Tall cabinet on legs

[seanybaby]

I have recently started a new piece, which will be a tallish cabinet on four legs. There will be 2 fixed shelves inside with 2 small draws. The third, top shelf will be movable into 3 positions.

The main cabinet and legs are made from sapele, with maple for the shelves and rails on legs and the door panels will be some spalted maple, book matched. I will be putting a veneered ply/mdf back on, but as yet still not decided on the veneer. Having three timbers so far, not sure if i should choose another? I think it has to be a light coloured
timber and was leaning towards birds-eye maple, thus having 3 different kinds of maple and sapele. Any thoughts?

Sorry but pics from mobile

 

[woodbloke]

Sean - cabinet looks good so far. IMO I wouldn't mix any more timbers together unless there is a very close match or the effect will look 'overfussy'. Two contrasting timbers is usually enough....the main one that the piece is made from and another for the details if need be, such as drawer pulls, shelf supports or maybe wedges in thru' mortice joints...would also try and ensure that timber thickness on this job can't be mistaken for armour plating :wink: - Rob

 

[seanybaby]

Cheers Rob

This job is definitely going to be a tad lighter :lol: I went for 18mm thick sides with 45mm legs. Although i still think i have made it a little too thick. Cabinet is 800x550x270. Tomorrow i will have a play using some light and dark boards and try to decide what i should put on the back.

 

[motownmartin]

Interesting project Sean, should be another masterpiece when finished, keep it up.

 

[woodbloke]

Cheers Rob

This job is definitely going to be a tad lighter :lol: I went for 18mm thick sides with 45mm legs. Although i still think i have made it a little too thick. Cabinet is 800x550x270. Tomorrow i will have a play using some light and dark boards and try to decide what i should put on the back.

Sean - I didn't want to raise the issue of material thickness but I'm glad that you have realised that the legs are maybe a little too thick. If the stand has not been glued yet there may well be an opportunity to skim the legs to a narrower size, would suggest 35mm max or to do some shaping aka Krenovian style within the 45mm...maybe a bit of a flare or tapered? Whatever you do, I's strongly suggest that you do a full size drawing on some white painted hardboard to get the proportions right before doing any further work and then maybe do a scale model in some balsa to get an overall 3D view of what you're trying to do. I've just started the Elm Cabinet II and this is exactly what I've done...will be starting a thread shortly when I've got a bit further on it, just a pile of sticks and panels at the mo' - Rob

 

[seanybaby]

Thanks for the advice Rob

Stand has not been glued yet and my original intention was to make the legs 5 sided and a little tapered.

I know what you are getting at saying, make a rod. My tutor has been trying to tell me to make one, but i have resisted so far because i have been using Sketchup, which gets a good view of what something could look like, however it isn't life size, and that's where computers programs fall down.

The design stage of my projects i always find so hard because of getting the right proportions. I always seem to make things too big :shock: :lol: I guess the more experience i gain, the better it will get with regards to proportioning and weight placement on something.

 

[motownmartin]

Thanks for the advice Rob

Stand has not been glued yet and my original intention was to make the legs 5 sided and a little tapered.

I know what you are getting at saying, make a rod. My tutor has been trying to tell me to make one, but i have resisted so far because i have been using Sketchup, which gets a good view of what something could look like, however it isn't life size, and that's where computers programs fall down.

The design stage of my projects i always find so hard because of getting the right proportions. I always seem to make things too big :shock: :lol: I guess the more experience i gain, the better it will get with regards to proportioning and weight placement on something.

You don't have to follow any rules Sean, you can have your own style that may prove to be very popular, you'll know when you get it right :wink:

 

[woodbloke]

Thanks for the advice Rob

Stand has not been glued yet and my original intention was to make the legs 5 sided and a little tapered.

I know what you are getting at saying, make a rod. My tutor has been trying to tell me to make one, but i have resisted so far because i have been using Sketchup, which gets a good view of what something could look like, however it isn't life size, and that's where computers programs fall down.

The design stage of my projects i always find so hard because of getting the right proportions. I always seem to make things too big :shock: :lol: I guess the more experience i gain, the better it will get with regards to proportioning and weight placement on something.

Sean - yup, it's very difficult to get the proportions just so...a fraction here or there makes a huge difference to the final finished piece so I think it's far better to get it right at this stage rather than later when it's too late. The only thing you can do then to think "why didn't I.." or "what if...". Fwiw I've never used a 'puter programme to design something, for me pencil and a lot of paper always works. Then it's a full size drawing and detailed scale drawings on A2 paper.
As the stand hasn't been glued, you now have the time to do a bit of experimental work to refine the leg shaping - Rob

 

[seanybaby]

How dare you Rob! Why are you so right?

Here we go, tapered 2 sides of leg.

Mmmm, i think iv'e figured it out, age. Yes old age!? haha i just wish i had that wiseness :lol:

 

[woodbloke]

Sean - much, much better, comparing the first pics with the last set. I might be inclined also to take a smidgeon of the top of the legs as well, not much, maybe just 2 or 3mm. As a way to judge this, you could take a piece of paper and hold it against one of the legs at the top and move it in slightly so as to narrow the thickness profile of the leg. If you close one eye and squint at it (make sure there are no girlies around when you do this :lol it'll give you a good indication of what looks right, mark with a pencil when it looks OK...and I'll wager it's somewhere between 30 and 33mm . It's only a rough indication, but if you get one of your mates to have a go as well and get another opinion that will then confirm your first observations.....hopefully :wink: - Rob

 

[Paul Chapman]

Yes, definitely better.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[seanybaby]

Made my 2 doors today, got to glue up tomorrow and try to get everything finished.

 

[Paul Chapman]

Those spalted panels look lovely

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Philly]

Wow! Lovely timber :shock:
Philly

 

[seanybaby]

Isn't it just

Can't wait to get some oil on it :shock:

Do many timber merchants stock spalted stuff? Iv'e not really seen any listed?

 

[woodbloke]

Fantastic panels...wow - Rob

 

[Chris Knight]

Beautiful panels indeed - I look forward to seeing the finished job.

 

[paulm]

Isn't it just

Can't wait to get some oil on it :shock:

What kind of oil are you thinking of Sean ?

Reason I ask is that I have used a lot of spalted beech and sycamore (guess yours is sycamore?), and whatever oil I have used, danish, finishing or whatever, can turn it rather yellow and make it considerably less attractive looking.

Might be better preserving the colour and contrast with blonde shellac or similar and some wax on top ?

Well worth testing some scraps before you commit if you can !

Cheers, Paul

 

[seanybaby]

Cheers for the advise Paul.

It is spalted maple btw. Can't really do any tests because i have none left. I was going to use danish oil and i know it can yellow a little.

I used dowels to locate the 2 pieces.

 

[OPJ]

I really like the look of the piece now you've tapered the legs - not that there was anything significantly wrong with it before, of course! :wink:

Beautiful panels, too. And I thought the rosewood veneer I'm using on a small Jewewllry Box (WIP soon...) was nice! :roll: :wink:

I also have trouble getting proportions right, even after drawing it out. It can pay to browse through several woodworking books (depending on what you have access to) and take ideas from other people's work.

As a general rule, I've learnt that if I'm not happy with or unsure about something I've designed, I need to change it - in the past, I've gone with certain ideas anyway and have been dissapointed with the end result.

Guess we'll have to wait 'til the New Year now to see it finished - should be well worth the wait!