Sandal Woods

Woodworking with passion

  • Home
  • > Roy <
  • Conferences
    • Cincinnati 2011
    • Cincinnati – 2010
    • Berea – 2008
    • St Charles – 2009
    • Valley Forge – 2009
    • Shows
  • Gallery
  • Design
  • Kneelers
  • Links
  • Archives
  • Blog
  • JIGS
  • More stuff
    • EDUCATION
    • FEATURED
    • JOINERY
    • REVIEWS
    • TOOLS
  • TUTORIAL
  • Video
  • Sponsors and Affiliates
    • StudioPress Themes for WordPress
  • Contact
  • Livestream
Home Blog Fitting the drawers to the stand-up desk

January 26, 2010 By Al Navas

Fitting the drawers to the stand-up desk

Finally, time to fit the drawers to their respective openings in the front apron of the desk (Edit to add: all hand-cut dovetails, as I am trying to reproduce features of a desk for my client):

Changes in humidity caused the drawer fronts to grow considerably across the grain; I had to wait until things stabilized prior to doing the initial fitting – I am glad I did. Had I not waited, it would have been close to impossible to remove the drawers from the openings without damaging the front apron, as they would been too tight!

As I made progress, things are taking shape. Notice how the grain runs uninterrupted from left to right; this is the result of cutting the drawer front pieces from the same board as the front apron/frame:

The initial fitting is always exciting, as it is an opportunity to aim for the smallest possible reveal around the drawer fronts, while ensuring smooth opening and closing of every drawer. Sharp hand planes are the best way to do it!

The fourth drawer awaits initial fitting now. Construction can then proceed, as moisture content in the wood has stabilized significantly.

— Al Navas

.

Related articles: Click this link to read several articles related to the construction of the desk.

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Filed Under: Blog, Dovetails, furniture Tagged With: Design, Dovetails, drawer, fitting, furniture, Joinery

About Al Navas

I love working with wood, and sharing here on the blog. I also love designing items that my clients will love having in their homes and offices. Please let me know if you need a special piece to share with your loved ones. Freelance, Legal, and Community Interpreter. Love photography.

Comments

  1. Eric Hegwer says

    January 26, 2010 at 7:21 am

    Great work – I’ve been considering pulling out my shop drawers above my workbench and making a design very similar

    • Al Navas (Sandal Woods) says

      January 26, 2010 at 8:19 am

      Eric,

      Thanks! You will enjoy doing it, and you will also be very proud to have done it – I say “Go for it!…”

  2. Bob Easton says

    January 26, 2010 at 5:08 am

    Simply beautiful Al!
    Well worth the wait for a good fit. The client is really going to be very pleased with this desk!

    • Al Navas (Sandal Woods) says

      January 26, 2010 at 5:26 am

      Thanks, Bob! I am looking forward to completion, and so is my client. I am considering a similar desk for my home office, too.

      • Ron Brese says

        January 26, 2010 at 8:38 am

        Isn’t it funny how sometimes you design something for a client that you normally wouldn’t have considered for yourself, but when it’s finished you think, “hey, I wouldn’t mind having one of these!”

        I never wanted to build a roll top desk for myself, I figured that the tambour and and the complexity of the movable parts was just too much trouble when there were other configurations that would accomplish the same task, however when I received a commission to reproduce an old roll top that had been damaged in a fire I changed my thinking when it was complete. Once I had done the problem solving I realized it was actually a pretty neat form to build.

        Point being that sometimes our clients request things that open our eyes and change our thinking in regards to design. I’ve had to deliver more than a couple of pieces that would have worked beautifully in my own home.

        Ron

        • Al Navas (Sandal Woods) says

          January 26, 2010 at 8:44 am

          Ron,

          How right you are. I never realized the utility of this type of form, until I realized I sit way too much on any given day!

          • Ron Brese says

            January 26, 2010 at 10:37 am

            Al you’re right about sitting so much to use computers, a desk that requires you to stand would make a great piece for use inside the woodworking shop.

Search this blog

Subscribe via feedburner – still!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Follow me on Google+

The RTJ400 at Leigh Industries


Leigh Industries introduces this new jig, designed specifically for use on the router table.
Click on the image above to go to the RTJ400 page at the Leigh website. I am NOT paid for your clicks.

The Sandal Woods prayer kneeler

The Sandal Woods prie Dieu, or prayer kneeler: Place your order for a prie Dieu for you home altar. [More...]

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2007-2014 | Al Navas, Sandal Woods - Fine Woodworking | Missouri, USA · Log in ·