Lingerie Chest #1: Sketchup Design

cool, Blake. I like contrasting woods.

-- Martin, http://lumberjocks.com | My Facebook: http://profile.to/msojka

Very unique—hard to tell but are the drawer fronts curved or just cut on an angle to appear curved?

-- Dan M, SW Suburbs, Chicago IL -- http://www.djay-crafts.com

They would be curved.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

I like it!

How about stability when a drawer is open?

Lew

I was just thinking about that. Weight concentration will be a big consideration. I will keep the drawer fronts light and the back and bottom panels heavier. It might even need a little ballast in the bottom of the case.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

That looks like fun, Blake.

I expect you applied some sort of line style to the image but my first impression is that the bent legs would be tied together and tied to the box a little bit like skin on frame kayaks are done. I could see the case and drawer fronts out of something like Sitka spruce planed to 1/2” thick or so. Drawer sides and bottom at 1/4” or 3/16”

Only problem is that it would be so light, the thing would dance around on the floor as people walked by. It’d move like one of those players in the old vibrating football games.

-- Until you spread your wings, you'll have no idea how far you can walk.

Very cool design I am not sure on stability though.

-- There is no such thing as a mistake. Its called a design modification Rick Kruse, Grand Rapids, MI

The laminated legs would also be thicker than it appears in the drawing. At least 1” by 1”.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

Very nice design, I was going to suggest you “beefed” up the legs a little. Blind dovetails on the drawer fronts and through dovetails on the backs.

You should make a mock-up of the legs to test for strength, the lower crossover looks like it might be a problem with strength, (even with 1” thick legs) when it has the weight of the drawers and their contents.

You might want to consider veneering the drawer fronts (cherry veneer on cherry main wood, unless you can get cherry boards which are really wide), so you get a matching uninterrupted grain pattern, which would be very striking indeed. As for the secondary wood, think about Aspen or Birch both provide a stable light hardwood and provide a good contrast with cherry to show off the dovetails.

Think about 1/2” material for the case and drawer fronts and 3/8” material for the drawer sides & backs – it will reduce the weight considerably and add to the delicacy of the piece, it may also aid the stability. Again for this you should make a mock up to test the stability with the top drawer fully open and loaded with chocolates (at least thats where my wife keeps her secret supply).

On the finish you might consider leaving it unstained, but go for a high gloss finish, maybe even French polishing, which would really enhance the piece and make it stand out even more than the design does at the moment.

I look forward to seeing this one come to fruition

-- Tony - All things are possible, just some things are more difficult than others! - SKYPE: Heron2005 (http://www.poydatjatuolit.fi)

Great looking design there Blake… I’ll be very interested to see a blog of the build (especially legs)

Tony gave some great advice..As an absolute amateur at furniture design I would not have thought about some of the points he made.

-- Chris

Blake,

Another fantastic design! I really like the shape and the delicate nature of this piece perfect for what it is meant to hold. Don’t know what you were think regarding the construction of the bowed front and top but you could laminate the substrate (poplar) and then veneer over the front as Tony suggested with the grain running matched vertically. The substrate would be the same shape cut out several times to give you the width of the drawer fronts and the back of the case for that matter. I really hope you decide to build this. As I mentioned on the phone I really like the all cherry version. Also, if I were building this I would construct the legs first then take the curve for the case sides/front and back from the finished laminations vs. the other way around since you will experience slight spring back as you know from your other bent lamination projects.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

Well, I got here after everyone else voiced my concerns. I really love this design but second the need for beefier legs. Really great, Blake.

-- Thos. Angle

Designing is so fun. Working out the details will come the further you get into it. Initial shape and concept is fantastic!

-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.

Very cool design. I hope you build this baby, just so I can see the finished product ;)

-- "Give me your poor tools, your tired steel, your huddled masses of rust." Yep, I ripped off the Statue of Liberty. That's how I roll!

beefy legs, lingerie, curves, chest…it’s bound to get lots of hits in a google search.

-- Dan, Sterling Alaska, http://sullcon.homestead.com/ Before you criticise some one, walk a mile in their shoes...then you will be a mile away and you have their shoes!

Blake – you are certainly full of ideas. Wish I’d get some like that! I think it’s a great idea. I do go along with the others and think the legs need to be beefier. I’m wondering if you could incorporate wrot (I know that is not spelled right) iron legs with the wooden case.

Can’t wait to see you bring this to life!

-- You can't get a hug from Facebook.

Laminated cherry would also work for the legs, by shifting the wood just a little would help create greater strength. 16 layers of 1/16” wood would allow you to bend it to whatever shape were needed. It looks like a great design. I resawed some cherry and sapele on the bandsaw when I made the vintage sleigh runners. I was able to bend it cold over a 3” circle corner and glued with titebond II. The only problem was where i hit a burl, so I shifted it to a straight spot and bent away. The laminations were 1” X 1/16, 5 layers for the runners. and then cut to 5/16 wide so the cross section was square.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

Sweet start to a great project. Have you considered repeating the arches from the bottom to the top and adding an adjustable oval mirror? I am looking forward to this coming to fruition.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Oooooooooooh trifern, thats an interesting idea. I’ll have to play around with that in Sketchup.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

Nice, Blake. You got talent.

I like the mirror idea. This would also add some weight (which I think this piece might need).

I got thinking about the drawer pulls. Since the top and bottom are so parallel to the floor, it might be nice to have pulls that are also parallel to the floor, rather than knobs that are on an angle with the drawer front. This would also keep the bottom pull from pointing downwards.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

I agree. I tend to keep my Sketchup Drawings very simple. Its basically only a “concept drawing.” Many of the details will change. It was easier just to make little knobs that point the direction of the drawers just for the sake of making a quick sketch. I just wanted to see how the overall look and shape came across.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

Great design Blake, and it sure does follow along with your current theme…........ all beautiful!!!

I ditto all the comments above, including the mirror…....... can’t wait to see the final design and completed project.

You have an amazing talent in design, .........one of my weaker points. I still have to get ideas from parts and pieces of other projects/designs. Hopefully someday I will gain some of your “design eye”!

-- Gene, Majestic Eagle Woodworks, http://majesticeagleww.etsy.com/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/majesticeagle/

Blake this is going to be a cool project.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker