G&G Inspired Chest of Drawers - Build Thread

larry merlau · Sep 26, 2011

well done glenn ,, so the shooting board was used to final fit the center pieces then you done the shoulder cut on the table saw right?

glenn bradley · Sep 26, 2011

larry merlau said:
well done glenn ,, so the shooting board was used to final fit the center pieces then you done the shoulder cut on the table saw right?

Correct. The dado cuts were done after I got the final fit but, prior to assembly. The rail tuning controls the final width of the frame so that was done to fit the web frame. Then I cut the shoulders and then the M&T work is done allowing the glue up. Once assembled the shoulders get tuned with a plane to accept the top and base wrap-around style "frames".

On the book case you had recommended not making the shoulders as deep as I had originally planned. I took your advice and it worked out well. Building on that experience, these shoulders are even shallower (1/8" rough). Once cleaned up (a skinny 3/16"), the upper and lower wrap-around parts will be sized from this final dimension.

I was getting fatigued I guess and didn't have quite the grip on a piece of rail as I should have. I picked up a bit of chatter at the end of a cut and knocked a little chip out at the shoulder.

To repair it I square out the ragged chip and find a piece of material that matches pretty well.

I glue a bit in and leave it oversight. Now I have this nice wart to work with.

I pare it down with a butt chisel. Given it's location, the repair should be all but invisible once the finish is on.

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glenn bradley · Sep 26, 2011

The Mortise Pal earns it's keep again. Two by 1-1/4" x 2-1/2" tenons per joint.

Jim C Bradley · Sep 27, 2011

Glenn,

I am telling you that I am not going to "glance" at your threads, just as I am getting ready for my night time count down anymore. You kept me up an extra hour.

Love you anyway,

Dad

glenn bradley · Sep 27, 2011

Someone PM'd about the Mortise Pal method so here's some more on that. I faced the vise and a small handscrew with leather (thanks Dad).

I grab the end to be cut in the vise. A shimmed piece of hardboard is compensating for the wide rabbet already cut in the part. The handscrew acts as a deadman.

The MP clamps on, aligning with the layout lines I have applied. I pop a small motor in one of the plunge bases and go to work. Once the mortise is cut I have a vac hose nearby for clean up between mortises (mortisi?) operated by a foot pedal on the floor nearby.

Here's a dry fit:

Rob Keeble · Sep 27, 2011

Thanks for all the pics Glenn, i get way more than just the project from them.

Perhaps you should look at updating your shop tour sometime but with a little emphasis on the little non obvious features like the convenience of those rules hanging on the bench and where you put the power bar.

glenn bradley · Sep 27, 2011

Rob Keeble said:
Thanks for all the pics Glenn, i get way more than just the project from them.

Perhaps you should look at updating your shop tour sometime but with a little emphasis on the little non obvious features like the convenience of those rules hanging on the bench and where you put the power bar.

I am overdue for a shop tour. I try to do one every year but am tardy now. Maybe I'll ask the old man up to provide an outsider's input on a tour. He's about due for a visit ;-)

allen levine · Sep 27, 2011

glenn, do you think there is an advantage as far as alignment or strength using a mortise pal setup vs. a typical biscuit cutter and large biscuit?

larry merlau · Sep 27, 2011

allen levine said:
glenn, do you think there is an advantage as far as alignment or strength using a mortise pal setup vs. a typical biscuit cutter and large biscuit?

allen, in my opinion the strength of those tenons is far above the biscuit setup. as for alignment of boards goes, then a biscuit is probably equal but not for strength in the apron useage.. this is just my opinion and i amnot trying to step in frnt of glenns work.. or expertize :thumb:

glenn bradley · Sep 27, 2011

What Larry said. Biscuits are great for alignment but, don't add the strength of a tenon. Biscuits do add some amount of shear force resistance. The numerous wood joint strength articles show this pretty well. The large long grain glue surface of the tenons and the fit are key to preventing racking fatigue at the rail to stile joints as drawers are opened and closed every day for years on end.

Steve Southwood · Sep 27, 2011

Glenn, do you make your own tenon stock or are you purchasing it? It looks pro made either way. I am thinking about going the loose route myself, now that I have the M-Pal. Too easy not to.

glenn bradley · Sep 27, 2011

I whipped off about 5 feet of it in about 5 minutes this morning before work. Its a no-brainer and you can use like or dissimilar stock as you feel is appropriate. I make a bit more than I need each time so I am starting to get a good collection of various sizes. Another good use of scrap material ;-)

Steve Southwood · Sep 27, 2011

Thanks, that is what I had in mind

glenn bradley · Sep 27, 2011

Worked late and almost didn't hit the shop tonight. I realized I won't get much time until the weekend so I powered through the other side.

larry merlau · Sep 28, 2011

i am sure you told us but what thickness are the sides?

glenn bradley · Sep 28, 2011

larry merlau said:
i am sure you told us but what thickness are the sides?

I milled the material to 13/16". After scraping and planing it is a fat 3/4". The corner joinery presents the appearance from the front of 1-3/4".

larry merlau · Sep 28, 2011

duhhh yeah that was what was fooling me i remember now but all i saw was a thick side the showed a thin inside??? my head wasnt connecting the dots very well

glenn bradley · Sep 28, 2011

You may or may not have noticed from the time stamps on some of my recent posts that I have been working some odd shifts lately. I tell you this as an excuse for my lousey output for tonight

The webframes will act like a kind of rib cage for the carcass. They will also have walnut strips along the front edge that provide the horizontal drawer opening dividers. I'll go into the strips next post but they will glue into a slot to provide vertical strength and a greater glue area.

This is a procedure many of us use to assure things (slots, tenons, whatever) are cut centered in our stock; that is, cutting from one reference surface and then the other. I set a 3/16" slot cutter 1/4" off the deck. I use a featherboard as usual to keep things tight and chatter free.

First run gets me part way there. Flip the piece and run it again and I get a perfectly centered slot. I do this for all the webframes, front edge only.

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glenn bradley · Sep 30, 2011

Am I boring you guys yet? The front trim for the web frame / drawer dividers is about all I have time for tonight. I set a 5/16" spiral 1/2" from the router table fence. I set the depth to leave me 1/4" after a pass on each face. I joint the edge before each of these pair of cuts.

I rip off the result, joint the edge and repeat. It fits like so. The trim goes on much later in construction and will be trimmed to fit after the carcass is assembled.

For fussy pieces like this I make an extra in case of shop gremlins

.

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Rennie Heuer · Sep 30, 2011

glenn bradley said:
Am I boring you guys yet?

Not likely to happen. :thumb:

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