Elm Chest WIP

[dedee]

Rob, it's all been said already - excellant.

Are all the same size drawers interchangeable or will they only fit in one place?

Andy

 

[CYC]

This looks fantastic already. I can't wait to see it with a coat of danish oil to bring the wood out :wink:

 

[woodbloke]

Many thanks for all your replies and advice - please keep it coming. General consensus is to square out the back rebate so that's what I will do once I start on the back..I was only a little concerned about the short grain in the corners on the top and bottom of the carcase that would be the result.

Dedee - each drawer fits only one opening and each is numbered in Roman numerals cut with a 6mm chisel on the underside thus:

Drawer pulls and stops will be in ebony...haven't yet decided wether to carve (Krenovian style) or to turn the pulls

Regarding eventual finish, I don't have the facilities to spray but have considerd a couple of coats of matt acrylic (applied with the very fine lacquer brushes from Axminster) cut back between each coat and then waxed or this which had a good review in F&C or again I could use one of the propritry finishing oils.

After the main chest has been done and dusted there is a stand to make for it with raised (where the tennon is not flushed off but is left proud) and wedged M/T with wedges in ebony to match the drawer pull detailing - Rob

 

[dedee]

Rob,
Your numbering system is far more elegant than the scribbled diagram on the back of each drawer that I used in similar circumstances.


Andy

 

[woodbloke]

Andy - I've always used this method for numbering joints and drawers - provided you don't make any mistakes in the numbering its easy to do and can't be erased. To mark a M/T I just inscribe the tennon and the timber adjacent to the mortice, both get covered when the joint goes together so its pretty foolproof...works for me anyway - Rob

 

[Jake]

The PolyX will darken it more than lacquer, about the same as danish oil etc, I would think. If you have an offcut of the burr to post to me, I'd post it back to you with a couple of coats on it.

You can get nitro in a spray can, or even brush-on (I think).

Depends what look you're after, I suppose.

 

[woodbloke]

Jake - that would be marvellous, many thanks. If you send me a PM with your address I'll get a small lump of the burr in the post and will also enclose an SAE for the return - Rob

 

[Philipp]

Very well done, Rob, congratulations!

One question: the drawer sides are 6 mm in thickness, right? Did you make grooves for the bottoms (and if yes: how deep?), thus perhaps weakening the drawer sides considerably, or do you have another solution?

I am currently working on drawers made from service tree (?; Sorbus torminalis), sides shall be about 11 mm. Already quite thin for my experience, and I am pondering whether I can allow them a groove for the bottom or whether I rather should glue strips of wood onto the sides that carry the bottoms.

Would appreciate your comments.

Regards
Philipp

 

[woodbloke]

Philipp - each drawer has a 4mm groove which is 3mm deep, so yes the drawer is a little weaker than normal as the sides are so thin. I could have used drawer slips that are glued in place and will have to do so along the front as the joints are through dovetails. Howerever I don't anticipate that the piece, when finished is going to get a serious hammering (children are all grown up now... :-k hmm, will that make a difference) so I'm quite happy with the grooves in the sides as they are...'tis a bit late to change it now if I'm not :lol: - Rob

 

[dedee]

I don't anticipate that the piece, when finished is going to get a serious hammering (children are all grown up now... :-k hmm, will that make a difference)

My father know concedes that his grandchildren cause far more wear and tear on him and his furniture than I was ever allowed to get away with. :lol:

Andy

 

[Paul Chapman]

I love the way you've marked the drawers with Roman numerals, Rob 8) 8)
It's rather like the way they used to number the joints in the oak beams of old timber-framed houses.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[wrightclan]

I love the way you've marked the drawers with Roman numerals, Rob 8) 8)
It's rather like the way they used to number the joints in the oak beams of old timber-framed houses.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

You gotta love the juxtaposition of Roman numerals and metric feeler gauges. :lol: :wink:

Brad

 

[woodbloke]

Good innit :lol: ...don't tell others tho' on a different forum about mixing them up :lol: - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

I love the way you've marked the drawers with Roman numerals, Rob 8) 8)
It's rather like the way they used to number the joints in the oak beams of old timber-framed houses.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

You gotta love the juxtaposition of Roman numerals and metric feeler gauges. :lol: :wink:

Brad

It gets a bit messy writing fractions with Roman numerals :lol: :lol:

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Evergreen]

Hey, guys! I'm not getting the pictures! Just little red crosses in boxes.

What am I not doing right?

Regards.

 

[JFC]

I cant see the pics on page two Looking very good from the pics on page 1

 

[woodbloke]

Pics have gone, will repost -Rob

 

[woodbloke]

Pics reposted......

Rob

 

[Evergreen]

Aaaaaah, now I can see what all the cheering is about. That's very, very handsome. An heirloom piece in the making, without doubt.

Regards.

 

[lucky9cat]

Lovely. What sort of size is it? I'd guess the drawer fronts are about 3 inches square and the main case just under 3/4 thick? It's going to be a really beautiful piece.

Ted