# Exotic Nightstand



## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

I kicked it off last week by posting up on the joinery board.

I very much appreciate the responses i got, thanks guys! And i feel like it would be best if i continued posting about this project right here.

So here goes, for those that didnt see:

the top in Macassar (thanks Paul) and Gaboon Ebony woods:










Right now being planed down by people with better tools then myself.

continued on, i started building the small drawer that i plan to locate under the top, possibly in a skirt.

Not sure what i'll use it for just yet, maybe load with a couple few stacks of Franklin faces :laughing:










This is in Honduras Rosewood, right now one of my absolute favorites.

decided on a Macassar Ebony face plate:










And also decided to dovetail everything.

Not quite finished up with it (still need to finish up the back plate and carve out the area for a slot), but its getting there.


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## Mike Gager (Jan 11, 2009)

hey you got any tips on how to do those sliding dovetails? i for the life of me cant get mine to come out right. dont know what im doing wrong


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## Webster (Mar 6, 2009)

Hey Skinny.......thanks for the 'work in progress' report! :thumbsup:
That's one heavy duty drawer you've got going on there........perhaps a few gold bars along with the Franlklins?! :laughing:
How are you planning on securing the drawer front and back to the sides?
Rick


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

Mike, I'm cheating a bit since i'm using a Bridgeport milling machine.

But basically what it comes down to is getting the depths spot on every time, and transferring the widths over accurately.

Beyond that my biggest help has been in planning the edges down, then touching them on my belt sander to make sure they're dead on smooth before milling.

The trickiest part is getting an accurate measurement of the thickness of your board, and making sure that its that thickness throughout. I use machinist tools for that, basically calipers or a steel ruler in 1/32 increments. 

Rick,

lol, good stuff! Here's the plan:

I plan to use a 1" board on each side of the drawer, i'll mill a 7/8" wide track into it, and give a hair of clearance on each side (so it doesnt rub the side of the drawer, just the bar.

Then i will mill a slot in the side pieces and build a stop so that the drawer only travels say 7"

I'll have another board as an enclosure underneath (since my rails a hair thin).

Also, keep in mind, i'll be trimming down that rear ebony peice to allow the drawer to pull out without hitting it.

Glad you guys are enjoying, i'm having a good time building this project, keeps me destressed from the rest of life, lol.


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## Webster (Mar 6, 2009)

Hey Skinny.....I have some what of an idea of what you have in mind for the drawer, but not quite following you all the way......but that's not unusual for me :laughing: . You're building slides and a stop for the drawer !?
So keep us posted!
Rick


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

Haha, sounds like a plan.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

gettin' there.

Doing bread board ends on it.

I just finished up the machining for those slides i was talking about in the previous few posts.

Now i'm going to have a piece of rosewood supporting it between the two side boards, and plan to pin them with blackwalnut dowels. Couldnt get any exotic dowels.

anywho, dont mind the supports, i plan to build legs for this thing. i'll make them about 24" tall.

Also plan to wrap around this thing with a hond. rosewood skirt, which i will extend to about 1/2" below the buttom lip of the drawer.

enjoy!


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## redwolves (May 8, 2009)

That is looking sweet. Hard wood to work with , too. Excellent.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

thanks dude!

its like trying to sand marble, but its worth it! The rosewood isnt too bad, the router bits dont like it much though.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

....the 5 is to be replaced with 2 stacks of franklin faces....had to check for fit. :thumbsup:

planning to use dowels to locate and hold the front plate there, after a bit more trimming. I also plan to put sliding doves on the sides which the legs will slide onto.










need to cut this thing, for m&T.

not sure if i want to fix that corner somehow, or put a rounded edge around the entire thing.










thats a hond. rosewood peice i did my best to pick a nice burl out of the board i chose.










cherry dowels, did my best to pick something worthwhile, but not in the mood to do another M&T style joint on that.










edges ready to be shaped!


So far I've been finishing everything by hand 60 grt to 1000, then 0000 steel wool, topped with linseed oil. Even the underside of everything.

I may do the back of the faceplate as well, if its possible that it can be seen from the underside (once the legs are in place). No use polishing the hell out of everything, and leaving that saw cut.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

Open for suggestions on a handle for my drawer.

Its gotta be something pretty spectacular, i couldnt build this whole thing out of exotics, hand finish it, then top it off with something i found in the hardware section at lowes.


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

No Lowes hardware for the handle? 
Might try HD, then.:thumbdown::thumbdown::laughing:

Seriously, a drawer that spectacular needs a stunning wood handle.
How about an elongated wooden cup type. Rout a finger space in an extra wide piece of (??) 6/4, rip to width and bandsaw the out side ends to a rounded shape. Then shape the rest with a plane and sanders.

BTW, the drawer is beautiful and,:thumbsup::thumbsup: thanks for posting the build.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Maybe it's just me but I think you HAVE to do the handle out of a red wood and I think it has to be bloodwood. Most padauk would be too bright (and besides, it doesn't retain its red as well) and so would redheart.


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

Maybe Bloodwood knobs...turned...just a thought. Rick


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

Thanks guys, awesome suggestions.

I have a nice chuck of purple heart which may work, also have blood wood 4/4 that i can cut into a handle.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

finally have a leg up on this project :laughing:



















Finished up for dovetail joints where the skirting meets the leg (ooo baby) then i had to pack it up before dinner with mom.

This leg is down to 60grt, so its got a ways to go, and the skirt still needs planing and finishing.....and a dovetail on the other side.










not sure how i'm going to affix the front just yet (so i'm open for suggestions)

I'm considering dowels. I thought about blind dowels but i'm not too keen on the idea (alot of measurements to get right).

So here's me thinking cherry dowels are the way to go, or maybe black walnut.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

Actually, purpleheart was my second thought, but I think the bloodwood is a better idea. Since I don't have to do the work, it's easy for me to say, but I think you'd be doing a great piece of furniture a disservice to just turn knobs for it out of bloodwood; something a little more out of the ordinary is called for.


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## phinds (Mar 25, 2009)

phinds said:


> Actually, purpleheart was my second thought, but I think the bloodwood is a better idea. Since I don't have to do the work, it's easy for me to say, but I think you'd be doing a great piece of furniture a disservice to just turn knobs for it out of bloodwood; something a little more out of the ordinary is called for.


I didn't mean something different than bloodwood, I meant something different than knobs. As long as you are doing the work, I'll be happy to supervise if you want (and provide critical comments). :yes:


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

Agreed, its gotta be something badass. I cut a handle for it the other day, but i was less then impressed with how it looked.

I may try again with the purple heart to build a wild handle for it.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

....Moving right along (at a snails pace) Hopefully I'll have time to work on another leg this weekend, as well as continue the skirt.

I may swap out the rear dowels for black walnut before i glue/finish that up.

Also, question, the legs are on two sliding doves, but i'm wondering if i should also pin them with 1/4" dowels.


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## Webster (Mar 6, 2009)

Great job Skin Man! :thumbsup:

Getting anxious to see the handle/knob/pull thing!!! whatever you want to call it :laughing:

I suppose you could use some dowels to pin the legs, but if your dovetails are nice and snug, just some glue should keep them from going anywhere.

It's a pleasure to see your progress & thanks for keeping us posted.
Rick


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

thanks Rick!

LOL now i have to come up with something sweet. I went to a Silver shop recently to see if they had any pulls with no luck. So my feeling is that i'll build something from Purple heart, or Kingwood and see how it looks.


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

moving right along, I'm working my way around the skirt (funny how its just as expensive when woodworking!) and about ready to put in some dowels.


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

I would not pin the legs...I would leave them loose. At some point in it`s life, it may need to be moved...re-finnished...or shipped. Also you already have pins that are visible...keep it clean. Rick


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## pianoman (Jan 16, 2008)

Woops too late,


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## Skinnygoomba (May 1, 2009)

I'll just say they're speed holes.

The legs are glued also, so no harm done by pinning on top of it.


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