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Thread: Planning the next build

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
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    Perth, Australia
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    Planning the next build

    I'm sure others also spend time between builds tuning up equipment, both power and hand. This time it has been with more caution in mind since I have a stack of rough sawn Makore to use - beautiful timber from West Africa .. but ...


    http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...dwoods/makore/


    ... some say that it can cause skin irritations. Although I have not experienced any reactions to timbers to date, I am being cautious and tuned up the dust collection for the jointer and thicknesser. Now I am waiting on a good dust mask with filtration down to .3 microns, and will not start any machining until they arrive.


    I'd be interested to hear any experiences with this wood.


    The next build is a lingerie chest for Lynndy. She's been asking for one for a while, one that will fit into an alcove in the bedroom. Ideas have been percolating ...


    I have in mind a cabinet that tapers to each side. I am not decided on the drawers but have strongly entertained the idea of concave drawer fronts ...





    ... not sure (although I like the challenge of compound angled dovetails! ). They would be quite unusual - convex is more common. However straight may be a less busy look. Your thoughts?


    I made up a mock-up with a few lengths of MDF clamped together.


    The chest needs to be at a height that enables Lynndy to see into the top drawer. So this is established as 54". The width at the base is largely determined by the alcove into which it will go: Lynndy wants it as wide as possible, and I want it to be as wide as is aesthetic (she has little concern for the latter - she just wants a chest of drawers!).


    This is what it looks like in the bedroom alcove (those pictures will be going). This is 16" wide at the top ...





    ... and 20" at the top ...





    In the end we agreed on 17" at the top, 25" at the bottom, and a height of 53" ..


    Today I drew this full size on 1/8" MDF sheet ...





    There are two narrow drawers at the top that will be used for jewellery and be filled with trays and lined in suede. These will have locks. The remaining drawers I decided to keep the same height as I thought that graduated heights might accentuate the taper. Looking at this drawing, however, I have changed my mind. The problem is that the shorter drawers look "blocky" and clumsy.


    Here is the cabinet redrawn with graduated drawers.





    The sizes of the drawers were decided by eyeballing them - no calculations, per se. The upper two are 2 3/4", the next two rows are 4 1/2", the next two are 5 1/2" and the bottom three rows are 6 1/2". They look right to me. Your thoughts?


    The locks are going to move from the front to the side of the carcase. On the front they add a busier look. Now I need to find locks that work from the side. I recall one can get these for desk drawers. Any sources?


    Comments and opinion gladly received.


    Regards from Perth


    Derek

  2. #2
    Comments? That's going to be a lot of lingerie!

  3. #3
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    You should see the shoes, Kees

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  4. #4
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    I built a rosewood cabinet for a client some years ago and her request was wide/shallow drawers that would closer resemble a flat file than a jewelry box. The top opened to reveal a row of watch pillows but if I did it again I would jettison the opening top since she ended up sitting many things on the box basically eliminating the function of the top.

    So with that in mind if your wife collects watches/bangles/bracelets I would make an area for a bunch of individual watch pillows on one half and ring slots on the other half (which can also hold pins). The drawer immediately below it would be dedicated to necklaces and earrings.

    Scarves do well in a wide flat drawer also.

    I did plush suede liners in my client's jewelry box, and I found plush liners to use a ton of space without purpose. So for my wife's I wrapped plywood in leather then again in suede to get a soft surface which was not plush.

    My wife dislikes my 'over-organization', so her jewelry box is a lacquered rosewood, suede lined, pirate's chest. Had I been comfortable with marquetry I would have put a skull and crossbones on it. Had I been able to design it in a manner which allowed it to let out a sinister laugh and spill out a waterfall of jewelry....that would have been preferred.

    My own valet box is simply lined with wood.
    Last edited by Brian Holcombe; 10-05-2014 at 6:36 PM.
    Bumbling forward into the unknown.

  5. #5
    Derek,

    It is possible that you may need twice as many jewellery drawers!

    I'm sure you know that if you build bow front or concave, you laminate the drawer fronts first.

    David Charlesworth

  6. #6
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    Kelowna, BC, Canada
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    Derek,

    I like the graduated drawer height approach, but why not make them all different (graduated) heights instead of pairing/tripling up sizes? To me, the drawers look as if they are all different heights as is, but top drawer of each pair/triple looks chunkier than the one below. Using fully graduated heights would (I think) eliminate that.

    Unless the cabinet is going to sit under a mirror, consider having the top tilt up to show a mirror. She's going to want to do see what a necklace or earring looks like against the outfit she's wearing that day.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by david charlesworth View Post
    Derek,

    It is possible that you may need twice as many jewellery drawers!

    I'm sure you know that if you build bow front or concave, you laminate the drawer fronts first.

    David Charlesworth
    Hi David

    I've done a bit of laminating curves before (such as for demilune tables), however I have no idea what it would be like dovetailing into the ends of laminated drawer front. Can this be done? Chiseling into glue does not seem kind on chisel steel. Would it be better shaping the curved drawer fronts from solid wood?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Kornell View Post
    Derek,

    I like the graduated drawer height approach, but why not make them all different (graduated) heights instead of pairing/tripling up sizes? To me, the drawers look as if they are all different heights as is, but top drawer of each pair/triple looks chunkier than the one below. Using fully graduated heights would (I think) eliminate that.

    Unless the cabinet is going to sit under a mirror, consider having the top tilt up to show a mirror. She's going to want to do see what a necklace or earring looks like against the outfit she's wearing that day.
    Hi Mark

    I agree, a progressive graduation of drawer heights is my preference as well. I am looking into this at the moment.

    A mirror is an idea. Perhaps not part of the chest, but above it.

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

  9. #9
    I don't know anything about furniture, so this is only my preference from looking at the picture and wondering what would look good to me.

    I like the straight front better than concave. Convex would be nice if you wanted to do that instead, but I'm not sure they would look good unless the curve carries over to the outside of the piece, and if it wasn't bold, it would just look studio furniture-ish. It would also have to be something other than straight lines in the vertical, too, or it might look like an odd mix of curved and straight.

    I like the piece in general (I'd do all of it flat as you have laid it out and do nothing other than fiddle drawer sizes).

    The drawers in the middle, to my eye, are too close to the size of the bottom drawers. I'd have them smaller sooner and probably divided at the top.

    I have no idea what any of the implications of my wishes are, like I say, I know nothing about furniture and what makes good design.

  10. #10
    Mark makes a good point ,the pairs actually make the bottom drawer look more shallow than the upper. An unusual refinement in graduation is the frize drawer,a top drawer often cross banded and having no pulls that is often taken to be
    part of a thick top. I once had one and measured the graduation which used the "golden mean". The second drawer was
    1.618 times the frize drawer and the third ,and ect. were 1.273 times the one immediately above.

  11. #11
    Hi Derek,

    The general design of the mockup is good, I've seen similar pieces all with flat or raised panel drawer fronts, so I would like to see you pull off the concave fronts. That could be done with a more shallow concave front - a subtle curve. Another option would be to switch the concave direction - top to bottom, more of a Danish modern look I suppose. I agree with the comments on the drawer proportions needing work, adding another small drawer to the top and adjusting from there. And, your drawer pull location proportions are off, you have it right at the top, think of each drawer as a two halves and center, might need to adjust slightly due to the slant sides. To get the proportions/look more refined you may need to adjust your height and width of the overall piece rather than trying to fit what you want into prescribed dimensions.

    Looking forward to it taking shape!

    James
    Last edited by James Conrad; 10-06-2014 at 11:32 AM.
    "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Proust

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    I'm sure others also spend time between builds tuning up equipment, both power and hand. This time it has been with more caution in mind since I have a stack of rough sawn Makore to use - beautiful timber from West Africa .. but ...


    http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...dwoods/makore/


    ... some say that it can cause skin irritations. Although I have not experienced any reactions to timbers to date, I am being cautious and tuned up the dust collection for the jointer and thicknesser. Now I am waiting on a good dust mask with filtration down to .3 microns, and will not start any machining until they arrive.


    I'd be interested to hear any experiences with this wood.
    I made this frame last fall from Makore. I just used a standard dust mask and didn't have any issues to speak of. I had never heard of it at the time. I was looking for some straight grained Mahogany at the time and about choked on what it was going to cost. This does the Mahogany thing pretty well and was inexpensive. It's a pretty hard wood so keep everything nice and sharp.

    Sharp solves all manner of problems.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derek Cohen View Post
    I'm sure others also spend time between builds tuning up equipment, both power and hand. This time it has been with more caution in mind since I have a stack of rough sawn Makore to use - beautiful timber from West Africa .. but ...


    http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-...dwoods/makore/


    ... some say that it can cause skin irritations. Although I have not experienced any reactions to timbers to date, I am being cautious and tuned up the dust collection for the jointer and thicknesser. Now I am waiting on a good dust mask with filtration down to .3 microns, and will not start any machining until they arrive.


    I'd be interested to hear any experiences with this wood.

    Derek
    I've worked with this wood on several occasions and it is really beautiful. I tend to use a finish that has little or no color to it (and no stain at all) to allow the dark red color to show through. You could probably use a dark glaze effectively to accentuate the grain pockets if you liked that look.

    I tend to have a slight reaction to the wood, but not much of one. If I breath the dust, it is a bit of a reaction in the back of my throat. So I tend to use a lot of dust collection, and a standard dust mask, although sometimes I'd wish for a bit more if I was sanding. No skin reaction at all for me.

    The wood seems to have a lot of silica or something in it that dulls tools quickly. So if you are machining using power tools, sharp carbide is recommended. Not sure how the hand tools will work as I've only done a bit of finish plaining on the projects I've worked. Of course, you're well used to working with tough, difficult woods so I suspect you'll have no problems.

    Jeff.

  14. #14
    Derek,
    I love the concave drawer, especially if you keep it so dramatically curved. But Im concerned about the combination of a vertical taper with concave drawers. I am by no means a design expert. So Im not certain, but in my mind's eye I keep visualizing a chest that looks like its collapsing in on itself in two dimensions. (Man, that sounds like something Antoni Gaudi would have done deliberately, doesnt it?) You might want to build it out in sketchup or some other 3D rendering tool just to make sure the combined effect suits you.

    Look forward to watching your build.
    Fred

  15. #15
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    Just thinking out loud. Not sure how it would work, but another possibility (which would complicate construction) might be to arch the drawers (as seen from in front) as the bottom edge. The top would end up arched too - but if something needs to sit on it some sort of drop on platen or even a circular flat bottomed recess cut into the top might be an option. For real punishment (but it might not work so well visually) make the drawer fronts concave viewed from above as well..
    Last edited by ian maybury; 10-07-2014 at 12:40 PM.

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