Thread: Designer needed

what are you going to put in the drawers? Will they be deep enough. I suspect 5 drawers in a height of 30" might be a bit much if the 30" includes the legs ... remember you've also got to allow in the height for the thickness of the top surface and bottom surface and probably between the drawers too.

similarly with the cupboard ... what are you going to put in it? is a foot wide going to be enough( having taken off some thickness from the sides of the carcass and the divider between cupboard and drawers?

Are you planning on opening the cupboard from the bed ... if so make sure that the cupboard door opens the right way for easy access for the side of the bed you're going to put it on, i.e. you don't have to reach round the door to get at the contents.

cheers, Jackie

To Jackiew.

You sound correct with regard to the drawers perhaps only 4, but nothing of substance going in!!! Sewing kits etc, usual lady things.
Will remember the door tip, height negotiable.

OK door hinges needed in centre right area of cabinet.

jow104

This is for your wife, right? Try this - take her shopping (I know, I know, already you don't like it but bear with me, this might save you from a lot of grief).

Take her into a furniture store and show her some bedside cabinets. Ask her which ones she likes. Her immediate response will be: "Which one do you like?" Tell her. This will give her an opportunity to tell you why your choice is a disaster and it will probably lead to her telling you which ones she really likes - and you may be able to find out why. Pay attention to things like proportion. Take your tape measure with you and jot down some sizes.

The important thing is to make sure that you emerge with a clear brief on size, shape, drawer sizes etc. It's her bedside cabinet, mate. Your design ideas are irrelevant!

Good luck (from someone who recently built one for a grown-up daughter - successfully! - see above hints).

Col

another thing to consider is the height of the cabinet compared to the height of the bed ... if you're planning on sitting an alarm clock on it you want to be able to see it without either hanging off of the side of the bed ( cabinet too low ) or having to sit up in bed ( cabinet too high )

... similar consideration if you bring your wife tea in bed in the morning .... she will want to be able to just reach out for it off of the top of the cabinet. for this too low is better than too high ... too high you risk accidentally knocking over the cup as you grope for it and scalding yourself ( ... personal experience here ( )

Col is right ... if you can face a trip to a big furniture store you'll get a better idea what your wife likes .... you don't want to go to the effort of making something that she's going to hate.

To driver

Your suggestion of taking the wife to a furniture shop is a good idea, but I thought I would try the web first.

Anyone interested in seeing european furniture currently available might like to visit
www.somucheasier.co.uk/furniture-stores.u.k.html

Try http://www.somucheasier.co.uk/furniture-stores-uk.html instead!

To Big Red

Many thanks for the correction, I never checked the link myself.

Any American member got a furniture search site similar?

Good Morning jow 104,
Well at least it is morning here in London, Ohio.
I have been told that you folks down under are reluctent to open any pixs or drawings because if it is not a gif file you are afraid of getting a virus. I use McAfee security and can guarantee that they are virus free and the pictures and drawings are in a jpg file.

I am going to insert one to show you.

[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Ralph\My Documents\My Pictures[/IMG]

Hope you like it.

Respectfully,

Hello jow 104,
I forgot that it had to be from a wab site.

So here we go again, and if it does not show up just go to my www tag and read all about me.

Respectfully,



Hope you like it.

I highly recommend Andy Rae's book "Complete Illustrated Guide to Furniture and Cabinet Construction" published by Taunton Press. here

This book sets out design dimensions for all common types of cabinets. It has in it, for example, dimensions that are pleasing to the eye for series of drawers where the bottom drawers are deeper and the top drawers are shallower, and lots of other useful stuff (for example: what span for each thickness for shelves so they won't bow .... how many bookshelf makers haven't learnt that!)

Ian R

Many thanks ralph and ian.

To ralph Why not put you picture of chest in the woodwork picture gallery? By the way I am from the U.K. (originally London)

To Ian I will certainly try to get my hands on the book you recommend. Can't buy anymore my shelfs are sagging!!

Hello Woody UK,
I, sure enjoy making contact with woodworkers from all over the world as we all can enlarge our woodworking knowledge and different methods of obtaining the same finished product.

Thank you for your response. If I can help you design the piece you are talking about just email me and I will make a drawing that you can print out without the fear of any virus as it is protected by McAfee virus firewall and is a Jpg file.

Respectfully,

Thank you Ralph Jones,

Ralph an American member replied personally to my request for a working plan re a nightstand and I make the request that the drawings be submitted to this page so that others that might wish to benefit, can add the plans to their files for perhaps future use.
I find the web and sites like this are making the world a much more pleasant place where anyone on this earth can bring their help, expertise and friendly co-operation without need for fiscal rewards.
In fact earlier this year my wife and I were invited to visit and stay with a forum member when we visited Australia, which I might add we were pleased to accept.