bookend project

[Mike Steinhilper]

I'm thinking about building a version of these bookends from Bombay Co. I have not made drawers yet. Any suggestions on joinery for drawers... not sure I'm ready to tackle dovetails yet :) Also, I have a very hard time finding wood around here. My best bet is Lowe's/HD for SYP, Oak, or Poplar. I don't like the Poplar grain. What would you recommend?

Mike
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0006LYHXO.01-A8K3K4OR6EXJA._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

[Don Baer]

Mike,
The type of joining will depend partialy as to what you ae going to make the drawers out of. Are you using plywood or solid stock.
Here is a site that will show you how to make several type of joints.

http://www.americanfurnituredsgn.com/Shop%20Tips%20.htm

[Andrew Ault]

Mike,

Since this appears to be painted, poplar would work well (it takes paint well and is a relatively stable wood). I know you said you didn't like poplar grain and I don't find it attractive either, but this is a painted piece. Oak is an open pore wood and would be a pain to get a nice painted surface. Pine would work, but not as well as poplar. The poplar will also work well with the routed decorative edges.

Is this a good application for milk paint?

For the drawer joinery, I think you would find that a simple butt joint, clamped and glued with yellow glue will last forever (drawer bottoms loose in a dado). You could use biscuits if you have the tool. If you could break the joints, I'd buy you a coke. Any more complex joint in this application would be for appearance - a perfectly valid reason but not needed structurally.

I like these bookends - very handsome.

- Andy

[Jeff Sudmeier]

If I were building these, I would probably make the drawer bodies out of 3/8th or 1/2" ply, the joint would be a rabbet with glue and a couple of brads from the front so they aren't seen.

[Mike Steinhilper]

Andy, thanks for your ideas... yes, these do appear to be painted, however, if I can find some cherry, I'll use a clear finish, otherwise, some sort of stain. I hear a lot of folks saying that pine doesn't take stain well, but I kind of like it. I like your thinking on the drawers!

[Andrew Ault]

Well, I'll never talk someone out of using cherry! :)

Should look nice.

- Andy

[Vaughn McMillan]

Mike, for buying hardwoods, it looks like you're about 200 miles from a Rockler store in either Greenboro NC or Atlanta GA. That's a pain unless you happen to be going there anyway. Hopefully a Creeker who's in your area will have some better ideas. Failing that, I know you can also buy wood mail-order, and from what I've read, it looks like it can be pretty decent way to get good wood. (I'm considering some mail-order wood myself, in an effort to beat the high retail prices I'm paying in the Los Angeles area. I still need to research it further to see if it'll actually save me any money.)

- Vaughn