Sometimes it's the little things in life that are the most satisfying

[Brian Ashton]

I retired from furniture making soon after I moved to australia 9 years ago and embarked on a new career direction, which is still being ironed out. Part of that change up required a physical make over. Long story short I now need something to put all my white collar bling (tie clips, watch ect) in...

As is my usual methodology I didn't have a plan just a rough idea as where I wanted to end up... The only absolute was that I had a bunch of pine kicking around from an old cannibalised dresser we dragged here that was just screaming to be used for something. So as things usually unfold: I plane and cut out a few bits, stand back and scratch my head for a while wondering where to now. When the dust settled and the finish set hard I had a nice little William & Mary nightstand cabinet.

Over the decades as a pro I've made more furniture than I could ever hope to remember but this little box stands out as one of the most satisfying pieces I've made - and one of the most unassuming to the eye of the average beholder.

The only part not made by hand were the wood screws (I did actually think about making them also but but only for a few seconds) and library catch. Everything else including the hardware and finish I employed traditional handcrafting techniques. I can say, other than for the lights (working by oil lamp was simply out of the question) no electrons were harmed in the making of this cabinet.

The hinges needed to be custom made because there was simply nothing available that was small enough and would allow the doors to swing 270 degrees allowing the doors to be open but not in the way. The drawer pulls were something that came into my head on one of the many moments of scratching my head with one hand and drinking a beer with the other. A search of the world came up donuts so I made them also. The door latch was another problem in that there was nothing I could find that small so had to be made also.

The finish is multiple coats of shellac I made up and rubbed out with linseed oil and then topped with a mixture of bees and carnauba wax.

If I were to change anything on it I would use copper for the hardware instead of brass - I think the effect of oxidised copper would have been brilliant.

The only thing I overlooked was that I didn't anticipate that it wouldn't fit well with the nightstand I have now, so I'll be making that soon also.

[Steven J Corpstein]

Very nice, looks like you still got the gift.

[Chris Griggs]

Love that thing. I noticed you used mitered M&T joints on the rails and stiles. It creates a nice flow with the rasied panel. Little things like that are what make a piece go from good to great.

Thanks posting. I have a special place in my heart for small cases/boxes/cabinets and this one is great. I really like this piece a lot.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thats really nice Brian. I too like small cabinets. Ive been looking for an opportunity to try shellac and I just happen to have some pine. Can you please give me a little more insight on how you applied the finish? Did you "just" put on a couple coats of shellac and then rub in a couple coats of BLO? Ill bet theres more to it than that. The piece already has a lovely aged effect (patina?).
I agree - oxidized copper would be a spectacular addition.
Fred

[glenn bradley]

That pine has a new life. What a great little cabinet, I really like him. Cool tale and a wonderful piece.

[Tony Shea]

Very nice Brian. I also really like the cabinet and the finish of the pine. How did you go about the raised panels by hand? Are they done with a shaper or hand planes of some sort?

[Jim Koepke]

Very nice.

Hoping to hear more on the steps of construction or even making your own hardware.

jtk

[Judson Green]

Nice job! Please show us/tell us more!

[Winton Applegate]

(working by oil lamp was simply out of the question)


Naw dude . . . work out side. There was a guy in New Mexico that has a nice shop on his patio and he works out there nearly year round. Not for me . . . but . . .

http://forums.finewoodworking.com/fine-woodworking-knots/workshop/bench-dogs-round-or-square

page way down past my drivel to the first photos (of his shop)

or go here
http://s190.photobucket.com/user/jorge1966_photo/media/DSC00658.jpg.html

(if you still can't see it I will steal a photo and put it up)

Anyway that is just really, really nice (and what it is sitting on ain't bad either ).
I am impressed that you made the hardware ! Good Going !

As far as the hardware I sure like the brass and am not so sure about the copper. Do you have a piece in mind with the copper with pine ? It would be interesting to see the difference.

[Zach Dillinger]

Very cool piece!

[Chuck Nickerson]

Very nice piece.

I would recognise it as W&M due to the ball feet. Are there other design elements that identify it as W&M?
I haven't found much guidance on this question.

[Brian Ashton]

Thats really nice Brian. I too like small cabinets. Ive been looking for an opportunity to try shellac and I just happen to have some pine. Can you please give me a little more insight on how you applied the finish? Did you "just" put on a couple coats of shellac and then rub in a couple coats of BLO? Ill bet theres more to it than that. The piece already has a lovely aged effect (patina?).
I agree - oxidized copper would be a spectacular addition.
Fred

I've been a furniture maker for decades but have for the most part deliberately avoided getting involved in the finishing process. I did what everyone else did and blasted on tinted lacquers or lathered on a coat of danish oil and wax... If there was need of a quality finish I was happy to step aside and let someone else in the shop do it. It's not till I retired from the work that I've actually wanted to get more involved in the finishing process. But now I'm only interested in more traditional finishing where I get cook up the recipes myself such as shellac and waxes - so for the most part I'm starting from scratch and relying on what people tell me here. Someone here mentioned fine woodworking mag #193 as a good way of finishing pine and I've used that as a base to start from - so far so good. I've deviated quite a bit in that I've put on a lot of very thin coats of shellac and built the finish up and didn't use varnish (hopefully that wasn't a mistake, only time will tell). I painted on an initial sealer coat and then a coat of brown stain. Then applied few more coats of shellac. After that I let it harden up for a week and then I gave the parts a gentle rub with some fine foam backed sandpaper to smooth it out and to in a few areas actually go through the finish and stain so as to create an inconsistent finish that hopefully gives the appearance of age. Then built up about 10 more coats and let them harden up for about a week. Then I beat the cabinet up with a variety of implements. This consisted of me standing back about 20 feet and throwing handfuls of small rocks and such at the cabinet, it's the part of the process I liked the most. Then I brushed on a thinned coat of black stain and quickly rub it off. Where the finish is compromised the stain soaked in accentuating the dents and scratches... Then I applied a few more coats of thinned shellac and let harden for a week or so. Then give the cabinet a gentle rub with 1200 grit paper lubed with linseed oil to level it out somewhat. Then gave it a good rubbing with a rag lubed with oil. Rubbed off the excess oil and applied a couple coats of home brew dark wax to give a nice sheen and also to give the appearance of decades of built up dirt and grime (another little trick I read here sometime back...). For the most part it appears to have worked out ok. Give a year or so and see if my recipes stand the test of time.


Very nice Brian. I also really like the cabinet and the finish of the pine. How did you go about the raised panels by hand? Are they done with a shaper or hand planes of some sort?

Ya the raised panels were planed with LV's skew rabbit plane.


Very nice.

Hoping to hear more on the steps of construction or even making your own hardware.

jtk

The hinges were cut out of some angle I had kicking around. The hinge pins were made from some steel wire I had kicking around. Just used a hack saw, files and a drill to shape them. Originally I found a set of hinges on the internet that would allow the doors to swing out of the way but they were way too big so I was left with having to make my own version of those. For the most part they worked out ok. But you can see that there's a bit of a design gaff in that the hinges stick out a bit too much. That's what happens when you don't draw things out first.

How I made the latch and the pulls would be hard to describe except to say that I couldn't find anything small enough and or the style I had in my minds eye and wasn't going to settle for an inferior substitute so I was left with the only option of making what was in my head.


Very nice piece.

I would recognise it as W&M due to the ball feet. Are there other design elements that identify it as W&M?
I haven't found much guidance on this question.

The bun feet as you mentioned. Also the crown moulding is often relatively prominent on W&M. However raised panel doors aren't often found on W&M. And the hardware isn't very W&M either...

Ultimately when I started out I had an image in my head and what was in my head I thought looked more W&M than anything else... Kind of a mash up of my own ideas and all the pictures of W&M I've viewed over the decades I guess.


As far as the hardware I sure like the brass and am not so sure about the copper. Do you have a piece in mind with the copper with pine ? It would be interesting to see the difference.

In my head the tarnished dull reddish brown of copper looked like it would have complimented the beat up look and colour that I was wanting to pull off compared to the yellowish light brown of tarnished brass. And until the brass tarnishes it looks way too blingy (for lack of a better way to describe it). And also when do you ever see copper hardware on a cabinet - never. That uniqueness is probably the biggest reason I wanted to use it, brass is so predictable.

[Bill White]

I would say that ya knocked that on e outa the park.
Well done.
Bill