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Thread: Latest Project - Dresser

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2019
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    White Lake, Michigan
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    41

    Latest Project - Dresser

    This dresser was rendered in black walnut, wenge, and hard maple, from a design by Mike Pekovich. The interior was finished with shellac, the exterior with shellac, tung oil and wax.

    The project was particularly challenging because wenge is dense, very hard, and brittle. Even so, its beauty and durability make it well worth the effort. We are very pleased with how well it combines with the black walnut. The drawer sides, back and bottom were made with hard maple, much of which has curl that give even more character to the piece.

    This project took about 60 hours to complete over many weeks. It replaces the wife's bedroom dresser I made some fifteen years ago that will retire to an upstairs guest bedroom.

    Enjoy.

    IMG_0983.jpgIMG_0979.jpgIMG_0981.jpgIMG_0982.jpgIMG_0980.jpg

    Last edited by Joel David Katz; 05-08-2021 at 2:09 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
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    Lebanon, TN
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    Very nice, an excellent family heirloom.

    At some point I'll get brave enough to take on this level of challenge.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Cashiers NC
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    603
    Very nice high level work. It is beautiful. Your family will enjoy passing that one down to your decendants.
    Charlie Jones

  4. #4
    Very nice piece. Love the contrasting woods.
    "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.”

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    WNY
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    That is really well done. Congrats. 60 hours seems pretty efficient, too, or would be for me anyway. It's not often black walnut has to play second fiddle but that Wenge sure looks great and pairs well.

    John

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Waterford, PA
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    Very nice. If I was even up to the task, it would take me far, far more than 60 hours.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    Northeast Ohio
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    582
    Very nice ! Love the wood!

  8. #8
    Great design and execution. Your wife should be pleased.

  9. #9
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    Mar 2006
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    Beautifully done Joel. As the walnut lightens the contrast will be more and more striking. As John said, walnut playing the secondary wood role doesn't come often but the contrast with the wenge really sets off the darker wood. An instant heirloom for sure.
    "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".


    – Samuel Butler

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
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    Clarks Summit PA
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    Joel, you nailed it! I like the continuous grain that runs across the top drawers. I like everything about it!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2015
    Location
    SW Florida
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    That's simply beautiful, both in execution and final product. Love the contrasting wood and as others said, an instant family heirloom. Congrats...
    A wannabe woodworker!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    Ingleside, IL
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    Great job Joel. The complementary woods work really week together. The slight curve on the ends of the top and the layout of the dovetails are very cool. Well done.
    Stand for something, or you'll fall for anything.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    White Lake, Michigan
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    41
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rainey View Post
    Joel, you nailed it! I like the continuous grain that runs across the top drawers. I like everything about it!
    It is hard to see in the photos, but the bottom two rows of drawers are also each made from a single board. However, because the grain is so straight, the effect is far less noticeable. You're the first person to notice the continuous grain on the top row, so you get the prize!

    The dovetails on the front were cut as through dovetails so as to minimize the risk of splintering the very brittle wenge. I actually used blue tape to transfer the tails to the pins as pencil marks are impossible to see in wenge and a marking knife hardly makes a dent in the wood. Once done and fitted, I then glued a 1/8th inch resawed veneer from the drawer fronts to achieve the effect of half-blind dovetails and to hide the grooves that will hold the drawer bottom. I resawed the veneer before I fitted the drawer fronts to ensure the veneer was oversized and thus easily planed down to the exact size of the drawer front.

    Thanks much for your kind words.

  14. #14
    Very nice. I love the design, and you executed it beautifully. I would have a hard time using walnut on the back. Are the pins functional or decorative? Particularly, the ones for the drawer dividers.
    Last edited by Christian Hawkshaw; 05-09-2021 at 8:28 AM. Reason: spelling
    Chris

  15. #15
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    May 2019
    Location
    White Lake, Michigan
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    Quote Originally Posted by Christian Hawkshaw View Post
    Very nice. I love the design, and you executed it beautifully. I would have a hard time using walnut on the back. Are the pins functional or decorative? Particularly, the ones for the drawer dividers.
    The design calls for pins, but given that each pinned joint is a single or double mortise-and-tenon, I don't see how the pin performs any structural purpose. Perhaps Mike thought that wood movement might distort the drawer openings and either open gaps or make the drawers tight because of the cross-grain joint, and he added the pins to minimize this risk. Perhaps he put them in simply because he liked the way it looked. I don't know.

    Thanks for your kind words.

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