I've finally completed my interpretation of the Gustav Stickley #732 sideboard. This was the most complicated project I've ever undertaken, and the total time from purchasing the cherry to taking this pictures was ~18 months. I think it turned out reasonably well.
Details as follows:
- Primary wood is PA cherry, nearly all curly. Secondary wood is hard maple. Most came from Irion, just an hour north of me; some from Brauchts Dry Kiln.
- Dimensions of the top are 54" x 20". It sits 38.75" off the floor.
- Interior construction is based around a series of webframes, mortised into the legs.
- The back is shiplapped, and was finished independently from everything else and only installed after the interior of the case had cured. The back top rail installed via a sliding dovetail from the top.
- Drawers are handcut dovetails, half blind on the fronts, through on the back. Drawer bottoms are solid maple.
- Drawer runners all maple, 3 point construction, modeled after the modern Stickley design with two hardwood runners riding in dados on the drawer sides, and a bottom dovetail runner for alignment.
- Hardware pulls are hand-hammered copper from Gerry Rucks.
- Inlays were purchased from Mitchell Andrus @ missionfurnishings.com, veneered to Baltic Birch ply using the skateboard vacuum kit. This is the only ply in the project, but its use here seemed prudent to avoid later problems with the veneer cracking.
- Finding locks that are more than toys was a problem. I finally settled for mortise locks imported from Niche Locks in the UK.
- Finish was Waterlox Original Sealer/Finisher, original formulation (i.e. VOC Incomplient).
Lots of firsts here for me: first time doing handcut dovetails; first time using real webframes; first time working with veneer; first time using thread escutcheons. All in all, it was an excellent learning experience (and my wife is happy, which is all that really matters...).
I received some great input from Creek members early on in the design stage of this; thanks to everyone who chimed in then.
IMAG0540_web.jpgIMAG0536_web.jpgIMAG0537_web.jpgIMAG0539_web.jpgIMAG0538_web.jpg