I don't take on too many commissions but this was a piece that really appealed. The client had seen a Nakashima wall cabinet and wanted something similar in English Walnut with sliding doors. This shows a board of my finest stock opened up on the band saw.
The piece was to be through dovetailed on all four corners so I was very glad to have the assistance of my magnetic dovetail guide, especially as the wood was 7/8" thick. There were a total of 96 saw cuts on the four corners and every joint fitted straight from the saw without any paring.
Here are all the pieces ready for assembly, all the inside surfaces have been brought to a finish beforehand. The finish I used was six coats of home-made shellac cut back with 600 grit Abranet to a matt finish and then brought to a nice sheen with a high carnauba paste wax. The shellac will give a sweet small to the inside of the cabinet and the wax will make any glue squeeze out easy to pop off.
That is some beautiful walnut and will make a gorgeous cabinet!
ReplyDeleteWow. That is some nice walnut and the dovetails look beautifully cut. Can't wait to see the finished piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, I hope I can do the wood justice! As James Krenov said 'wood like this doesn't grow on trees!'
ReplyDeleteThat walnut is gorgeous! I love how the flame pops under the shellac. I know this post is old, but can you share your recipe? What cut did you use? How many coats? Waxed or dewaxed flakes?
ReplyDeleteI'm about to start finishing my first big piece of furniture - a king bed in solid black walnut - and I'm trying to decide what finish to use.
Thanks!
Hi David, Yes the walnut was lovely. I use dewaxed shellac on the inside cut back with 600 grit and then waxed, the ouside was sealed witrh shellac and then I used three thin coats of Osmo Hard Wax oil (oil/ varnish) to give some durability. I hope this helps and good luck with your project. All the best, David.
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