Cherry chest of drawers finished (pic)

[Richard McComas]

This chest measures 36 inch wide, 58 inch tall and 21 inches deep.
It's made of solid cherry througth out including the drawer boxes, the only non-cherry is the 1/4 plywood back.

The main box and drawers are dovetailed (Leigh Jig). The trim on the top of the carcase is a sliding dovetail to
handel wood movement. The drawer divders are also dovetailed into the side of the case.

The bracket feet are made from plans found in "WoodSmith" magazine. The finish, sanded to 180 grit with one coat of shellac and 3 coats of Fuhr's 375 pre-cat laquer.

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/cherrychestofdrawers2.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/drawerdividers.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/boxdovetails2.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/chesttop.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/inprogress.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/drawerslides.jpg

http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o159/rmccomas0043/drawerdovetails.jpg

[Fred Voorhees]

Nice Job Richard. Love the grain on that cherry on the drawer faces.

[Tom Cowie]

Ditto what Fred said!!

The wood is beautiful and your craftsmanship is supreme!!

WOW!!

Tom

[Larry Fox]

Absolutely beautiful - very nice work.

[glenn bradley]

That, is very nice.

[Raymond Fries]

That turned out really nice.

I love cherry.

[Tim Lynch]

That is a great design! Excellent work all around. I've got a dresser in my future and I suspect it's going to a look a lot like yours. Thanks!

[Joe Unni]

Very nice Richard!

-joe

[Roy Wall]

Richard -

Beautiful work indeed! THe drawer fronts are sensational....terrific!!

[Gary Keedwell]

I knew that picture looked familiar....are you W@T:confused: ;)

Gary K

[Bruce Page]

Wow Richard, that is gorgeous!

[Larry Crim]

very clean nice lines
Larry

[Jim C Bradley]

Beautiful!!!
I am a newbie to woodworking. Hopefully, someday I will be able to make something as nice as that.
I love cherry wood. It is a great looking wood.
Enjoy,
Jim

[Alex Elias]

Now it looks awesome. A in a few years when the wood stars taking the clasic tint it will look even better.
What are the handles made of?
Congrats

[Richard McComas]

I knew that picture looked familiar....are you W@T:confused: ;)

Gary KYes, I'am W & T.

[Dave Ray]

Richard, that is really nice

[Ron Jones near Indy]

As others have said, I love the grain! Very nice!:)

[Kendall Landry]

Love the bevel on the drawer faces.

[Don Bullock]

Richard, that dresser looks great - excellent design and craftsmanship. It looks like you put a lot of effort into making it. I'd love to see some of the dovetail details.

[Craig Thompson]

Beautifull piece, nice lumber selection. Looks like you'll have to upgrade the shelf next to it to some Cherry!

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Great job on that dresser. It's all been said but I love the workmanship and the cherry.

[Anthony Anderson]

Top notch work Richard. I love the design, and the dimensions. The back angled drawer fronts are just the right touch. You found some nice cherry there, and did a great job of choosing for the drawer faces. Clean simple lines. Absolutely beautiful work. Thanks for sharing. Bill

[John Schreiber]

Nice work. A classic design and excellent execution. Congratulations.

[Cary Swoveland]

Very nice, Richard. I too applaud your selection of boards, and like the border of the drawer-fronts. I presume you used neither stain or dye. What tint of shellac? Why did you use the particular finish, i.e., a single coat of shellac and three coats of Fuhr's 375 pre-cat lacquer?

Cary

[Richard McComas]

Very nice, Richard. I too applaud your selection of boards, and like the border of the drawer-fronts. I presume you used neither stain or dye. What tint of shellac? Why did you use the particular finish, i.e., a single coat of shellac and three coats of Fuhr's 375 pre-cat lacquer?

CaryThank you and everyone else for you kind comments.

You presume right, no stain or tint. The shellac was "Zinsser Seal Coat" which imparts vary little color.

"Why did you use the particular finish"?

I haven't used much cherry in my projects so I"m still experimenting. I previously used BLO and Poly on a cherry hope chest and didn't really like how it looked. I had the Seal Coat and Fuhr's on hand (left over from a cabinet job) so after doing a couple samples I thought I'd give it a try. I find Both the Seal coat and the Fuhr's are easy to spray and I like the feel of the finish.

[Richard McComas]

Beautifull piece, nice lumber selection. Looks like you'll have to upgrade the shelf next to it to some Cherry!

Well, the chest is temporally in the laundry room until I finish the present work going on in the bedroom.

[Justin McCurdy]

Absolutely beautiful.

[Gary Muto]

Excellent workmanship. I really like the design and wood selection. Inspirational.

[Warren White]

Richard, that is really, really nice. I love the finish and your attention to detail is fantastic. The bevel on the drawer front is especially nice.

How about some pictures of the top and sides? How many board feet of material did you use? Please open one of the drawers for pictures and remove one so we can see the details of the interior.

Great job! Chalk another up for the hardy Alaskans!

Warren

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Ooohhh Purdy ~!!

Nice, simple, clean.

All good qualities that tend to draw attention to errors made by the craftsman - and there aren't any errors.

[Scott Loven]

Looks great, any idea of the BF in this project?
Scott

[Jim Becker]

That's a very nice piece, Richard!

[Richard McComas]

Looks great, any idea of the BF in this project?
ScottI didn't really keep track but I estimate around 67 BF (not counting waste).

[Richard McComas]

Richard, that dresser looks great - excellent design and craftsmanship. It looks like you put a lot of effort into making it. I'd love to see some of the dovetail details.I have added some more photos to my original post.

[jason lambert]

one of the best I have seen.

[Charles Jackson III]

Very nice work Richard.

[John Timberlake]

Nice job. Love the finish you put on. Beautifully executed.

[Alex Berkovsky]

Richard,
That is one of the most beautiful dressers I have ever seen. A few questions if I may:
Why did you choose to use full extensions on the drawers as opposed to the wooden runners?
How did you raise the drawer fronts? On the TS or used a raised panel bit?
How thick are the drawer fronts?

[Gail O'Rourke]

This is a gorgeous piece, nice work.

[Matt Meiser]

Good work--very elegant.

[Richard McComas]

Richard,
That is one of the most beautiful dressers I have ever seen. A few questions if I may:
Why did you choose to use full extensions on the drawers as opposed to the wooden runners?
How did you raise the drawer fronts? On the TS or used a raised panel bit?
How thick are the drawer fronts? Yes I use the shaper and raised panel cutter. Metal slides (I knew someone would ask this question) purely functionally and ease of construction, I guess I'm a little lazy. I often think to myself, if theses slides were available 100 years ago the would have use them.

[Brett Baldwin]

Great looking piece Richard. You're probably right that the slides would have been used if they had been around.

[Eugene A. Manzo III]

Very Very Nice Work Did anyone ask you the hours you have in this project yet ? I hate wooden runners for drawers you made the right choice I think to put slides in. I dont think they put tubes in radios or tires anymore either :D

[Rob Will]

I think this chest of drawers is beautiful.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to download the entire thread and I can't see all the pics. Is the file size too big here?

This is great work. Cherry is my favorite.

Rob

[Ben Abate]

Richard,

Nice job on the chest, I also like your shop. It looks mighty big. The floor coating that is on the floor is that acid stained or acid etched???? The floor looks interesting to me. Sorry to sway off the subject but I do a bit of concrete and found the floor interesting. Or is it just good old concrete that is aged well.

Thanks
Ben

[Mike Langford]

Super Nice, Richard!

Great Design....Beautiful Wood....Superb Craftsmanship....Excellent Work!

[Warren White]

Richard,
I once again say "WOW!" to the dresser, and thanks for adding the extra pictures.

I have a simple question. It looks like your drawer fronts fit inside of the drawer openings, but in the picture with the drawer pulled out, the drawer front is larger than the drawer box (which looks like it fits snug to the opening on both sides and the top).

Did you go to the Hogwarts school of woodcraft, or am I missing something basic about drawers that everyone else knows but me?

Thanks!
Warren

[Richard McComas]

Very Very Nice Work Did anyone ask you the hours you have in this project yet ? I hate wooden runners for drawers you made the right choice I think to put slides in. I dont think they put tubes in radios or tires anymore either :DI didn't keep track of the hours but I spent about 6 weeks working on week ends so I probability have a 100 hours or more.

[Richard McComas]

Very Very Nice Work Did anyone ask you the hours you have in this project yet ? I hate wooden runners for drawers you made the right choice I think to put slides in. I dont think they put tubes in radios or tires anymore either :DI didn't keep track of the hours but I spent about 6 weeks working on week ends so I probably have a 100 hours or more.

[Richard McComas]

Richard,

Nice job on the chest, I also like your shop. It looks mighty big. The floor coating that is on the floor is that acid stained or acid etched???? The floor looks interesting to me. Sorry to sway off the subject but I do a bit of concrete and found the floor interesting. Or is it just good old concrete that is aged well.

Thanks
Ben

It's just good old concrete that is aged well.

[Richard McComas]

Richard,
I once again say "WOW!" to the dresser, and thanks for adding the extra pictures.

I have a simple question. It looks like your drawer fronts fit inside of the drawer openings, but in the picture with the drawer pulled out, the drawer front is larger than the drawer box (which looks like it fits snug to the opening on both sides and the top).

Did you go to the Hogwarts school of woodcraft, or am I missing something basic about drawers that everyone else knows but me?

Thanks!
WarrenThe drawer fronts are false fronts (attached to the drawer box after the drawer box is completed)and are bigger than the drawer box but smaller than the drawer opening so they inset into the carcase The metal slides are held back inside the carcase the thickness of the drawer front.

[Dewayne Garrett]

I really like that. I'm planning to start one for my youngest boy soon. He needs a dresser the particleboard thing he was given at birth or so has about fell apart and is too small now that he is six. He asked me about it while I was building his mother a night stand so guess I can try. I like the slide idea I'd planned to copy one of our other dressers instead of purchasing plans but those would simplify it and may make it simpler to make.

Stock used for sides is about ¾” ?

[Hans Braul]

Fantastic work Richard. Beautifully made and nice lines.

[Bill Wyko]

WOW Richard! That's Beautiful. Someday long after we're gone that will be a museum piece. It will speak of the quality and craftsmanship of your work.:)

[Bob Feeser]

Richard great job throughout. The depth of the Cherry with the finish you have selected takes it to another level.
I am curious about the drawer bottoms. From your description they are solid cherry also. For the sake of learning, many have said that drawer bottoms are tough to make out of solid wood due to the fact that they have a tendency to crack with age. I am imagining the way to do them is to secure them in the middle, and let them float. How did you secure them if you don't mind me asking?

[Jerry Olexa]

Excellent work!! I too love cherry and your craftmanship shows...very nice looking results!!

[Richard M. Wolfe]

Very nice job. I'm in the process of making a chest of drawers now and doubt I can get the fit of yours. :o Oh well, mine is supposed to have a "rustic" look. :D

[Jerry Olexa]

Again, beautiful work.....I'm curious about the top. You did DT's all around but on top. it appears you added strips of cherry to give the top some width/accent but then the Dt's looked recessed (a nice look). Is that how you did that? Thanks. My only different approach/suggestion would have been wooden drawer runners instead of metal. Just my opinion... Repeat: Excellent work!!!

[Dave Verstraete]

Very Nice. I'm humbled by the fit of those drawers

[David Giles]

Since this thread has revived, I'd like to express my thanks to Richard for posting his original work. I'm currently building my first dresser, shamelessly copying many features of his design. You are a great inspiration, Richard.