Chest of drawers?

[Benchwayze]

Dibs,

I have seen plenty of solid MDF doors and drawer fronts, moulded with a router, using a template. Looks okay for this kind of quick job.

I have a mish-mash of B&Q style doors in my workshop. I thought of standardising them with moulded MDF like this. Just looking for a router moulding cutter that 'tickles my muse'!

Summat like this:

http://www.wealdentool.com/acatalog/Onl ... ed_96.html

John

 

[Dibs-h]

Looking at how folk have made MDF drawers - appears it might have to be false fronts, even if they too are MDF. This would allow the front of the drawer carcass to be enclosed by the sides, making for stronger construction than if otherwise.

Lots of reading\research - suppose it will all be useful, as you know what will happen, once Wifey sees one item being produced and is happy? She'll want other things making!

Dibs

 

[Benchwayze]

Looking at how folk have made MDF drawers - appears it might have to be false fronts, even if they too are MDF. This would allow the front of the drawer carcass to be enclosed by the sides, making for stronger construction than if otherwise.

Lots of reading\research - suppose it will all be useful, as you know what will happen, once Wifey sees one item being produced and is happy? She'll want other things making!

Dibs

Well, stick to basics... :lol:
My stuff always looks nicer in the garage than in the dining room! :roll: Don't get so many orders that way!

John

 

[Dibs-h]

Well, stick to basics... :lol:
My stuff always looks nicer in the garage than in the dining room! :roll: Don't get so many orders that way!

John

You mean deliberately make shabby stuff, so one doesn't get further orders? :shock:

Only downside of that is the purchase of high end tools\machinery would soon come to an end. I'd be left a few crappy power tools and some glue.

Dibs

 

[Benchwayze]

In a jocular kind of way Dibs yes!

A box made of pure gold, is no better than the same design in brass. Just worth more! (The brass box would probably wear better, but needs cleaning!)

I think you know I wouldn't deliberately make shoddy stuff, unless it was just for SWIMBO! :mrgreen:
Seriously, I hope the chest comes off well, as I am sure it will.

Have to take a trip to ASDA now, as it happens!

Cheers.

John

 

[mailee]

I don't know if it of any help but when I build MDF drawer units I make the drawers out of 1/2" thick pine (as it's cheap) I also use Bob's system of making doors for making drawer fronts. It is a router cutter in the table with two 6mm slot cutters with a 6mm gap. It makes shaker doors but also works well for shaker drawer fronts too. Quick and easy process and I just use it as a lay on front. HTH. :wink:

 

[Dibs-h]

Cheers Alan. Just trying to get the design firmed in my mind. :mrgreen:

Dibs

 

[Dibs-h]

Wondering round the internet, looking at products others are selling (stores and the like): 35" wide seems seems to be a common theme regarding the width of chests of drawers.

Are there proportions to consider? Or as wide as you like. There's a limit - might get a hernia getting it out of the shop, into the house and upstairs - so I'm not inclined to go with the "large as you like" approach. :?

Already come across a post on Hambridge Proportioning and Google quickly found

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/drawsizer_hambridge.htm

which I found interesting and related to, i.e. of the ones I found I liked the look of - the drawers were not all the same size.

Any thoughts on common widths?

Many thanks

Dibs

 

[liam8223]

Dibs.

If I were you I would be out there having a go!
You have done the right thing by having a look on t'internet to gain some inspiration,
but I really recommend starting to make the carcass and figuring the rest out as you go.
I find that I get bogged down when putting too much into design/planning and it all falls into place
when I have the wood on the bench.

I know we're not all the same, but looking at your workshop thread you are most definately a 'do er'.

My advice is to do just that!


Liam.

 

[Dibs-h]

I know we're not all the same, but looking at your workshop thread you are most definately a 'do er'.

My advice is to do just that!


Liam.

Liam

You have no idea the planning that went into that build. The trusses took ages to research and design, even down to scale drawings in Autocad to confirm the angles, etc. :shock: Never mind the casement windows and door.

Dibs

 

[liam8223]

Ok so you like to mull things over!

Try my way, more fun! (hammer)

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Wondering round the internet, looking at products others are selling (stores and the like): 35" wide seems seems to be a common theme regarding the width of chests of drawers.

Are there proportions to consider? Or as wide as you like. There's a limit - might get a hernia getting it out of the shop, into the house and upstairs - so I'm not inclined to go with the "large as you like" approach. :?

Already come across a post on Hambridge Proportioning and Google quickly found

http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/drawsizer_hambridge.htm

which I found interesting and related to, i.e. of the ones I found I liked the look of - the drawers were not all the same size.

Any thoughts on common widths?

Many thanks

Dibs

my thoughts on common widths are that.
Most furniture isn't custom made.
It is produced in quantity (2 and up).
It is made for a market that is different in different countries.
It has to take into account the access to get the stuff into and out of the rooms.
It should have nice visual proportions etc.

Yours needs only to take the last 2 into account. That is the benefit of making stuff for yourself. Of course The proportions need to be sensible. If you try entering crazy data into the site you posted you will find that it will change the hight to match the width and number of draws. I couldn't get a 50cm x 600cm unit with 6 draws 600 changed to 74cm

So what this comes down to is, design the room layout then see how wide and high you want it. Don't bother with standard sizes as most of the reasons for them don't apply to you.

I did mention earlier that the draws should have different hights.

 

[Dibs-h]

Jerome

Cheers for that. You're right - the last 2 are only really of interest to me. I've got some dimensions in mind - might draw them on the wall and see how it looks. :idea:

One of the few benefits of a house that's a WIP in itself. :lol:

The site I posted, I ignored the other bits and was just using it for the drawer heights. :wink:

Cheers

Dibs

 

[Charlie Woody]

Dibs

Joyce's Technique of Furniture Making give a formula for graduating drawers which I put into an excel sheet to allow me play around with different sizes so that I could end up with drawers that were not too wide for planer/thicknesser or too shallow for my daughter's needs.

For some reason I cannot attach it so if you pm me an email address I will sent it to you.

 

[Dibs-h]

Dibs

Joyce's Technique of Furniture Making give a formula for graduating drawers which I put into an excel sheet to allow me play around with different sizes so that I could end up with drawers that were not too wide for planer/thicknesser or too shallow for my daughter's needs.

For some reason I cannot attach it so if you pm me an email address I will sent it to you.

Hi Charlie

There's a few different ones - the link I posted was to an online version of Hambridge Principle (or thereabouts). That looks good.

Is it the bit on P251,

"To lay out graded drawers:1 Measure the total height of the drawerspace.2 Decide on the number of drawers required.3 Decide on the scale of graduation.4 Calculate as in example below.Drawer space 36 in (92 cm)Number of drawers 4Scale of graduation 4, 5, 6, 7Add together the numbers in the scale of graduation = 22Drawer heights will be:1st drawer 36/22 X 4 = approx. 61/2in (165 mm)2nd drawer 36/22 = approx. 81/4 in (210 mm)3rd drawer 36/22x6 = approx. 93/4 in (248 mm)4th drawer 36 x 7 = approx. 111/2 in (292 mm)This makes no allowance for the thickness of thedrawer rails"

Cheers

Dibs

p.s. Just found an online version - so will be having a read.

 

[Charlie Woody]

That's the one Dibs. Once I set it up on excel it's so quick to play around until you find something that suits your needs.

 

[Dibs-h]

Cheers for the confirm Charlie. This caught my eye as I'm a bit partial to Shaker stuff

it bizarrely very closely resembles an existing piece we have in the house. The original plan was to make it in MDF\Tulipwood, but can sense the possibility of scope creep setting in here and it escalating. :shock:

Dibs

 

[Charlie Woody]

Dibs
That's very nice! Do you know what timber it is?

Wonder if this was made in ply or mdf and painted how it would look? In case you want to keep the costs down.

 

[Dibs-h]

It's from the US and is Cherry. Can't say whether it's ply or solid construction. Being mass produced and US in origin, I suspect the sides are Cherry veneered ply.

For the 1st attempt at furniture - I'm going to go for painted MDF :wink: . Other pieces will no doubt be veneered MDF and solid timber. Or solid timber. Just for this one, I don't have time for dovetailed drawers, etc. Best practice with the Leigh jig 1st and time is short. :lol:

Cheers

Dibs

 

[Charlie Woody]

Good luck with it ..... don't forget the pics!!!