Dairy of a Chest....

[SARGE..g-47]

An idea for something functional and then a plan... there must be a plan to avoid mis-haps or even catastrophy down the path. Some purchase.. some rely on computer programs and some just free-lance from an idea in their mind. But.. a plan is essential for those that chose to think of a giving new purpose to a now non-living organism as a downed tree.

The tree can no longer provides shade and oxegen from it's leaves. Intentionally felled for lumber or an early death from storms or clearing for what we call progress. Whichever.. it lies lifeless waiting for either a new life or decay... or to go up in smoke.

A plan and then a stack of wooden boards lie on the shop floor or rack. With a plan we proceed in taking it from useless to useful. A short journey or a long journey. The common bond is both have to be taken one step at a time in a non-commercial enviroment.

Several days ago I started another journey with a plan.. then a search. Then sizing down to plan specs.. glueing panels... etc. etc. Face frames and side panels for both upper and lower chest come first in my approach. A structure must have a solid foundation to build on... then one step at a time until the journey is complete and new life is given to a departed soul.

Short or long... one step at a time........

[Black wallnut]

Tell us more. What kind of tree?

[JR]

Wow, Sarge, waxing philosophical this morning, aren't we?

Can't wait to see the project as it develops.


BTW - I'm sure there's a snappy rejoinder involving a chest and dairy. It'll come to me....

JR

[crokett]

Plan? Bah! No plans - just wing it! Besides, every time I try to plan when I start to the building I discover something I planned won't work and I have to wing it anyway.

[JimD]

Sarge,

Your plans look about as detailed as mine. I like to use an old parallel board to draft a scale drawing to check proportions. I make a few more notes on the size of parts on this drawing and then start cutting wood. I do not make a lot of plans but I like to have my one sheet done. I find it helps minimize issues later.

Jim

[SARGE..g-47]

My plan is simple. I just crudely sketch it and note in the widths of front.. sides and heights. No details of each piece as I just look to see a drawer opening 7" by 27". Without detail I know 28" is the width to cut the face frame stiles to allow 1/2" on each end for tenons. Runners are going to be 3/8" longer to accomodate for a 3/16" half lap on each end.

After doing it so many times... details are not necessary as "you just know" what to add to allow for joints.. etc. Think it through mentally.. measure twice.. cut it and move on to the next step. Just a 6th sense that is acquired with time.

Red oak 3-2 chest.. poplar back frame with front and rear M&T'ed. Half laps on soft maple runners as I don't use metal. Basswood drawer sides with hickory bottoms. My plan is what I can afford to continue to build day after day after day. I love exoctics and fine domestic.. my consumption of wood does not agree with the prices involved.

The foundation has been laid with a coat of Danish already added and 3 coats of padded shellac on the interior. Time to take another step up the ladder toward the top. The rest of the day will be taken off to rest when work resumes tomorrow.

A stack of wood lies on a table and many would view it as simply that.. a stack of wood. But.. I see drawers in that piled up lumber which needs to be ripped.. sized.. jointed and planed before the process of cuttiing hand cut dove-tails begins. Take a little here and a little there until they start to look like drawers for a chest.

Another day.. another step as the foundation has been solidly laid. No starting whistles and no quitting time. I eat when I'm hungry.. I drink when I am thirsty and I sleep when I'm tired. Otherwise I am free to do what makes me happy...

Two weeks and counting. Tick - tock.. tick - tock! Moving on as drawers and fronts.. waist-band for tie in.. base and top remain as we take another step up the ladder. Another day... another challenge... and many more details to go before final finish.

[SARGE..g-47]

Can you see drawers? .... I see them clearly....

[SARGE..g-47]

The rough cut bass-wood waited patiently for it's turn in the rotation and got moved to the cut area where it would be re-surrected to another life as drawers. It had to be sized down to work-able sizes and honed to furniture grade so it began it's journey on the SCMS.

Once achieved a trip to the TS to be ripped down to 1/8" over actual final size as stock was cut to have two drawer sides plus a couple of extra inches in case of snipe. Snipe is not normal but.. 2" with relatively cheap stock is an insurance hedge.. then off to the jointer will take a final pass on each side to take off 1/16" giving a finished edge and plan width for the drawers.

Once complete it made it's way to the planer to be thicknessed from 3/4" to 5/8" final thickness. For small drawers I prefer 1/2" but these drawers are 27" (bottom) and 26" (top) wide and I use 5/8" for extra structural support. Gang runs on the first 1/16"" passes with one piece of stock a time for the final two passes at 1/32" to reach 5/8".

And all with an eye kept on the inspection window on the cyclone chip bin as planing off a mere 1/8" on 60 board feet will fill it rapidly in it's new configuration un-compressed. Twice to empty a 30 gallon bin. Once as it was full and when the stock has been planed to empty the half full bin so it's ready the next encounter.

With the width and thickness established.. time to take it to final length. To be absolutely sure each matching drawer side and front-rear is the exact same size... the "Story Stick" is called upon. It will repeat the same story on each component before the final trip for cross-cutting down to the finalized length.

The stock now awaits 100 female.. 100 male individual cuts for box joints for the rear and 70 individual pins and 70 tails for hand-cut dovetails...

Today we rest as standing for 8-10 hours a day takes it toll. A grocery run and hair-cut has to be make. Two vehicles need oil changes and a yard needs it weekly trim. And if all gets done... a new crown guard and dust sheld for the table-saw to go on the base component for Lee Styrone's excellent "shark-guard".

Lee was kind enough to see me just his base already cut on the bottom to anchor to a Uni-saw. I will add my Crown guard from a glued up spalted pecan scrap and use my existing plastic shield. Lee's machine work is top notch and shows the pride he takes in doing it. I wish I had a Car he hand made as it would probably be the last I would ever need.

The feet are tired and the mind is on catching up... so we rest from the shop today before tackling joints for drawers. With many joints a fresh mind that is capable of total concentration is required. One mistake on one cut and you have to go back and re-size another entire piece to replace the component. I make two extra just in case.. I just don't want a "just in case" situation to rear it's ugly head.

[SARGE..g-47]

Didn't make it to the shop until around 2 PM as un-expected errands to run. And then I finished the new TS guard with the aid of Lee Styrone's base plate for the Uni-saw before I set up the saw for a dadoed groove on the bottom inside for the drawer bottoms.

Re-set for box joints.. marked and numbered individual components before knocking them down. Two hours spent standing in front of the saw clamping.. re-clamping and moving the drawer side over a slot. Attention to the sequence as one mistake means you re-size more rough stock and do that piece over wasting valuable time... I had never worked with basswood before and found out just how soft it is. Special attention to avoid blow-out which will rear it's head again with dovetails.

Hand cut dove-tails are on the agenda tomorrow. I take my time as a slip also means repeat or a sloppy fit. But.. I do love to cut them by hand for whatever reason...

[Crash2510]

just rated the thread.

keep posting I always like to see other shops in motion.

you have more ambition than me.

[Uncle Cracker]

I also have stopped back in to rate the thread...

[rja]

I rate this thread a five-star!

[OpaDC]

I rate this thread a five-star!

I rate this thread a five-star!

+1

[cwithboat]

Well I can see that I will never run out of things to learn or skills to develop.

[pelligrini]

Re-set for box joints.. marked and numbered individual components before knocking them down. Two hours spent standing in front of the saw clamping.. re-clamping and moving the drawer side over a slot. Attention to the sequence as one mistake means you re-size more rough stock and do that piece over wasting valuable time... I had never worked with basswood before and found out just how soft it is. Special attention to avoid blow-out which will rear it's head again with dovetails.

I can't really tell from the pics, but is your boxjoint jig set up for dedicated 3/8" wide pins with your Frued blades, or is it adjustable? Do you go back and glue in a plug where the dado removed part of a pin?

Working with basswood is what got me into this hobby. We made a bunch architectural models in college out of basswood. I still like working with it on smaller projects (and I still have a bunch of thin stock to use up too).