WARNING: Viewing this post without leaving a comment or clicking the like button will cause all of your stock to cup!
What do you do with a slightly twisted gummy cherry board? Well, you make a dovetailed sliding-top box, of course! But first, I had to cut the board into pieces to remove the twist.
Then, painstakingly cut some dovetails.
With the carcase together, the grooves cut and the drawer front separated from the end, I resawed a piece of mahogany for the sliding top and some pine for the drawer parts.
The box needed to be glued-up before attempting to fit the sliding-top and drawer. Yet, I needed to carve before the glue-up. I chose a leaf motif to wrap around three sides with a running-cable pattern at the working end of the box.
With the carving completed, the glue-up was a breeze. Having resawn a small piece of mahogany, I ended up with a stable 1/2″ thick top. The leftover piece became a drawer bottom. Why not a mahogany drawer bottom? What’s the adage; waste not, want not, right? After cutting rebates on three sides of the top piece, I carved it and fit it to the carcase.
I ripped some 3/8″ thick pine and laid out tails for half-blind dovetails. The pins in the mahogany drawer front were a bit of a challenge, due to their small size. But with a little patience, I achieved satisfactory results. I end my half-blind dovetails with a tail, as to allow for a rebate which receives the drawer bottom.
After installing a bottom I slathered on a few coats of boiled linseed oil and turpentine (50:50).
Knowing how to use a tool is more important than the tool in and of itself. - Ron Aylor
Fine box and carving. I like you hand cut dovetails. My stocks have been cupping for the last several sessions. Maybe if I comment they will head in the other direction.
Fine box and carving. I like you hand cut dovetails. My stocks have been cupping for the last several sessions. Maybe if I comment they will head in the other direction.
LOL! Thanks, James. I pray your stock makes a change in the right direction!
Knowing how to use a tool is more important than the tool in and of itself. - Ron Aylor
