10-08-2013, 06:30 PM
Richards’s recent post on improving photography inspired me into action. I was considering having a friend that does professional photography take the pics, but with Richards post, I decided that I could do it myself.
I ordered some back drop paper and bought a camera. I have a Cannon Power Shot SX160 which seems to have enough settings to take up a semester of college trying to learn some of them.
I am finishing up this walnut sugar chest and still have to rub out the shellac, but I am waiting a few days to allow the finish to fully cure.
Some of the chests that I have seen in person and online have half blind dovetails arraigned in a fashion so that they are not visible from the front. The sides are HB-DT to the front and the rear panel is HB-DT to the sides. I have wanted to try this construction method for over three years and finally found the courage to try it. Actually, I cut the joinery and assembled the case several months ago but waited until I found some walnut for the lid that would match the case.
Megan Fitzpatrick recently wrote an article in PW on a shaker blanket chest assembled in the same fashion. The case was assembled before her article, but I was happy that I was not the only one trying this.
Lesson learned is to cut the rear joinery first, that way you can size the depth of the tail sockets on the front panel to the rear joints (if that makes any sense). I cut the front first and really antagonized on the rear joints. My case is very close to being square, but not perfect.
With cutting the joints in this manner, I was able to get away with using poplar at the rear saving on material. I did use Walnut on the top half of the rear panel so that you see walnut all around when opening the chest.
The finish is BLO rubbed in, Seal coat of garnet shellac, sanded w/ 320 grit paper, glaze sprayed on, and top coat of garnet shellac. I used Sherwin Williams Van Dyke glaze which is a heavy bodied glaze that sprays on with a regular HVLP gun and wipes off leaving a dark aged patina. It really turned out nice on the poplar. I was considering staining the poplar beforehand, but I am glad I did not.
I hope these are an improvement from pics I have previously posted. I still have some shine issues to deal with.
While I am at it, a small box out of Brazilian Walnut
And a bourbon toast box out of Butternut and Walnut
Yeah, there are some finger prints inside that lid I need to address.
I ordered some back drop paper and bought a camera. I have a Cannon Power Shot SX160 which seems to have enough settings to take up a semester of college trying to learn some of them.
I am finishing up this walnut sugar chest and still have to rub out the shellac, but I am waiting a few days to allow the finish to fully cure.
Some of the chests that I have seen in person and online have half blind dovetails arraigned in a fashion so that they are not visible from the front. The sides are HB-DT to the front and the rear panel is HB-DT to the sides. I have wanted to try this construction method for over three years and finally found the courage to try it. Actually, I cut the joinery and assembled the case several months ago but waited until I found some walnut for the lid that would match the case.
Megan Fitzpatrick recently wrote an article in PW on a shaker blanket chest assembled in the same fashion. The case was assembled before her article, but I was happy that I was not the only one trying this.
Lesson learned is to cut the rear joinery first, that way you can size the depth of the tail sockets on the front panel to the rear joints (if that makes any sense). I cut the front first and really antagonized on the rear joints. My case is very close to being square, but not perfect.
With cutting the joints in this manner, I was able to get away with using poplar at the rear saving on material. I did use Walnut on the top half of the rear panel so that you see walnut all around when opening the chest.
The finish is BLO rubbed in, Seal coat of garnet shellac, sanded w/ 320 grit paper, glaze sprayed on, and top coat of garnet shellac. I used Sherwin Williams Van Dyke glaze which is a heavy bodied glaze that sprays on with a regular HVLP gun and wipes off leaving a dark aged patina. It really turned out nice on the poplar. I was considering staining the poplar beforehand, but I am glad I did not.
I hope these are an improvement from pics I have previously posted. I still have some shine issues to deal with.
While I am at it, a small box out of Brazilian Walnut
And a bourbon toast box out of Butternut and Walnut
Yeah, there are some finger prints inside that lid I need to address.
