First ever project attempted

[Sru]

Not been working with wood for very long (a few months in anger) - still learning the very basics. But my wife was keen to get a new jewellery box so used this as a teaching aid.

- sliding dovetails for the drawers
- forgot to add the dovetail depth onto the drawer depth calculations .. duh
- used dowels for the rails, rather liked the look but will probably bite me later
- Osmo Polyx for the finish -= lovely stuff
- flocked the inside of drawers and the top .. ugg. Had to re-flock 3 drawers as nothing stuck to the drawer base
- don't like the mismatching drawer fronts but used wood I had easily to hand
- need to reorder the drawers to make the inlay match. Forgot to number them!

Not really happy with the result but learned so much that I take it as a win.

 

[DBT85]

That's at least eleventy times nicer than anything I've ever made so.. Well done!

 

[bourbon]

very nice

 

[marcros]

remember above all:

your wife asked for a jewellery box, and you have delivered one. only you see every tiny fault in it, she only sees a box, extra special because you made it for her.

personally, I would avoid flocking and would suggest using something like suede or pigskin to line the drawers with for the next one. there is a thread on how to on here. I dislike flocking, but as I say it is personal preference.

I think on this one you can be proud of what you have created, doubly so because you are new to it. Well done.

 

[bp122]

Are you sure you haven't done much before this?

That's a cracking effort and result!

 

[Sru]

Thank you all for the kind words, genuinely appreciated. I do get the tendency to be far too critical of your own stuff. Must be on my 40th dovetail attempt and still won't use them in anything as they are too bad

Nope, never made anything before in my life. 35 years working with computers and always felt a need to work with my hands instead. Luckily the wife agreed to a garden office/shed.

One question, I used regular dowels for the runners. Will they distort over time and thus cause issues? I have sealed them.

 

[Sru]

remember above all:

your wife asked for a jewellery box, and you have delivered one. only you see every tiny fault in it, she only sees a box, extra special because you made it for her.

personally, I would avoid flocking and would suggest using something like suede or pigskin to line the drawers with for the next one. there is a thread on how to on here. I dislike flocking, but as I say it is personal preference.

I think on this one you can be proud of what you have created, doubly so because you are new to it. Well done.

Thanks, yes, all makes sense logically

I had considered the pigskin route but felt I had not left enough depth in each drawer. A lesson in planning for next time. That thread was awesome.

(Fabulous community!)

Mike

 

[Sru]

That's at least eleventy times nicer than anything I've ever made so.. Well done!

That I VERY much doubt I could not even begun to build a shed like yours. Did not even understand some of the basics you were pondering <grin>

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Cracking first job !

Your dowels may not slide smoothly if worn, or they swell in a more humid environment. They look to be decent beech dowel - I would wax them and the groove they run in (if you haven't already) for smooth action and reduced wear.

 

[DBT85]

That I VERY much doubt I could not even begun to build a shed like yours. Did not even understand some of the basics you were pondering <grin>

Ha. I didn't even need to be accurate with most of it. Framing and fine woodwork are a world apart. I've never cut any kind of dovetail, never even finished a project in anything.

I'm really not joking when I say it's nicer than anything I've even attempted. I'd likely be just as critical as you are if I had done it, but I'd love to have something like that on my "done" list.

 

[custard]

Excellent job!



And what's most impressive of all is that you avoided the single biggest problem in woodworking. Namely you actually got the job finished rather than cluttering up your workshop with half completed, abandoned projects.

 

[Sru]

Excellent job!



And what's most impressive of all is that you avoided the single biggest problem in woodworking. Namely you actually got the job finished rather than cluttering up your workshop with half completed, abandoned projects.

No but I have spent far too much on wood despite not building anything

Then realised most of it I will probably never use .. or be too afraid to use in case I mess up

 

[Blackswanwood]

That looks great - nice use of the dentile banding on the drawer fronts.

 

[DBT85]

No but I have spent far too much on wood despite not building anything

Then realised most of it I will probably never use .. or be too afraid to use in case I mess up

It grows on trees, you can always get more!

 

[marcros]

I quite like the dowel runners. they may move a little to start with if they stick a little and need a little sanding but after that should settle down.

 

[billw]

I would be overjoyed to EVER make something that nice!

 

[Cabinetman]

Most impressive, I don’t know where I’ve been hiding but I’ve never seen drawers on dowels like that before - neat. When I was training and anybody made a dogs dinner of something the call went up "oh flock it", it hid a multitude of sins. Ha Ian

 

[bourbon]

we don't make mistakes in our woodworking, They are design 'improvements'

 

[Daniel2]

+1 for all the above comments.
You should be really proud. It's fabulous, made even more so, by being a 1st try;
Well done.
ATB,
Daniel

 

[thetyreman]

very impressive for a first project! also you can never have too much wood it'll be handy for the next projects.