Thread: A William and Mary Walnut Chest of Drawers

Originally Posted by IanW

Hmmm - must'a'been that darned saw that caused those gaps, eh, WW?

That saw doesn't leave many gaps. My inattention can cause gaps though.

Great WIP's

Looking good Mr Would. Lot of dovetails there, pity to cover them up really, but that's the seventeenth century for you.

The top of the carcase is 7/8 in. thick and the top moulding is 1-1/2 ins. tall, so a 5/8 in. 'packer' is required across the front underside of the top to make up the difference and give the moulding a solid foundation. Packers were often made of second grade wood, but sound enough for the purpose. I prepared a suitable piece of wood, glued it to the underside of the top panel and planed it flush with the front edge of the top.

The three dustboards were prepared and rubbed together in the same manner as the carcase panels, but only three boards per dustboard were joined as they were commonly two or three inches short of the backboards. When dry, I tidied up the dustboards and planed them to be a neat slide-in fit in the carcase sides.

This chest incorporates two short top drawers which require a central, vertical divider and central drawer guide to prevent the drawers skewing within the carcase. I made the divider from an off-cut of one of the dustboards, having two stub tennons on each end which engage in blind mortices in both the packer and the carcase top, and through mortices in the first dustboard. The central drawer guides were typically a 3/4 in. x 1/2 in. strip of Pine and usually nailed, dry (without glue), onto the top of the first dustboard behind the central divider. This can present a problem to restorers when the nails rust or the guide wears because, with an assembled carcase, there's not much room to wield a hammer between the carcase top and first dustboard to drive new nails in. Alignment of the guide can also be problematic in such a confined space. Better made chests had a shallow groove cut into the upper face of the first dustboard into which the drawer guide was glued, thus ensuring positive location. I decided on the latter approach. My great, great, great grandchildren may one day laud my circumspection.

The carcase with its internals glued in place.

With the carcase and dustboards assembled, I rubbed some 5/8 in. scraps of Pine across the ends of the underside of the top. This built up the void behind the front packer, forming a kicker for each of the top drawers to prevent them tilting down when being withdrawn from the chest.

Upturned carcase showing top packer and top drawer kicker.

The chest was flipped onto its top and the base packers and foot blocks were glued in place. The foot positions have been laid out on the foot blocks for the spigot holes which will be drilled through both the blocks and carcase base at a later date. The feet will be glued in place after the carcase sides have been veneered to prevent damaging them.

Upturned carcase showing base packers and foot blocks.

I cleaned up the top and sides of the carcase and toothed it all in readiness for the veneer.

One day my head will be overloaded with information, if only I could remember what I learnt in the first place.

Thanks for the detail.

Making it look too easy

Originally Posted by 3 toed sloth

Making it look too easy

Practice and skill 3T.
Makes me feel inadequate

Plain (non-oyster/marquetry) veneered carcase gables of this period were decorated in several ways; book-matched, book-matched with wide cross-banding, and quartered with wide crossbanding and narrow, contrasting banding (Ash or Holly, 1690-1700) or Walnut featherbanding (1695 onwards) between the quartered panels and wide banding. This chest will wear the full cloak of quartered panels, narrow Ash crossbanding and wide crossbanding.

I cut over fifty eight feet of Walnut veneer – I was having so much fun, I couldn't stop! The veneer was toothed on the carcase side and made up into quartered and book-matched panels which I then sized with glue. The book-matched panels were cut into strips for crossbanding the periphery of the carcase panels.

30 ins. x 16 ins. quartered veneer panel.

30 ins. long book-matched crossbanding.

3/4 in. Ash crossbanding.

Cleaning up the veneer.

Once both carcase gables have been veneered and cleaned up, the front gable edges will be partially veneered ('D' moulding will be applied down the inner edges). The top ogee mouldings can then be applied and the top of the carcase can be veneered.

It would be something to watch you working.

Originally Posted by Waldo

It would be something to watch you working.

My accountant used to say that too.

My wife says that to me.

great build. serious spot of furniture there.

Er, not looking too easy any more

Fantastic work and I'm learning heaps. I also would love to watch you work.