Thread: WIP - Rory's Cupboard

Originally Posted by silentC

I don't remember what that one looked like but his Tsunami Hope Chest was fantastic.

It was a very striking grained chest of drawers and the front was a series of drawers where one ran into another - imagine the front face is one large slab of beautiful grained timber then slice it up to make the drawers - the slab is thick enough that the timber curved from one side to the other of the front face. More striking than the chest - if you can believe that.

One of a kind piece - wish I had stored an image.

After spending my days arguing with people, it's nice to relax with a bit of woodwork

Pic 1: I'm notching the rear legs to take the base, which sits in a groove in the bottom rails. The back corners of the base will also be notched, but the notch in the legs will make it all look neater. Not that anyone will ever see it once he's got all his junk in there. I use a 1/2 straight cutter in the little router freehand to remove most of the waste.

Pic 2: Clean up to the layout lines with a 3/4" chisel.

Pic 3: Test fitting the base.

Pic 4: I spent most of the weekend and the early part of this week sanding the panels. They are sanded to 600 and then a coat of UBeaut sanding sealer wiped on. Then sanded again and then 4 or 5 coats of UBeaut shellac wiped on with a pad that is based on the rubber described in the Polisher's Handbook.

Pic 5: Some of the finished panels.

Originally Posted by silentC

After spending my days arguing with people, it's nice to relax with a bit of woodwork

Which one do you enjoy more? Arguing or relaxing?

They are like my children, I love them both equally.

Pic 1: Finishing the frame parts for the back. I'm just putting on 2 or 3 coats of shellac after fine sanding and a coat of sanding sealer. Also finishing the faces of the legs that will become the stiles because it will be hard to get in there and finish them after assembly.

Pic 2: Gluing up the back

Pic 3: Finishing the side rails, mid-stiles and apron. Also finishing the inner face of the front legs. For these parts, the inside will get 2-3 coats of shellac. The outer faces are fine sanded, a coat of sanding sealer, sanded to 600, several coats of shellac, 24 hours drying time, then wet sanded to 600 again and burnished with 000 steel wool. I'll apply a couple of coats of Traditional Wax when the carcase is finished.

Pic 4: The base also gets 3-4 coats of shellac.

Pic 1: I've milled the boards for the top. These are 7/8" thick. The finished size of the top is 21 1/2" x 51". Had to sharpen the blades in the jointer part way through this process, this Banksia is quite hard.

Pic 2: The back finished.

Pic 3: Gluing up the carcase. Exciting times. Lots of bits that all have to go together at once but at least I don't have a web frame to deal with as well.

Pic 4: Gluing up the boards for the top.

Pic 5: Starting to look like a cupboard now. Still a long way to go though. Have to trim the top, finish it and make the doors.

G'day SilentC,

That Banksia looks fantastic. This is looking great.

Thanks Waldo. I tried it with a water clear finish (acrylic lacquer). I actually prefer the tone that the shellac gives it. I was a bit worried that the shellac might cover up some of the wild grain variation, but so far it hasn't. It's a bugger to try and do anything sensible with grain matching. I considered book matching the sides but I thought the effect was over the top, so I put in the mid-stiles to break it up. The top is just crazy, hopefully the shellac will settle it down a bit.

Looking good, Silent. Oil over shellac goes well on Coast Banksia.

You told me that and I asked what sort of oil you used but you never answered me!

Tung?

I'll try some. What I need for this one is something easy to repair because it will get knocked around a bit the first few years of it's life.

It's coming along nicely mate.

Not exactly a straight grained wood the old Banksia eh?

I call it the "handplaner's despair"

Notice that Alex has run off without answering my question again. I reckon he's doing it deliberately...

Great effort Silent.

I bet you have spent a lot of time sharpening tools and blades during this project. Phew !!!

That top has the wildest, crazy grain. Looks fantastic. I likes it a lot.

Top thread.

Cheers
Pops

Silent, that is the most amazing grain, and the wildness of its 'unmatchedness' (good word, huh) is its greatest asset. It might have been a pain to dry, plane etc but it was soooo worth it!

Your workmanship does it justice. Hope Rory won't put truck stickers all over it like my Abel did with his finely crafted and polished silky oak toy box. 'Look Mum', he said. 'Now it's even better!' And Rory is his middle name...

I really want some banksia now. Got any scraps???