Dear Furniture Makers,
|
|
The complete
North Shore cabinet |
|
In response to a deluge of inquiries regarding the "rest of the cabinet" not shown on the cover of catalog 111 (only the ogee foot shows), I have put together this outline of construction for my North Shore Dresser. The North Shore Dresser is what I call "big furniture." Kinda like a gal with "big hair," this type of furniture is a real eye-catcher, when you walk into a room. At almost seven-feet high and six-feet long, it needs a lot of space in a room.
Style Notes
The motif is that of good honest American furniture from an earlier time. Solid wood throughout, dovetails drawers, mortise and tenon joinery in the doors. A heavy projection on the crown moulding, and carved ogee bracket feet formalize what would otherwise be a country piece. Likewise, the combination of rat tail hinges with brass knobs further blends country and formal style.
The Wood
There is a lot of curb appeal in tiger maple. I've made rich, mellow versions in cherry. I've made some exceptional ones in flame birch. I use the widest lumber I can find. I carry the single board from the side of the upper carcass down to form the side glue-up for the lower carcass as well. The secondary wood is white pine. All the component pieces are machine-milled, and then hand-detailed with plane, spoke shave and chisel before final assembly. This removes machine tool marks and imparts the unique hand-planed character to each and every surface of the final product.
Glass Front Upgrade
The piece looks good with open shelving. It can be formalized with the addition of glass doors in the upper case. Notice in the photo how the horizontal muntins of the glass doors are positioned to perfectly align with the shelf boards inside the case. I salvage wavy glass from old windows to reuse in our glass doors. I mix red masonry pigment (available from your local building supply center) in with the putty before I glaze the windows into the frames from the backside.
The Finish
I find the color I'm looking for using aniline dye stains. I seal the stain coat with shellac. After the shellac is sanded, I wipe on a coat of burnt umber glaze, then wipe it away (except in the corners, where I leave it built up for an aged effect). Satin varnish is used on the counter to enhance durability. Painting the interior of the upper cabinet creates a background for displayed objects, and is a nice contrast to the surrounding wood. I choose a creamy off-white or antique blue color in a satin sheen.
On cherry an equally beautiful finish can be achieved using an oil finish. Oil finishes are by far the most fail-safe finishes for the craftsman with limited finishing experience. Oil finishes are simple, beautiful and durable.
Make Things Easy
There are two mouldings on this piece- the crown at the top, and the ogee just above the carved feet. We sell the carved ogee feet, and the ogee trim moulding in cherry, maple, tiger maple and walnut (new!). We also sell the ogee foot stock in long lengths if you would like to "scroll yer own!"
Enjoy,
Matthew Burak