Shaker Tall Cabinet Progress w/pics

[Jason Tuinstra]

Well, a few weeks ago I actually started building a project for my family - okay, for me. Being a Shaker fanatic, I decided to build a project I've wanted to build for a long time, a Shaker Tall or Tin Cabinet. I'm using drawings from John Kassey's book on Shaker Furniture and Christian Becksvoort (<A HREF="http://www.chbecksvoort.com/cases.html" TARGET="_blank">C.B. Tall Cabinet</A></EM></font>), along with some CAD drawings I put together.

At 78 1/2" tall, it's a beast to lug around. Not that it's heavy, it's just, well, tall. I've already had the iron out repairing dents - this is a life saver trick isn't it? Being this tall, the dovetails took some time to figure out how/where I was going to cut them. Anyway, last night I got the faceframe put on and sanded flush. If I get out of my office early enough today, I might begin on getting the wood planed for the back. If not, I'll get to it on Monday, d.v.

I'm attatching a few pics so that you can see the progress. I've taken a number of construction pics if your interested in looking at more. This link should get you there <A HREF="http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/curc@sbcglobal.net/lst?.dir=/d4bf&.view=t" TARGET="_blank">Shaker Tall Cabinet Progress</A></EM></font>

Have a good weekend everyone!

Jason

[Warren White]

Jason,
I noted with interest your arrangement for doing dovetails in a very long piece of wood. I had thought about something like that myself, but seeing you follow through was inspirational. (Not that OSHA would approve, but then who asked them? :confused:

The cabinet is looking very, very good. Your ingenuity it to be complimented.

Warren

[Tyler Howell]

To Nice Jason! I thought I had to stand on something to get projects done.

Gotta get high to do dovetails at your place!;)

[Bruce Page]

Looking good Jason! That looks like a fun project. I would love to see a pic of you on the ladder routing the dovetails! :D

[Todd Burch]

Looking good Jason. Great idea on the dovetail setup! Back when I had a portable tablesaw, I could wheel it out in the driveway to make box joints on very long pieces. Now, with a stationary saw, I'm limited to about 5' - not quite enough room for all the tall pieces I would like to use box joints on. Post again when finished.

[Jim Becker]

'Lookin' great, Jason. Like Todd, I admire your solution for using the jig for the through dovetails at the tops (and presumably bottom ) of the cabinet sides. I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out as Shaker style is my favorite.

[Jim Ketron]

Looking Good Jason way to tackle those long boards!!
Jim

[Chris DiCiaccio]

Yep, that's going to be nice. Looking forward to more pics.

[Martin Shupe]

Jason,

Exceptional work, as I have come to expect from you, Jason. Someday we need to visit in person...maybe you, me, Warren White (who, if I remember correctly, knows Mr. Kassey) Jim Becker, and Jim Shaver can all meet up in person somewhere and tell Shaker furniture stories. (Any other Shaker folks are also cordially invited.)

I am especially interested in this project, as it is on my list to do right after I get my "honey do" list cut down to size, and all in work furniture projects (i.e. blanket chest, candle stand, two bedside tables) completed and out of the shop.

Did you plane your stock to 5/8", as I believe CH Becksvoort recommends? Or did you leave it thick, like the one measured in the Kassey book? I think the Kassey drawing shows some 7/8 or maybe even 1" parts. I think that is a little thick, but not sure 5/8 is thick enough (no offense intended, CHB)...your thoughts?

What kind of glue are you using? I tried that blue tape trick, but it was a bear to peel off, so now I think I am going to use mostly hide glue. Kelly Mehler had us use it on the blanket chest, and I've been told it will not harm a finish.

Be sure to show more photos of the rest of the project.

I've got an idea for a modification to the plan, but I'll have to get a drawing program first to see how it would look. Give me a year and I'll post a drawing for critique.

Hey Warren, hope all is well with you in CA! Give my best to your wife.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Martin, I agree - we should do a Shaker workshop of sorts. That would be a lot of fun. I remember seeing Jim Shaver's projects posted on the Pond, but I don't see that he gets here that often. I know he's built some stellar stuff under the tutelage of Mr. Becksvoort himself if memory serves me right.

I see you've done a little research already on the Tall Cabinet. I took Becksvoort's advice and planed it down to 5/8". It looks kind of strange being that the panel is so large and only 5/8" thick, but it works out just fine - no worries there. The face frame adds a lot of rigidity. The back will add even more. I'm glad I found the article by C.B. otherwise I would have gone with the original specs. The original has a center divide measuring 1 1/2" thick! Pretty beefy, eh?

The glue is your basic Titebond variety. I don't know about the rest, but I have a love/hate relationship with glue. This is why I went with the blue tape. It didn't work as well as I wanted it to as I still had too much clean up to do. I took this as an opportunity to actually listen to the radio that usually goes unnoticed in the buzz of the shop. If hide glue works better, I'll have to give it a shot, but it isn't as strong as modern glue is it? I'm not up on it so I might be way off here.

Now, about this modification... any clues here or what? :D You just love to do that don't you? Tell a man that you have a great idea for the project that he's building and then clam right on up. Alright, fine! :D

Seriously, good to hear from you again. Glad to hear you're safe and sound on terra firma for the time being.

Jason

[Christopher Pine]

I laughed out loaudf whane I seen your jig for doing the dovetails... very ingeniues! Looks like the cabinet is coming right along.. be sure to post more pistures when it is all finished... you will put a door on it?
Chris

[Daniel Rabinovitz]

Jason
So far - lookin' good!
Although the other fellows think that your setup for dovetails is unique and inventive - which it is; I am worried about the rigidity of the ladder at that height and pushing down and in on a router.
I think that you should have turned the setup upside down and while laying on your back, on the concrete floor, of course with a hard hat and safety goggles, you could have cut the dovetails upside down. You would have had to be pushing up on the router, but it might have been safer than plunging off the ladder and driving the router bit into a concrete floor while falling on top of it.
But then again as I think of it, would the tails and the pins be correct when looking at the setup - upside down. You may have to reverse the operations for the tails and pins also to compenste for the reversal of the body position.
Now you know that the rotation of the router bit reverses from a right side up position to an upside down postion when thinking in revese. But do the tails and the pins reverse also as well as the inside and outside.
Will have to try it sometime, on a long board.
BUT - the cabinet is starting to really look good.
Daniel - (the educated one).
April fools! :D
Ahhh! those creative juices! - just running rampant this morning.

[Jason Tuinstra]

Chris, yup, there will be doors on it just as soon as I can get back in the shop.

Now as for you Daniel, what can I say? :D I was going to do exactly what you suggested, but then I realized that I didn't own a hard hat :confused: So I opted for plan "B". The tails turned out pretty good considering this minor set back :p

Have a good one - and thanks for the humor.

Jason

[Todd Burch]

Jason, you should take another picture, with some other stock, of your dovetail setup with you on the ladder, using the setup, and send it in to one of the magazines. Not sure if they would put it under the "don't do this at home" category or award you a prize for most ingenious setup!

You could stage it up some too, like with a garden hose wrapped around one leg of the ladder, tied to a bicycle that was going to be moved, etc.

[Jim Becker]

Daniel, Jason could also have invested in some scafolding...