sgregory Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I am looking at building a dresser for my son. I am thinking a 4 drawer. Probably 4' tall, 36" wide, and must be able to take an ass whooping. (My son is 2) Now my joinery skills are next to non-existent...but I want to learn. Is this a good project to learn that on? I want to use both dovetails joints as well and tenons. I have been watching all the vids here and think i can accommodate those with the tools I do have (although limited...I am certainly not a journeymen cabinet maker) My questions to you are are these: 1) what type of wood should be best here? Most of my house I refinished all the red mahogany, and all my other funiture has been built to match that our of red oak. I am kind of tired using red oak though... 2) what would be the best basic tool set for this? I have a mitre saw, table saw but no jointer...would that be essential? 3) finally, dont suppose you guys would be willing to help out in the design aspect? I have a basic idea of what I want...but would like input from others as to esthetically pleasing designs. Most everything in my house a "mission" style. Thanks! Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 The previous Guild Build was a "Chest of Drawers", which the rest of us call a dresser. So, if you can afford the C-note for a 3 month membership, you'll get 12 videos (plus the pre-build chat session), Sketchup plans, and cut list. Plus, you can email Marc with questions. Marc calls it an "Intermediate/Advanced" project. If it'll be a stretch for your skills, then having the video walk-throughs and all the commentary will be a big help. You don't need a jointer or planer. You can buy pre-milled lumber stock from your local lumber yard, or buy the Bell Forest kit made specifically for the Guild Build, or use hand-tools (but I guess if you had a jointer plane you'd have mentioned that). That said, and I hate to undercut Marc, but when I was a kid my father made all our furniture out of plywood and 1x6 poplar, and we got to choose what color to paint it. Everything was nailed together, and when our needs changed he'd knock it apart and make something else. My brother's bed became my desk and some book cases. No joinery at all - just nailed butt joints. It was great because I never got yelled at for abusing the furniture - in my room I could climb on the book cases, practice drumming on the desk, anything. I'm just saying that you can do a kids dresser without a lot of fancy joinery and complicated design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Bennett Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I am looking at building a dresser for my son. I am thinking a 4 drawer. Probably 4' tall, 36" wide, and must be able to take an ass whooping. (My son is 2) Now my joinery skills are next to non-existent...but I want to learn. Is this a good project to learn that on? I want to use both dovetails joints as well and tenons. I have been watching all the vids here and think i can accommodate those with the tools I do have (although limited...I am certainly not a journeymen cabinet maker) My questions to you are are these: 1) what type of wood should be best here? Most of my house I refinished all the red mahogany, and all my other funiture has been built to match that our of red oak. I am kind of tired using red oak though... 2) what would be the best basic tool set for this? I have a mitre saw, table saw but no jointer...would that be essential? 3) finally, dont suppose you guys would be willing to help out in the design aspect? I have a basic idea of what I want...but would like input from others as to esthetically pleasing designs. Most everything in my house a "mission" style. Thanks! Steve I tend to agree with Beechwood here. Two year olds stay two year olds for a hell of a short while, sadly. In the UK back in the sixties there used to be a company that marketed furniture under the name of Grovewood. They made amazing stuff from Birch ply. Admittedly they made a cheap pine of Birch frame to hold most of it together, but the thing is it was cheap knock together, These days it's called 'flat pack' and you could knock the absolute hell out of it almost indefinitely. Unless you are intending to make heirloom furniture for your kids to pass on to theirs etc. I'd get either some popular around 2" x 1" for frames and some 3/8" plywood for the carcasses and use either nails or better screws to hold things together. The only problem with this method is you will need some skills at least and some means of running a 3/8" groove for the ply. You may be better buying some 3/4" ply and simply making a carcass with a truly square back screwed in then making some simple screw together drawers with a screwed in bottom and run them on either wooden 1" x 1" drawer runners with a similar piece over the top as the kicker. Or, if they are available to you similar pieces of Polypropelene or similar plastic. Either way if I were you I'd keep it simple and adaptable for later adventures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgregory Posted February 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2011 I appreciate the input guys! My wife tends to agree with you all...so she has tasked me with a bed frame / headboard instead! I will, down the road, revisit this project for our room and give my kid our furniture we currently have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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