# Boy's Cherry and Walnut Dresser



## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*

A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.

*Inspiration*

My first step was to review some of my favorite projects on lumberjocks.com. I've added references to these projects at the end of this post. They're all excellent…check 'em out!

*Perspiration*

With those pieces in mind, I set out to design the new dresser. Here's my current Sketchup rendering:





The light colored wood represents cherry and the dark, walnut. I spent some time debating reversing the side panels, that is, using walnut for the frame and cherry for the raised panel. This seems somehow more "right" since it more closely echos the drawer/face frame arrangement of the front. Howver, I just didn't like the look as well. Feel free to tell me if you think otherwise! Also, since I enjoyed the "hand cut dovetail" process so much on the kid's bench project, I figured I'd do a whole bunch of 'em for the drawers. I'd never really considered using through dovetails for drawers, but I liked the look of them so well on the design references below, I figured I'd give 'em a try here!



*Decisions Remain*

I'm still unsure what I want to use for pulls. I'm nearly positive that I will be crafting them in the shop out of hardwood…but I'm still looking for just the right design. Anyone have any ideas? Also, as with most of my pieces, I intend to customize this one with an inlay or two. I'm still unsure of the "what" and "where" at this point. I'm considering a pattern that cuts across a number of drawer fronts-but with the child due to arrive in early November, that may simply be too much to finish in time!

*Google SketchUp!*

Here's my SketchUp drawing for anyone who's interested in playing with it.

I've yet to cut my first board and wholeheartedly welcome any suggestions, comments or criticisms (preferably constructive  ).

cherrywalnutdresser.skp

*Design References*

There are many examples of inspiring design and craftsmanship on lumberjocks.com. Here are the ones I used while working on my design. Thanks, guys!









(Originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/81)


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## Timber4fun (Jul 17, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Great sketchup. That is going to look terrific. You picked some great inspirational projects to work from. I made a canoe. Can you incorporate that into your design?  I think it is wonderful that you have taken ideas from other LJ members. Kudos to you. I'll be interested in seeing how it turns out. I could use one of those for myself.


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## beaudex (Jun 9, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Patrick,

This is quite a coincidence. I too am build a cherry dresser for my first son. I have been playing with a design I got from an older FWW article. The original set of of plans is very simliar to the one above by MattD. I am trying to make it larger but maintain the nice design lines.

I have all the rough cherry, I had not planned on using multiple species but seeing your design makes me rethink the idea. It would be interesting to see the 2 finished designs and products when we are done.

Cheers, and good luck.

Derek


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## NICUTO (Jul 1, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Patrick, 
I really like your rendering. it will be a great piece. Something like that is on my "to-do" list but no kids, for me! anyways, as for the side panels i think that you should swap 'em. walnut frame with cherry panel. it will mimic the layout of the drawers better i think. smaller accent of walnut surrounding a larger section of flowing cherry grain. just my thoughts. good luck on this one. cant wait to see it!

Nick


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Tim-thanks!

Derek - Congratulations! Yes, my wife is insistent that I make these on the 'large' side. My first one for my daughter is a bit small and simply won't contain all of her clothes, even at 2-1/2! I'll be updating the blog as I go-I'd love to see your piece as well.

Nick - I exported a modified version with the species in the side panels 'flipped'...

Hmmm…..


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


I agree with nick . I love both walnut & cherry but in this case the place for the walnut is definatly as an acent. I would consider walnut for the handels. Don't under build , this is the kind of piece that should never be outgrown.


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## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Good start. I suggest making the legs the left and right side of the frame like Todd's. I would also do a flat panel to go along with the arts and crafts / asian feel.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


giz…

Yeah, I'm thinking you're right about the panel. They may even be a good spot for some simple inlay work.

As for the legs, I wasn't quite sure how to make the second curve in SketchUp…so I just left it flat in the front. And now you've made me admit it. 

Thanks!


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Looks great Patrick. I like that design.


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## ChicoWoodnut (Dec 15, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Designing A New Dresser for Our New Son*
> 
> A few months back, we learned that we were expecting our third child. My wife, the youngest of five kids, is adamant that this child have their very own crib and dresser. Who am I to argue? A couple weeks ago we learned it was a boy - so, I set off to design and build a "masculine" dresser.
> 
> ...


Hi Patrick. This piece is begging for some Krenov style handles IMO. Small and unobtrusive.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Legs shaped, sides assembled and Ouch!*

*Construction begins…*

In between trips to the zoo, the Children's Museum and backyard "play dates" with the kids, I've logged some decent shop time on this project the past couple weekends. Last weekend I dimensioned the lumber and assembled the two cherry and walnut frame-and-panel sides. Due to a misaligned rip fence, I wound up with a mortise and stub-tenon joint that simply wouldn't close. I decided to lop off the tenons and attach the rails to the stiles with splines instead. This worked fine, but resulted in weaker joints than I really need here. I really should have used a larger loose tenon…but more on that later.

In the midst of this work, I picked up a used Grizzly 24" dual drum sander. I couldn't resist running these panels through this beast. It made quick work of sanding them perfectly flat…awesome.



*Curvy Legs*

After cutting the mortises in the leg blanks for the sides and front and back members, it was time to cut the compound curves. This was the part I was really looking forward to! In the past, I would have done this with a template and a flush trim bit. There were two problems I saw with this approach. First off, I'm always anxious about tearout when flushing up cherry. Usually this can be avoided by rough cutting very close to the line-but nonetheless I've still occassionally nicked a piece this way. The other issue was a bit more serious - my largest flushing bit has a maximum capacity of 1-1/2". Since the legs are 1-3/4" on each side, I'd have to get a longer bit. I'm uncomfortable enough with 1-1/2" of high-speed exposed spinning carbide. I decided to try Norm's usual method. About six months ago I picked up the Ridgid oscillating spindle/edge sander. Ya know, the one it seems like everyone has. I really like this tool. I cut to within 1/16" (sometimes within 1/32") of the line and then finished the cut off with the edge sander and the standard 80 grit belt. Worked like a charm. I think the results are just beautiful.





*Pass the Biscuits, Please…*

With the legs cut, it was time to glue up the sides. While these "cooked," I turned my sights to the back. I had originally planned to use a section of 1/2" plywood panel capped top and bottom with a 4" bottom/2-1/2" top cherry "rail" joined with mortise and loose tenons into the back legs of the side panels. Upon further reflection, I made a very minor modification of my plans and used 3/4" plywood instead. I did this for two reasons. When thinking through the joinery for the dust panels and final assembly of the carcass, I realized that I needed to first assemble the sides, back and front rail and add the dust panels after this sub-assembly. In the past I've designed joinery that required simultaneous glue up of the sides, back and dust frames-and this is simply far too much for one person to juggle. I also didn't leave room to cut dadoes in the sides for the dust panels and didn't want to introduce glued on supports either. I decided that the easiest thing to do would be to cut biscuit slots in the sides and back and then cut a continuous slot around the dust frames so that they could simply slide into place in the partially completed carcass. To have enough depth for the #20 biscuits, the back would need to be at least 3/4" thick. The other reason was simply that the 1/2 ply I had was a low quality birch from HD and I happened to have a 3/4" sheet of cherry veneer ply left over from a prior job. So this kinda just worked out.



*Ouch!*

While I was dry assembling one side to the back to mark out for the biscuit slots, the side slipped, did a flip and slammed onto the floor. Unfortunately, the shock split the stiles - one on the top and the other at the bottom - at the point where the spline ended. My "fix" was to install some pocket screws to help hold the split together. The dust panels should provide sufficient additional reinforcement, so I'm not terribly concerned about the longevity of the sides…however I will need to do some work on the outside to obscure the visible checks.



*Tomorrow is another day*

At this point I've got the sides completed, the cherry rails biscuited and glued to the plywood back, and the lines for the biscuit slots to hold the dust frames laid out and ready for the lamello/plate joiner/biscuit cutter/what-have-you to do its thing.



I hope to build the dust frames and assemble the carcass by the end of day tomorrow. I'll let you know!

(Originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/97)


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## griff (Feb 6, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Legs shaped, sides assembled and Ouch!*
> 
> *Construction begins…*
> 
> ...


Looking good


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Legs shaped, sides assembled and Ouch!*
> 
> *Construction begins…*
> 
> ...


It will be worth the effort in the end Patrick.


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## ChicoWoodnut (Dec 15, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Legs shaped, sides assembled and Ouch!*
> 
> *Construction begins…*
> 
> ...


I hate shop accidents like that. This looks like it is coming together quite nicely. I'll go read the first part now


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Gluing up the Carcass*

*The Day Begins*

I started the day by marking out and cutting the slots for the biscuits into the inside faces of the sides and back. Following this, I decided to "rehearse" the glue up of the main carcass-the sides, back and bottom front apron. After yesterday's "flip" I have to admit to being a bit apprehensive about this step, but, lessons learned, I was watchful of the sides and never came close to dropping one this time. The green tape you see is there to protect the legs - I had preserved the offcuts from shaping the legs and I taped them back in place during clamping operations.



*Dust Frames*

My daughter has a lot of clothes. For the dressers I built for our first two children, I used simple open dust frames. I never truly understood the purpose of solid dust panels until one day, while trying to remove a sweater from my daughter's dresser, I wound up in a tug-o-war with the dresser drawer. It seems that some clothes in the overflowing drawer had wedged themselves in the opening of the dust panel, effectively preventing the drawer from opening fully. I decided that closed panels were the way to go from now on! Since there's no drawer below the bottom frame, I figured I could leave that one open. To build the panels, I purchased S4S dimensional poplar from HD-at $1/lf, it seemed worth it to avoid the prep time and wear on my planer knives. To simplify the assembly, I used butt joints and pocket screws to hold them together. Since I had dadoed the full length of the frame members to accept the panels, I had to go back and fill them where the pocket screws would "bite," but I think this was a fair trade vs. doing stopped dadoes or tenons. I also ran a thinner dado/slot on the outside of the frames to accept the biscuits from both the inside of the carcass and the face frames when they're installed. The happiest moment was when the first (and then the second, and third) frames slid in cleanly and tightly onto the waiting biscuits.

Thankfully the corners were tight since I didn't really have a good clamping solution for the middle one!





The completed carcass…



Next up: Walnut face frames!

(Originally posted at: http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/104)


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## NICUTO (Jul 1, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Gluing up the Carcass*
> 
> *The Day Begins*
> 
> ...


looks awesome!! you know, i do like the walnut panel so far despite my previous mentions of swaping for a cherry panel. I cant wait to see the faceframes and drawers in there too! i really like th contour of the legs too. a piece like this is on my list of projects. your showing good progress. keep the blogs coming!!!


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Gluing up the Carcass*
> 
> *The Day Begins*
> 
> ...


Coming on well Patrick. Glad you did'nt have another yesterday.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Gluing up the Carcass*
> 
> *The Day Begins*
> 
> ...


Thanks Nick, thanks, Grumpy!

Yeah…let's hope that worst is behind me on this project. I'm planning on dovetailing the face frame, so the next step's tricky enough!


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## SPalm (Oct 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Gluing up the Carcass*
> 
> *The Day Begins*
> 
> ...


That is looking really sweet! Are you going to hand cut the dovetails? I can not imagine getting a router in there now. Or complete the frame outside and then apply?

I like it,
Steve


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Gluing up the Carcass*
> 
> *The Day Begins*
> 
> ...


Thanks, Steve! 
What I should have said is that I'm planning on assembling the face frame with dovetails. It'll be attached with biscuits.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Face Frame Installed*

OK, so I "cheated."

I typically assemble face frames with pocket screws. It's simple, fast and strong enough. Since this face frame is composed of 1" x 3/4" members, pocket screws seemed a bit weak to me-I'd only be able to use a single screw in each member, which would allow it to "spin" somewhat. While this would be minimized greatly after gluing to the carcass, some "twist" could still occur over time. Since the drawers will feature prominently displayed through dovetails, I figured dovetailing the face frame would be both practical and design appropriate. I briefly considered bandsawing and chiseling the joinery, but with a dozen to do and the drawers looming, I couldn't see spending the amount of time it would take me to do this entirely "by hand." Opening up my router bit drawer, I discovered a 3/4" dovetailing bit I seem to recall buying to produce sliding dovertails for another job. So, I "cheated" and built a quick fixture to help me knock off this part of the process.



*Test Fit*

Without too much fuss, the bit and fixture process yielded some very nice, tight and clean joints.



*Completed and Sanded*

Once the glue dried, I sanded it from 120 through 220 and propped it up for this picture. Not only do dovetails create very strong, tight joints, they're also "self squaring" which meant I didn't have to make any adjustments to square it up during the glue up process.



*Not too tight, not too loose…*

I'm not certain, but there was likely an audible sigh when I first test-fit the frame to the carcass. It fit snuggly, without any gaps on the sides and aligned flush with the dust panels. Just the "right amount" of persuasion was required to complete the pairing. The trickiest part of the whole process was the glue up. I had previously cut a continuous slot along the front of each dust panel. I referenced my plate joiner's fence off of this slot and proceeded to cut, more or less randomly, matching biscuit slots along the back side of the horizontal members of the face frame. Even with the A/C running, it was in the mid 70's in the shop and there wasn't much open time on the glue-and with around 36 biscuits to glue and set in place, this was gonna be tricky and hectic. Also, since the middle dust panels weren't open, it was a bit tricky for the clamp to find purchase on the 1/4" ledge around the panel. In my haste I was a bit overly-generous with my glue application to a few spots resulting in greater than typical squeeze out…and a longer than typical amount of time spent wiping up the excess. There are a couple spots that will require some additional sanding, but otherwise…success.



*Fresh from the clamps*

A few hours later the clamps were removed and the completed case is just awaiting its drawers and top.



(originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/110)


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Face Frame Installed*
> 
> OK, so I "cheated."
> 
> ...


Not cheating Patrick, just another means to an end.


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## NICUTO (Jul 1, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Face Frame Installed*
> 
> OK, so I "cheated."
> 
> ...


I didnt see any "cheating"... just good use of your resources!

looks sweet! I'm really digging this project! I like the contrast of the woods, it will look great once finish is applied. What are you planning to use for a finish?

keep up the great work!
Nick


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Face Frame Installed*
> 
> OK, so I "cheated."
> 
> ...


Thanks Grumpy and Nick….

As for a finish, I'm leaning toward Waterlox "Tung oil" finish. I've used it many times before and really like the look.


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## jaydub (Nov 15, 2009)

pjaromin said:


> *Face Frame Installed*
> 
> OK, so I "cheated."
> 
> ...


Hi Patrick, 
I know this has been up a long time, but it's helped me a bunch this morning - I'm planning close to an identical dresser for my wife, and my thought process seems to have followed yours very closely. Thought about ball-bearing runners, but it just doesn't feel right. The dust frame idea popped up next after seeing Norm do it a few years back, and your posts have been an awesome reference. Example - why fill the bottom panel? I would have just done it automatically, but there's no real reason.

A couple of questions (and apologies if these answers are in a different post) 
What did you use for panel material? I would imagine 1/4" birch or cherry ply
I'm sure clamping the faceframe on was tricky - any thoughts on what you might do different to allow for more of a clamping surface on the frame? Perhaps I'll just offset the dado that receives the panel. 
And what did you decide on drawer runner setup? I've only done a couple of drawers, none of which really needed to be too perfect - this I need to really nail.

Thanks again.

jw


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Face Frame Installed*
> 
> OK, so I "cheated."
> 
> ...


jw-

Thanks and I'm happy to hear you found the posts helpful! As for your questions…


Dust frames: I don't recall on this specific dresser, but it's either 1/4" birch or maple ply…I would have grabbed whatever was handy and of a good size. I usually have some of each around.


Clamping the face frame: Yeah, it was tricky. I'm sure someone more clever than I would have a better solution, but I did manage to get sufficient pressure and it's held up. The only other ideas that come to mind would be drilling a couple holes in the dust frame for the clamp heads or using pocket hole screws from the dust frame in strategic spots to pull the face frame to it. Or, you could just hack it like I did!


As for the drawer runners: I had to run upstairs and look as I didn't recalll that either! So it looks like I just inserted walnut guides on either side matched up with the face frame. I used walnut so it would flow with the face frame. Then a stop on the bottom so it wouldn't go in too far and at the top to prevent tipping. (http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/120) I waxed the bottom (you can see the discoloration in the pic) and they fit perfectly (no one was more surprised than I!)

Here's a pic I just took…getting a little dusty in there now…









Good luck and let me know how it turns out!


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Drawers*

Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!

That said, I do truly enjoy working with sharp chisels as I am here cleaning up the pins:



The pins completed on one drawer front:





Marking out the tails with an X-acto knife:



I'm very pleased with the end result. This is a dry fit of one of the drawers…



I used a simple dado to attach the drawer backs.



I had originally planned to use sliding dovetail drawer slides, but they fit so well, I decided to simply add guides on either side and a block at the top to keep it from dipping. Here's the chest with the completed drawers:



Next up is the top. After that, sanding, sanding and more sanding.

(originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/120)


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


Beautiful dovetails. I've promised myself to practice, practice, practice this winter so I can actually make useable dovetails. Thanks for showing it is possible!


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


Beautiful work my friend as always! Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom


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## MsDebbieP (Jan 4, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


great job
great blog!


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## BelleCityWW (May 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


Excellent work!!!!

John


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


Neat dovetails Patrick, very neat.


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## NICUTO (Jul 1, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


looks great! how did you cut the tails? same method; bandsaw/router/chisel?

Keep the posts coming!
Nick


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Drawers*
> 
> Labor Day weekend my wife took the kids up to the family cabin for a couple days. I spent most of this time in the shop working on the drawers. For this dresser I had designed the drawers with large through dovetails. Since I don't own a decent dovetailing jig that allows for custom size and spacing, I was going to have to do these by hand. Since I haven't done many projects with hand-cut visible dovetails, I figured I'd better take my time with these. To make things a bit faster and more accurate, I used the bandsaw with the table tilted to 10 degrees to start the pins and the router table to hog out the majority of the waste. I'm not sure how much faster it is vs. a hammer and chisel, but it was certainly more accurate than I would be solely by hand and saves a bit of wear and tear on the chisel blades-I wasn't keen on spending my rather limited shop time sharpening chisels!
> 
> ...


Thanks for the comments, everyone!

Nick-I cut the tails on the band saw and cleaned them up/fit them with chisels. After the first couple I found I was able to get a near perfect fit with the band saw alone-though I still needed to use the chisels to smooth out the blade marks.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Dead Flat*

I love my "new" drum sander.

I purchased the used machine for the purpose of sanding shop-cut veneers and inlay woods. However, with a 23-1/2" capacity, it is capable of so much more. I first cut my teeth with this thing on the side panels. Now it was time to glue up the top-and I was really looking forward to seeing what it could do with the 21" x 64" x 1" thick part.

*Joining the top*

I started by rough cutting and gluing up two 5/4 boards. Jointing an edge on these long, tall boards was a challenge on my 6-1/8" Ridgid jointer's 45" table. One of the boards had a 1/4" bow that simply couldn't be removed on the short table, so I pin nailed it to a sacrificial scrap of 3/8" plywood and ran it through the table saw.



*It's a "feature"*

I had hand-selected three 5/4 cherry boards, nearly 80" long for the top from Owl Hardwoods. The first one I chose was beautiful and featured numerous streaks/pitch pockets that I just love the look of in cherry furniture. Unfortunately I was unable to find a similarly figured board in the pile. The other two I selected were nice, but didn't match the beauty of the first…I figured I'd sort it all out in the shop. Well…the time had come and my dilemma was that the beautiful piece was a poor match for either of the others, and the other two, while a better match for each other didn't match the beauty of the first. After much consternation, and a determination that I simply couldn't afford to go back to the lot to find its perfect mate, borrowing a term from software development, I decided that the mismatch should be a feature, not a bug.

I recall reading somewhere (maybe from David Marks?) that in a situation like this you should highlight the flaw...which has me now considering doing a simply inlay along the length of the joint. Perhaps in walnut and echoing the "cloud lift" (double, mirrored) from the front and side bottom apron? Or even something more "organic" (a river runs through it?).

Any opinions on that?

*Dead Flat*

Once the glue dried, I scraped and then planed the joint relatively flat and prepared to see how well the old Grizzly would handle the large piece. It took a bit of work just to place the machine in the room with >6' of clearance on either side in my small shop…but in the end, I found the space. Since I was using nearly the full capacity of the sander, I was very nervous that it'd track a bit too far to either side and somehow ruin either the piece or the machine or both. While I did manage to brush up against the duct tape on one pass-resulting in the need to stop and re-secure the paper, I didn't experience any significant issues. The front roller's 100 grit paper loaded up enough to require replacement part way through the process, and I did notice some loading that I was unable to completely clean up on the edges, but overall this was an extremely satisfying experience with no burns or noticeable snipe and resulted in an absolutely dead flat top! Awesome!

My only issue was with the dust collection-for smaller pieces like the side panels, the collection was absolutely sufficient. However, with this piece, while there weren't great clouds of dust or anything like that, I did wind up with a thin film of dust covering all of the shop surfaces. Prior to this, per a fellow LumberJock's recommendation, I had replaced the flexible hose that came with the sander with rigid PVC. I'm sure this helped, but it still couldn't quite keep up.

After sanding, I routed a bevel around the bottom edge with a plunge router.



*Winding down the build phase*

Finally, I installed some small stop blocks on the dust panels behind the drawer fronts to prevent them from recessing too far into the carcass and some "tip blocks" at the top corners so the drawers won't dip significantly when fully extended.





Next up: Inlaying the top(?) and then sanding, sanding, sanding and more sanding!

(originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/128)


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## gad5264 (Sep 13, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Dead Flat*
> 
> I love my "new" drum sander.
> 
> ...


This looks great. Can't wait to see it finished.


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Dead Flat*
> 
> I love my "new" drum sander.
> 
> ...


Looking good Patrick. I wish I had the room for a drum sander.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Filling in the Blanks*

One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.

After some searching, I found a few references to folks filling holes like this using "Pour on" epoxy, of the type you might use to encase small chatchkis in a bar top.



*A Slow Leak*

On the first pour, I found myself constantly "topping off" the depression. I would fill the knot, level it off and a couple minutes later, most of it had been absorbed into the knot. By the time it cured 24 hours later, there was only a thin layer of epoxy, coating, but not filling the knot hole.



Puzzled, I decided to simply pour again. This time it filled just fine. The next day, while moving the piece, I discovered the cause: the knot hole went clear through the board and the epoxy was leaking out the bottom! With the first coat effectively plugging the hole, the second coat filled it nicely and easily sanded flush (something I was a bit concerned about). The effect is exactly what I had hoped for.

*My Favorite Finish*

I spent quite a bit of time sanding this piece-and it still probably wasn't enough. For the finish, I had purchased a wipe-on, "low sheen" Tung Oil-based finish. The first coat on the drawers resulting in less than spectacular results. Though each row was was made from a single board, a couple adjacent drawers were a noticeably different shade. This prompted a second, more vigorous round of hand sanding (and a few choice words). This time, they took the finish much more consistently. A week later I had built up 5 coats on all parts and was ready to attach the top and call this project "done."

*Amateur*

After reading Dick Cain's forum thread about "Photographing Your Work" (PDF from Wood Carving Illustrated), and feeling duly shamed about my previous point-and-click-using-built-in flash-against-any-old-background photo sessions, I decided to step it up a notch. Unfortunately, I don't really own any real photographic equipment and can't afford to start yet another incredibly expensive hobby at the moment.

So my first attempt fell rather far from the intended mark. I may take another crack at it later in the week-perhaps using a cleaner and less wrinkled backdrop and a couple more lights if I can find someone to lend me any! If the new pics are any good I'll update this post.
In the meantime, here's my (rather humbling) attempt at perfeshunal fotogerphy.



I thought I'd put some pics of the new baby's older siblings on top…in theater we called this "dressing the set"...







*UPDATE:* Here's the finished "project" page:



[originally posted at http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/138]


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Exquisite detail and design as always. You did a beauiful job on this piece. Thanks for posting and info on filling your knot hole.

God Bless
tom


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## damianpenney (Jun 22, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


That's a really nice piece and that color will only get richer with age. Favorited


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## NICUTO (Jul 1, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Patrick,

That thing looks freakin SWEET! i really like that contrast of the woods. The chocolaty color of the walnut works great with the reddish color of the cherry.

Great job on this one! I cant wait to see what you come up with next.
Nick


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## Grumpy (Nov 9, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Great result Patrick. Thanks for experimenting with the epoxy thats what I will be doing on my bar top (one day). good job on the photography.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Thanks, all! I'm gonna experiment a bit and see if I can get some better looking pics for the project page-more for personal satisfaction. There've been quite a few really nice project pics posted here lately and I'm feeling like I need to "keep up". 

I've gotta spend some time painting the baby's room now, but I'm looking forward to starting on the matching crib soon. If Martin ever runs a contest for the most baby's room projects on Lumberjocks, I might just have the edge on Gary on that one!


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## Denappy (Apr 26, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Wonderful work, your choices of woods is really awesome! Pictures are really good too! Thank you for sharing!


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## FatherHooligan (Mar 27, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Interesting story on the bottomless epoxy hole.

You may want to move your pieces away from your backdrop so the shadow is not so noticeable. Some slaved flash units in behind the piece help also ;-) I recently gave all my photographic stuff to my niece, she's starting out in a field I retired from a long time ago so I thought I'd give her a hand.


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


Mark - Thanks for the tips. Moving the piece may be doable…not so sure about the slaved flashes though .


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## dion (Dec 22, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Filling in the Blanks*
> 
> One of my favorite features of the top, is actually technically a defect-a quarter-sized knot hole. While both my wife and I agreed that it added "character" to the top, I couldn't simply leave it as it was; it was large enough to swallow up small objects whole and naturally not very stable.
> 
> ...


i was searching for some ideas on a dreeser. i really love this one….... really nice!


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## pjaromin (Nov 28, 2007)

*Dresser Finds a Home*

I completed the baby's room over the weekend and "installed" the dresser last night. Since this is more a remodeling project, I've posted the project page over at HomeRefurbers.com.

While I designed this piece to last a lifetime, and not to compliment the room design, I think it looks reasonably "at home" in it's new digs!



More details at my personal blog: http://tenonandspline.com/blog/archives/155


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

pjaromin said:


> *Dresser Finds a Home*
> 
> I completed the baby's room over the weekend and "installed" the dresser last night. Since this is more a remodeling project, I've posted the project page over at HomeRefurbers.com.
> 
> ...


Love the room! All who worked on the room should be proud of a job will done. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom


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