American Black Walnut Drawer Unit

[Lord Nibbo]

Tried a test cut doing blind half dovetails using my Leigh D4 but I've never done half blind dovetails before only through dovetails, and they came out rubbish, so I ended up doing them by hand. It took over an hour, If I had the confidence to use the leigh I'm sure it would have been less than five minutes. Anyone care to give me some lessons on how to do half blind dovetails using a Leigh D4?

Here's the finished side unglued of course, one down seven more to go.

 

[Fecn]

Nice looking dovetails Nibbo - I'd never have the confidence to tackle them by hand (and have no clue about the Leigh jig either)

 

[motownmartin]

Nice looking dovetails Nibbo - I'd never have the confidence to tackle them by hand (and have no clue about the Leigh jig either)

Lovely detailed dovetail =D> =D> =D>

Fecn, it sounds as though you could do with one of those incra thingy's :lol:

 

[brianhabby]

They're nice dovetails LN, I doubt the Leigh could do better although I take your point it might be quicker.

regards

brian

 

[woodbloke]

Your Lordship - nice looking joints, well cut =D> Had I been doing the joints I might have altered the spacing so that tails and pins aren't the same width. End of the jour tho', it don't make a lot of odds, it's just the way I'd do it - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Who needs a Leigh when you can do them as nicely as that by hand? Very good, your Lordship =D>

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Well I sat last night and watched the Leigh video three times I thought I had it cracked. So this morning I thought I'd set it up for drawer number two but use several scrap pieces. Now if you have seen the video they make a big point about not lifting the router upwards when removing the router :? :roll: You only get one guess what I did.......... It broke two of the fingers on the leigh and took off one of the tips on the dovetail cutter, so boxxocks to it. It's going to be all hand cut, perhaps next time I might try again or when I've replaced the parts... :lol: :roll:

edit..... Finished draw one I'll pop some pics of it later.

 

[Lord Nibbo]

First draw finished & sanded, three to go....

It needed a little adjusting to get it to fit, i've only allowed 1mm at the sides and top so it is quite a tight fit.

What it should look like, I couldn't resist damping it to see what it will look like As soon as I finished this draw I tried using the Leigh D4 on some scrap to see if I could master it, I totally screwd up the dovetail bit and managed to nacker two of the fingers So it was back to the chisels and this afternoon I have managed to get #2 draw glued up and all it needs is a sanding down then on to number three.

 

[devonwoody]

Have another good day tomorrow LN.

 

[woodbloke]

LN - drawers look good. Might I suggest, you living by the big blue briney, that the fit of the drawers ought to be slightly on the 'slacker' side rather than the tight side, or else you may find that they'll bind. I think tho' that when you get the unit indoors there may well be an element of shrinkage so I think you'll have to 'suck it and see' :wink: and adjust fit where necessary.
Drawer pulls? - Rob

 

[Lord Nibbo]

LN - drawers look good. Might I suggest, you living by the big blue briney, that the fit of the drawers ought to be slightly on the 'slacker' side rather than the tight side, or else you may find that they'll bind. I think tho' that when you get the unit indoors there may well be an element of shrinkage so I think you'll have to 'suck it and see' :wink: and adjust fit where necessary.
Drawer pulls? - Rob

I have given the movement some thought, but as you say it's just a matter of keeping a watch on them to see what happens...

Ah yes draw pulls/nobbs. I've got strict instuctions from swmbo that they got to be big and chunky and made from the black walnut and position exactly in the centre of each drawer :? :roll: so I aint got much say in it :roll: but I'm open to other suggestions :twisted:

 

[woodbloke]

LN wrote:

Ah yes draw pulls/nobbs. I've got strict instuctions from swmbo that they got to be big and chunky and made from the black walnut and position exactly in the centre of each drawer so I aint got much say in it

Mr C made an interesting comment to me regarding drawer pulls when he said that they ought (again, personal preference) to be positioned a fraction above centre height so that when looking down on the unit from standing height, the knobs appear to be in the centre of the drawer. If they are positioned in the centre to start with they may well look to be slightly lower when looked at from a standing position...might be worth an exploratory 'discussion' 8-[ with your SWIMBO before a final decision is made...or has it been made already and out of your hands ? - Rob

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Nearly finished :lol:

All four drawers are done. The fourth one on the right still needs sanding. I've got to make the knobs next and I still haven't fitted anything to stop the drawers from tipping and I need to put a stop behind each drawer.

After I've done the few odd jobs it'll be time for a light sanding then off to the finishing room :norm: :lol: \/

 

[Lord Nibbo]

Well the woodwork is Finished

Just the finish to apply and it's finished. Draw stops done, kicker done, Swmbo's chunky draw pulls done. :lol: Woodbloke was right about the draw pulls they are fitted 1/4" high of the centre and it looks right.

I'll post a pic with the finish applied but this is the last pic of WIP so please forgive me for posting a big pic, I don't want to stand in the corner with Senior or Mr Grimsdale :lol:

:lol:

 

[Fecn]

That's looking great now. The chunky drawer pulls aren't what I'd have chosen myself, but I'm not the one you made them for. Can't wait to see it with the finish on there.

 

[devonwoody]

the picture doesn'tlook oversized to me :roll:

Looking forward to seeing the finish applied and shown again.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Very nice, your Lordship =D> I must get some machinery then maybe I'll be able to work as fast as you

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

LN - nicely done, agree with others that drawer pulls are not of my choice but then its an individual issue, chunky is good but not necessarily square. How you going to finish it...oil and wax finish would look good - Rob

 

[Lord Nibbo]

How you going to finish it...oil and wax finish would look good - Rob

One coat of cellulose sanding sealer (edit applied with a cloth) then when dry cut back with 0000 wire wool, then danish oil, it's suck it and see as to how many coats of danish oil but it will be finished off with black bison neutral wax again using wire wool to apply it. The wax is being applied with wire wool cos swmbo wants a satin finish not a high gloss.

 

[Lukey]

How come you use wire wool to apply it? Surely by doing this you are prone to bits of wire breaking off and contaminating the wood, or the sanding sealer?

Would it not be better to apply with cloth, then cut back with wool when dry?