Stickley Chest of Drawers! (Done)

[GarageWoodworks]

Please let me know what you think.

My rendition of a Harvey Ellis Dresser in walnut! My first drawers with dovetails.

Thank you

(scroll down to the bottom)

[Christopher]

That is a nice looking piece you built. Thanks for posting it.

X

[Lee Michaels]

I love that walnut in this piece. It looks good. It has a richness not found in most furniture.

What are the drawers made of? The contrasting dovetails are an eye catcher.

[Swingman]

really shows throughout the piece.

It's amazing how proud they are of that hardware, eh? :)

[Mark & Juanita]

Very nice! Good job on grain matching.

[GarageWoodworks]

Thank you

The drawer sides are made from maple. Fronts are walnut.

[mwbrown42]

Wow, very nice. I used similar design, dovetails and hardware for my dresser, which I made out of QS oak and cedar drawer sides and backs.

problem is it's built and stained, but not lacquered. I moved just as I was getting ready to finish it and now I have to get my new workshop up to speed.

What technique did you use to get such a great finish? I'd like mine to turn out just like yours.

Mike Brown

[GarageWoodworks]

Thank you!

I sanded to 220 and applied several coats (5) of wipe-on Minwax Tung Oil Finish. The can states to wait 24hr between coats, but I found that I could get away with 2 hours. I wipe on VERY thin coats.

I buff VERY lightly with 0000 steel wool in between coats. For the top after 24 hrs, I wet-dry sanded with 320 grit sand paper VERY lightly, then applied the last coat.

[SonomaProducts.com]

[GarageWoodworks]

I didn't subtract the width of the divider, but I may have cut off a smidge off of each end.

It is difficult to tell, but I actually had to split the drawer fronts in half in order to be able to face joint on my 6" jointer. I wanted to keep the glue line in the center. So after the glue up, I had to trim a little off of each end in order to get a straight edge. I am a little suprised that the grain match worked out as well as it did. I think I got a little lucky!

[GarageWoodworks]

Oh, forgot to say thanks!

[GarageWoodworks]

Thanks to everyone that commented on my project! :)

[GarageWoodworks]

I forgot to mention one detail. The dresser was a little too glossy for my taste (ok, my wife thought it was too glossy) after the 5th coat so I rubbed it out (with the exception of the top) with 0000 steel wool after a couple of days of curing.

[nailshooter41]

The piece is gorgeous. Put me in the "me too" group as one who not only admires the workmanship, but the grain matching that makes this piece really stand out.

Robert

[Frank Boettcher]

in the frame, nice looking dovetails.

Frank

[GarageWoodworks]

Thank you. I wonder if it takes a woodworkers eye to appreciate the grain matching? I wonder if most non-woodworkers would even notice; not that it matters. :)

Thanks again to everyone!

[dpb]

It is, indeed, a well-done piece (as in "nicely done", not "overdone" :) ...)

On the "eye" -- it doesn't take a woodworker to notice, but it does take someone with a level of sensitivity to the artistic side of an object. Some have it, some (many, unfortunately) don't. It's one of the reasons it's so tough in general to make a living as a fulltime woodworker against the abominable store-bought stuff--not enough people really do appreciate the art of the matter and consider only the cost and (perhaps) the barest bones functionality.

imo, ymmv, $0.02, etc., etc., ...

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[B A R R Y]

People who have seen enough really good stuff or quality antiques often will be drawn to a well designed item. Some of them may not know WHY the item is attractive, just that it is clearly a cut above.

[dpb]

Surely. My point is I think it is an inate quality/characteristic -- folks generally either have it, or don't. Like other traits, it can be enhanced, nurtured, etc., but those completely lacking "the gene" just never do "get it".

Those who do, as you mention, even if they've never had training are just drawn to quality, usually in whatever area it might be.

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[Max]

I have a wife who notices. She was manager of a large department store where they had a furniture department and she became a "stickler" for detail. She wants to know why I can't do "that". Nice work.

Max