HappyMonkey/HMD WOODSHOP

[Happy Monkey]

No particular reason. The angle of the shot accentuates the difference, though.

[wolf]

The rail to keep shit from falling off the back is brilliant.

I know exactly how useful that would be.

[Happy Monkey]

I'd love to take credit, but we're working roughly off of a design from a reader project sent in to "Fine Woodworker Magazine".

[Happy Monkey]

A quick router cut is made around the back of the frame, to allow the back to be put in.



Spacers are added to the back of each drawer frame, wide enough to match the depth of the router cut from the last step.

[Happy Monkey]

Ok, so I'll go into some detail on dovetails. These dovetails will attach the back of the drawer to the sides.

A dovetailing square has a straight side and a tapered side. The straight side is used to mark the endgrain part of the dovetails.



This is a very nice scoring tool. I set its length to the thickness of the other board, and marked the depth of the dovetails.



Then the tapered side of the dovetail square is used to draw the dovetails, matching the markings on the endgrain and going to the scored line.



Start cutting on the line with a dovetail saw, designed to cut into endgrain. The other board is clamped along with the piece in the vise, for stability.



Once the cut is started, angle down along the diagonal line, to make sure the saw follows the line.



Then finish off the cuts.



The end bits are cut off with a crosscut saw.

[Happy Monkey]

The chisel rests easily in the scored line. A few pounds with the mallet cuts that line deeper.



Pop out a layer of wood with a quick chisel hit.



After a couple of cuts on one side, flip it over and start on the other, so any tearout on the last cut is in the middle of the piece instead of on either side.



Sorry for the focus.

The tails on the back piece are traced onto the ends of the sides.



The scoring tool is used again, and the square is used to mark down from the traced lines to the scored line.



The dovetail saw comes out again. Then the chisels again.



The tails are shaved down with a chisel until it fits perfectly. The drawer bottom is then marked and cut off with the tablesaw.



And here is the finished drawer.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Beautiful, now do it 5 more times.

[Harlan]

You do beautiful work. I am jealous.

[Happy Monkey]

Thanks Harlan.

All but the last drawer is now done.

A decorative arch is glued under the bottom drawer before the final drawer front is fitted, since its attachment could slightly modify the fit.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/happymonkey/120087792/" title="Photo Sharing"><img src="http://static.flickr.com/56/120087792_983d5bd7f9.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Bottom Arch" /></a>

[ashke]

That's really beautiful =D

[Happy Monkey]

Thanks! All that's left now is the final drawer, the back, and then it has to be oiled and waxed.

[glatt]

What kind of oil are you using?

Have you used shellac much? I've just recently been experimenting with shellac, and am very pleased with the results.

Each additional layer of shellac slightly melts the underlying layer and then bonds to it as the alcohol solvent evaporates. This leaves the final finish as one uniform film, instead of multiple layers of finish like varnish or poly. When you sand it and steel wool it, you get a very pleasing result. It's so much more forgiving than varnish or poly are, and you don't get any visible strata lines if you sand through the most recent coat and into a lower one. It also dries very quickly. It's dry and ready for the next coat in about 45 minutes. The only drawback is that since it dries so fast, you can't work it with the brush much at all. Just apply one brush stroke and then go back over that brush stroke with the grain to even out any runs/drips.

Can you tell I like it?

[Happy Monkey]

Watco Danish Oil, and Goddard's Cabinet Maker's Wax. I haven't done anything with shellac (or varnish or poly). My dad experimented with finishes before I started helping him, and settled on the Danish oil. It's pretty much all we use now.

But if I want to make a glossy finish at some point, shellac sounds like the way to go. Though I am curious - if it's alcohol soluble, what would happen if you spilled a drink on it? Does it eventually cure completely?

[glatt]

If you spill booze on it and don't wipe it up right away, you mess up the finish. But, it's very easy to repair. A little wax will add some (small) protection against a booze accident.

And it completely cures in 45 minutes or so.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Shellac is easy to damage but also easy to repair, which is a good trade off and it usually keeps the wood from getting screwed up better than oil/wax.
Nice work, as usual, HM. Notice any difference in dovetail fit from the first to last drawer?