Heather's Netbook Cherry Wood Box

Hi Everyone,

Well, the sideboard is done and delivered and now I am on to the next custom order.


With the rapid advance of technology, nowadays you can take your computer with you everywhere...on a boat, a plain, a train, the rest room...well you get the picture. But with that ability comes a concern of how to safely carry it from place to place, without damaging sensitive parts. I have been asked to make a custom cherry wood box with a latch to safely store and carry a newly acquired netbook. It always amazes me how they get a ton of technology into such a tiny space! This netbook measures a whopping 1 1/2" high, by 6 1/2" deep, by 9" long! Wow, what will they think of next...a computer screen that operates with a simple touch :)


The box itself will be constructed using a simple mitered joint, which will then be reinforced with nice contrasting maple splines. It will have two locking latches in the front to keep the netbook securely tucked away in the box. It will also have brass stop hinges, so when the box is opened the lid will stay in place at about a 100 degree angle. To cushion the netbook, I will use a plush rich chocolate brown felt to line the inside of the box.


Boxes are deceptively difficult to construct. Because of it's small size every aspect of the box will be scrutinized and any flaw will be magnetized. So I have to make sure that my joints are nice and tight and that my finish is flawless. This is of course the end result I strive for in all the pieces I make...big or small.


The construction of the box has already begun, so I will be posting in progress pictures very soon. Please come back for part 1 of the netbook box construction.


Thanks for looking!


Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard - The Reveal

Hi Everyone!

Delivery day! The sideboard is now sitting contently in the clients home :) All the photos were taken there.

Thanks for coming with me on this journey!

Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 8 final

Hi Everyone,

This is it! The final part to the cherry blossom sideboard. In the final part I will be discussing the cherry blossom cut-out on the door panels and the wood coloring and finishing process.

For the cherry blossom design on the door panel I first drew and refined the full scale design on paper. After I was happy with the design, I placed carbon paper in between the drawing and the wooden door panel and simply traced the design onto the panels. What I was left with was a perfect replica of the design on the wooden door panel.

I then drilled strategically placed blade entry holes, to feed the scroll saw blade through. The panel was a bit large for the depth of the throat of my scroll saw, but with a bit of finesse and creative cutting I managed to cut out the cherry blossom without a hitch.

The above photo shows the contrast between just the brown walnut dye (right door) and the combination of both the walnut dye and the ebony stain (left door). I also masked off the center of the door for contrast, when I attach the cherry blossom cut-out at a later stage.

The finishing process of the completed sideboard, was a very intense and challenging process. It was essentially a 5 step process. First I had to put on a base brown walnut color to the entire cabinet and doors, except the fronts of the door panels. This was left to add contrast to the cherry blossom cut-out.

Then after the dye dried, I then apply an ebony stain to the sideboard, again leaving the door panels. This then completed the coloring process. It was then time for the finishing process. I applied 3 coats of a semi-gloss brush-on poly, lightly sanding between each coats.

Then after waiting for about 3 days for the finish to fully cure, I rubbed out the finish of the entire sideboard, by applying a rubbing compound and then using lots of elbow grease to "rub it out". This process essentially gets rid of any debris and blemishes in the finish and leaves the surface nice and smooth for the waxing process.

Speaking of the waxing process, that came next. I then applied paste wax to the entire surface and yet again using lots of brute strength and elbow grease I buffed the wax out to reveal a nice smooth, glassy surface.

Talk about intense! Phew! It is finally done!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 7

Hi Everyone!

It's down to the final few steps! In this part I will tackle cutting the recessed finger pulls in the two sliding doors. I will also show part of the glue-up process and finally I will cut the tapers on the legs after the carcass is assembled.

As you can see in the above photo, I used the table saw equipped with a dado stack to carefully cut the recessed finger pulls. I had to make sure that all the pulls were in the exact same position on the door.

One issue that became apparent from the start, was the unsightly burn marks that came from using this method. I applied a little elbow grease by using a chisel as a wood scraper to get the recess cleaned up in a snap.

Now came the moment of truth! The dreaded glue-up! I always get a little bit of a panic attack when I have to do a glue-up, especially something this large. You have a small window of opportunity to bring everything together to clamp, since the glue dries very quickly. For that reason, I like to glue-up smaller sub-assemblies and bring these assemblies together for a final glue-up. The above photo shows the glued up top web-frame, bottom and center gable. I also glued up the shelves to the sides in seperate assemblies.

After a successful glue-up...phew!... I proceeded to taper the legs. First I made a mdf template of the angle of the taper. This process is quite similar to cutting the curve on the front rail. I then took the template to draw a line of the angle on the leg and used a jig saw to cut about a 1/8" outside of that line. Ps...the jig saw does not cut by itself. I made sure the saw was turned off when I took this photo.

I finally took the mdf template and used double sided tape to attach it on the line that was drawn earlier. I used the router equipped with a flush trim bit to finish off the taper to a smooth finish.

Well, this concludes the woodworking part of the sideboard. I still have to cut out the cherry blossom design on the front door panels and then I will be ready to stain and apply a finish.

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 6

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to part 6 of the Cherry Blossom Sideboard! For this part of the project I concerntrated on building the two sliding frame and panel doors. I also cut a slight bevel on the top.


Since the doors are a fairly large size I had to make sure the joinery will be strong enough to withstand the sliding motion of the doors. First I started with beefy frame members which housed a large panel. In a later part I will overlay the cherry blossom scroll sawn panels onto the finished frame and panel doors.
I then decided on a bridle joint for the doors. This joint is essentially an exposed or open ended mortise and tenon joint. To cut this joint on the table saw, I used a shop made jig equipped with a toggle clamp to safely and securely hold the piece in place, while it is slid over the saw blade. I first started with the mortise or in this case the deep slot, as pictured above.

I then used the same jig to cut the tenon, making sure to measure the slot carefully for a snug fit. This jig is an invaluable and very useful addition to any woodworking shop.

After I cut the bridle joint I proceeded to carefully measure the exact thickness of the panel and transfered this measurement onto the frame members. Using the table saw I cut the grooves on the inside edges of the frame members to receive the center panel. The above photo shows a nice detail shot of one corner of the door assembly including the center panel.

After I was happy with how the door came together during the dry fit, I finally glued and clamped the door.

I also cut a slight bevel on the top to add a nice detail to an otherwise flat rectangular slab of wood. Before I cut the bevel I had to cover the exposed edges of the plywood with 3/4" thick hard maple. I mitered the front corners of the edging for a seamless wrap. The back corners of the edging are simply butted together, since the back edge of the top was not beveled.

In the next part I will assemble and glue the carcass of the sideboard. I will also cut some handy [get it :)] finger pulls in the doors and finally taper the legs.

Phew! We are ALMOST there!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 5

Hi Everyone!

The sideboard is really taking shape!

I have cut the grooves into the front edges of the top webframe and the bottom and these grooves will act as the sliding tracks for

the frame and panel doors.

After I dry assembled the cabinet, I measured the length for the

bottom front curved stretcher as well as the back stretcher. The

function of the stretcher is to basically support and evenly

distribute the weight of the cabinet.

To shape the curve on the front stretcher I made a template out

of 1/4" thick mdf (medium density fiberboard) first. Using a

template is a great way to get a uniform look to any piece. It is

especially handy when you have to make multiple pieces with the

same shape. One thing to keep in mind is that you have to make

sure your template is perfectly smooth, because any bumps and

dips found on your template will ultimately be transfered onto your good piece. One way to get is smooth edge is to use a drum sander with various diameters to sand the piece smooth as seen in the first photo.

I then took the template and used double sided tape to adhere it to

the 3/4" thick maple stretcher piece. Then with my palm router

which was equipped with a flush trim router bit, I routed the exact

profile of the curve onto the stretcher.

Next I layed out the location of the notches for the ribs that will bridge the front curved stretcher with the straight back stretcher. To make the notches I routed out the bulk of the material with my palm router and used a chisel and mallet to clean

up the corners and edges of the notches. Notice the fantastic

handmade mallet in the background, which was a gift from a very

talented fellow woodworker and a dear friend. He makes all his furniture by hand with reclaimed and recycled wood...even branches!

To cut the notches in the ribs I simply used a dado stack in my table saw with the aid of a miter gauge. A dado stack is basically a bunch of saw blades stacked together to cut grooves and and dadoes of various thicknesses.

The last photo shows the assembled stretcher assembly dry clamped to the bottom of the cabinet.

We are almost in the final stretch! Next would be to build some doors and cut a slight bevel on the edges of the top to finish off the top nicely.

Come back next time for part 6!

Thanks for looking!

Roshaan

Cherry Blossom Sideboard Part 4

Hi Everyone!

It's been quite a busy week in the workshop. I've made some great progress with the sideboard, as you can see in the photo above. The sideboard is finally taking shape! I have cut dadoes in the top webframe and the bottom piece on center to receive the center gable. I have also cut dadoes in the center gable itself to receive the two shelves.

Since this piece will be stained with a combination of a nice rich walnut dye and a dark ebony stain, I had to consider the natural wear pattern of opening and closing the sliding doors and how it will effect the stained surface. Since the piece is made out of maple which is a lighter color wood, the wear will show stark contrasts between the dark stain and the maple. To solve this issue, I opted to use a darker wood such as a rich walnut for the tracks. This way if the stain is ever effected by the sliding doors, the contrast won't be so visible.

To attach the sliding door tracks to the upper webframe and the bottom piece I used biscuits and glue to make for a strong and solid joint. Biscuits are football shaped wafers (not the eating kind) which are made out of compressed beech wood and when it is glued into a corresponding slot, it swells up to make for a very strong edge to edge joint. To cut these matching slots, I used a power tool appropriately called a biscuit joiner or sometimes refered to as a plate joiner, as seen in the third photo.

After the tracks were glued I had to notch the ends of the tracks to fit around the stopped rabbets and dadoes which was cut into the side assemblies. Since the panels were too large to safely cut the notches on the table saw, I simply cut them by hand. For accuracy I made a very simple

right angle jig which I then positioned on a layout line and clamped to the panel. I then used a flush trim saw to cut out the notches. A simple yet very effective method for cutting notches by hand.

In part 5 I will be cutting the grooves into the tracks for the sliding doors. I will also make a template for the curved bottom rail and use this template and a router to shape the curve.

Thanks for joining me for part 4, stay tuned for part 5!

Roshaan