Pear and Walnut TV cabinet

[AndyBoyd]

Having just finished it, this competition came up just at the right time, I've never entered one before so here goes.

The vertical and horizontal panels are 12mm multiplex which is lipped with pear and veneered on both sides.

The doors are 15mm multiplex veneered with hand cut pear veneer.

The idea for the cabinet came from our buying a very nice Japanese teapot and me thinking Hmm we something nice to show it.
The TV stand came need came later.

So a Japanese theme coupled with mimicking the 1930s styling of our house (the hand made brass end pieces, and the steps in the walnut foot). I liked the Pear I saw in the local fine wood dealership and needed a contrast wood, we tried Wenge but that was too 70s I felt, so steamed european walnut met the need. The wings were originally at a lower angle but I steepened them as it seemed much nicer.

The joints between the veneered multiplex sections are mainly biscuit joints, although the drawer dovetails and mortise and tenons of the frame are hand cut.
The dimensions are driven by the space it has to occupy the DVD player the amplifier and the TV that now sits on top.

My favourite non wood working bit is the infra red remote control repeater that means we can zap with the doors shut.

I patched some holes in the pear with bronze filled epoxy, which has left a very nice effect on the cabinet top.

The finish is with 3 coats of Gel Varnish
The piece was finished in about 240 hours and as I'm a hobbyist that's just over a year.

My work in progress weblog is here:
http://croeso.typepad.com/photos/furniture/index.html

 

[Philly]

Andy
That looks fantastic!
Nice one,
Philly

 

[dedee]

Andy,
very nice cabinet. I do like that brass work. How was the soldering accomplished?

Andy

 

[AndyBoyd]

I bought a cheapo 90 degree clamp for 1.5€ and some 10mm square brass, a cheap gas gun, solder, heat pad and flux.

I then used my Ulmia Hand Mitre saw with a metal blade to cut the brass at 90 deg, then tinned the end and the side of the areas to be jointed, clamped them in the cheap clamp and then soldered it together.

I made the square and 4 L shapes this way, I then cleaned them up on my 300mm disc sander and with a scotchbrite wheel.

I then drilled the square and the L shapes, countersunk slightly the holes and peened over some brass rod, to rivet the pieces together.

To get the colour right, I used patination fluid and jade oil to fix it from Axminster. I cut square holes in the cabinet and just pushed the brass home, it has room to move a little (3mm or so)
http://croeso.typepad.com/photos/furniture/100_0796.html

To make the pulls I used the same rod and a drum sander in my pillar drill, I made rounds on all four sides, in six places (to make 6 pulls) on the 10mm brass bar, then cut them off to size. I chamfered the front edges on the disc sander. I drilled and tapped the brass to take a 6mm screws.
Again these were patinated.
http://croeso.typepad.com/photos/furniture/100_1495.html

To match I also patinated the Hafele knife hinges and the fittings that hold the top to the cabinet (8's)

This was my first time to try metal work and it worked a treat, all about 8 hours work.

 

[dedee]

Andy, thanks for that you do make it sound easy.

When you say "cheapo gas gun" could this be what I would call a blow torch?
Similar to this http://www.tool-net.co.uk/data/index.php?ToolID=320192

Andy

 

[AndyBoyd]

So my English was bad there, yes I did it with a simple blow torch - even cheaper than the taymar (9€ I seem to remember with an extra € for a canister of gas)