Harlequin side table

[derekcohen]

My wife requested a side table for the family room. This will be situated between two arm chairs, and replace the small table (which is too high and dominating) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/MKgfLyjs/Family-Room1.jpg


Not just a side table, but it also needed to house her needlework thingies. In other words, shallow drawers for cotton reels and sewing kit. I played around with several ideas, and eventually came up with a design that borrows a little from a piece I recently made.


Lynndy liked the softness of the rounded dovetails and overall dimension of this coffee table I built some months back for a nephew ...


https://i.postimg.cc/15LnrM7F/12a.jpg


The plan (looking down) would be to create a curved front and back, with round, splayed legs to the outside (an alternative is a straight, tapered round leg) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/RhdWVr79/B2.jpg


In contrast to the Jarrah in that piece, the carcase will be built in Hard Maple, dovetailed and mitred at each corner. It will feature 8 drawers. All drawer fronts will curve as well. The reason for "Harlequin" in the title is that the drawers will be a mix of woods, as depicted in the elevation of the drawer section ...


https://i.postimg.cc/4309bVNd/A.jpg


A harlequin design is often thought of as a diamond pattern, but does also include a rectangular checkerboard. Anyway, it's just a name, and I like giving my pieces a name :)


At this stage I have chosen for the drawer fronts Black Walnut and Blue Gum. I may also add in Hard Maple. Always interested in your thoughts here. The Blue Gum is lighter than the Black Walnut and is a good foil against the Hard Maple …


https://i.postimg.cc/1zDLgNWd/20.jpg


The legs will taper and curve from the carcase, attached with a loose mortice and tenon ...


https://i.postimg.cc/7ZYGFm5h/B.jpg


The sides and top were arranged so that the grain flowed continuously. The carcase is 20mm thick, 800mm long and 350 at the wide, centre point ..


https://i.postimg.cc/KctwJLxv/Arranging-boards3.jpg


The initial dovetail plan was to keep the boards parallel and saw the curves later. It became apparent when joining the first set that this would not work ...


https://i.postimg.cc/MTjjsHvY/C.jpg


.. there would be too much at the sides to mitre, and so I decided to shape the top and bottom panels at this stage rather than later.


https://i.postimg.cc/MH2fgwBJ/D.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/tTGD9rJQ/E.jpg


This was the first opportunity to use the modification I made to my Moxon vise (see article: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ShopMadeTools/NewMoxonMods.html). It now enables the pin- and tail boards to be clamped together to aid in marking out (see earlier photo).


In marking out for mitred corners, the side tails are not sawn out from the front ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Jz95QTbD/G.jpg


... the board is reversed, and the mitres are marked ...


https://i.postimg.cc/KY1Kzjry/I.jpg


... and sawn ...


https://i.postimg.cc/pdzYcDZ0/H.jpg


The reason I had wanted to retain square carcase sides was that it would make it easier to square the chisel guide for the mitres. I got around this by squaring them to the front of the carcase ...


https://i.postimg.cc/KjSXw7YG/13.jpg


The pin board is seen here ...


https://i.postimg.cc/GhmK3TL2/J.jpg


One of the difficulties in fitting this many tails and pins is that any slight errors are magnified. The fit below illustrates that the left side is too tight ...


https://i.postimg.cc/B60mHm7G/K.jpg


To deal with this, the tails were given a pencil scribbling ...


https://i.postimg.cc/4dQB5pjH/L.jpg


Fitting the board together left this behind ...


https://i.postimg.cc/NFGbP5wJ/M.jpg


This process needed to be done once more, before the fit was satisfactory ...


https://i.postimg.cc/KvzJPkf4/N.jpg


The four sides were dry fitted together, and the front and rear upper and lower panels planed to shape (this was close but not enough) …


https://i.postimg.cc/HWM7rWHy/14.jpg


All is coplanar …


https://i.postimg.cc/PxpvzTw0/15.jpg


Where we are up to at the end of today …


https://i.postimg.cc/Qt29fwgC/16.jpg


One set of mitred corners …


https://i.postimg.cc/hPqQTFP3/17.jpg


… and the other …


https://i.postimg.cc/HnbJRz32/18.jpg


Next up is building the internal dividers for the drawers.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Chief Tiff]

Comfy chair pulled up, just waiting for the popcorn to be ready.

Will your curved drawers also have half-blind dovetails like those in your apothecary cabinet?

[derekcohen]

k
..... Will your curved drawers also have half-blind dovetails like those in your apothecary cabinet?

Yup.

Regards from Perth

Derek (sucker for punishment)

[taz01]

Do you have any other little tricks like the pencilling for getting your dovetails so tight? I've not seen any Youtuber use that one before in that context but it makes perfect sense.

Regards

Adam

[derekcohen]

Hi Adam

I have not seen this used by anyone else. It was an idea that only occurred to me very recently. There was a video on FWW magazine about mating a sliding dovetail and the presenter used pencil to find the high spots. The lightbulb went on in regard to pins and tails. Generally, one would look for rub spots. But that can be hit-and-miss. Or just guess. And the danger then would be that you remove wood from the wrong spot. (Perhaps I should send this in as a tip to FWW magazine :) .... I have such a list ... and then the moment passes :U )

Regards from Perth

Derek

[derekcohen]

With the carcase completed, it is time to turn to the internal dividers for the drawers.


I took the time first to plane the rebate for the rear panel. Knowing my spatial weakness of getting parts back-to-front and upside-down, I marked these when the carcase was a dry fit (and later briefly thought I had screwed this up!) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/1XgmvQsN/Mon1a.jpg


One of the benefits of mitred corners is that the rebate can be planed across without fear of it showing ...


https://i.postimg.cc/63b6V3JX/Mon2a.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/Zn1TgM5s/Mon5a.jpg


The rebate is 6mm deep as the rear panel will be 5mm thick to bend it around the curved rear. The carcase is 20mm thick, and the rebate extends halfway into this.


I was curious to see how rebating on a curve would turn out. No problem ...


https://i.postimg.cc/g2yYS4F4/Mon6a.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/LsHmrfmS/Mon7a.jpg


Here is the rear of the carcase with the rebate ...


https://i.postimg.cc/t4GqNwfY/Mon8a.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/dQXtLLjR/Mon9a.jpg


Moving to the stopped dados/housings ... the centre panel is solid rather than a frame. I decided that this would be less work, plus there will be a series of stopped dados to be made. The panel is 10mm thick. This was made first, that is, the dados were sized to fit the panel thickness.


I made up a couple of templates. One was the height of the dado, and the other was the height of the dado plus the width of the dado. The inside of the carcase is marked on both sides using the same templates to ensure that they are exactly the same height from the base.


https://i.postimg.cc/KvMcLx06/Mon10a.jpg


The lines are deepened with a knife, and then a chisel wall is created to register a saw cut ...


https://i.postimg.cc/252Cm65Z/Mon11a.jpg


The end of the stopped dado is defined ...


https://i.postimg.cc/hjvcGBJ3/Mon12a.jpg


A Japanese azebiki was used along a guide to ensure it cut on the vertical ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Hn7mQ99w/Mon13a.jpg


Now that the sides are defined by the kerf, this could be deepened with a chisel (this is my favourite chisel - a 1" Kiyohisa. Sublime!) ..


https://i.postimg.cc/FR6mdB3F/Mon14a.jpg


The waste is removed with a router plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/hhWBMQ2H/Mon15a.jpg


Check that the side walls are square ...


https://i.postimg.cc/056KWgtf/Mon16a.jpg


Completed side panels ...


https://i.postimg.cc/jqGwB8mr/Mon17a.jpg


I was so confident that the dados were perfect that I dry fitted the carcase once more ... and then found that one dado was a smidgeon too tight for the test piece. It turned out that a small section of a side wall was not as square as I thought (probably the saw did not cut deeply enough at that spot). The best too to clear this is a side rebate plane. Set for a very light cut to clear the waste, not the dado width ...


https://i.postimg.cc/J4ZD8NCH/Mon18a.jpg


Perfect fit this time ...


https://i.postimg.cc/QdDBdFj4/Mon19a.jpg


Time to fit the centre panel. This has been shaped to size, but will need a little fine tuning at a later time. Note that the rear section is secondary wood (Merbau) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/qvGNhpRk/Mon20a.jpg


I had just enough time to slide the panel in. Nice tight fit. Not enough time to saw the rebates for the stopped dados. This will be done next time ...


https://i.postimg.cc/cJ4rfPgf/Mon21a.jpg


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

The Harlequin side table will have 8 drawers. The drawer case sides and the central drawer blade are panels and run in dados or housings (depending on which side of the pond you live). Positioning of these dados is critical since any misalignment will affect the aesthetic. It goes without saying (but I shall) that the alignment also determines that the side panels will be square ... and drawers need to run against square sides. All this is done here with hand tools.


Some of the finer points in getting it precise ...


First of all, templates (or story sticks) are created to position the dados. There are two for each side panel: the second is 10mm longer than the first. Scoring each creates an exact 10mm dado. There is a series of templates to position all the dados. This ensures that the upper and the lower dado are position exactly the same distance from the reference wall ...


https://i.postimg.cc/7h417bPZ/25-2(3).jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/RhT7T9qQ/25-3(3).jpg


A chisel wall is created for the marked outlines. This wall enables the fence to be lined up using a wide chisel ...


https://i.postimg.cc/bwhLF9bw/25-1(3).jpg


The sidewalls are sawn with a azebiki saw. This have two curved sides, one with coarse rip teeth and the other with fine crosscut teeth. I begin with the fine teeth and use them to establish the kerf, and then switch to to the coarse teeth for speedier sawing.


https://i.postimg.cc/qvxQf6XX/26.jpg


With a compass, I check that the kerf is parallel and to the desired width (10mm) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/W49nzRyd/27.jpg


The sawn side wall is now chopped away close to full depth ...


https://i.postimg.cc/tTYzVS02/28.jpg


This is done across the dados on one board at a time ...


https://i.postimg.cc/RCJRSDL0/29.jpg


The waste in the centre of each dado is removed with a router plane. The dados are done at the same time to save have to reset the depth of cut (one stroke on dado #1, one on dado #2, and one on dado #3 ... then back to #1 ...) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/k5Ms7MTr/30.jpg


Keep an eye on the depth ...


https://i.postimg.cc/MTNm07qx/31.jpg


Fine tune the dado should theoretically be unnecessary if they were marked accurately. In practice, I find that there is usually some waste in the corners, or a slightly sloped wall. For this reason I run a side rebate plane (here a Veritas), the length of each wall. This is not held vertically, since that with remove some of the width. Instead it is run at an angle away from the side wall, as it it was undercutting the side wall ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Y0FfdvCF/32.jpg


The fit is now checked with an offcut from the side panel ...


https://i.postimg.cc/fT4vJf8f/33.jpg


The side rebate plane can take a smidgeon off the sidewall if the fit is too tight. Some will argue that it is preferable to plane the panel instead. In this situation that is not advisable since the panel is to slide along the dado, and a tight point will impede all points of the panel.


The carcase is Hard Maple, with Merbau as the secondary wood. Locally, Merbau is used for decking. It is cheap and hard, both qualities valued. But is a really brittle wood, and awful to work with. The number of splinters I have had ... and they are sharp and lodge deeply. Ugh!


It can look like this ...


https://i.postimg.cc/5NwSvQGd/34.jpg


... and then a section breaks away ...


https://i.postimg.cc/t4kdvQpB/35.jpg


At least it will be far inside the carcase and not be seen.


A panel is made up for the interior dividers ...


https://i.postimg.cc/8zNBbPQF/36.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/Qtsf36Lt/37.jpg


The pieces are fitted.


Will the careful planning and neurotic execution pay off?


I was holding my breath. This is a dry fit ....


https://i.postimg.cc/y6LvMXL1/38.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/Y93bq1kx/39.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/XqYxZpY6/40.jpg


(sound of breathing again)


Then I pulled it apart and glued up the carcase ...


https://i.postimg.cc/3Nf12Yk4/41.jpg


More after the coming weekend.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[LanceC]

Derek, your detailed walkthroughs are really inspiring and enlightening. I really enjoy following different people’s workflow as I find it far more informative than individual isolated techniques. So thanks for all the effort you put into taking us along on the journey.

Oh, and this project is magnificent by the way. I am quite partial to gentle curves.

Kind regards,
Lance

[tony_A]

Do you have any other little tricks like the pencilling for getting your dovetails so tight?

Regards

Adam

I'm sure he does Adam, Reminds me of a comment I heard from Anthony Cummings (Bart's son) "Dad taught me everything I know, but not everything he knows".

Nice work as always Derek.

Tony

[derekcohen]

Here are a couple of articles I wrote on dovetails ..

Through dovetails: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/ThroughDovetails3.html

Half-blind dovetails: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/HalfBlindDovetailswithBlueTape.html

Mitred-though dovetails (which are planned in this build): http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/AnotherCoffeeTable2.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[derekcohen]

YOUR INPUT, PLEASE.

The Harlequin side table will have round legs at each corner, which will be attached from the outside.


https://i.postimg.cc/RhdWVr79/B2.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/7ZYGFm5h/B.jpg


Ideally, the legs will be attached without any bracing. I would prefer to not even have a stretcher between the legs, however recognise that my intended connection of the legs to the case may not be enough to prevent flex in the legs.


The plan I have is the attach a wedged through loose tenon into the case (which is 20mm thick), and connect the legs to this with a pinned mortice-and-tenon.


This will need to be done before starting on the drawers (for access). The wedging should prevent the tenon from being pulled out, and the pinning will prevent the tenon separating from the legs.


The legs are likely to be 1-3/4” to 2” diameter (not exactly sure yet) at the top, so can be morticed 1-1/4” deep. If the tenon is 75mm long, will this be wide enough to prevent any twisting? Or do I still require a stretcher?


Any other ideas to attach legs? (No, I am not considering a frame below the case).


Regards from Perth


Derek

[Chief Tiff]

The plan view shows the legs being half-round where they join the carcase sides, but the front elevation doesn’t indicate any transition to fully round. My suggestion would be to have the legs fully round below the carcase and stepped to half round at the join. This would also give additional support and provide another degree of anti-racking or twist.

This method would also allow the use of a sliding dovetail joint (either straight or tapered) and the joinery method would be invisible from both the underneath and the inside of the cabinet.

[derekcohen]

Hi CT

Thanks for the ideas.

I am tossing up whether to have 1/2 or 3/4 round legs or completely round legs. At the start of the thread I mentioned that the case will have rounded dovetails, which means that there will not be an edge to use to support the legs, as you suggest. It is also not possible to use a sliding dovetail.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[ian]

Hi Derek
my thoughts ...
The harlequin table will act as a stretcher so you don't really need to add any stiffeners.

The legs could be attached from the inside using 3 or 4 screws -- so the joint would be "invisible".
alternately, the legs could be screwed on from the outside with the screws "hidden" by caps made with contrasting screw caps.

But I'm not sure how you feel about using screws.

However, the key to your proposed design will be how the legs are shaped and attached to the casework.
One option will be to notch the tops of the legs so that the case sits on the notches -- this might be the simplest, but won't leave much meat to screw into.
A more difficult approach will be to transition the legs from round to half round -- which will keep the "meat" to screw into

[derekcohen]

Hi Ian

First off, the idea to transition from round to semi circle is brilliant! I love it! I will make a test piece this weekend.

Secondly, screws are out (unless I can be convinced otherwise). The issue is that the case is 20mm (possibly 19mm). The head of the screw must sit flush with the inside (as the drawer runs along the inside), which means that it must be countersunk. This means that the thickness surrounding the screw is potentially thin. Movement will eventually cause this to crack or break away.

The only solution I can see is a morticed loose tenon. 12.7mm (1/2") wide x 75mm long and 20mm deep. The question is whether this needs to be wedged or not. There are pros and cons each way. The pro is the obvious one - a wedged tenon acts like a dovetail and will resist being pulled out. The con is whether the wedge will weaken the tenon, since it can only be 20mm in depth (angled saw kerfs terminating in a drill hole to prevent splitting). And at its simplest, the tenon may be strong enough with glue alone. Any particular glue (I have been using Titebond Liquid Hide)?

Regards from Perth

Derek

[derekcohen]

We left off with the drawer dividers a dry fit in the case ...


https://i.postimg.cc/y6LvMXL1/38.jpg


And then this was pulled apart and the case glued up. After a clean up, the ends were looking a little tidier ...


https://i.postimg.cc/dDPnV4p3/42.jpg


Now we've been through this together with the Jarrah coffee table, but for those who want to know how ...


The ends are marked (with a washer) ..


https://i.postimg.cc/tRZj7J8G/43.jpg


The aim is the remove the waste progressively to the lines ...


https://i.postimg.cc/sfkRWyRQ/44.jpg


This is quick to do with a low angle jack ...


https://i.postimg.cc/cJLqWLfj/45.jpg


.. and finish with a block plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/8zH8x6fM/46.jpg


Now finish with sandpaper - 80/120/240 grit ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Wb0c6K29/47.jpg


The completed case ...


https://i.postimg.cc/4xZk85yX/48.jpg


I spent a few hours today turning a few legs. Rather than show the prototypes, I am hoping that I may have enough time to complete them tomorrow - I have the afternoon off! :) - and then I will post more photos.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

The case was completed last time ...


https://i.postimg.cc/4xZk85yX/48.jpg


... but before the drawer dividers can be permanently installed, the legs need to be made and attached.


This was the original drawing ...


http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/HarlequinTable_html_3164fb49.jpg


Some has been retained and some has been changed.


Instead of curved legs, which I later decided did not match the overall style, I decided on round, tapered legs that will splay out from the case.


Before turning the legs, the splay was created by tapering the top of the legs on the table saw. The slider uses a Fritz and Frans jig to rip the end at the chosen angle (8 degrees). This ensured that the splay angle would be the same for all legs.


https://i.postimg.cc/1tj1qSfR/49.jpg


The blanks were then turned to shape. Here I am checking that the near-to-finished legs are the same dimensions and have the same taper angle ...


https://i.postimg.cc/PJvsb7wW/50.jpg


The ends were then cut off and the top was shaped with rasps and sandpaper ...


https://i.postimg.cc/Cdyyc4GW/51.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/YqHVXRTz/58.jpg


How to attach the legs? Well, that had given me a real headache. I was thinking along the lines of a loose tenon ... overcomplicating matters (as usual). A number suggested simply glueing and screwing. I was skeptical, but of course, a glue joint alone is generally stronger than the wood ... and reason prevailed :)


There are three screws per leg, which were countersunk for the drawers. The glue chosen was Titebond III.


https://i.postimg.cc/1R8fY50H/52.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/nVNC8b0t/53.jpg


All cleaned up, this is what we have (drumroll) ...


https://i.postimg.cc/2S76Bqmz/54.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/J4JtM62H/55.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/RZBhF7ks/56.jpg


The splay to the side is 8 degree, and from the sides, the legs are aligned with the front and rear of the case.


https://i.postimg.cc/jjqj6sdy/57.jpg


Drawers next :)


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

A frustrating Sunday: I began installing the horizontal divider/drawer blade, and my spatial confusion (or lack of concentration) kicked in. In went the divider ... upside down! Well, fortunately it jammed half-way and could not be glued in ...


Knocking it out, however, caused the rear section of the panel (it is made of three boards) to break off. It was glued back again, but the panel needed to dry before starting again, and so I lost my Sunday afternoon. This table is destined for the Perth Wood Show at the start of August, and I am already battling with time as weekends are generally all that are available for woodworking.


Fortunately, I had this afternoon (Monday) off from my practice, and had a couple of hours to try and catch up a little.


The glue dried, and the panel was fine. It was sanded to 240 grit, and then installed. Ditto the side dividers. All went smoothly ... all lined up and everything is square. Clearly I have been a good boy :)


https://i.postimg.cc/5thfJBvg/Dividers.jpg


The reason why the table is termed "Harlequin" is that the drawers will be a mix of different timbers: Black Walnut (x3), Figured Hard Maple (x2) (both from the USA), and Tasmanian Blue Gum (x3) (which is local, of course).


The drawer fronts all curve, and I spent the last part of the afternoon cutting out the Walnut blanks. This will will give you an idea of the effect ..


https://i.postimg.cc/j5ytSD4b/First-drawer-fronts.jpg


Unless someone is interested in a walk through in dovetailing on the curve (which I have posted here previously), the next images will be the completed table.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

I was planning to next post with the completed Harlequin Side table, however it has been two steps forward and one back. Selecting the drawer fronts .. well, I've cut and recut them a few times, and only now satisfied with the result. It is no small deal each time since a drawer front has to be fitted into a recess that is shaped like a parallelogram. And if the fit is not good enough ... well, a few would-be drawer fronts were discarded.


What parts are needed? Well, the drawer sides are 1/4" thick - too thin for grooves, so there will be slips to support the drawer bottom.


The drawer sides are Tasmanian Oak, which I use frequently, as it is a light wood that allows the drawer fronts to be shown to their best, and it is available quarter sawn. The drawer back will also be Tassie Oak.


The drawer bottoms are solid wood and 1/4" thick. Rather than use Tasmanian Oak, I thought I would add a little life with Tasmanian Blue Gum. It is quite similar is texture and tone (although the photos here do not show this), but has more figure.


Enough here for 8 drawers ...


https://i.postimg.cc/YCgtQV5T/prep3.jpg


Drawer sides and drawer fronts ...


https://i.postimg.cc/wTmCrNwm/prep2.jpg


Great sander ... Mirka Ceros ...


https://i.postimg.cc/dtgqkvx8/prep4.jpg


These will be the drawer bottoms. The board in the centre is the Hard Maple case back ...


https://i.postimg.cc/SKhkddqR/prep5.jpg


Do you think anyone will notice that the drawer bottoms run sequentially? :)


https://i.postimg.cc/fLWZnbVh/prep6.jpg


The making of the drawer slips may have some interest. I used Tasmanian Blue Gum (because it links to the drawer bottoms). This is quite interlocked and any planing with a plough to form either grooves or beads would be expected to end unhappily, with much tearout. I have posted this tip before: add a 15 degree backbevel to all plough blades to create a high 60 degree cutting angle.


The 3/16" beads were ploughed with the Veritas Combination Plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/CK4CgQcV/slip8.jpg


Brilliant finish ...


https://i.postimg.cc/BvXkLJDg/slip1.jpg


... and a 1/8" groove for the rebate in the drawer bottom was ploughed by the Veritas Small Plow ...


https://i.postimg.cc/prY6brb2/slip5.jpg


Again, tearout free ...


https://i.postimg.cc/J0W22JF6/slip6.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/KYwVtCDy/slip2.jpg


This is a mock up of the intersection of the drawer front (back), drawer side into drawer slip and against a drawer side ...


https://i.postimg.cc/rFDVwzQV/prep1.jpg


Note that the drawer front is straight/flat at this stage but, once dovetailed, they will be shaped to curve along the bow front of the case.


These are the timbers I have chosen for the drawer fronts. This is what gives the side table the harlequin name. Three timbers: Black Walnut, a pink Jarrah, and figured Hard Maple. Keep in mind that there is no finish at this stage ...


https://i.postimg.cc/zBdNJ1hH/prep7.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/W4wjHZbn/prep8.jpg


Next time hopefully with everything completed.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

I am in the process of completing the Harlequin Table. I will post the finished piece in a couple of days. Here are a few pictures of making the drawer bottoms for the slips, which may interest a few.


Bill was not enamoured with the slips as they has this ruddy great groove down one side. That was a too-wide quirk from the beading blade. Not to worry Bill, I cut that section away, leaving just the bead.

Here are the slips being glued in ...


https://i.postimg.cc/zv2P72QQ/Slips1.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/NGdVQL0x/Slips2.jpg



The drawer slips and bottoms are Tasmanian Blue Gum. The drawer sides are Tasmanian Oak. Both are 1/4" thick.


The groove in the slip is 1/8" (3mm). The slip requires a matching 1/8" rebate. This was planed with a skew rebate plane on a sticking board ...


https://i.postimg.cc/LswpFSht/DrawerB1.jpg


Although the plane has a nicker, I always scribe the line as well ...


https://i.postimg.cc/WbTPvXpH/DrawerB2.jpg


It is worth the effort to set up the rebate plane for a precise cut ...


https://i.postimg.cc/wvNd6rsS/DrawerB3.jpg


Once the one side is done, slide the tongue into the groove of the slip, and mark off the width of the drawer bottom ...


https://i.postimg.cc/XqcS5yLL/DrawerB4.jpg


Then saw to width ...


https://i.postimg.cc/D0K3mcrm/Drawer-B4-1.jpg


Any fine tuning is done with a shoulder plane ...


https://i.postimg.cc/59wMTZJz/DrawerB5.jpg


The drawer fronts are all curved, and the drawer bottom must be scribed to match this ...


https://i.postimg.cc/L6DF6Ln6/DRawerB6.jpg


Here is the fit behind the front of the drawer, and the match with the beaded slips ...


https://i.postimg.cc/RZ053hH1/DrawerB7.jpg


The rear of the drawer, with the added bearing surface from the slips ...


https://i.postimg.cc/kghrWCQ0/DrawerB8.jpg


The profile of the drawer sides ...


https://i.postimg.cc/DzW9gN58/DrawerB9.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/6QDD1h1z/Drawer-B10.jpg


Until the final pics ...


Regards from Perth


Derek

[derekcohen]

FINAL PICTURES

We are done building the side table. Here are pictures (taken with my iPhone6).


The case is Hard Maple from the USA. The drawer fronts are Black Walnut, figured Hard Maple, and pink Jarrah (hence the name, Harlequin). The drawer sides are quartersawn Tasmanian Oak, and the drawer bottoms/slips were made from Tasmanian Blue Gum.


Finish was, initially, two coats of dewaxed UBeaut Hard White Shellac (the very faint amber adds a little warmth), followed by three coats of General Finishes water-based poly (this remains clear - does not yellow the maple - and appears to have some UV protection. It is hard wearing, which is necessary for a side table).


The build features mitred, rounded dovetails and bow front and back. Eight drawers featuring compound dovetailing to match the bow front. Drawers are traditional half-blind dovetails at the front and through dovetails at the rear, with drawer bottoms into slips.


About 2 months to build, mainly on weekends.


https://i.postimg.cc/ydYGQZxx/Final3.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/XYfDn8yX/Final11.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/fyVrZQxh/Final5.jpg


https://i.postimg.cc/qvV5fYq9/Final10.jpg


Here is the rear of the table (which will be seen through the windows, which run floor-to-ceiling along the family room ...


https://i.postimg.cc/pdv4j7tD/Final1.jpg


The pulls were shaped from what-I-believe-to-be-some-type-of Ebony ...


https://i.postimg.cc/v8KKhDs8/Final7.jpg


The obligatory dovetails ...


https://i.postimg.cc/tTSML4n5/Final8.jpg


Do you think that anyone will notice that the drawer bottoms run sequentially? :)


https://i.postimg.cc/W1gxhVxN/Final2.jpg


And this one is for Bill, who was concerned that the chamfers at the end of the drawers (to ease entry into the case) might impair their extension ...


https://i.postimg.cc/rp9bNJ87/Final6.jpg


A last look ...


https://i.postimg.cc/KjCs8pN3/Final4.jpg


Thursday morning I haul the table to the Perth Wood Show for the annual furniture competition. Wish me luck.


Regards from Perth


Derek

[barramonday]

Beautiful piece Derek.
Thanks for taking the time to document the build, very interesting and educational.

[tony_A]

Ill second the beautiful work comment, thanks for posting Derek. Will be interested to hear how you go in the furniture competition. No doubt there'll be other high standard work there.

Tony

[LanceC]

That’s a lovely piece of furniture Derek. Beyond the technical execution which is inspiring to say the least, the different timber draw fronts really add a fun element to it.

I will chorus the other comments in thanking you for documenting and sharing your thought process throughout the build.

Kind regards,
Lance

[taz01]

That's a beautiful piece and best of luck in the competition.

As a retrospective review, is there anything you would change (design, construction method or joinery) if you were to start that again?

Regards,

Adam

[Durham Lad]

A tour-de- force in the design the construction and also the documenting of the processes involved. Absolutely brilliant. Brian.

- - - Updated - - -

A tour-de- force in the design the construction and also the documenting of the processes involved. Absolutely brilliant. Brian.