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Thread: Walnut Secretary Build Finished – last step drawer/drawer pulls and carving

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    Beautiful piece. Great attention to detail. Pulls were an awesome idea.
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  2. #17
    Well done Mike. What else is there to say. Your productivity is amazing.
    Dave Anderson

    Chester, NH

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Ste-Julienne, Qc, Canada
    Posts
    194
    I wish I could build a piece of furniture like that one. Beautiful!
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Clarks Summit PA
    Posts
    1,733
    Impressive craftsmanship!

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    N Illinois
    Posts
    4,602
    Excellent work Mike!!!!!!
    Jerry

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
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    7,252
    Blog Entries
    7
    Spectacular work!
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    Really beautiful piece. The pulls are a great finishing touch. The pullout writing surface, the small drawers and cubbies . . . It all comes together wonderfully.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Carlsbad, CA
    Posts
    2,227
    Blog Entries
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    Thanks all for your far too generous comments. Feedback from talented craftsmen I respect and admire, like all who commented, is tremendously meaningful and humbling to me. I'm gratefully to be part of the SMC community – much of what I posted in this thread are things I've learned from the generous contributors here. I'm pleased I can make some small contribution to our community.


    Below replies to some of the specific comments:


    Prashun I'm humbled by your typically insightful comments – thank you.




    Mel, you're far too kind – I have to believe there's zero chance anyone will recognize any my furniture down the road, except perhaps for when our Boys wives say "what the hell is this, can't we give it to the goodwill?". Regarding your question about the trim surrounding the central door: above the beaded section on the right side, you'lll see a repair I made to the profiled, vertical trim surrounding the pigeonhole unit. One of many screw ups and repairs. The vertically beaded dividers on either side of the drawer are supposed to look the same. The one on the left slides out to reveal the hidden compartment.


    Malcolm, I was tickled by your graphical comments, but reject your conclusion.


    Chet, thank you for the tremendous, tangible contribution you made to this project through your generosity. I have to confess, it's a struggle for me to respect your wishes to not recognize your contribution publicly.


    Kees, I have no idea what a "like" button is, but I'm a big fan of your posts.




    JK, you are one of the true gentlemen of the Creek and your comment means a lot to me. "Mr. Allen" is my Dad, please call me Mike.


    Ken, I'm a big fan of your "I'm an OK Guy" site. At the risk of overstepping my bounds, I think you're far too modest about all you do to support the many talented toolmakers working today. I hope when you are planning your upcoming West Coast trip you'll look me up; I can promise excellent Mexican food and fantastic cocktails.


    Rick, you're in my neighborhood – let's get together for shop talk. My best friend grew up on a chicken ranch in Ramona. My memories of bucking hay and cleaning out the chicken houses are the primary reason I went to college.


    Derek, as you know I'm a huge fan your work. You have long been an inspiration to me and I really appreciate all your contributions the woodworking community.


    Phil, yes it's true – I hate finishing. Why? - simply because I've wrecked more projects than I care to admit with a horrible fishing job. For this project I went with the one "go to" finish I learned to execute through extensive practice: oil/varnish (Watco), sanded while wet with 600 grit, followed by padding on hundreds of coats of shellac (OK, probably not really hundreds of coats, but it seems like it), followed by paste wax. There is literally no other finish I can do that wouldn't be improved by a coat of paint.




    Chris, James, George I really appreciate your generous comments. I can authoritatively confirm my skills are not accelerating, but in fact regressing because basically I can't see crap now! Yes it sucks to get old! The worst my vision gets, the more I have to rely on "it's sort of feels right; ahhh I let's just go with it and hope it turns out ".


    Dave, thanks for your selfless contributions to the Creek. I'm a big fan of your work and your comments mean a lot to me.


    Normand, Mark (any relation to the legendary plane maker?) and Jerry, I very much appreciate your support.


    Brian, I'm a huge fan of your work and your website. – Your attention to detail and level execution is something I can only aspire to. I've reached a quandary; the boss says we have way too much furniture, and now that the boys have both finish school , as empty-nesters we're looking to downsize – ergo my problem; what am I gonna do with the furniture I want to build? Your advice much appreciated


    Glenn, I always appreciate your contributions the Creek. I love the combination of your avatar and Latin tagline – I'm not exactly sure what they mean, but I think they're definitely the signs of a creative mind at work!


    Cheers, Mike

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Goleta / Santa Barbara
    Posts
    962
    You, sir, are KILLING me. I am a big, big fan. Best regards from an unworthy admirer, patrick

  10. #25
    Mike, most gracious of you. Most of the really original designs we see are in modern styles. Your stuff is traditional in some ways, but so exuberantly original and decorative. And that quality is rare and always prized by collectors. Take a look at pics and info on John Shearer of Britain working 1790 -1820 in USA South. Interesting guy who has gotten to be quite a big deal. Press on!

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Princeton, NJ
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    7,252
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    Hah that is quite a conundrum. My advice is to make sure that there is room enough for a very large study for yourself and another for the missus.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  12. #27
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Allen1010 View Post

    Kees, I have no idea what a "like" button is
    Aha, I see, you are not familiar with Facebook or Twitter. Good on you

  13. #28
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Location
    Missouri
    Posts
    2,151
    Mike, it's the "Siren Song". Once you get into it it keeps calling you. I'm much in the same place. Built enough to fill three houses. Given most of it away. I can't do the big stuff anymore. I tried all kinds of stuff, boxes, kitchen tools, picture frames, the furniture keeps calling me back. I'm building a treasure chest for my new great nephew currently. After watching Ken's bench build I'm tempted to do one more big project(big for me). It would replace my garage bench that I haven't used for a year. Last thing I used it for was to repair a chainsaw (don't need to be doing that either). Build and give away if you must. That siren witch will keep calling you.
    Jim

  14. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Location
    South Carolina
    Posts
    1,429
    Wow. Just WOW. I'm glad I came back to the Creek. Inspiration for sure.

  15. #30
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    central tx
    Posts
    589
    I'd love to tie some flies on that secretary.

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