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View Full Version : Apothecary chest - part four



Derek Cohen
05-07-2018, 10:46 AM
(part three was posted with part two)


This is the work completed this weekend. It includes rebating the rear of the carcase in preparation for the back (at the end of the build), tuning up the dados for the horizontal drawer blades, and building the drawer blades.


https://s19.postimg.cc/rlmd9h8v7/image.jpg


Rebating the side panels of the carcase is pretty straight forward. The rebate is 6mm x 6mm. Planing the full width is unobstructed.


https://s19.postimg.cc/c051ph76r/1-1a.jpg


However, where the upper and lower panels need a rebate, planing through will lead to gaps in the panels as these end in dovetail pins. There would have not been an issue here had I used mitred dovetails, but this was an oversight at the time. Now I have a couple of choices, one being that I add a bead around the read panel, however I do not want additional adornments on the chest.


The decision is made to use a stopped rebate at each end. If completed at this stage it would lead to a weak set of pins. This is where the rebates would end ...


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


Instead, they will stop short of the end at this stage, and the remainder chiselled out after the carcase is glued up (glueing up will support the weakened pins) ..


https://s19.postimg.cc/ma7goruib/image.jpg


The ends of the panel are excavated to start and end a saw cut, and then the shoulders are sawn with a azebiki ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/i12qmjedf/4a.jpg


https://s19.postimg.cc/6oq54tq9v/5a.jpg


You do not need to create a chisel wall for the saw teeth if you knife the line with a Japanese cutting gauge or a thickish knife. This opens a wide enough kerf ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/dry0kg3f7/6a.jpg


No guide, just muscle memory...


https://s19.postimg.cc/9vkoogq5f/7a.jpg


A cutting gauge from each side will clean out the rebates ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/axuv70goj/8a.jpg


https://s19.postimg.cc/5mfymb2bn/image.jpg




Cleaning up the dados


The strategy for the dados was to make them 20mm with a power router, which was done, and then fit panels to these. The panels were completed with the assistance of a jointer-planer/thicknesser, and this made it easier to dial them close to 20mm. Final surfacing was with handplanes.


Although the dados were made with a brand new 20mm straight bit, they were not as precise as I would have expected. A little tuning was necessary to bring them to width.


The tool of choice here is a side rebate (rabbet) plane. This one is by Veritas. It is in stopped mode to cut to the end of the stopped dado ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/qw3kx5y1v/10a.jpg


This was the fit ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/5mfymbpgz/11a.jpg


A total of 40 dados needed to be tuned (that took a few hours!). The drawer blades below are, in fact, for the 24 drawers, and will be cut to fit the compartments.


https://s19.postimg.cc/r8uz3cvr7/12a.jpg






The drawer blades


The design of the chest called for vertical dividers. This would create an emphasis on the vertical. Every apothecary chest I have seen used horizontal dividers/drawer blades as the primary construction. It would have been a lot easier to have done so as well since the bow front could be shaped in, and then the curved drawer blades attached to the carcase. This would have been followed with the individual vertical dividers which, while needing to be aligned, would be straight and uncomplicated to align. Starting with the vertical dividers meant that the bowed horizontal drawer blades presented a complication with alignment.


I built another template ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/np91dk0r7/13a.jpg


This was similar to the plan drawn up at the start. It differed in that it represented the drawer blades plus the area seated into the 3mm deep dados.

Derek Cohen
05-07-2018, 10:46 AM
Cut to size ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/mzq9177xf/14a.jpg


The curved ends were removed ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/6byqypkvn/15a.jpg


... and a second template made to form the bow front of the drawer blades (above and below) ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/jg4bbapr7/16a.jpg


In the meantime the (horizontal) drawer blades were sawn to size. Not that the grain for all runs across the width of the chest. Expansion takes place front-to-back.


https://s19.postimg.cc/oertpxw5v/17a.jpg


The sections will still require shaping to a bow ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/a8c2updkz/18a.jpg


I had a chance to use the mitre gauge I built for the Hammer slider ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/5mfymd7hf/19a.jpg


The shaped merbau drawer blades now need to be given their walnut end faces ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/59okg1rqr/20a.jpg


These are glued with the aid again of blue tape ..


https://s19.postimg.cc/g99rrnxlf/21a.jpg


https://s19.postimg.cc/jg4bbaxgz/22a.jpg


The templates from before are now used to shape the ends ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/83rpthehf/23a.jpg


And the result is a drawer blade ready to fit into the dados ...


https://s19.postimg.cc/zed11f4jn/24a.jpg


Fitting next ....


Regards from Perth


Derek

Mike Allen1010
05-07-2018, 7:10 PM
Derek,


As usual beautiful work - I'm very much looking forward to the rest of your build! I particularly admire and appreciate the precision of your layout and construction of the curved elements. In my experience, these are always more easily envisioned then achieved and your results look spot on.


That said, I now must complain you are again responsible for adding additional tools to my wish list; the azebiki for stopped dadoes and the side rabbet plane. Nothing in my current hand tool kit works very well for these tasks. Regrettably I have no choice but to add these to the list of tool purchases I blame you for when the inevitable credit card discussion comes up with the boss:).


All the best, Mike

James Pallas
05-07-2018, 10:20 PM
Coming along nicely Derek. Are you planning some kind of enhancement on the verticals so they will stand out? As clean as your joinery usually is I'm not sure someone would realize that they run through. Maybe the curve and the shadow will do it.
Jim

Derek Cohen
05-08-2018, 2:02 AM
Good question, Jim.

I am expecting that the light on the unbroken line will throw the vertical dividers into relief. If they do not, I can pull the horizontal drawer blades back a smidgeon and emphasise it that way. Any thoughts?

Regards from Perth

Derek

James Pallas
05-08-2018, 6:39 AM
Good question, Jim.

I am expecting that the light on the unbroken line will throw the vertical dividers into relief. If they do not, I can pull the horizontal drawer blades back a smidgeon and emphasise it that way. Any thoughts?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Possibly looking at the drawer blades instead of the dividers. Maybe a small bead in the center of the blades to keep them attached to the drawer stacks. Leave the straight through curve and smoothness of the dividers to accentuate the vertical.
Jim

Jeff Ranck
05-08-2018, 8:54 AM
Looking good!