes in the front of it.


----------



## Racers (28 Jan 2018)

Andy, St Roy has the answer for you.

http://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-sh ... ker-knobs/

Pete


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

Racers":1ralnhmw said:


> Andy, St Roy has the answer for you.
> 
> http://www.pbs.org/video/woodwrights-sh ... ker-knobs/
> 
> Pete



Doh! Why didn't I think of that?! Now I have come back into the warm, I'll watch and learn. Thanks Pete. 

Meanwhile, here are Mark V and Mark VI, made from walnut, from the spare on the end of one of the table legs - much nicer wood. I think I am getting there with the shape, but elegance is hard to find!

Mark V:






Mark VI - a bit slimmer - it will need a ½" hole, not a 15mm one.


----------



## thetyreman (28 Jan 2018)

I prefer the first one to the second one for the shape, just thinking out loud.


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

Well, I've now watched the Roy Underhill video - not for the first time, either. To add to my embarrassment, I have the very same book he refers to, so I have now looked properly at Plate 44 in it.  

On a more positive note, I do seem to have slowly been approaching the sort of mushroom shape he was making. 8) 

I could even do the morse taper trick he demonstrates as my lathe has a similar headstock and I have a suitable reamer if I wanted to have a tapered hole to fit it into. It's one little aspect of the long discussion we had about hand tool efficiency. Clearly, "back in the day" a tapered hole all the way through was acceptable, quick and effective. But this piece is a bit more of a Sunday job - planed and finished on all surfaces - so I will probably go for a tidier looking blind hole and a closely fitting parallel tenon. I'm not planning to keep the table anywhere damp, so I think the glue will hold well enough.


----------



## custard (28 Jan 2018)

I'm hoping to learn something here Andy, because turning drawer pulls is one of my weakest "weak links". And I've already learned plenty thanks to Pete and his Roy Underhill video!

I tend to produce shaker drawer pulls in batches, generally in three or four different sizes, in both Maple and Cherry. I try and speed things up as much as possible by first using a matched plug and hole cutter set to make blanks like this,







Which I then trim down on a bandsaw like this,






To produce my final turning blanks like this,






I'm a pretty rubbish turner so things go slowly and not particularly well from this point on! But this is what I usually end up with,











The main thing I'd say is that personally I prefer a much smaller drawer pull than the ones you're experimenting with, and I think I'm being reasonably authentic in that preference. There's a world of difference between a Shaker pull which you grip between a finger and thumb, and a typical Victorian drawer pull which you grip with your fist. On a side table like this my drawer pulls would have a maximum diameter of about 3/4" to 7/8", and the little collar above the glued in shaft would be quite a bit smaller than that, maybe about 1/2". 

I'm just putting in my 2p's worth here, I don't claim any special expertise. Like I said, turning is an area in my own work that I've identified for improvement, and there are loads of people on this forum who are way better turners than me.


----------



## AndyT (28 Jan 2018)

Thanks Custard, more food for thought there.

In case you haven't seen it already, have a look at this video of how a professional turner makes small drawer pulls in very little time, with real mastery of the skew chisel.

https://youtu.be/Oi0hE9NcMAY

I wish I could make them like that, but I haven't spent all my working life practising. Still, it's nice to watch someone who really knows what he's doing. His other videos are just as impressive, even the party trick ones where he turns with a spade or a spoon!


----------



## Racers (28 Jan 2018)

I like the second one Andy, apart from the foot, a outward taper I feel would look nicer more shaker. 

Pete


----------



## custard (29 Jan 2018)

Andy, I searched on the Fine Woodworking archive, it's behind a paywall but there was an article by Christian Becksvoort who seems to have plenty of experience with making Shaker style furniture. He talks about spindle turned drawer pulls having maximum diameters ranging from 5/8" to 7/8" in drawer fronts that range from 2 1/4" tall to 5 1/2" tall. That's fairly consistent with the dimensions I work to. Pulls above 1 1/2" diameter for larger cabinet doors would be face turned, everything smaller is spindle turned.


----------



## AndyT (29 Jan 2018)

Thanks Custard. That will look better and also opens up the choice of timber even wider, since a bit from an inch board will do. I think it's time to try something dark and dense.


----------



## AndyT (30 Jan 2018)

This is what I like about this forum. Not only do I get encouraged to stretch myself a little bit making stuff I haven't attempted before, I get constructive feedback from people who don't think it odd to spend several hours thinking about how a drawer knob ought to look. You'll be pleased to know that I think I have cracked it now, and after this post I can move on to something else. But here are some notes from today.

In the bumper fun box of exotic offcuts that I brought home from Custard's place there were several pieces of dark, solid timbers suitable for making a drawer knob. Having practised on ordinary wood, I thought I had better have a go with some good stuff. So here's a little bit of African blackwood, sawn in two on the bandsaw, with the corners planed off, ready to go on the lathe. 






This stuff is wonderful to turn! Shavings come off like loose leaf tea.






The wood responds beautifully to being scraped, which is good for a non-expert turner. I managed to make long wispy threads come off with the scraper and was enjoying myself, but still suffered from a couple of accidental cuts which were too deep. :evil: 

This my first go, just before it got a bit too small to be any good.






The wood seems to be naturally waxy - it gummed up the cutting edges a bit, which was probably a good thing, as it forced me to resharpen them. 

Encouraged by my near-success, I had a second go on the other half of the piece. Here's the second knob, shaped






and here it is again after sanding and burnishing with some of the shavings






The tenon measured half an inch in diameter when I decided it was finished and sawed it off from the bit in the chuck. It was a snug fit in a half inch hole in softwood, but using the same Forstner bit in an offcut of walnut it was too tight - which is what I was hoping for. I carefully reduced the diameter by filing the tenon and now it fits in this offcut. I don't want it to be too tight - the glue will need somewhere to go. I think this will be suitable. 






The front is ⅞" diameter and it is 1¼" long overall. 

In some ways I am glad I'm not making a huge chest of drawers which needs a dozen or more matched or graded knobs - if I was, even I would not have spent so long on just this one - but I don't want to skimp on something which could look wrong and spoil the project.


----------



## AndyT (1 Feb 2018)

A tiny bit more progress today.

When I cut the legs to length, I deliberately left them a touch long at the top, so I could even them up accurately later. So before I can attach the top, I needed to trim them. There's not much to remove.






This is one of those times when a block plane is the best tool to use. This somewhat clumsily posed photo shows why - I can hold the table still on the bench with my left hand and arm, while carefully trimming a few slivers of wood away with the plane in just my right hand. As I didn't need to clamp the table down to free up my other hand, I could move around and change direction easily. 






To test for flat, I used a known good piece of veneered MDF






That will do.






Working at the leisurely pace I enjoy has benefits. One is that I can stop and look at what I am doing. Occasionally this is just to admire it but sometimes I find a problem that I can fix before it's too late. Here I noticed that one edge of the top had a little flaw in the wood. 






A few plane strokes later, the top is a tiny bit narrower, which doesn't matter at all, and the problem has gone.






I keep reading posts that say you don't need a low angle block plane to smooth end grain, but I find this one really works well for the job.






The underside of the top needs to be bevelled. Before I could do that, I needed to get it lined up symmetrically on the frame. The most practical way I know to do that is to use a combination square to get the projection equal at both sides. Actually, this job needs two squares, since the overhang is greater side to side than it is front to back. Best done when not holding a camera. 






I thought about how to mark the depth for the bevelling. I knew not to use a marking gauge (planing at an angle won't make a cut line disappear) so I decided to keep it simple. I just used the combination gauge again, with a pencil. It's not easy to see these pencil lines but they are nice and definite. 






Then it was time to wedge some thick blocks in the well on the bench and start planing. I considered making up some sort of guide to show how deep to go or what angle to hold the plane, but in the end I decided to keep it simple again and just get on with it. After all, I know now how nicely this walnut planes, even going across the grain with the plane straight. 











I did most of the work with a No 4, cleaning up with a 4½ or the little 60½.

When it came to the long grain bevels, it was a distinct advantage to switch to the No 7, since the toe forward of the iron is so much longer - it made the job feel more stable. 






So, after what felt like quite a work-out I think I have the top good enough to fix down. It's hard to see and hard to photograph, but the bevels do just about line up at the corners.






Next time I can fix the top to the frame, which means I can then go ahead and make the drawer, with confidence that fixing the top won't introduce a twist and spoil my work.


----------



## AndyT (3 Feb 2018)

I hope you can all stand the breakneck speed this project is now running at - updates every couple of days!

Here's a view of the underneath, with the top fixed on as promised. Don't worry about the cheap looking crosshead screws - I have some smarter slotted brass ones for the final fitting but I don't want to mess them up or enlarge the holes too much by taking them off and on when I get to putting finish on. 






Starting to fit the drawer was a session of careful planing. 






Following the same methods I used in my little chest of drawers, I planed the bottom edge, then the left hand end, then the top edge, then the right hand end. With lots of looking and trying it in place, it got to this stage.






The sides were cut to length, ends shot square, and then planed to width until they would slide in most of the way. 






The back was cut to the same length as the front.

Today I tackled the dovetailing of the drawer. This is all pretty standard stuff, so I didn't stop to take photos of every step - I concentrated on enjoying it and trying not to make too many mistakes. 

Here are the sides marked and sawn out:






Marking up for the lap dovetails, using a specially slimmed down 2H pencil






For cutting out the waste, I stuck to my pedal powered fretsaw - it's in the way so it has to earn its keep.











Oblique cuts are easy - it's safe enough to just lift up the work with my fingers to the right angle, or rest it on an offcut. 

For the lap dovetails I like to add some oblique saw cuts, though I'm not sure if it's worth it. 






[Seeing my work up really close with the macro photos on a big PC screen is a bit of a shock here - I thought I had sawn straighter and closer than that!]

Next, some conventional chopping and paring






leading eventually to the satisfying stage where a dry fit can be done.











In case you think the sides don't go properly flush, there is a good reason. Having got the drawer front sized, I don't want to reduce it very much at all. I have deliberately left the sides fat by a little bit, so that when I plane them back flush with the front and back, the whole thing fits. 

That's the theory anyhow. I need to sort out some nice thin cedar for the drawer bottom first.


----------



## marcros (3 Feb 2018)

I am not able to see the images on the last post Andy. They are displaying fine on the previous threads in the post.


----------



## AndyT (3 Feb 2018)

marcros":5vk7p66r said:


> I am not able to see the images on the last post Andy. They are displaying fine on the previous threads in the post.



Yes, same here. I think it must be something wrong on the forum settings, as I have done nothing different on this update. I've reported it to the mods.

If you really want, you can select the proper urls which are displayed and browse for them directly.


----------



## AndyT (3 Feb 2018)

Fixed it!

I must have accidentally turned off BBcode in the editing window. (First button below the text box.) Turning it back on made all the difference!


----------



## El Barto (3 Feb 2018)

This is looking great. The blackwood knob is unbelievably cool, I think you nailed it there. It really pops when you see fingers next to it for scale. Tres cool. And the knob discussion in general was interesting in itself  

Thanks for posting it all in such detail!


----------



## custard (4 Feb 2018)

AndyT":2jkokbb2 said:


> I need to sort out some nice thin cedar for the drawer bottom first.



I tried to send you a PM, but I haven't figured out how to use the new forum format yet. If you can't find any Cedar then PM me and I'll put some 3/8" Cedar Of Lebanon in the post for your drawer bottom.

Incidentally, the method you're following for drawer making is pretty much exactly the process I also use. One tiny point, I normally finish the top edge of the drawer back about 1/4" to 1/2" lower than the sides. It doesn't matter for this single drawer design, but on a multi drawer piece you find that with the piston fit drawers you'll end up with, when you close the drawer it pushes a cushion of air back which then opens other drawers! A shallower drawer back helps prevent this.

One further point, by using drawer slips it means the lower dovetail at the back should have the lower edge at 90 degrees and the top edge sloped normally (ie 1:7 or whatever you prefer), this gives a fair surface with no gaps for the slips to butt up against. If you thought the discussion about drawer pull design was arcane then there's an even fussier debate to be had here! Should the top dovetail then have a symmetrically opposite layout, ie a flat upper surface, or should it be a normal dovetail? I'm of the symmetrical camp myself, but many other makers don't agree. Whatever the verdict, it's a pleasant change to be discussing fine details like these rather than sharpening!


----------



## AndyT (4 Feb 2018)

Hi all, and especially Custard, with a very timely post. 

While you were posting, I was in the workshop, attending to the very same things - which makes me pleased that I must be doing some things right!

On the cedar, you are, as ever, very generous - but I have some nice cedar left over from my earlier drawer making, where I went into detail on how I found some offcuts of cladding in a skip, deep ripped them by hand and planed them down. This time, I merely took a piece off the rack, cut two pieces from it avoiding some damaged parts, skimmed the edges and glued them together. Here they are, smelling sweetly of pencil shavings:






This simple board + wedges is all you need for lightweight glue-ups like this. I put some parcel tape on the base board under where the join will go, to make sure that the work doesn't stick to it. It's now on top of a cupboard in a warm room while the glue dries. 

I agree with you about the nice drawer back detail, so before I glued up the drawer, I rounded off the top edge. I know you can do this with a block plane or sandpaper, but I have a shelf full of old moulding planes including a mixed set of hollows and rounds, so I took a hollow plane down and used that. It literally took just four passes to go from a shaving on each arris to a single wrinkly one from the full width. 






The plane is an over-restored one which a previous owner sanded back to bare wood and polyurethaned. That's a shame, as it's probably by Madox and could easily be 250 years old. Never mind, it does the job. 






I'll bevel the back corners of the sides once the drawer is assembled and sized. 
As for the dovetails on the back ends, I hear what you are saying. I've made my upper dovetail with ordinary angles, not mirroring the straight one below. 

I realise that I have not taken a proper picture of the backs and can't do now while the cramps are on, but will do next time. 

Another thing done this morning was to sand the insides of the drawer parts. As usual, I used the brilliant dust-free Abranet system. If you are reading this and haven't used it, do a forum search to get convinced and then treat yourself. The inside of the drawer won't have any finish on it, so it's important that it feels smooth to the touch. 






I also drilled a hole in the front of the drawer to take the knob, using a battery drill and a ½" Forstner bit. 






and then I tickled up the front with a smoothing plane. It will get a final sanding after assembly and fitting of the drawer, but it makes sense to plane now while it's easy to do so.






Then it was glue and cramps time. I started out using two cramps on the front and two on the back but it seemed to make it harder to get it all square, so I switched to a single cramp each side, with bits of softwood spreading the pressure. 






One little tip in case I've not mentioned it before - for keeping the pins in place on cramp heads or sash cramps, small fat O-rings work better than loose pins that fall out. 






Apologies if you posted that tip on here - I can't recall where I learned it.


----------



## AndyT (6 Feb 2018)

Well, the glue has had time to dry, so I have gone back and looked at what I have, and I am now more than somewhat cross with myself. 

Despite having checked the internal angles for squareness, using the plastic setsquare you can see here






I have a severely wonky drawer. :evil: 

I guess I must have just been not looking properly. Maybe I should have just pulled the joints together with the cramps, then taken them off? I can't remember if that is what I did last time.

Anyway, it's embarrassingly crooked. Hard to photograph clearly, but I have had a go. 

Here's the whole thing






and a close-up of the right hand side, which is the better of the two






and of the left - it's nearly ⅛" out over the whole depth of the drawer.






So what to do?

As far as I can see, I have three choices.

1) Dismantle the drawer and assemble it again, properly.
2) Plane the sides and fit the drawer as well as I can. The sides won't be the same thickness along their length, but I will find out how bad it looks.
3) Start again on a new drawer. 

For 1), although I have used hide glue, I have never tried to undo a joint. I think I remember reading about a lot of hot water being needed. I don't imagine dovetails would respond well, but I could try it.

At the moment, my preference is for 2). It won't be perfect but I will be able to see just how bad it is and then decide what to do. It won't be necessary to take all the crookedness off to get the drawer to work. When I have got it moving I can assess how sloppy it is. If it's really bad, then I can move on to 3). 

I know 3) is the right answer really. I do have a nice lump of walnut with some interesting grain in it which I could resaw to yield another nice front. I may be able to salvage the sides by sawing their ends free and then chiselling away the remnants of walnut. If that fails I can probably find some more oak.

Apart from cursing, what would you do?

I'm out and about this week so I have some time to chew this over before I get back to the workshop.


----------



## Racers (6 Feb 2018)

You are going to have to dismantle it and rebuild either with new sides or the existing ones if you can get the glue apart.

Looks like the dovetails didn't bottom out.

Pete

Reminds me of this.



Cutting it apart by Racers, on Flickr


----------



## Sheffield Tony (6 Feb 2018)

Thanks for the O-ring tip. Trying to hold the workpiece, two clamping cleats and the clamp with one hand whilst doing up the clamp - always the instant the pin falls out of the other end :evil: 

The clamping up - one of the ways I've managed to cock up a glue up with dovetails is to be deceived about square by the sides (of the drawer in your case ) being bowed inwards by the clamping pressure being applied with the centre of the clamp head being inboard of the actual joint. Measuring diagonals rather than using a square is a good idea (happily Secret Santa made me a tool for just this purpose). Using narrow cleats with a castellated edge to apply pressure to just the tails whilst avoiding the pins worked really well. 

Now, before you do anything in a rush, I was wondering whether your plan was to fit the drawer:

1: with the drawer guides, and the drawer sides, exactly parallel. Hoping nothing moves ...
2: with the drawer tapered to be slightly narrower at the back, so that the drawer will still open if the guides aren't spot on parallel
3: with the guides tapered so that they are slightly further apart at the back, to allow for imprecision again, but keeping the gap between the 
front of the drawer opening and the drawer sides constant as the drawer opens.

You might be able to trim the better side, and pretend the other was intended taper ? You don't want to take much off the front, or it will be gappy.

My guess though is you are too much of a perfectionist and will shortly be finding out how well hide glue actually does come apart.


----------



## AndyT (6 Feb 2018)

Thanks guys. If I do try to plane it, there will be compromises all round, though I don't want to mess with the internals of the framework as I think the space for the drawer is nicely parallel, which is how I want it if I make a fresh drawer.
The dovetails pulled up ok - the excess visible was deliberate, but probably twice what was needed, which doesn't help matters.


----------



## Sheffield Tony (6 Feb 2018)

Actually, as a quick thought, although _dismantling_ the dovetails might be tricky, perhaps you don't have to. I wonder if, by wrapping hot, wet rags around each joint you might just soften the glue enough to "adjust" it without disassembly ?


----------



## AndyT (6 Feb 2018)

That's an interesting thought.
I've just watched this video https://youtu.be/5BiPbLjDT3I which includes a bit of joint adjustment at 8.45 in.
Maybe I need to experiment on a similar joint before trying to shift the drawer, but I like the idea of not taking it all to bits.


----------



## deema (6 Feb 2018)

Place a cramp across the drawer edges with v block made of wood. Apply a little pressure. Warm up the joints with a heat gun or preferably a steamer being vary careful not to burn the wood if your using a heat gun. The drawer will pull into the correct shape fairly easily. You should be able to pull it with the clamp almost square. Don’t what ever you do pull it square initially as when the glue gives it will pull it too far. As you warm up each joint and it gives, check it with a square. I’d warm up the outside in case it gets a little too warm and you can then plane off the slightly discoloured wood / plane it up if you raise the grain with the steamer.

I would not use hot water. 

The other alternative if it’s small enough is pop it in the oven at 90 degrees for about 20 minutes.


----------



## custard (8 Feb 2018)

AndyT":79moow5y said:


> So what to do?
> 
> As far as I can see, I have three choices.
> 
> ...



It's not as bad as it looks. 

The real killer with drawer boxes is when they're in wind, in other words if you lay it on a flat surface two corners are high and it rocks on the other two corners. There's really nothing you can do about that except start again.

Your drawer is no where near as problematic. I'd start with option 2. Because of the (sensible) construction method that you've followed you already know that you'll have to plane down the drawer sides, that in itself will go a long way to fixing the problem by planing the front half of the left hand drawer sides and barely touching the back half.

Sure, the drawer might be a touch rattly when fully extended, but in truth the fit of a drawer tends to be judged more when it's closed or nearly closed.

So, I'd plane first and there's every chance you'll get away with it.

Good luck!


----------



## custard (8 Feb 2018)

One other thing, fitting the drawer bottom snug tends to pull the drawer back into square. You can't count on that to correct gross errors, but it should gain you another 1/16". That in conjunction with some careful planing will probably mean you're free and clear.

There is a school of drawer making that prefers for the drawer cavity to be slightly narrower at the front than the back, and for the drawer to be a whisker wider at the back, this means the drawer tightens up as it's opened and signals for the user not to pull the drawer right out. Obviously that construction won't now be possible with your drawer, but IMO it's not that big a deal. Alan Peters was a proponent of having drawers that tighten as they're opened, but interestingly the Barnsley workshop, where he trained, don't follow this practise, and Barnsley drawers and drawer cavities are dead square throughout.


----------



## Bm101 (8 Feb 2018)

Reading with interest Andy. Great thread as always when you do a WIP. Fascinating and educational for a beginner like me, both your posts and the answers to your questions from other members. I've already learnt a huge amount reading it. Thanks again for taking the time to so thoroughly document your progress and your honesty in your warts'n'all approach. =D> Wish I could offer advice on the drawer but _obviously_ I can't. (Knowing sfa doesn't help lets face it). Just felt I wanted to post to show my appreciation.
Keep on keeping on. (hammer)
Regards as always,
Chris


----------



## AndyT (8 Feb 2018)

As it happens, my pile of useful bits of wood includes some bits of oak and ash, about the same size as drawer sides, with practice dovetails cut.
I've glued them together with the same hide glue. I hope to find time tomorrow to try softening them and learn if I can straighten the drawer before I plane it.
I'll take photos and report back.


----------



## mr edd (8 Feb 2018)

Hi Andy T
Thanks for taking the time to do this W.I.P, enjoying following it and good luck with the drawer, i'm sure it will turn out fine in the end.

Cheers Edd


----------



## AndyT (9 Feb 2018)

Ok, here are the results of my first go at reversing joints in liquid hide glue. 
Short version - Success!

Here's the first test piece. A pair of practice through dovetails in some thin ash. I deliberately glued these up crooked like this:







First off, I tried a hair dryer. It's rated at 1000W and has served us well in regular use since the early 80s. 






I played this on the inside and outside of the joint for about four minutes. 






It didn't have any effect, not even softening some surplus glue on the outside of the joint. Not good. 

I do have a more powerful hot air gun but I really don't want to scorch anything or set the workshop on fire, so I thought I would try an iron instead. Some of the casing is broken, so it has been replaced, but I kept it in case I ever get round to trying some veneering. I filled up the steam tank, but just used it dry for the first attempt, with the temperature set to cottons (high). 






After a couple of minutes holding the iron against each of the outside faces, I could feel the glue soften. I pulled the joint into square and let it set again. Result:






Encouraged by that, I had a go on the other test piece, this time with the steam turned on. This definitely helped, quickly changing this






into this






Feeling encouraged by this, I set to on the drawer. 






This took longer, naturally, but after about four minutes of working round the joints in turn, I could feel the glue beginning to soften. I pulled at the sides by hand and pressed the drawer down onto the bench corner to corner. This got it nearly right. I went round a second time, giving it a bit more time and a bit more steam. I also used the clamp that I had got ready, though I don't think I really needed it. 






And here's the result, with a proper M&W engineer's square standing inside. You can see a little bit of light, but it's a great deal better than it was before and I can now look forward to getting on with this build. As far as I can see there is no damage to the wood at all - and if there is, it will get planed off anyway. 











I think this has been an interesting little diversion. I hope it helps other people discover this excellent, forgiving glue.

And many thanks for your encouragement! I've said it before, but I find the input of experienced and thoughtful woodworkers invaluable at times like this.


----------



## DTR (9 Feb 2018)

Nice save!! =D> =D>


----------



## thetyreman (9 Feb 2018)

impressive work, that's the benefit of hide glue, I'm thinking of trying some out.


----------



## Racers (9 Feb 2018)

Nice one!

Pete


----------



## Bm101 (9 Feb 2018)

Thinking outside the box.
And inside the box. 
And about the angles of the box. 
And how to rearrange the box altogether.
Blue sky, pushing the envelope, hotdesking, Office Speak loving, seminar conference calling types are going to love this stuff Andy.
It's a goldmine. 
I'd imagine so at least.

I tried working in an office for a short while in the far distant. I was sent on a time keeping course. I patiently explained to my boss that I didn't need to go 'cos I was never late. He sighed and told me to keep an open mind. 
On the day I arrived at company Haitch Q and sat in this little room with the others. There was a tiny tray of biscuits on the table. 
Tried making small talk with the lady to my right mostly along the lines of 'Christ. What a load of old bo*****s eh?! Bloody time keeping course! What will they waste their money on next?'
'Quite' she said and gave me a cold dead smile. 'A complete waste of everybody's time.'
Then she shuffled her papers, stood up and welcomed everybody to the time keeping course she was running that day.

*Ohhhh ffs .... #-o 


Like your style Mr T.


----------



## Sheffield Tony (9 Feb 2018)

IIRC you mentioned in another thread how not many people post "mistakes". What a shame, a mistake and more importantly what worked to put it right is well worth sharing. Much better result than planing, and a lot easier than fully dismantling or starting again !

You can crack on and finish it now :wink:


----------



## StraightOffTheArk (10 Feb 2018)

Thanks for posting all this, it's very inspiring - I now have a burning desire to make a small table that we don't really have space for, and a new appreciation of the qualities of hide glue, which I suspect I would need to make a somewhat greater use of than your own noble self.


----------



## AndyT (10 Feb 2018)

Buoyed up by my success with straightening the wonky drawer, I was pleased to see a day of dreary drizzle outside, so it was time to get back to the workshop. 

First job was to clean up the cedar bottom. From this






through this






to this






was fairly straightforward. It's something less than ¼" thick. The exact thickness doesn't matter as I will make it fit later. 

Before the bottom can go in place, the drawer needs to fit the frame. In one way, this is simple - you "just" plane away the surplus wood until it fits. This is the trad way to hold a drawer to work on it, and I don't know a better one. 






There was a lot of that to do, and plenty of offering the drawer up to see if it would go in. Once it would go in, there was more planing to do, to get it to slide in easily. What makes it hard is that you can't easily be sure what the cause of any resistance is, at least, I can't. So you could be planing the edges of the drawer sides, reducing their height, when you ought to be planing their faces, reducing the drawer's width. 

Anyhow, when it finally does this, it all feels worthwhile. 






In my case, the time taken was about an hour, but that's ok, I quite like planing.  

Here's a closer view, of the dovetails and the drawer in place, just to let me feel happy for a bit longer. 











After a short break for lunch, it was time to get back to the bottom. I looked back at what I posted when I made my little chest of drawers, to remind myself how to do this, but it was a bit light on details, so I took more photos of this stage. I think this is the same as I did on the earlier project. 

First step was to plane the front edge straight, line the drawer up with the bottom, and mark the overall size of the inside. 






That's not the size the bottom will be, but the lines are where the outside edges of the slips will be. So I lined up a slip with the pencil line






rested a steel ruler up against the other side






and made a knife cut along it











This line will be the shoulder of a rebate. The overall depth of the rebate is ⅛", so I marked across ⅛" and cut another line. 






This is the edge of the bottom, so the next step was to saw up to it






To mark the depth down for the rebate, I like to use this sharp-screw-in-a-block gauge, which is nice and positive for fiddly little things






To make the rebate I just split the wood off with a broad chisel






and trimmed it with a paring chisel and a little bullnose rebate plane






And here it is, fitted in to one of the slips.






I then repeated this on the other side. 

The ends of the slips need little stub tenons, which fit into a groove on the back of the drawer front, like this











That may look a bit rough, as I find it hard to measure things at this scale, so I deliberately sawed oversize then pared back with a chisel until it fitted. 

The front edge of the bottom needs a rebate on the other face, which lines up with the stub tenons on the slips and fits into the same groove on the drawer front. Again, I just marked a line and planed by eye and by offering up, until it fitted. 

Then, having established that it would all fit, I sanded the insides of the drawers while it was easy to get at them and also the slips themselves. Then it was out with the glue and the clamps and leave it all for another day.






Nearly there - I still need to level and smooth the table top, then sort out the finishing.


----------



## thetyreman (10 Feb 2018)

that cedar bottom for the drawer is amazing, looks good enough to be a guitar top, where did you get it?


----------



## AndyT (10 Feb 2018)

thetyreman":jaab79af said:


> that cedar bottom for the drawer is amazing, looks good enough to be a guitar top, where did you get it?



It is lovely, isn't it? I found it in a skip!

It started out looking like shiplap cladding






but I deep ripped it like this






See here for the full story
post946799.html#p946799


----------



## Racers (11 Feb 2018)

Nice Preston bullnose plane! 

Pete


----------



## AndyT (11 Feb 2018)

Racers":28g7w7zh said:


> Nice Preston bullnose plane!
> 
> Pete



Absolutely essential for this job! I couldn't have managed without it, honest. :---)


----------



## deema (11 Feb 2018)

I’m showing my ignorance I know, but if I don’t ask I won’t ever learn. I’ve never been sure what exactly drawer slips are for? Ive always assumed they are to reduce wear and increase the life expectancy of the piece.....but I may be completely off track. The drawers I’ve had to repair it’s always been the runners that have worn badly and needed to be lined that are a real pain. The drawers have always been very easy to repair by normally disassembling (to avoid damaging the front and also the hide glue has usually given up the ghost and needs regluing), cutting / planing the bottom true and parallel with the top and adding a new piece. I’ve always wondered why drawer runners have not evolved to allow them to be replaced fairly easily. There may be an easy way to line them, just I’ve never thought / read / or found it.


----------



## AndyT (11 Feb 2018)

Drawer slips sort of go with higher quality work, so I was aiming at that. Also, when the drawer sides get this thin, there's not going to be much left if you make a groove. Adding a slip gives you extra wood for the groove without making the sides clunky. And, as you say, it gives a wider bearing surface.
There are two common styles of slips. The other sort are easier, but reduce the clear space in the drawer.
They certainly add to the time taken!


----------



## AndyT (11 Feb 2018)

The wood-cutting part of this project is just about done, but it's not _finished_ yet.  

Here is the rebated bottom being carefully slid into the grooves in the slips. I found the easiest way to do this was flat on the bench, with a block behind to push against. That way I could see that it was going in straight. 






The bottom is a reasonably snug fit, so I haven't glued it. I don't think there is going to be much movement on a piece at this small scale. If there is, I can just push the bottom in again. The front of the bottom sits in a groove and the back just goes under the back edge of the drawer. No nail, no screw. 

On a slightly disappointing note, the bottom is a shade too narrow - maybe about a millimetre. You can see there's a bit of a gap on the left hand side






and a smaller one on the right.






I'll see how it goes; if it gets loose or annoys me too much I can cut some more cedar and make a replacement. 

I adjusted the little stops for the drawers - leaving this much to be trimmed off.






A few minutes paring with a sharp chisel and a couple of dabs of glue fixed them.

I gave the top a quick once-over with a smoothing plane, to remove any fingermarks and get it properly flat. 






But before I did that, I couldn't resist posing it for a story-so-far shot:






There are some more decisions to make, so I shall do some experiments (with an eye on this thread - post1161265.html) and take a few more pictures, while I sort out staining and finishing, so don't go away just yet!


----------



## deema (11 Feb 2018)

Thanks Andy for the explanation


----------



## ro (11 Feb 2018)

AndyT":2lv4tj4d said:


> But before I did that, I couldn't resist posing it for a story-so-far shot:



Wow, that's looking really good! This is a fascinating thread, I'm learning so much. Thanks.


----------



## Sheffield Tony (11 Feb 2018)

It is looking rather smart . The drawer pull looks right, so was worth all that thought !

The fit of the bottom you were a bit disappointed with. You say it it a shade narrow, but it _looked_ like it was a snug fit. There's no possibility that the groove in the slips is not quite deep enough (or the corresponding tongue a shade long) so that the sides are being pushed apart a shade ? If not, then isn't that what the side bead is for, to disguise any gap ?


----------



## AndyT (11 Feb 2018)

No, there's no way the sides are being pushed apart. Maybe a warmer room will do the trick - it's just not as snug as the ones I did before, using the same way, but yes, the bead does hide it somewhat.


----------



## Racers (12 Feb 2018)

Is that the final size for the top? it looks a little big to me, apart from that it very nice.

Can you make wider slips to get rid of the gap in your bottom?

Pete


----------



## thetyreman (12 Feb 2018)

looking really good andy, if it was me I wouldn't obsess over the gap in the drawer bottom, the end result is very nice, what are you going to finish it with?


----------



## DTR (12 Feb 2018)

That looks amazing Andy, I can't wait to see it with a finish!


----------



## AndyT (17 Feb 2018)

The table still isn't finished, but here's a quick update with some pictures to show the sort of detail I have been playing about with. 

I'm still undecided about the finish I shall use. Guided by Custard's experience it will probably be some water-based aniline dye with Osmo Poly-X on top, but I have various scraps around the place, with different options on them, gathering extra coats and waiting to dry. Too tedious to photograph, you'll be relieved to hear. 

One thing I do know is that if I am going to use a water-based dye, it will raise the grain unless I raise it with plain water first, so I have done that. This is simply a question of wiping over with a rag moistened from the hot tap, letting it dry, then sanding over again - in my case, using 400 grit Abranet. 











The table top has a pair of tiny insect holes, right in the middle. Now, I could have planed away the wood to remove them, but that would have made the top about ¾" narrower. I didn't want to do that and thought I could make them disappear. I'll soon find out if I can!

So here are my experiments on an offcut which has some similar holes. 

Walnut stain and hide glue. 






Stir in some walnut sawdust






Take one hole






Fill






Smooth






Then apply stain and oil and wait to see how it looks.

I also fiddled about with the fit of the drawers. In an attempt to minimise the space wasted below the bottom of the drawer I have left myself with very little clearance - a bare ⅛". So the little drawer stops needed trimming slightly. I could have done this with just a chisel






but it does justify buying one of those cheap but tiny Mujingfang planes - just the job in a tight space, as this clumsily posed shot attempts to show:






That's about it for now, while I wait for samples to dry and recover from the shock of this afternoon's earthquake.


----------



## AndyT (19 Feb 2018)

I've not forgotten about this project.
I want to get the finish right, so I have some offcuts with various options, getting an extra coat each day.
I'd originally thought that I would stain the wood first, but that seems to make it look darker and cooler.
I quite like the look of the walnut with just oil on it.
The pieces I have used don't show a huge contrast between heartwood and sapwood, which is what I'd expect from the steaming - apparently that's why it's done. 
So with plain oil, I get some interesting grain patterns. If I add the stain first, it looks plainer, darker and cooler. 
If I go for just the oil, will it look wrong in a few years time, when the wood has faded? We have another little table in walnut, and a wardrobe. (These are presumably European walnut, not American.) I'd quite like to match the colour of those.

The oil btw, will either be Osmo Poly-x or Fiddes finishing oil, as those are what I have to hand.

Any experiences or observations from things you have made are welcome.


----------



## AndyT (25 Feb 2018)

Ok, the waiting is over. Decisions have been made and acted on, so it's safe to tell me I've gone wrong.  

Having made several sample offcuts with different strengths of various stains, I decided that they all masked the attractive streakiness of the wood, so chose to just oil it without staining. Maybe I will regret it if the sunshine fades the colour too much; time will tell. For now, the table is in a less exposed spot than was originally planned, so maybe that will help. 

I didn't take any photos of putting the finish on. In the end I used three coats of Osmo Poly-X Clear satin. I brushed it on with a fitch brush (Spekter brand from Toolstation - very good). After a few minutes, I wiped off the excess with a rag, leaving a thin layer with a smooth surface. When it was dry, I lightly sanded with 400 grit Abranet. This was all done in a cool room warmed by bright winter sunshine, which helped me see what I was doing and find all the flaws I had left on the surface.  

And here it is.


























The only thing left to do is to trim a tiny bit off one leg, if we decide that this is where it is going to stand. (I can't work out why the floor isn't flat at this point! :---) )

I'd like to thank everyone for their encouragement and appreciation as the job went along - it really helps. And most of all, I'd like to thank Custard, for giving me such wonderful wood to work with, plus the idea of following such an elegant, slimmed down design (for which I take no credit at all). 

I've really enjoyed it and would urge anyone else to have a go at something like this. You don't need a lot of wood, or space, or even much time.


----------



## Racers (25 Feb 2018)

Cracking WIP and result Andy. 

Pete


----------



## AES (25 Feb 2018)

I doubt I'll ever build something like this Andy T, but would really like to thank you for a very well written (and photographed) WIP. If ever something was destined to motivate a clutz like me into trying something really "properly woody" then your post ranks very high amongst the many outstanding examples to be found on this Forum.

Thanks for taking the time and trouble - as those of us who have tried it know very well, posting something like you have takes as much time and effort as doing the actual job!

Here's a =D> for the job itself and another =D> for the post (and, in the light of recent posts on another Section, I'll try a "Like" on the last post in your thread in a mo').  

AES


----------



## thetyreman (25 Feb 2018)

great job andy, I enjoyed following this one, that is definitely heirloom quality, you should be proud! =D> 

I appreciate all the detail you have added, one of my favourite WIP threads ever, great way to end the weekend.


----------



## Bm101 (25 Feb 2018)

Just want to say thanks Andy. I learn a huge amount from your wips, quite often just small details that you take the time to include that others omit but increase knowledge exponentially. Details like the drawer slips are one example. Fills in another gap in my understanding.
This one was another real pleasure to read and see you progress with. 
Excellent result.
All the best
Chris 
=D>


----------



## stuartpaul (25 Feb 2018)

An interesting thread Andy, - thank you for taking the time to write it all up.

I have to say to me the top does look a little wide but maybe that’s just the angle of the camera? Other than that a stonking bit of work!

Like you I prefer the unstained look. Be interesting to see how it performs longer term. I know Custard says it fades quite quickly but I’ve no real experience with walnut.


----------



## El Barto (25 Feb 2018)

Congrats Andy, it looks brilliant. The finish is also beautiful. You must be chuffed. =D>


----------



## Sheffield Tony (25 Feb 2018)

=D> Looks great Andy. I don't think I would have used stain on it either. The walnut seat on my smoker's bow chair is just Danish oil, so I hope it won't fade too much - looks ok so far.

Thanks for putting in the time and energy to photograph and share the process with us, even when things went wrong. And thanks for tolerating all our "advice"


----------



## AndyT (25 Feb 2018)

Thanks for all the nice comments.
I thought that the top was wider than the frame by the same amount as in the original Shaker design, but when I checked I found that my table oversails by 2 1/2" not 2". I guess I was concentrating on not making the top too small. 
In real life, where you can move around and see it from different angles, I think it looks ok. I guess if I change my mind I can always cut a bit off!

A bigger problem is what to use it for.
It's a good size to put a lamp or plant on, but I don't want to mark the top or leave anything on it permanently and get a faded line.
Maybe it will be just right for visitors' hats and gloves.


----------



## Sawdust=manglitter (25 Feb 2018)

Fair play to you Andy, it looks stunning!! And as others have already said, great WIP and thank you for putting in so much effort =D>


----------



## custard (25 Feb 2018)

Superb job Andy, you must be pleased as punch. 

=D> 

Plus congratulations on your WIP which was a model of clarity.

I hope your efforts inspire others to have a go at making something similar. It doesn't need a huge amount of timber, special tools, or masses of time. And yet you'll be rewarded with an instant heirloom that's in a different league to pretty much anything you'll ever find on the High Street.


----------



## custard (25 Feb 2018)

stuartpaul":3l0ym4pa said:


> Like you I prefer the unstained look. Be interesting to see how it performs longer term. I know Custard says it fades quite quickly but I’ve no real experience with walnut.



The worst for fading is American Black Walnut, which can go a flat muddy brown in the space of a single summer. European Walnut, which is what Andy used, holds up in sunlight far better. It still fades, but it develops golden yellow tones along the way and the grain pattern remain clear and distinct. The traditional finish for European Walnut was a hand rubbed copal varnish, but Osmo is an excellent alternative.


----------



## Fitzroy (25 Feb 2018)

That is absolutely super! Thanks for the time taken for a great WIP. 

F.


----------



## DTR (26 Feb 2018)

Beautiful! =D> =D> =D>


----------



## mr edd (26 Feb 2018)

Excellent job, and excellent W I P =D> 

Cheers Edd


----------



## StraightOffTheArk (27 Feb 2018)

I've really enjoyed following this, it's been very inspirational - I think you made the right decision on the staining, the wood looks really beautiful, brilliant work, and looks fantastic - except I prefer slightly squatter knobs than you!

Cheers,

Carl


----------



## John15 (27 Feb 2018)

Fantastic side table Andy, congratulations. I'm well on with mine in Mahogany and it's a similar design to yours - delicate tapered legs and small drawer etc. I'll post a photo when it's finished.

John


----------



## Bradshaw Joinery (27 Feb 2018)

Love the work Andy! Keep the updates coming.


----------



## xy mosian (1 Mar 2018)

Thank you for documenting your learning experience Andy. A lovely table as a result. 
xy


----------



## Woodmatt (28 Jul 2018)

Andy,
I have just spent on and off two days thoroughly enjoying your post.
A real inspiration if ever there was one.

Regards
Matthew


----------

