Project: Cherry Vanities for Master Bath (COMPLETED)

[Dave Shively]

Jim,

As Don said too, I like your "step-by-step lessons" you give with your projects.
It is so informative. Look forword to the finished project.

Dave

[Dave Ray]

Looking good Jim. Like the others I like the step by step presentation. It's like being in your shop looking over your shoulder while you work.

[Jim Becker]

I spent quite a bit of time doing some landscaping work today, but did get in the shop for a couple hours at the end of the day. Over night, I made the decision to do an off-set sink arrangement that will allow the two doors with cherry crotch panels to remain together while also providing several additional drawers for storage of "bathroom necessities" in each vanity. So the first operation today was to create a story stick that would allow me to mirror each vanity for the intended design...including location of a partition between the "cabinet" and the drawer area.

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In the spirit of taking actual measurements, a piece of scrap BB ply is used to document the thickness of the partition on the story stick.

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Once the story stick is marked, I began to transfer the markings to both carcasses...with them back to back on the bench, I only had to keep the stick in the same orientation to effect the mirrored design.

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Since I pre-finished the plywood carcass interior components before "finalizing" the design, after scribing the line for the partition, I masked the area off and carefully sanded off the finish to allow for at least a little glue absorption...but screws will provide a lot of strength even without glue.

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The top of these vanities will, like the previous smaller unit, feature a wide cherry surface that has drawer fronts cut out for contiguous grain. Here, I rip off the top rail that will be fixed to the carcass just under the counter edge.

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[Jim Becker]

The story stick is also used to transfer locations to the top rails...here, I've clamped the boards, allowing room for the thin story stick to slide in against the lumber.

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After measuring for height on both carcasses with yet another stick (to take into consideration minor variations in construction), I cut the partition panels from BB ply.

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Each partition was slipped into its corresponding vanity construction to check the fit...both required a tiny bit to be shaved off back at the table saw which is an easy operation.

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Since these partitions will be visible when the drawers/doors are open, they get an edging of cherry. Glue is all that is needed and painter's tape provides the "clamping". Once the glue is dry, the edging will be brought to the same thickness as the plywood with a block plane and sandpaper. Umm...the bench was busy, so the floor had to do for this job...so much for my knees!

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Just so you can visualize...in general...what the vanities will look like from the front, here's a quick illustration. This is the left vanity...the right mirrors this arrangement.

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[Jim Becker]

Given we are ACTUALLY GOING TO BREAK GROUND this week on the addition (shouting intended...) I was quite pleased to get back in the shop today and do some more work on these vanities. With my recent business travel to Asia and various family functions and other activities, it's been awhile...

The work I did today doesn't seem too extraordinary in quantity, but these are 2 significant steps. The first was building the internal structure to hold the two top drawers that are centered below the top-mounted bowl. Completion of this step meant I could check my measurements and proceed with the drawer box order (I'm contracting that to save time) as well as begin what I'll call "final assembly"...the second step started today.

In this shot, early in the process of step one, I'm clamping a vertical panel that will provide support to the drawer slides as well as isolate the waste and water connections from the drawers. Spacer blocks are used to insure that these compartments are the exact width the need to be (12 13/16" in this case for 11 3/4" wide drawer boxes) before fastening in place with screws and a little glue.

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Once the vertical panels were installed, a "face" was measured for and put in place to keep things square as well as hide the piping when the drawers are open...on this vanity, unlike the smaller unit in for the guest bath, the solid cherry drawer fronts will overhang the center area a hair more than 2 1/2" so that the "seams" between all three drawers seem uniform. That's also the reason for the dye stain...these components will not be visible when the drawers are closed but will be partially exposed when said drawers are open. A little shellac will get the final color close to the cherry (slightly darker, actually, than the cherry will be initially) and make things blend. I chose to do this rather than building the interior components from solid stock or facing them with veneers...less work this way and again, rarely seen and in the shadows.

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The second vanity went much faster since by then I had the "technique" down pat!

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For the second important step, the solid stock components that had been lightly held with minimal screws were removed and sanded in preparation for finishing. Areas that will need glue adhesion have been masked so that there will be no finish to interfere with the "stick". In a few more weekends, I should have both vanities major structures completed and finished...and then I can deal with the doors. That will entail my first serious efforts at veneering panels. Oh, joy...

[Don Bullock]

Jim, CONGRATULATIONS on your pending ground breaking for your addition. That sounds fantastic. Your vanities are looking great.

[Jim Becker]

After a fun filled "family excursion" to Wegmans this morning (about the best supermarket known to man...), I got out to the shop for more work on the master bath vanities. Given we are truly breaking ground on Monday morning for the addition (weather permitting), it's really time to move this project along as I have a lot of other pieces to build, too.

Today continued the work I started last weekend relative to getting the cherry components ready for finishing and actually starting said finishing. Of course, the first step is always finish sanding, and I try to insure that I don't miss anything during that step.

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Once I was through all the sanding, I took a few minutes to prepare materials for the "hidden skirt" that will bring the base down to floor level, but set back from the edge of the cabinet. This preserves the "furniture" look of the vanities while insuring that the plumbing is hidden and that there isn't a difficult to clean area under the units. Using a small square, I mark off the location for some cleats that will hold the skirt to the carcass.

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The cleat is then fastened with a little glue and brads to tack it in place and a few screws for good measure. Access is easy with the cabinets tipped on their backs.

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The skirts, made from 1/2" BB ply, are fastened with glue and a few brads. The corner return is mitered and kept together with glue and brads. A reinforcing cleat is also installed behind the joint for more strength.

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The skirt will be painted black and to make for a smooth surface, a quick coat of dewaxed shellac primes it after some brief sanding by hand.

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[Jim Becker]

The skirts are quickly painted black with a spray bomb. While they are set back from the front of the cabinet about 4", this will help to insure they "disappear" when viewed from an oblique angle when one walks into the room.

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With the skirts out of the way, each of the cherry components get a thin application of BLO. I originally thought I would be able to skip this step given the Target Coatings waterborne hybrid alkyd varnish I intend to spray on this project, but my tests on scrap project material last weekend didn't provide a warm enough color to my liking. So I'll still do the BLO and a quick sealer of de-waxed shellac before moving to the WB varnish. Here, I'm wiping the oil onto one of the end-panels. The masked area is where the 1/4" cherry overlays will be fastened with glue after the end panel is screwed to the carcass.


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I just love the look of the cherry after the oil...

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Next steps include spraying the shellac and WB varnish on the components and then final assembly of the carcasses so I can get them off the bench. That needs to happen so I can proceed with the cabinet doors...and some novice veneering fun.

[Don Bullock]

Your project is coming along nicely Jim. That cherry sure does look good after the BLO is applied.

I took your advice (and that of some others) and used BLO on my cherry table. I'm very glad that I did. It really brought out the color of the wood and the grain.

[Jim Becker]

After a week in Munich, it was very nice to be back in the shop today working on the vanities. The oil that I had applied to the "show" components had cured very nicely while I was away and it's nice to see that the cherry is really going to look nice when this project is complete.

Today was reassembly day...all of the so-called "show" components were added back to the carcasses--this time with glue in addition to the screws. I did one vanity at a time so I could use the full bench and before starting, I lowered the top all the way for comfort. (I have a Noden Adjust-A-Bench for just this flexibility)

Reassembly started with re-installation of the three show legs. When I oiled the components, I masked off the areas that would see glue. (The oil did have an added benefit in that any squeeze out was oh-so-easy to remove)

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Next, the top rail was attached with glue, a few brads at the very top where they would be hidden by the counter tops and a pocket screw to fuse them to the legs on the sides. The first unit I did upright like this, but those screws were darn uncomfortable to get to. On the second unit, I attached this component after turning the whole thing over...you learn as you go, sometimes!

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The same technique was used for the bottom rail. I originally intended to use pocket screws for the width of this component, but I, um...forgot that...and put the false bottom pieces on, making it impossible to get even a stubby manual driver in place. The glue, three brads and the two pocket screws into the legs took care of things

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Next, the end panel on the visible side was attached using a few screws. These will be hidden by the 1/4" stock overlays that simulate the frame and panel look in the design.

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Speaking of the overlays, a single line of glue down the middle will mate the overlay permanently without causing any movement issues...that and a few pins that you'll see in the next post are all that is needed for this decorative piece.

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[Jim Becker]

As mentioned, a few 23 gage pins completed the attachment of the overlay pieces. (Note that the piece is not dark like in this picture...the light from the flash must have reflected funny)

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Here's the first unit all back together. If you followed the previous project for the smaller unit that will be in the guest bath, you'll note the similarity in design.

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The visible end panels look like this when completed...I'm very pleased with these!

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At the end of the day, both units were off the bench...which is good as the next steps include building the four cabinet doors and that will entail my first foray into vacuum veneering panels. I assembled all the stuff I got from Joe Woodworker and will start practice veneering at the earliest opportunity!

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[Matt Meiser]

Coming along nicely! Are these getting bowl-style sinks that sit on top of the counter? I realized that I don't see a space for the sink bowl to drop down inside.

[Jim Becker]

Coming along nicely! Are these getting bowl-style sinks that sit on top of the counter? I realized that I don't see a space for the sink bowl to drop down inside.

Yes. Top of counter bowls all around.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

Jim, Those look great! I love the cherry finish; you brought out the best of the wood. One question: What did you use to finish the interior? I may have missed it but I like the way it came out nice and light.

[Jim Becker]

Jim, Those look great! I love the cherry finish; you brought out the best of the wood. One question: What did you use to finish the interior? I may have missed it but I like the way it came out nice and light.

Alan, the interior components were sprayed with Target USL prior to assembly. The "show" components only have oil on them at present...I want to do the top coating of everything all at once and leaving things just at oil also means the vanities remain "repairable" should I, umm...make a boo-boo...while moving them around in the shop.

I was pretty careful at choosing the material for these units. It raised the cost a bit, but the first step in finishing is always picking the right material. If I don't find enough QS/rift left in the rack to do the doors as I plan them, I'll be making another "acquisition" run to the candy store...err...Hearne Hardwoods.