Cherry Dresser

[Patrick Nailon]

I've been working on this dresser since February or March. Hasn't been easy working when I'm not home all the time and have my daughter when I am. But I've managed to get the time in, and finally pulled it all together Friday night.

It's from a Woodsmith mag, and the carcase is cherry and birch plywoods. I used birch for the parts that weren't seen as - heck, why use expensive cherry plywood that can't be seen? The top is glued up cherry, that I didn't smooth out too well at first, and had to sand down after staining and finishing to really clean up and restain/finish. Worth the effort. The drawer fronts are solid cherry, with backs and sides of poplar. The base is also solid cherry, with mortise and tenon construction (my first attempt, and it came out beautifully).

The knobs are birch, and the top, base and knobs are stained with GF Antique Cherry. The remainder has no stain, but poly overall.

[John Thompson]

Very nicely done, Patrick. I like the contrast in the darker top-base and the drawer fronts. You did a nice job popping the grain on those drawer faces BTW. Glad to see you used M & T's. Not difficult at all really and a very strong joint. I use them about 90% of the time. And no.. if it's not going to be seen you can use sub woods to save some coins as coins are hard to come by these days..

Excellent...

[John Keeton]

Nice work, Patrick. Those drawer fronts have some beautiful grain, and as Sarge noted, you did a great job of bringing it out. Strangely, I like the contrast in the stained/unstained as well, but if I had not seen the pics, I am not sure I would have thought it would be successful.

[Jerome Hanby]

I like this a lot!. Simple lines, beautifully executed. Do you recall the issue of Woodsmith?

[Dave Verstraete]

Patrick
Great job on the dresser. I love the look of the cherry drawer fronts and the stained top and base.

[Walt Caza]

Hi Patrick,
Great job on finding shop time, and great looking dresser!
Using secondary wood in areas not visible is an old and valid approach.

I find the two-tone cherry very handsome.
Congrats on your first m&t.
Now you're qualified to build a Morris chair?! (jk)

Thanks for giving us a peek,
be well,
Walt

ps What are you building next?

[Patrick Nailon]

You did a nice job popping the grain on those drawer faces BTW.

Actually I did nothing to the non-stained areas other than coat with MinWax water based poly (gloss, natch). That really did bring out the grain.

I'm still a newbie, so the lighter and darker tones of the drawer fronts (also visible in the frame around the drawer fronts - is that a heartwood/sapwood demarcation? Personally, I like the look, as it gives it a bit of a rustic look while not taking away from the overall effect.

Several have mentioned the staining top and base. That's exactly as Woodsmith designed it. Looked so beautiful, I followed the same design. They also showed another version where the base WASN'T mortise & tenon, just 3/4" base mitered at the corners and the whole project was unstained. Looked terrible to me. Like a cheap motel dresser. Tho doubtlessly it must look okay in real life, being cherry.

Oh, and the issue of WoodSmith was 148. This project was on the front cover.

Thanks everyone for the positive feedback. Yes, Walt, I do want to build a Morris chair! Very much, but a platform bed and a pair of nightstand tables are next on the agenda. Both in cherry, and both to be matching this stain/finish design.

[gary Zimmel]

Nice job on the dresser Patrick.

[Roy Wall]

Great looking dresser........love the Cherry! Nicely done.....

[John Thompson]

[QUOTE=Patrick Nailon;1204804]Actually I did nothing to the non-stained areas other than coat with MinWax water based poly (gloss, natch). That really did bring out the grain.

I'm still a newbie, so the lighter and darker tones of the drawer fronts (also visible in the frame around the drawer fronts - is that a heartwood/sapwood demarcation? Personally, I like the look, as it gives it a bit of a rustic look while not taking away from the overall effect.

When you purchase stock.. I have the luxury and time to hand pick in most species so you can over time.. find the same variants of color and comlimenting grain structure. But that can be a very timely process as normally most are constrained to purchase from what the supplier has on hand at the moment which is usuall a mix of heart-wood... sapwood and all points in between.

So.. you have to use what you have in the most efficient manner you can to arrive at a happy compromise, IMO. You did an excellent job on this piece doing just that whether you realize it or not. I purchase a lot of QSWO for A & C and I have to order so many bd. ft. the morning before I pick it up. It comes from one tree (sometimes two depending on how many bd. ft.) so I cannot hand pick as they don't pre-cut QS at my supplier until they get a request. Their saw-mill is down the hill from the normal racks and they mill it when ordered.

QSWO has some very dark heart-wood compared to the center portion of the tree so... you have to use it wisely. In every batch of 100 bd. ft. I get around 3 of heart-wood out of say 12-13 individual boards. I always order more than I need as I know this and I prefer to not mix the two. So.. I hang onto the darker heartwood until I have enough to do a project using strickly the heart-wood.

As a matter of fact I just finished a computer desk-hutch a month ago... will post a fish tank table tomorrow or Wed. I just finished and have a printer table on the slate for next Monday which I am going to cash in using the heart-wood I've been saving as the entire piece will be the darker shade of heart-wood.

So..... you learn to use what you have or you re-direct the variation to another project that it will compliment..

[Sam Layton]

Great looking dresser Patrick. I like the cherry with no stain, and the pulls stained. Is there matching bed side tables, and bed in the future?

Sam

[Steve Schlumpf]

Very nice work Patrick! Love the somewhat quilted pattern of the drawer fronts! As pretty as this dresser is now - it is really going to be something in a few years!

Looking forward to seeing the matching night stands!

[Patrick Nailon]

I like this a lot!. Simple lines, beautifully executed. Do you recall the issue of Woodsmith?

Here is a picture of the Woodsmith mag that I got this from. BTW - Woodsmith also designed a matching armoire, bedframe and nightstands to go with this.

[Jerome Hanby]

Now that you mention the matching items, I think I recall the series of articles. Thanks!