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Walnut Dresser

author-gravatar customcreationsDK Nov 19, 2018

I had these two pieces of book matched walnut that I purchased from an Amish guy in Central PA.  I new I had to do something special with these, so when I saw Mike Pekovich's Chest of Drawers plans I knew this was an heirloom piece that will never leave my family.  This was a blend of hand and power tools.  A few new tools I purchased were a used LN scrub plane, Crucible Tools dividers and a Woodworker II blade ground at 7 degrees. I really enjoyed using these for this project.  The full scale plans were well written, although I might have goofed when I laid out my dovetails as the plan does not reference which is front.  I knew with all the dovetails there was no way I would end up with a square dresser if I cut all the carcass dovetails by hand so I used the table saw method described in FWW #152 pp. 56-61.  I cut the tails on the drawers the same way and chopped the waste with chisels.  I ended up making a shiplapped back out of curly maple and I aged my screws by putting them in nitric acid for five minutes. I made a goof by cutting one of the shiplap boards on the wrong side, so a knot that would have been on the waste side ended up on the back, oh well.  I cut the bracket base dovetails by hand.  I purchased the knobs from Etsy at Annies Down Home Store in Kansas. Christian Becksvoort's idea for the molding set-up was out of this world (FWW #165 pp 49).  This was my first project where I used Odie's Oil instead of my go to finish Tung Oil (really wiping varnish). It took me six months, 130 hours. In hindsight, I should have added another drawer to the plan like Woodwhisper Guild Member Samuel Wiltzius did. I think that would have made the dresser more functional for me. I have the dresser plan from the Woodwhisperer Guild which I will make soon, but this one was an exercise in dovetail construction for me and I am extremely proud.  

Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser
Photo of Walnut Dresser

2 comments

This is an absolute work of art. The grain throughout is incredible, but that top is amazing.

This is absolutely beautiful. Well done. That top is incredible.

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