A new project...

[Federico Mena Quintero]

That secret drawer is really cool!

[Zach Dillinger]

I thought so too. Just hate seeing extra space go to waste...

[Zach Dillinger]

Significant progress has been made. Rather than flood all of you with information and pictures here, I just posted them to my blog.


I'm having a problem with my pictures not acting like thumbnails, but you can still see enough to know what I am talking about.

Zach

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[roger m lance]

Zach....add me to the list of members who would follow your build.....and since I live in Grand Rapids, I also would like to meet some day.....here or there.

[Mike Allen1010]

Zach, I always enjoy your work and look forward to following along with the build – thank you for posting the pics. Hand tool, project builds are my favorite posts – always fun to see nice wood and hand tool construction pics!

All the best, Mike

[Chris Griggs]

Nice progress Zach! I like the addition of secret drawers to everything. I'm designing a window seat/bench right now that will have some built in storage, and you have inspired me to find away to put a secret compartment in there as well.

[Sean Hughto]

Like the drawer, but I'd stick with a mitered molding.

[Zach Dillinger]

Like the drawer, but I'd stick with a mitered molding.

The molding will definitely be mitered, just like the original. I'm not good enough with Sketchup to make it look right in the exported picture.

[Zach Dillinger]

Zach....add me to the list of members who would follow your build.....and since I live in Grand Rapids, I also would like to meet some day.....here or there.

Sounds good Roger. The snow is will be flying (again) soon.

[Zach Dillinger]

I have made some progress on the facade. Rather than bore you with repetitive pictures and descriptions of techniques already discussed on my site, I skipped over documenting the process of shaping the curved molding blanks. I followed the same process already discussed previously on the facade back with only one exception...

I clamped the roughly-shaped molding blank to the backer board and used a rasp to shape them as perfectly as I could. I then used that line to shape the inside edge of the molding blank. By doing the steps like this, I ensured that the two edges are parallel with each other (except towards the top of piece, where the width of the molding should slightly narrow). Shaping the bottom edge is nearly impossible once the piece is glued down, so it must be done now. I also cut the miters on the molding blanks, as this would have been difficult to do later on.

After this was complete, I then glued the blanks into place using hide glue. Once the glue was set, I rasped down any slight inconsistencies between the edges and sanded them by hand to 220. This is the last time I will touch the outside edge unless I mistake... knock on wood. I also smoothed down the back of the facade board and cut a shallow rabbet with my moving fillister to ensure that the board is a consistent thickness where it glues on to the top of the case... no need to make the whole thing the same thickness, just that small area.



Once done with this, I started to lay out the volutes. I used a purfling cutter (with only one tooth extended) to mark the curved edge of the fillet at the top of the molding. These two lines (the outside of the molding and the marked edge) will define the area of the volute that is left untouched. Everything else will be carved or shaped away.



Over the holiday, I will be carving the volutes and shaping the molding, as well as building the sash door. Slap a finish on this baby, install some hardware, and it will be ready for photography / sale... although a nice inlayed mariner's compass would look outstanding on the facade (smaller than the example shown)... maybe a half mariner's compass emanating up from the door to resemble the tombstone effect seen on many clock hoods... might have to go buy some ebony and holly veneer from Johnsons Workbench on Saturday...

[Zach Dillinger]

Here is my progress over the long holiday weekend (five days off).

I carved the gooseneck moldings by hand. Took about an hour each. Not nearly as difficult as it looks, by the way. Writeup on how to is on my blog.

I also designed, made and inlayed a compass rose design. It wasn't in the original piece, but it certainly fits the period of work (c.1790) and geographic location (New England) of the original. It just needed something to combat the "fivehead" syndrome of the original. I think I made the right choice.

Anyway, I hope you all had a great Holiday and another coming up.

Zach

[Chris Griggs]

You're the man Zach!

[Zach Dillinger]

You're the man Zach!

Thanks Chris. I just keep plugging away. Gotta have this done by early January.

[Tony Wilkins]

Very nice. Thanks for keeping inspiring me.

[Zach Dillinger]

Sash door is pretty much done. A couple of spots need a little more attention before I can glue it up. I am rapidly closing in on finishing this little cabinet (which is a good thing... I'm on a deadline!)

Not too bad for an hour and a half and some hand tools, I dare say, although this isn't my first sash rodeo...

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