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Coop

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If all goes well, I will be replacing an armoire that we’ve had for years, that houses a smaller flat screen, with something of this nature with a larger tv, wall mounted above it. 

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I’m into it already about 40% that includes glueing up 6 of the seven panels required. Two sides, 2 inside vertical panels, the bottom and sub-top. The two sides are being made with some heartwood maple acquired from @Spanky.  The other 4 will be from ash (bought by mistake and was supposed to have been soft maple). Due to the screw up at the lumber yard without me realizing what they gave me, these pieces are banded with 1/2” strips from the same boards from Spanky. As Only the front edges of these will be seen, I’ll make do. As the sides are a darker heart wood maple, I will using the last of my walnut that I cut down 6 years ago as the top. The pic shows 3 spaces across the top. Mine will have 4 drawers up the middle and full height doors with dark tinted glass panels. Door frames will be from the same Spanky’s maple. Drawer fronts will be either from ambrosia maple or a very light sapwood curly maple, also from Spanky. Undecided as of yet. 

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All of the joints are made with dominos. It’s my first time to use them on butt joints, end grain to face grain. I watched several videos and still had to think it thru on each time cutting the mortises even with having made a practice piece.

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As all of these panels are the same width, I made a story stick for the mortises.

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Even after all of prep, I managed to cut the mortises into the bottom panel to support the inner two, on the wrong side of the board. As I used the #2 slop setting on the Domino, I had to make some patches to fill these.

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Next, I cut grooves in the back of each panel to house the 1/4” ply back.

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Shelf pin holes were marked with a 1/4” Fortsner bit and taken to the drill press where the depth could be controlled better.

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I was concerned about the difficulty in the glue up so I bought some TB’s hide glue. However, after mulling over the sequence yesterday over a cold one, it should be pretty simple. After a quick dry fit,  I set the two center panels into place with the tenons and glue and slid the 1/4” back panel into the grooves, also held in place with glue. The top was just dry fitted into place for this phase.

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Out of the clamps this morning with the joints being rock solid. Notice that I added an apron if you will, across the back, just inside the 1/4” ply, just for added security against any racking. 0B4C3E27-6A86-4C24-867F-4E5E82B634AF.thumb.jpeg.bc47a0220072ccd920098f567ba80005.jpeg

Now the sub-top goes back on for good.

 

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As I need all of the glue connections I can get, I made the sub-top as one solid piece instead of making a web frame, as a typical web frame would prevent any movement of the end panels if glued to them. Once my ends are secured into place, I will remove the areas marked with an X to lighten the load a bit.

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This brings me up to date. Thanks for looking.

 

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I bought some white construction foam board today to layout different size drawer configurations. There is not a whole lot of difference in the color of this and the sap wood curly maple that I was considering for the drawer fronts. Way too distracting. I’m almost positive that I will go with the ambrosia maple as it is darker with the even darker streaks. This should go better with the walnut top. 
I’m still unsure of the material and design of the legs. I can’t tell from the pic if the legs only flare to the outside or to the front and back as well. If it flares both ways, I will need to do a 12/4 glue up. Am thinking that I will have enough of the ambrosia maple to glue up for the flare to the outside only. As squirrelly as the grain is, it should hide the glue line.

For the drawers, wife and I decided that four evenly sized drawers look the best. Today I broke down some soft maple boards to rough lengths and widths and planed them to 3/4” and sticker them to rest a day or so. Them take them to 1/2” thickness.

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With all sides cut to dimensions, I cut the box joints on my router table using the Rockler jig.

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I assembled the boxes with a 1/4” groove in the bottom to accept the 1/4” ply. After taking them out of the clamps, I cut a 1/4” deep by 1/2” wide groove for the wood runner on my ts with the dado set.

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Using a story stick and a spacer, I cut and attached the wooden runners. The runners were attached with pan head screws with elongated holes to allow for any movement.They ain’t purty but functionally trumps beauty.

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Using a spacer, I located the runners and secured them. 
The left end panel was added, using TB hide glue. Up to date, drawers run smoothly and doors are up next.

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I would have loved to say and show hand cut dt’s but I have only done them once on a Marc’s build and although they came out nice, I chose this jig to insure progress and non screw ups! And I guarantee, only woodworkers know the difference! 
On your bedroom project, be sure if possible, use a spiral up bit and raise the piece and bring it back instead of pulling it back thru the bit. It makes a world of difference in tear-out. 

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1 hour ago, Coop said:

I would have loved to say and show hand cut dt’s but I have only done them once on a Marc’s build and although they came out nice, I chose this jig to insure progress and non screw ups! And I guarantee, only woodworkers know the difference! 
On your bedroom project, be sure if possible, use a spiral up bit and raise the piece and bring it back instead of pulling it back thru the bit. It makes a world of difference in tear-out. 

Yea, I never drag back through on the router table like I do on the table saw..  Just too much room for error.

I haven't done DTs in a while either..  Just seems the projects lately are so large that I just don't want to do that many..lol.  I'm looking forward to a smaller project to do them!  Of course, then I'll have to decide if they're hand cut, TS cut, or BS cut...  We shall see..

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The two doors are made from the same heart wood maple as the carcass sides. I cut the rails and stiles to length and as they will receive tinted glass panels, I chose tongue and groove construction. I cut the grooves on the ts using the dado stack, ran them thru and flipped them end for end to insure they were centered. I then adjusted the blades to cut the tongue after using a scrap to test fit.

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After coming out of the clamps, I cut the rabbet on the back side on the router table using a rabbeting bit, squaring the corners with a chisel.

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Following the instructions closely, I installed the Blum euro soft close hinges and I have two doors.

I still have not figured the exact shape of the legs yet but they are next.

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I know I'm tired and probably missing the obvious but, I'm confused...

7 hours ago, Coop said:

I cut the grooves on the ts using the dado stack, ran them thru and flipped them end for end to insure they were centered. 

After coming out of the clamps, I cut the rabbet on the back side on the router table using a rabbeting bit, squaring the corners with a chisel.

I understand wanting the grooves for the corner joinery but, it looks like you cut them full length?  And then you ran the rabbeting bit?

Regardless of my confusion, it's looking awesome!

As for the "legs" - This would be a cool project to add an entire base to with the legs (or feet).  Would have a bit of a "modern" look to it but, just a suggestion.  

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2 hours ago, Kev said:

I know I'm tired and probably missing the obvious but, I'm confused...

I understand wanting the grooves for the corner joinery but, it looks like you cut them full length?  And then you ran the rabbeting bit?

As the door panel is glass, I cut the rabbet n case I ever had to replace the glass. 

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  • 1 month later...

I’ve been inactive in the shop and out from behind the steering wheel of my truck for about 6 weeks due to a couple of minor medical procedures but back at it now. All of the drawer fronts are cut to size and temporarily screwed into place with the bottom drawer still needing to come up a tad. I also cut a test leg from some scrap.

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Being unable to source 8/4 lumber to match, I’m having to laminate two pieces of 4/4 ambrosia maple that I had left, for the legs. They came from this board.

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With the grain as such, it may be hard to hide the glue line which will be viewed from the sides. I got pretty lucky on this one. Where the line is too obvious, I will add a piece of shop made veneer to cover it. 
The legs are flared only to the left and right and not front to back. To flare them both ways, I would have to have had 12/4 lumber instead of the laminated 8/4 (legs are 1.5” square at the top. I tapered them on the inside. I’ve not seen this done before but that’s what I came up with. 
Face side.

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And the end side with the glue line.

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one down and three to go in the clamps.

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As the sub-top is solid 3/4” lumber, I lightened the weight by about 3-4 lbs. by essentially turning it into a web frame.

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With the leg blanks out of the clamps, I shaped them with the flare and found that the glue line from the lamination was unacceptable. I cut strips from scrap and using the drum sander to get them to 1/32”, I veneered the exposed glue line face. With a block plane, I beveled the edges to the glue line. Pretty much hides them. Front view and the veneered face.

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The legs are attached to the carcass via glue and Dominos. Using my little guide/jig, the legs are 1/4” proud of the base.

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These will remain in the clamps over night.

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Tomorrow I will start on the walnut top.

 

 

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