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+-- Thread: Bookcase - display cabinet (/showthread.php?tid=7283099)
Re: Bookcase - display cabinet (more joinery) - jteneyck - 06-01-2016
Very nice work. What kind of chestnut is that you're using? The American chestnut was essentially wiped out around 100 years ago and about the only chestnut available now comes from reclaimed wood like old barn beams sawed into lumber.
And I'm very interested in your bench. It's brilliant. Is it your design, or have I just been in the dark which is entirely possible? In either case, any details and additional photos you might have of it would be most appreciated. Thanks.
John
Re: Bookcase - display cabinet (more joinery) - Chataigner - 06-01-2016
jteneyck said:
Very nice work. What kind of chestnut is that you're using? The American chestnut was essentially wiped out around 100 years ago and about the only chestnut available now comes from reclaimed wood like old barn beams sawed into lumber.
And I'm very interested in your bench. It's brilliant. Is it your design, or have I just been in the dark which is entirely possible? In either case, any details and additional photos you might have of it would be most appreciated. Thanks.
John
The bench uses torsion boxes made from multiple layers of MDF fixed over an timber frame. Two such boxes are fitted onto a rugged base and spaced apart by some 10", and the space filled by simple open trays that can be fitted open side down to provide a continuous work surface or open side up to provide tool store space - or indeed removed entirely as in the shots below - to provide access.
Here are some photos (a mix of pics from my former shop and the current one) :
I've fitted an oak surround to make it more durable, with the vice integrated into the surround. Clearly, the flatness of the top is determined by the quality of the sub frame timber work, and I spent a lot of time getting this to within a few thou.
Being able to create an open space in the middle of the bench is also useful for rough cutting with a jigsaw for example - work is supported all round.
Not entirely original I'm afraid, I saw something similar in a Fine woodworking issue around 10 years ago and developed it from there. This is the second one I've built, a house move triggered by a divorce gave me a chance to make an even better one !!!
Oh yes - the chestnut : Chestnut is a very common species here. It was grown as a food crop for centuries and the timber used for all sorts of things, the resistance to insect attack made it very popular for structural timber in buildings right up to around 1950 and it is still widely used for fencing for example. Freely available from local sawmills and before my enforced move, I had around 20 acres of it
Re: Bookcase - display cabinet (more joinery) - jteneyck - 06-01-2016
Thanks very much for the follow-up. The bench really is brilliant, and I'm going to remember that concept when I build a new work/assembly table. Being able to reconfigure the top so easily, while sitting on top of that massive, stable base, offers a lot of work and clamping options and is very appealing.
John
Was FWW #202 the inspiration for your bench?
Re: Bookcase - display cabinet (more joinery) - Bob10 - 06-02-2016
which miniwax stain are you looking to get and how much? I might be able to help with it
Re: Bookcase - display cabinet (more joinery) - Chataigner - 06-16-2016
Lots of other stuff going on at the moment, so progress is slow, but I have now made the floating panels for both sides and assembled them.
RE: Bookcase - display cabinet, more progress - Chataigner - 09-16-2016
It's been a while !!! What with holidays, organising a photo exhibition, fitting out the kitchen in Isabelle's investment appartment and numerous other distractions, I've not done much to the project during the summer. The last week however, there is finally some real progress.
The first steps were to prepare the oak frame members for the top and bottom and create the (chestnut) floating panels that sit in them. Lots of milling up of boards, lots of profiling for the cloud lifts - then cutting the big mortices in the side assemblies to take the top/bottom frames. Mortices cut with a router, the assemblies were far to big to manipulate in the hollow chisel morticer. Then assemble the top/bottom and central shelf with two sides : on trestles as it fouled the lights when I tried to assemble it on the bench top. The central shelf is M&T'd and glued into frame members at the front (free to expand etc at the back) to ensure the front of the cabinet does not bow in or out and so avoid potential problems with the doors
![[Image: vitrine800px-004.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-004.jpg)
A simple job in principle, but it's big (almost 2m tall) and everything is VERY heavy, I nearly had a disaster when I found it was a tad out of square and I had no clamps long enough to reach corner to corner to pull it into line. Frantic improvisation using a loop of rope and a stick to twist it like a tourniquet !!
Next job : the doors. These are glazed with fancy muntins in the style of G&G, and since I didnt fancy cutting glass around these fairly complex shapes, the muntins are on the surface of a single rectangular glass panel. The cloud lifts are done by drilling the main parts of the curves with forstner bits, then cutting into the curves with the bandsaw, finally faired by hand sanding.
![[Image: vitrine800px-001.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-001.jpg)
![[Image: vitrine800px-006.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-006.jpg)
Getting the angles right on the muntins was quite tricky, in the end I simply made a full scale drawing and cut them to fit. All M&T'd into place even if they are only decorative.
![[Image: vitrine800px-007.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-007.jpg)
![[Image: vitrine800px-008.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-008.jpg)
![[Image: vitrine800px-009.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-009.jpg)
I always cut mortices on the hollow chisel morticer where possible, then fine tune tenons to fit. I cut the shoulders on the TS using a crosscut sled, then cut the cheeks on the bandsaw. A trick I've found useful is to cut the tenons over long, then creep up on the bandsaw setting using the actual cheeks, but only cutting in the overlength bit. Once it all fits right, I cut the rest of the cheeks and trim off the end bit.
First door assembled today : here it is propped in the cabinet and secured with a clamp until I fit the hinges.
![[Image: vitrine800px-010.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-010.jpg)
![[Image: vitrine800px-012.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/vitrine800px-012.jpg)
Now for the second door...
RE: Bookcase - display cabinet - fredhargis - 09-16-2016
Wow! I don't how I missed this post when originally submitted, that is awesome!
RE: Bookcase - display cabinet - Chataigner - 09-19-2016
Just finished the second door. Hinges are on order so hope to have the doors fitted by the weekend.
RE: Bookcase - display cabinet - Chataigner - 09-26-2016
Hinges duly arrived and were fitted. I used the router to cut the recesses, too tricky to eyeball it as the cabinet is assembled and upright with no space to lay it down, so I had to work on vertical surfaces. I made a little jig to clamp to the cupboard sides and then guide the router using a guide bush. 100% successful thank goodness - with quite a lot of time and material invested already, not a moment for a slip up !
The doors were made and hung oversize, then planed to fit. They are located in the closed position by rare-earth magnets epoxied in the top and bottom with corresponding magnets in the carcase. Works beautifully - the doors close silently rather than "clacking" against a stop.
Spent today making the ebony pegs for the classic G&G joint pegs which were both functional and decorative in the original. My joints are not pegged - modern glues are quite good enough on their own - but the decoration needs to be reproduced for an authentic piece. This is where I plan to put them (these are bits of black tape to test the effect).
![[Image: g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-022.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-022.jpg)
Then to make the dummy pegs - rather a lot of them, 12mm square for the carcase : 22 off, plus 8mm square for the doors : 20 off. These were made by cutting strips of ebony 12 x 12 and 8 by 8 on the bandsaw (smallest kerf possible to avoid waste of precious ebony) then putting the strips in the lathe and turning a spigot which will be glued into a drilled hole in the cabinet. 8mm spigots for the 12 by 12 pegs and 6mm for the smaller ones. Then the dummy peg is cut off with the junior hacksaw (smallest possible kerf again) and repeat for the next one. (Apologies for the poor photos - didnt want to risk the reflex in the dusty workshop so used a compact that seems to have had trouble deciding where to focus !).
![[Image: g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-018.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-018.jpg)
These little chaps were then taken to the belt sander and individually cleaned up, including pillowing the tops. My finger tips will be sore for days !
![[Image: g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-019.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-019.jpg)
![[Image: g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-021.jpg]](http://woodwork.rue-darnet.fr/pics2016/g%20an%20g%20pegs%20800px-021.jpg)
They will be fitted after the carcase is stained.
In the meantime, I need to make a back for the cabinet. I had intended cheating and using oak faced plywood, but at nearly 50€ the m2 and it needs 3.5m2, I decided to do it the long way and mill up a load of 15mm boards in chestnut which will be t&g'd or at least lapped to make the back. Quite a bit of work, but less than half the price and more authentic too.
RE: Bookcase - display cabinet - Strokes77 - 09-26-2016
This is a great project. I wish I had the courage to tackle something like this.