Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 28

Thread: Apothecary Chest - the drawers are done!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467

    Apothecary Chest - the drawers are done!

    We are getting close. The drawers are done. There is still the base to be built, but the I feel that the hard yards are won. The following was completed this weekend ...


    One of the joys with hand tools is simply planing. Nothing special, just planing wood and creating wonderful shavings. This was the final dimensioning of the drawer sides prior to glue up ...





    More planing - this time the panels for the drawer bottoms. These are 6mm thick. With drawers this small and narrow (100mm wide and 100mm high), one probably could run a drawer bottom along the length. I decided to plan for expansion along the length, so the grain runs side-to-side. The panels are Tasmanian Oak ...





    The panels are ripped on the table saw, and one endt is shaped to the drawer front using the template for that row ...





    Here is a glued up drawer ready for the drawer bottom ...





    Extra long at this stage ...





    ... and trimmed to size (the extra "tongue" is to aid in removal, if needed) ...





    There is some expansion that can take place into the drawer front, as the groove there is deep enough (5mm at the front and 3mm at the sides). Some expansion can also take place to the rear. What I have done is drill an over size screw hole ...





    The screw needs to sit flush with the underside, as will become apparent in a while ...





    I am very happy with the drawers. They are tight and crisp, and all slide in-and-out their recess smoothly.


    I am also very pleased with an idea I came up with for the drawer stops. Drawer stops are very important in this chest as the drawers are inset by 3mm, and a stop at the front, behind the drawer front, will enable this gap to be maintained through the year.


    These stops are a little different. I searched the Internet to see if anything like these have been made, sold or used before. Nada, zip. I am amazed. The concept is so simple, and so easy to install. Please make and use them. I think that you will like the idea. Adjustable drawer stops ...


    I planed down some scrap Black Walnut. These strips ended up 20mm wide ...





    40mm lengths were marked off, and the piece attached to my router-morticing jig ...





    Here's the complete set up. It was used to rout out 10mm long mortices ...





    Sawing away two strips, you are left with this. It was planed to a thickness of 3mm ...





    These were cut up and the fronts rounded. The reason for the round section is that it will butt up against the rear of the drawer front, which is curved ...





    These are screwed into the drawer recess. They can be fine-adjusted with the screw. All pretty obvious, really. The low profile allows the drawer to slide in without obstruction.





    With the drawers done, the knobs were attached. These are cast iron and small (just 22mm across). Yet they seen ginormous after looking at bare drawer fronts for so long.


    I was thinking of blacking the cast iron, but I now quite like the grey. I think that it adds to the modern feel of this chest. Your thoughts?





    The boards have been cut for the back board and the base. Next time.


    Regards from Perth


    Derek

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Longview WA
    Posts
    27,347
    Blog Entries
    1
    Very nice, the hard part will be remembering what is in each drawer.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467


    Thanks Jim.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Southwest Virginia
    Posts
    277
    Really nice!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Austin Texas
    Posts
    1,957
    I like it, the whole shebang, but a question - I have noticed in some of the photos that you posted after finishing up the drawer fronts that I believe I can see on some of the drawers where you created the rounded drawer fronts when the light hits the fronts just so. On some of the drawer fronts it seems like there are some lighter areas where the material was removed to shape the front. Are you still going to do some final sanding/scraping or is it planned for the finish to eliminate that? Just nitpicking and thanks for the drawer stop idea. Also, good closeup photo of the drawer back treatment to aid in drawer insertion and prevent spelching over time. As always, your attention to detail is excellent.
    David

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Hi David

    I think it is the light. All the drawers are free of tool marks. No doubt this will not be evident once a finish goes on them.

    I am also not sold on the handles as they are. Either I turn small ones, or modify these. They look a bit chunky, although up close they are a really nice design.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    SE Michigan
    Posts
    3,222
    Well done, Derek. My vote is I like the pulls. I’d certainly get the finish on before deciding whether to change them out. Once you get that nice dark walnut going, I think the satin/gray will look nice. I really don’t think I’d go smaller, either.

  8. #8
    The pulls also help to make tge woodgrain less “in your face”. I think I could get used to them quickly.

    Nice work, looking forward to the finish.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    N.E, Ohio
    Posts
    3,026
    Absolutely stunning. Your work is magnificent!
    George

    Making sawdust regularly, occasionally a project is completed.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Provo, UT
    Posts
    390
    Beautiful!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Lewisville, Tx
    Posts
    158
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Very nice, the hard part will be remembering what is in each drawer.

    jtk
    Ha. That's exactly what I thought after I admired that gorgeous piece of work.

    Thanks for sharing the piece and the process Derek.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Perth, Australia
    Posts
    9,467
    Well, I spent late afternoon turning knobs for the chest. I should have done this at the start, but thought it would take too long. In all, it required about 2 hours. They are not quite finished, but enough is done so you get an idea. And your thoughts, as always, are welcomed.


    All along, Lynndy has said, "make the knobs in the same colour as the drawers". She wants them to blend in, and after staring at the chest knob-less for so long, I see her point. So they will be finished in oil and wax, as per the carcase and drawer fronts.


    The iron knobs are 22mm wide and 21mm high. The new knobs are 18mm wide and 20mm high.





    The tenon is 3/8" and long enough to extent through the drawer front and be attached with a wedge from inside.





    Some have a little wax to obtain an idea of the final colour.


    There are enough here for all the drawers ...





    The idea is for the knobs not to dominate ...





    Thoughts?


    Regards from Perth


    Derek

  13. #13
    I like the steel ones better...

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Broadview Heights, OH
    Posts
    711
    Not me, wood all the way. I thought the iron ones were too big for the drawer. I like the blend in approach, but something darker like cocobolo or ebony would be a nice touch as well. And maybe a touch smaller.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    New England
    Posts
    2,474
    Love the wood ones, especially lining up the grain with the drawer face the way you did.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •