Thread: WIP - Printer stand

I like the look of the cabinet. Are you going to curve the drawer front?

Pulling up a seat

No curved front on the drawers, I might shape the lip of the lid. The front in the picture looks like it might be veneered to me, and the sides might be ply panels. There are some interesting varieties of these Po cabinets. The entire front looks like it pulls out on some with the front uprights split and the mating surfaces hidden by moulding. I really liked the look of this one...
georgian-bedside-cupboard-15-1.jpg

but I was going for a waterfall effect in the shelving that led me to the first pic.

I don't have enough timber to get too creative. The uprights will come out of the candle stick bed posts and the flat surfaces from the bed head and foot. The back legs will probably have to be scarf jointed somehow to get enough height from what I've got. I'm not sure yet what I'll be able to cut the curved side member from.

Pulled the old bed ends out from under the junk pile. There are also 2 small wardrobe doors in there as well. Now to see if I can fit all the parts.
beds.jpg

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

.... The back legs will probably have to be scarf jointed somehow to get enough height from what I've got.......

Fuzzie, have you got a lathe, or access to one, that can take the headboard legs between centres? I reckon that with a few minor alterations of the turned parts, you could make them into quite acceptable leggy bits, saving all of the square part for the cabinet. The main alteration would be to convert that initial urn shape into something hanging the other way. The vase turning above it is a pretty standard leg shape & needs no altering, so the only other change needed would be to modify the bit above that to look more like a foot. That should give you all the height you need and more....

Cheers,

Ian the main problem with that idea is that there is not enough length in the square section to fit the joinery above the leg. In any case I have never liked the QA style and erasing any remaining evidence will be cathartic.

Originally Posted by Fuzzie

Ian the main problem with that idea is that there is not enough length in the square section to fit the joinery above the leg. In any case I have never liked the QA style and erasing any remaining evidence will be cathartic.

OK, I see, there goes that idea!
If you had the length in the square section, a Georgian (Hepplewhite) style would've been pretty easy, too - he went for slim with his stuff, so you should've had enough meat for a straight tapered cylinder.

If I were joining bits end to end my first thought would be to use a large central dowel. This is a common ploy with turning, and it's simple to hide the join completely with a bead or other decorative flourish. But that's not much help with a square section - I would struggle to get a join that's not as obvious as the proverbial canine gonads. I suppose a scarf joint is simple and if well-done would be just as strong as a solid piece, at least in the short term. If you get a good wood match, it would be hard to spot, too, but I have a hang-up about using a joint that depends entirely on the integrity of glue, for a table leg. While I know most glues are said to be stronger than the wood, etc., there are reasons joints fail other than glue-strength per se. Some of those reasons I'm yet to figure out!

Cheers,

Like minds, I've already started down that track. I turned down a couple of pegs on the ends of a short piece yesterday. They will have to go a bit smaller yet to dowel into the end of a longer piece. I'm thinking maybe 20mm will be sufficient. Really this will just be for the back legs, will be mostly in compression and will be mainly hidden, so a lot of finesse is probably not necessary.

The legs will all have to be straightened anyway as there is some *warp* in a couple. With a modicum of care I should be able to get good 40x40's.

pegs.jpg bend.jpg

Cheers,

Franklin, I take your point about the likely stresses, but I'd probably go a bit more than 20mm for the dowels if there's enough wood - the more glueing surface you can get, the better, imo. If manage good square shoulders, match the grain, and clamp the bits together while the glue sets up, you have a fair chance of getting a join that only you will ever know is there...

Cheers,

Nothing like an experiment!

All the bedposts were a bit wonky, I guess they were green when originally processed. It was somewhat of a challenge to cut the dowels, drill the holes, make the ends square and get a clean joint line. But I think I've made a reasonable attempt. Next time it would be a good move to sub out the job to one of those Japanese guys on youtube that make invisible scarf joints.

I used an antique 7/8" tenon cutter to get a consistent peg and a 22mm spade bit to drill the holes. The posts are somewhat oversize so it shouldn't be a problem dressing the new extended posts down to the required 40 square.

length1.jpglength2.jpg

I would have preferred all the old fixing holes to have ended up on the same side, but unfortunately aligning the dowels and holes to finish with the straightest extension won out.

Hi Franklin

I am a little uneasy with your project as, no matter how well you design and build your commode - that's the genteel Georgian word for a potty stand - the printer itself will still look like a grey, plastic printer.

When not in use, would it be possible to lock away the printer, just as the Georgians locked away the potty inside the commode? Perhaps doors you could slam a door or maybe a tambour top ?

Or perhaps this would require too much timber ???


Good wishes with your project


Graeme

Graeme, have you been talking to the Fuzzette? We have another small printer downstairs that she insists on covering with a quilt top as camouflage! At least I persuaded her to drape the quilt front to rear so it doesn't cover the ventilation slots.

The current project is for the study and extensive camouflage is not required. The printer shelf will also be open at the back for cable access and ventilation. The top liftup shelf will probably end up being home for some electronic device chargers....

Aren't we thankful for modern plumbing?

This has been on the back burner for a while, but I've now got some more time to get things moving along.
Here is a pic of some of the glued up, plugged and dimensioned wood. I was having a bit of tearout planing so I tried out the thickness sander at the men's shed. Possibly would have been ok if I had checked the belts before I started, they were so clogged with glue and muck I ended up with burnt black faces. .After a new belt was installed things worked better but the finish is very coarse, not like the glassy smooth result of a well tuned hand plane.
sanded.jpg

I've moved on to the morticing...
motices.jpg

Looks good.

Took one look at your mortices ... shuddered ... and gave thanks for my Domino. I am a machine man, and don't do a lot with hand tools. Mind you, I admire those who do.

John, I'm not entirely against the consumption of electrons. I did cast a glance at the morticing machine at the men's shed for this project, but only one of the several chisel fittings they have is compatible with the machine (curious) and it was too big for this job. I have used a router before to clean out most of the waste, but since I only end up making one or two pieces a year I don't find it overly tedious to chop out a few by hand. I admit my accuracy is a bit off some times. If I was smart I would have made the rails thinner than the legs and I wouldn't have such a hard time fitting the joints so everything is flush.
Cheers,