another box

[condeesteso]

Sorry, not a complete w.i.p., as I have been doing bits of this between other work and camera not handy.
I think I promised Ian Hawthorne I would post this anyway, so here goes. It's a sort of mini-chest, with 2 drawers under, and a dummy drawer front above, hinged lid. I had some really nice wild cherry - very close grain, a bit lacy in pattern. So it uses that for the carcase and LP (properly quarter-sawn, an awful lot is just sliced T&T). Ebony knobs and (hidden ) Cedar of L for the drawer bases.

I had designed this in my head well before starting, and it for my daughter's wedding as an heirloom box (I'm safe as daughter does not come here, no idea why).
Have the drawers to do - the Moxon vice is brilliant for these small dovetail devils. Need to turn 4 shallow bun feet (ebony to go with the drawer pulls), and assemble / finish. It's all dry at the moment so if you see a gap somewhere I'll try and lose it later.

Another tool much appreciated - Pedder's Gent's saw - a stunning small saw and my first choice for these small dovetails. Essential with that to apply no pressure at all. or it cuts far too fast and I'm supposed to stop at the line I recall :wink:

More pics later... and thanks to Ian for getting the hinges to me very quickly. I'm keen to try Ian's new lock, but this one won't take one.

 

[speeder1987]

Lovely box, I'm sure your daughter will love it. I particularly like the wood selection.

What exactly are the hinges for? or am I missing something?

Thanks for posting, gives me something to aim for

John

 

[dm65]

Lovely box condeesteso - exactly the sort of thing I intend to be doing as I a bit of a drawer freak

What have you used on the drawer front ?

And would love to see more of the construction - more photos please

 

[condeesteso]

Thank you John, very encouraging indeed .
The top is hinged so top drawer front is dummy. It will be undersized so the gaps match the functional drawers. I made those friction-fit and will trim a little just before drawer final assembly. I was pleased with the woods - i tend to keep an eye out for nice woods and have found that getting to know the the yard men helps find the nice odd bits. The cherry came from Morgan Timber (Rochester) and was first milled in '96.
If anyone is looking for some very good London plane at the moment, Robert at Timberline (Tonbridge) has just got a load in, and it looks very nice - from small blanks (turning etc) to whole boards.

More news as it 'breaks'.

(p.s. dm - just seen your post, thank you. The drawers are the LP / lacewood. I promise to do more pics as I go !!)

 

[dm65]

(p.s. dm - just seen your post, thank you. The drawers are the LP / lacewood. I promise to do more pics as I go !!)

Ah - I didn't get the acronym, sorry

LP is London Plane ! (I have read about lacewood) - very nice looking and I might try some

What finish are you intending ?

 

[DTR]

Very nice!

 

[MickCheese]

That look amazing.

I have a thing about small chest of drawers. I have made two in the recent past and will start a third soon.

I really like your design, simple but elegant and as usual great workmanship.

Looking forward to more pictures.

Mick

 

[speeder1987]

Ah that now makes sense are those smart hinges you are using, and out of interesting what are Ian's locks you mentioned? Do you have a link?

Regards
John

 

[condeesteso]

Thank you everyone, encouragement from fellow-craftsmen is the best sort!
John - the new lock is on Ian's site, here:
http://hawthornecrafts.com/box-hardware/
I am a big fan of the hinges, and like Ian's uncompromising approach - if I spend many hours making the thing, I am happy to pay a little more for really good hardware.
Busy finishing a fire surround at the moment, but back on this box v soon... promise more pics when there is progress. The wedding is 6th July, so no faffin'.

 

[andersonec]

Is the lid solid wood or veneered? if it is solid , how are you going to strengthen it to avoid it cupping?

Andy

 

[condeesteso]

Hi Andy - it's solid, and I know it may be a risk. I first milled the top and base (all stock actually) back in Feb, then into the house to acclimatise. The top is now about 8mm, but I started at 12mm, then hand-planed once I was happy it was stable (in a UK home environment). Also it is very tight-grained, and was first milled in '96 - so I am taking the risk, although I do accept it is a risk. No doubt I shall hear from 'client' if anything bad happens :lol:

 

[Ian]

Great looking box Douglas - nice and clean workmanship.

Ian

PS Thanks for the plug.

 

[devonwoody]

Condeesteso,
On you comment above I have gone and purchased a board of London Plane from Timberline, exotic timbers, Placed order Tuesday at Kent, delivered Devon this morning, I have not yet unpacked it just tore off a strip of packing and it really does look nice.
If anyone interested I will post a picture at a new thread.

 

[condeesteso]

Well done Devon, I've seen quite a few of the boards and Robert there really does know and understand woods. I'd be keen to see, and also see what it gets turned (made I mean) into.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Following another thread, you could make chopping boards - though whether you'd get £480 a throw for them is a different matter!

 

[condeesteso]

Update time. First off, apologies to dm re the failure to answer the finishing question. It's here now (been doing some pre-finishing prior to final assembly).
I wanted the back to be as well-worked as the front. So 3 thin boards of the cherry, and a scratch-stock to create a very small bead detail along the joins. The back is 2.7mm thick, so t&g was ruled out. Now, please accept this is about to become a ramble... just look at the pics or go to a more concise post
I have never made a guitar but I have certainly owned quite a few - so the banding used in guitar bodies was deployed here:

1mm thick lacewood, with grain running side-to-side. The Inca 260 knocked those out with ease (with one of Ian's Tuffsaw blades, a custom thin kerf one).

Turned 4 bun-feet from ebony, using the outfeed of the Sedgwick as a reference for flat. (If I didn't have a wife already I would maybe marry that Sedgwick).

Now then - FINISHING

This is just my personal view. I don't like finishes, at all. I'm a less-is-more man. I will spend a long time selecting woods, and I refuse to then cover them up. I accept that purpose will influence finish, but generally I try to put as little on as I can get away with.
Some years ago, I saw a workshop clearance sale locally, and popped down. Amongst other odd things I cam back with this:

It's a cellulose that may have been intended for spraying, but I mix it 50/50 with thinner and wipe it on. Dries very fast, adds no surface, locks fibres down, and brings the true colour out. Here it is on a part of the back:

I pre-finish the components because it would be hard to do that well once assembled. The final finish will be a super-thin coat of Liberon hard wax. (Smells lovely too).

The drawer bases have been cut to 4mm (cedar of Lebanon), and as a discreet touch I used a small scrub plane on the undersides (an old woodie, modified block plane):

Turned the 4 bun feet (ebony - no finish at all, fix the pin in the hand drill and burnish with plane shavings. I never put finish on ebony.)

Need to assemble carcase, then make the drawers... some very precise hand-cut dovetails so I'll pick a 'good day'.

[strange music session in there today: Sheryl Cole, And you will know us by the trail of the dead, The Kills, Dead Weather, Rihanna, Bela Fleck... no wonder things turn out odd :lol:

 

[dm65]

Ramble away condeesteso, no complaints here

Read that update with great interest and I like the less is more idea too

Can't wait to see progress and finished item

Oh, and I like the sound of the thickness of timber - thin boards adds a touch of class all on their own

 

[jimi43]

I was privileged to see this box in the flesh the other day and it really is an astounding piece of precision craftsmanship.

And Douglas...being a man after my own heart has added finishing touches...such as the "marking" with the scrub which adds that contrast between hand and machine finishing which is vital to indicate quality.

A fitting gift indeed!

=D> =D> =D>

Jimi

P.S. glad the panel plane is now working again to produce the astounding work it was made for! (oh...and the little scrub and it doesn't have a back to it either!!! :wink: )

 

[condeesteso]

Lucky for me Jim - so the small scrub doesn't have a back? The Infill was a gift so I never thought that would have had one anyway. Is it a southern thing to expect everything good to come back in time? I seriously don't understand this, so please explain. No rush, when you are good and ready. I am from Yorkshire.

 

[speeder1987]

Very interesting as a matter of interest, is there a particular reason why you don't put any finish on the ebony, or is that just personal preference?

John