Thread: Frilly Knickers Cabinet

Originally Posted by Woody1

Thank you very much John.

Have a great day

Oops ... I forgot ...


When spraying large surfaces like table tops or surfaces I want to make pretty and smooth I add a flash coat. After two or three coats of lacquer are applied the surface is rubbed back with 400 grit wet to get it dead flat. Then the flash coat (30% lacquer and 70% thinners) is applied. The flash coat dries quickly, before too much dust etc can settle on the surface. Then I rub it back with 1200 grit wet and polish it. After the 400 rub back, the reflections in the surface will be quite true and not too fuzzy or warped.

Thanks once again John. I have printed out all the info and put it aside for my next project (Country Hutch) so I have a ready reference . Just one final question please. Do you use a high quality spray gun? or a Bunnings special like I have?

Originally Posted by Woody1

Thanks once again John. I have printed out all the info and put it aside for my next project (Country Hutch) so I have a ready reference . Just one final question please. Do you use a high quality spray gun? or a Bunnings special like I have?

Graeme,

I use a Trade Tools cheapie special ... not an expensive unit ... and a Trade Tools compressor. I think the gun has a 2mm nozzle. A mate uses an airless electric spray gun that seems to do the job.

It's still cloudy here, but the humidity has dropped enough for spraying. Here is the finished job.


Doors Open.jpgFinished.jpg

Once again push to open catches are used with no knobs or handles.

When I made my wife's Frilly Knickers cabinet I had enough veneers to do the inside of the doors the same as the outside. Very cool. But this time I had only three veneers, so the inside of the doors have different veneers. The mirrors are in place. I'll move it into the spare bedroom tomorrow.

In it's final resting place in a spare bedroom.

Final Placement.jpg

Here endeth the story.

Thanks John. The completed job is superb. The Veneer both sides looks just beautiful. Those Cabriole legs are amazing. Im sure I would need another lifetime to be able to accomplish that.

Cheers

Nice work John.

Thanks all for the kind words.

For years I put off making cabriole legs because I was quite sure they would be difficult to make.

I was wrong. They are relatively easy to make. The legs for this cabinet took about half a day to make.

For those yet to make a set of cabriole legs, please do yourself a favour and make one ... just as an experiment.

Fantastic craftsmanship John

a suggestion, hopefully there are commercial cabinet makers in your area. When they order pallets (?) of full size shhets MDF for kitchens etc these usually have 3mm MDF cover sheets. I buy these for $5-$10 depending who has stck around town.

Nice work as always John. The bookmatched veneers are very nice and will get a look or two for sure

Originally Posted by Alkahestic

Nice work as always John. The bookmatched veneers are very nice and will get a look or two for sure

Ain't that the truth, Mr Alchemist?

It's the drama created by the bookmatched veneers that is eye-catching. I must admit to liking the effect, and the impact it creates.

I have some favourite pieces in my house, but most of them don't rate a second glance from visitors. However, when they see my wife's lingerie cabinet and chest of drawers they are full of oooh's and ahhhh's. So far, this cabinet has had the same effect.

Hi John, I was just wondering how thick your veneers were?.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Hi John, I was just wondering how thick your veneers were?.

The finished size of my veneers is 2mm thick.

Many years ago the smart folk here told me that if we had a finished veneer thickness of more than 2mm the veneers would start to behave like wood again (move with humidity etc). I decided not to test that theory, even though we'd likely get away with thicker veneers if we used low density, low movement wood.

One day I'll make up a small panel with 3 or 4mm Surian cedar veneers ... just as a test. Cedar is a low movement wood. Also, it is low density and creates comparatively little power when it wants to move. Most eucalypts are high movement and high density ... the worst of both worlds. They move easily and develop a lot of power as they move.

When I was a kid my father explained how the Egyptians would split blocks of rock from a quarry face by digging a narrow trench in the rock, driving in hardwood wedges, and continually watering them. In time, a great slab of rock would be popped off by the expanding wood. My dad said, "when timber wants to move, no power on earth will stop it".

I should have mentioned why I love 2mm thick shop cut veneers as opposed to 0.6mm veneers.

Firstly, if I can get a nice thick piece of pretty timber I can cut a bunch of book-leaved veneers from it ... and I am kinky for book matching.

Secondly, a few years ago I put a new cabinet into our TV room. The next day my grandson picked up a stone coaster and flogged the top of the cabinet, leaving quite deep damage. I took it back to the shop, sanded about 1mm off the top and lacquered it again. It was like new. Such repairs are not possible with 0.6mm veneers. DAMHIKT.