Thread: WIP - Printer stand

Hi Ian,
Therein lies the conundrum! At the rate I'm likely to (not) make new furniture, the evolutionary path is unlikely to reach a stable end point.

The reality is that I'm never going to get around to trying all the variants to settle on one that works best for me. Perhaps if I was committed to a particular stylistic period or school of teaching I'd have a better approach, but truth is I'm a bit of a potterer and dilettante. I look at something to make and think it's only an "X" how hard can it be........

BTW, on these drawers I decided to try slips to hold the bottoms, no grooves in the sides for an alignment scrap. Stylistically I'm caught between wanting thin sides and thinking grooves seem nicer to hold solid bottoms, I'm perversely averse to using ply. I figured for the deep drawer at least, which may end up holding reams of paper and other printer supplies, the weight distribution might be best handled by beefing up the way the drawer bottom was held. I thought perhaps a 6mm groove in a 12mm side might not cut it for the expected load. This may be wrong, but how can I know without a destruction test? And why do a lot of drawer building descriptions use slips if grooves, as I see it, are much easier?

Cheers,

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

....... And why do a lot of drawer building descriptions use slips if grooves, as I see it, are much easier? ........

Ah, there you have me, Fuzz - 'blowed if I know', is the honest answer. I'm a groover, for 99% of drawers I make. The only advantage of using slips as far as I can see is that you can have thinner sides. While super thin sides may look spiffy in some situations, 12-16mm sides are far more practical if the drawer is going to have much use. Not only can they accept a decent groove for bottoms, you have more glueing surface in the side joints, so stronger drawers all round.

The thinner the side, the quicker they wear &/or chop grooves in runners. Of course you can glue strips on the bottom of the sides for extra bearing surface, but what a lot of faffing about, compared with running a few grooves in drawer sides & front. And all for an aesthetic that is hardly seen & even less often noticed.

Get groovin', I say........
Cheers,

I think somebody invented slips just to complicate things.
They way I see it, first you have to make them, then fit the bottom to them, then fit all that to the drawer and glue them on, which leave you with a couple more difficult to clean up glue lines!
drawers2.jpg

Instead of all that I could have just ploughed a couple of grooves.

Drawers cockbeaded and fitted.
cabinet2.jpg
Just need to decide how much to knock off the sharp edges, cleanup and some finish!

I needed a stocking filler for Xmas so I made a quick box from some of the myrtle scraps. (It also works as a test for what an oil finish might look like on the cabinet)
box1.jpg box2.jpg

I had a slight accident laying out the dovetails, I was using a very basic Veritas cutting gauge and the fence slipped when I was marking out the depth lines - ending up with some very sloppy work, but I recovered with a few wedges tapped into the gaps. A bit too quick and dirty and not enough care....

I was thinking a shellac or tint coat might have been required, but the oil finish on the card box gave me confidence to go ahead and oil the cabinet. The timber colour has evened out somewhat and I like the natural variation. I also get the feeling that as it continues to dry and oxidize it will end up looking quite right. Everything is accessible as needed, so I'm happy.

cabinet3.jpg cabinet4.jpg cabinet4a.jpg
cabinet5.jpg cabinet6.jpg

Now, what to do with this ......
tubular.jpg

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

..... Now, what to do with this ......

Boat anchor?

Looks good, Franklin. Very satisfying to see nice recycled wood like that re-purposed in an attractive & useful item!

Cheers,

Looks great, Franklin. It really turned out well. I agree, the oil finish is a good one. The fact that the material was recycled makes all the more unique and interesting.

Nothing like the perfect piece of furniture. It's almost like it was made to hold that printer!

Any plans for the next build?

Cheers,
Luke

Originally Posted by Luke Maddux

Any plans for the next build?

Thanks Luke. The list is getting smaller but management has requested a knife rack be next. Not any off the shelf knife block, it needs to sit flat in a drawer......