Stan's Cabinet...some refinements

[Mark Singer]

After building the bath cabinet, I made a few changes and I will try to improve little things to really fine tune the quality... There were also some things I glazed over and are worth looking at more carefully. One is hinge placment and installation...here is the router set up....the jig which I trial and error on scrap until its dead on. The depth is also carefully set to flush with th base or top or door. A chisel of exactly the correct width squares the end.
The cormer detail where the panels overlay....but do not physically join is worth noting. Here I used a bowl bit on the router table and then rounded over with an 1/8" rad. bit. Then beveling with a small block plane .The seat of this joint was set by making a few strokes with a med shoulder plane

I changed from mortise and tenon to dowels for the carcass....it weakens the sides if the mortises are long and near the edge,,,the last one worked ok...this will be safer and stronger

[Mark Singer]

last pic of floating corner

[Mark Singer]

There is something compelling about this type of cabinet....maybe its the unforgiving nature of the process and how it poses a challenge... I don't know but it won't be my last one. Here the woods are the same....the fit is quite good now, but I was just off enough between my hinge template that I had to move a hinge at the top...and add a filler to the carcass....the LN small chisel plane is a real friend sometimes. Many people may have let it go...the doors were about 1/16" out of plane...if you cross string it was perfect...somewhere I had a compounding error in the hinge centering and only on the doors. That is not the place to fix it. I move the upper hinge at the carcass and it is all invisible now... These things can happen even if you are careful. Maybe the door thickness was a tad different than the last cabinet...Next will be the doors and interior

[Mark Singer]

Starting with 8/4 walnut and cutting deep rabbets to leave a squared pull...which then gets refined and sculpted. The grain is continuous throug the 2 drawers.. Then the bow front is cut after the drawers are dovetailed and assembled. Using the bandsaw to shape the bow front is a bit scary since one slip and you have ruinned the whole drawer and all te hours of work....oh well....I went for it . Then I used my Grex sander ...die grinder and hand sanding on the faces. Planes on the sides and backs. These are currenly raw with no finish applied

[Jim Becker]

Outstanding, Mark. I can see this one has been keeping you hard at work, too...worth it in the end. Great cabinet!

[Dan Larson]

I love how the finger pulls appear to grow out of the grain pattern!

Dan

[Corey Hallagan]

Those are cool, I like those drawer fronts....way outa my league!

Corey

[Mark Singer]

Thank's for the comments. It is just like making a dovetail , bow front drawer and then sculpting the protruding piece that is left.
I was going to try to go through the dovetailing proceedure, but it is not really well communicated via the internet... a lot is based on little things,,,marking with a knife ...bringing the line down the edge...sawing and carefull scribing are the key. The second board which in this case is the pin board is the key. With experience you know which parts will break and where to clean up to insure a nice fit...Practice in other words... I still learn a little something every time I make a drawer...

[Roy Wall]

Mark - If you would have made a mistake on the BS.....wouldn't Stan just have a different shaped drawer front......maybe thinner...??:cool:

Very cool idea.........looks awesome! No mistakes - just great craftsmanship!

[Mark Singer]

Mark - If you would have made a mistake on the BS.....wouldn't Stan just have a different shaped drawer front......maybe thinner...??:cool:

Very cool idea.........looks awesome! No mistakes - just great craftsmanship!


I guess it might be a different shape or it might be garbage if the mistake was too big... Fortunatley all came out well... I am about to start finishing and I remember you wanted to see the removable back that allows for movement...I will talke a couple pics tomorrow

[Mark Singer]

Roy ,
Here are some pics of the detailing of the removable rear panels. The tongue and groove is only glued to one panel allowing movement as is the open "knuckle " end joint. The bottom dowels allow for the panels to move and a coat of waxlit insures they will slip when needed.

[Mark Singer]

I added an ebony "button" to the drawer pull....it is kind of cute and goes with the character of the drawer face. Best of all it makes it easier to grab:rolleyes: The doors have one coat of wax....I stopped because we are having a little New Years Bash! I bought some decent Champagne and Myriam prepared Cabrito...a Peruvian lamb dish ...wow! Have a happy New Year All!

[Jim Becker]

Exquisite, Mark! (And I bet the lamb dish is the same...)

[Mark Singer]

Exquisite, Mark! (And I bet the lamb dish is the same...)

The Cabrito is my favorite! With rice....ooooh!I have some nice wine to go .....nah I think I'll drink it here:confused:

[Mark Singer]

With the cabinet for Stan basically complete I am thinking about designs for the base. The pulls will be ebony and shedua interlocked ...I made some samples and they look pretty good.
Which of these base options seems the best? The other cabinet I made is going to have a stainless syeel base

[Dave Richards]

I prefer number three. The straight legs seem to go with the exterior of the cabinet better. I like the idea of the curves on the drawer faces being a pleasant surprise when the cabinet is opened.

[John Shuk]

I think I like the legs in the second set. They seem to flow better IMHO.

[Mark Valsi]

I Like The Middle One

[Ben Abate]

I an inclined to like the first one, numbers two and three remind me of a krenov style leg. Nothing wrong with that but the first one has an asian flair. Scuplted like the drawer fronts it give body to the chest or drawers. My two cents Mark, very nice, great combination of woods.

[Jim Becker]

Number three gets my vote, Mark.

[Howard Rosenberg]

Do you have extraordinary taste!

And obviously clients willing to turn you loose!

Thank you for sharing these photos and all this info.

Howard

[John Shuk]

Well this should narrow things down for you Mark!

[Tom Hamilton]

Hi Mark; you are kind to ask. It's a real treat to get to play on your team, though my credentials are somewhat lacking.

With the appreciation and disclaimers in place, I like the middle version.

Best regards, Tom, in Houston, updating his resume to include consulting to Mark Singer.

[Mark Singer]

Thanks everyone....I also asked Myriam, my wife who knows Stan and his taste....she reminded me that he loves my entry table (Victor DiNovi Crafted it) ...so The legs are kind of an elongaded cabriole , modernized style. I have them roughly shaped and rasped to a template I made. Then after shaping in one direction , I bandsawed the shape in the other while holding the leg...it is a technique I have used for years on chairs and Maloof is famous for it...he probably started shaping legs that way and now many of us follow. Then I shaped each and blended the curves with a rasp...I will post some pics tomoorow...its dark here now. The final shaping occurs after mortise and tenon glue up and then I blend the aprons to the legs with a spoke shave , rasp and sander...So it is probably most like #1 but curving in both directions...

[Roy Wall]

Mark -

1 or 3 .........

but I do like the larger Apron on the front of #1 a touch more.....

Oh....thanks for the "floating back" explaination.....

[Neil Lamens]

a "gentler kinder" number 2 assuming a gentle curve in both front and side views.

Hey Mark....Did Dave get some of that exotic fare on his '06 visit????

[Terry Hatfield]

Mark,

WOW!!! Fantastic work as usual. Those drawers are over the top cool!!!

t

[Mark Singer]

I took the time to make these original ebony, teak, and brass door pulls that "stand off" the doors...I made a drill template and used epoxy

[Mark Singer]

Shaping of legs is much like making chairs...the biggest difference is the ergonomics...but it is a good learning ground for shapping the legs.I used a tmplate shown in the photo....hand drawn and bandswed out from plywood. This establishes the shape in 2 dimensions and the legs are bandsawed right on the line. The more accurate you are the less work latter.. Then after the legs are sawed I gang them and shape them together , using clamps to hold them as a solid single unit. Put them in the vise and shape with a Rotex or belt sander... Now a little secret while they are still ganged in the clamps , take them over to the jointer and elevate the rear of the legs to bring the face to be mortised parallel to the jointer bed....push the clamped group over the jointer with it running untill all surfaces are jointed flat. This could be done with a hand plane...it is not as accurate though. With the faces that butt the aprona perfectly flat , you know the joints will be tight and all conform to the same angle. On tables where the back legs are splayed differently than the front, do them in two groups...Then I cut the third dimension on the bandsaw , giving the leg a 3 dimensional shape with curving forms in 3 planes...then to my bench where poppets in the dog holes hold the legs for shaping and the arsenal of spokeshaves and drawnives and rasps...Nichlson 49 in my hand ...shape to a finer degree

[Jerry Olexa]

Your usual high quality work, Mark....Very well done

[John Schreiber]

Which of these base options seems the best?
I think that the cabinet is beautiful in its subtlety (until it's opened). To go with something too plain like option three would not give the piece the attention it deserves. Option one draws my eye down from the piece into the legs which might detract from the figure on those doors. Option two is my favorite, but I think that the legs should splay in both directions.

[Mark Singer]

I used clamps to mock up the base...then canged the aprons by adding a skew on the angle of 3 degrees which gives a wider stance and more stability to this top heavy composition. Then I mortised and glued the long aprons and once the joints set a bit...I can glue the short aprons completing the form, Then final shaping will take place using machine and handtools

[John Shuk]

I used clamps to mock up the base...then canged the aprons by adding a skew on the angle of 3 degrees which gives a wider stance and more stability to this top heavy composition. Then I mortised and glued the long aprons and once the joints set a bit...I can glue the short aprons completing the form, Then final shaping will take place using machine and handtools

This may seem silly but the first picture makes me think of a giraffe standing there. Similar leg structure. The legs look really nice Mark.

[Mark Singer]

John,
That is not an unusual comment since furniture legs have emulated animals legs since the early Egyptian and Roman times...
Here is the cabinet on the base. There is still a lot of shapping on the base to be done

[Roy Wall]

That shop is a mess........!!!!

Is that PIZZA on top of the stainless cabinet back left...???

Stan's gonna love it!

[Mark Singer]

That shop is a mess........!!!!

Is that PIZZA on top of the stainless cabinet back left...???

Stan's gonna love it!


Roy,
Here is something I didn't explain yet....put a router or sander on the bench, it will eventuall fall on the floor.....put it on the floor and it will never fall on the bench:confused:
Oh and thanks!....i think that is an old piece of pizza...when I work I forget to eat...I get into it...I lost a chicken leg last week....

[rick fulton]

Mark,

Though I've not seen all the projects you've posted, this one sits at the top of many excellent designs. But, even though I know different, there is a risk in a very clean lined design that it could look at first like Ikea redone with exotic veneers. (Of course, Ikea looks like Krenov redone with cheep veneers and butt joints.) However, your joinery, drawer fronts, and the door pulls give this project a craftsman’s touch that makes the user / viewer want to handle it, to look closer. I’m sure your client will be very happy with your design. You’ve done it again.

Thanks for sharing.
rick

[Dan Mages]

As usual, excellent work.

And it seems quite friendly!!! :rolleyes: :D

[Mark Singer]

As usual, excellent work.

And it seems quite friendly!!! :rolleyes: :D
Dan,
You have the ability to make me and my work smile:rolleyes:

[Mark Singer]

I spent a few hours with rasps and then sanding....the basic shape is now formed and the arches are on all aprons. The shaping techniques are difficult to explain....I sight it ...mark the bulges with a colored pencil and focus on the rasp work there...then set it up on the floor and look at it ....mark again and so on...pretty soon rougher rasps turn to finer and then to sandpaper...moving up the grits...now I am 80 and there is still a lot of detail work to go...the proportions are very nice IMHO

[Jim Becker]

The stand is fleshing out nicely, Mark. Very elegant!

[Hans Braul]

Looks great Mark. I love the organic curves.

Hans

[Glenn Clabo]

Okay my friend...what can I say? That's some sweet work.

[Dan Larson]

I see some Maloof inspiration there... love how you use hard lines to define the shape!

Dan

[Robert Goodwin]

I really like the way the stand is comming along

[Mark Singer]

Thanks for the comments! Those of you that are SMC members for a while have seen other shaped projects of mine...lamps, one legged hall tables , chairs and other curvilinear forms. The point is , it comes with time and experience... you need to know what to look for when you sight the form and where to work it. Accurate sawing with the bandsaw saves a lot of time in hand shapping. I cut right on the template line...I try to split the line with the blade... When the legs come off the saw they look the same ...like cnc formed...that saves hours of hand rasping... The little puffy spots are easy to see if you look down an edge...mark them and with a rasp , blend them to the adjacent areas..

[Robert Goodwin]

My main problem when trying to learn this technique is that I spend hours getting a joint shaped so that it is pleasing to the eye, but then I cannot for the life of me cannot get any of the other joints to match. :confused: