Minwax Oil Stain – “Early American” & 3 coats of Satin Poly

1/4” square oak strips and #4-1/2” brass screws holding the glass in the door openings

Detail

through Tenon

Didn’t have time to add the hidden compartment that I planned. A fun project. I think they will like it.

1. Sanding
2. Installed lapped slats in the back
3. Drilled the adjustable shelf pin holes
4. Mounted the door with the hinges
5. Installed the cupboard key latch.

(click on pics for larger view)

More sanding and move on to finishing. installing glass, etc. Need to get on the stick. My friends are moving in three weeks.

You can see my uneven gap at the top of the door. I need to pull the case about an 3/32” -1/8” to square. The disadvantage of the slats is that they didn’t hold the case square when I took the pipe clamp off the diagonal (like a solid back would have) after installing the slats. Any ideas? I was considering a diagonal brace across the back but really don’t like how that would look. (even though it would be up against a wall and rarely seen).

I plan to have this bookcase done for them as a going away present. It’s based on a Stickley design found in Shop Drawings of Craftsman Furniture vol.II

I bill these as tackle storage chests, but they’re based on a machinist-type chest for small tools. There’s multiple uses for these though: tools, bead-craft, needle point thread, small parts, pocket knife collecting, etc. etc. I have put tackle chest type dividers in each drawer in the past yet the time involved drives the price point beyond what most seem willing to pay. These are not high end cabinetry. Just rabbets and glue on the drawer corners. The bottom is glued and tacked to the drawer frame. The bottom 1/4” material is oversized to slide in dadoes in the case sides. All but one unit’s case is recyled material clearing out the cut-offs. The Mahogany colored cases were casework for two old electronic organs in their previous life. The two other little ones are from a left-over small piece of ash ply and regular construction grade ply. Therefore, all except the solid oak unit is sized to fit the recycled ply casework. Drawer fronts and carcases are a mixture of recycled pine, ply and pallet oak. I spent a little more time on a solid red oak example in the last pic, but am leaving it unfinished because I’ve heard – “Boy, I wish it was this color!” too many times and again, it keeps the price point down.

This next piece is the latest incarnation of a custom display case for antique tackle. Most spouses delegate their husband’s/wive’s fishing tackle collection to a back room or somewhere out of sight. It was my hope to create something that could sit in a living room and also provide a fine home for someone’s high dollar examples from this old time tackle company. Red oak, dovetailed case, frame and panel top, marquetry and painted (lettering) lid interior, hinged fitted plate glass to protect tackle from unwanted touchers when the lid is open

Laminated dip net of red oak and walnut

I was thinking that I needed to be taking pictures, but I was too lazy to go get the camera. Sorry.

Dados for interior partitions made with table saw stacked dado blade – ash drawer guides glued to the interior before assembly – pins for dovetails visible – partial end pieces have the tails

interior partitions (poplar) and box bottom (pine)

Glue up of main box body (Walnut)

Full half round top ready for sanding and fine tuning (Walnut and Walnut veneer)

Click on pic for larger view.

Made a simple circle jig to use on the bandsaw out of nail through a board. Drilled a small hole to accomadate the nail in the center of my piece and cut the circle. Quartered the circle for the coopered lid ends. Bought a 1/4” flute and a 1/4” beading bit (horizontal winged) yesterday to machine the 1/4” thick walnut slats to mesh with each other around the curve (like canoe slats). Home made jig (pictured in the book) to hold the ends and rubber bands to hold the slats tight while the glue dries.

Figured out I didn’t make enough slats to make the whole lid. Going to have to make those before moving on to the other half.

Click pics for larger view

Full size bed frame