Apothecary chest - part one

[Derek Cohen]

Lynndy and I were in Auckland, New Zealand recently for the wedding of her niece. We stayed with her brother and his wife. They have a wonderful home with some nice examples of arts and crafts furniture, one of which was an apothecary chest. I really love these pieces, and Lynndy especially has wanted one forever. So the order was placed and a spot lined up in the entrance hall.


The design was mostly worked out in idle musing, and then I drew it up on sheets of 6mm MDF (I like this since the sheets end up as a story board and may be stored away more easily if needed at a later date).


The orientation is vertical, rather than typically horizontal, more along the lines of a Krenov-styled cabinet. I’ve never built a Krenov-styled cabinet and, as far as I am aware, he never built an apothecary chest! :) In other words, this is a chest on a stand. As an aside, I am not enamoured with the spindly legs of Krenov designs, and something with substance is needed. More on this at a later date.


The chest will contain 24 drawers, in 6 rows (so 4 drawers across and 6 rows down) …


https://s19.postimg.cc/4kuedfslf/Template3.jpg


What has changed in the drawing above is the rows will be made to accentuate the vertical rather than the horizontal (by running the blades/dividers down first). This is more work, but is should create a different perspective.


I have never seen a curved apothecary chest before, so this may be the first one …


https://s19.postimg.cc/iuhwv8b4j/Template5.jpg


https://s19.postimg.cc/t4kbugtab/Template4.jpg


The wood is another first for me – black walnut from the USA. My local timber guy had a stack of 1” and 2” thick boards, all about 11-12” wide.


(For those who see metric measurements on the plans and here is mentioned imperial sizing, be aware that this is my common practice. The jointer-planer/thicknesser I have is European, and metric. The hand tools, such as a plough plane, are imperial).


https://s19.postimg.cc/xfxhwvkib/1a.jpg


The boards are thicknessed a little oversize, glued up, and then taken to final dimension with hand planes.


https://s19.postimg.cc/w0vx85yur/2a.jpg


The walnut is so easy to plane. I get why so many rave about working with it.


Don’t you love it when the carcase parts are done. These are all 20mm thick …


https://s19.postimg.cc/cvsnyecgz/3a.jpg




Starting to put it together


Starting from the bottom up, the side panels are left a little long as they will need to be given a curved bevel to meld with the bottom panel …


https://s19.postimg.cc/paffyqjer/image.jpg


The dovetails are in the ratio of 6:1 – I felt the slightly extra wider base would add a little more authority.


https://s19.postimg.cc/nimh3ufhf/6a.jpg


Here’s the first completed corner. It is important that the joints are tight (obviously) but also that they moved apart readily, since the cabinet carcase will be pulled apart, put together, and pulled apart many times as the drawer blades are measured and fitted ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/aegwr8fqr/13a.jpg


Note, also, the area that will need to be bevelled away. This is marked.


https://s19.postimg.cc/rezszwdcj/14a.jpg


Now the dimension of the bevel is taken the length of the panel …


https://s19.postimg.cc/ulucjiicz/15-1a.jpg


I made up a template of the curve by grinding a piece of scrap steel (chosen because it was lying around) …


https://s19.postimg.cc/w0vx8a96b/15.2a.jpg


… and the curve is transferred to the other end of the panel.


The waste is planed away with, firstly, a jack plane (shop made) …


https://s19.postimg.cc/pzy8b7u9v/16a.jpg

[Derek Cohen]

... and then a modified HNT Gordon trying plane …


https://s19.postimg.cc/7x55jzb9v/17a.jpg


The reason for the trying plane is to keep the sides straight. A jointer plane could have substituted.


The final step here is to smooth and fair the surface with a HNT Gordon mini smoother …


https://s19.postimg.cc/xfxhwzn43/18a.jpg


Finally, we get to complete the basic carcase (the flash makes the walnut look light, but it is dark in tone). the dimensions are 700mm high and 300mm deep (at the centre) …


https://s19.postimg.cc/qcpmhdx43/20a.jpg




Starting the vertical drawer blades/dividers




These are made with merbau as a secondary wood, with walnut facing …
https://s19.postimg.cc/lkxq5izlv/21a.jpg




Merbau is from northern Queensland (some is imported from Papua New Guinea). It is hard and heavy, and typically used in Oz for flooring or outdoor furniture. I am using it because it is cheap and hard. As cheap as pine and as dense and wear-resistant as jarrah.


The boards are glued together and bound with blue tape ..


https://s19.postimg.cc/lxp4bq50z/27a.jpg


Three vertical dividers for now …


https://s19.postimg.cc/dffo7etdf/28a.jpg


As before, they are also slightly oversize and will be planed to dimension to fit into 12mm wide dados.


https://s19.postimg.cc/npi36nqyr/29a.jpg


More later.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Frederick Skelly]

This is going to be a beautiful piece Derek. I look forward to following along.
Perhaps another chance to be published in FWW, as the curved front will make it quite unique?

Fred

[James Pallas]

Interesting project Derek. No wonder walnut is getting expensive here. It has become an export product. I can see many more walnut builds for you in the future.
Jim

[Dom Campbell]

Looking great so far Derek, can't wait to see the rest of the build - especially the drawers.

[Brian Holcombe]

Nice work Derek! Walnut is wonderful stuff.

[William Fretwell]

I once saw an enormous apothecary chest with about 300 drawers. Each drawer was a slightly different size so it could not be put back in the wrong place! Both height and width! Care to add that into your design? :)

[Derek Cohen]

What if I did just one gigantic drawer, William? An apothecary chest with one large, edge-to-edge drawer - that would be interesting as well! :D

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jeff Ranck]

I've always loved your design sense. What an interesting project. I like apothecary chests as they are so interesting visually. I just can't see where to fit one in our house. So on this one, I'll live vicariously.

[kent wardecke]

Interesting project Derek. No wonder walnut is getting expensive here. It has become an export product. I can see many more walnut builds for you in the future.
Jim
We have people here in Ohio knocking on doors offering to buy walnut trees out of the yard

[Christopher Charles]

Derek,

I'm glad you are getting to experience walnut, it is a delight.

What a fun design! The curve will add a real twist, I'm sure. I'm curious if you've dimensioned the drawers with any particular contents in mind or will let the contents find the drawers? In a (not too distant age) gone by, a friend of mine bought a nice cabinet of similar design built to hold those things called "CDs"...

Best,
Chris

[Derek Cohen]

Chris, the drawers will be too small for CDs (or DVDs) - I already have a cabinet for these. The dimension of each drawer is 100x100mm, or 4x4". The ideal size for keys, sunglasses, the hip flask, mother-in-laws hearing aid, and my false teeth.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Jim Koepke]

Looks to be a great build thread.


These are all 20mm thick …

Some of us in the states call that a fat three quarters.

My only regret on selling our California home is never finding someone to harvest the huge, over 60 years old, black walnut in the back yard.

jtk

[Stew Denton]

Derek,

Looks like a neat project, and as with everything I has seen that you have built, I am sure it will be beautifully built. Like others, I look forward to seeing it progress.

Also, it looks like an neat and unexpected design. Neat!

Stew

[Christopher Charles]

Thanks for the reply Derek. I certainly have plenty of doo-dads that get chased around that could be rounded up into such a cabinet.

Another question--no clamps beside blue tape for the divider panels? Did you use hot hide glue or does the saying "you can never have enough clamps" not hold down under :)

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Christopher

My preference is liquid hide glue on joinery that may need to be repaired, if ever, at some time in the future. I use yellow glue on joinery that is unlikely to be repaired, such as panels, as it dries faster and I can get on with the project sooner.

Regarding the absence of clamps, less pressure is needed if the edges are well-jointed. Most woodworkers probably squeeze away the glue. I posted about this recently.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Christopher Charles]

Careful with the blasphemy there Derek, the clamp companies may come after you!

[Derek Cohen]

:)

https://s19.postimg.cc/kvext7wib/21-1a.jpg

Regards from Perth

Derek