Bombarde16 Posted May 16, 2014 Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 I've been helping a friend clean out his shop down here in North Carolina and may have a chance to build a piece using his machines and some of his old stock. One thing that caught my eye is a pile of what appears to be beech. He inherited these boards from the last guy that worked in this space and hasn't touched them in 12 years. They've been incompetently dried, every one of them is checked and several of them are a windy, wavy mess. One of them, though, looks usable and it's 14 1/2" wide. This inspired me to do up a sketch for a stepped front huntboard: Depth is determined by that one, wide board for the top. Height is 40" just because that's what other folks seem to have done. Internal construction is a series of dust frames. The front is a veeeery shallow curve, I may do a stepped front edge to match the stepped in the legs. The rail along the back is merely an arc for now, I certainly want to do something fancier there. The catch: I'm here on an interim contract and am heading back home at the end of June. a.) I need to work quick and b.) I need to construct this in such a way as to flat pack it in my car when I leave. (It''ll be pocket screws for joinery and I haven't decided how I'll get through nine drawers in a hurry.) I'm off for a long weekend, but wouldn't mind tearing into this (i.e. I need to finalize a cut list) next week. Any thoughts on design would be greatly appreciated over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 16, 2014 *.skp file if anyone wants to play around with it. Beech huntboard.skp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thanks, Mike. I'm less worried about strength on this piece, since the legs will have frames pocket screwed into them along nearly half their length. The situation you cite (either cam fasteners or metal brackets) is typically made worse in a regular table in which the apron width is only a tiny fraction of the legs' height. This gives any racking forces tremendous leverage against the joint.At this point, I'm interested in people's thoughts on the shape of the piece. Taller? Longer? etc. The only limiting factor is the 14" board for the top. I can already see that I want the drawers graduated in thickness (I.e. Thin drawers at top) and will do a second draft when next I'm In front of a computer.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Found a laptop that had Sketchup installed and did a second draft. In no particular order: Experimented with a different "crest rail" along the back. If anyone knows the proper terminology for that piece, I'm all ears. Increased the setback for the two side bays. Drawers are graduated from top to bottom: 3.5", 4", 4.5". Dust frames are 1/8" thinner. Tapered section of legs is reduced to accommodate changes made above. Top is no longer an arc but has a step to match the case below. All thoughts welcome. I need to have a cutlist by next week. Beech huntboard version 2.skp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted May 17, 2014 Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 It looks good Rob and that back is definitely better. The only bit I don't like is the detail on the legs. Never been a fan of any sort of thing like that but I have a strange feeling I'm in a very small minority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 I would not do pocket screws. Huntboards are typically fine furniture and I would make it using traditional methods. You don't need to make it with knockdown joinery for travel. Just make all the cuts, mortises, tenons, dry fit it, then take it all apart and do the glue up at home. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 OK, version 3 coming up: Beech huntboard version 3.skp Gotta run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Crawford Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 I prefer version 2. Looking forward to your build journal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 Tom, do tell. I'm not sold on either of them. What tips the scales one way or the other for you?Cindy, based on the tools and time I'll have for this, traditional M&T joinery isn't an option. Based on the nature of the piece, I'm comfortable with pocket screws for this project. Thanks for the thought, though.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Cindy Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 I prefer #2 also, the backsplash seems more in keeping with the piece. Are you sold on so many drawers? How about a set of 3 drawers in the middle flanked by doors on either side? If you wanted you could put adjustable shelves behind the doors. BTW I am only looking at the pictures as displayed, i.e. not opening up the skecthup files. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Crawford Posted May 19, 2014 Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 I think the crest rail in version 2 fits the rest of the piece better. I agree with Cindy on the doors a drawers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 OK, our beech project begins with...a pile of pine and oak. I still haven't settled the question of how to treat the "backsplash" but I've got enough to start rough cutting stock for the rest of the piece. Glued up pine panels which will become the drawer bottoms Set out enough pine to make the drawer sides Cut blanks for the legs The leg stock has a wild story: The previous inhabitant of this shop appears to have fancied himself more of a builder than he really was. He picked up several sticks of white oak which turned out to be lower grade (knots, pith, checks, etc.) and then did a wretched job of storing them. Sad to see such huge timbers go completely wonky. I'll get what I need, but there's going to be a lot of hamster bedding involved. I cut ten blanks (need six legs ultimately) and they're all well over 2" square (ultimately need 1 3/4") for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 19, 2014 Report Share Posted May 19, 2014 Great start! This is always my favorite part of the build. You know what all that lumber will eventually look like but, the layman has absolutely no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Nah, first coat of finish beats rough prep any day of the week.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 To my eye the 2nd backsplash and the doors on each side sounds like a pretty classy piece of furniture. I am eager to see your choice and results ! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryMcK Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 I like this project Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 What a beech! OK Neanderthals, my hat's off to anyone who dresses their lumber by hand. The top is too wide for the planer, so I did that by hand. You can see how wonky some of these boards were. Those got chopped into short bits for drawer fronts. Since those can go into the thicknesser, I only had to get one side flat enough for reference. Closing in on the time for a big milling session. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Nice progress and awesome pictures! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 More kudos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Drawer fronts are milled. The worst board had pith running right down the middle; but this means that there's some delightful quartersawn stock on either sides. I started with ten leg blanks and one of them has already wonked out on me. They're all settling for the night and we'll see how many are left by morning. Top is as good as it needs to be. With this done, that leaves milling yet for the drawer sides, drawer bottoms, web frames and side panels. Oh, and also that backsplash that I have no idea what it's supposed to look like. It's been a revealing project already, as (apart from working with floor joists) this is the first time I've tried to salvage furniture out of lower grade hardwood that was badly stored. Good lessons to learn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted May 20, 2014 Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Awesome looking figure in that lumber! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2014 Awesome looking figure in that lumber!Don't jinx it, man! Just my luck those'll be the blanks that wonk out on me. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2014 Focused more today on cleanup and being helpful (gotta earn my keep in this shop) but I did get pieces milled for the web frames. Stickered for now and we shall see how well behaved they are. I also got started with shellac on the top. I've had good luck in the past including a coat of shellac between grits, essentially merging sanding and finishing into a single process. There's one blotchy part in the middle (a knot is on the opposite face) and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with it. Will wait to see the whole piece assembled before I decide to do anything drastic like a strategically placed inlay. More than likely, I'll leave it since it's the sort of thing that only bothers woodworkers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2014 Just about finished milling. Dressed up a pile of mixed bag softwoods for drawer stock and assigned drawer fronts to specific spots based on how the grain flows. Last hurdle is the legs. Out of ten blanks, I'm not sure I can get six usable legs. Back after lunch and we'll see what we'll see. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombarde16 Posted May 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2014 Leg blanks don't look any prettier, so I'm killing time by gluing panels for drawer bottoms.and building a sled. I'm following Jay Bates's multipurpose design of a flat sheet with holes everywhere. The goal here is to use up stuff in this shop, not add to the pile. All that's kicking around this shop was a partial sheet of 3/8" exterior plywood that had bowed leaning against the wall. I'm laminating two strips of that in the hope that opposing bows will cancel eachother out. Clamped and weighted down on the flattest reference surface I could find. We'll see what the morning brings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.