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Thread: Cedar Bedside Tables
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10th May 2014, 12:15 PM #1Enthusiatic Amateur
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Cedar Bedside Tables
I was fortunate enough to get my hands on some northern Toona ciliata (was called Toona australis - Australian Cedar) from a tree cutter in Far North Queensland which he had acquired as a result of the devastation caused by a cyclone. I also had some very old cedar that was a mantle piece in its day in a home built in the mid 1800s in South Australia. This is much darker than the northern form and the growth rings are much closer perhaps suggesting slower growth and/or an older tree when it was felled. This timber forms the lower shelf of the tables.
I had never made curved fronts for drawers so wanted to make them for this project and selecting the correct grain pattern before cutting the curves was going to be a bit hit and miss and I've subsequently learned that selecting the grain pattern then cutting and attaching a veneer of this would have been a more reliable alternative. However, I've convinced myself that the different patterns on the drawer fronts suggests more of a 'home made' rather than a factory production endeavour.
I had a testing time with the finish. I had planned to apply several coats of Chinese wood oil (Constantia) and then to finish off with my variation of a Maloof mixture (tung oil; turps and poly) but used Feast & Watsons Floorseal oil which is a tung oil/poly mixture - or so they say but I don't see tung oil listed on their MSDS - with added turps. I've used this combination in the past but added my own tung oil and the finish was most pleasant. However, on this occasion although the top turned out well with the finish looking like it was 'in the wood' opposed to being 'on the wood', the cabinet itself looked awful with the finish definitely appearing 'on the wood'. Why this happened, I don't know. Anyway, many hours were spent trying to remove that finish and it was really a PITA what with all those angles and edges being as careful as possible not to get right down to the raw timber (there were several coats of wood oil under the final finish). After having removed the 'Estapol shine' I applied a single coat of the 'Maloof mix' then waxed with Traditional Wax.
P1020158.jpgP1020159.jpgP1020155.jpg
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10th May 2014, 04:18 PM #2
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10th May 2014, 06:11 PM #3
Wow, beautiful work, true heirloom quality right there Sir.
Regards Rumnut.
SimplyWoodwork
Qld. Australia.
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10th May 2014, 06:27 PM #4SENIOR MEMBER
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- Blue Mountains
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Lovely work. Congratulations.
cheers,
ajw
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10th May 2014, 06:38 PM #5
Lovely work indeed Brian - very well done!
Tell me - which one is yours? I'll bet it's the one on the right.....
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11th May 2014, 12:00 AM #6GOLD MEMBER
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- Dec 2010
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- Mornington Peninsula
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Very nice. Love the flutes at the top of the legs.
How did you do the bowed draw fronts? With a spindle moulder?
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11th May 2014, 10:23 AM #7Enthusiatic Amateur
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- Jun 2007
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- Toowoomba
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Thanks for all the encouraging responses.
Ah,Ha FF I get your drift but these are for our guest bedroom. the previously made bedside tables are in our bedroom.
Cava, although I do have a spindle moulder as part of my combination machine, I've not ever been brave enough to use it given I've had no formal training. So, all the curves were done on the bandsaw and then attacked with a block plane, spokeshaves and sandpaper.
I've just realised that some of the intended images weren't posted in the original thread. Here they are:
P1020199.jpgP1020274.jpgThis was an attempt to show repetition of all the curves
P1020277.jpgP1020278.jpgThe base of the drawer is composed of hoop pine and a single board of Cedar of Lebanon the odour of which although sought after by some, I find rather overpowering to extent of being almost unpleasant. The slips are made from recycled Grevillea robusta (silky oak). Cutting a curve in the front to take the base was a rather daunting task but, in the end, proved to be rather simple and painless. The sides of the drawers extend a little past the backs which I think is a ploy to prevent the drawer from tipping out of the pocket when fully extended i.e. when you see the back, stop pulling!
I haven't yet fitted anything under the drawer runners to act as a dust screen. I normally do do this but because the drawer runners are right at the bottom of the pocket, there's not much room to fit anything but I think it can be done by attaching some thin cleats to the inside of the runners and then screwing the dust cover to that.
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11th May 2014, 07:55 PM #8Skwair2rownd
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They are gorgeous!! Nothing more needs to be said!!!bravabravabrava
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12th May 2014, 07:53 PM #9
Nice use of figure on the draw fronts and a nice pair of well executed tables.
SBPower corrupts, absolute power means we can run a hell of alot of power tools
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13th May 2014, 09:53 AM #10
Very very nice.
Glenn Visca
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