Side table

[nclemmons]

I recently finished this side table as a gift.

The design was inspired by a smoking pipe cabinet that I had seen years ago. The wood is lace wood. I had always admired the grain on lace wood and had been looking for something to make that was larger than a box.

The dimensions are about 10" x 12" x 24" high. The case is about 9" high.

Construction was made easy with Dominoes. The case was dominoed together and then the legs were dominoed to the case. I set the legs at 45 degrees to the case and drilled the brass rods into the corners using the BCTW DJ-1 drilling jig. Sanding with Festool 150/3 and Rotex sanders. Final finishing with scrapers and a smoothing plane.

Sides were reversed raised-panels to the inside to simplify the design. You can see the raised panels in one of the interior photos. I explored the design with the raised panels to the outside but it was too much going on so I decided simpler was better in the design.

Finish is six coats of wipe-on oil and varnish, followed by four coats of paste wax. Sanding between coats with 0000 steel wool.

Chamfering of the top edges of the legs was done on the Jointmaker Pro as were all of the cross-cuts on the door frame and cabinet corners. HP-6 plane made chamfering the lengths of the legs and tops and bottoms of the top easy.

I made the door latch from brass stock following plans that were published in FWW a year ago. I had made the sofa table from the cover of FWW and had wanted to try my hand at the hardware and this was a great opportunity to try it out. The FWW article is here

Total time making the cabinet was perhaps 40 hours given finish time. I have a Sketch-up model if anyone is interested, just PM me.

Feedback or questions are welcome.

Neil

 

[mishle]

Thanks for showing . I like the end grain contrast on front around the door.  The inside looks gorgeous too.

 

[Top Knot]

I cant say I have heard of lace wood before... it looks stunning! Nice job

 

[woodguy7]

Nice work.  I personally dont like the end grain showing at the front, sorry.

Woodguy.

 

[Top Knot]

I did notice the end grain on the front too... I do think its a little distracting, but that mostly comes from the way the photos have been taken. I also think the strong contrasting colors of the grain may have only came about after finishes were applied. Perhaps over time as the unit ages the colors may blend.
Some constructive crit: Perhaps Neil you could have book matched the grain with piece used to make the bottom of the box then cut out the center and used that for the top then rejoin the off cuts to make up the bottom and placed it in the opposite orientation. Do you understand What I mean ???

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Very very nice!!  I like the look of lacewood, and look forward to a time when I'll make something with it.

Hrrm.. I'm conflicted about the end grain showing on the front.  I like it. 
But, I also see a place where edge banding with the same wood (i.e. lacewood) would create a very pleasing grain flow.  Or a lock-mitered return.

I really like the brass hardware you made.  Pretty cool.

 

[woodguy7]

Yea, forgot about that.  Cool that you can make your own hardware.
I dont mean to diss the unit, it is very nice & some realy good work there, its just end grain is not to my taste.  Its a cool project  [thumbs up]

Woodguy.

 

[ajones]

I love the retro look..quality  [thumbs up] [thumbs up]

 

[Wood_Junkie]

Hey neilc,

What is that, in the photo?  I'm just intrigued and curious... Can't figure out what it is.

[attachthumb=#]

 

[mouppe]

I think it's an awl sitting in a wooden block.

 

[nclemmons]

Woodjunkie - to your question, it is an awl in a wood block sitting on the MFT/3 table.

On the end grain, I looked at it both ways and I liked the grain of the top running long since that is the longer dimension of the table, and felt running it cross grain would look strange.  So, I've debated whether to wrap all four edges of the top and bottom in a strip of lacewood.  1/4" wide by maybe 7/8" tall with maybe a raised roundover on the top edge of the top, and the bottom edge of the bottom protuding by maybe 1/8" - and let it terminate into the legs at 45 degrees to the leg angles.  Might fashion something and see how it looks.

The table was made from one piece of wood - and the color was consistent when it was built.  The oil definitely pulled out a lot of grain variations.  It looks much more muted in person without the flash of the camera.

Top Knot - not following your suggestion on the bookmatching - could you elaborate?

Appreciate the feedback and questions.  That's how I get better!

neil

 

[Top Knot]

What I mean to say is perhaps organizing the grain for the the top and for the bottom to have looked something like the picture below. By no means will it take the "heaviness" of the grain away but perhaps this sort of an arrangement may appear to be more of an integrated part of the design... (keeping things simple and getting the wood itself to do the work)
Further to this, even a wide and shallow bevel to the top could help blend the transition of the grain from the top surface to the front edge of the end grain... this would also lessen the amount of grain shown on the end and still be in keeping with your use of angles and bevels... such as turning the legs at 45 degrees. Does it make more sense now?  [unsure]
[attachthumb=#]

 

[nclemmons]

Got it - thanks Top Knot.

I'll post back if I end up banding the piece.  Tapering given it's glued up would be a challenge to tie out.  I'll also need to check how the color is blending with time passing.

Appreciate the feedback and ideas.

neil