Apothecary chest

[MarkDennehy]

I like the effect you get with the slight recessing of the drawer fronts Derek, it's something like the older version of cockbeading where the cockbeading goes on the dividing sections between drawers rather than on the drawers themselves, but it's a bit more modern and understated (which is a nice thing).

 

[CHJ]

My plan is to set the drawers back a mm or two ...
Any thoughts about this?
Derek

Would be my preference, makes the transition from carcase to content a deliberate contrast, setting them flush risks them marginally protruding in use ( or from climate adjustments) which would not look attractive.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

We are getting close. The drawers are done. There is still the base to be built, but the I feel that the hard yards are won. The following was completed this weekend ...

One of the joys with hand tools is simply planing. Nothing special, just planing wood and creating wonderful shavings. This was the final dimensioning of the drawer sides prior to glue up ...

More planing - this time the panels for the drawer bottoms. These are 6mm thick. With drawers this small and narrow (100mm wide and 100mm high), one probably could run a drawer bottom along the length. I decided to plan for expansion along the length, so the grain runs side-to-side. The panels are Tasmanian Oak ...

The panels are ripped on the table saw, and one endt is shaped to the drawer front using the template for that row ...

Here is a glued up drawer ready for the drawer bottom ...

Extra long at this stage ...

... and trimmed to size (the extra "tongue" is to aid in removal, if needed) ...

There is some expansion that can take place into the drawer front, as the groove there is deep enough (5mm at the front and 3mm at the sides). Some expansion can also take place to the rear. What I have done is drill an over size screw hole ...

The screw needs to sit flush with the underside, as will become apparent in a while ...

I am very happy with the drawers. They are tight and crisp, and all slide in-and-out their recess smoothly.

I am also very pleased with an idea I came up with for the drawer stops. Drawer stops are very important in this chest as the drawers are inset by 3mm, and a stop at the front, behind the drawer front, will enable this gap to be maintained through the year.

These stops are a little different. I searched the Internet to see if anything like these have been made, sold or used before. Nada, zip. I am amazed. The concept is so simple, and so easy to install. Please make and use them. I think that you will like the idea. Adjustable drawer stops ...

I planed down some scrap Black Walnut. These strips ended up 20mm wide ...

40mm lengths were marked off, and the piece attached to my router-morticing jig ...

Here's the complete set up. It was used to rout out 10mm long mortices ...

Sawing away two strips, you are left with this. It was planed to a thickness of 3mm ...

These were cut up and the fronts rounded. The reason for the round section is that it will butt up against the rear of the drawer front, which is curved ...

These are screwed into the drawer recess. They can be fine-adjusted with the screw. All pretty obvious, really. The low profile allows the drawer to slide in without obstruction.

With the drawers done, the knobs were attached. These are cast iron and small (just 22mm across). Yet they seen ginormous after looking at bare drawer fronts for so long.

I was thinking of blacking the cast iron, but I now quite like the grey. I think that it adds to the modern feel of this chest. Your thoughts?

The boards have been cut for the back board and the base. Next time.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[MarkDennehy]

Neat solution for the drawer stops and completely agree on the gray hardware rather than the black, though that's with the unfinished hue of the wood on show; can't picture it finished in my head

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

Well, I spent late afternoon turning knobs for the chest. I should have done this at the start, but thought it would take too long. In all, it required about 2 hours. They are not quite finished, but enough is done so you get an idea. And your thoughts, as always, are welcomed.

All along, Lynndy has said, "make the knobs in the same colour as the drawers". She wants them to blend in, and after staring at the chest knob-less for so long, I see her point. So they will be finished in oil and wax, as per the carcase and drawer fronts.

The iron knobs are 22mm wide and 21mm high. The new knobs are 18mm wide and 20mm high.

The tenon is 3/8" and long enough to extent through the drawer front and be attached with a wedge from inside.

Some have a little wax to obtain an idea of the final colour.

There are enough here for all the drawers ...

The idea is for the knobs not to dominate ...

Thoughts?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[thetyreman]

I'd have the metal ones, looks more modern to me, the wood handles are nice but it depends what look you are going for, can't say it's an easy choice.

 

[CHJ]

Wood is more sympathetic to the whole in my opinion, the metal knobs looked too dominant.

Sympathetic grain orientation as per sample would reduce the impact of the knobs even further.

 

[AndyT]

Your turned knobs give you a fresh choice to make.

With the metal knobs, the flat feet of the knobs rest (almost) on the curved fronts of the drawers. Axial lines through the knobs on each row would all meet at a 'vanishing point' somewhere behind it.

With the wooden knobs, you could arrange things so that the axes of the knobs are all parallel to the outsides of the cabinet, and the sides of the drawers.

This would mean that you would be pulling on each knob exactly in line with the way that the drawer would slide open.

However, the knobs would not radiate round in a fan shape like the metal ones do at present.

I'm not saying it would be better with the knobs all parallel - I've no idea, and wouldn't presume to offer advice at a distance on this. I just wanted to make sure you had considered both options before it was too late.

But I expect you already thought of all this!

 

[Hand Plane]

Wooden knobs!
I was somewhat taken aback when I saw your picture with the metal knobs, and after all your efforts and precision work (which I really appreciate) I thought they were out of place.

Previous post above is interesting concerning the pull direction.

A great piece of furniture.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

The knobs were completed this evening, and a finish coat of Shellawax applied ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Bm101]

Andy T says it better than I could. Walnut handles all the way for me at least.
Great thread Mr Cohen. Magnificent build. My thanks.

Regards
Chris

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

When you see shavings like this ...

... you know a skew rebate plane is at work.

Shiplapping is the joining of boards using an overlapped rebate. The advantage of this is to allow for movement while presenting an outward solid and sealed surface.

The rebate is on each, but opposite sides of the board. In this case, I have made the rebate 10mm wide. This will allow for an overlap of about 7-8mm.

Here I have made use of sections of Black Walnut that would otherwise be considered offcuts ...

The boards are 6mm thick, and each rebate is just 3mm high ...

Planing take a few minutes with the Veritas Skew Rabbet plane ...

When the carcass was dovetailed together, allowance was made for a rebate all around the rear of the chest. This required that the area close to the pins was left uncut ...

... which can be seen at the corners ..

The waste was now chiselled out ...

The boards could now be cut to length and fitted. The rebate gap between boards was set with a spacer ...

No glue is used as the boards are free to expand into the gap. A single screw holds them close to the overlap ...

Done ...

And no one will see any of this :?

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[skeetstar]

Absolutely glorious,. a real inspiration. My vote would be for the timber knobs, to me the metal ones are a bit harsh on the softer tones of the wood.
But whichever way you go, the end result looks great.

 

[fiveeyes]

I must say Mr. Cohen, when you set the 'bar', it surely is high. Outstanding craftsmanship.
I prefer the wood knobs.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Can't add anything to the comments above, except my thanks that you've taken the trouble to share, including the video, too.

Encouraging and inspirational at the same time!

E.

 

[Harbo]

Outstanding work Derek, I’m in great admiration of your skills, workmanship and immense patience.

Rod

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

As requested by a number of people, I have clocked the screws at the rear of cabinet. Gad, some are so OCD!

One coat of oil so far ..

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[AJB Temple]

Beautiful quality work and a superb instructive thread.

These things are funny - I see work like this and think of myself as just a butcher in comparison.

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

AJB, you're very kind, but the truth is all woodworking is just working to lines. And when you miss them, as I am often apt to do, being able to make it look like you didn't - that I'm good at!

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[custard]

An absolute triumph Derek.

=D>

Any idea how many hours it took in total?

Incidentally, I agree with the decision to go for wooden drawer pulls, but if you're ever faced with the same challenge of producing multiple copies there's an alternative method that's worth thinking about.

Get a matched drill and hole cutter set (Famag, the German company, make superb examples in 10mm and 12mm which are the two sizes I mainly use),

Use the hole cutter to make identical blanks,

Free the "stalk" of the blanks on a bandsaw,

Turn the drawer pull (I pop them in a three drawer drill chuck used on the lathe with no tail stock) and then press it home with an F Cramp and a bridging block at the back,

With good quality tooling like Famag you get a reliable and consistent interference fit. I've done hundreds of these in dozens of timbers over many years, and I've yet to have a single example of a drawer pull ever coming loose.