General Woodworking

I'm close to the end of the tunnel with the bureau. On the flip side I'm also in the boring, so easy to wander into La La Land part of the build. It is also my least favorite part of anything I make. Namely sanding and applying a finish. That is paint for this bureau. I would have preferred shellac but Amanda likes painted furniture. It will probably take me 3-4 days to paint the bureau and shellac the drawers. (Note to self mix up a new batch of shellac)

ready for shellac

I got a good glue up with the glue joint being 95% flush end to end. Used a card scraper to flush it and smooth out the rest of the lid top and bottom.

first one on

Based on this first coat coverage it will take 3 to 4 coats to cover this. This is the underside of the lid and won't get the same coverage as the top will.

oil based primer

I will prime the entire carcass and base with the exception of the rabbets I nailed on. I will leave them raw so I can glue the dust panels to them. I am not going to paint the dust or the back panels.

primer coat

I will paint the inside of the carcass with one coat of topcoat. You will see some of the inside and the white will be too stark of a difference with the top coat which is what I would call battle ship gray but is called smoke gray by Benjamin Moore.

base

I think the base would look good if it was painted a shade darker than the main carcass. I'll run that by Amanda and see what she thinks of that.

one more

I have 3 coats on it but it needs one more. There are still a few 'bald' spots peeking out. 

new clamps

I have 8 of the 4" clamps (100mm) and I bought ten 6" (150mm) ones. The clamps I use the most in the shop are my 6" quick grips and I usually run out of them. I got these from Woodcraft for $7 each. Bessey 4" clamps were the same price. Now I have to find a home for these because I have no room in the overhead above the workbench for them.

)_+*(%$##()*_@_(+)$+A@%

After getting this home I dropped it. It did not bounce and spilled 90% of it all over the deck. After swearing profusely for hours I cleaned it up and I'll be making a second trip to the paint store to get another can. It sucks to get old and lose your grip. I get the dropsies  seemingly all the time now. I never know before hand when and if it is going to happen. I didn't get forewarned on this one.

this will be done today

It was quitting time but before I killed the lights I got one coat on the top of the lid. I'll be returning to the shop on the hour to apply another coat. Shouldn't be a problem to get 4 more on before I hit the rack.

maybe tomorrow

I was planning on getting the dadoes done on this today but it didn't happen. I spent a good chunk of the day at the library with my wife doing dead people stuff. While she was doing that I spent my time reading magazines. I had forgotten that this library subscribes to several woodworking magazines. 

yes you can Frank

My friend called BS on me with being able to erase pencil lines with alcohol. This is a pencil line on the bottom of the drawer. I wet the rag with alcohol and rub it on the pencil line.

gone

It works best on light pencil marks but if you happen to make a rut with the pencil it will still remove it. It takes a wee bit more elbow work and maybe an initial sanding but the alcohol will remove it. It also works differently on different types of lead but so far I haven't had problems 'erasing' what pencils I use.

yikes

This is the 5th time I was trying to do this Sudoku puzzle. Just noticed that there are two sixes in this box. However, this isn't the only boo boo. There is another number or numbers OTL (out to lunch) in the first 3 vertical columns. The bottom left box is a mess. I'll have to check the solution in tomorrow's paper to see what other numbers were wrong.

accidental woodworker

I built two of these a few months ago, one with each child. The pictures are a mix of the two.

This is a repeat project from a few years ago. I had made two houses, also with help. I left them installed (and occupied) at the old house when we moved.

There are a few variations of these plans around, here is a link to the North American Bluebird Society which sounds respectable. For birdhouses and similar it’s a good idea to get plans from a legit source like a birdwatching society or government sites like parks or natural resources.

Both houses were built from one 1x12x6 and one 1x4x8. If you spend some time planning you may be able to get all the pieces from a longer 1×12 but I got tired of thinking that through.

The plans call for some angled cuts, particularly on the 1×4. I did not measure these exactly, just eyeballed it.

This is a good kids project. I made the angled cuts and they were able to help with the smaller crosscuts, boring holes, and hammering nails. Hammering nails is an easy sell.

There are two larger ventilation holes on each side, and an elongated entry hole in the front. I also chose to drill pilot holes for the nails.

The entry was made with an expansive bit set to the specified radius. Two overlapping holes were cut and the resulting irregular hole was cleaned up with rasps and files.

The pieces were fastened with common galvanized nails. There are different ways to use hardware to make the front or top openable. In this case I used stainless screws as I had them readily available. The bottom of the front is nailed, and the top is fastened with screws.

I wasn’t sure about finishing. I guess you don’t need to finish at all but I feel like at least one coat of paint will help the cheap white pine last longer outdoors. So I used some cheap exterior primer/paint. Then my kids decided to use craft paint on top.

For mounting I’ve seen instructions to use conduit slipped over rebar. A 4ft rebar is pounded into the ground, hopefully straight. The conduit mounting the birdhouse slides over the rebar and is screwed tight. In the past I had trouble with this rotating, so I came up with a 90° bracket at ground level. I pound another 12″ rebar in the back to keep the whole thing from twisting. I’m not sure this is necessary but it solved my problem years ago so now I’m doing it proactively.

A two hole conduit strap (not pictured) holds the birdhouse to the pole. The roof of the birdhouse hangs over the back, so the roof keeps it from sliding down the pole. For good measure I also placed a screw through the conduit into the wood.

As a reminder, this is what I'm working on.

The plan

It's a relief having the design part behind me.  I'm not much of a designer and I'd rather be building stuff.  Like all of my projects, it started with getting stock to size.  I estimate that about 70% of my project time is spent in stock prep.  This is all by hand - but I'm starting to see the day coming when I'll have to rely on a bandsaw to help me.

Resawing a board that will become the front panel

Once the bottom and ends were dimensioned, I started dovetailing.  Tails are on the ends and pins on the bottom to resist coming apart if there is too much weight in the drawer.

Laying out the tails on the end boards

Sawing out the waste

After cleaning up with a freshly sharpened chisel

Marking the pins with pencil before fitting the pieces together

After a test fit, I can tell this pin is too tight by the smeared pencil marks

First corner fitted, after some judicial paring of pins

Joint cleaned up (not yet glued)

Here's the setup I used to clean up the tails and pins. I rarely use the slot in my benchtop, but it came in handy here.

Next on the list was to fit the horizontal divider.  I took the shoulder lines from the bottom piece, as their shoulders need to be perfectly aligned.

The joint marked out

It might not be evident from the picture, but the sides have five 1/2" x 1/2" mortises marked.  The divider has the matching tenons marked.  Since my marking gauges won't reach as far as I need for this application, I had to get out my panel gauge for the markings further from the reference edge.

After boring and paring the mortises and sawing and chiseling the tenons a first test fit shows a nice result.

I had left the tenons 1/16" long to be flushed with the surface later, but I thought I'd leave them proud on the finished toolbox.  Not sure it'll go well with the flushed-up dovetails just below, but if I don't like it, I can always flush them up later.

And here's the box (so far) dry assembled.

Bottom and divider assembled with ends

Next time I'll write about fitting the front and back panels, doing some shaping and gluing up the box.

 I think I am done with the woodworking on the bureau carcass. I think. In the batter's box is sanding which is a fun thing eh? Amanda wants the bureau painted and I have a quart can of primer but no paint yet. I'll get that after the primer goes on. I think I will apply shellac to the inside of the drawers too. While the thought just walked through the brain bucket, I haven't glued up the top yet. How did I forget that?

last night

Went back to the shop after dinner and installed the slides on the last two drawers. No hiccups installing either one of them. Both slide in/out smoothly.

better choice IMO

Instead of using the supplied screws I went to ACE and got a box of #8 pan head sheet metal screws. The pan head gives a better purchase in holding the slide down to the wood. The supplied screws have a counter sunk head - they are woodworking screws.

working better

I removed all of the shims on the drawer box. It now slides in/out better. It isn't as smooth as the other drawers but an improvement over what it was with the shims. It seems that I did the drawers correctly. They were slightly over an inch of the drawer opening in the rough and after cleaning and planing them they were just right.

dust panel supports

I like dust panels in bureaus. I figured out that I could put a 'rabbet' on the back of the bearer rails to hold a dust panel. And I have plenty of scraps in this size to pick and choose from.

potential headache

I didn't look at this from all angles and here I was trying to figure out how to get the panel into the carcass. I initially got confused as to when I should put them in place? I also thought that the only way to put it in was this way.

no more problems

DUH. It will fit and go in easily through the back. Nothing to maneuver around - it is a straight shot in.

dust panel in place

I left a 16th gap on each end for air movement.

top dust panel

This one wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be because of the two center dividers. The other dust panel 'rabbets' I installed on the bottom edge and here I had to put it at the top edge. This one will be installed from the bottom and the other two drop in from the top. So this panel will be subject to gravity if I don't secure it somehow.

two pieces

I had to cut the 'rabbet' into two pieces to fit. It is on the thin side and I didn't want to put a groove in it for the center divider. All the 'rabbets' are nailed, no glue. There isn't any stress on them so nails should suffice (the dust panels are the lightweight chinese plywood).

making feet

Used the scrub to remove most of the waste and then used the donkey ear to plane the 45s.

off cuts

I had 6 of these and I only had to make two more. One at the top and bottom to stiffen the legs.

2 down, 2 to go

I glued and nailed the legs together.  I added a center cleat to further help keep the 45 from opening up. These two are stiff and solid.

toe nailed (temporary)

I was still mulling over how I was going to attach the legs to the frame. I was itching to see what it looked like with the bureau carcass sitting on it.

getting worse

I think this is the last wonky glue up I have to deal with. I had already reglued two other boards on this lid. This one isn't long for this world.

got lucky

The back stop thing was only screwed on. That will make it easier to glue up and do any clean up and flushing of the joints later.

first look

I like the raised height of the bureau. Especially so with the bottom drawer now not being less than an inch from the deck. However, I don't like the spindly look of the feet here. It doesn't look right to my eye but I do like the feet themselves. They just need some company.

for the feet

Used one screw in each side of the leg. The legs are also toe nailed and attached to rails I added 360 between the legs.

should help

I glued and screwed the top edge of the inner rails to the base frame. I toe screwed in a #8 1 /34" screw into the legs on each side of it. I think the legs are well attached and supported now. They should be able to withstand being pushed and pulled and dragged.

hmm....

The screws are hidden on the sides but not the front. The drawer front will hide them and they won't be seen when the drawer is opened/closed. I will fill them in with putty.

better

The legs don't look so lonely anymore. The rails tie everything together. I also wanted to saw an taper on the outside edge of the legs but didn't. The 45 glue blocks would have been exposed so I'm leaving this as is.

top 3 drawer unit

I used dividers to layout the 3 drawers and then I changed it. Instead of a symmetrical layout I went with an asymmetrical layout. The center drawer is 7 1/4" wide and the two outside drawers are 6".

nope

I like the layout but not the height. I think it will look better on the bureau if the height loses an inch.

better IMO

This unit is about 3 1/2" high, 5 1/4" deep and 22" R/L. On top of this will be a two compartment tray with two separate lids. The drawers will be painted the same color as the bureau and the tray will be left natural. I am leaning in the direction of making it from cherry.

accidental woodworker

 Leo's bureau pt XII has me playing with drawer slides. I have used them before and on Mile's bureau I used ones with a soft close gadget that I wasn't thrilled with. I bought them because the price was too good to pass on. For Leo's bureau I paid about $70 for 5 pairs. I got slides without the soft close crappola. I had a bit of hiccup with the first two but I slogged my way through it. More about that below.

last drawer

My wife and I went out for breakfast this morning and before that I got the 6" drawer slips glued on. Got the 7" & 8" drawers done 20 minutes after we got back to the barn. I let the side slips cook until after lunch.

oops

Cut this one on the side wrong. The fun didn't stop there because the correction saw cut was wrong too. I had to saw off the end entirely.

went 0-2

I thought I had sawn this side correctly but I was wrong. I had to saw off this end too. At least the two side slips are a match.

base frame

It took some fiddling but I managed to get the overhangs to agree on the sides. The front overhangs the drawer front by a few frog hairs more than a 1/2".

8" drawer front

I am going to plane a chamfer on the base on the front and sides. The 8" drawer front isn't wide enough - it is 8 3/4" wide. The drawer fronts will extend the drawer opening a 1/4" at the top and the bottom and 3/8" on the sides. This drawer is a 1/8" shy top/bottom. Debating whether to rip out a new drawer front or glue a 1/4" strip on it. No matter how well I get the glue joint it will show when I paint it. All the other drawers are more than wide/long enough. 

base frame

Flushing and cleaning up the frame. Haven't come up with a way to attach the legs to the base that I like. It needs to be strong because inevitably it will be dragged/pulled/pushed on the feet and I want it to withstand that.

dust panel

As of now I am only putting a dust panel on the bottom. I would need to put a rabbet on the front/back bearer rails to attach panels to. That was something I should have done before I installed them.

garbage (from China)

I used the same plywood on the two small drawer bottoms that I used for the dust panel. I was knifing a cut line on the plywood and I was able to cut entirely through it with the marking knife. I didn't have to saw it. This plywood weighs about as much as two used tissues. I'll be swapping out bottom plywood for the 1/4" blonde wood plywood.

first of the small drawers

Cleaning and flushing the sides in prep for installing the drawer guides. On the front I just flushed the tails with a chisel. It will all be hidden by the false drawer front.

checking for twist

There was no twist in either drawer. Twist in a drawer would make installing the slides a nightmare.

getting my arse kicked royally

I couldn't get either drawer to go into either opening. The first headache I had to deal with were the drawers being too high. I installed the slides so the drawer would have a gap of 1/8" at the bottom and the top. Both drawers are or were only an 1/8" short of the opening. I had to remove a 1/8" from both. Did that and I still couldn't get the drawer to slide in.

go no go stick

The stick is the exact distance between the two slides. The tolerance is zero below a 1/2" to 2mm over that. I know that 2mm is less than a 1/8".

I'm short

According to the go stick I'm just under a 1/8" short. Time to rip out some shims.

1/8" chinese plywood

This is almost a perfect fit. It is less than a frog hair off being flush.

found them

These are my shop glasses and they went MIA about two weeks ago. I ripped the shop and the house apart trying to find them but came up empty. Today I dropped my blockplane and had to retrieve parts of it from under the workbench. That is where my shop glasses said hello where have you been?

a honey do project

I don't like dealing with old furniture but this is for Amanda. She wants the two of them separated and plans to use them as end tables. I think it originally was a vanity with a large mirror.

drawers

There are six drawers, four of one size and two slightly larger ones. All the drawers interchange with each other (of the same size) but other than that they are garbage. The sides and the bottom are 1/4" solid wood butt joined and nailed. The backs are 1/2"-5/8" thick and the fronts 3/4". No dovetails and the sides are nailed to the front in a rabbet. All of the drawer bottoms either split or they were two separate boards. 

These drawers will never hold up to being end tables with two growing young boys opening and closing them. I'll be redoing them with new thicker sides and 1/4" plywood bottoms held in with slips. I have to say that I am actually looking forward to this do over now.

too low?

I don't understand but the drawer is hanging up at the forward end of this cleat. I sawed a 1/8" off and the drawer still refused to go into the opening.

its a go

The go stick says the shims are the thickness they need to be. The drawer wouldn't go into the opening. It was hanging (both R&L) on the slides. It wouldn't go into the opening no more than a third of way. I faffed about with the shims eventually almost planing them away. Drawer was still throwing a hissy fit - was binding and would only go in a couple of inches. Both sides were kicking my arse and laughing at me.

30 minutes later

Finally got one drawer to fully insert into the opening. This is the drawer that I shimmed and then planed most of it off. The slide action is too stiff for liking. It isn't binding but it doesn't go and in with a fluid motion. After fighting the urge to give this flying lessons I let it be for now. I'm not sure if I should remove 100% of the shims but I'll deal with that later.

2 points for the home team

The right drawer was easier to insert and it doesn't have any shims. It is a wee bit stiff but not anywhere near as bad as its sibling on the left is like.

new plywood bottoms

Big difference in the feel and weight of this plywood vs what I removed. This is stiffer and has stronger presence.

6" drawer

No shims and it goes in and out smoothly. I had my fingers crossed on this one after dealing with the two above it.

nope

This was the way I was trying to mate the runner on the drawer box with the one in the drawer opening. Straight in and it wasn't working. It was difficult to do and I never got a sense of a good fit between the two.

this worked a treat

I found this by mistake. Instead of trying to go straight in I came into the left one from a downward angle engaging it first. I then did the same tilt trick on the right one. Drawer went in and out smoothly. No binding or stalling trying to push the drawer inward. I installed all the drawers this way with no further headaches.

long thin splinter

For the eagle eyed readers who noticed super glue and accelerator two pics above, it was for this. This was almost 4" long.

2 more to go

My goal today was to get all the drawers hung and running in/out. I only got 3 but I should be able to knock out the other two first thing in the AM.

punched the clock for OT

It took me about 30 minutes to hang the 6" drawer. That included flushing, sanding, and planing the drawer box. I stayed past quitting time to knock this one out.

accidental woodworker

Every few years, I remember that the whole reason I started woodworking was that I needed to build bookshelves for my family. Some things don’t change.

When we moved into this house a year ago, we had big plans to turn our front room into a proper home library, complete with a whole wall of built-in bookcases. But as of last month, most of our books were still in boxes.

I spent much of the month of June turning this room into a real library, complete with something our whole family has always wanted: a rolling library ladder.

The house has 10-foot ceilings on the first floor, and this wall is over 12 feet long–a perfect place for a big bank of built-in bookcases. I just had to build them.

The Bookcases

My wife and I went over to the local hardwood dealer with a shopping list and a budget. My initial plan was to build it all out of poplar and add maple face frames to match the original maple trim in the room. But as we were browsing, we found a whole pallet of these:

They were drawer-side shorts and rejects–maple boards glued up with a groove near one edge, all between 3′ and 4′ long and 7″ to 9″ wide. At 5/8″ thick, they seemed good enough for the shelves. We bought as many of these maple shorts as we could, plus several 1″ thick poplar boards for the uprights.

It took some experimentation to get the shelves spaced out in the best way. I needed some space for tall books, and I also wanted all the books to have proper head-room while still having as many shelves as reasonably possible. I ultimately decided that the bottom two shelves would have 15″ of clearance for tall books. The rest of the shelves are about 13″ apart, which is enough for just about any standard size book. The very top has 12″ of clearance below the ceiling.

When doing any kind of big built-in, it’s best to build the whole thing in several modules, which you then assemble on site. You build them small enough to fit in easily and add trim to fill the space.

I built four separate shelving units that were 3 feet wide and 9 feet tall. Each unit had 8 shelves, seven of which were housed in dadoes and the last of which was merely rabbeted into the top and secured with both glue and nails. All the joints are covered by trim.

If you do an operation enough, you get a process down and it goes very quickly. I have cut many dado joints before, so the joinery went fast. I saw out the sides of the groove with my stair saw, which is set to stop at a particular depth (in this case 5/16″). You just keep sawing until it stops cutting and then go on to the next cut.

I use a chisel to knock out most of the waste, and a router plane levels out the bottom. If you have marked out the joint accurately enough, the shelf fits snugly into place. By the time this whole project was done, I had cut a total of 82 of these joints by hand, plus 20 rabbet joints.

I built the units one at a time so that I could clamp one up and let the glue dry while I worked on the next one. (Pro tip: always check each unit for square before the glue sets!) One by one, my wife and I carried the units up out of the basement workshop and set them in place.

No old house has even floors, so it took quite a lot of shimming to get everything straight and level. (My 13-year-old included for scale.) I screwed each side to the adjacent one and also used L-brackets on the very top to screw the cases to the wall studs.

I covered the gaps with maple trim, all cut from the same pile of maple shorts that gave me all the shelf pieces. I just cut apart the few panels that were already de-laminating or that had serious flaws and used the good parts for the trim. A coat of Danish oil finished everything off.

It was about this time that I realized I should have already ordered the hardware for the rolling ladder earlier. There were quite a few options online, but I ended up using the Rockler kit, which worked out fine. It was the least expensive option from online retailers that I was inclined to trust. But as any builder will tell you, the really expensive part of any cabinetry project is still the hardware. I spent about as much on the ladder hardware alone as I did on all the wood for the whole project.

Interlude: A Smaller Bookcase

While I waited for the ladder hardware to be delivered, I started to look around at another space in the room that seemed ideal for a bookcase. I counted up the maple boards I had left over and found I had enough for one more unit–if I was willing to build it in three pieces instead of just one.

This is the result. (And yes, that is a sprinkler head up near the ceiling. This house was a commercial property for a couple decades and still has a lot of features like exit signs and a fire suppression system.)

As I planned out this unit, I recalled a bookcase that Chris Schwarz had built years ago. He called it a set of Monticello Bookcases, which are essentially a bunch of long, stackable crates he made look really, really nice because they’re made from hardwood, dovetailed together, and set on a decorative base. While the construction method requires more wood than an ordinary bookcase (because each shelf is doubled up), it can be build from relatively short boards if necessary. It was a perfect solution for my own situation–I had a bunch of short boards on hand but no long ones.

Each unit was about 3 feet square. The bottom one is deeper than the top two. Construction was very simple–the middle two shelves are set in dadoes while the top and bottom shelves are nailed and glued into rabbets. A rabbet in the back of each one lets in a plywood back.

The rabbet in the back was the easiest part. Remember that my stock is all drawer side rejects? Each one has a groove near one edge. So I just ripped off the part past the groove and–voila! There’s a 1/4″ rabbet left on the back edge, perfect for housing a sheet of 1/4″ thick ply.

I set the bottom unit on a plinth in order to raise it up a few inches off the floor. I wiped on a couple coats of Danish oil finish, and once everything was dry, I stacked the three units in place and screwed them together. It was a very straightforward way to build a bookcase, and should I need to build a similar unit again, I will probably build it along the same lines.

Once the finish was dry, we very quickly filled it up with books.

The Library Ladder

Meanwhile, the hardware for the library ladder arrived. It comes with detailed plans for making a ladder out of wood you supply yourself. While the plans are good enough, I have something of an allergy to building anything from somebody else’s plans. (I have a similar aversion to teaching from somebody else’s lesson plans. I just can’t do it.) So I made some modifications to the plans, and I’m happy with the result.

The plans called for all 3/4″ thick stock, which looks a bit thin to my eye. I wanted a ladder that looked more robust. Also, the stability of the ladder in the plans depends entirely on the hardware, including rods and screws underneath every step. But I don’t like the look of a ladder side bristling with bolt heads. Plus, I know how to build a ladder that will stay together without a lot of extra hardware. I sketched out a modified plan and got to work.

I chose to use yellow pine, which is quite strong and very cheap. I cut out of some wide 2X stock I bought at the local home center.

You can almost always find a couple wide pine boards that have knots in the middle but have clear and straight sections near the edges. That makes for good uprights for the ladder. I cut around knots and defects in second board to yield the stock for the steps. I dimensioned everything down to about 1″ thick, taking care to remove approximately the same amount of material from each face.

The hardware is made to attach to thinner stock than I am using. (If you’re using the Rockler kit, do check the dimensions of each piece of hardware. The instructions will say everything is made for 3/4″ thickness, but it’s not perfectly consistent. You should always measure hardware yourself and dimension your wood accordingly.) So I shaped the ends of the uprights to accept the hardware designed for thinner stock.

That way, I still get the benefit of thicker uprights where it matters–where the steps dado into the uprights–while still being able to use this hardware designed to mount on thinner material.

In order to keep the ladder together, the bottom and middle steps, as well as the top rail, attach with a through-mortise and tenon joint.

This prevents the uprights from pulling apart and keeps the rest of the steps set securely in their dado joints.

Once the glue was dry and everything was trimmed, I gave the ladder a couple coats of the same Danish oil finish that I used for everything else, and then I attached the hardware. (One more note if you’re using the kit but modifying the plans: you might need to source longer bolts or otherwise plan to recess the supplied hardware should you opt to use thicker stock.)

Set in place, the ladder is strong and stable, and it rolls well even on our fairly thick carpet.

We have had to warn the kids, however, that this is a piece of furniture and NOT a Disney ride–whatever they may have seen Belle doing during a certain musical number in the animated film Beauty and the Beast.

The room has quickly gone from being a cluttered spare room to being one of the most comfortable, inviting rooms in the whole house.

 Looking back on this build I didn't think that I had spent two weeks on it already. I think Miles's bureau took me 6 weeks(?) total to do. I hadn't planned on a full day in the shop but I went balls to the wall until almost 1500. My wife last texted me that she was at the Tappan Zee bridge. So barring traffic she should be home between 1900 and 2000. I might even go back after dinner to kill time waiting for her.

needs some work

There is a teeny bit of twist in the frame along with all four corners being proud. I expected the the biscuits to pretty much flush them. It is nothing that a few calories expended planing can't fix.

nope

When I did the frame yesterday I didn't take in account the overlay drawer fronts. I don't like the look of the frame being behind the front of the drawers. I am over an inch shy of where I think it should be which is a 1/2" beyond the drawer front. I'll cut this frame up and use it to make drawer slips.

new frame

I had to get a new 1x12 to get the parts for the frame. This time I grabbed one that was flat.

dry clamp

Try as I might I couldn't get the frame to clamp up dry with just the bar clamps. I had to use picture frame clamps for the front miters. Another headache was the back stretcher kept popping out of the sides. A wee bit frustrating to say the least.

seemingly hours later

It probably wasn't much more than 15 minutes but it felt so much longer. I couldn't get my tape to read the inside diagonals and I didn't want to unclamp it either. The frame wouldn't have stayed together. The sticks worked and they said I was square.

made it

This had to be the most frustrating "I want this to be airborne" glue up I have had in a long time. I first put one of the front miters in upside down and I couldn't get the biscuit out even with pliers. I had to saw a new slot again which went ok. Then the miters threw a hissy fit and wouldn't close up. The left one opened at the heel and the right one a bit at the toes. The miters had closed up beautifully on the dry clamp. I set it aside to cook until tomorrow.

top left side

There is less than a 32nd gap here now. I think I could safely ignore it because nothing will be married off this. The drawer slides will be screwed in at the front and back bridging this teeny hollow. Decided to screw in a caul to flatten the side but also to give me another point I can screw the top down to.

the right side

I doubt I could even get a piece of paper inserted between the caul and the side. Putting this one on mostly for an attachment point.

hmm.....

I tried to put this on without mortising it but the washer flopped around. I didn't have a gouge that matched the rounded ends so these were history. I switched to one washer under the screw head.

last one

I put the flattening cauls on the bottom too. The gaps on either side were about the same as the top left one. I thought of putting one at the middle on both sides but nixed it. It was pretty flat and I couldn't think of way to clamp the caul and flatten the side so I could screw it.

bureau carcass

I think I'm done with the majority of the woodworking on the carcass. The bottom frame/feet and top is all that is left.

drawer slips

The two top drawers are getting the slips first. I want to get the bottoms installed before I clean up the boxes. The bottoms will strengthen and help to keep the drawers from racking when I plane them.

cooking

I let these set up for about 2 hours before I fitted the bottoms.

front slips

I am relying on the glue bond with the drawer slips. They are 5/8" thick by 3/4" wide. I will let these 3 cook until tomorrow.

done

The bottoms are fitted in the slips dry. I was going to glue them but I didn't. Having them only nailed at the back will make any future repairs necessary easier.

accidental woodworker

More courses; more shows

Despite some miserable weather it’s been an absolutely lovely summer in the workshop. We’ve run almost a dozen courses already this year and met many wonderful chair makers. Thank you to everyone who has attended; it’s been an absolute pleasure.

Our stool making courses have been sold out so we’ve added some more later in the year. Chairmaking courses are more of a commitment but we’ve been really happy with the response and have seen some beautiful chairs leave the workshop, most built by absolute beginners.

Shows

We exhibit and demonstrate at craft and country shows during the summer. It’s a lovely way of meeting potential new chairmakers! If you’d like to have a chat about our courses and see some of the chairs, stools and benches you can make come along to a show and we can meet:

We look forward to seeing you there!

• 4th May 1pm-4pm Eadenstone Craft Fair, Cambridge – see you next year!
• 18th & 19th May Makers Central, NEC Birmingham – see you next year!
• 8th & 9th June Cambridge Town and Country Fair – see you next year!
• 13 & 14th July Clare Priory Craft Fair, Sudbury
• 10th & 11th August Cambridge Country Show, Stow Cum Quy
• 14th & 15th September The Wonder of Wood Fair, Burwash Manor, Cambridge
• 2nd November London International Woodworking Festival, LDE UTC, Royal Docks, London

How do you get that shine?

One of the most frequently asked questions on the course is about how we finish our furniture. Is it oil, lacquer, varnish? How do we apply it? Brush, roller, sponge, spray? How far do you sand? 240? 400? Higher?

The truth is: we hate sanding. And we’re not all that keen on smelly finishes and oil soaked rags. When we’re making a commissioned piece for sale we pull out all the stops but if we’re making a piece for us or a friend we have a very simple formula:

• Sand with 80 grit
• Burnish and wax
• Polish

That’s it!

The key to this is a burnisher made from the offcuts of seagrass or Danish cord. These are based on the traditional French Polissoir which was just a bunch of straw wrapped up tightly with some more straw. We rub the burnisher in a hard wax that we make ourselves and then rub it hard on the sanded or planed timber. Rather than abrading the surface it burnishes it creating a smooth and silky surface. Then we just rub off any excess wax and call it done. It leaves a lovely smooth, soft sheen.

If it starts to look dirty or dull in a few years then we wash it with warm water and burnish it again.

Building a tall stool

We get a lot of requests to build a tall stool in the style of the simple stool. It’s a huge amount of work for a two day course so we’re offering an option to extend a two day course by one day (before the scheduled course weekend) to do all of the stock prep needed for a tall stall.

On craftcourses.com we’ve added these extension days as separate courses. You will need to book the extra day for the course you’re booking.

What’s for lunch?

Since this was so popular last time here are some pictures of Bryony’s gorgeous food!

As always, if you’re interested in coming on a course please give us a ring (07778 397328) or drop us an email. You can book all of our courses through craftcourses.com

Enjoy the better weather,

StJohn & Bryony

 I'm beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel with Leo's bureau build. All the drawers are done and there isn't much woodworking left. There are false drawer fronts, the base and the top to complete the bureau. After that I will make the 3 drawer and tray unit that will go on top. Maybe another week and I'll be putting the paint on.

top back drawer divider

I was going to Lowes to buy a 18" drawer guide when this idea popped into the brain bucket. This divider is just screwed in place. Unscrew this one, shitcan it, and make another one that is longer. DUH. 5 screws should be more the adequate to secure it.

no dividers

I used the dividers to lay out the front tails. This is the back of the 8" drawer and I laid it out by eye.

finally came in

I thought I had ordered these 3 day priority but instead it was ground advantage. The carcass sides are almost flat. They have about a 32nd of a cup in them and I'm on the fence now about should I or shouldn't I.

last pin done

I just had to clean out the corners and do a dry fit.

off the saw

I am so happy with how well the drawers came out that I could wet myself. I didn't have any hiccups with the drawers. Looking at this pic I reminded myself that I have to make drawer slips for each drawer yet too. Got it glued and cooking and hanging out on top the washing machine.

helping hand from Big Red

The old divider block on the right and the new longer one on the left. I just screwed this one in and I won't be using any glue on it.

big smile

The slides only come with 8 screws - 2 at the front and two at the rear for each slide. I now more than enough meat for the two screws at the end. This divider was slightly cupped and I had to flatten it. I will have to shim one side so that the slide is in line with the front divider.

base figured out

I am going with a frame and simple straight legs. The frame will overhang 3 sides by a 1/2" and the legs are 5 1/4" high. That will raise the bureau 6".

might use this

I mitered the front and used butt joints at the rear. I used #20 biscuits to help keep things together as it cooks in the clamps. This was just to give me a visual but I think I'll use it.

mitered corners

The legs are 2 1/2" wide and I didn't want to use butt joints with exposed end grain. I hogged most the waste away with the jack plane.

finished on the jig

I like this look much better than a butt joint. I'll add a glue block on the inside to strengthen the miter. 

There was the threat of showers all day today. Thunder boomers are supposed to roll through early morning on sunday. This is the day my wife is driving back from NC. I hope that she doesn't have to drive the entire way home in the rain. She is supposed to get back to the barn around 2000. Good news is monday is supposed to be sunny.

accidental woodworker

I love a long rip saw. I often build small projects and want 1/2 or even 1/4 inch thick stock. Very few options to buy pre-dimensioned stock at that size, so I generally end up re-sawing and ripping a lot.

I've been volunteering at a local "Repair Cafe", where several volunteers try to fix stuff that people bring in.  The items can be anything from computers to little toy trucks, vacuum cleaners to jewelry - it spans a wide range.  So far, I've been bringing some tools in my red metal toolbox, but each time I use that toolbox, I have to dump out all of the tools that I definitely won't need and add a bunch of tools that I might need.  This is kind of a drag, so I though I'd make a wooden toolbox specifically for the repair events.

Here's a rendering of what I'm thinking.

Front View

Rear View

My initial thought was to have a drawer at the bottom, a lift-out tray in the upper area, and a space under the tray for more storage.  There is a horizontal divider that separates the drawer section from the upper section.  Since the drawer needs something to stop against when it is slid into its opening, the panel on the rear is full height.  But with the drawer opening on the front, the front panel is only partial height.

So here's where I had to scratch my head about the design of the toolbox.  It has to do with the joinery and wood orientation.  I'm planning to dovetail the box together, but I had to decide how best to do that, and how it might complicate the rest of the piece.

My first thought was to dovetail the ends with the bottom, in which case the grain of the ends would run vertically.  Alternatively, I could dovetail the ends with the front and back - here the grain of the ends would have to be horizontal.

I didn't like the second idea because if the grain on the ends was oriented horizontally, a good jolt to the handle could easily split off the top of the end pieces.  I'm making this out of soft wood and I don't think it would be strong enough in that orientation.

So I chose the first option, with the ends dovetailed to the bottom so the grain of the ends will run vertically.  This also simplified the joinery of the horizontal divider to the ends - the grain will be compatible and I decided to use multiple through mortises and tenons at each end.  That left me to figure out how to attach the front and back panels.

Front panel attachment

It's a little hard to see in the picture, but I've put a groove near the front edge of the horizontal divider, as well as on the vertical ends, that will house the rabbeted tongues on the front panel.

For the back I did the same, grooving the bottom and end pieces to house the tongues of the back panel.

Back panel attachment.  Note that I had to make the  horizontal divider narrower to allow the back panel to fit.

Putting the groove in the bottom forced me to adjust the dovetail spacing.  The groove will show on the outside at the ends of the bottom, so I moved the rear-most tail in a bit (and adjusted the other tails accordingly) to allow the groove to fit fully in the end pin.

A couple other notes here.  In the first picture above, you can see the upper tray is not the full length of the interior of the toolbox.  This is so I could fit my battery drill at one end standing on the horizontal divider.

Lastly, I'm making this mostly out of reclaimed pine/spruce/fir.  The thickness of most parts will be 5/8" to give a compromise between weight and strength.  The horizontal divider will be 1/2" thick.  The handle will be 3/4" thick oak - with the curve in the handle, I didn't want to risk a break due to lack of strength of soft wood.

I'm interested in feedback on the design.  Do you have any comments on how the front and back panels could have been attached differently?  Also, for the drawer shown in the first picture, I need some way of keeping it in place (and not sliding out) when it is closed in place.  Any suggestions?

 For the first time in over 2 weeks I went on a post lunch stroll. For the past few weeks it has either been raining or the temp was too high (80's). I got heatstroke last year and spent 6 hours in the ER. That is not an experience I want to enjoy again any time soon. When I left for my stroll today the temp was 73F (23C) with a breeze blowing. I wasn't going to do my normal walk but at both of the two turn around points I kept on trucking. It felt good to do it and I didn't feel winded or tired when I got back to the barn. Tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy and in the 70's F so I should be able to stroll then too.

6" drawer

I got this one done before lunch. It is less than an inch but once I plane the drawer box it should be dead on an inch.

oops

I did a terrible job laying out the tails on the back end of the drawer box. The pins are way too wide. On drawers you should minimize the size of the pins (end grain) and maximize the size of the tails (long grain). I must have mistaken the pins for tails on this screw up. I don't have any 1/2" stock to redo these neither. I'll have to think of a work around for it.

on the other hand

The tails and pins did seat together nicely. Thinking of applying a coat of epoxy to the pin end grain. That should slow down any moisture exchange with it.

two glued and cooking

I got two done and I might have gotten the 3rd one too if I hadn't gone on walk about. No gun being held to my head on this. I'll get to redeem myself when I do the final drawer tomorrow.

16" drawer slides

These are 100lb slides (for a pair) which is overkill for a bureau. I couldn't find any 50lb rated ones so I got these. And they did come yesterday at 1730 so I would have lost a lung if I had bet it.

tight fit

I was able to insert both drawer slides in. The fit is snug and I was able to push them in place. It easier (IMO) to plane away than to try and add. 

yikes

With the front end of the slide flush with the front, the back just barely rests the back rail. The divider is too narrow and the end screw hole on the slide has nothing but air to screw into. Not what I was expecting with this. 

hmm.....

The slide length is only 15 3/4". The missing 1/4" would have been enough to reach the back divider and screw into it. Not sure what to do to fix this FUBAR.

accidental woodworker

 Another day of good progress on the bureau. I got two drawers glued and cooking with 3 more to go. One headache I've been mulling over is the base for the bureau. I can't picture anything in the brain bucket that I like. The bureau is going to be painted one solid color so the base has to blend in and flow with the bureau from top to bottom. I think I will mock something up out of plywood scraps to get a visual on it. I have plenty of time to work out the kinks on it. The bureau isn't going south to North Carolina till oct.

nope

I can't use these drawer sides with the back I intend to use. I made two new sides and these boo boos will be used for the 3 drawer unit that will go on top of the bureau.

need two

I had an extra from the drawer box stock. The second side came from the 3 drawer unit stock pile. 

too thick

The board on the right is a strong 32nd thicker than the left one. I thinned it with the #7.

new side tails done

I laid out and sawed the tails on the new sides. Before I had done this I sharpened and honed the chisels I needed. I did 5 chisels and I raised a sweat doing it. What I should have done was all of the chisels. I only had the 1/8" and 3/4" ones left and I didn't need the 1/8" one for the drawers.

lunchtime

Tails are done and I got the pins laid out. I will get at least one drawer glued and cooking today.

a frog hair more than an inch

The drawer slide tolerance is 1/2" - you can be slightly more but you can't go under a 1/2".

one down

I was extremely pleased with the fit I achieved. No gaps and all the tails and pins seated tight. The diagonals were off less than a 32nd. Decided that I would stay in the shop long enough to whack out the left drawer.

loving this Union saddle square

I find myself using this more and more. I got specifically with dovetail layout in mind. It excels IMO at dropping square lines vertically and horizontally.

LV saddle squares

I like these squares but I find them to be a wee bit too big for what I use the Union saddle square for. These work well at thicker stock like 2x's.

1516

Second drawer glued and cooking. I met the goal I had in mind for today. I should be able to get two more done tomorrow and maybe all three.

Having hiccups with Amazon delivery again. I ordered 5 pairs of drawer slides for friday delivery. Amazon said that would be delivered today by 1000. Then they said by 1300. The latest and greatest update is now 1615 - 1815. I'm betting on them not showing up at all today.

accidental woodworker

 Today's temp is almost 10 degrees warmer than the forecast. Yesterday it was 8 degrees above the forecast. Normal temps for june in my part of the universe is 77F. 95F was the temp at my house but the official temp for RI was 83F. I am pretty sure that the official temp is taken at Green Airport. Don't understand the 12 degree difference. I realize I live in a neighborhood and the airport is a vast open area but 12 degrees seems to be too much IMO.

back needs a center divider

The back divider is needed to screw the drawer slide on. I could put it in a dado like the front but I am going to screw it.

front divider

I should have used this detail on the 15 drawer cabinet I made. Even though this is going to be painted it still should be visible.

center divider

The side up against the front dovetailed piece is end grain. That isn't a viable glue surface for the long grain of the dovetailed piece. I glued a long grain piece to the divider with a 1/8" spline.

this should work

I'm doing this so the front dovetail piece won't separate from the divider. I think even if I used epoxy on the end grain it wouldn't last long glued to the long grain of the dovetail piece.

two in the bottom

The divider is 3" long which is the width of the top rail. I needed it to be that long for the drawer slide. The rail the bottom is screwed into is only two inches wide which is why it only got 2 screws. I used a story stick to set the position of the back divider. With screws I can take it off and adjust it if necessary.

almost lunch time

I let this cook for a couple of hours before I started working on the drawers.

done

All the drawer stock is prepped and ready for dovetailing. You have to allow 1" for the drawer slides - 1/2" on each side. I made the fronts and backs a 16th over an inch. I can plane that off and sneak up on the fit.

my moxon

I didn't glue this on which surprised me. This is something that I would have glued and screwed but this time it was only screws. I am going to use it to do the drawers because my back is aching. All the bending I did planing the drawer stock the other day has my arthritis saying hello.

fixed

No more tippy moxon vise. It lays flat and upright now which makes it so much easier to secure in the wagon vise dogs. I am able to help secure it with a bench hook too.

tails sawn

I was hoping to get one drawer done but it didn't happen. I got the tails sawn and the baselines knifed.

drawer slips

I went back and forth on this and decided to go with slips for all the drawers. My sides are a 1/2" wide and I don't have a warm fuzzy putting a 1/4" x 1/4" groove in them for the bottom. I screwed up the first drawer because I didn't layout the back for the slips. I'll have to think of some way to do it after the the drawer box is glued and set.

maintenance speed bump

Two of these are honed, one is iffy, and two are dull. These are what I need to do the dovetails on the 5" drawers. I'll either sharpen them tonight after dinner or first thing in the AM session tomorrow.

accidental woodworker

 The temp made it up to 92F (33C) along with some humidity. It was bearable due to the breeze that was blowing. We haven't even hit the high heat and humidity months yet so I think we should buckle up boys and girls. I think July/August is going to be worse than anything seen so far. As long as the shop remains bearable I'm sure I'll weather it. But I do reserve the right to carp and bitch about it.

good sign

All the 3 drawer stock looked good. None of the boards did any stupid wood tricks overnight but it will be a few more days before I get to use it.

drawer stock

This is what I was more concerned with and I wasn't disappointed. All the stock is flat and straight and ready to go. I should start making the drawer boxes wednesday or thursday.

from the LN 4 1/2

I had this lever cap engraved years ago with the thought of doing it on all my other planes. I only other one I did was my Stanley #3 and stopped there. I am having the other 3 LN planes engraved and I shipped them out today.

replacements

It was maybe a good thing I wasn't able to sell all my planes. I sold my 5 1/2 so I had to take the grandson's 5 1/2 to use in the interim.

out of the clamps

Nothing groaned, crept, moved, or relaxed when the clamps came off. The top/bottom and front/back were all square within a 16th. Four more rails to get installed and I can start making drawer boxes.

the back

The ends of the stopped dadoes will never be seen once the bureau is up against a wall. I am going to fill them in because my OCD is screaming at me to do so.

well hello to you

This was unexpected to say the least. I didn't think the nails I used (1 1/2") would poke out. I had checked the angle and thought I had room to spare. This is from toe nailing the bearer rails as insurance. I set the nails with a nail set and filled in the hole with putty.

one down, 3 to go

I inset the back rail to be flush with the outside edge of the 3 rails below it.

almost lunch time

I wanted to get this done before I knocked off to feed the pie hole. Chopping the pins wasn't the nightmare of stock vibrating I pictured it being. I had no hiccups chopping any of the pins.

both dry fitted

I thought of doing half blinds but opted for through. I wanted the pull out strength of the through dovetails.

waiting on gluing this one

The top opening will have two drawers and I need a center divider for that. After I get the two bottom rails in and glued I'll do the dadoes for it.

big gap

Wasn't expecting this but I think I know how and why. I had to trim the pins on this and the other side to get the tails to fit. I must have moved it while knifing it and didn't notice it. The gap on this rail was a tad over a 1/8". I glued a shim in that I flattened with a hammer to make it fit. 5 minutes after gluing it in place it had swelled and closed up the gap tight.

almost done

Got 3 glued with one to go. I didn't think it was going to take me all day long to dovetail the top/bottom bearer rails in. I decided to do the same joint on the top drawer divider as I did on the front rails. I had to stay past quitting time to finish this up. I killed the lights at 1533.

too fancy

Leo's bureau is going to be painted and these bracket feet also don't fit in with the style of it neither. I want to raise up the bureau because I don't like it sitting down so low. I'll have to figure out a base/feet detail that will fit with the overall look of the bureau carcass.

the back detail

The back will go from the top rail to the bottom one. The top will extend and cover the top of the back and the bottom no one will ever see. Based on how stiff the carcass is I am leaning now in the direction of using 1/4" plywood for the back. Lowes didn't have full sheets of 1/2" blonde wood in stock.

accidental woodworker

How to Use a Stanley 48 Metal Tongue & Groove Hand Plane Bill Anderson shows how to make a tongue and groove joint using a vintage Stanley 48 metal tongue and groove plane   By Joshua Farnsworth  |  Published 25 Jun, 2024 How

The mercury hit 85F (30C) today which is less than last weeks heat wave. The temps are still higher than normal for this time of the year. The temp in the shop dropped 2 degrees but it doesn't feel as cool as it was before the heat wave. Made a dent in the bureau prep as I got all the drawer stock planed and stickered. Things are moving along quicker with Leo's bureau then Miles. His bureau was the first and I worked out a lot of kinks with it.

hmm......

I decided to leave the front clamped while I glue the back rails in.

not excessive

The back rails sit down a 1/2" further than the front ones. The aluminum bar clamps can't apply any clamp pressure that far down. I used the besseys to clamp the bottom and the bar clamps to apply pressure at the top. I used Titebond to glue the back rails in.

2x the fun

It was a PITA installing the table top clips the first time and on this go around it was twice the PITA to do. I had marked the top before I removed it but it didn't go back in the same way. I had to drill another hole to allow access to the screw through the drawer runner. Cramped space that was hard to see and hard to maneuver in. I basically had to do it by feel.

wasn't thinking

I placed the drawer on the shelf yesterday and it left an imprint of it on it. I had to put a second coat of paint on it to cover it.

big slotted washers

I got these washers from Lee Valley several years ago but I have yet to use them. I plan on using them to install cleats against the sides to keep them flat.

over a 1/2"

There is a lot of room for expansion and contraction. An added bonus is I don't have to countersink the washer. It can be used on the edge and protrude because there is nothing but empty space on top of it.

might as well

I had to paint the bottom shelf so I painted the top too. This is it for painting this table.

hmm.....

This side had a cup that was a 1/8" at its widest. Now it is maybe a strong 32nd. I will still install the cleats because it will also stiffen the strengthen the sides along with keeping it flat.

top back rail

It is hard to see in this pic but this rail will be inset about a 1/2" from the edge. The outside edge of it will align with the back edge of the 3 middle rails. This way I won't have to rabbet the back for the plywood. All five of the rails are in line and the top will cover and extend past the top rail to the outside edge of the sides. I won't need a rabbet at the top for the back neither.

wow

I am loving at how handy and useful this glue clean up bucket is. Definitely should have done this years ago.

drawer box stock

Before I ran the stock through the lunchbox planer I planed a reference face on each one. Some were ok and only one pissed me off. I thought I was going to plane off more then 1/4" trying to remove the twist.

small drawer stock

There is probably more than enough stock but I erred on the extra side. This stock is for the 3 draw unit that I am putting on the top of the bureau.

drawer boxes

I planed all the drawer box stock to a 1/2". The 3 drawer unit stock I planed to 9/16" so I wouldn't confuse and mix it with the drawer box stock.

drawer stock stickered

Fingers crossed on this not doing any stupid wood tricks. With the the heat and humidity that is here now I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how it shakes out.

3 drawer unit stock stickered

The only thing I know for sure with this stock is that there will be 3 drawers. The R/L is roughly 22" and the front to back is 5". Haven't decided on a drawer height but I'm leaning in the direction of 3 to 3 1/2 inches. This will hang out until after the bureau is built. This and the tray will be the last of the woodworking.

got extras

As I was killing the lights I looked over the drawer box stock and thought something didn't look right. I separated the boards into their individual drawers and I was missing a 6" drawer front or back. I found it mixed in with the 3 drawer unit stock. I have two extras that I could use for any me-steaks with the 5" drawers (actually 4 3/4").

it is dry

I will leave this in the shop and tomorrow I will put on the front porch (it is enclosed) to relax and cure.

accidental woodworker

 Last night after thinking about how to square up the bureau in two planes I came up dry. I had assumed that clamping the bearer rails would basically self square it. I was wrong and the bureau was up 1 zip. I did think of something based on carcass build in one of my books. It was basically a home made clamp that applied pressure with a wedge. My idea was to make a couple and then skew them squaring up the carcass. Turns out I didn't need them when the rubber met the road.

my CPAP storage chest

This back edge glue joint bounces around on me. It opens (slightly more than this) and the  next day it will tight and seamless. This lid was glued up with the problem child white PVA glue. I have already glued the other edge joints with Titebond and they are tight and not moving.

the other side end

This started going wonky during the 3 days of high 90's temp. It was seamless before than but not now. I can flex it slightly with two fingers. The area in and around the middle is still tight and seamless to the eye. It is just a matter of time before it fails.

bottom shelf

I am calling this done with one coat of paint. It is on the bottom and not readily visible. Besides it is mostly covered with coffee K cups.

the top

This is just one part of the crappola on the top. I extends from side to side with the majority of the crappy look in the center. Most of the top will be hidden with the coffee maker but half will be visible. I didn't want to do anything more with this but it is throwing a hissy fit.

the last of my spackle

I would take several coats of paint to fill in all the depressions in the top. I filled them with spackle and I'll sand it smooth and flush later. One more coat of paint and as it is, I'll be calling it done.

knew I had one

This drawer unit is where I keep all of my sharpening do-dads and plane irons. I think this was the first one I did this dovetail and housing dado joint. This was done about 8-9 years ago? The other project with this joint I think I gave to one of my sisters.

story stick

I sawed all the notches for the front bearer rails and made a story stick. I ended up making two because the first one I planed short ( I suffer from 'one more swipe-itis'). FYI - I still can't stretch wood as many times as I have had the opportunity to do it.

 

small tails

The tails on my sharpening bench chest look bigger because the dado for them is a 1/8" deep. The rails are both the same thickness - 3/4". The dadoes on this chest of drawers is a frog hair deeper then a 1/4".

one down, two to go

I did  all the tails with a 1" chisel. I checked with a square as I pared them to ensure I they were straight and flat.

ugh

The 3rd one of the 6, and I got a gap. When I checked it initially it was off on the right. I had to pare that wall a wee bit. I'll fill this gap with a shim after I glue it up. Good luck for me because I'll be painting this bureau.

the first two

These came out nice. The middle one is a tad loose but it should swell shut once it is glued.

front face

Clamping the top and bottom with the clamping squares helped on the diagonals. They were off about a 16th. Wish they were dead nuts but for something this  large that is acceptable.

sweet

All the other rails checked square each way I could place the square.

happy with this

Mr 18" Starrett said all the rails were square to the sides past the center of them from both sides.

the plan

In order to maintain my sanity and not have a nervous breakdown the back rails will be installed dry. I'll concentrate on getting the front rails glued in square first and then I'll wash, rinse, and repeat for the back rails. The final rails will be the top and bottom ones going from side to side.

not square

The carcass is still dried clamped. No glue yet on anything. I was trying to get it square on the front, check, and square on the top, failed. The sticks told me I was a good 1/4" off on the diagonals.

 

a 16th off

I massaged the clamps a little. Mostly making sure that they straight across and in line with the rails. This really surprised me because yesterday these diagonals were off a strong 1/4".

what a difference a day makes

I squared up the left end of this board and flushed it on that side. On the opposite side the outside edge is flush with outside edge of the side. I am not going to try and figure out why it was crap yesterday and square today.

using hide glue

I think I could have used Titebond but I didn't want to risk it. Just is case I had to pop a rail off not to mention a longer set up time for me to fuss and fiddle with it. I glued the front rails one at time starting with the middle one keeping the other two clamped.

just the top

I got the top clamped with a straight board to flatten it out and keep it straight for the glue up. I didn't put the same thing on the bottom. I'll deal with any headaches with that after the rails have all cooked.

a 32nd

I had to take the squaring clamps off at the front to do the diagonals. I also checked the rails for square again with the 6" and 18" squares.

bottom

The bottom front should be ok because the sides are clamped holding it square to the rail. I can see a cup in the bottom behind the black square. I couldn't think of way to not disturb the front clamps and get a squaring cleat on it straightening it out.

shop temp

Yesterday was on the cool side and today the temp almost made it up to 90F (32C) again with high humidity. In spite of the spike in the temp the shop temp has only gone up 3 degrees in the past 2 weeks.

glued and cooking

I will let this cook until tomorrow. Then I will do the back rails gluing them with titebond. I also plan on toe nailing all the rails.

I need this

Without this cleat the right side cups a strong 1/8" at its widest. It is a little less on  the left side. I am going to screw a cleat between the rails on both sides to keep the sides flat.

this is it

I'm living with the result of this final coat of paint. I will keep the table in the shop for at least a week to allow the paint to fully cure. I will then apply a couple of coats of shellac and bring it back upstairs.

don't like it

I think the triangular shape would be stronger than a straight line but I am not crazy about the thinness of it nor the size of the screws to hold it. I'm going back with the original straight ones. I ordered some #12 RH black oxide screws from Blacksmith bolt to secure the cleats.

accidental woodworker

 I got the patch frame to Maria today. It took a while to find a mat for it. The first three I picked were no longer available. She didn't have any questions about doing it. Based on what she has done for me and what I've seen in her shop, she will do a good job. It will probably be, I'm guessing, about 3-4 weeks before she does it. I'm in no hurry because I don't know where I could hang something that big anywhere in the house.

one more failure

I wasn't going to do this but based on the failure rate of this glue I thought it would behoove me to at least check it. This popped off with finger pressure. 

one shaving

Both edges appeared to be clean and smooth. It was like they hadn't been glued  at all. I took one wispy shaving off each edge before gluing it back together.

dead nuts

It took a wee bit of fussing but I got the chamfers on both sides dead nuts flush. 

glue bucket

Why did it take me a bazillion years to think this up? I don't know where this bucket came from but it is perfect for keeping the rag for wiping glue up in. It is also big enough that I can easily find it too.

what I used to use

This has been demoted and shitcanned. I don't have water in the shop so I had to go to the kitchen to wet a rag. I switched to getting the rag wet in this peanut butter jar. No more, adios.

felt and looked good

I tried to break the miter with my hands and failed. Maybe I didn't have to mix the glue after all.

nope

It broke on the 3rd rap with the mallet. 

first coat

This is going to take at least 2 coats. I can see the glue joint and the raw wood on either side of it under the paint. I painted the bottom shelf too and it will need two coats also.

first set of dadoes

I went 3 for 6. 3 of the bearer rails are snug and 3 are loose. As in they weren't self supporting.

top and bottom

The top and bottom cross rails are 3" wide and they'll be dovetailed in at the front and the back.

layout

Transferred the front knife lines to the rear with Big Red. My 18" Starrett was short a couple of inches.

did better

4 for 6 with the second set of dadoes. The two loose ones were kind of self supporting so I did better.

rear dadoes

The back dadoes are 9/16" longer than the front ones. They were supposed to be 5/16" but the gauge block I used I placed it in the wrong orientation. No biggie as I'll use 1/2" plywood for the back of the bureau. That will make it stiffer and stronger then 1/4".

happy face

The diagonals were less than a 16th off. I wasn't expecting it to be this good without any clamps.

laying flat

Put it on the deck to eyeball it. The height of this about 29" and I had nagging thoughts that it was too short. I am putting a 5" base on it and I'm liking the height of that picture.

nope

The left diagonal is 33 5/8". The right diagonal is 33 1/4". That is OTL (out to lunch) and too much to ignore. Squaring this up is going to be a fun adventure on the squaring roller coaster from hell.

added fun

Both sides have a cup with the right worse than the left. I clamped them flat thinking it would help but it didn't. The diagonal on the right changed a 16th. I don't have a lot of ideas on how to square the top/bottom. Which one is more important - the front face or the top/bottom?

Yikes!

The bearer rail is dead nuts square on the left and flush with at the corner. The other end is a half inch off. Trying to wrap my head around this and all I was getting was a headache. I answered my question from above - both the front and top/bottom have to be square. 

worked on the bearer rails

I kept the test bearer rail I did the other day. Since this rail is the same I used the test piece to set these up.

just thought of this

I made this boo boo when I made Miles bureau. I assumed the front and back rails were the same length but they aren't. The front rail extends from the outside edges and the back rail sits in dadoes - it is shorter by the depth of one dado. Tomorrow I'll make a set of test rails to make sure I am doing this correctly.

bandsaw set up

I have six of the rails to notch and I am doing them on the bandsaw. It took 6 adjustments before I got the notch dialed in. 

Killed the lights here and headed topside. I'll do some brain bucket echoing to figure out a way to square the carcass up in two planes.

accidental woodworker

 I had my 6 month urology check up today and things are looking good. The doc answered all my questions without being condescending in the least. The good news is that due to my age and the level of my PSA for past 5 years my chances of getting prostate cancer are low. The concern for me now is urinary retention in the bladder. My level is low and the meds I take are working pretty good. I am better off than two of the other vets I chatted with while waiting. Once I get the high level alarm it is surgery time. According to her it is almost an ambulatory type and the only downside is what they remove (from the prostate) can/may grow back. 

I will wait until there is no other avenues of treatment before I consent to surgery. It isn't because of what the surgery is, it is the after effects of the anesthesia. My hip operation was the worse and it took me over a month before it wore off. My hernia surgery wasn't too bad anesthesia wise but I developed a hematoma that took weeks for my body to absorb. I don't know if anything will go south on this surgery but I will delay it as long as possible.

Thunder boomers in the distance with lots of lightning. It is causing the temp to fall (a good thing). It has dropped 6 degrees in the last hour. No rain yet but it is coming according to the radar.

last night

One of the drawer guides on this table fall off during the night and I actually heard it. I assumed it was one of the cats and went back to sleep. I used the white PVA glue on this that failed on other projects.

explains this

The drawer was binding on me and I planed it a little until it worked freely again. I now think that it was the drawer guide that was the problem and not the fit.

in the shop

The other drawer guide fell off on the way down to the shop. I had planned on breaking it free anyways to reglue it.

another glue failure

I noticed last month that this side of the top appeared to be opened for about 4-5 inches in from the end. A couple of weeks ago it closed up due to humidity? This is another glue up that I will bite the bullet on and fix too.

moot point

The top separated when I tapped it with a mallet to break the paint bond. 

while the glue set up

I sawed up the fronts for the drawer boxes. I had to break down one 5 foot 1x12 for the the 6" drawer. 

happy with this

The glue line is pretty flush on the top where it matters. The ends with the chamfers are dead on. My fingers were crossed that I wouldn't have to repaint this.

potential headaches

I used the same glue for the entire build. The mortise and tenons feel solid and didn't let go when I rapped them with the mallet. The drawer joints are all tight with no gaps and zero flexing/movement. You can't fix won't ain't broke. If anything else fails down the road I'll deal with it then.

insurance?

I nailed three 1" brads at the back and at the tails. Brads are lightweight but it is all I had.

Lowes run

Found out that Lowes doesn't sell 4x4 1/4" panels so I bought a full sheet and had it cut in half. This is 5mm multipurpose plywood whatever that means. I really wanted 1/4" blonde wood but they didn't have full sheets. One panel will be used for the bureau back hopefully with something left for at least one drawer bottom. BTW this was $24 and a 2x4 1/4" panel costs $18. Guess what I'll be buying the next time?

small

3 sets of planer blades came today. I opened one of them because I thought I had only gotten 3 blades instead 6 (3 sets of 2). There are two blades in each of the packages. I didn't think that these would be that teeny. Maybe I should buy another set because I don't see these having any longevity even though they are carbide.

I'm impressed

I traced the inside outline of the patch frame on this and did my layout. I was anticipating having a lot of extra room but everything fit nice nice for me. I snapped a couple of pics of it for Maria and I'll bring it to her tomorrow.

drawer guides cooked

The drawer fits looser now than it did before the guides went south on me. I'll take it as I prefer a drawer that opens/closes nice and easy vice a piston fit.

from amazon

I tried to search for a white PVA glue similar to what I got from TFWW but nada. I needed more glue for the bureau build, hence the Titebond. I saw this white PVA on amazon and it is for frames. I'm curious about it because it said it was an arts and craft glue and would glue paper, wood, etc etc etc. 

I had to try it

I couldn't wait until a project required this. I sawed two miters by hand after doing the layout in pencil.

nope

From the gap I guess one miter is shallow and the other is strong. I know that you can free hand saw miters and end up with a 90 degree corner. I saw Paul Sellers do it at the Springfield Woodworking show years ago.

ready to glue it up

I sized the miters first and allowed it to tack up before I applied more glue and clamped it. 

cooking

I will let this cook until tomorrow. I am extremely curious about how strong this glue bond will be. The label clearly states it is a frame glue. I'll have to wait and see what shakes out with it tomorrow.

maybe not

Saw this when I was looking for a set up and full bond time. I didn't find that but this caught my attention because I didn't shake this. The consistency of the glue is like mayonnaise - I would like to see some instructions on how to shake this well before use.

another demerit

There wasn't a cap for this. I snipped the end off and I couldn't leave this exposed to the air. I'll go to Wally World and see if they have a squeeze bottle with a cap.

The only thing I had time to do on the bureau was to XXX the waste portion of the stopped dadoes I thought I would have whacked out today. I'll start on that in AM.

accidental woodworker