# Bombe Chest on Stand, Build Re-Duex



## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

You might remember this project from a couple of years back. My previous attempt at doing a comprehensive build thread on it fell short of my expectations. This being a project that I have fairly well documented with photos lends itself to making another try at it.

The Inspiration:

The design for this project did pop into my head one day but only after thinking about what I wanted to build. I think the basic "Chest on Stand" idea may have been influenced somewhat by studying the work of James Krenov. I just thought that some combination of Bombe and Krenov could be interesting.

Conceptualization:

Google Sketchup is my tool of choice for visualizing my designs. This is what my original sketch. The main difference between the original sketch and the final product was that I eliminated the lower shelf but then added an apron to the stand for rigidity in the legs.









Design Parameters:

I had no client for this project. It was something I just wanted to build for myself so I was free to do as I wished.

Material Selection:

I had purchased some nicely figured Easter soft maple from our local hardwood supplier so I decided that was a good choice of material for the bulk of the construction.

Final Layout:

To accurately measure the curves I drew a full scale two dimensional layout on some scraps of MDF. 









Once the radii of the curves was established I made a bending form for glue-laminating the curved pieces. I collect scrap chunks of glue lam beams for cutting these forms from. I cut the radius a little tighter than I want the final product to be to allow for the spring back that will occur once the glue up is released from the form. The thicker the individual laminations are and the tighter the radius, the more spring back will likely occur.

I then made a test lamination and some sample joinery to verify my layout and once satisfied I proceeded to making the actual pieces.









Simple clamping form









Structural Details:

I decided on a stile and rail type carcase frame for the chest body. The end panels would have a middle rail and solid wood panels. This would allow me to install the horizontal frame rails to the end panel rails with long grain to long grain for a lasting glue joint. 

The full scale layout made it possible to accurately measure the varying length and angle cuts of the carcass frames. 









More to come, Bret


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Making the Curved Ends of the Chest: 

This photo shows me checking the thickness on one of the four lams making up the curved stiles. I made the pieces wide enough to rip the lam into two pieces so that I would only need two glue-ups for the four pieces I needed.









This not the actual glue up for this project but this is what it looks like after it's all glued and clamped









After it is taken out of the clamps the fit is checked against the layout. I slightly miscalculated the spring back by about 1/16" overall but I will simply adjust my layout to fit the parts rather than make them over again. 









Next, after fitting the router table with a curved fence, I plough the groove in the curved stiles with a straight cutter to accept the panels and the tenons.









I had to make three passes to achieve the final depth of cut but it came out nice.


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

I love this piece Bret and I'm glad you are revisiting it. I have one (possibly dumb) question though; what does "Bombe" refer to? A person? (Revealing my lack of knowledge here.)


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Shop Dad said:


> I love this piece Bret and I'm glad you are revisiting it. I have one (possibly dumb) question though; what does "Bombe" refer to? A person? (Revealing my lack of knowledge here.)


according to Websters "having outward curving lines" referring to furniture.

Bret


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Making the End Panels:

This photo shows using one of my radius templates (which are flexible) to mark the curve of the front which happens to be 20". 









Dry fitting the end panel parts to check fit. I did not curve any part of the rails, just made sure they fit good. I figured I would shape them as needed after glue-up. I did do a little shaping to the small panels (reverse raised panels) using a hand plane. I shaped the fronts until they fit the radius and then routed the excess off the back side. You can see this on the previous post.









End panel glued up and ready for shaping on the rails.









Assembling the carcass frame:

This photo show the frames being fitted to the end panels. The top and bottom frames are mirror images of one another but the middle one is wider and deeper due to the curves. They were made using a simple mortis and tenon. The frame rails were fastened to the end panel rails with glue and screws. With the large surface area of long grain to long grain, I felt this was the best way to fasten this together and that no joinery was needed other than an accurate butt fit and even glue pressure. 









Bret


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## gus1962 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for walking us through the process. Very well detailed and planned smartly. The design looks very firm and that
is a nice example of beautiful work and inspiration. Looking forward to seeing it fully done.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*First Intermission: Me trying to be funny*

I'm getting lots of views but nobody is asking any questions. I'm getting lonely on this thread all by myself.

I am positive you will not ask a stupid question but, yes, there is such a thing as a stupid question. It might sound like this "why am I so stupid?" My answer to that might be "because you didn't ask enough questions."

The only reason I do these threads is because I want to share my knowledge, at least the parts I still can remember. Yes, I am a crotchety old guy but I've never bitten anyone, except, well, we won't go there.

I was joking with Bill today. I was recalling that as an apprentice the old guys used to tell me that they had forgotten more than I'll ever know. Well, I'm not getting any younger, there might be some truth to the fear that I may forget more than you will ever know. So ask me some questions. If I don't know the answer, it's because I've forgotten! Ha!

Bret

PS if I don't answer right away it's because I busy doing something else or I'm taking a nap or working in the garden. I will get back to you!

Here is a typical question I would expect to get "dear Mr. Woodworking Genius. What is an enail?" my answer would be "I forgot, you should have asked me sooner"

Hey it's my thread. As long as nobody gets hurt I can do whatever i want.

Now back to the seriousness:


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## Shop Dad (May 3, 2011)

All I can say is I wish I could come over and help on a build like this. So much to learn in the details! I think a lot of us new guys are afraid to do something with curves even though the results are so fantastic. It is helpful to see how you work through this. Any other tips for taking on curved work?


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## hays0369 (May 3, 2011)

+1 on Shop Dad's question. He took the words from my mouth. Please give details and advice on working with curved stock. I'm really looking forward to seeing this through to the end.

Brad


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I spoke with Bret yesterday....*

I told him not to worry about not enough posts or questions.:no:
I said that project is so intimidating it would even give old guys like me a run for our money. :yes: Bill


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

hays0369 said:


> +1 on Shop Dad's question. He took the words from my mouth. Please give details and advice on working with curved stock. I'm really looking forward to seeing this through to the end.
> 
> Brad


As you are aware, I love curves. 

I make curves from wood in three basic ways: 

1. Cut from solid wood on the band saw.

2. From laminating thin pieces using a curved clamping form.

3. Stack lamination of segments 

It is quicker and easier to cut your curves from solid wood but may not be as strong and you may have to use a large piece of wood to get the piece you want, which may force you into segmenting your curved pieces. Curves cut from solid stock also might result in short grain through the work piece at some point.

Laminating curved parts on a clamping form is a great way to make very strong parts using the least amount of wood. It's is helpful to have a good table saw or better yet a band saw that is capable of re-sawing and to have a planer that will plane thin pieces without them blowing up.

Some people have mentioned that they are intimidated by curves. An easy way the get over that is just to make a curved piece. 









Start by making a form like in the photo. I use chunks of discarded glue lam beams but any old thing will work such as a few pieces of plywood glued face to face. 6" x 6" x 2feet should be plenty. Draw a simple 30" radius arc from end to end and cut it smoothly and squarely on the band saw. Make sure there is enough meat left on each side of your form so it won't break during clamping. For a lamination like this I would recommend five or six layers tog get to 3/4" total thickness. Six, 1/8" thick pieces, two feet long and how ever wide you want up to you maximum re-saw capaicity but for this exercise 2" wide is fine.

When doing a large glue up you must be prepared and work quickly before the glue sets up. So get everything arranged first. clear the work space, get the clamps out and adjust them to the right opening. For larger glue ups I use a paint roller to apply the glue in a thin layer and fully cover each face of each lamination EXCEPT the ones that touch the form, or the two outside faces. Once the glue is applied throw the stacked bundle in the form and clamp it evenly from both sides with at least three clamps per side, more for a larger piece.

It is helpful to have the form be the same width as your workpieces

I gota go now, I'l finish this later


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Bret, i'm always impressed with your work. I love the designs you come up with. How much spring-back can one expect on a laminated piece such as this? Do different hard woods react different to the laminations, was just wandering if most hardwoods can be bent this way? One more Q, how do you go about designing the piece not knowing the exact spring-back the lamination is going to produce, is it kinda trial and error on the first piece out of the form? Thanks for taking the time to help us learn this process.


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

Following the build and I think it is awesome looking so far. 

Young guy question tho:

When making the form, did you make 1 arc 30" in radius and then cut and smooth? 

Or

Did you make 2 arcs close together and cut in between and then smooth back to each line to achieve the final product?


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Picking up where I left off.*

Thanks for the kind words. 

I'm going to finish discussing making a simple laminated arc and then I'll answer some question that were asked.

I said "It is helpful to have the form be the same width as your work pieces" That is because the pieces slide around with all that glue acting as a lubricant. you need some way to get everything aligned laterally which is easily done with a clamp provided the form is the same width as the work pieces. If you have a form that is wider than what you are gluing up then try making the the work pieces a little longer than the form on both ends so that way you can have a little sticking out to clamp laterally.

My glue of choice is TB II, and I use heavy duty clamps and apply lots of pressure. The individual plys should be smooth planed on each side and uniform in thickness.

The amount of spring back you get depends on the type of wood. thickness of the individual plys and the radius of the arc.

This sample arc, if the net thickness is to be 3/4", by using 6 plys of 1/8" each in walnut would have very little spring back, probably about 1/8" overall. But this same arc with three plys of 1/4" thick hickory would spring back maybe 3/8 to 1/2". It's a bit of a guessing game based on experience. I have trouble planing anything below 3/16" thick so I would make this with four plys at that thickness and would expect about 1/4" of spring back.

With radii of 24" or more and net thickness of 3/4" to 1", I have not found it necessary to cut each side of the form at a different radius to compensate for the work piece thickness. For tighter radii and/or thicker net requirements then, yes, both the inner and out radii must be cut to get the form to apply even pressure.

For a simple form, make sure your band saw cuts perfectly square to the saw table and use a good sharp blade suitable for re-sawing. I have a 17" 2HP band saw and I use a 1/4" 3 tpi carbon steel blade and I follow my line as carefully as I can. The form comes off the saw ready to use.

I was introduced to curve laminating early in my career. One of my first jobs was making wooden water skiis, gluing. loading and unloading the hot presses. I used an automated glue spreader and heat blankets between each ski. I could press 48 skis at a time using six very heavy duty presses with 8 skis in each press and I could cycle through the process 4-5 time each shift. 

Bret


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## Crusader (Jan 14, 2013)

Brett, first thanks for such an informative thread!
One the subject of springback, I was wondering. Do you approach your work based upon doing the glue ups first and then adjust around that? Also given what you know about wood species and their
springback tendencies do you ever adjust the radii? to compensate for springback.
One last thing. Have you ever put a laminated arc under load to get it to fit into a frame and if you have what were the results?
Eric


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Crusader said:


> Brett, first thanks for such an informative thread!
> One the subject of springback, I was wondering. Do you approach your work based upon doing the glue ups first and then adjust around that? Also given what you know about wood species and their
> springback tendencies do you ever adjust the radii? to compensate for springback.
> One last thing. Have you ever put a laminated arc under load to get it to fit into a frame and if you have what were the results?
> Eric



Great questions. 

I do my layout of the project first and then try to hit the radius right on but (as in the case of the Bombe Chest) I might adjust my layout if I don't get it perfect. 

Certain projects, such as a round top door jamb, require the arc to fit exactly. But in the case of a door jamb, there is some flexibility and the trick is installing it properly in the field. But in the case of curved cabinet doors with curved inset doors, you have to get it spot on if the cabinet carcass was built first.

I didn't really understand the last question enough to give you an answer. Rockers and splats come to mind.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Shop Dad said:


> I have one (possibly dumb) question though; what does "Bombe" refer to? A person? (Revealing my lack of knowledge here.)



That's where the bombs go in a military plane before dropping them on the enemy.  (sorry, but often times its better to ask a dumb question than to get an even dumber answer!)

Loving this build. Loved it before and missed out on the finish. Hoping to see it all the way through this time.


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Thanks Bret for all the information. That rocker is awesome!!!


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Nice build Bret- you do so many bent laminations and make it look easy. I have a question. I am making some jewelry boxes- right now working on prototype but have found that white oak bends easy- 6.5 radius-1/8" lams. mahogany and cherry- not so hot- 1/16"- 50% breakage. Question is- what trouble am I going to have with soft maple- or how about hard maple- walnut??? Here is a picture to show you what I mean- if inappropriate- just say so and it will be gone.
PS beautiful chest- don't stop- I am learning a bunch.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

mike1950 said:


> Nice build Bret- you do so many bent laminations and make it look easy. I have a question. I am making some jewelry boxes- right now working on prototype but have found that white oak bends easy- 6.5 radius-1/8" lams. mahogany and cherry- not so hot- 1/16"- 50% breakage. Question is- what trouble am I going to have with soft maple- or how about hard maple- walnut??? Here is a picture to show you what I mean- if inappropriate- just say so and it will be gone.
> PS beautiful chest- don't stop- I am learning a bunch.


No problem, I will get back to my thread eventually.

Mike, your created some problems to solve. I think white oak is a good wood for bending, without breaking. A test to judge the bendability could be to take a piece of the subject wood 1/4" x 3/4' x 18" and try to break it in two. Some wood are more brittle than others such as walnut, cherry and maple. Others bend a long way before breaking such as white oak, ash, hickory, black locust. 

That's is a pretty tight radius you are working with. I'm surprised you are having luck with 1/8" lams. What are the recessed panels made of? You know, your project might lend itself more to a stacked segmented curve. It's small enough so it would not have too many segments and you could alternate the miters to make it real strong. I think it would be faster and might even look better? 

Bret


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Bret thanks for your prompt answer. I know they are tight. I think one of the reasons it is working at 1/8 inch is it is edge banding and it has been stored in a 325 ft roll. I have some beech that bends that tight also. 
Panels are bent lams-veneer. They are easy. I probably will stick to what I am doing but use what works- the beech and the oak.
Thanks for the build on this chest- I will have to try one.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Bombe Chest Continued: Stand*

Assembling the Chest Frame:

Once the frames and ends were fastened together a back was needed. The 1/4" plywood I chose for the back did not bend easily and some relief cuts had to be made on the inside face. I made the frames 1/4" shy of the ends for the back panel to recess behind but I had to add some nailing blocks and then attached the back with lath nails. It was still somewhat of a challenge to get the back to bend properly. Once fastened in place, the back really solidified the carcass.









The Stand, legs and aprons:

My design called for legs cut from 3" square stock (net 2 -1/2"). I didn't have any stock that thick so I had to glue them up from three lams of 5/4".

Once glued up, the leg blanks were carefully squared up using the jointer then run through the planer to obtain uniform thickness then cut to final length. The swooping design of the legs requires a radius cut on two faces which I will do last, after the joinery cuts are completed because the cuts are much easier to make when the stock is still square.

My documentation was incomplete and I had to borrow some photos from a similar project for this segment. 

The way the legs re joined together to the aprons and then locked in with an angled screw block make for a very solid construction and is a method I use frequently.

The mortises (stopped blind dados really) can be made using a dado and the table saw or a router table with a straight bit. Just remember to use some index marks on the fence so that you don't cut too far and expose the cut below the adjoining apron board. The tenons on the apron ends were cut using the table saw and miter gauge 









Once the joints are cut and test fitted, I'll go ahead and cut the swoop on the legs and sand them.









The key to the whole stand assembly is the angled screw blocks, it is very important to the structural integrity of the legs and must be accurately fitted. I don't have nay quick fix for this process other than some sample blocks to copy. This is just mark and cut and check until you get a good fit.









Installing screws through the angle blocks into the legs draws the apron and legs tightly together, note the dado in the aprons that the angle blocks can pull on. This method eliminates the need for stretchers.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

I'm thankful for this build. I've admired you work and you are answering many questions for me. So thanks Bret.


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## 4thStreet (Mar 2, 2013)

....


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

4thStreet said:


> Looks like a great project. Curious why you used the angle block construction to join the legs and aprons. I would think if this tenons were slightly deeper they would be hold very well.Is there a specific reason for the corner blocks?


Another good question, why the angle blocks instead of deeper M & Ts?

I have nothing against a nice mortise and tenon joint, especially one that runs through and is wedged. I just don't feel it is the "right" joinery for this application. 

Think about what deepening the mortises would do to the inside corner of the legs. If I were relying on only the m & t to hold everything together, I would want them plenty deep but only after about an inch the mortises come together and effectively nearly disconnect the inside corner of the legs. Without the corner blocks it is only the glue spread on the cheeks of each tenon that keeps the whole stand from collapse.

With the corner block construction, a couple of large screws are placed through the block and into each leg. The shoulders of the apron tenon and the side of the legs are under compression and stay tight and the m & t joints lock everything together. I've never needed to but one could easily re-tighten the screws if the joints ever loosened up.

Also, with the corner block construction, glue is not necessary. (on this project it was glued). Just remove the screws from the angle blocks and the whole stand comes apart into pieces for easy transport.

Last but not least, this is the strongest method I know of for joining legs to aprons.

If you tried it, I'm sure I'd make a believer out of you.

The photo shows trough wedged m & t joints on a trestle stretcher on my dining table.

Bret


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

Thanks again for posting this build. And thank you for answering my questions about the form construction earlier. I've been away from here for a few days and its very interesting to see your progress. I'm glued to it. :laughing:

(Apologies for the horrible pun.)

Also for beginners like myself, this build is a huge help for both design ideas and learning of methods.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Details*

The Top:

My design called for a bull-nosed horizontal bad separating the stand and the chest and also the same bull-nose around the perimeter of the top. I set aside some wavy grained maple for that purpose and I made the bull nose by running it through my little Craftsman shaper using a 3/8" round over cutter, on both top and bottom of one side. Then on the pieces destined for the top, I cut a square groove to accept a lipped edge of plywood that I will use as a sub-top for a parquet inlay. 









I used a sliding sled on the table saw with an auxiliary miter fence to cut the mitered corners. Then I glued up the two frames. The frame for the top had the plywood panel recessed down from the top edge by about 1/8" to allow room for the inlay that I was planning.









Once the glue set I cut a little slot in the corners with a special sliding sled I made for that purpose. I glued in a loose tenon or "biscuit" of contrasting cherry to both strengthen the miter and add visual interest.


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## banginonabudget (Feb 25, 2013)

LR,

Is that a homemade jig to cut those corner blocks? I am assuming that your doing that after you glued the 45's together?


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

banginonabudget said:


> LR,
> 
> Is that a homemade jig to cut those corner blocks? I am assuming that your doing that after you glued the 45's together?


Yes, it's shop made, and to be honest, a little crude. But it does the job. The mitered frames are glued up and cured before I cut the splines into the corners.

Bret


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Where were we? inlaid top*

Sorry I haven't posted for a few days, priorities, I'm sure you understand.

The Top:

The 1/2" Baltic birch top with the edging installed has a 3/16" deep recess which I plan to fill in with a Parquetry (or inlaid). This is something I enjoy doing and adds a special touch to some of my pieces. It's basically a thick veneer. I collect bits and pieces of various woods and try to find something special. 









I had this interesting crotch piece of walnut that I was able to make into a four way book match design which had some grain patterns that resembled a crab. I added to that some Western maple Burl and semi-burled walnut and some curly maple.

I start from the outer most band and work my way to the center. I just use TB II and glue the pieces to the plywood sub top and the edges of the other pieces. The oval was the hardest part, fitting the surrounding pieces to the curve can be tedious. 

















The following photo shows the top with a couple of coats of lacquer. It' is best to wait a week at least before sanding or planing the top smooth. That gives the glue and the wood which has absorbed a lot of moisture from the glue a chance to shrink and re-stabilize. Also, make sure that the sub-top is securely fastened to the chest or something flat otherwise it's bound to warp.

With this top, I'm am glad I chose a lacquer finish, because the large curly maple pieces to each side of the center had some shrinking which created an ugly gap from left to right down the center seam on each side. A little lacquer thinner and then some work with a ROS brought it back to raw wood in less than an hour. Using the straight cutter and a router, I cut a slot for a little inlay strip of mahogany then refinished the top with about 12 coats of gloss lacquer. I am actually glad this happened because I think the top looks better than the first try.









next, the drawers, Bret


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Top is very nicely done.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Making the Drawers*

The Drawer Fronts:

I took my time with this step. The curly maple fronts for these drawers are all cut from one piece and with the inset fit I wanted a the best fit I could make. Slowly and methodically I removed tiny amounts from the edges until each front fit within the framework snugly but not too tightly and then I went about making the rest of the drawer boxes.

I first cut some angled facets on the drawer fronts to rough out the curve using the table saw and then used hand planes to dress the fronts to the final fit.









One side of each drawer front had a flush fitting drawer side and the other side had an overhanging lip in order to fit it to the curved chest ends. I went with a simple two dovetail drawer side joint which was made only slightly more difficult because of the angled cut to the front end of each drawer side 



















I decided to install a center guide made from wood to keep the drawer alignment accurate once the drawer was closed and also so the sliding friction was limited to the center glide instead of on the bottom edge of the drawer sides.


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## skyking (Mar 24, 2013)

I really don't know what to say. I too like curves but they intimidate me, keeping things on radius and symmetrical, and plumb to some other surface. You threw that last bit out the window :blink:
That is some fantastic work there.
PS I grew up in Selah, hello from a former dry sider. I still beat a trail to Yakima to see family.


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## mike1950 (Aug 29, 2010)

Nice fit on the drawers. Inset drawers are not easy-every little error shows and curves do not make it easier. Is curly maple-Big leaf???


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## MasterSplinter (Jan 12, 2013)

Beautiful work.


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Man, I love this. The top is so cool. The drawers are too. I second being intimidated by curves. You are doing a fantastic job.


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## frankp (Oct 29, 2007)

As usual, fantastic work. I love these chests. Very inspiring, though I'll never do work that nice.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Bret, Thank you so much for taking the time to post this build, even if it is a few years after you actually built it. I know you mentioned that you would do this about a month ago, when you told us that you needed to heal up. I have been looking forward to this, and then forgot that you were doing it.

I have thouroughly studied your pics, to get hints into how you made this chest. I am BLOWN away at how easy you make it look/sound.

I have learned so much so far, regarding your bent wood laminations, and how you adjust on the fly if your wood doesn't spring back like you had hoped. I am learning a GREAT DEAL from this, and really appreciate it. I am currently working on a curved piece of furniture, and I have learning the limitations of the tools I have, and trying to work with them. 

Now on to the questions:


*Question #1:* 
Crusader asked:


Crusader said:


> Have you ever put a laminated arc under load to get it to fit into a frame and if you have what were the results?
> Eric





Lola Ranch said:


> I didn't really understand the last question enough to give you an answer. Rockers and splats come to mind.


I don't know if I understand the question that crusader asked, but this is my take on it.....Have you ever had to force an arc to fit into a certain position, and if so, were there any problems that resulted?




Lola Ranch said:


> Assembling the Chest Frame:
> 
> *#2* (reference)
> The mortises (stopped blind dados really) can be made using a dado and the table saw or a router table with a straight bit. Just remember to use some index marks on the fence so that you don't cut too far and expose the cut below the adjoining apron board. The tenons on the apron ends were cut using the table saw and miter gauge.
> ...


*#2* In the first part of your quote above, you said the mortises are basically "stopped blind dadoes." I thought I saw those on your dust frames as well in the picture below. Did you cut these using your table saw with a dado blade? I was wondering what that slot was, and why it stopped. I have always just cut the slot the whole way, but I like this look.











*#3* Also, in the above quote, you mentioned that you like to use those angle blocks. Awhile back, I know Bill (woodnthings) had showed a picture on a thread of them, and even commented on how do you make those blocks, and still have all your fingers? Any chance you might be able to show us how you do make those blocks? They are so small, and have all those angles. They do look quite intimidating. 


*#4* Thanks for also showing the drawer glides that you installed under the drawers. I wasn't sure how I was going to address that issue with my daughters drawers, and you really gave me a good visual. What type of wood did you use for those glides?

*I just wanted to thank you again, Bret, for taking the time to do this. Please, don't feel like it isn't appreciated.* I personally think most people just look at the pictures and don't take the time to read anything. I have often thought of dropping a stupid little phrase to see if anyone would catch it. Your work is inspiring, and I hope someday to be able to make something like this.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

*Wrapping it All Up*

This first photo shows the top after it was repaired. I think I mentioned that a small gap opened up between in the seam between the two curly maple pieces on the top. They are pretty wide pieces and they just shrank a bit. It wasn't bad but I wasn't having any of it.

Fortunately I used clear lacquer for the finish and I easily stripped the top and sanded it to raw wood again. Then I routed a slot for a strip of mahogany inlay. Then about 10 or 12 new coats of lacquer. I'm glad I had to repair it because I like it better now and the finish came out nicer the second time.

















The little walnut drawer pulls were just shaped by hand on a horizontal sander then I cut a rabbet that fit the curve of the drawer front and lapped the tap about 1/4" deep into the top edge of the drawer front.

I lubricated the drawer runners with Slippit, but "J" wax works good too









And that's all I have to say about that, unless of course you have any questions. I be happy to answer them.

Thanks for looking, Bret


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## ACP (Jan 24, 2009)

Stunning work. You already have a 0 handicap in woodworking but I think you shot about -10 under par with this one.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Regarding SPRING BACK, I have made curved panels using BENDING PLYWOOD, what I have used is 5/16". I get zero spring back, also I have found you can clamp with several pieces of wood instead of making a matching buck. Just bunch them up next to each other and clamp. Not that this is the only way, for sure.... 

I have glued up as many as 7 pieces of the bending plywood, and then veneered over such. If I needed to fill any voids, I used bondo, worked very well. I make one of a kind pieces of furniture for churches. Mostly communion tables, and pulpits.

Enjoying this thread, I AM.......

Dale in Indy

P.S. I have when I needed a thin panel I have had good luck with several layers of scrap veneer.


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

Lola Ranch said:


> And that's all I have to say about that, unless of course you have any questions. I be happy to answer them.
> 
> Thanks for looking, Bret


Bret,

I did post 4 questions back in post number 38.... I realize it is kind of long winded, but I wanted to be clear what I was asking.

I look forward to your answers.


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

thegrgyle said:


> Bret,
> 
> I did post 4 questions back in post number 38.... I realize it is kind of long winded, but I wanted to be clear what I was asking.
> 
> I look forward to your answers.


I did actually respond to your questions late last night. In the fog of fatigue I may have pressed delete instead of post. We'll never know.

I'll try again

#1.

I've said before that woodworking is making the wood do what you want it to do but trying to make a glued up curve bend again is just like trying to make a straight board bend. The wood will win that fight. The short answer is "no".

#2

Yup. The dado on the table saw is an easy way to make those stopped grooves for the frame rail tenons to fit into. I'm not sure why I stop them. Leaving more wood in tact might make it stronger. One could run them through if one chooses to.

#3

First of all I clamp or screw a wood backup fence to the miter gauge. A fresh one with no saw cuts in it yet. With a left tilt table saw, set the blade at a 45 degree angle and mark the the lengths to cut your blocks so that you do not have to use the table saw fence. If the piece is long enough you can just hold it tight to the miter gauge with your finger safely out of range of the blade.

Now lower the blade to the required depth and with the blade still set at 45 degrees Just start whittling away at the piece until you have a good fit. You can use the saw fence now and be safe or use a stop block clamped to the miter gauge fence. Cut five and save the fifth for a pattern for the next time. It will really save you some time then.

#4

for the drawer runner I used some scraps of left over Brazillian cherry. It seemed like a good hard wood and suitable for that purpose.

Be safe, Bret


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## bassbone83 (Jan 7, 2011)

Thank you for the wonderful build thread! Many of these techniques are light years beyond my current level, but I appreciate your drive to pass on your knowledge. Great to see a master at work!

-Adam


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Smith Brother said:


> Regarding SPRING BACK, I have made curved panels using BENDING PLYWOOD, what I have used is 5/16". I get zero spring back, also I have found you can clamp with several pieces of wood instead of making a matching buck. Just bunch them up next to each other and clamp. Not that this is the only way, for sure....
> 
> I have glued up as many as 7 pieces of the bending plywood, and then veneered over such. If I needed to fill any voids, I used bondo, worked very well. I make one of a kind pieces of furniture for churches. Mostly communion tables, and pulpits.
> 
> ...


Yes, I've used the technique you've described. It definitely helps to use the right kind of plywood.

The side of this cabinet were made in that way.

















Bret


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## thegrgyle (Jan 11, 2011)

That cabinet is awesome! I take it that goes in the living room with the chest? Wow...LOVE those curves. So with that, you used bending plywood on the upper part,and then how thickof a veneer did you put on over the top of it? Did you cut the veneer or buy it? did you have to wrap the veneer around the edges to hide the plywood edges? The only reason I'm asking is because I used bendable ply for my drawer fronts, and I am debating on to what extent I want to hide the ply.

How did you hinge those doors?



Lola Ranch said:


> I did actually respond to your questions late last night. In the fog of fatigue I may have pressed delete instead of post. We'll never know.
> 
> I feel your pain there... I have had that happen on multiple occasions, and I would almost yell at the screen when it happened. Someone once told me that if you accidently delete everything, you could try hitting "CTRL" and "Z" at the same time. That has helped me out a few times. won't work if you change the webpage though. Maybe this might help the next time that happens.
> 
> ...


What makes a good material for a drawer runner? I have maple and red oak on hand. I was thinking of using the oak, because I have more of that, but I don't want to have problems in the future.

Thanks again for really sharing your knowledge. As many have already said, it is much appreciated.

Hope you heal quick....


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