Thread: Walnut thing - not sure really

Really nice, With the telly on there it will look like it is being squashed, which I think would be great. I like humor in furniture. But is also very nice lines.

I like it Aron. Looks like some interesting joint challenges. How did you do the angled joints, angled through dados?

Tex

Looks fantastic, all can say!!!!

Hey, thats neat. I like.

Thats cool looking, and very glossy. Any chance of a close up pic of the top joints?

Originally Posted by tea lady

Really nice, With the telly on there it will look like it is being squashed, which I think would be great. I like humor in furniture. But is also very nice lines.

I suspect that's an optical delusion caused by the camera position, focal length, etc. - called "keystoning" by cinematographers and other pro photogs. To actually make it that shape would be a major challenge.

Very nice work, either way.

Joe

Okay Arron,

Ya gotta show us the progress shots now

Originally Posted by joe greiner

I suspect that's an optical delusion caused by the camera position, focal length, etc. - called "keystoning" by cinematographers and other pro photogs.

It is actually a trapezoid in shape - or a double trapezoid really because the sides slope inwards both from the front/back and left/right view.

Tex, I didnt use a dado saw for the slots because most of them are through dadoes but the ones around the outside needed to be stopped dadoes. I once tried doing a stopped dado on a dado saw - fortunately I wasnt standing behind the saw. For this one I used a router table. To get the angles, I used a batten held to the table with hot melt glue.

It was a rather difficult thing to make. Shouldnt have been, but what made it hard was the solid walnut started warping as soon as it was ripped. I should have stopped using it straight away, but I had already bought it and it was expensive, so I went ahead determined to compensate for it, as we do. I find this to always be the case with American woods. They have some nice timbers but everytime I have bought some it tries to turn itself into knots as soon as you mill it down. I dont know if it is the difference in weather conditions or whether they export the rubbish and leave the good stuff for the home market - but never again.

I tried to take some photos of the end joints but its not really possible in the morning light. Will try again tonight.

regards
Arron

That's a beautiful piece, I really like the sassafras veneer !!! where did u get it in Sydney? I wanna veneer some drawer fronts with that, that is if it is not too expensive.
Very nice work
Steph

Steph, sorry to ignore your question on the blackheart veneer. I got it from Specialty Wood Panels in Smithfield. They did the walnut veneer for me - sticking it onto board that I supplied already cut up to correct size for the job and supplied a big piece of blackheart sassafras. I didnt notice the separate price for the sassafras but I think it was about $15, enough to do both the visible drawers and the ones at the back. I dont know if SWP will sell just a small bit of blackheart veneer but there is no harm in asking.

The drawer fronts are actually made of kauri, chosen because it is very similar colour to the base colour of the sassi. I think it also has about the same amount of expansion/contraction. The kauri is cut up to almost the right size, then I stuck the veneer down in a home-made caul press, right over the edge of the kauri. When the glue is dry, it comes out of the press and is veneer is trimmed. Finally the drawer front is trimmed to fit neatly in the carcase, treating both the veneer and the kauri as a unit (ie as though they were one piece). I'm very pleased with the end result. It is almost impossible to tell it is veneered and not solid wood when the drawer is pulled out and viewed from the top. Note that the pattern of the veneer is aligned in each case so that the top part is always the base colour, and thus will match the kauri of the drawer front. The sides of the drawer front are another matter, but you cant win them all.

Arron

Amazingly innovative design. Looks great, but I can imagine would have been a bugger to make.

Originally Posted by zenwood

Amazingly innovative design. Looks great, but I can imagine would have been a bugger to make.

I had better keep the record straight by pointing out that the design was copied from something in Fine Woodworking magazine - a couple of issues back.

Arron

I stand corrected. And even more awe-struck.

Joe

Well done Arron, top notch stuff.