Harlequin side table

[Derek Cohen]

Thanks Bill


Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

I was planning to next post with the completed Harlequin Side table, however it has been two steps forward and one back. Selecting the drawer fronts .. well, I've cut and recut them a few times, and only now satisfied with the result. It is no small deal each time since a drawer front has to be fitted into a recess that is shaped like a parallelogram. And if the fit is not good enough ... well, a few would-be drawer fronts were discarded.

What parts are needed? Well, the drawer sides are 1/4" thick - too thin for grooves, so there will be slips to support the drawer bottom.

The drawer sides are Tasmanian Oak, which I use frequently, as it is a light wood that allows the drawer fronts to be shown to their best, and it is available quarter sawn. The drawer back will also be Tassie Oak.

The drawer bottoms are solid wood and 1/4" thick. Rather than use Tasmanian Oak, I thought I would add a little life with Tasmanian Blue Gum. It is quite similar is texture and tone (although the photos here do not show this), but has more figure.

Enough here for 8 drawers ...



Drawer sides and drawer fronts ...



Great sander ... Mirka Ceros ...



These will be the drawer bottoms. The board in the centre is the Hard Maple case back ...



Do you think anyone will notice that the drawer bottoms run sequentially?




The making of the drawer slips may have some interest. I used Tasmanian Blue Gum (because it links to the drawer bottoms). This is quite interlocked and any planing with a plough to form either grooves or beads would be expected to end unhappily, with much tearout. I have posted this tip before: add a 15 degree backbevel to all plough blades to create a high 60 degree cutting angle.

The 3/16" beads were ploughed with the Veritas Combination Plane ...



Brilliant finish ...



... and a 1/8" groove for the rebate in the drawer bottom was ploughed by the Veritas Small Plow ...



Again, tearout free ...





This is a mock up of the intersection of the drawer front (back), drawer side into drawer slip and against a drawer side ...



Note that the drawer front is straight/flat at this stage but, once dovetailed, they will be shaped to curve along the bow front of the case.

These are the timbers I have chosen for the drawer fronts. This is what gives the side table the harlequin name. Three timbers: Black Walnut, a pink Jarrah, and figured Hard Maple. Keep in mind that there is no finish at this stage ...





Next time hopefully with everything completed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[stav]

Wow, it's coming along great. I really like the arrangement of drawer fronts you selected.

[cputnam]

Frustration City! When perfection does not ensue from my efforts (always) I become frustrated to greater or lesser extents. The right-hand side of the frustration distribution curve generally results in much bad language and my stomping into the house with a cold beer with which to assuage my ire. I'm enjoying this build. Are you going to make the show?

[Big Dave]

Thank you, Derek, for posting this build-along! I am enjoying it beyond measure....

[Derek Cohen]

 Are you going to make the show?

Curt, it will be a very close thing.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

I am in the process of completing the Harlequin Table. I will post the finished piece in a couple of days. Here are a few pictures of making the drawer bottoms for the slips, which may interest a few.

Bill was not enamoured with the slips as they has this ruddy great groove down one side. That was a too-wide quirk from the beading blade. Not to worry Bill, I cut that section away, leaving just the bead.

Here are the slips being glued in ...





The drawer slips and bottoms are Tasmanian Blue Gum. The drawer sides are Tasmanian Oak. Both are 1/4" thick.

The groove in the slip is 1/8" (3mm). The slip requires a matching 1/8" rebate. This was planed with a skew rebate plane on a sticking board ...



Although the plane has a nicker, I always scribe the line as well ...



It is worth the effort to set up the rebate plane for a precise cut ...



Once the one side is done, slide the tongue into the groove of the slip, and mark off the width of the drawer bottom ...



Then saw to width ...



Any fine tuning is done with a shoulder plane ...



The drawer fronts are all curved, and the drawer bottom must be scribed to match this ...



Here is the fit behind the front of the drawer, and the match with the beaded slips ...



The rear of the drawer, with the added bearing surface from the slips ...



The profile of the drawer sides ...





Until the final pics ...

Regards from Perth

Derek

[hbmcc]

It looks great, Derek. And glad you are forging ahead with the build. you always are nip and tuck with your show deadlines. Can we see the hidden skipped elements you pass by the judges? 


I don't think I have seen you so cavalier about exposing your work to potential injury..... Gluing drawers on the top?! Building drawers on the top! Stacking wood on it???? You aren't taking a cue from me, are you?

[bandit571]

Any flat space in a shop...
 

   
Working on the Hutch...

   
Frees up the limited space on the bench

   

[TraditionalToolworks]

Wow, this thread is like the tool porn thread. You do have your share of nice tools Derek!


Alan