One man's trash, another man's trophy (case)
#11
I've been itching to rework another machinist's chest.   After the last boxes recovered over several years, I narrowed down a 2022 search.  I realized I don't actually need a (hinged) top "till", and I consider the front-panel to be optional.   True Gerstner's are the best but they reflect that in their cost, even when falling apart.

This no-name oak box just came in today!


Just enough missing parts to make it interesting:

   



Wood can be planed clean, for the most part, but the grain on the carcass isn't as pretty as quartersawn or rift-sawn:

   



I think I have enough oak on hand to make whatever I decide to replace:

   


With weather getting nice, I won't be on it very often, but I heard once an old German proverb.... "work is not like a shy animal,  it will still be there when you come back to it".

Chris
Chris
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#12
I love these type of threads. I bought a cardboard box full 0f original Gerstner drawers. One day, I will make a case to hold them, hopefully authentic looking. Keep us posted with your progress please.
I no longer build museums but don't want to change my name. My new job is a lot less stressful. Life is much better.

Garry
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#13
Many thanks, museumguy!


My mind is working on this with some occasional shop visits and picture taking.   Main thought trails are now:

(1.)  The wood is probably more recoverable than I thought
Smile

   


(2.)  The carcass joinery is a locking rabbet style, which plays into the next thoughts about re-build-ability and perhaps re-proportioning.

(3.)  I feel like the proportions need to be adjusted.  The drawers are kind of long, and I don't think they'd be practical and sturdy if fully loaded.  One of my guilty pleasures is watching car-channel TV programs like Iron Resurrection, Full Custom Garage, etc.
       So...   I am actually thinking about a "chop and lower" approach here, rendered in poor-man's photoshop:


   


Chris
Chris
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#14
I've got two that I need to make a couple drawers and fronts for. Always so little time and ambition.
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#15
I took off all the corner-metals and broke down the carcass with my rawhide mallet.

This allowed a nice sweeping pass with my No. 14 plane over the 'beauty' pieces.   But the top did crack after some whacking, so it's now gluing back together, using 3 cam-clamps:

   
Chris
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#16
Both the top and the bottom boards needed gluing back together.   Once that was done, I decided to proceed with the "chop and lower" plan.   About 3/4" of height and 2" of width are now removed from further relevance.

Of course, now I have to go and narrow the width of every drawer....

   
Chris
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#17
(03-06-2022, 08:55 PM)toolmiser Wrote: I've got two that I need to make a couple drawers and fronts for.  Always so little time and ambition.

Correction I have three.  I guess my shop needed a little tidying up.  I 'm hoping to get them back in shape and give two of them to my girls for jewelry boxes.  I'm sure they will want them (yeah right).
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#18
The planned ~ 2 inches of width reduction is rippling through every lateral piece on the whole thing.   I still like the idea, but the workload went way up.

Here the plywood back is freshly re-sized, edge rabbets tuned with my 140 plane.   I had chiseled and jack-planed away the outermost ugly brown layer of plywood (which looked to be 'peeled' rather than 'planar sliced' veneer), and I plan to glue some better-figured oak veneer onto it:

   
Chris
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#19
Top-o-the-Mornin' to You!

And... figured-grain veneer is a pain to work with, but I'm using what I had on hand.    It's not visually perfect, but this revised carcass is now rock solid.    Up next will be a lot of drawers.    Along the way I figured out the one missing drawer is of slightly different height than the other 7 drawers (!) ....

   

   
Chris
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#20
And the rest of the day to you.


Just looking at your wall and thinking if you need any trimming just use the hatchet. 
Smirk
As of this time I am not teaching vets to turn. Also please do not send any items to me without prior notification.  Thank You Everyone.

It is always the right time, to do the right thing.
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