Two Stickley Questions


Lee Bussy

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Actually one Stickley-specific and one general fine woodworking I suppose:

  1. The through tenon used on these pieces, exposed/chamfered (is there a better name?):  How are these formed if the joins I have seen are sliding dovetail?  For instance:

    slidingthroughtenon.thumb.PNG.41f7c36903

    Is this just a case of a faux through-tenon? (I know this is not a real Stickley.)
     
  2. When flush drawer fronts are cut from the face frame:  You have 1/8" of loss on all sides from the blade.  How is it that I see them with 1/6" gaps like this one?

    drawerfront.thumb.PNG.715d58bd9fb3254bf3

This is just one guy's work, but these are common elements I see when looking at reproductions.

 

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Is that drawer panel a veneer, perhaps? If not, there are plenty of saws that take less that 1/8" kerf. A sharp leading tooth on a handsaw can plow a starter groove so you can saw out a piece like that without drilling starter holes. I saw my grand-father (a carpenter) do it to cut holes in plywood paneling for electrical outlets.

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==>Stickley-specific

Don't seem to remember any genuine GS with that joinery... Obviously faux tenon...

 

==>but that doesn't fix the gaps on the left and right.

For the rip (and depending on mood), I’d use a bandsaw or Forrest’s ultra-thin-kerf combo blade...

For the side cuts (and depending on mood), I’d use a backsaw filed xCut, bandsaw or Forrest’s ultra-thin-kerf xCut blade...

Note: Forrest's blade requires a stabilizer...

Note: Since I'd shoot the edges anyway, the quality of the cut really isn't that important...

 

 

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And honestly the only difference a full-kerf cut would make compared to a thin-kerf cut is a less perfect grain match when glued back together.  The drawer fronts will be exactly the same size as the middle apron components so you would go about fitting the drawer as usual.

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And honestly the only difference a full-kerf cut would make compared to a thin-kerf cut is a less perfect grain match when glued back together.  The drawer fronts will be exactly the same size as the middle apron components so you would go about fitting the drawer as usual.

On the rip, I get that.  On the crosscut a guy would still want to use a thin kerf, right?

I'm trying to see a mis-match in the grain where the piece would have been ripped. If it is there, its pretty tight! But yes, that's exactly how I would do it.

I think as busy as QSWO is, a rip would be pretty easy to hide, at least at a casual glance. (said the guy who has never done it.)

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On the rip, I get that.  On the crosscut a guy would still want to use a thin kerf, right?

Trip's way is ideal with a thin kerf and a couple light passes on a shooting board...if you can accomplish a perfect 1/16" reveal then you're golden.  Otherwise, an alternative would be to shift the two outer apron pieces in toward the drawer fronts by just a hair when gluing back together...again, you will lose perfection in grain match but not so much that anyone would ever notice. 

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Trip's way is ideal with a thin kerf and a couple light passes on a shooting board...if you can accomplish a perfect 1/16" reveal then you're golden.  Otherwise, an alternative would be to shift the two outer apron pieces in toward the drawer fronts by just a hair when gluing back together...again, you will lose perfection in grain match but not so much that anyone would ever notice. 

I've done two tables in this manner, and both came out to my liking. Nobody would notice unless I pointed it out. 

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an alternative would be to shift the two outer apron pieces in toward the drawer fronts by just a hair when gluing back together...again, you will lose perfection in grain match but not so much that anyone would ever notice. 

Does that mean an end-grain glue up?  Or am I not following (again)?

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Cut board into five pieces. Rip to, rip bottom, cross cut the center out. All four outer pieces can collapse on the center if needed. You just need to have the length long enough to account for the shrink. The sides get long grain glued to the top and bottom. No end grain glue is necessary. 

 

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