Walnut Armoire/closet extension

[Coop]

1 hour ago, RichardA said:

I sorta had a plan to showcase what I've done for this show after it was over!  I think I'll stick to that!

I have an idea. You are still pondering as to what to charge for these items. How about you start a thread by posting a few pics and ask the peeps what they think a good price would be. So as not to be influenced by others, have them pm you, their thoughts.

[RichardA]

1 hour ago, K Cooper said:

I have an idea. You are still pondering as to what to charge for these items. How about you start a thread by posting a few pics and ask the peeps what they think a good price would be. So as not to be influenced by others, have them pm you, their thoughts.

No.

[Coop]

55 minutes ago, RichardA said:

No.

I can tell by your indecisiveness that you are considering the idea

[wtnhighlander]

Alternative use for "waste" sawdust: start a fishing worm ranch. Redworms and night crawlers do pretty well in a little dirt mixed with a lot of sawdust.

[Pwk5017]

had to cut down a tree at my parent's house this weekend, which cut down on the time spent woodworking. I was able to do all the domino work for the case, along with the first coat of finish. 

 

Wish I had a rabbet or router plane while cutting the long rabbets on the case sides. My saw doesn't have a ton of out feed support, and I had the typical lifting of the piece at the end of the dado cut. Thanks again to whoever listed that tool it sale for the dado king at $160. It delivers awesome dados. Not much to say about the domino, other than I have a new appreciation of the tool's speed. I think it was marcel that had the tip of clamping the shelf across your case side and using the 10mm offset of the domino base to quickly drive mortises. The shelf gives you  adequate support when doing vertical mortises. 

 

Maxed out the MFT's cut capacity. Despite how it looks like a card table, it is dead accurate. It surprises me everytime it comes out perfect. 

[pkinneb]

I need to make something out of walnut...they really pop with finish on them!

[Pwk5017]

25 minutes ago, pkinneb said:

I need to make something out of walnut...they really pop with finish on them!

Yeah, if you ever want to get someone into woodworking, prep some walnut for finish and give them the honor of the first coat. The transformation is thrilling every time.

 

Does anyone have a favorite source for metal slides and hinges? Ive never used either, but I want some quality hardware for the doors and single drawer. Assume Blum is the industry standard?

[Elroy Skimms]

42 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said:

Does anyone have a favorite source for metal slides and hinges? Ive never used either, but I want some quality hardware for the doors and single drawer. Assume Blum is the industry standard?

Metal slides? Duck and cover, here comes @Eric!

I like WoodWorkerExpress.com, their pricing is usually the best that I can find. I've used their Pro Import slides for kitchen cabinets and they work well, and include a soft-close feature. They also sell Salice, Grass, and Blum hinges.

-E

[Chestnut]

I use Blum hinges. After looking on the internet I'm wondering if there are a ton of different hinges. The ones i buy are $2.50 hinge and plate. Online it seems they range from $1.50 to $9. I really like their euro hinges and I've never really been a fan of visible hinges.

I'm going to defer the drawer slides to someone else, i avoid drawers in my work.

[Eric.]

Nah, I think metal slides are probably appropriate for this piece.  "Closet extension" sounds more like a permanent fixture in a home like a kitchen cabinet would be.  But yes, if it's intended to be a true armoire, a stand-alone piece of furniture that will move with the owner from home to home, then I would make the argument that wood slides would be a better way to go.  But that's me.

[midtnwoodworker]

You wont really go wrong choosing from any of the top companies. Blum, Accuride, Knape and Vogt all make quality slides. I prefer Knape and Vogt, but any of the above will be fine.

[Pwk5017]

32 minutes ago, Elroy Skimms said:

Metal slides? Duck and cover, here comes @Eric!

I like WoodWorkerExpress.com, their pricing is usually the best that I can find. I've used their Pro Import slides for kitchen cabinets and they work well, and include a soft-close feature. They also sell Salice, Grass, and Blum hinges.

-E

Uh oh, I must have missed that taboo! Ive never used a metal slide before, which was one of the reasons I decided to on this one. Get one installation under my belt. 

 

14 minutes ago, Eric. said:

Nah, I think metal slides are probably appropriate for this piece.  "Closet extension" sounds more like a permanent fixture in a home like a kitchen cabinet would be.  But yes, if it's intended to be a true armoire, a stand-alone piece of furniture that will move with the owner from home to home, then I would make the argument that wood slides would be a better way to go.  But that's me.

I guess it will float in between those two categories. It is specifically sized to this location in between the closet and the window, but wont be a fixture like kitchen cabinets are. What is a good method for non-binding wood runners/slides? I briefly watched the modern chest of drawers guild, but i am too far along for the web frame option. Is there a tried and true method for doing side mounted wood slides?

[Eric.]

22 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said:

What is a good method for non-binding wood runners/slides?

Web frames would have been my initial suggestion, but there's a number of ways to do side-hung.  If you're a FWW online subscriber I'm sure you can find several articles.

Or just go with the metal slides for this project and consider it a learning experience.

[wtnhighlander]

...  But that's me.

and you're right!

[wdwerker]

If the drawer is wider than the depth KV8500 or KV8505 lateral file slides work wonderfully. Great for big drawers. 8505 has about 1 1/2" of overtravel.

[Pwk5017]

First time buying hinges, so im about to sound like an idiot. Will this hinge work for a frameless/panel cabinet with 3/4" overlay?

http://www.rockler.com/blum-soft-close-110-blumotion-clip-top-inset-hinges-for-frameless-cabinets?site=ROCKLER&avad=55963_ec08647b

 

Case is assembled and it weighs a ton. This glue up was so difficult for me. The dominoes were difficult to line up exactly along the 20" length, and then i had a large back panel to line up in the rabbet. Safe to say it was a giant PITA and ruined my evening. Case is mostly square, except for the top and bottom of the drawer compartment. Those pieces are 1/16" out of square over 12". I dont fully understand how they arent square when the top and bottom of the case are square. It wont be the end of the world, but it ticks me off when you spend a lot of time ensuring things are flat, straight, square, identical length, and then it all goes to hell in a hand basket in under ten minutes when you glue it. Time to take some measurements and make some doors. 

[Chestnut]

31 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said:

First time buying hinges, so im about to sound like an idiot. Will this hinge work for a frameless/panel cabinet with 3/4" overlay?

http://www.rockler.com/blum-soft-close-110-blumotion-clip-top-inset-hinges-for-frameless-cabinets?site=ROCKLER&avad=55963_ec08647b

 

Case is assembled and it weighs a ton. This glue up was so difficult for me. The dominoes were difficult to line up exactly along the 20" length, and then i had a large back panel to line up in the rabbet. Safe to say it was a giant PITA and ruined my evening. Case is mostly square, except for the top and bottom of the drawer compartment. Those pieces are 1/16" out of square over 12". I dont fully understand how they arent square when the top and bottom of the case are square. It wont be the end of the world, but it ticks me off when you spend a lot of time ensuring things are flat, straight, square, identical length, and then it all goes to hell in a hand basket in under ten minutes when you glue it. Time to take some measurements and make some doors. 

Those look like inset hinges.

These offer 1/2" to 3/4" overlay.

http://www.rockler.com/blumreg-120deg-overlay-clip-top-3-way-face-frame-hinges-hinges

Soft Close

http://www.rockler.com/blumreg-110deg-soft-close-blumotion-overlay-clip-top-hinges-for-face-frame-cabinets-hinges

Dang these are expensive at rockler.

 

[Pwk5017]

Really glad I posed that question. These are the ones i need to buy

http://www.rockler.com/blumreg-110deg-soft-close-blumotion-clip-top-overlay-hinges-for-frameless-cabinets-hinges

[Elroy Skimms]

http://www.woodworkerexpress.com/Integrated-Soft-Close-Hinges-110degree-CLIP-Top-BLUMOTION-Soft-Close-Hinges-Full-Half-Overlay-and-Inset-Overlay-Full-Overlay.html

http://www.woodworkerexpress.com/Face-Frame-Base-Plates-CLIP-Mounting-Plates-Cam-Adjustable-Center-Mount-Plate-Height-0mm.html

I'm not a Blum user, so someone may want to double-check those are correct. But that's $8.24/pair. Almost half the price of Rockler.

-E

[Chestnut]

1 hour ago, Elroy Skimms said:

http://www.woodworkerexpress.com/Integrated-Soft-Close-Hinges-110degree-CLIP-Top-BLUMOTION-Soft-Close-Hinges-Full-Half-Overlay-and-Inset-Overlay-Full-Overlay.html

http://www.woodworkerexpress.com/Face-Frame-Base-Plates-CLIP-Mounting-Plates-Cam-Adjustable-Center-Mount-Plate-Height-0mm.html

I'm not a Blum user, so someone may want to double-check those are correct. But that's $8.24/pair. Almost half the price of Rockler.

-E

Shipping is the killer. Woodworkexpress charges 12.99 rockler is 3.99. I had looked at that before sending my link.

 

2 hours ago, Pwk5017 said:

Really glad I posed that question. These are the ones i need to buy

http://www.rockler.com/blumreg-110deg-soft-close-blumotion-clip-top-overlay-hinges-for-frameless-cabinets-hinges

Doesn't tell you the mounting plate that is included. Answers on rocklers page indicates that they work for 3/4" overlay.

[Elroy Skimms]

20 hours ago, Chestnut said:

Shipping is the killer. Woodworkexpress charges 12.99 rockler is 3.99. I had looked at that before sending my link.

I can usually find a free shipping coupon floating around for both Rockler and WoodWorkerExpress, so I can avoid shipping charges at either site. Of course, I can't find one for WoodWorkerExpress at the moment, so make a liar out of me

-E

[Pwk5017]

And we are upright! Doors built and time to finish and hang them...once the dang hinges arrive. Barely was able to get the thing standing in my basement. Getting it into the bedroom will be an interesting task. A challenge for another day. 

 

I think the door panels will look good. In the end, the semi-bookmatched panels had less crotch figure than I hoped, but they will still look decent when finished. Not sure of the middle tie drawer front yet, but we will give the bubinga a shot. I think it will be a nice accent if I can make drawer pulls/door handles out of bubinga and walnut to tie it all together--maybe. Does anyone know of a door handle or drawer pull that would work with what I have going on here? I'm thinking something rogowski or Asian inspired that is slender and slightly curved. 

[Eric.]

Not sure how bubinga is gonna look against walnut.  Not much contrast or complement there IMO.  If you want it to pop, how about maple?  You have the maple back panel, after all.  And if you wanted a more subtle complementary color, I think cherry would be a better choice in the red family.

Is the maple ply a design decision or could you not get walnut?  Now that you have maple involved I might lean toward maple for the pulls...will kind of tie everything together and justify the maple backs.  That way people won't be as shocked at the stark white when they open the door.  And by people I mean you and your wife. LOL

[Pwk5017]

Yeah, couldn't get walnut ply and wanted the light backdrop. This thing is going to be against a wall forever, and chocked full of clothes. I doubt I'll ever see the back. Additionally, when I purchased the ply the tie drawer was going to be hidden by the walnut doors, so you were going to open the doors for a figured/Burl maple drawer front with the maple backing. Obviously that maple peek-a-boo was thrown out with the bath water when design #2 won out. We'll see if I regret the maple back years from now, but back panels are like drawer bottoms for me.

 

I had had a wood showcase with my wife and brother, and they both voted bubinga over cherry, figured maple, and curly walnut, and sapele. The curly walnut or a gnarly crotch walnut is my second choice for a drawer front if the bubinga doesn't pan out. I struggle with contrast. I feel like it is a novice move--which I am--to mix woods for high level contrast. I know we could look at a bunch of examples where maple and walnut look beautiful together, but most of the time it's over done and heavy handed in its execution. Marc's work with bubinga and wenge is pretty cool, so I envisioned this as a lesser version of those pieces. Walnut isn't as stark of a contrast as wenge, and it's a 90:10 ratio where as Marc's was 50:50. Then again, the whole point of a contrasting drawer front came from design #1, so it might make sense to scrap it and do 100% walnut front. The drawer is the last thing I'm doing on this project, so I'll probably make two fronts and put it to a vote. 

[Eric.]

20 minutes ago, Pwk5017 said:

I had had a wood showcase with my wife and brother, and they both voted bubinga over cherry

That's what happens when you ask people who don't know anything.

I agree that contrasting species is WAY overdone in the newbie woodworking world...and usually done very poorly.  Looking at some of the pieces out there is like getting your eyeballs beaten with a bag of oranges.

And ordinarily I wouldn't have suggested maple for that very reason - though I don't think maple would look too bad, depending on the pull that you choose and the surroundings of the piece.  But it's the back panels that was the catalyst for the suggestion.  My brain always wants some kind of harmony, and the walnut case, bubinga pulls...then maple backs?...just kind of doesn't work for my sense of balance...let's call it what it is...OCD.  I've done three species in a piece before - my tool cabinet for example - but I mixed the species in a way that felt like it made sense.  I guess everyone will have a different gut instinct about what makes sense.