Woodwork

[stillp]

I do a bit of woodwork occasionally. A few years ago I saw a very nice chest in an antique shop in Providence, R.I., described as a "Pennsylvania spice box". I couldn't afford it, but later when I came home found some plans so built something similar out of a mahogany bar top I was given by a colleague.


Pete

 

[Deleted member 4539]

Beautiful work Peter .

 

[Deleted member 7181]

That is lovely!

Continuous grain running through the drawer fronts and proper joinery (including half blind dovetails if I've got the name right) are particularly special.

 

[wotan]

That's very impressive Peter. I am an admirer of great cabinet making.

John

 

[Jim R]

Hi Peter
Craftsmanship at it's best. Looks beautiful.
Jim

 

[minitnkr]

Excellent. Helped my Dad build a portable, folding wallpaper table out of the material many years ago. It held all the necessary tools within. Beautiful, but heavy. He said it would likely outlast both of us. PaulE

 

[scottie3158]

Peter,
That is a lovely piece of work. I used to enjoy watching the New Yankee workshop and the things he built.

 

[Si Benson]

Very nice Pete,
Do you use traditional tools or power tools and jigs etc? I only ask as Im looking into branching out into it myself.

 

[Si Benson]

Peter,
That is a lovely piece of work. I used to enjoy watching the New Yankee workshop and the things he built.

Also loved watching Norm create some excellent pieces in his fully loaded wood shop! That and ‘this old house’ where my two fave shows...

 

[Deleted member 6559]

I'm very envious of your skills Peter - a lovely thing. Unfortunately I can't even saw a straight line through a matchstick.

 

[stillp]

Thanks for all the kind comments chaps.

Andy, I'm pleased you noticed the continuous grain - it was a struggle to lay out the cutting plan on the timber, as there were a lot of small holes in the bar top that I had to cut around, which is why the flame figure on the door isn't central.

Very nice Pete,
Do you use traditional tools or power tools and jigs etc? I only ask as Im looking into branching out into it myself.

Si, I use a mixture of hand and power tools. The sides and top of this piece were too wide to go through my planer/thicknesser, so they were planed by hand. The smaller parts were machine planed to nearly the finished thickness then hand planed to remove the ripples from the machine. The rounded edges on the panels between the drawers were roughed out with a router then finished by hand, and the moulding around the top was done with a router. All the joints (half-blind dovetails, well spotted Andy) were cut by hand.

I'm very envious of your skills Peter - a lovely thing. Unfortunately I can't even saw a straight line through a matchstick.

Ah, but I can't paint figures Peter!

 

[Ian M]

That is a beauty.

 

[minitnkr]

Peter, I have a small aluminum miter box that clamps into my bench vise & works well w/my hobby saws and helps w/straight & 45 degree cuts. PaulE

 

[JR]

Ah beautiful Peter. nice finish, what did you use. Even after years of working with wood the smell of the workshop was great.

 

[stillp]

Peter, I have a small aluminum miter box that clamps into my bench vise & works well w/my hobby saws and helps w/straight & 45 degree cuts. PaulE

I use a traditional beechwood one Paul. I have a miniature aluminium one for modelling but haven't needed to use it yet.

Ah beautiful Peter. nice finish, what did you use.

Thanks JR. It's French Polish, done the proper way, with a cotton rubber. It's improved a bit since those photos, with repeated waxing.
Pete

 

[JR]

I use a traditional beechwood one Paul. I have a miniature aluminium one for modelling but haven't needed to use it yet.

Thanks JR. It's French Polish, done the proper way, with a cotton rubber. It's improved a bit since those photos, with repeated waxing.
Pete

Thanks Pete, oh yes when it gets good layer of wax on it the patina begings to build.
I tried some years ago a spray French Po!ish, completely the wrong name of course as it's the name of the application method rather than the polish which is as you know made from Shellac .Anyway it was supposed to let you spray a good number of coats, coupled with cutting back in a fast manor. Wasn't cheap but easy to spray, but it ended up being used for sealing pre polished tables that had been sprayed with furniture polish that when stripped that would always have " fish eye " caused by the silicone . If you ever have to refinish a table that has been polished in that way a coat or two of Shellac will block any silicone left in the surface. Handy hint no 356

 

[minitnkr]

Sorry stillP, My bad. I was replying to Peter Day's comment on cutting matchsticks straight. Your cabinet speaks to your woodworking skills clearly. BTW, is French Polish like Tung oil? PaulE

 

[stillp]

OK, now I understand Paul! French polish is not at all like tung oil - it's a solution of shellac in alcohol, applied in many very thin layers using a pad of cotton wadding wrapped in a cotton cloth, called a 'rubber'. The wadding is wetted with the polish, then the rubber is worked over the surface, gradually filling the wood grain and building up a thin shiny coating. Properly done it can produce superb results, far better than my amateurish attempts, but it takes a long time.
Tung oil is much easier - wipe a thin coat on with a rag, let it dry, repeat until satisfied, but it doesn't produce the depth of shine that french polish can.
Pete