A Cherry Display Pedestal

This was an interesting project to build despite its small size. This was a small commission piece to display a bronze of General Ulysses S. Grant for a Civil War aficionado. As a woodworker, the interesting aspect was to witness the evolution of the design from an initial sketch that arrived via FAX to the final full size construction drawings that made it out to the shop.

Original Sketch FAX

My initial design was worked out on SketchUp referencing the concepts from the FAX sketch. I solicited input from a number of sources and slowly refined the design. The exciting part of this was for me to step outside my straight linear “blanket chest” comfort zone . . . well I know I have a long way to go but it is a step in the right direction!

Initial SketchUp Drawing

Leg Options in SketchUp

Spending time in the drawing process was very fruitful. It gave me an opportunity to work out reveals and molding details, as well as, carcase construction details. Having the full size drawing hanging on the shop wall was extremely useful and kept me on track during the build. This was especially helpful during breaks where I wasn’t able to work on the project because of my regular job or family obligations.

Top Front Corner Detail from Full-Sized Drawing

Bottom Front Corner Detail from Full-Sized Drawing

The main wood is solid cherry with solid poplar as a secondary wood and MDF panels veneered with maple and flat sawn cherry.

Milled Cherry Stock Stickered and Adjusting to Shop Environment

I used maple as the interior veneer to add a sense of brightness. I carefully choose and positioned the cathedral pattern of the flat sawn cherry veneer for the exterior panels. To do this I made a small MDF frame that approximated the panel opening. I used this frame to position the grain pattern and to lay out cut lines on the veneer.

MDF Frame Used to Lay Out Door Panel Veneer

Veneered Door Panel with Centered Cathedral Pattern

I always try to include leg levelers if possible to accommodate any uneven floor surfaces. For this project, I used 1¼ square white oak with ¼-20 steel threaded inserts and felt covered leveling feet that were concealed behind the cabinet legs.

Shop Made Leg Leveler

The finish was ½# shellac wash coat to prevent blotching followed by 1# cut amber shellac for tone followed by 6 coats of WaterLox Original Formula thinned 50:50 with mineral spirits. Two coats of clear wax completed the finish schedule. The final touch was a makers-mark giving appropriate due credit! This makers-mark was a white water slide decal made on my computer.

The Folding Rule Blog

This project was a commission for The Clearwater Gallery in Sisters, Oregon.
It was built with wild Oregon cherry I purchased from Hardwood Components, Inc . . . a local family run hardwood mill that specializes in native Oregon hardwoods. After getting some rough dimensions from the gallery, I worked out the design for the project over several evening using SketchUp. I used my vacuum press to veneer the bottom of the shelf with rift sawn cherry and to press the carpet covered shelf insert.

Finish schedule was two coats 1/2# clear shellac to minimize blotching followed by a single coat of 1# amber shellac and 6 coats of wet sanded Original Formula Waterlox. A final buffing with two coats of clear wax finished off the project.

David

The Folding Rule Blog

My Makers-Mark

Finally complete and delivered to the Clearwater Gallery. These two quilt chests are a quarter the size of the early Captian’s Sea chest that provided the original inspiration. They are pegged mortise and tenon frame and panel construction. Steamed cherry solids and cherry veneer plywood panels with aromatic red cedar planking on the bottom. Finish is hand rubbed oil and wax. Thanks to all those that followed my cherry chest blog and provided advice and encouragement.

Udate to answer a question. These are being sold as is and not painted.

I just completed the steamed cherry dislay stand that I have been building for some friends in Central Oregon. I will be delivered tomorrow. It was a fun project.

This is a project I completed last summer at our vacation home in Central Oregon. It was completed just as we had to evacuate our home for the Black Crater fire. Luckily the fire only got within 1/2 mile of our home. The Interagency Fire Management Team and the fire crews did an excellent job of containing this fire.

Black Crater Fire – Sisters • Oregon

The fence is built with clear cedar using the Kreg Pocket Screw Jig. All of the joinery is hidden under the framing members and by trim pieces. I used 2 1/2 inch stainless steel pocket screws. All of the fence boards are attached with stainless steel face frame screws from Kreg.

The pine tree was a small Christmas image i downloaded on the internet. I enlarged the image until it had the correct scale for the door. It was cut out with a scroll saw and the edges radiused with a round over bit in the router. The door was assemled in my shop and transported to the job site for installation at the completion of the fence.

This is an update to a project previously posted. I just got these photos of the painting my good friend Dan Rickards did on the small cherry blanket chest. What a wonderful pleasure to collaborate with a friend on such a fun project! This chest will be auctioned at the My Own Two Hands art acution this April in Sisters, Oregon.

This was a fun project built for a fellow Lumberjock. It was fun researching and learning about inkle looms. The loom includes 6 shuttles to carry the weaving threads. The project is my first project out of the scrap bin. Its made of steamed cherry and read oak. Joinery is mortise & tenon and Miller Dowels. Finish is 4 coats of tung oil, 3 coats of lacquer and 2 coats of wax.

The Folding Rule Inkle Loom

SketchUp Inkle Plans

Inkle Loom Photo Gallery

Those interested in weaving and the inkle loom should check out: http://www.inkleweaving.com/index.html

This is a small basswood canoe paddle that I carved for my son to celebrate his first Boy Scout Summer Camp. The finish is Deft Sanding Sealer and multiple coats of Deft Clear Gloss Lacquer that was wet sanded between coats and finished with wax. I posted a small blog on the process of makinng the decals used on the paddle.

This is my third project, a small cherry blanket chest. I am preparing my first blog detailing this project which will be posted soon – just sorting out details of where to host my images for upload to LJ. This was a fun projetc and I learned a lot about planning, joinery and finishing. I also applied a lot of things I learned on LJ.

This chest was constructed with frame and panel construction using mortise and tenon joinery. The bottom is tongue and grooved aromatic cedar.

This is my experimental project using my new Kreg pocket hole jig. My wife asked me to make a bedside step stool for her Mom on a recent visit to our home. The project is made from faux cherry finished alder and Brazilian cherry trim. Frame and panel construction with pocket hole joinery.