Harlequin side table

[hbmcc]

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


Alan

I don't think Derek will claim Steve's Tools. But, Derek does have a warehouse, somewhere, full of them. He's at the market center of Asian, European, S. Seas, English, and US supply. I think there is one copy of every tool from each geographic location.

[Derek Cohen]

While designing and building furniture is my main interest, I also enjoy the artistic merits of tools. But tools must be more than mere art. They must work as intended. Some of the "nice" tools were built by myself.

This weekend I shall be presenting a couple of talks at the Perth Wood Show (where the Harlequin Table is entered in the furniture competition). One of the talks is on essential tools for joinery. I shall take along tools that are easily available. This is not a time for displaying the tool art.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Derek Cohen]

FINAL PICTURES

We are done building the side table. Here are pictures (taken with my iPhone6). 

The case is Hard Maple from the USA. The drawer fronts are Black Walnut, figured Hard Maple, and pink Jarrah (hence the name, Harlequin). The drawer sides are quartersawn Tasmanian Oak, and the drawer bottoms/slips were made from Tasmanian Blue Gum. 

Finish was, initially, two coats of dewaxed UBeaut Hard White Shellac (the very faint amber adds a little warmth), followed by three coats of General Finishes water-based poly (this remains clear - does not yellow the maple - and appears to have some UV protection. It is hard wearing, which is necessary for a side table).

The build features mitred, rounded dovetails and bow front and back. Eight drawers featuring compound dovetailing to match the bow front. Drawers are traditional half-blind dovetails at the front and through dovetails at the rear, with drawer bottoms into slips. 

About 2 months to build, mainly on weekends.

 







Here is the rear of the table (which will be seen through the windows, which run floor-to-ceiling along the family room ...



The pulls were shaped from what-I-believe-to-be-some-type-of Ebony ...



The obligatory dovetails ...



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




And this one is for Bill, who was concerned that the chamfers at the end of the drawers (to ease entry into the case) might impair their extension ...



A last look ...



Thursday morning I haul the table to the Perth Wood Show for the annual furniture competition. Wish me luck.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[cputnam]

Good luck & enjoy the show!

[hbmcc]

Awesome! I love the tongues, actually, a super effective way of pulling all the colors together into a cohesive whole without losing the variety of species and colors. Very nice. 

And, get that first place ribbon this time!

[MarkSingleton]

Well done as usual Derek!! Good luck in the show!
And a big thank you for taking the time to photograph
your work and post it here!!

[C. in Indy]

That is a very nice composition, Derek!

I still like using different wood species on projects.
I think Meghan at the old PWW role described using mixed woods as a temporary phase in her projects, but I have stuck with it.

Chris

[Aram]

Hi Derek,

Amazing work, as usual. The final result is very unique and creative! 

Question about this step. How did you hold the legs in alignment when you (presumably) drilled pilot holes in them?

[Derek Cohen]

Hi Aram

The leg details are in this website chapter: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...eLegs.html I did post it here, but the article is quicker to find.

There is also an article on making the drawer pulls here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...Pulls.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Aram]

Hi Aram

The leg details are in this website chapter: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/H...eLegs.html    I did post it here, but the article is quicker to find.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek,

I read that, which is what led me to the question. It looks like you cut the angled leg flats, turned the legs, then somehow managed to get matching screw holes in the case and the leg flats. That's the part I'm wondering about. It seems you would have to hold the (already rounded) legs in perfect position against the case, and drill pilot holes through the case (later to be enlarged as through holes) and into the legs. I was wondering how you held the legs in position while you did that. Maybe I missed something in your article.

Thanks!