Walnut CD Cabinet

At the same time as I was making the walnut chest, I was also making this CD cabinet. I haven't been doing regular posts, as the whole project will be featured in a forthcoming issue of Furniture and Cabinetmaking magazine. Here are some shots to whet your appetite.

Drawer Lining

After waiting a month for the pig suede to be delivered I was finally able to finish off the walnut box. I've got stock of suede in lots of colours but the one that seems to look best with nearly all woods is this lovely dark emerald green.

The drawer base is done first and padded with a 5 mm layer of foam for a luxury feel. Then the sides are added using double sided tape. A thin card is used to wrap the suede around. The extended sides allow the lined area to be fully accessible without a risk of the drawer dropping on the floor, a method used by Alan Peters. This also exposes part of the cedar of Lebanon base and its lovely fragrance.

A final look at the tiny details before it goes off to it's owner.

There is no skimping on the book matched back panel which is let in using the 22.5 degree Chris Becksvoort router bit.

Blue Spruce Chisels, Nice Tray.

Robert sent me these pictures of a nice chisel tray he got round to making for his set of Blue Spruce chisels. The woods are curly maple and Pau Ferro which was a close a match as he had to the lovely cocobolo handles.

Finishing the Walnut Chest

So here is the little walnut chest with it's last coat of finish applied.

That walnut is gorgeous with it's brown, grey, salmon and black streaks.

Getting a great finish on walnut is not easy. A matt surface which suits ash and oak so well doesn't look good at all. A shiny surface is easy to achieve with shellac, but it shows up every scratch and I'm not keen on the high gloss look.
If I had used an oil finish on the bare wood it would have highlighted the big contrast in the colours and again this would not have shown the walnut at it's best.

So here is my finish formula. Two coats of hand rubbed Melamine Lacquer to seal the grain and preserve the colours followed by two coats of Osmo Polyx Oil Matt which leaves a dull but well protected surface. To finish and build a nice tactile sheen, I've applied three coats of Auro oil wax which I buffed up after each coat.

Article in F&C Magazine

The latest F&C magazine has landed and my project is on the front cover.

It's a small chest of drawers made from rippled chestnut with plenty of half blind dovetails.

There are a few tips on cutting, shaping and gluing up curves as well creating piston fit drawers.

Derek Jones, the editor, has produced a nice article on his Japanese style tool box, he also runs course on making this box.

There's a good article on cutting veneers on the band saw.

Vic Tesolin shows how to make a sturdy Tudor style bench.

...and there's plenty more to enjoy. Next month features fantastic sunrise dovetails by Theo Cook, check out his video on YouTube if you haven't seen it already.

Miller Shoulder Plane.

I collect planes made by George Miller (working from 1890 - 1914) and when I saw this one for sale I snapped it up. It has an ebony infill and the rare 'rhino horn' protrusion, which is undamaged. This was the first time I've seen this feature in the flesh.

Like all Miller planes it has a nice tight mouth and is very heavy, weighing in at 1700 gr (almost 4lb).
The rhino horn can be used for a wider front grip......

....but I think it is more likely to help it to be used one handed.

Cold Weather

Here on the South coast of the UK we hardly see a frost and it's been 5 years since we've seen a snow flake. But it's been so cold that even the fountain started to freeze.

Then came the snow, I think it's time to turn the pump off!

James Krenov's Bench

Here are some shots of James Krenov's work bench, If only it could talk!
You can see the full Blog post here https://blog.lostartpress.com/2018/02/22/james-krenovs-workbench/