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Tansu Inspired Case

Project by Dorje posted 96 days ago 689 views 12 times favorited 50 comments Add to Favorites
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Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


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tansu case drawers chest box cedar pine walnut poplar fir

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Tansu Inspired Case Tansu Inspired Case Tansu Inspired Case Click the pictures to enlarge them

Here’s the completed Tansu style case I started a couple months ago, and blogged here ...this was supposed to be a quick, fun, little project – and although it took the couple months from start to finish, it turned out to be just the right “spend-some-time-on-it-here-and-there-project.”

This is an all scrap wood piece, made of cedar, pine, poplar, fir, and walnut

The case is mitered with walnut keys. The drawers are joined with drawer lock joints (a router joint). The vg fir back is simply rabbeted into the case and tacked with little nails…

Finish is 3 coats of a boiled linseed based mix, with a coat of paste wax.

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA


50 comments so far

View chamoruboy's profile

chamoruboy

113 posts in 409 days


posted 96 days ago

Very beautiful. I really like the use of the metal brackets on the face.
Fantastic that it was composed entirely of scrap wood.
Great job!!!

-- Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and love.

View W1ngnu7's profile

W1ngnu7

21 posts in 320 days


posted 96 days ago

Great design Dorje.

-- W1ngnu7

View Eric's profile

Eric

530 posts in 184 days


posted 96 days ago

Wow, it’s really beautiful. Well done.

And great photographs as well!

-- Eric at http://adventuresinwoodworking.com

View GaryK's profile

GaryK

8243 posts in 389 days


posted 96 days ago

That turned out fantastic, Dorje! Great design and details!

The hardware is also very nice.

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

1389 posts in 478 days


posted 96 days ago

great result…love the design and the fact that you pulled it together with so many different woods…

i like the black metal…accentuates the overall feel…

-- Matt, Napa, CA...SING WITH ME: "Sum...sum...sum...summ...summ...summ...summertime..."

View Blake's profile

Blake

1833 posts in 275 days


posted 96 days ago

This came out beautifully, Dorje. It really looks nice with the hardware finally on. Great interpretation and execution. It was interesting to see the process. Thanks for blogging it in such great detail. Congratulations on completing it.

-- Dust collectors suck.

View davidtheboxmaker's profile

davidtheboxmaker

258 posts in 206 days


posted 95 days ago

That’s a really nice set of drawers. The hardware sets the whole design off really well. The blog is excellent – many thanks for sharing it with us, and well done.

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

7957 posts in 223 days


posted 95 days ago

Finally!!! I have been wondering where you were on this. I see that you changed your mind about the drawer hardware. Good. This looks better than finger pulls, (in my humble opinion of course). This is well designed and executed project. I especially like the hardware and miter keys. They add a lot of visual interest to the case.

Well done.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5291 posts in 467 days


posted 95 days ago

Dorje I agree with all of the above comments. Your project came out very nice. Good design and execution.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

2169 posts in 380 days


posted 95 days ago

Dorje;

Don’t you have anything better to do than show up the rest of us? LOL

The is gorgeous! I love it.

Another example of no such thing as a quick and easy project!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View trifern's profile

trifern

2171 posts in 168 days


posted 95 days ago

That is one stunning case. Wonderfully executed design and details. Great job.

-- Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.

View Critterman's profile

Critterman

443 posts in 211 days


posted 95 days ago

Great Job Dorje,

Great mix of metal and wood, then the different woods look great as well. Very nice.

-- Jim Hallada, Newport News, VA, soon to be Chesterfield, VA

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1809 posts in 487 days


posted 95 days ago

Really nice…I love the look. Perfect blend of tones.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

View DAN's profile

DAN

2627 posts in 384 days


posted 95 days ago

Dorje ! you have the best looking scrap material I have ever seen. Beautiful grain balance and orientation, crisp

-- I made a cool back scratcher !!

View Damian Penney's profile

Damian Penney

593 posts in 392 days


posted 95 days ago

Looks great Dorje, I was wondering where you were with this too. So what’s going to go in it?

-- I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso

View Todd A. Clippinger's profile

Todd A. Clippinger

2460 posts in 500 days


posted 95 days ago

I love it!

-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com

View SteveL's profile

SteveL

37 posts in 169 days


posted 95 days ago

I love it. The mix of “scrap woods” as you call them blend perfectly in a very functional Tansu case. The traditional case is made from Pawlonia to be lightweight, but the choice of cedar, pine and fir meet that objective nicely too. Guess all you’ve got to decide now is where is it going to go?

-- SteveL

View blackcherry's profile

blackcherry

177 posts in 224 days


posted 95 days ago

Great use of leftovers…the piece speaks volume in style and craftmanships…Blkcherry

View jockmike2's profile

jockmike2

3833 posts in 647 days


posted 95 days ago

Dorje, you amaze me, to turn out something so delicate. My hats off to you Sir. Well done. mike

-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com

View jm82435's profile

jm82435

145 posts in 143 days


posted 95 days ago

I just want to say amen to all the above. Stunningly beautiful. That straight grain fir is perfect, gives it a soft elegance. I can just about smell the pine. I really like this, thanks for sharing it. This makes me want to box up all my scraps and send them to you.

-- A thing of beauty is a joy forever... - Keats

View Paul's profile

Paul

576 posts in 493 days


posted 95 days ago

Love it!

-- Paul, Texas

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

668 posts in 283 days


posted 95 days ago

That is just fantastic. I really like it. Good job.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View Douglas Bordner's profile (online now)

Douglas Bordner

2286 posts in 464 days


posted 95 days ago

Beautiful “Northwestern Woods” suite. This really came off nicely. What will be it’s final resting place, shop or home?

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

3635 posts in 619 days


posted 95 days ago

Beautiful job of design and construction.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View Bob #2's profile

Bob #2

1668 posts in 422 days


posted 95 days ago

I waaaant it! <vbg>
Nice job Dorje!

Bob

-- A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


posted 95 days ago

Thanks for the comments and support! Truly appreciated!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View ND2ELK's profile

ND2ELK

1914 posts in 175 days


posted 95 days ago

Nice design and beautiful case. Thank you for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

View Robb's profile

Robb

309 posts in 335 days


posted 95 days ago

Looks great, Dorje, congratulations on finishing a(nother) fine piece!

-- Robb

View scottb's profile

scottb

2771 posts in 728 days


posted 95 days ago

This is exactly what I need for my shop – just the size for the space I have in mind. Very very nicely done.

-- The opposite of war isn't peace. It's creation. -- Wood T's: http://www.printfection.com/snbcreative

View crookedshack's profile

crookedshack

36 posts in 183 days


posted 95 days ago

Great job, Dorje. I love the proportions and the hardware looks really nice. Your work is very inspiring.

-- Joe, Indiana, http://www.crookedshack.com

View ChicoWoodnut's profile

ChicoWoodnut

416 posts in 216 days


posted 95 days ago

Nice work Dorje. I really like the proportions. Looks like a study in joinery.

thanks for posting.

-- Scott - Chico California http://chicowoodnut.home.comcast.net

View Thuan's profile

Thuan

152 posts in 219 days


posted 94 days ago

Beautiful! The use of pine for the back panel is very appropriate for the tansu.

-- Thuan

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


posted 94 days ago

Thanks all!

Thuan – the back is the vg fir…I should’ve said where the different woods were used from the get go…

Everything you can see is the cedar, with the exception of the fir back. Poplar was used for interior drawer divders and upper drawer bottoms. Pine was used for the lower drawer bottoms.

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View Bradford's profile

Bradford

536 posts in 223 days


posted 93 days ago

Truly a beautiful project.

-- so much wood, so little time. Bradford.

View motthunter's profile

motthunter

982 posts in 200 days


posted 93 days ago

beautiful and clean.

-- making sawdust....

View Zuki's profile

Zuki

658 posts in 478 days


posted 93 days ago

Favorited. Nice work D.

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

View Mike Lingenfelter's profile

Mike Lingenfelter

361 posts in 515 days


posted 93 days ago

A simple and clean design can be hard to pull off, but you have done it with this Tansu style case. The hardware really makes this piece. Love it.

-- Mike - "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." (Scott Adams)

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

943 posts in 495 days


posted 83 days ago

Dorje – I had a double post somehow. I must have submitted one by accident when editing. I’m always hitting the finger pad with my palm. whoops.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

943 posts in 495 days


posted 83 days ago

Dorje, I’ve been meaning to stop here and post some Kudos since I got the notice of the posting. This came out spectacular!

Are the the keys on the miters trimmed on the inside of the case at all? It may just be an optical illusion. (I’ll go back through your blog.)

I’m even more inspired to do some of these! I have an idea to do a series of them that can be set in varying arrangements on the side of our stairs up to our loft in the condo. I need to research Tansu a little more too I suppose. Again, nice execution and use of scraps!

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View Jeff's profile

Jeff

943 posts in 495 days


posted 83 days ago

Question answered. The third pic was throwing me off. I forgot about the rabbet in the back for the panel. Sure does look nice for scraps.

-- Jeff, St. Paul, MN

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


posted 83 days ago

Thanks Jeff Jeff Jeff- funny to see your mug shot three times in a row! I’m guilty of my share of double posts!

I definitely want to do more in this style in the future – but bigger hardwood cases!

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View Davesfunwoodworking's profile

Davesfunwoodworking

150 posts in 276 days


posted 82 days ago

Dorje, very nice job. I really like this one. Just something about it. Sure would make a great tool chest.

-- Davesfunwoodworking

View Mark Mazzo's profile

Mark Mazzo

285 posts in 313 days


posted 78 days ago

Dorje,

I had not seen the completion of this until now. Excellent job on this. I really love the design of this piece. Any sources of inspiration for a set of Tansu box-on-box? There’s a spot in our house that’s begging for something like that.

Well done!

-- Mark, Webster New York, Visit my website at http://thecraftsmanspath.com

View David's profile

David

79 posts in 116 days


posted 78 days ago

“SWEET” very nice!

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


posted 78 days ago

Mark – sources of inspiration for me have primarily been looking at old cases in shops, on the web, and in books…

BUT, If I’m reading your question right – you may want to check out the following:

http://www.finewoodstudio.com/cabinets.htm

http://www.sodergrenfurniture.com/collection/index.html

http://www.mckinnonfurniture.com/tansu/menu.htm

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

View bfd's profile

bfd

165 posts in 208 days


posted 76 days ago

Dorje,

This is a beautiful piece man! I love tansu chests but have never made one. I love the fact that you used all scrap wood to do this. Your craftsmanship is stellar.

-- bfd, Folsom, CA

View Karson's profile

Karson

11919 posts in 801 days


posted 76 days ago

Dorje; A beautiful case. A nice job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

View Jarrod_Murphree's profile

Jarrod_Murphree

150 posts in 124 days


posted 65 days ago

Phenomenal. Great looking piece; very authentic. The grain characteristics on the top/sides looks like some of the Japanese originals you see in books and on the web. Great eye for detail…

-- Jarrod, Eagle Nest, NM

View gizmodyne's profile

gizmodyne

1431 posts in 491 days


posted 55 days ago

I missed the post somehow. Well done. I love the natural look and the hardware. Now you just need to make a few different styles and get to stacking.

-- -John "Do I have to keep typing a smiley? Just assume it's a joke." www.flickr.com/photos/gizmodyne

View Dorje's profile

Dorje

1704 posts in 398 days


posted 55 days ago

Thanks guys -

Jarrod – Thanks for your comment – I had known that I wanted to build a little tansu, and when I had that cedar board left over from work on the house last summer, it screamed tansu…

-- Dorje (pronounced "door-jay"), Seattle, WA

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