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Re-shaped the one mortice bottom and even with a dry fit all is well, with glue and draw boring even better.
Attachment 409390
Next was taper planing the two inner faces of the legs, the outer faces are left straight to give solidity but the tapered legs make the piece look lighter and elegant.
The tapering gave me my exercise for the day, wiping the plane bottom on the rag in a can really cuts down on the heat generated and it just fly’s!
For the taper I started at the leg bottom and worked backwards towards the blue tape as a guide. I used a 5 & 1/2 jack plane, peeling off a thick shaving. I reduce the bottom dimension from 1.25” to one inch; even just that 1/4” makes a huge visual difference.
Attachment 409391
Next some #4 final planing and glue up. Drawer supports, guides and top mounts next.
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Did my final planing rounded a few corners and drilled the draw bore holes. Used oak 5/16” dowel. The offset was a bit much at 1/16” it seems so had to pare one side of the dowel with a knife to get them in.
The top front dovetail I used epoxy as I wanted to fill the gap at the end, not perfect!
Attachment 409545
On to the drawers. I would like to use spalted maple with worm holes. I plan to fill the worm holes with epoxy and bronze powder, you get gold flecks in the wood. The spalting adds an extra dimension but does not penetrate very deep, the board is a little curved also so planing might remove some spalting. I scraped out the worm holes with a point and compressed air. Any one with experience of this?
Attachment 409546
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Very nice – thanks for posting! I can't wait to see the spaulted Maple drawer fronts – should be awesome.
Best, Mike
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After some more picking and compressed air I mixed up some West epoxy and added bronze powder, liquid gold is the result; not that much bronze powder is needed, perhaps 1/4 teaspoon.
Attachment 409576
I pushed it it into all the worm holes from two directions, then 15 minutes later did it again. The gold mess that resulted was not inspiring. My concerns were when I sand off the excess epoxy I may loose a lot of spalting, it’s not that deep.
Well sand I did and was even less inspired with the dust and not seeing the spalting as I sanded.
Used a damp cloth to remove the dust and things improved. I polished the wood and bronze epoxy with fine wire wool and applied two coats of Tung oil.
Miraculous! Gorgeous! Exciting! Crazy and beautiful!
Attachment 409577
The top top part was not treated as not needed, it does act as a comparison. Not only did I not loose any spalting it just developed it. My daughter will love how not boring it is!
Prepared the cherry side blanks today also and some maple for the drawer back (wanted weight at the back).
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Bill, looks awesome! I've got some wormy wood I'm working on right now and absolutely gonna try your epoxy/bronze powder method – thanks for the suggestion! Where do you get the bronze powder?
Best, Mike
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Mike I will get you the bronze powder info from the can, bought some years back. A little goes a long way. It is really copper powder but very fine. Tapered the underside edge of the tops today and finished up the drawer components. I did some final #4 planing of the tops also. One top was fine the other has become very difficult grain, really bizarre. Sharpened my planes up to 10,000, even used a high angle Japanese wood plane nothing else had a chance. It was not like that before.....the strangest thing.
Tops and carcass gets oiled tomorrow and the drawers hopefully get made. Have a deadline to meet!
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I had forgotten, but I built two shaker tables for my oldest son and his wife. It was a fun project.
I think I will build to more and donate them to Habitat for Humanity.
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4 Attachment(s)
Re-sharpened my #4 on the 10,000 closed the chip breaker right down and tackled the awkward top grain again with some success.
Drawer runners carefully installed, took far longer than I thought! The drawer stop mechanism is rather complicated and requires a slope in the bottom runner down to the stop.
Attachment 409698
Got to to use my Barr chisels putting in the slope, such a pleasure to use.
Attachment 409699
The lower and upper guide installed, glued and screwed. The slotted hole is for the movement of the top. My winter humidity in the shop at 7% is horrendous! There will be some serious expansion.
On to the oil! Smoking hot boiled linseed oil. I use two coats applied smoking hot with extra fine wire wool. The wood just soaks it up, the end grain drinks it! After two coats I use Tung oil.
Benefits of BLO; satisfies the thirst of the wood, seals it well, anti fungal, adds colour, inexpensive.
Applied two or three times, end grain 20 times then wiped off with paper towel then rags.
One coat a day for two days then the Tung oil.
Attachment 409702
The tops, one oiled with one coat. The bucket of cold water is essential with oil that hot, any mishap I need to plunge into cold water immediately!
before tapering the tops I did did try adding a drip edge under the tops with the Lee Valley combination plane. It worked with the grain only, but better than nothing!
Attachment 409703
Also made the drawer backs out of poplar, no one will ever see it, 7/8” thick. Also made the drawer bottoms out of pine, like the shakers did, perfect colour and no knots!
More to come.....
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Pressure is on! Fitted the drawer fronts, after scratching out the worm holes on the inside, it needs the liquid gold treatment there also or it will look sub standard.
Fitted the drawer sides then half blind dovetail time.
Attachment 409799Attachment 409800
Now that’s a fitted drawer! Well the front, have to start somewhere .
Cutting the half blind dovetails in the shoulder vise was a challenge the end of the saw hit the back of the vise!
Had to improvise with the tail vise frame!
Attachment 409803
Lots of chisels, Ray Isles, Japanese, to find the right sizes. All were about the same, rather liked the Ray Isles.
Attachment 409804 Attachment 409805 Attachment 409806
Thanks Derek for the blue tape trick, I will get better at it. It does give you a line you can see!
Back through dovetails to be done but then just a groove; drawer stop mechanism, more liquid gold, Tung oil and 4 brass screws for the top, then pack it up for the plane ride.
Almost forgot; the tail vise holds the drawer front perfectly for the alignment of the tails, a real bonus. You can sight along the bench edge to check it’s at 90 degrees, before scribing.
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William, I have been busy lately and just now had some time to catch up here, but wanted to thank you for the project share. Nice work with the project in general, but esp the wormy stuff.
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Fighting this Plantar fasciitis has slowed me down!
However fitted the drawer bottoms and drawer stop mechanism. Used pine for the bottoms and maple for the stop mechanism with oak dowel.
Attachment 409901 Attachment 409902 Attachment 409906 Attachment 409907
Final fitting of the drawer after after the liquid gold treatment for the back of the drawer front.
Attachment 409903
The shaker knobs get fitted after after the plane ride! Shortened some Shaker pegs for that. Final Tung oil and it’s done!
Attachment 409904 Attachment 409905
Tapered legs and bevelled top give give them a light slender look but they are solid! Put them leg to leg tops between the legs at 45 degrees fits beautifully, wrapped on cardboard and being loaded on the plane as I sit here!
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Delivered, shaker knobs glued on, tops screwed, all 3000 miles from home.
Attachment 409933
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Nice to see such vigor on a usually plain form. They are strong!
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Thanks Mel, I know exactly what you mean. I have one I built 20 years ago on very traditional grounds. Based on useful furniture for very little wood they excel but times change and the younger people want a bit of pizas. As for sewing; we will see!
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Gorgeous. Nice to see them fully erect.