Start of a new project

[atgcpaul]

It's been a crazy year. Our daughter is going to be 1 soon and we found out
a few months ago that my wife is pregnant again. We were absolutely
floored but happy. The girls will be 14 months apart.

Anyway, when our girl started crawling, we moved the TV from the hardwood
family room to the carpeted dining room. She loves cables and cords! I
wall-mounted the TV but we didn't have an entertainment center for all the
components. She knows how to open and close the DVD tray now.

I wanted to build a unit to conceal all the components and cables from view
(and touch). I've been gravitating towards Danish modern furniture and am a
big admirer of Maloof and Nakashima.

A month after she was born a wind storm knocked down my neighbor's walnut.
I got the tree and sliced it up with a local sawyer. It only seemed appropriate
to make this from that tree.

I started with a Sketchup drawing. The design isn't final yet but at least gets
me in the ballpark. I may use metal feet instead of the legs I have pictured.



Nakashima uses big, thick boards. I plan to DT the 4 corners. I need to start
practicing. It's been a few years since I did any hand DTing.

I picked out some nice boards and planed them smooth. The final unit will be
approx 21" wide. I trimmed the boards to less than 13" wide with my BS so
they'd fit in my planer.

Using a carrier board and hold down clamps, I ripped one edge straight on my
TS. Because of the size of the boards (6+' long, 1 1/2" thick, 13" wide), I
didn't get glue joint ready edges. I don't own a jointer so I needed a way to
get these edges straight. Hand plane!

By clamping 2 boards back to back (or face to face) and planing one edge
together, you get a flat glue-up.



The boards weren't dead flat (no jointer) but close enough. To help keep them
flat during the glue-up, I used double biscuits.



Next step is to drum sand the top and bottom panels smooth and trim their
ends square and to length. I've got to pick out boards for the sides now.

I need to get a move on. I have 3 months to finish this beast and the dresser
for the new baby. I need to start on the crib, too! It's going to be a crazy
summer!

Thanks for reading,
Paul

[jackellis]

That entertainment unit is going to be pretty heavy, but it should be quite nice.

Why 1 1/2" thick for the top and bottom. Can't you get away with something a little thinner?

[cabinetman]

That entertainment unit is going to be pretty heavy, but it should be quite nice.

Why 1 1/2" thick for the top and bottom. Can't you get away with something a little thinner?

+1. I agree. Thick stock is more likely to have movement issues. It is a cool idea to make it from that tree, but most casework benefits from using hardwood plywood. Using biscuit joinery is really unnecessary. Mating edges, and using clamps, alternating top and bottom of the glue up, and clamps and cauls for alignment, make for a good glue up.

.

[atgcpaul]

I'm going for a certain look hence the thick stock. The top is the only one that is 1 1/2". The bottom is 1". The sides will probably be close to 1", too. I still have to run everything through the sander so I'm going to lose more thickness there.

About the biscuits, I guess "Smoke if you got 'em" applies here. I rarely use biscuits anymore but in this case they served their purpose and made my glue-up easier.

Aside from drawer bottoms and utility type pieces I don't use a lot of plywood. I realize its benefits but I have an opportunity to build a piece from wood from one tree and I'm going to take it. The piece should finish evenly and why spend the money on ply when I've got all this great stock already?

[JR]

... I have an opportunity to build a piece from wood from one tree and I'm going to take it. The piece should finish evenly and why spend the money on ply when I've got all this great stock already?

I'm with you all the way on this. You've conceived an outstanding project with a whole lot of lore to go with it. You should write it down and atttach it to the back for the benefit of future Keno bros. appraisals.

Excellent job on glue-up. I don't envy you that joining effort though.

JR

[gerti]

It's been a crazy year. Our daughter is going to be 1 soon and we found out
a few months ago that my wife is pregnant again. We were absolutely
floored but happy.

You do know how that works, right? ;-)

Congratulations!