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Thread: Small Serpentine Front Chest Build

  1. #1
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    Small Serpentine Front Chest Build

    This is a small chest in walnut with serpentine front roughly 17” wide x 12” deep x 10” tall and three drawers. Motivation is of course, to have something to do during the quarantine, but also to try out a new technique – serpentine drawer fronts with veneered surfaces. I don’t really have room/need for full-size furniture, so I’m doing this on a smaller scale that hopefully I can find a place for somewhere in the house.

    Benefits of smaller scale build are need far less lumber. However, challenges are tolerances are super tight. E.g. if the fit of the drawer front is off by 1/8” in 40” wide chest, likely no one’s going to notice, but in this smaller scale, those kind of deviations are super obvious.


    Normally in casework I build the carcass first, and then built the drawers later to fit. In this case, because I’ve never done serpentine drawer fronts before and I’m not exactly sure about the final dimensions I’m going to end up with after the shaping, veneering etc., I’ll start with drawers and build the carcass around them to fit – hopefully.


    Here are some pics of the design phase – something I’m not very good at. Biggest design challenge was getting the curves of the serpentine drawer front right. Absent a good example to copy, I went with whole number ratio – dividing the drawer front into 7 equal parts and allocating 2 parts to the small radius curves on either side and 3 parts to the larger radius curve in the middle. I have no rationale for this ratio and I’m sure it sounds confusing - it’s confusing to me. I’m guessing there’s got to be a mathematical way to calculate this correctly. I have no idea what that might be. For me I just have to visualize the shape and actual size. This is where it helps to have big paper.






    After trial and error with compasses and protractor’s, ultimately end up with a template.




    Next step glued up/dimensioned 12/4 basswood for the drawer fronts to be shaped into the appropriate curve based on the template and then ripped apart.




    Hollow molding planes helped get some of the curve right and rest was done with spoke shave, scrapers.






    Next up was cutting/gluing walnut burl veneer that forms the background for drawer fronts. I struggle working with commercial veneer. Experts online make it seem super easy, but my experience is it’s really important to appropriately rehydrate veneers to make them workable. I use glycerin based liquid Pro Glue Veneer softener that make a huge difference in preventing flaking/chipping and final dimensioning.







    Shop made veneer hammer with “low molecular weight plastic” blade is essential for squeezing out excess glue/air bubbles. Secured with blue tape.


    Use marking gauge to outline orders for stringing against burl background. For me, marking gauge is a great start, but I always follow up with X-Acto knife for definitive lines.






    I glue my veneer with Tite Bond 2, liberally applied to both sides of veneer and substrate. I’m in no position to recommend that is either good or bad – just works for me. As a consequence, more challenging than I would’ve hoped to remove the peripheral field of veneer for stringing.




    I’m no expert when it comes of veneer. My experience with drawer fronts is all about the miter joints. Also critically important is having “banding” veneer of uniform width and thickness. For me its money well spent to buy this commercially, rather than trying to make yourself – YMMV.
    I use a 45° square against a sacrificial cutting block to cut banding to 45° angle. If the fit is little fat on the outside, that’s okay because a quick trim with sanding block will square all the edges.




  2. #2
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    Next was adding the Elm burl veneer for the outside boundary of the drawer fronts. Same process, glue in the longest pieces overlapping the miter joint. Then cut adjacent vertical piece at 45° angle using a guide.







    Now overlay that piece to Mark with X-Acto corresponding angles on long pieces.







    Final step of the drawers was creating 8th inch wide cock beading. I chose mahogany because I had some extra in the shop. In retrospect given the delicate dimensions of cock beading, I wish I would’ve chosen a harder more durable wood.






    Scraper blade and concave sanding blocks create the beading. Last time I was at Rockler they had a bunch of rubber, round/convex/concave sanding blocks of the register. An impulse buy that I use all the time now.














  3. #3
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    I have love/hate relationship with multiple veneered show surfaces- super easy to sand/scrape through the veneer, fail to get joints with adjacent veneers, etc. I never really know what it’s gonna look like until I put the finish on. Seems like there’s always some glue spot, crack in the veneer etc. you never see until you put on the finish. Ugh I hate that!



    With drawers completed, next up were vertical front posts of the chest. These are oriented at a 45° angle to the overall square dimensions of the chest. A design first for me that definitely created challenges later on.











    Mortises in vertical post to accept serpentine horizontal dividers for drawers.




    For the size the chest I’m going with standard frame and panel construction. Pics of plowing grooves in Rear posts and side top and bottom rails.







    Cutting tiny M&T’s for side construction. For small delicate cross cuts like sawing the shoulder of tendons on this small scale I really like the precision of Japanese pull saws. Here’s the dry fit of carcass sides.









    Cutting the profile for three horizontal dividers on chest front between the drawers. Getting the curve to match curves of adjacent drawer fronts – that ought to be a handful!










    Thanks for looking, more to follow.

    BTW, if you’re looking for a win/win way to help out with the dire effects of the pandemic – check the classifieds.
    All the best, Mike

  4. #4
    Mike,

    As always you amaze. Just beautiful work, I wish I had half your talent. I know it is 80% sweat but sweat can only do so much the rest comes from your hand and eye.

    BTW, a few weeks ago I bought a veneer hammer, I'm kidding myself as to ever using it but who knows.

    ken

  5. #5
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    Mike, I smiled through your entire post...enjoying every moment. Small scale, veneer and banding and whatnot (and for me, with a pair of magnifiers on) is just fun and kind of zen. Scary at times, yes, but still a fun surprise when it all comes together. Your curved work is inspiring...dangit, I have to do more of that. Glad your finding some small projects to pass the time and fit into the household.

    Look forward to seeing the rest of this one. Stay well, and enjoy the build.

  6. #6
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    Thanks for starting up a new build to share with us Mike. Again, you always seem to come up with fascinating stuff to show us.
    David

  7. #7
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    Just when I've begun to master a few intermediate skills, to great satisfaction, someone comes along to show me there's no end to this lifetime pursuit. That was inspiring. I have renewed respect for a full-size antique chest with serpentine drawers that I owned years ago.

    Best wishes, Mike, for a finished piece you are proud to have made.

  8. #8
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    Ken, it’s way less talent than you might think; I have certainly screwed up tons of projects over the years. I just don’t post those. Any builds I might share these days certainly benefit from many years of previous failures when Sherrie didn’t let the bulk of my projects even get in the front door - literally never made it out of the garage!

    Give the veneer hammer a try! You’ve probably got everything you need right in your shop: plywood, glue , some clamps. Just pick up some simple veneer and give it a shot . A creative photographer like you – I predict you might like it.

    Cheers, Mike

  9. #9
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    What a great journal Mike. Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together and showing your methods. Inspiring.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
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    Thanks for sharing, Mike. And what a fun project! I'm sure it will find a good use in the house

    Will look forward to seeing more.
    "You can observe a lot just by watching."
    --Yogi Berra

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Allen1010 View Post
    Ken, it’s way less talent than you might think; I have certainly screwed up tons of projects over the years. I just don’t post those. Any builds I might share these days certainly benefit from many years of previous failures when Sherrie didn’t let the bulk of my projects even get in the front door - literally never made it out of the garage!

    Give the veneer hammer a try! You’ve probably got everything you need right in your shop: plywood, glue , some clamps. Just pick up some simple veneer and give it a shot . A creative photographer like you – I predict you might like it.

    Cheers, Mike
    Mike,

    Don't sell yourself short. I've years of making expensive firewood as well but I have little talent just lots of enthusiasm. I expect I will give it a go, it looks like fun playing with hide glue and I have tons of veneers stuck everywhere in the shop. BTW, MsBubba has been on my case to go through the photo files ever since we moved to this house. It has always been "Yes dear, I'll get on it tomorrow". Well tomorrow finally came. It's a good thing I'm retired.

    ken

  12. #12
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    Serpentine Chest Build Part 2– Columns

    With the drawer fronts completed, next step with the two front columns for the carcass that will be carved. To find a design I liked I searched online, copy the pictures into PowerPoint and manipulated them to fit the dimensions of the stock. In this case I was particularly proud of myself as I cut the image into three parts so I could adjust the proportions.

    Design traced onto the wood with carbon paper and horizontal divider marking lines for sections of different diameter. Next was working from side to columns to establish the 3/8 inch relief on either side.







    Some pictures of carving details.




















    Based on my limited carving experience, the only real insights I might be able to offer:

    • Soft, close grain wood like Walnut is much easier to carve than hard, large grain species like oak, cherry etc.

    • Fluted columns are fairly common in lots of early American furniture styles. I use to shy away from them because I thought I needed a router/laid/jig to get them straight. Not so, I did these by hand with a number 11 gouge, just following the layout line. Dowel and sandpaper help smooth out the irregularities.

    • Don’t think you have to do everything with gouges. Scrapers for curves and knives, riffles etc. are super useful.

    • Repetition really helps a lot. Took me six hours to carve the first column, two hours to carve the second column in about an hour to carve the third column I ended up needing because on the second column up with the mortises on the wrong side – I hate when that happens!

  13. #13
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    These are the book matched panels for the carcass sides. They look pretty good here, but when I put the finish on them it revealed that each panel had a darker board and lighter board – would’ve been great to figure that out before I glued them up – oops.



    Woodworking in the quarantine means the LOML thinks it’s just fine to arrange some flowers on the workbench – WTF?





    Here is a resulting wood/water contamination. 35 years of marriage means you learn how to make compromises.




    I like making raised panels with hand tools because it allows you to vary the proportions of the field and panel, however I struggle getting good execution. For me process starts with rabbit plane and marking knife to establish the field. I try to transition away from the rabbit plane soon as I can because it’s hard for me to keep the skewed angle blade sharp and cutting edge properly adjusted adjacent to the knicker.






    Next I remove the bulk of the waste with Jack/block plane and then small LN fenced, skewed rabbit plane to finalize the bevel angle. A few final passes with super sharp small, wide rabbit plane to get the miter arises (sic?) As close to centered on 45° angles as possible.








    To get a consistent fit of the panel within the surrounding frame I tend to error on the side of making the panels narrower than the dado in the frame. For me, easier to center during glue up and then shim from the inside to get a nice tight, consistent reveal on the show surface.



    Panels prefinished with Watco oil/varnish mix, wet sanded was 600 grit. I think this creates a slurry of sawdust/finish that helps fill the pores but I’m not really sure.


  14. #14
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    Three serpentine drawer is required three serpentine shape horizontal dividers. I built the drawers with their serpentine fronts first because I wasn’t really sure I could make the curves work out to get a nice fit within the carcass – now paying the price. Inside length of dividers needs to exactly match with of drawers for a nice fit.





    I fit drawer runners/kickers to dividers with half lap joint because dividers were too narrow for M&T, dowels etc.









    Here’s the carcass glue up and preliminary fit of drawer fronts.





    Curve of carcass bottom has to match curved drawer front that is a different dimension. For me this required life-size drawing to try and fair curves together.



    Drawers: sawing out the waste on the back drawer fronts, using sliding marking sticks to measure inside dimension drawer pockets. I want the back of the drawer to be slightly narrower than the front of the drawer to encourage fit.






    Planing drawer sides to uniform height. I really like this bench jig from Jim Tolpin’s book “The New Hand Tool Woodworker” for this operation.


  15. #15
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    Because drawers are so small I went with a simple rabbit on the bottom (rather than a groove) to capture the drawer bottoms. Because I struggle with my fenced rabbit plane, for nice, soft straight grain wood like this, I prefer to establish the rabbit with the a marking gauge to register the corner of a shop built rabbit plane and then lean the plane into a flat bottom, square rabbit.




    Dovetails and final assembly of the drawers.














    Next will be carcass bottom, bracket feet and maybe some string inlay for the top? Thanks for looking.

    Best, Mike

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