Base Done

[Byron Trantham]

Here are some pics of an all cherry wall unit I was commissioned to do about four months ago. This is the base. There will be two bookcase and a curio cabinet mounted on th top; all glass doors. Todd Birch guided me in the finish technique.

#1 The Base Unit(s) all closed up
#2 The Base Unit(s) with drawers opened
#3 The left bookcase ready for delivery (on Saturday)

[Chris Padilla]

SSSsoooo much cherry lately...we just don't have stuff like that out here for reasonable costs.

Beautiful work, Byron. :)

[Kent Cori]

Byron,

Great looking cabinetry! I love cherry.

Can you share your finisihing technique with us? I'm about to launch into two cherry bookcases myself and am trying to settle on a finishing approach.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Cherry?.....what's cherry.......fir......pine.......West coast and mountain stuff... Excellent craftsmanship! I like cherry!

[Shelley Bolster]

Byron, that is one beautiful piece - and not just because of the Cherry.(drool!) Your work is outstanding. The pull-outs, full extention drawer slides, flip down keyboard tray all go together to make a funtional yet appealing piece of furniture. Also, the fact that it is nestled between 2 walls adds to the complexity of designing such a piece. I can't wait to see it with the bookcases and curio on top! Thanks for posting your pics.
Shelley

[Jerry Olexa]

Byron, great work. Im also a lover of cherry. Curious how your finished these pieces. Great job!!

[Jim Becker]

Yum...very nice.

[John Miliunas]

Byron, and from another Cherry lover! Wonderful job on it all! :) I'm sure your client is quite pleased with the results of your labor! :cool:

[Jeremy Niemann]

I notice the village displays in the background of the last picture. Were these new cabinets designed for village displays as well?

[Jason Tuinstra]

Byron, great job on this project. I'm sure they'll be happy with this for a long, long time.

[Byron Trantham]

Ok, here's how I finished the cherry [thanks to Todd Birch]. Every piece was finished before assembly. I used BLO thinned 50% with mineral spirits applying it with a rag. I wiped it on three times. I let it dry overnight. I sprayed a coat of 2# cut Blond shellac. I let that dry overnight. I then lightly sanded, by hand, all surfaces with 320 to knock off the nibs (raised grain). At this point the the surfaces were really smooth! Now I sprayed two coats of WB Oxford brand semi-gloss lacquer. I waited about 40 minutes between coats. Now remove the blue tape from the glue joints and glue them up.

Note: If you don't use a WB top coat, you probably won't need the sellac sealer.

Now the bad news. The customer isn't happy with the desk unit. He doesn't like the drawers or the keyboard slide. On the surface it looks like a redesign and rebuild. I'll find out tomorrow when I deliver two of the bookcases. Wish me luck.

[Byron Trantham]

I notice the village displays in the background of the last picture. Were these new cabinets designed for village displays as well?

Good eye Jeremy. No, these cabinets were designed for books. The cabinets in the background were built several years ago for SWMBO. She has ton of the village scenes.

[Keith Starosta]

Ok, here's how I finished the cherry [thanks to Todd Birch]. Every piece was finished before assembly. I used BLO thinned 50% with mineral spirits applying it with a rag. I wiped it on three times. I let it dry overnight. I sprayed a coat of 2# cut Blond shellac. I let that dry overnight. I then lightly sanded, by hand, all surfaces with 320 to knock off the nibs (raised grain). At this point the the surfaces were really smooth! Now I sprayed two coats of WB Oxford brand semi-gloss lacquer. I waited about 40 minutes between coats. Now remove the blue tape from the glue joints and glue them up.

Note: If you don't use a WB top coat, you probably won't need the sellac sealer.

Now the bad news. The customer isn't happy with the desk unit. He doesn't like the drawers or the keyboard slide. On the surface it looks like a redesign and rebuild. I'll find out tomorrow when I deliver two of the bookcases. Wish me luck.

WHAT?!?! Oh man, that really sucks, Byron. Just tell him this is what he gets, take your cash, and leave! ;)

Seriously, I hope it's not too big a deal....

Keith

[Tom Seaman]

Very nice! How is the top section attached to the base (or is it)? I am about to start on something similar - a built in cherry bookcase over cabinet, and that's the last major stumbling block in my design.

[Ted Shrader]

Byron -

Very nice!!! Looks like you are a quick learner on the finishing techniques from Todd. Looks beautiful.

Hopefully we will see a picture of it in place and fully assembled (hint, hint).

Regards,
Ted

[Gary Max]

Byron---if this helps any--your customer is why I do not build cabinets anymore. I just got tired of folks changing their minds or not really knowing what they wanted in the first place. It looks like good from where I sit.

[Byron Trantham]

WHAT?!?! Oh man, that really sucks, Byron. Just tell him this is what he gets, take your cash, and leave! ;)

Seriously, I hope it's not too big a deal....

Keith

I hope not too. I'll find out tomorrow.

[Byron Trantham]

Byron---if this helps any--your customer is why I do not build cabinets anymore. I just got tired of folks changing their minds or not really knowing what they wanted in the first place. It looks like good from where I sit.

Gary, this is the first customer that has been a problem. I actually figured I had a peoblem early on but I thought the results would settle him. I'm not done yet so we'll see. I'm commited to finishing it.

[Byron Trantham]

Very nice! How is the top section attached to the base (or is it)? I am about to start on something similar - a built in cherry bookcase over cabinet, and that's the last major stumbling block in my design.
I actually talked with Todd on this issue. The bookcases will sit on the top of the base cabinets. I put a header across the top of each of the three cases. I will put a #10 screw through it into a stud. It's just to keep them from tipping over. Frankly, once their in, I doubt that they would tip anyway but Todd pointed out that if a kid got up there, and they will :mad: , they might be able to pull them over. Better safe than sorry. :D

[Greg Narozniak]

:eek: Very nice piece!! :eek:

[Tom LaRussa]

SSSsoooo much cherry lately...we just don't have stuff like that out here for reasonable costs.

Oh stop complaining, Mr. "I've got more black walnut than I could use in several lifetimes." ;)

Try moving to Florida -- then you'll really find out what it's like to go without. There are something like 75 species of native hardwood trees down here, but all anybody cuts is cypress and pine. :(

[Donnie Raines]

You sure thats not not birch that has been disguised as cherry???.... :cool:

Great looking work!!!

[Alan Tolchinsky]

That looks like a very involved complicated job there. You da man. Alan in Md.

[John Gregory]

Seeing pictures of such beautiful work makes me glad we have a couple of resident "photo cops" They take some flak for that responsibility, but ALL of us certainly enjoy photos from our fellow Creekers.
All of know the hard work and attention to detail it takes to make pieces as wonderful as these, Thanks for sharing them with us.

[Jamie Buxton]

Byron---if this helps any--your customer is why I do not build cabinets anymore. I just got tired of folks changing their minds or not really knowing what they wanted in the first place. It looks like good from where I sit.

To be fair to the customers, they're not design professionals. Heck, they're not even woodworkers. They often don't have the imagination to "see" what a custom piece will look like in their home before it is actually there. Faulting them for not having that imagination is like faulting me for not being able to dunk a basketball. It is just a talent I was not born with.

I deal with this issue by being as clear as I can before I build something. (That's why I ponied up the $500 for Sketchup. I think that 3D color drawings do a better job of communicating to those homeowners than the 3-view plans I use in the shop. If that $500 saves me just one of these arguments, it is money well spent.) I tell them what I'm going to build, and tell them the price. After I build what I said I was going to build, I'm okay about changing it -- but they must pay for the changes. At least in my case, it turns out that changing things is much less irritating when I'm getting paid for it!

Jamie

[Jeremy Niemann]

Good eye Jeremy. No, these cabinets were designed for books. The cabinets in the background were built several years ago for SWMBO. She has ton of the village scenes.

I've collected and dealed in villages for a long time, which is why they caught my attention. Building display cabinets for them have their own set of issues, such as deeper than normal shelves and electrical outlet placements. If she's a dedicated collector, it won't be long before she starts eyeballing those new cabinets for 'just one more display'.