Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 18

Thread: Evolution in design.

  1. #1

    Evolution in design.

    Crafted a pair of these Spalted Maple cabinets on stand a few weeks ago On a whim decided to give one a completely different aesthetic. So introduced Kumiko into the design (design mockup in 2nd pic).IMG_0625-1800-Gimp.jpgIMG_0671-1800.jpgIMG_0693-1800-Gimp.jpgIMG_0705-1800-Gimp.jpg
    Last edited by Norman Pirollo; 05-18-2020 at 9:51 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    South West Ontario
    Posts
    1,502
    Love Spalted Maple. The Kumiko is refreshing and matches the legs due in part to the matching top. Wonder why the door overlap verses independent opening? Is that traditional? The Kumiko design seems to invite opening.
    ​You can do a lot with very little! You can do a little more with a lot!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    SW Michigan
    Posts
    668
    Very nice. I do prefer the solid door over the the Kumiko embellished one. IMO, The Kumiko would look more at home on an Asian influenced piece rather than on a Krenovian style piece. But that's just me. You cabinet is beautiful and well done.

  4. #4
    Thanks William! The overlapping doors are traditional in the Krenov sense. Also, the right had door opens first. I'm left-handed but the vast majority of people are right-handed. The single door pull is also an element I prefer and the only solution with overlapping doors. I have always made them this way as the gap between the doors is then obscured. Norman

  5. #5
    Thanks! I wanted to lighten the doors by introducing Kumiko, but agree, I expect a 50-50 mix of what doors people prefer. The original title of the post was East meets West

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,685
    Using that beautiful spalted material for the doors on the first one was masterful!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  7. #7
    Thanks! It was a bit tricky at times. Spalted translates to decayed. A while longer and wood gets punky, so finding the right pieces is critical.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Evanston, IL
    Posts
    1,424
    Very nice piece. I vote for the kumiko version. It looks much lighter, which seems to fit better with the stand to my eye.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Nuckles View Post
    Very nice piece. I vote for the kumiko version. It looks much lighter, which seems to fit better with the stand to my eye.
    +1. I like that one, also. Good job!

    Mike

    [You could use ambrosia maple instead of spalted maple. They can look very much alike but you'd have to select the wood carefully. Ambrosia maple is sound wood, not punky. It's created by a bug that bores into the tree and leaves a stain.]
    Last edited by Mike Henderson; 05-21-2020 at 12:20 AM.
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  10. #10
    They are both beautiful pieces. If I were buying from you, I'd probably go for the solid because the spalted maple is just so gorgeous. But the Kumiko is a delightful twist. I like the single door pull and especially like the drawer pulls.
    Fred
    "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

    “If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”

  11. #11
    A new version of cabinet with Tiger Maple door panels. Small reveal surrounding Tiger Maple panels to delineate the different woods.
    IMG_7304-1800-Gimp-1.jpgIMG_7330-1800-Gimp.jpg


    Norman

  12. #12
    Beautiful. I'm trying my hand at one now and hope the craftsmanship is as good as yours.

    I am partial to the spalted as well. I love the Kumiko but two things stand out to me: the lower frame is wide (also on the tiger maple one), and the grain runs vertically on the rails. I think had those been thinner and horizontal, my eye would prefer that one.

    In addition, I think the meticulous detail and complexity of the cabinet is in contrast to the base. I think I'd appreciate a more delicate base by virtue of some tapers, or curves..

    What is the thickness of the case panels? Another nitpick, but I might have gone a tad thinner on the top and bottom panels.

    All of this is unsolicited musing; I admire your willingness to iterate and make something perfect even more perfect.

    I'm curious about your process. Since you've made several of these, what tricks have you discovered to speed it up.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    22,492
    Blog Entries
    1
    A beautiful cabinet on stand. Kumiko is certainly trendy right now. While I like the airy feel the wife says "dust magnet". I take that in stride since I am tasked with the dusting of all the Greene and Greene stuff I make for the house. If I want that multi-elevation, intricate stuff, I have to clean it . She takes care of everything else so, how can I complain about that .

    You need to build for your target customer. The person who has the perfect spot for a 'cabinet on stand' is shopping for a decorative piece that will be cared for as such. Kumiko, stained glass, weaves of wood or cord, figured panels, all could make nice panels that would lighten the look. It is fun to make variations on a base design and the figured and contrasting wood panels would get my vote.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Prashun Patel View Post
    Beautiful. I'm trying my hand at one now and hope the craftsmanship is as good as yours.

    I am partial to the spalted as well. I love the Kumiko but two things stand out to me: the lower frame is wide (also on the tiger maple one), and the grain runs vertically on the rails. I think had those been thinner and horizontal, my eye would prefer that one.

    In addition, I think the meticulous detail and complexity of the cabinet is in contrast to the base. I think I'd appreciate a more delicate base by virtue of some tapers, or curves..


    What is the thickness of the case panels? Another nitpick, but I might have gone a tad thinner on the top and bottom panels.



    All of this is unsolicited musing; I admire your willingness to iterate and make something perfect even more perfect.

    I'm curious about your process. Since you've made several of these, what tricks have you discovered to speed it up.
    There was quite a bit of deliberation on this point. I had to take into account the wood, in this case it is close to quarter-sawn. It was necessary to avoid plain-sawn to both avoid warping and to maintain vertical lines. So yes, I did spend some time deciding on how to assemble the pieces to maintain consistency in the grain.

    I almost worked the corners of the leg to rails to introduce a curve but decided not to. Creating a base to exact specs of length and depth to allow for a precise small chamfer surrounding the case proved to be a considerable challenge. So the curved corners were passed on this time. In the next iteration of a base, I may factor this in.

    No tricks per say. They were all one-offs. If I continue with this design, the next iterations will be easier to make. I also have a set of spalted maple doors I can now use to create a new cabinet. So this will be interesting and challenging because I typically begin by creating the case using non-dimensioned door blanks.. The doors are pre-dimensioned so the specs for the case will need to be precise.

    Interesting, the top and bottom panels were actually intended to be thicker and I dropped the thickness to the absolute minimum and still maintain the integrity of the joinery used. Thought went in to this also
    Last edited by Norman Pirollo; 05-27-2020 at 3:15 PM.

  15. #15
    Didn't mean to imply it wasn't thought out. The intention in these is obvious. I love these design discussions, though. I learn a lot... Thanks!

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

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