Darren66 Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Ok so my next project was going to be bedside tables to go with my king size bed. However my main client (aka my wife) has asked that I make a small wardrobe for my eldest daughter next. Attached is a jpeg of the first design draft for this. It is inspired by a design in a book I have by John Bullar. Essentially its the top part of his design (no drawer unit) resized with the edition of a significant chamfer on the top. The design constraints are that this has to fit in behind a door and below a sloping ceiling, we don't have a loft, it's a 1 1/2 story house i.e. upstairs we have 4 foot walls and then the ceiling slopes in to the apex. I'm open to feedback, especially on proportions for the doors stiles/rails...joints will be mortise and tenon, door panels will probably be 2 pieces jointed solid oak approx. 10mm thick trapped in grooves with some room for movement, side and back panels probably oak veneered MDF, although if the door panels go well might be tempted to do solid side panels. Corner posts to taper from 40mm to 25mm front view only. Top panel and back panel to be screwed to sides... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted July 4, 2013 Report Share Posted July 4, 2013 Looks good Darren, nice clean lines. I'm no authority on furniture design but the taper makes me think or Asia? Anyhow the taper to 25 might be a bit too fine, maybe 60 to 45 to give a bit more strength. Keep us posted on the progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Kuehl Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 I also think that taper looks a bit skinny at the top when compared to the door stiles. I like the arc on the bottom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted July 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Graham, Daniel I know what you mean. It's in line with design that I've tweaked. I have toyed with adding 5mm to the top and possibly the bottom. See attached photo of 'original' design by John Bullar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted July 5, 2013 Report Share Posted July 5, 2013 Hello Darren, I think the reason why a thinner section is more feasible in the photo is because the lower section has drawer framing which holds things much more rigidly. makes the doors smaller too. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted July 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 13, 2013 Graham, I think it's a perspective thing, the doors on my version are actually not shorter, they are narrower though. And your right the top does look too thin. Daniel, I agree the stiles are, we're :-) too big. Thanks for the feedback. I've opted to narrow the stiles to balance things a bit better. My clients aka my wife and daughter are happy with the revised design! So fingers crossed. Photo of design attached. It is a fairly small wardrobe and the back will be a single piece of veneered MDF, I'll update on how rigid this turns out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Kuehl Posted July 15, 2013 Report Share Posted July 15, 2013 Looks good! And your clients like it too = Winner winner, chicken dinner... looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted July 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2013 So I've started milling the parts and can't decide if I should taper the posts and then cut the mortises or cut the mortises and then taper! I'm pretty sure that the design this is based on tapered first (but the mortises in this design were routed). My only concern with this is supporting the post for hand cutting the mortises. Any suggestions? I thought taper and then cut a wedge to support and level the post on the bench. I think I'm more likely to get the taper wrong than the mortise. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Byrdie Posted July 22, 2013 Report Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'm thinking mortise first and then taper. The mortise won't be square to the taper that way and it'll be easier to make a tenon with tapered shoulders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted August 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 Still going; taking a little longer to mill main parts, several of the longer pieces bowed too much and I had to make more. 2 lengths just seemed prone to movement, another 2 lengths moved I think due to my haste in thicknessing mostly on 1 side! Now flattening first face for 1 piece to make 2 posts. Hand plane job as piece too long and heavy for me on my small bench top jointer...and unfortunately it's far from true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted August 12, 2013 Report Share Posted August 12, 2013 mmmmmmm shavings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted August 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2013 mmmmmmm shavings Mm...lots of shavings! Might have to go back to having wood planed and square edged by supplier. Might be my technique, took best part of day to take approx 1/4" off at highest point on a 100mm.x 1500mm piece of oak. It was that or get another flatter piece of sawn oak! Still got it flat enough to thickness, I then ripped it in 2 and squared and thicknesses by machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted March 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 First off apologies for not being on forum for a while, ongoing domestic problems...on a positive note still striving to make this small cupboard. Would welcome some advice on size of centre pivot hinges for doors. Doors are approx 1235mm x 320mm x 25mm thick. Possible hinge sizes are 35mm x 8mm, 45mm x 9mm, 51mm x 13mm anything bigger seems too big. Looking at brusso brass Center pivot hinges. Would welcome guidance on size as I have never used these before. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G S Haydon Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Hi Darren, glad to see the project is still ongoing. Cabinet hardware is a bit of a weakness for me, ~ERIC~ would be a good bet for advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 I won't be that great of a bet since I don't understand the measurements he posted..."mm" means "mile marker" on this side of the pond. And I don't know what "center pivot hinges" are. Knife hinges? Got any pics? Edit: The moron decided to scroll up and I saw your sketch...yes, I would use knife hinges for those doors, and Brusso makes nice ones. Size will depend on the dimensions of your doors, and like I said, I can only function in inches. Sorry. You may need to use offset knife hinges depending on how your doors are set. They're fun to install. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren66 Posted March 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 Eric, thanks, closest conversion from millimetres to inches: 1 3/8 x 5/16, 1 3/4 x 3/8, 2 x 1/2. Thanks again and I should have included imperial units in original post and yes knife hinges is another name for these. I was thinking 1 3/4" x 3/8"...which would leave just over 1/4" either side based on 1" thick door, approx 4' tall x 1' wide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 I think either of the two bigger sizes would work. If your frames are a true inch thick I might just go with the 1/2" hinges...you have some decent sized doors there. Not that the 3/8" wouldn't work structurally...I just think the 1/2" might match better aesthetically. Impossible to say without seeing the piece in person with both sizes of hinges in hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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