Ash Nightstand #1: Midway Construction

So I am starting this entry late in the process as a couple of people wanted to follow the progress.

This nightstand is being built as a prototype for the 2 finals which will be built from Walnut and walnut crotch veneer. I had a spare 8/4 ash board that I got real cheap as it had ash borer tracks in it (the borers tracks are invasive to the wood however they don’t seem to weaken it or leave holes as you might thing, they just leave s-shaped tracks in it, at least in my case with this batch). Since I will be ebonizing this prototype, it doesn’t matter much anyway.

As a side note, it is projected that American ash stores will be depleted or possibly even wiped out entirely by the emerald ash borer within 2 decades…..This might be over hyped, but the devastating effects so far are inescapable. Sad, ash is a durable, sometimes creamy colored wood that works and weighs similar to oak, somewhat lighter than red oak, but not as open grained. It takes india ink particularly well BTW.

Anyway, pics follow…..I used some Sandply for the first time (got cheap and didnt spring for Baltic Birch or use solid wood) for the panel inserts. This was a tragic mistake. This stuff feels like balsa wood with a bad, splinterey, feathery texture. Stay well clear of this crap. But, since it was a prototype, and I already bought the Sandply….I used it.

None of the pics show final sanding, so forgive any scratches etc…..

This pic shows the sand ply…It looks wavy here, but its a play of light….The stuff does suck, but it is flat.

This pic shows the drawer fitted….pretty good for my first drawer IMHO

Runners, doublers

Missing top, shelf and final sanding

Top goes here, not going to bother cleaning it up…..its scraped and sanded flat

Dovetailed drawer (first one)

More soon….

JC

-- Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known. -Carl Sagan