Some progress on a new dresser

[atgcpaul]

I love a good dry fit. I actually enjoy this part more than the glue-up.

I've been working on this dresser/changing table for a couple of weeks now.
If you remember from last year, I built a very similar one more than a year
ago for our first daughter. Well daughter #2 is on her way this coming
Thursday. I am definitely not as far as I'd like to be, but the summer has
been darn hot and daughter #1 enjoys daddy time--so does daddy.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but this one is not getting the same level of
attention as the first one. Firstly, I'm not copying Maloof. I saw a craftsman
unit in a recent FWW and this one is closer to that. The overall dimensions
are very close, but the shape is easier. The drawer runners you see are
joined with face frame biscuits rather than loose tennons. I'm also not using
ebony plugs to cover the screw holes. I'm going to do it in matching plugs.

This walnut, though, is from the tree that fell in my neighbor's yard that I
helped mill so that's something. I did decide today, though, that the drawer
boxes will be poplar. I have tons of that walnut, but I did want a little contrast.

There's still a lot of work to do and I'm definitely not going to beat the deadline.
I still have a crib to build but kid #2 won't need that for at least another 4
months.

Paul



https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-w...0/IMG_5980.JPG

[chopnhack]

Congrats Paul!! Two girls, good for you. The drawer carcass looks great already. You really do some nice work, cant wait to see what this one looks like. Are you going to age the poplar to even out the tones? Daddy time is important, no excuse on that one, but it does prevent me, ahem, from doing quality woodworking :P Really cool that the piece will have heritage in the sense that the wood was claimed from a felled tree in the neighbors yard and then came back to life as a dresser after being milled by dear old dad. That's a pedigree I am sure she will be proud of. How did you dry the wood? It can't have been more than 4-6 months since I remember reading about your wind storm mishap, or has it?

[BadeMillsap]

Looking really good ...

I agree ... a good dry fit is a real confidence boost! Makes you want to get to the next step!

Nice Job!

[atgcpaul]

Are you going to age the poplar to even out the tones?
.
.
How did you dry the wood? It can't have been more than 4-6 months since I remember reading about your wind storm mishap, or has it?

I'm just going to let the poplar do its own thang.

It has actually been a year since the storm. Tree was milled in September and I picked it up this spring. The sawyer has a dehumidification kiln.

[chopnhack]

That's really cool! Time flies....

[cabinetman]

Looks good so far. Dry fits are a tell tale. If you don't have a moisture meter, and the wood is a bit high in MC, you may get some shrinkage.

.

[Pappy]

Some nice grain in the walnut, Paul. The sap wood is going to provide some nice highlights.

[Turaj]

Congratulation Paul!
Dresser looks great so far. I really like your choice of wood and look forward to seeing the completed dresser.

[JimD]

Great project. Using lumber with a connection to you is a great idea. I save time by using baltic birch plywood for drawer sides and backs. I rout dovetails in it by back-cutting. You can see the plys, of course, but my family considers it totally acceptable. There are no voids. It is not quite 1/2 thick but I have the HF dovetail jig adjusted accordingly. It is stronger and more stable than solid wood.

You might want to consider exterior varnish or poly to keep the walnut heartwood dark. My living room furniture gets no direct sunlight but the covered areas of some stacked tables are noticably darker than the rest. Sunlight bleaches walnut (and darkens cherry).

Jim

[atgcpaul]

A long winded update

Daughter #2 was born Sept 1 and she's doing fine. I forgot just how much newborns sleep--except at night!

I've been home for the week so I've had time to get some more work done on the dresser. Right now we are using a card table in the bedroom as the changing table. Yeah, that's getting old fast.

From the dry fit from before, I disassembled it, cut a slight sweep on the top of the sides and glued it back together. As with my Maloof dresser, I glued and screwed the carcass. This time, though, I made matching walnut plugs, not ebony. This dresser is going to be more visually subtle.

The dresser is ready to be sanded and finished. I do want to conceal the sap so I need to find a dye recipe that works. I decided to hold off on finishing because I still need to make more dust.

Last weekend I bought 35bf of rough poplar and spent the better part of the week surfacing it and cutting it to size for the drawer parts. The Maloof dresser had rabbeted drawer fronts and the sides were screwed on and then plugged. Since the rest of this dresser is understated, I decided to do half- blind DTs for some flair. I don't want D#2 thinking daddy skimped on her dresser.

I cut half-blinds once by hand as a class assignment 6 years ago as a student at Palomar. They came out good but they were a bear when compared to through DTs. I was a little rusty but after some practice I was good to go. Like riding a bike. It also helped that this was poplar and not hard maple like the first time. Friday morning I laid out the DTs and started cutting using a Japanese DT saw. It was also time to sharpen my chisels. Haven't done that in years--really. My pin sockets are on the small side so I had to use my Japanese chisels which are 1/8", 1/4", and 3/8".

Only the front will be DTed. The back will sit in a dado in the sides.

I gang cut the sides in pairs.

An army of sides that have just been cut and waiting to be finished up with chisels.


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Q...%252520001.jpg

After chisel cleanup. Time for pins.


https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_...%252520003.jpg

Paul

[chopnhack]

Wow, Paul you are making great time. Like a buzz saw through butter. What are your thoughts on the sapwood? Stain to tone more brown? Do you intend to color the rest of the piece as well? The reason I ask is because over time and exposure, walnut gets lighter and more amber/honey toned. I have seen that occur in the rocking horse I made for my boys. By coloring only the sapwood, in some years that portion may end up darker than the rest of the piece.

[atgcpaul]

Holy cow did I lose steam on this project! I think I assembled the drawers this spring and have just been dragging my feet. Well, #2 is almost walking so my wife put her foot down and said I need to finish this ASAP! The county fair is also a month away so I need to finish before then.

2 coats of a wipe-on varnish homebrew--several to go. I want to get the main body of the dresser done and out of the shop so I can make room for the drawers. I still need to make a back for the thing, too. Ugh.

Paul

[greenacres2]

After a miscarriage earlier this year, we're hoping for Grandchild #1 in about 7 months--so i've been looking at dresser and chest plans. Yours has appeal, and i appreciate the inspiration. I figure i've got about 4 weeks to pick a plan, then i've got to start.

Congratulations!!

Earl

[cabinetman]

Holy cow did I lose steam on this project! I think I assembled the drawers this spring and have just been dragging my feet. Well, #2 is almost walking so my wife put her foot down and said I need to finish this ASAP! The county fair is also a month away so I need to finish before then.

2 coats of a wipe-on varnish homebrew--several to go. I want to get the main body of the dresser done and out of the shop so I can make room for the drawers. I still need to make a back for the thing, too. Ugh.

Paul

Nice work so far. The grain looks great. What are you planning to finish the insides of the drawers and cabinet with? I would not recommend using an oil base finish as it will stink for a long time, and stink up whatever is inside. I would go with lacquer, or a waterbase polyurethane (preferred).

.

[dbhost]

That's looking really nice. Can't wait to see the finished product!