Nightstand - Design help requested

[Jim Becker]

That's really come along, Ted. I like this much better than the original and think it will work well with the bed design.

As to the drawer fronts, lamination is one way to go. Take that big, bad bandsaw and do the Thos Moser thing...slice your drawer front stock into many thin layers, build a form from MDF and then glue-up the lamination. This gives you the best form, IMHO, but does present some challenges when it comes to the dovetails...

The second method is to build thee drawers with a thick, plain-sawn block of your base material, do the dovetails, etc, but don't assemble the drawer. Then cut the radius front and back at the bandsaw, route your grove for the bottom with a slot cutter and apply a veneer resawen from your premium stock so it matches your frame and panels exactly...or with more figure to accent. Assemble as normal. Could be a nice place to use some crotch material, too, for the veneer....

[Dave Richards]

Ted, thank you for the nice compliments. I enjoyed chatting last night, too.

Your new design is coming along. I like the legs under it. I think the side panels need to be lightened up somehow. I'm not sure what I mean by that but I'll think on it and see if I can refine that statement.

As to joinery for the drawer front to sides, I wonder if a sliding dovetail socket cut in the drawer face might be a better way to go than normal dovetails.

I am imagining a jig that holds the drawer front in place and allows the router to slide in to make the socket. The jig would make it so the axis of the dovetail bit is parallel to the side of the drawer which would put it at an angle in the drawer face.

Edited to add: What about an arched top to the side panels? That would tie into the arched panels on the headboard.

[Mark Singer]

Ted,

I like it as I thought I would without the bottom drawer. I would try shaping the front legs to the cyrve of the drawer...the bow front...Looking good!
Dave is very helpful as I found with the bed I designed. He is a great guy!

[Scott Parks]

Ted, I like that! Go for it!

[Mark Singer]

Ted,

The dovetails are the same half blind if the front were straight....you just start with8/4. If you laminate a curved front then you can dovetail to a "sub front" and screw it on from the back. Third method is to "brick lay " the front from solid wood. Then resaw veneer and cover...this is actually a traditional method...or you can add the veneer to the lamonation technique.. Bend a little more than you want ...it always spings back. The best technique is to make the curve first and build the cabinet to that as i did with the coopered bath cabinet. That way the radius is known,

[Dave Richards]

Mark, thanks for the compliments. My head is swelling here.

Here's just a quick sketch of my idea for making the sliding DTs. Thinking on what Mark said, though, I think a sub front might be the ticket. You could obviously make a rectangular drawer box with the front curved to take the curved front piece. I'm trying to think of a way to cut half-blind DTs in the edge of the curved front.

[Mark Singer]

Dave,

That is probably not the best way ...the detail of the joint is hidden even when the drawer is opened. This kind of piece has a total of 2 drawers....they should be hand dovetailed to carry out the quality that is implied with the bowed front. IMHO...well worth the time.

Mark, thanks for the compliments. My head is swelling here.

Here's just a quick sketch of my idea for making the sliding DTs. Thinking on what Mark said, though, I think a sub front might be the ticket. You could obviously make a rectangular drawer box with the front curved to take the curved front piece. I'm trying to think of a way to cut half-blind DTs in the edge of the curved front.

[Dave Richards]

Mark, I agree with you. I would rather see DTs when I open the drawer. I was just offering an alternative to the half blind DTs that would work with the curved drawer front.

[Ted Shrader]

As to the drawer fronts, lamination is one way to go. Take that big, bad bandsaw and do the Thos Moser thing...slice your drawer front stock into many thin layers, build a form from MDF and then glue-up the lamination. This gives you the best form, IMHO, but does present some challenges when it comes to the dovetails....

That is what was planned. Used that reasoning as justification for the MM16. Following the night stands, there will be a dresser and chest of drawers and possibly an armoire.

. . . .Bend a little more than you want ...it always springs back. The best technique is to make the curve first and build the cabinet to that as i did with the coopered bath cabinet. That way the radius is known.

Concur. Was planning to start with the drawer fronts. Also, agree that extending the curve onto the leg posts will help the appearance. Maybe with Dave's expert tutelage I will be able to figure that out. Seems harder to do on the computer than it will be on the wood.

Other than ½ blind DT, I had considered a locking rabbet with ³/₁₆" hardwood pins for decoration.

Your new design is coming along. I like the legs under it. I think the side panels need to be lightened up somehow. I'm not sure what I mean by that but I'll think on it and see if I can refine that statement.

I have the very same feeling. Todd suggested splitting them in two with a stile. Haven't tried it yet, but will. It does need to be "lightened" up somehow.

Thanks for all the input!

Regards,
Ted

ps - Showed the sequence of drawings to the "customer" today. She liked the last iteration.
LTS

[Dave Richards]

Ted, I sent you a SketchUp tutorial that hopefully will help with getting those legs rounded. If it doesn't make it clear, send me the lastest version of the model and I'll do the tutorial from that.

[Tom Gattiker]

In th 2 drawer version, having the bottom edge of the panels/drawer bisect the length of the legs looks awkward I think you either need to eliminate the bottom drawer or add the 3rd drawer back or make the current bottom drawer deeper--something to either raise the bottom edge of the drawer fronts/panels higher or lower them again. Maybe not as close to the floor as in the earlier 3 drawer verion, but closer. I built 2 that are kind of similar to your 3 drawer version. But I have one drawer (at top) and a cabinet taking up the bottom two thirds or so. This looks lighter than 3 drawers but provides the same storage space. A cabinet door would also echo the Frame & panel construction of the bed.

To lighten the look, you could also taper the legs between the floor and the bottom edge of the drawer fronts.

This design forum is really cool.

[Ted Shrader]

Tom -

Thanks for your input. Agree that the drawer depth needs adjusting and am working on dividing the side panel, too. I am still tweaking the design. Was thinking "Golden Rule" (~1.618) to break up the section. Just not happy with the proportions yet.

Ted