A Practice In Mortise and Tenon Construction

Looks like you m&t’s worked out great!

Those side drawers are very interesting.

Nice job.

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

Nice job!

Thanks for the post

Callum

-- For wood working podcasts with a twist check out http://thetimberkid.com/

Nice job! Are the legs one piece, or is the turned section seperate?

Very pretty cabinet. Your wife should be happy. I love the maple wood. You did a very skilled job on the m and t joints. And the color is great. Hard to get an even color on maple. Nice project. mike

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Looks like it was worth the effort!

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

This is a very nice cabinet and you did a good job with the construction and finish.

Thanks for sharing.

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

I love the drawers on the side. yes ….And you say this is a sewing cabinet ? So your LOYL puts her Sewing machine on the pull out shelf ?.. Excuse my dumbness ….
I think it looks great …
Thanks

-- Mike in Bonney Lake " If you are real real real good your whole life, You 'll be buried in a curly maple coffin when you die."

Very interesting cabinet. Beautiful color and proportions. Must have been a glue-up nightmare, though.

-- Please visit me at http://dustynewt.com

Shaker is my favorite style and your piece did nothing to change my mind.

It’s also a really nice looking finish. Would you care to tell us about the finish?

Great job!

-- There is no such thing as scrap wood!, http://www.saltrivergallery.com

really nice… side drawers are a cool addition to the project

-- making sawdust....

Smitty,

I also enjoy looking at your work. Like others who have written, above, I am curious to know more about the purpose behind the side-opening drawers. Looking forward to your explanation.

-- Sola Gratia, John

A great exercise in geometry as well as joinery Smitty. Great finished product indeed.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I love Shaker furniture. Too bad my wife thinks it too plain. This piece is on my short list for Shaker woodwork. Nice job.

If I may interject, the Shakers didn’t do ANYTHING without a purpose. Austerity and efficiency in all things was a tenet of their faith. Remember, these are the folks that gave us the flat broom and the circular saw blade. So to answer JohnR’s question, the side opening drawers allowed the worker to remain seated while allowing access to the contents of the desk.

always,
J.C.

-- "Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

Excellent craftsmanship. Thanks for the post.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

I what to Thank everyone for the comments on the Sewing Desk and to answer some of the questions- The Shakers, as JC pointed out never built anything without a useful purpose and were a very practical society.
The sewing desk is designed for the use of one person or two people at once and keep in mind this is a sewing desk not a sewing machine table. Sometimes these were called a tailors or seamstress desk where most of the sewing was done by hand and needle and thread. Thus the purpose of the side drawers not only for the second person but for storage of larger cloth goods also. The pullout top was useful for larger cloth goods.
The Finish used was a trial to mimic the look of an antique, trying to highlight signs of wear at certain places, thus the variations of color on certain areas. The Russet Amber aniline dye was done in a wash first then a sealcoat applied. The gel coat was a Mahogany color and used sparingly . The final coat was a gloss lacquer for depth and a satin with tinting to knock down the gloss.
The legs and corner uprights are all one piece with turnings.
Like someone noted it was a nightmare in assembly and glue up but with all it’s M/T joints it’s a very sturdy piece of furniture.
Thanks again everyone, Have a Good One,
Smitty

-- Smitty, Alabama, http://www.firstdesignwoodworking.com/

Smitty, I think its a gorgeous piece. You make nice pieces. The color is beautiful, I’m sure LOYL was quite pleased, (I would hide all the pictures though, ha ha). Keep the projects coming.

-- Your Brother in WoodWorking John, Pittsburgh , PA.

Great work there Smitty – a real fine piece you’ve built there – I’ve always admired that form.

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

I have so much to learn about woodworking.

A beautiful peice of work Smitty. But more importantly, a wonderful display of your love towards your wife. We need more men like you.

-- Randy, Tupelo, MS ~ May I become more like the Master Carpenter every day.

Very nice work.

-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker

SMITTY,
THAT`S A REALLY NICE WORK. I`M SURE THE MISSES REALLY APPRECIATES IT.
THANKS FOR SHARING THE PROCESS IN WHICH YOU BUILT IT. I`M FAIRLY NEW
IN WOODWORKING AND LIKE TO LEARN ALL I CAN ABOUT DIFFERENT FABRICATION
AND SET UP METHODS.
THA FINISH TURNED OUT GREAT ALSO.

-- ''Carry on my wayward son''

Great job Smitty. I had an opportunity to work at a college that offered as one of their courses indepth sewing they had 3 classe rooms very large. The tables they used had a muslin material with polyester fill about 1” thick so the patterns could be pinned to the table when working on them. It seems like all the drawers should have been on both sides because the face is blocked off when ever the pull out is extended and a linier row on both sidesand leading edge of small drawers could be built onto the pullout soffett for pins and such.

-- another tip from cooperedpatterns

The sewing table is gorgeous Smitty…great job!

-- Wayne - Plymouth MN

Great project! I love this style of furniture. So clean, so functional. It looks like a piece you will wonder how you lived without it once you have it.

-- - You begin thinking less, and feeling more.