Thanks for the inspiration

[Doingupthehouse]

Thanks to Andy T, Custard, Derek Cohen... and others.

Having followed Andy T’s Shaker table build thread with interest, I thought I might try to build one myself. While it’s not a full hand-tool build, there was far more than any other project I’ve done previously. Thanks are also due to Custard for his excellent posts on traditional drawer construction, and also Derek Cohen's tip for using blue tape for marking dovetails - this seemed to really help me.

I salvaged some massively cupped and twisted pine from the skip at work - it was originally an alcove shelving unit. I thought if I made a painted table, and laminated the the legs, I could get enough timber for the build. Anyway, went from this

To this

As the timber was so cupped and twisted I ripped the boards in half, planed and thicknessed them to close to final thickness, hand jointed the edges and glued them back together to form wider panels.

Cutting out the worst of the knots, just about managed toget enough material for the aprons. These were taken down to final dimension with a hand plane.

To get enough thickness for the legs I had to laminate boards together, wouldn’t do this if I wasn’t painting the piece.

I rough cut the tapers on the bandsaw and planed down to the lines by hand - easier than I anticipated and very satisfying. All the joinery for the table was cut by hand, except the leg mortices and drawer grooves, which were cut on the router table.

Had great fun building the drawer box. It’s not perfect, but I decided to leave the Leigh jig in the cupboard and cut the dovetails by hand - these are the first I‘ve done by hand for 25 years! Quite pleased considering the very soft pine.

Got carried away with the hand plane and thicknessed the drawer back from 18 to 8mm, six sides square by hand - just to see if I could really.

Built the drawer using slips made from some scrap ash I had laying about, also made the runners and guides with this. Kickers were pine. I didn’t bead the slips but used a small chamfer instead, which I like.

Didn’t have enough material for the drawer base, so found a manky old floorboard and used that - horrendous piece of wood!

Slight gap on one of the half blind shoulders, but hey ho.

Was dreading planing the chamfers on the top, but in the end it turned out to be fairly easy and didn’t take long with a sharp number 5. The top was finished with some teak coloured BriWax I had knocking around.

Drawer knob was turned from a scrap of sapele. I’ve only just started woodturning, so was pleased with the result.

The only part I didn’t enjoy was the painting... thought I’d try chalk paint - big mistake. For me, horrid stuff to apply, I’m sticking with oil-based eggshell from now on!

The project about took ten days start to finish evenings and Sundays and total cost was very under a tenner - just for the paint. It was a great practise piece and has really helped me realise how fast hand tools can be for one-off pieces.

Anyway, run out of space for attachments, so won’t bore you any more, except to say thank you again to those who so generously share their knowledge on here.

Cheers
Simon

 

[thetyreman]

great job! really nice drawer as well, I know what you mean about the chalk paint, it can be really thick, but it looks great in this case.

 

[DTR]

Bravo, very nice! =D>

 

[Co1]

Really like that, great job.

 

[AndyT]

Lovely job!
I'm very happy to have helped you get started on it - it sounds like you enjoyed it.

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Thanks for the nice comments chaps, and thanks again Andy for the excellent WIP.

Simon

 

[custard]

That is stupendous!

=D>

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Thanks very much Custard. The info you've posted on drawer construction proved invaluable.

Simon

 

[Rockford]

That's a very nice table. The colour of the paint really sets it off and the top looks great.

Sounds you enjoyed making it too!

Best wishes

Rockford

 

[John15]

Very nice indeed Simon. I like the delicate tapered legs. Congratulations.

John

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Once again, thanks all

 

[Dandan]

That's really nice, it's simple, stylish and beautifully made, very impressive!

 

[NickN]

Having a better look at this during my work break, and very impressed! Elegant and well made, I like it a lot.

How is the drawer accommodated internally may I ask? As I'm thinking about adding one to my bench. You mention runners and guides, any chance of a picture so I can see how you've done this exactly?

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Having a better look at this during my work break, and very impressed! Elegant and well made, I like it a lot.

How is the drawer accommodated internally may I ask? As I'm thinking about adding one to my bench. You mention runners and guides, any chance of a picture so I can see how you've done this exactly?

Hi Nick,

It’s very simple construction really. The hardwood runners are just glued to the aprons - it’s a long-grain joint so very strong. The runners should really be tenoned into the front rail as well, but I forgot to cut the mortices before I assembled the table . The drawer guides are also just glued on. It’s absolutely essential these are parallel to each other and square to the front rail.

Kickers are just made from softwood as they won’t see as much wear, again just glued in.

Drawer stops ideally should be mortices into the front rail, but my rail was a little on the thin side for that, with a honking great knot in it - as I only just had enough timber - so I just epoxied them on.

I made the drawer box a hair over size (less than 1mm) and planed to fit. I used hardwood for the slips, although using slips might be a little over the top for a workbench drawer. If I was making a standard grooved drawer box out of softwood, I’d be tempted to as a hardwood wear strip on the bottom. Workshop drawers see a lot of use (hopefully) and can be heavily laden.

I waxed my runners and slips with candle wax and buffed up, the drawer is very smooth in operation.

Are you wanting your drawer in the end of the bench or on the face? If the latter, runners will be cross-grain and you’ll need to allow for movement somehow.

Having said all this, all my Workshop drawers are on full extension metal runners, great access and never stick!

Hope this helps
Simon

 

[NickN]

Thanks for the reply and photo - as you say, a simple construction but a picture instantly shows what sometimes can be tricky to imagine through words alone.

My drawer would probably go in the end, I'm not sure if I'm 100% sold on the idea of installing a drawer in the front (or rear) apron yet. But thetyreman's thread might prove enlightening too on that point.

 

[stuartpaul]

Really nice bit of work, - it's good to see old timber recycled into something that'll last quite a few years.

 

[Buckeye]

Excellent, very good. Thanks for sharing

 

[Obi Wan Kenobi]

Just seen this. Really nice build, and as a newbie has given me an idea of what to have a go at next to improve my hand planing skills :wink: Thanks for sharing.

OWK ccasion5:

 

[Doingupthehouse]

Just seen this. Really nice build, and as a newbie has given me an idea of what to have a go at next to improve my hand planing skills :wink: Thanks for sharing.

OWK ccasion5:

Thanks, the build was great fun and it’s certainly a great project to practice basic hand-tool skills.

Cheers
Simon