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Ash Nightstand

8K views 22 replies 13 participants last post by  Kentuk55 
#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
 
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#6 ·
Thanks for the kind words. Mario, I plan on building 2 of them for our bedroom from Walnut and walnut crotch veneer. I wanted to work out the kinks and layout in this iteration. Glad I did too, as I made a few mistakes (none really noticible, mostly process type mistakes)....

JC
 
#7 ·
Finishing and Top Glueup

I glued up the drawer tonight and since I cut the back a little short, I decided to use miller dowels on the rear of the drawer with a little glue….This will be plenty strong….



Here is the nightstand with a couple coats of Solar Lux on it…..India Ink would be best, but this stuff is cheaper.
It looks a little grey here, but when you finish it, the color darkens up.



Here is the drawer with Solar Lux (3 coats) and one coat of Waterlox. A little cleanup is left on the maple.



Here is the carcase with 2 coats of Solar Lux and 1 coat of Waterlox. I will add one more coat of Waterlox original tomorrow night, and follow that with 2 coats of a 75/25 mixture of Waterlox original and Waterlox Satin to knock the sheen down just a bit. The drawer innards will get a couple coats of plain shellac.



More dovetail shots



I glued up 3 planks of Sapele for the top



Remaining will be to buy some more ash for the removable lower shelf and ebonize it, sand, shellac, and mount the Sapele top, and complete the finishing schedule on the drawer and carcase.
 
#14 ·
Small addition

Not a full blown entry, more of a followup to part 2 but here is the night stand with 3 coats of waterlox original and 1 coat of a 75/25 mix waterlox satin/original. I knocked off the nibs after the first 3 coats with 0000 steel wool…..

I've also included a pic of the Solar Lux for Chico. One word of warning though. If you really want a true black piece with no thin spots etc and have a few (?!) extra bucks, use Speedball india ink for this treatment. I only used the Solar Lux because this is a prototype and I had it left over from the bookcase test. India ink requires less coats and is MUCH blacker. The only caveat is that you MUST pre-raise the grain and sand or else the waterbased india ink will do it for you!

Anyway, here are the pics…..nothing new really….

Edit: PS. I guess I should be fair to the Solar Lux, you can get a decent black from this stuff, but expect to use at least 4-5 coats minimum. Mileage may vary….

JC



Nice medium sheen


Somehow, I managed to ding the leg :( , its still black, the flash caught the dent…..
 
#18 ·
Completed Nightstand

Well, before I could add the lower shelf, my wife decided that it would be used as a child's desk instead. Oh well, it was a prototype anyway….

Here are a couple so so pics….

JC



Not crazy about the way the black pics up the flash….it doesnt look like that in person….and this pic was before the drawer hardware was added….



Anyway, it was a fairly easy build….if anyone has a question about something, please feel free….now onto a large cypress/paduk document box.

JC
 
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