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Jim Becker
09-25-2004, 9:28 PM
In the weekend accomplishments thread last week, I posted a few pictures of the panels being prepared for the armoire project that's been on "my list" for some time now. Our primary guest room is in the 250+ year old portion of our home and back then they didn't do closets. Hence, when guests, such as the 'rents, spend time here, there isn't any hanging space for clothes that prefer to be kept that way. This project should aleviate that problem.

The design of the piece is straight from Thos Moser's book, Measured Drawings for Shop Furniture (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0806980753/qid=1096161464/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-9970986-8571228?v=glance&s=books)with some modification for size. The unit, as originally described is too tall and too wide for the space that it needs to fit. The older portion of the house on the second floor has a very low ceiling and the roof gable is part of that surface. So the project has been scaled from 78" tall and 44" wide to 75" tall and 36" wide without causing any problems with internal space.

This weekend, the project continues with preparing the casework for basic assembly, including some blind dados and...through dovetails at the top of the unit for strength. BTW, the material is poplar from off the property. It's a bit knotty, but that will look perfect on this piece once it's dyed to complement the wide pumpkin pine flooring.

I could have done the through dovetails with my Leigh jig by fixing up some method for perching it on top of the MM16 bandsaw, but decided to try the "original methodology" for this joint...hand cutting them. While I had done this on one previous project (a CD rack that hangs in our great room) this operation would be a little more challenging and time consuming. Fortunately, I have the correct tools this time around with the Adria dovetail saw I picked up a couple months ago from Tools for Working Wood in NYC and the Ashley Iles chisels I bought this past week from the same vendor. Sharp chisels are an amazing thing... At any rate, here are a few pictures of today's work.

Pics:

Making the first cuts for the pins using a shop-built guide to keep my cut line straight and at a consistant 8º angle
Removing much of the waste with a coping saw prior to chisel work
Chopping out the rest of the waste between the pins
Completed first set of pins on the left side piece
Completed tails on the top to mate with the left side pins

Jim Becker
09-25-2004, 9:30 PM
So ok, these are not going to win any awards, but they'll work fine for the purpose and will be behind a molding, anyway! At least they are DONE. This was a tedious job for me and while I'm glad I did it, I cannot promise I'll hand cut them every time. I guess the first quote in my signature applies here...;)

No power tools were used today, other than demoing some of that black and green for a friend. Very unusual around here! (the lack of power tools, not the friend! :eek: )

Dick Parr
09-25-2004, 9:43 PM
Nice job Jim, you have more patients that I do. :eek: For me they are pretty to look at, if someone else does them. :D Biscuits were good before, but pocket holes are better now. :D One of the best tools I ever got. :rolleyes:

Again, it's looking good Jim. Can't wait to see the finished piece, keep us posted.

Ken Fitzgerald
09-25-2004, 9:53 PM
Jim....don't tell me you've gone down the slippery slope and swore off power tools! :confused: :eek: If so....and you're planning on giving away your power tools.....I'll take them and even pay for the shipping! :rolleyes: :eek: :D :D
P.S. Those dovetails don't look too bad to my eyes. I wouldn't have the patience to do them by hand!

Jim Ketron
09-25-2004, 9:53 PM
Looks great Jim!
You kinda remind me of Roy Underhill minus the hat and the bandaids Oh and you need to grow your tash longer and loose the goat T:D
I like watching his show and all the hand tools he uses. and how about that lathe of his!
Just think of 20 years from now and you look at the pice and remember the hand work that you used to make it!:)
Are you using that new saw you got a few months back?
Jim

Dennis Peacock
09-25-2004, 10:09 PM
Nice work Jim!!!!! You are more of a brave person than I would be on handcutting dovetails. I have thought about it several times...just never did it. I say they look GREAT!!!! :D

Brian Hale
09-25-2004, 10:23 PM
Way to go Jim! They ain't perfect but WAY WAY better than i could have done i assure you. I'd be proud to say i made them

Brian

Jim Becker
09-25-2004, 11:00 PM
Are you using that new saw you got a few months back?
Yes, that's visible in the first picture, but only partially shows due to the position of the camera and the little "jig" I'm holding with my left hand to guide the saw. (Cheating is permitted when an electron-breather meanders to the Neander on occasion... ;) )

-----

Thanks folks. One doesn't learn anything if you don't try something "new and challenging" with each project if you can swing it. Like I said, I didn't exactly "like" doing it this way (and my hands and arms are reminding me of that right now...:rolleyes: ), but at least I know I can do it if it's appropriate. Next time, I'll rig up that "ceiling mounted" Leigh jig and try it that way...it worked for Jason and look where his piece is going to be featured! :)

Gary Max
09-25-2004, 11:09 PM
Oh come on Jim you looked like you where having so much fun with that coping saw.
Shoot almost made me want to buy one---almost

Bruce Page
09-25-2004, 11:12 PM
Good looking dovetails! I’ve never been able to muster the courage, but I admire the effort greatly.

Greg Tatum
09-26-2004, 12:31 AM
What's wrong with those dovetails, Jim? They look just fine to me. How many boards make up that panel? Nice grain matching.

Greg

Brad Schmid
09-26-2004, 1:55 AM
Looking good Jim! I haven't mustered the patience to give it a go yet, maybe someday :)

Brad

Rob Russell
09-26-2004, 7:31 AM
Jim,

Of all the things I want to do, I'd said that I'd never buy a dovetail jig and would learn to do handcut DT's. That's still on the 'round toit list. How did you like the Adria backsaw?

Rob

JayStPeter
09-26-2004, 7:40 AM
Looks good Jim. Though, I can't believe you missed the opportunity to use your Festool jig saw and chose to use that coping saw instead. You call yourself an electron burner ... :D

Jay

Jason Tuinstra
09-26-2004, 8:36 AM
Hey Jim,

Glad to see you went with the hand cut dovetails. They look great! After doing a little filling in with wedges, they'll look flawless! Did you get the latest FWW with the Shaker hope chest? He goes through some ways to fill in the gaps to make them look just right. I'm looking forward to seeing this Moser inspired piece complete. Have fun!

Jason

Michael Stafford
09-26-2004, 8:39 AM
Good work, Jim. I love the in progress pictures. You do sorta remind me of Roy Underhill, although he has more freckles and is better looking....

Keep posting your progress so the peanut gallery can learn something.

Kelly C. Hanna
09-26-2004, 9:05 AM
Handcut dovetails, what an art. You are much braver than I am...and you seem to have it down quite well for the first go round. Is your house listed in the historical directories where you live?

Jim Becker
09-26-2004, 9:43 AM
Is your house listed in the historical directories where you live?No, only a portion of the house is "old", but we'd like to do some research on its provinence. According to a young lady who stopped by one day looking for loose stones for repairs on their house (this is a limestone area), the old portion of the house was built by a particular mason...and she pointed out certain tell-tale signs of them that she had learned from one of the conservancies. The property was originally part of the "Paxton Estate" which was calved out of the original William Penn land grant "way back when".


How did you like the Adria backsaw?In general, I like it. For an occasional user like me, it is likely I might have been more comfortable with a pull-cut saw, especially for starting the cut, but after a bunch of these, I got the hang of starting a kerf in the right place without it "jumping around".


I can't believe you missed the opportunity to use your Festool jig saw and chose to use that coping saw instead. You call yourself an electron burner ... I thought about that, but wanted to do this set by hand. It's also given me some additional incentive to finish building the bow-saw I started from the FW article long ago after I turned several sets of knobs for that project for a friend somewhere in TN. (I supplied the knobs to him for his and he supplied the rough parts for the saw for me)


How many boards make up that panel? Nice grain matching.Each panel is three boards. Grain matching is something I'm really anal about and is part of the lumber selection activity. Actually...it's the very first step of the finishing process! My goal is always to get as close to a "single board" look if I can...when a single wide board isn't available. This makes a huge difference in how a project turns out and is particularly important for any large surfaces, such as table tops and side panels for casework. Same goes for panels between rails and stiles...they need to look like a single board unless there is a specific artistic reason not to, such as alternating strips of tiger striping, or something like that. IMHO, of course.

That all said, the remaining "cross pieces" that go lower in the carcass do not have such good grain matching, but it will not be a real issue since they are not seen when the piece is closed up and I was using up material that was too nice to throw out.

Mike Mastin
09-26-2004, 9:47 AM
I have never tried to hand cut dovetails(never even used a jig to cut them for that matter, yet), but I commend you on the results. As usual you push yourself with each new project. Can't wait to see the next series of photos!

John Miliunas
09-26-2004, 9:55 AM
I gotta' agree with everyone else about the handcut dovetails! :) As it happens, I *have* tried to do some, albeit on a much smaller scale and I must say, you are far, far more courageous than I and have done a much better job than I could ever hope to do on them! :D Me thinks if the piece is too big or cumbersome for the Leigh, I'd have opted for a different joint! :rolleyes: Keep us posted on progress, Jim. Always lots to learn from your project posts! Thanks! :cool:

Frank Pellow
09-26-2004, 9:56 AM
Jim, I think that you did a fine job on the hand cut dovetails. That's the only way I have ever made dovetails, so I am looking forward to the day when I have a good router and a Leigh jig.

I am interested in the fact that you are using your own poplar. If you saw my thread about my projects at Pellow's Camp this summer, you will have seen that I have lots of poplar at my disposal. If you have any pictures and words about how you "created" the boards from the trees, I certainly would be interested in seeing them.

Jim Becker
09-26-2004, 10:11 AM
If you have any pictures and words about how you "created" the boards from the trees, I certainly would be interested in seeing them.
http://sawsndust.com/a-milling.htm

Jim Becker
09-26-2004, 9:32 PM
Once again, I got to spend a whole bunch of "quality time" in the shop today working on the armoire. None of that Neander stuff, for the most part...today the electrons were flowing free! At this point, all the major casework components are cut, milled and sanded through 180 except two small panels that I conveniently forgot to make last weekend. I glued them up before I started sanding late in the day today. Next weekend, after some "scheduled" landscape work, I'll start assembly of the carcass and move on to the frame and panel doors and two interior drawers. I think I'm going to use T&G cedar for the back of the case...will check that out sometime during the week.

Pics:

Creating the stopped dados using a router and a shop-built guide. Rather than trying to match a bit to the size of the panels (hard to do since they are not exactly 3/4", I used a 1/2" spiral bit and made the jig such that I could make the width in two passes without re-clamping. I learned really quick (after the first dado) to score the lines with my marking knife to insure a clean cut. This was a very messy job...routers are not exactly the cleanest machines in the shop to use!
The ends of the stopped dados were squared with a very sharp chisel...oopsss....a Neander step again...:rolleyes:
The panels that span the width of the case also get stopped dados for a vertical piece that separates the two lower internal drawers as well as divides the "cubby hole" just below the top of the carcass.
Oh boy...does that 150/3 make for a fine finish. I must have been sanding for more than a hour and a half and I didn't feel like I was "vibrating" when I was done. Not a spec of dust anywhere, either.

Kelly C. Hanna
09-26-2004, 11:10 PM
The panels look great Jim! I can appreciate the old ways, but I love power!

mike lucas
09-27-2004, 12:13 AM
Looking at the gaps in the dovetails tell me that it is time too invest in power tools, but most of all the Leigh D4 Dovetail jig.:D Sorry, but someone had to be the one to tell you. Light stepping it, isn't going to help you!:eek:

I love my DeWalt 625 and D3 and would never be able to acomplish hand cut dovetails, So I thought I'd give you a hard time.:D

Tom Sontag
09-27-2004, 2:08 AM
I won't sugar coat it either Jim. Frankly, those dovetails look just like mine.

The only reason I clicked on this thread is because LOML's armoire project hit a snag - dovetail time. Mine too will be covered by molding, so while my reason to attempt them is the same as yours, you bravely moved on and completed them. Good on you. Still, I think I'll lay them out with a ruler to get the spacing just so. Methinks the saw guide might be a good idea too. And if they look like all the others I have attempted, I know its twin is somewhere in your house. :)

Are the shelves going to sit in stopped dadoes as opposed to sliding dovetails? I always thought the dovetail thing made sense to pull the center of a tall armoire together. Unless you plug the screw holes that come from outside...

What kind of wood you workin' there?

Michael Stafford
09-27-2004, 8:06 AM
Jim, I think the dovetails look fine. If the gaps concern you cut thin shavings of the same material with a plane and glue them in as you do the assembly. Sanded flush after dry only you and the Shadow will know...

Frank Pellow
09-27-2004, 8:14 AM
Thanks for the update Jim. But, I am dissapointed because I thought that you were going to build the whole thing with hand tools. Oh well, it still looks good.

Frank Pellow
09-27-2004, 8:32 AM
http://sawsndust.com/a-milling.htm

Thanks for the pointer Jim. I never looked at your WEB site before. Very interesting! :o But, now you have me lusting after the Mini-Max jointer-planner. :(

Jim Becker
09-27-2004, 8:38 AM
Still, I think I'll lay them out with a ruler to get the spacing just so.
I only measured for the two outside pins and decided to just eyeball the others. It matters not for the strength of the joint...the interlocking is what does it combined with the glue. So many pieces I've seen with hand-cut dovetails don't have them "regularly spaced" with space age precision that I figured I'd follow suit...quite an accomplishment for someone as totally anal as I happen to be about things being "just so" spatially!!!:o


Are the shelves going to sit in stopped dadoes as opposed to sliding dovetails? I always thought the dovetail thing made sense to pull the center of a tall armoire together. Unless you plug the screw holes that come from outside...
The Moser design calls for stopped dados for the shelves...so that's what they are. Sliding dovetails would have been pushing the envelope for this project, but if I build another one for our master BR, I might do that for the reason you indicate. But then again, today's glues are pretty awesome. As to the screws...there will be no metal fasteners in this project, other than the hinges for the doors, screws to hold the male portion of the sliding dovetails on the cross-grain crown molding connection and micro pins to hold the fitted moldings around a mirror that goes inside one of the doors.


What kind of wood you workin' there?
Tulip Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), also known as Yellow Poplar...right out of the back yard. This is nearing the end of my supply from the milling project referenced in a post above and is the more knotty material...perfect for this kind of project. The piece will be dyed, oiled and shellac-ed to compliment the wide, pumpkin pine floors in the room it will reside in. I may or may not top coat with acrylic lacquer. It's not really necessary, but it's too early to make that decision.


Thanks for the update Jim. But, I am dissapointed because I thought that you were going to build the whole thing with hand tools. Oh well, it still looks good.
Well...my body couldn't handle that nor do I have all the hand tools to do that properly. I look at it this way... Tools, no matter what kind, are there for a purpose--to help the craftsman reach some goal. I figure it's a nice thing to use a combination of hand-powered and electric-powered tools and use them where they each have advantages to "me". Hand tools are far better suited to a lot of the fine tuning and delicate things that I find myself doing more and more of. Power tools are better for me for a lot of the more major operations, especially when my time is limited...which it always is, unfortuantely.

Donnie Raines
09-27-2004, 9:06 AM
Hey Jim,

Not bad.....! At least your cutting on poplar....just think how long you would have been there were you useing maple or something..... ;)

Remeber: Cherry, Walnut, Poplar(and some others)... will compress nicely when forced toghther in a joint like this. In other words...you can cut closer to the lay out mark and the joint will seal its self. Also, roundover the backside of the tails prior to beating them together...that will reduce any chance for blow out.

Jim Becker
09-27-2004, 9:13 AM
Hey At least your cutting on poplar....just think how long you would have been there were you useing maple or something..... Actually, hand cutting on softer material can be "harder" in the sense that it's easy to "crush" the wood if you let your tools get less-than-sharp or not square to the cut line and easier to do surface damage when you are not paying attention to where you are putting things down. DAMHIKT! The density on the poplar I'm using is also variable, so that made things interesting, too.

Alan Turner
09-27-2004, 10:07 AM
JIm,
Nice set to DT's. To tighten, for structural reasons, I use the Frid method. After assembly, take a hand saw and make a kerf at least as wide as your widest gap. Then, cut some small strips just a touch wider than the kerf. Beat on them a bit with a metal hammer to compress the fibers, and reduce the size to slide in the kerfs a bit tight, when dry. Then, with the strips at a 45 deg. angle, fill the kerf with glue (hide glue is best since it is non staining, and put in the patches. Let dry, and cut/plane flush. Since the repair is at a 45, end grain will show from both sides, and be pretty well invisible. Good chance to use that LN LA Block plane.
Alan

Frank Pellow
09-27-2004, 12:11 PM
...

Well...my body couldn't handle that nor do I have all the hand tools to do that properly. I look at it this way... Tools, no matter what kind, are there for a purpose--to help the craftsman reach some goal. I figure it's a nice thing to use a combination of hand-powered and electric-powered tools and use them where they each have advantages to "me". Hand tools are far better suited to a lot of the fine tuning and delicate things that I find myself doing more and more of. Power tools are better for me for a lot of the more major operations, especially when my time is limited...which it always is, unfortuantely.

...



I know, I know. I was just kidding and, actually, I would have (and have in the past) also switched to power tools once the hand-cut dovetails were finished.

Chris Padilla
09-27-2004, 4:30 PM
Looks good, Jim! Gee, someday I'll get back to finishing up that EC my wife claims I started 2 or 3 lifetimes ago! :D I so want to dig into my stash of figured maple....

Tyler Howell
09-27-2004, 4:36 PM
Very tastie!:cool:

Jim Becker
10-09-2004, 10:03 PM
Since I got no shop time last weekend, this is the first progress on the armoire project since the weekend before that. Late today, after I finished getting set up for a little Festool event I'm hosting tomorrow (more on that later...don't ask in this thread, please), I got to work assembling the carcass by starting with a dry fit. (Picture One).


A little adjustment to the width of the shelves was in order (to flush them with the dado at the rear of the case) and then it was on to the glue-up. This was started with one side down on the bench and to insure that the shelves didn't slide laterally when the other side was put on top, I did succumb to toe nailing two brads inconspicuously into the joint, engaging both the shelf and the side. A square was held against that assembly to keep the joint as square as possible before clamping could commence. The dovetailed top was left off until the initial clamping was taken care of.

After the second side was added, some clamps were engaged to both keep the unit square while manipulating it onto its "back" as well as provide something to support the 36" wide project on top of a 20" wide bench...the Bessey K-Body clamps did a good job for that. Once rotated and checked for square, the dovetailed top was glued up and put on the piece. To clamp it down and draw it down as best as possible on the carcass, some smaller clamps were spanned from the joint of the upper shelf and moderately tightened. The whole assembly was left to dry overnight on the bench. (Picture Two)

There are two short vertical partitions that need to be sized and installed between the top and the upper shelf as well as between the lower shelf and the "bottom" of the case. They will slip into stopped dados already prepared and waiting for them.

John Miliunas
10-09-2004, 10:21 PM
Certainly looks as though you're making forward progress, Jim! :) This is a good thing. Sounds like you're following a solid plan. My problem, if I can't continue on a project for that long is, I forget what in the blazes I was going to do next! :( I think that "OldTimers Disease" is kicking in! :rolleyes: Thanks for the update! :cool:

Mike Tempel
10-09-2004, 11:04 PM
You do some very nice work and I love your shop - very jealous :o. I do have one thing I would like to commend you on in addition to your outstanding work. You are wearing safety glasses with side shields and hearing protection while working. Too many of us forget how easily and quickly something can happen and I am glad to see that you think to protect yourself. Thanks for the pics and I am truly envious of your work.


Mike

Jim Becker
10-10-2004, 10:05 AM
You You are wearing safety glasses with side shields and hearing protection while working.
Mike, I've always been fanatical about wearing safety glasses and even more so since I had LASIK a year and a half ago and no longer have even "regular" glasses to protect me. They go on at the beginning of the day and unless I leave the property on an errand, they often stay on until I'm done in the evening. As to hearing protection, I have a severe loss in my right ear already (not from abuse...osteosclerosis in the middle ear)...no reason to destroy the other one. The one change I made there is that I've been using my Bose Quiet Comfort II headphones for the purpose when I'm doing long sessions with loud tools. I can still hear the radio that way inbetween cuts.

Frank Pellow
10-10-2004, 12:38 PM
Loooking good Jim.

I see that, if I hope to emulate your glue-up, I need 5 more Bessey clamps. :D

Bruce Page
10-10-2004, 1:01 PM
Jim, the armoire is coming along nicely, I’m looking forward to seeing it completed.

I noticed in one of your shots that you had a vac hose draped over your shoulder. When I’m sanding panels like that, I attach a spring & light chain to a hook in the ceiling to hold the hose above the work and attach the power cord to the hose using velcro strips. It makes the sanding a little more enjoyable. :rolleyes:

Frank Pellow
10-10-2004, 1:29 PM
...
When I’m sanding panels like that, I attach a spring & light chain to a hook in the ceiling to hold the hose above the work and attach the power cord to the hose using velcro strips. It makes the sanding a little more enjoyable. :rolleyes:

...
[/font]

That sounds like a good tip, Bruce. I will definately try it. :)

Jim Becker
10-10-2004, 9:47 PM
Thanks for the tip on hanging the hose/cord, Bruce. I'll definitely try that next time.

Before my little “Festool-val” today, I got the armoire out of the clamps, sized the vertical center partitions and got them glued in. The two cubbies in the top will remain as open spaces and the two on the bottom will each have a pull-out drawer. Here's a pic of how it looks put together. Time to move on to the doors and cabinet back. The latter will be T&G floating in channels to allow for seasonal movement.

Aaron Montgomery
10-11-2004, 8:02 AM
Jim,

That's really coming along nicely. I can't wait to see more pictures as your project continues to develop!

Alan Turner
10-11-2004, 8:37 AM
Jim,
Your piece is coming along nicely. Sorry I meissed yesterday, but a wedding was on the schedule. Oh well.
Next time, when you get even more in to the neander way of working, you might consider wedged through tenons on the verticals, or sliding dovetails on the front and rear of the vertical partitions so that the weight of the shelves is carried on two boards, for less deflection. This is more important on drawers, where slight sagging will cause the drawers to be misfit after the passage of some time.
If you go with the sliding dovetails, then to make the assembly possible, since the DT portions will only be about 2" long each, just cut the partition overwide, rip the partition, join from front and back, and make the edge glue joint in place. It does make disassembly a destructive process, however.
Alan

Jim Becker
10-11-2004, 8:42 AM
Thanks, Alan. It was a good time yesterday. For this piece, I was following Thos Moser's design which did not use sliding dovetails; rather, stopped dados provided nice glue area. That said, these partitions are only glued in the front due to the cross-grain situation with the "shelves" and since they will not carry much weight, things should be fine. A mechanical fastener in the rear of the lower partion that can "move will help support the weight in the rear for the shelves.

Alan Turner
10-11-2004, 9:11 AM
Jim,
This does not seem to be a cross grain situation, except for the bottom. Otherwise, the grain on all of the components of the carcase, shelves, and vert. dividers, run the same direction, so with the same wood, the expansion rates should be about the same. On the bottom frame, which is probably M&T, glue the front one, but leave the back one loose, to slide as the wood moves.
As to the fancy joinery, I was just pulling your leg a bit, although were there drawers, then it would be something to think about. Bird's article on the Penn. Secretary has a nice detail on this joint, with both a sliding DT, and a shallower dado. It looks harder than it is, and I have machine cut this joint, but today I would hand cut the DT socket to avoid tearout.

Jim Becker
10-11-2004, 9:18 AM
Alan, you are right, I misspoke about the cross-grain situation specifically about the top...that one is fine. The bottom "frame" is pocket screws for expediency, but the stituation holds the same as with M&T. That one is glued in the front and has mechanical fasteners in the back that can move.

Jim Becker
10-16-2004, 9:00 PM
After some errands and a bit of electrical work in the shop (Contactor setup for the DC (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=12965) and replacing the switch in the J/P), I got back to work on the armoire project. Two things were completed today:

1) The T&G beaded boards for the cabinet back were sized and dados cut on the top and bottom on the backside to allow them to slip into moldings created to hold the back in place and still allow for wood movement. The top molding is held in place with screws so that I can remove the back while working on the project and so it can be finished separately. That makes for easier spraying inside the cabinet of the shellac and WB lacquer that I will be using to finish the project as well as insuring that the back will remain natural in color while the cabinetry is dyed to compliment the wide, pumpkin pine floors in our guest room where the armoire will be living

2) The crown was fabricated and assembled to the cabinetry with consideration for cross-grain wood movement on the sides. Rather than deal with a sliding dovetail as I originally intended for that purpose, I took advantage of the fact that I had to put blocking on top to hold up the molding above the casework. The blocking along the slides was screwed on with the rear screws in slots, allowing it to move. The crown was glued to that and nailed from the inside with a few brads to hold it in place on the sliding blocking until the glue cured. I did need to use a couple brads to keep the corners tight, but they will become nearly invisible during the finishing process. I almost made a MAJOR boo-boo on this thing...nearly forgot to account for the door thickness when putting on the crown. Thankfully, the glue was not dry and I could pull it off quickly and put in the necessary 1" thick filler. Sheesh!

Tomorrow it's time to deal with the bottom front of the case and build the doors. If I have time, I'll get the material milled for the two drawers that go inside the piece at the bottom.

John Miliunas
10-16-2004, 10:45 PM
Hey Jim, that's certainly coming along nicely! Really like the beaded boards for the back. :) You know, even with "limited" working time on it, you're still gettin' that thing further along than I would've in twice the time! :rolleyes: Nice job. :cool:

Kelly C. Hanna
10-17-2004, 8:05 AM
Looks very nice Jim! I like the beadboard back.

Jason Tuinstra
10-17-2004, 3:46 PM
Jim, glad to see all the progress your making on the project. It's coming together nicely! Glad to hear that you fixed you "boo-boo" in time. Most of the ones I make are well after the glue dries. :mad: Anyway, thanks for the updates. I really like the contruction pics.

Jim Becker
10-17-2004, 7:25 PM
After a late start due to just plain laziness and the need for the latté to do its magic, I got quite a bit more done on the armoire. The carcass is basically completed at this point. The crown was wrapped on Saturday after milling the stock and was sanded through the grits this afternoon. The "foot" of the piece was also fabricated, built up and sanded. Before taking the piece off the bench, I took the time to deal with the hinge mortises as it was easier to work on them at chest level and horizontal than it would be with the case standing up.

Then it was time to start milling the 1" stock for the doors. As I found that I only had one existing piece long enough for two of the vertical stiles, I pulled a thicker piece of rough stock out from under the miter station, flattened and thicknessed it to 1" and proceeded to rip everything to width after a few passes on the jointer to be sure the edges were straight. The final task for the day was to resaw and thickness some wide stock for the two drawers that go in the bottom of the case. I didn't want to glue up narrow pieces of 1/2" material and this way, I'll be able to have drawer fronts that have a continuous grain pattern across the entire armoire.

Pics:

1) Using the router to remove most of the hinge mortise area--a thick block of wood was clamped to the case to provide good support for the tool. The ends were then cleaned up with a very sharp chisel
2) Completed casework
3) Resawing drawer stock
4) Thicknessing drawer stock

Fred Voorhees
10-17-2004, 7:53 PM
Jim, I guess that the armoir will be getting to the guest room via your bedroom and not the staircase in the older part of the house. From what I can remember, that staircase didn't seem roomy enough to lug the armoir up and into the guest room. By the way, nice looking piece. And it must be awesome to know that it is made from wood harvested from the back forty.

Jim Becker
10-17-2004, 8:07 PM
Thanks, Fred. Yes, any furniture destined for the upstairs of the "old" part of the house (the 250 year old stone portion) must transit through the MBR. I'll be looking for a volunteer to help with that! hee hee :D This is not a light-weight piece of furniture. I can lift it myself on and off the dolly...with the back off...but all bets are off once the back and the doors are affixed. I did provision for lift-off hinges that let you remove the doors, but the crown "may" interfere with that. Time will tell.

You are right about the wood. It's really nice using material that is completely off the property for this project!

Jim Becker
10-23-2004, 8:04 PM
After a visit from Jay Knoll, I got back to work on the armoire. Today's efforts included final milling of the door stock, sizing the 1/2" drawer stock and gluing up the door panels from the remaining 1/2" thick material. Next weekend I should be able to get the doors glued up and drawer boxes dovetailed and assembled as well as doing some testing on scrap for the "dye job".

Pics:

1) Roughing out the hinge mortises on the door stock with the router. This time, I did something different...put on the Leigh dust collection hood and hooked everything up to the CT22. This greatly reduced the dust and chips flying and will be the way I'll do any edge work in the future with this tool. It's not quite as effective as the Festool routers, but again, worked fairly well to control the splash coming off the bit.

2) Test fitting the door frame components. The armoire doors are 1" thick and are using a simple cope and stick construction with grooves and short tenons.

3) These are the 1/2" thick panels glued up for the doors. They should look just fine, but I did not have any stock milled that was long enough to do a continuous grain pattern through the over and under panels in each door. I'll accept that for this project, but will not make this error in the future. It really can make a difference in the look of the cabinet, especially since the stiles are all matched across the piece. Oh well...:o

Ian Barley
10-23-2004, 8:27 PM
Nice looking work Jim - and a nice mix of tools and techniques. Can't wait to see the finished article.

BTW - I am completely with you on the hearing protection. Ear defenders go on as I enter the shop and I have been known to walk into the local gas station wearing them! I am less good (though getting better) about eye protection. I also like your "routing bib". Is it a turners smock or somesuch?

Jim Becker
10-23-2004, 8:37 PM
Nice looking work Jim - and a nice mix of tools and techniques. Can't wait to see the finished article.Thanks, Ian...I see you are burning the "midnight oil" tonight!


BTW - I am completely with you on the hearing protection. Ear defenders go on as I enter the shop and I have been known to walk into the local gas station wearing them! I am less good (though getting better) about eye protection. Yes, I have a couple sets of these particular hearing protection devices from AO Safety. I prefer them over all others...except for my Bose Quiet Comfort-II active headphones, of course. I can't use those "stick in the ear" earplugs very well...they will not stay in my right ear for some reason. Of course, I can't hear very well in the ear, either... :D (really) I do occasionally end up in the house with the blue wand around my neck!


I also like your "routing bib". Is it a turners smock or somesuch?That is the armless version of the Packard Woodworks turners smock which I prefer over all others due to the very comfortable knit neck and velcro fasteners. Strangely enough, I really didn't need it this time with the CT22 hooked up to the router...there was almost no material coming at me from the bit, unlike when the router is used "naked". Routing can be a messy job and the smock helps be performing the same job it does at the lathe...keeping the stuff out of my clothes, especially my shirt neck line!

Louis Bois
10-23-2004, 8:50 PM
Hey Jim,

Is that a bullet proof vest you're wearing when you use the router?!? Mine's made out of chain maille...and you should see my steel plated gloves!!! After all these years, the router still scares the be-hey-seus out of me!!!

...oh, awesome progress BTW...some people are just amazing time managers.

John Miliunas
10-23-2004, 9:29 PM
Cookin' with gas there, Jim! Great progress! :) Got any K-Bodies left over after that glue-up? Also, do you use any biscuits or splines, T&G or such for your panels? I'm also glad to hear that the chip collector worked so well. I picked one up for my PC690 some time ago, but always forget to try it out when doing edge routing. You've inspired me! :) Keep us posted on progress! :cool:

Jim Becker
10-23-2004, 9:36 PM
John, no biscuits...just glue and clamps. And that's about half of my 24" K-Bodies plus two 18" UniClamps. (I will likely pick up more of those as they are great for light duty clamping and are a lot less expensive than the 12" K-bodies) The case back for this project is T&G, but I cheated and bought the stuff... :D

Michael Stafford
10-24-2004, 9:59 AM
Jim, it is looking great. I'm getting anxious to see the final product. Do you think you could fast forward a bit so that I can see the end of this here project? OH by the way, I will be out of town when you are moving it upstairs... Sorry...

Kelly C. Hanna
10-24-2004, 5:07 PM
Great progress Jim...can't wait to see it finished and sorry, but I'm glad I'm not your neighbor...that thing looks HEAVY!!

Jim Becker
10-30-2004, 8:13 PM
A few important steps were completed on the armoire project today and I hope to continued that trend tomorrow. I'd like to get this piece completed in the next couple of weeks, but it will require some diligence in getting out to the shop at times other than the weekends as next weekend I'm helping to man the Mini Max booth at Woodworks 2004 in Ft Washington PA and the following weekend I have to fly for business on Sunday. I'll use the picture descriptions below to describe the doin's.

Pics

Milling the back of the door panels so they fit into the grooves provided in the rails and stiles. I'm using a 22º Shaker style cutter which adds a nice shadow line on the interior of the doors.
Dry fitting the doors. While the upper and lower panels came from different boards, I was able to get a reasonable grain match that approximates a continuous grain pattern top to bottom. The right way to do this is to use the same boards...but that wasn't possible this time around. I'm reasonably pleased with the results and once the dye is applied the minor variations will become less obvious than they are "bare".
After cutting the dovetails for the drawers (with the Leigh this time...), I did a dry fit into the cabinet. "Just right" for my purposes. Notice that the fronts are one continuous board in keeping with that important design aspect.
Testing the dye. The piece in the foreground has just the dye on the left and the dye topped with a coat of garnet shellac on the right. Nice. Just the hue I'm looking for to work will the wide pumpkin pine flooring in that guest bedroom.
Since there are no false fronts on the drawers and I happen to like the look of the drawer face matching the casework and the rest of the drawer being natural, I need to plan for assembling the drawer boxes after dying the front. By carefully clamping the front and each side to the workbench in a dry-fit, I was able to pre-sand the dovetail joints prior to assembly and then dye just the front. This is a test example of how that will work out.
More tomorrow...

Michael Stafford
10-30-2004, 8:20 PM
The color is great. I look forward to seeing the piece in place. The floors must have a rich mellow color. Ingenious way to finish the drawer fronts and not the sides. I learn so much at the Creek and occasionally it is something useful like this :p . Really excellent. Do hurry along, this is a good book but I am ready for the happy ending... :cool:

By the way, alcohol or water based dye? :confused:

Frank Pellow
10-30-2004, 8:39 PM
It looks REALLY GOOD Jim. You say that you are reasonably happy with the results of the pattern matching. If it were me, I would be VERY HAPPY.

Keith Christopher
10-30-2004, 8:50 PM
Jim,


Awesome matchups looking REAL good. BTW I didn't see it in here what wood are you using ? Also your avatar, it's wiggin me out !


Keith

Jim Becker
10-30-2004, 9:01 PM
BTW I didn't see it in here what wood are you using ?
Somewhere early on I mentioned it's poplar off our property...getting to the end of it and this has enough knots to emulate pine quite nicely...without buying pine.



Also your avatar, it's wiggin me out !
Happy Halloween!! :eek: And if you look closely...the wig is quite missing...

Christian Aufreiter
10-31-2004, 3:59 AM
Very, very nice, Jim. I really like the contrast of the dovetailed drawers.

Mark Singer
10-31-2004, 8:23 AM
Jim,

It is really looking great! Excellent work, beautiful dovetails! The project is coming along beautiful!

John Miliunas
10-31-2004, 10:53 AM
Cruising along quite nicely there, my friend! Really love the staining and detail on the dovetails. :) Very well done! :cool:

Jim Becker
10-31-2004, 10:57 AM
By the way, alcohol or water based dye?
Water based. Alcohol-based dyes really need to be sprayed to get even coverage as the alcohol flashes off so fast. Water based dyes can be "worked" with the rag to insure things look right. Once the WB dye dries, a quick hit with 320 wet and dry to de-fuz and a coat of de-waxed shellac to seal it makes it ready for further finishing. The shellac also gives transparency to the finish and the color choice of the shellac can add tone...which is why I use garnet shellac for this kind of project as it gives a little more red-amber to the brown color.

Kelly C. Hanna
10-31-2004, 12:00 PM
Absolutely beautiful Jim! I love the way you are dying the wood on the dovetails. It's gonna look superb.

Jerry Olexa
10-31-2004, 4:07 PM
Jim, Great job ,as always, with you! Your WW skills are evident, I love (echo) the look of your dovetails and the contrast! Great craftmanship! You're a role model for the rest of us...

Jim Becker
10-31-2004, 6:49 PM
Dr SWMBO flew off to Bean-town early, so after a lazy morning with a large latté, catering to a couple of birds' every needs :rolleyes: and a trip to HD to buy some more plywood for the drawer bottoms (cut it just about 1/2" too short...and even measured more than once! :o ), I got back to work on the armoire project in between some home maintenance things that needed to be done. This, of course, involved spending some more "quality time" with the Festool 150/3 sander getting ready for what's described below.

Pics

The right door on the piece will have a full length mirror on the inside, so the rail that divides the frame between the two panels had to be reduced in thickness to make a flat surface even with the back of the panels. This was quickly done on the bandsaw and the surface was then cleaned up with my L-N low-angle block plane in at least a partial Neander spirit. This leaves room for about a 70" tall mirror panel that will be secured by moldings to avoid wood movement issues that might result from using adhesives
The drawers were glued up after the dyed fronts were sealed with a coat of dewaxed garnet shellac. The number of clamps might seem like overkill, but I needed to be very careful not to distort the joint between the front and the sides since they cannot be sanded further in that area without messing up the color contrast. For anyone who missed the previous commentary on this, all four pieces of the drawers are poplar, but I wanted the faces to contrast with the rests of the drawers as wel as match the color of the casework. They were pre-sanded "dry" to avoid removing the color once dyed. The joints will not be quite as smooth as they would if sanded after gluing, but the contrast is more important to me.
After the clamps were removed a few hours later, the drawers were set aside to dry completely. I also clear-coated the T&G pine strips for the cabinet back with de-waxed blond shellac to seal the resins in so that the Target Coatings USL that will be used to clear coat this project will not have any adhesion problems.
The cabinet doors were then glued and clamped. Working with full 1" thick material is really nice for this kind of thing...the joints have plenty of meat and will be very sturdy. The panels were pre-dyed to insure that any shifting will not result in a "white line".
All the "building" is pretty much complete at this point.:p I have a few joints to stuff with slivers and then the finishing process will proceed on the rest of the armoire. Of course, I'm already trying to think of a good reason to entice a few fellow woodworkers to the shop...to help lift this sucker to the 2nd floor of the house...:cool:

Michael Stafford
10-31-2004, 8:26 PM
Jim, the project is coming together. The dye job is rich and looks great. The color is wonderful and dye penetrates like no other means of coloring wood. I don't know about you but when approaching the end of a project I sometimes get saddened. I like the process most of the time more than I like the finished product. Good work and thanks for sharing. ;)

Joe Mioux
10-31-2004, 9:10 PM
Hi Jim:

I really like the color of the drawers. Since I am in the final stages of finishing some garage/shop cabinets with poplar and birch plywood, I have a couple questions and a comment.

First, I really like the way poplar can be milled and cut. It is a good wood for cabinets.

Second, what is the difference between dying and staining a piece of wood? and why did you choose to dye it?

thanks joe

Jim Becker
10-31-2004, 9:24 PM
First, I really like the way poplar can be milled and cut. It is a good wood for cabinets.
I really like working with poplar. It's a nice, easy to mill hardwood that while not the "hardest" or strongest available, it perfectly suitable for many projects. In fact, it's about the highest volumne furniture wood harvested in the US, although most of it is used as a "secondary" wood or under heavy factory applied finishes. The price is often right, too...even when you don't have a pile of it off your own property! :D


Second, what is the difference between dying and staining a piece of wood? and why did you choose to dye it?
There are multiple ways to color wood. Most commercial "stains" contain both pigments and dyes. The problem with products that contain pigments is that those pigments can provide more uneven results on certain woods. The pigment settles into the pores, but does not adhere to the surfaces. That's where the dyes comes in...it actually colors the wood. The combination products work nicely on woods where you want to accent the pores, such as oak and ash, but often look horrible on woods like maple, poplar and pine. Using a "conditioner", either a commercial product or a wash coat of shellac keeps the pigment in the stain from binding in the pores as much but also disallows the dye to to soak in, too. In effect, you are now glazing. Gel stains work in the same way...they sit on top, rather than color the wood. I consider them a glaze, rather than a true stain.

So I stick with dyes exclusively when I color wood. That way I get the color without the pigments and I can control the color more. I also use water-based dyes as they are easier to hand-apply since the water doesn't dry immediately. That lets you work the color evenly. Alcohol-based dyes are very nice if sprayed or when added to shellac to create a toner. I usually use just the shellac in an appropriate grade as a toner...for the work I normally do with poplar and cherry, that means garnet shellac and always de-waxed since I use water-based clear finishes, too.

Dyes mean I can turn poplar into just about any look I want other than emulating something with a very open pore struture, like oak. Given I build Shaker-inspired (or Nakashima inspired) furniture, oak is rarely in my reptoire. I do use ash for spindles, however, but never as a primary wood. 'Just personal preference...poplar, cherry and walnut are what I usually work in with a little mahogany thrown in for good measure!

John Miliunas
10-31-2004, 9:43 PM
Coming along very nicely, Jim! I especially like your dialogue with explanations as to the "hows" and "whys" as you go along! Not just great descriptions, but a learning experience at the same time! :) Thank you! For newbie's, such as myself, that's greatly appreciated! Can't wait to see the final results. And very sincerely, I do wish I lived closer, as I'd be happy to give you a hand with hauling that piece to its ultimate home. Well, in exchange for a hands-on lesson or two, of course! :) :cool:

Jim Becker
10-31-2004, 9:45 PM
I especially like your dialogue with explanations as to the "hows" and "whys" as you go along!
This is how I do my "real job" so it's pretty natural to communicate in the same way here and in other forums. "What" and "how" are incomplete without "why"...whether you are talking about woodworking or telecommunications.

Tyler Howell
11-01-2004, 2:36 PM
Go Jim!

You have the "Good Shop keeping Seal of Approval " from the Pix Police:cool:
One picture save a thousand words and in this case. The story is well told.
Thanks and keep them coming.

Alan Turner
11-01-2004, 2:59 PM
Jim,
If you need a hand moving that guy, give me a shout. I'll be glad to help.
Nice piece of work, by the way.
I also use dyes, and usually use water as a base. Sometimes I use several coats of dye, separately with each color. Honey amber as a base is frequently a look I like. It also works well under an oil varnish mixture.
One note, for those not using dyes before. It is prudent to use distilled water ($1/gal.) for diluting the dye concentrates in that iron in tap water can react with certain woods, oak and maple among them.
Also, if you use distilled water to raise the grain before dying, and then sand back with 320, there is very little grain that will be raised with the water dye. Otherwise, sanding on the dye can quickly produce uneveness in color.
Alan

Jim Becker
11-01-2004, 3:01 PM
Oooh! Oooh!! Oooh!!!! A volunteer! Kewel!! :D

Keith Christopher
11-01-2004, 3:19 PM
Jim,


How far from Baltimore ?


Keith

Jim Becker
11-01-2004, 3:22 PM
How far from Baltimore?
Two hours, give or take. Look up Doylestown PA to get an approximate.

Rich Konopka
11-01-2004, 3:43 PM
Jim:

I really am impressed with your armoire. The Dovetails are outstanding. WOW !!

Jim Becker
11-22-2004, 11:06 AM
I didn't get much time in the shop this weekend, but did get the armoire dyed and ready for the garnet shellac. Hopefully, I'll be able to "finish the finishing" this coming long Thanksgiving weekend. Two pics today...the first shows the initial time for using the Adjust-a-bench at its lowest level. The second shows the carcass fully dyed and ready for the next steps. The latter isn't the best picture, but I was tired and in a hurry...and Dr. SWMBO had dinner on the table and waiting. :D

Kelly C. Hanna
11-22-2004, 11:40 AM
Jim, that looks great!! I have never dyed anything, but sure want to try it someday. I love the color!

I also see what looks like one of Lee Valley's radiant heaters mounted near the ceiling...I saw them in the catalog and they seem to be a much better way to heat the garage shop I have economically. Is that what you have? If not, who makes the one you have and how much were they?

Mark Singer
11-22-2004, 11:47 AM
Jim,

Your shop looks great! Very organized...I notice the heater is on....burr..The amoire looks great very solid and well built!

Jim Becker
11-22-2004, 11:57 AM
I also see what looks like one of Lee Valley's radiant heaters mounted near the ceiling...I saw them in the catalog and they seem to be a much better way to heat the garage shop I have economically. Is that what you have? If not, who makes the one you have and how much were they?
They are the Marvin heaters and did come from Lee Valley, although other places sell them. I have three of them in the shop plus a portable. Other than on the coldest days in the dead of winter, these radient units work well to provide a comfortable work environment. The more open arrangement of the shop I now have helps, too. On those coldest days, I use a kero heater to warm things up, but "turn it off" outside once the air is "less chilly"...I don't want the fumes in the shop.

Kelly C. Hanna
11-22-2004, 12:07 PM
Thanks Jim! I think I will get a couple to solve the winter problem....hmmm XMAS list info!! :D:D:D:D

Alan Turner
11-22-2004, 12:46 PM
Jim
Looks good. I have done a bit of dying myself, but have never achieved that much color in a single pass. For a piece that size, I might have cranked up the sprayer for the dye. I assume you spray, but am not sure. Did you raise the grain first? What color did you go with. I have never put a finish other than paint on poplar, so have no experience. I assume the darker portions are where the grain was greenish?
Alan

Jim Becker
11-22-2004, 1:11 PM
Alan, the color is a "brew" of several water-based dye colors to get the effect I wanted. I considered spraying it on...which I would have done if it was alcohol-based dyes...but went with what I've used in the past. I would reconsider that in the future for such a large project, however. The darker areas are where the dye is still wet. The greenish heart wood is largely irrelivant as the green goes away with exposure to O2 and UV. Most of the wood had already browned out with the exception of the resawn door panels.

Michael Stafford
11-22-2004, 1:20 PM
I really like the rich color achieved with the dye. Will you have to do any sanding before you finish with the shellac? Or will it be necessary to sand a little after the first shellac coats? Can't wait to see the finished product...

Alan Turner
11-22-2004, 1:21 PM
I discussed that appraoch -- the "brew" -- with Jeff Jewitt one time, and he said that it is sometimes better to go with multiple coats, each of a different color. He says that the layering gives a different effect than pre mixing.
Just a thought.


Alan

Jim Becker
11-22-2004, 1:24 PM
I really like the rich color achieved with the dye. Will you have to do any sanding before you finish with the shellac? Or will it be necessary to sand a little after the first shellac coats?
I am going to take Steve Mickley's advice and not sand until after the shellac is applied and cured. The fibers will come off at that point and there will be less of a chance of destroying the color.

Guy Boulianne
11-22-2004, 2:22 PM
Good job Jim, is'nt it nice to listen to good music while machining some joints ???

I did not read ALL of the thread but many of you seem to believe they could not cut dovetails by hand.... About 5 years back, in an introduction class to woodworking we have made a small box, hand cut dovetails on all 4 corners, on the 10 participants I would say that 7 or 8 succeeded to cut nice and tight dovetails on that box, not perfect but nice enough to show on a decorative item. Sure we had 30 hours (5 days @ 6 hours per day, one saturday every two weeks) to learn and experiment the use of hand tools on scrap (plane, chisels, saw), the sharpening of plane iron and chisels and to actually build the box. So Yes it does take patience, the teacher told us that prepping the wood and cutting the dovetails for a drawer should not take more than half a day to be in business and that it is hard to go way under than that (at least for him).

I can assure that most of you would succeed to cut a first set good enough to do the job and even to show on the front of a nice piece; maybe some others would have to "discard" the first set... but would work their way on the second one. BTW there is small tricks like forcing some fish glue into the "not perfectly closing" joint and then sanding to force the wood dust to merge into that glue that can do a long way to "mask" the defaults; rigth now I am looking at another piece that used that trick, it is decorating my desk at the office, looking at it at 6" and focussing on the defects I can these but looking at the box from 2', it's looking just nice and that's the way it's meant to be.

Let's just try it yourself !!!

Guy Bou

Bruce Page
11-24-2004, 9:23 PM
Jim, the dye job really turned out nice, I'm going to have to give that a try one of these days.

I like your work-light on the MM - I need to get one of those!

Keith Starosta
11-24-2004, 9:40 PM
Jim, I can't wait to see it in person on Friday. Maybe it'll be ready to move inside by then. I'll use some of my brute strength :rolleyes: to help you!

Keith

Jim Becker
11-24-2004, 10:25 PM
Jim, I can't wait to see it in person on Friday. Maybe it'll be ready to move inside by then.
I don't think so...finishing work takes time...multiple steps. But you never know!

Jim Becker
12-05-2004, 10:10 PM
The past few weekends I've been working on "finishing the finishing" on this armoire project...and it's been a little frustrating. I had a severe moisture problem (my fault for not getting certain air system components installed...) and some kind of contamination on the doors. Both problems affected the quality of the wb acrylic I was topcoating with and I had to sand it back a little and switch to Sherwin Williams Fast Dry varnish to move this project along. So it's a little shinier than I would prefer and not as smooth, but at least the color is "quite awesome" and exactly what I was shooting for. I can't wait to see it in our guest room!

Remaining work is to get the mirror mounted in the right door and test hang both doors. At that point, I can move the piece into the house to its new home, install the back, drawers and doors and move on to the next project(s). There have been many lessons learned on this one...hopefully I'll remember all of them "next time"!!

Pics for today:

1) Final fitting of the drawers required installing a strip in the back to an exact thickness so it will stop the doors exactly even with the front of the piece. Simplicity at its best...and a great way to use the low-angle block plane at the bench.

2) Casework with the drawers slid in, the hanging bar installed and the T&G back temporarily installed. The back will be removed to make it easier to transport the big piece into the house and up the stairs. It slips into a groove you can see in the first picture at the bottom and there is a removable cross piece that screws flush into the top of the back to hold the boards in once they are ganged together. I will likely shoot a couple of brads where the back rests in the rebates along the sides to secure it between the top and bottom yet allow for wood movement.

John Miliunas
12-05-2004, 10:20 PM
Very rich looking, Jim! I'm glad you were able to recover from the slight finishing mishap, but if you don't tell anyone, I'll bet they never know! :) Man, that thing is BIG! Gee, I'd sure love to help you haul that in the house but, of course, I live too far away! (Whew!) :D :cool:

Kelly C. Hanna
12-05-2004, 11:14 PM
To look, you'd never know there was ever a problem. Beautiful!!

Jerry Olexa
12-05-2004, 11:59 PM
Jim, your outstanding work continues! Looking very good! Reviewing back on your thread of the total project on page 5 you showed a portion dyed and another portion dyed and topped w garnet shellac. I'm surprised at the big change in depth and tone (darker) when you added the garnet. I love the warm look the garnet adds but in my recent project, I had some deepening but not as attractive or dramatic as yours. I used 2lb cut Hock garnet mixed fresh purchased @ Woodcraft. I'm curious what brand flakes you used ,what lb cut and did you pad or brush? Your project , as always, reflects your craftmanship and attention to detail.

Mark Singer
12-06-2004, 12:13 AM
Jim,

This is a beauty! Very useful and practicle design Beautiful crafstmanship as usuall! I love the finish. I have aromatic cedar in LOML closet and it seems to work.

Jim Becker
12-06-2004, 8:48 AM
I'm curious what brand flakes you used ,what lb cut and did you pad or brush? Jerry, I broke with "normalcy" (yea, right...normal in my life would be, umm...abnormal... :D) and tested out a new product from Target Coatings on this project which is a water bourne shellac product. It was sprayed on to avoid issues with the water based dye I used being pushed around.

Honestly, it worked fine for the primary reason I use shellac--toning--on a piece like this, but I'd likely not use it again. It does not have the same qualities that regular, alcohol-based shellac does in clarity and build. I'll be going back to flakes on the next projects and I usually buy from Homestead.

Jim Becker
12-12-2004, 9:22 PM
This project is essentially finished and read for installation, so this will be the last pictures posted in this thread unless there is some detail that needs to be 'splained. I'll post a new thread with pictures of the armoire in its new home up in the guest room once it's moved there.

In general, this was a pleasing and educational project. I'm mostly happy with it with the exception of the final finish. As I mentioned previously, I had a moisture problem in my air system and had to abort my spraying and switch to a varnish to get things "done". The color and clarity is outstanding, but the surface is not what I would prefer; too shiny and it still shows some of the problems that came from the moisture. Short of stripping and starting over...something I'm not going to do...this is it. But honestly, this was a very good learning experience and my future work should benefit from what I've learned to do, both for the first time and things I've learned to do better.

Two pics today...the first is the unit with the doors on for a final fitting before removing anything that comes off for moving it and the second is of the right door with the mirror installed on the inside. (poor pic, but...)

Frank Pellow
12-12-2004, 9:41 PM
The armoire looks really good Jim. Well done! I expect that it will be even more interesting to see the unit in its final home.

John Miliunas
12-12-2004, 9:55 PM
'Ya see there, Jim...You really NEED to stop telling us about those "mistakes" or things which didn't go quite right. :rolleyes: I think it looks great and can only hope to get good enough to make something similar. Very nice, Jim! :) :cool:

Karl Laustrup
12-13-2004, 6:26 AM
Very beautiful piece of furniture Jim. The design and wood are very pleasing to the eye, however I must agree the finish is too shiny. Perhaps once in the guest room with the right lighting the "shiny" won't be as pronounced.

I still like it and would proudly find a spot in my home for it.:)

Karl

Michael Stafford
12-13-2004, 6:43 AM
Jim, once again I will say I love the "pumpkin pine" finish. A great project and opportunity for us all to learn. Thanks for the tutorials...

Kelly C. Hanna
12-13-2004, 7:25 AM
Looks great Jim...I like glossy finishes on certain pieces and it looks good on that one!!

Joe Mioux
12-13-2004, 8:27 AM
Jim:

First, thank you for sharing this project. I also appreciate you telling us about the problems you had with this project. I learned from those as well.

Secondly, the armoire is beautiful and the rich deep color is outstanding.

Congratulations on this project!
Joe

Mark Singer
12-13-2004, 8:47 AM
Jim,

Really womderful piece and excellent dialogue of the construction process. Now that I am doing the same documenting , I have a real appreciation. The workmanship and crafstmanship is excellent throughout. You did an terrific job with details and that really makes for an excellent piece.
I don't consider my self much of a finisher, but, where I have had Poly and other finishes that are too shiney, I used #0000 steel wool and liquid wax ...like Watco Wax to matte it down a bit. Try it somewhere that doesen't show first.

Jay Knoll
12-13-2004, 9:54 AM
Jim

The piece looks wonderful, I wish I had looked closer at it during my brief visit.

Regarding the varnish, have you thougth about using a mat version over the shiny stuff? That is what boat varnishers do -- they build up the finish with shiny varnish, and then use a matt top coat. This prevents the finish from looking "milky" but still get enough coats on to protect the wood and smooth out the pores (talking about teak here). Anyway it may be worth a try -- especially if you do it on an inconspicious piece as Mark suggested.

Jay

Jim Becker
12-13-2004, 10:04 AM
Regarding the varnish, have you thougth about using a mat version over the shiny stuff?Yes, but Dr. SWMBO and I decided to leave it as-is. It will look fine in the room and I'm really ready to move on to new things.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments. My dissatisfaction with some things shouldn't be construed to mean that the piece is "not nice" which would be far from the truth since it's a beautiful piece of furniture and I'm proud of it...remember, we are all our own worse critics because only the maker knows where the mistakes are in most cases. I bring them up here in the documentation so that learning can be had, both by me and others. The only way to grow skills is to directly acknowledge where you need to grow and deal with it the next time around.

Mark Singer
12-13-2004, 11:47 AM
Jim,

As you probably know most finished matte a bit with time...usually a couple of months...Beautiful though!

Louis Bois
12-13-2004, 4:32 PM
Jim,

Great attitude...and excellent craftsmanship! I think this piece will make an outstanding addition to your household furnishings! Well done...and thanks for sharing all your building tips and progress with us through words and visuals.

Cheers!

Jason Tuinstra
12-13-2004, 7:09 PM
Jim, great job on this one. As far as I'm concerned, the finish looks good from here! Thanks for putting the effort into this post and this project. Ya' did good. Now how are you going to fit this in your photo booth so that you can get some really sweet pictures with the ol' Nikon :p

Jerry Olexa
12-13-2004, 7:33 PM
Yes, but Dr. SWMBO and I decided to leave it as-is. It will look fine in the room and I'm really ready to move on to new things.

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments. My dissatisfaction with some things shouldn't be construed to mean that the piece is "not nice" which would be far from the truth since it's a beautiful piece of furniture and I'm proud of it...remember, we are all our own worse critics because only the maker knows where the mistakes are in most cases. I bring them up here in the documentation so that learning can be had, both by me and others. The only way to grow skills is to directly acknowledge where you need to grow and deal with it the next time around. Jim I agree with you on both points: We are always our own harshest critic (at least in my case) and I always know of mistakes that others never notice in just about every project. Secondly, on the headboard I just finished I too was overall pleased but felt the finish ended up too glossy. I know you can take it down w steel wool 0000 or wax or another coat but I was ready to move on. As one of our former Presidents said "I feel your pain".