Summer Projects

[Bibliophile 13]

Hey folks, long time no see!  Now that it's summer I finally have a little time to check in on WoodNet again.  I've missed everyone. 

I just wanted to share a couple projects I completed recently that were especially hand-tool heavy.

My wife had an old treadle sewing machine that she wanted turned into a writing desk.  So I found some old mahogany boards that I had had stashed away for "that special project" and made her a simple, solid top:



Because I had been given this wood rough-sawn, I had no idea it was FIGURED mahogany.  Oh boy, was it a treat to work!  I could have hand-planed this top all day.  I wish I could afford to use this stuff more often. 

More details and pics on my blog here.

The next project was a bit more involved.  My oldest daughter got married and moved out this spring, leaving her bedroom to my second-oldest daughter (who was very happy to have her own room).  She had been sharing a big dresser with her other sisters, but now she needed a dresser of her own to fit underneath her half-lofted bed.

This is what I made for her:



It's 100% southern yellow pine cut down from wide 2X stock I bought from the local home center.  There were definitely some challenges along the way, especially working with only partially-dried stock.  I do have a bandsaw and a 13" DeWalt planer, which made the initial dimensioning manageable.

The case is constructed with dadoes.  The drawer blades (but not the runners) are dadoed into the case sides, and the top sits in blind dadoes.

There were lots and lots of dovetails for the drawers.




Again, more build-along details on the blog.

[cputnam]

You go guy! A happy wife and oldest resident daughter has got to mean you are going to have a great summer.

[Hank Knight]

I'm impressed! Anybody who can make something that nice out of SYP is much man!

[C. in Indy]

Yes, very very nice!

Quite worth the trip over to your blog to get the details.

I trust you won't be milk-painting that beautiful pine ?  



Chris

[Bibliophile 13]

No, Chris, no milk paint for this one! My son's dresser was done in milk paint a few years ago, and it really does look nice in its own way. But for some reason this one seemed to want the clear coat.

SYP is a challenge to work, no doubt. I love its strength, and I've come to appreciate its grain patterns. but it's really the low cost and the ease of acquisition that sell me on it. Still, the grain is interesting enough that I think it would be considered a very valuable wood if it were more rare. Old growth stuff is, of course, highly prized for projects like this.