All right, a bunch of images for such a little cabinet. I figure with such a "simple" pieces it would be a good platform to cover more of the process bases in a more simple context. I think there's at least one person out there who may be interested :P.As basic as the Key Cabinet is I am doing a fair amount of shaping. Kind of my "thing" I guess heh. I'm giving the sides a rounded (convex) and splayed shape, the door is also convex in shape from a solid cut of Walnut.
Above I shaped the outside first with a little "whoopdie-doo" lip that will act as the pull. It's nice to have different sized radius planes around :) for the outside I used my smoother, a 1-1/4" coopering, and 1" coopering planes. For the inside I used a 1-1/2" coopering plane (3 of my 4 coopering planes for this little door heh).
Roughing out the inside concave curve of the door on a table saw. One can hog it out by hand perfectly well and sometimes I choose to do so but I had already done so much planing my arms were a bit tired. Also as a man who looked too much like Kid Rock for his own good said "there's no art to waste removal." Whether you agree or not is a personal matter heh but I am looking for a balance somewhere between machine and hand.
With the door roughed out it doesn't take too long to get to that final shape.
The major shaping done it's time for some cross cuts! Cross cut one side of the sides and door where desired then clean and square up those edges! THEN set up the good old stop block to make the final cross cut. This order is particularly important/helpful when using a lightweight table saw such as the one in my shop.
Get those ends cleaned up and the same size and on to doweling.
Little doweling jigs for little sides. I plot them out and drill the jigs on the drill press before going to the boring machine, do whatever you like heh.
Ah the Davis & Wells boring machine. Probably my favorite machine I have. Not nearly the most used or versatile but I like it. I love its simplicity. A motor, a belt, a spindle, and a chuck brought together by about 220lbs of cast iron!
Anywho I mark the drill bit as to how deep I want to drill. This comes in handy when switch drill bits for the same jig. For these little guys I have four 1/4" holes and one 3/16" hole.
Oh yes, little nails hold the jig in place.
Next the top and bottom. Here I'm once again using a template for the jig set-up. I prefer this to drawing lines. Just cut a scrap the size of the internal space of the cabinet. Square up the sides. I plane a little taper towards the front (putting "let go" into the cabinet). I'm not making a drawer for this cabinet but I am fitting a partition, and it's good practice.Place the template on surface where desired. I'm using a block to register the template and jigs at the back. Nail one jig one, hold the other jig snug and nail that one on. Take to the drill press to drill, and repeat for the top.
After fitting dowels this is what I have thus far. It will be a cute little guy I think. It should have a name like Wilbur or Wally... damn I like Wally if not for the pun >:/.
7 comments:
sheesh thats a great idea. putting in leg go to fit in a partition. im trying to figure out how i'd do that with my hall table, since i want a super tight fit with the partition..how would i taper that...i guess plane it into the bottom of the webframe?
humm...or i dont think i can since i cant fit it from the back...im fitting my partitions from the front.
do i just build it square and fit SLOWLY?
Nick - you're a good man to document all of this, I certainly appreciate it. So, I ended up ordering Impractical CM after all and am looking forward to that. (I also ordered The Furniture of Sam Maloof, just cause I like his stuff... and he seemed like a pretty charming fellow.)
Anyway, I'm realizing that I'm going to need to get/make myself some coopering planes if I'm gonna start curving some doors. You get those blades from Hock tools?
Lastly, do you shoot those side panels after you cross cut to square them up?
I never noticed the resemblance but now that you point it out...definitely Kid Rock!
Sweet looking little project.
Nick B, partitions from the front? Hmm you should ask Steve Neil what he did with his Walnut Hall Table, that shaker-esque one at the show. I was there when he built it but don't remember what he did.
Scott, Yeah Impractical CM is a good reference to have.
Coopering planes are nice to have. You could potentially scrape or sane out a roughed shape but I'd say the plane(s) is the way to go. If I had to pick one size to have on hand I'd go with the 1-1/2" Yes sir, from Hock.
Yes I use a shooting board to address the end grain when I can.
Ian, Ha yep. "Small, simple, solid, and sweet" this one is. The next one will probably not be any of those things heh.
Nick B!
I'm not sure what your plans are construction-wise but in my hall table I was able to fit the partitions with let go already planed into them) prior to doweling the table top on. Not sure if that'll be possible in your situation but thought I'd give my two cents just in case.
hah! ian im not talking about drawer let go...im talking about fitting the actual partition itself. im building my tabel pretty much like yours except im using a webframe instead of a panel for the bottom.
im thinking of somehow tapering the case to fit the partitions super tight along the top and bottom...like slide the partition in from the front at a taper so i'll have some wiggle room when im fitting.
but i think im just gonna go ahead and build everythign as square as i can and fit the partition very slowly..
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