I just completed my first "fine furniture" project!!!!


Nick2cd

Recommended Posts

And i couldn't have done it without the help from all of you here. i posted a multitude of questions from design concepts to finishing. Everything was answered respectfully and with great insight. It is much appreciated! Anyways, i'll get on with it. I built a bassinet for my bambino who is due at the end of March. I built the entire piece out of solid walnut (besides the mattress support slats which are made of cedar). The joinery is compliments of Festool via Mr. Domino. Love this tool! The finish is General Finishes Arm-R-Seal in semi gloss. It was wiped on with a cotton rag and knocked down between coats with 0000 steel wool. At this point i haven't secured the cedar in place. If i choose to do so at all, i will probably do so conservatively with a few dollops of latex caulk or something of the sort. So, without further adieu, here are the pics.

Here's what i started with

photo1-10.jpg

I had to glue up the legs because i didn't have 8/4 stock

photo3-15.jpg

Domino with trim stop on batch duty

photo1-11.jpg

Bunch of mortises

photo5-3.jpg

Some early and first ever domino dry fitting

photo4-8.jpg

The legs roughed out

photo3-16.jpg

The first panel glued up

photo2-22.jpg

Domino porn and some tools of the trade

photo2-23.jpg

The front

photo1-12.jpg

The back

photo3-17.jpg

Starting to take shape! (also my epiphany moment of realizing i need more clamps)

photo5-5.jpg

Nearly there! Couple coats of finish

photo1-13.jpg

Walnut grain closeup

photo2-24.jpg

Complete!

photo3-18.jpg

Cedar slats

photo4-11.jpg

Thanks for looking!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nick, that is really well done! Beautiful!

I am reviewing all your pics and loving every one of thfirst the first thing that caught my attention were all those mortises. It looks like that Domino saved you a ton of time.

I'm also loving the look of that walnut with the GF semi-gloss on it. I freely admit that walnut is not my favorite, but after seeing those pics (especially the closeup of the front rail) I think I might be a believer. Did you do any pore filling on it?

Edited by John Fitz
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks so much for all the praise! It really makes me feel good to get the nod of approval from you guys. i was more nervous to post it here than to show any of my friends or family.

Wow! Just .... WOW!!!!! Looks awesome Nick! Did you sign it yet?

not yet. i have to find an inconspicuous location and sign away.

Nick, that is really well done! Beautiful!

I am reviewing all your pics and loving every one of thfirst the first thing that caught my attention were all those mortises. It looks like that Domino saved you a ton of time.

I'm also loving the look of that walnut with the GF semi-gloss on it. I freely admit that walnut is not my favorite, but after seeing those pics (especially the closeup of the front rail) I think I might be a believer. Did you do any pore filling on it?

John, im glad you liked the walnut. i didn't do any pore filling. i started with 60 grit sand paper and progressed though 220. wiped it clean with a tack cloth and then applied the GF arm-r-seal. i thinned it slightly with mineral spirits because my can was kinda old. went on very easily.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>> not yet. i have to find an inconspicuous location and sign away.

Why? sign it where everyone can see it! ;)

I just used GF Arm-R-Seal for the first time and I have to say I like it. Even though it seems pretty 'thinned' to begin with, I also thinned it to start (for wiping), and successive coats were thinned less. I think I ended up about 20% thinner for the final coat and it came out nice. Did you rub out the finish at all?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>> not yet. i have to find an inconspicuous location and sign away.

Why? sign it where everyone can see it! ;)

I just used GF Arm-R-Seal for the first time and I have to say I like it. Even though it seems pretty 'thinned' to begin with, I also thinned it to start (for wiping), and successive coats were thinned less. I think I ended up about 20% thinner for the final coat and it came out nice. Did you rub out the finish at all?

i haven't rubbed out the finish. im going to wait at least a week or two and then i may hit it with a paper bag at that point if i feel that it needs it. i just want to be sure it's cured before i do it though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Beautiful work! Sign it and date it where it can be seen like a side facing the wall? Cedar looks great!

I made my first batch of wide domino'es the other day. Ripped blanks about 3 ft long, drum sanded to exact thickness, routed the corners and cut to length on a table saw jig. One wide domino worked well where 2 would have been too much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Very nice Nick. I saw your earlier post about using MDF in the floor. While a bit late for that i wanted to share what i learned about MDF for your future projects (not trying to hijack the thread). I have read that it contains and releases formaldehyde and the best way to seal it is using oil based primer. I have done this and the smell is terrible and lingering. I Dont think the smells are worth it on a fine bassinet like yours.

Again nice work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great job Nick. That's something to really be proud of and to pass down to other generations.

Clamps - It's like routers, you never really have enough.

Now, having used the domino on a major project, any complaints? Does it live up to its rock star image?

Tim,

i have to say, the domino lives up to all the hype. i couldn't have built this project without it. i would have been cutting the mortise and tenons until 2017. at first i used it without dust collection. it did well, but it's a totally different tool under dust collection. without any DC it wants to walk if you make a fast plunge with a larger bit (8mm). with DC it never moves, as all the chips are being cleared from the mortise instantly. and by the way, the dust collection works perfectly. there was literally not a shaving of wood that the tool left behind when hooked up to DC. now, for the one complaint i have.....i find vertical alignment to be a bit tricky. i found that sometimes the two boards were perfectly flush and then sometimes they were off by 1/32". im fairly certain it has more to do with my technique than with the tool itself, but regardless there is a slight learning curve there. either way though, even the "misaligned" results are completely acceptable with a bit of sanding. so in short, yes, this tool is the Bon Jovi of the woodworking world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Who's Online   3 Members, 0 Anonymous, 55 Guests (See full list)

  • Forum Statistics

    31.2k
    Total Topics
    422.1k
    Total Posts
  • Member Statistics

    23,777
    Total Members
    3,644
    Most Online
    dave07
    Newest Member
    dave07
    Joined