Shaker Sewing Table

[Andrew Williams]

It's a cherry piece that I just finished. I don't think the .jpg shows the lines well, it seems to cut them slightly. They don't line up 100% perfectly in real life but far better than the .jpg shows. I tried using a design with offset web frames to make a symetrical space around all four sides of a drawer, and am not sure if I would do that again. It is again about half power, half hand-tool work. The finish is Watco, shellac and wax.

[Larry Fox]

Absolutely beautiful - very nice work. I love Cherry.

[Jim Becker]

That's a beauty, Andrew!!!

[Mathew Nedeljko]

Very nice work Andrew, always love Shaker! I like how you kept the grain flowing across the drawer fronts. I also like the knobs. Are they walnut? Did you turn them yourself?

[Bill Huber]

Really wonderful looking table.

I also really like the grain of the drawers it really adds to the look.

Now some questions:

Did you hand cut the dovetails on the drawers and if not what did you use?

Are the knobs polished wood or metal?

The last one, why are the first 4 clamps not in line with the rest ?

[John Schreiber]

That looks great from here. If the jpgs don't give it justice, then it must be really great.

[Bruce Page]

Excellent work Andrew. I love the clean Shaker lines.

[David DeCristoforo]

If my wife sees this it's gonna cost me at least a couple of weekends....

[Dave Ray]

Andrew, this a thing of beauty. I love Shaker pieces and you really put it all together. Thanks for pix.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Andrew,

You did a wonderful job, I really like the way it turned it, clean and defined.

[Don Bullock]

Andrew, that's a mighty fine piece of furniture. The joinery on the case work is an excellent extra touch showing your skill as a craftsman. I see what you mean about the .jpg not showing it well. I magnified the image and everything lined up correctly.

[Martin Shupe]

Outstanding, Andrew, simply outstanding!

Are the legs 1.5 inches square? or 1 and 3/8? I ask because in the past I have used 1.5, and I am thinking about smaller on my next table.

Very well done!

[Andrew Williams]

Wow thanks for all the compliments!

Now to the questions...

The legs are tapered from 1 1/4" square. The rest of the carcase wood is made from 5/8 thickness.

All the drawer dovetails were cut by hand. The carcase half dovetails were also cut by hand with the exception of the tail part for which I could not steady a handsaw against the sharp corner of the wood and therefore used bandsaw and chisel. After further experimentation it can be easily done with just a chisel, notching the crosscut with a handsaw.

The knobs were not turned by me, since I do not own a lathe (yet), nor do I know how to use one. Those things are both planned for the not-too-distant future. They are also cherry but dyed with dark mahogany color.

Whoops, forgot the most important question ... those 4 pipe clamps must be my go-to clamps :P

[Pat Germain]

Very handsome project, Andrew.

Is that a fireplace I see in your shop?

[Andrew Williams]

Yeah it's a working fireplace but I don't use it. I just don't feel it's safe, even though I have seen many a drawing of old time shops with fireplaces.