Wardrobe

[woodbloke66]

Steve, what are your thoughts on that Mitre Lock cutter? I had pondered about using one for a forthcoming project but I'm not too keen on the 'Harry Potteresque' zig-zag shape you get left with on the 'show' face. I'm going to be doing big mitres, at least 350mm wide by on say, 20mm thick material and I think that your method (mitre shoot and biscuits) is the way forward.
Edit: I've got four or five of those KIORA (my keyboard won't do it either ) lights and they're brilliant - Rob

 

[Steve Maskery]

Steve, what are your thoughts on that Mitre Lock cutter? I had pondered about using one for a forthcoming project but I'm not too keen on the 'Harry Potteresque' zig-zag shape you get left with on the 'show' face. I'm going to be doing big mitres, at least 350mm wide by on say, 20mm thick material and I think that your method (mitre shoot and biscuits) is the way forward - Rob

Those are wide boards, Rob. But I think it should work well. I rather like the zigzag, myself. The problem with this job really is man-handling the boards so that they don't tip or snag. It's the length that is the problem, not the width.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Reply from the router seller within a couple of hours, along the lines of, "Terribly sorry and all that, there will be a collet in the post to you today". Excellent.
... So a happy bunny.

Not. Collet arrived today. It's a 1/4 collet all right, but for a big 1/2" router, not the little trimmer. Grrr.

 

[sammy.se]

Hi Steve,

I assume the black 'foot plates' you mention above are for leveling. Can I ask what made you choose that method to level the cupboard, and do you have a link to that product?

Thank you

 

[Steve Maskery]

I used another router to make the chamfer. The hole is barely bigger than the bearing, so there is very little movement and thus some burning.

Now for the flat frame. I could have cut mortices with my hollow-chisel mortiser, or with my Workshop Essentials Ultimate Router Mortising Jig (as yet unpublished, so no, you can't have it), and I could have cut the tenons on the tablesaw or bandsaw with the appropriate Workshop Essentials Ultimate Tenon jig.

But I've got a Domino, so I used it. It doesn't do the job better, but it does do it very well and much faster, especially when used in conjunction with the Workshop Essentials Festool Domino Dual-Purpose Workpiece Support Jig. (You're welcome).

I sized the components carefully so as not to impede access to the adjustable feet, of course.

I set up the Router Table to cut a half round in order to mould a bullnose on the front and ends, but it proved too unwieldy to handle. The long edge wasn't so much of a problem, but the ends were, there was a lot of frame hanging outboard and I didn't feel that I would have enough control. So instead I did it by hand with a block plane. There was another advantage of doing this (apart from it being quieter), I have more control when the grain changes direction.

I don't know why this happened, It's puzzling. Both long rails were cut, side-by-side, from the same board. The narrower back rail has stayed perfectly flat, as it was machined. The wider front rail has bowed up by about 10mm. That is a lot from flat. As it happens it won't matter, but I don't understand it.

To screw the frame down I need to hit the centre of the cross-braces, which, of course, I can't see. So I transferred the positions of the faces from the underside of the frame to the top.

Then I could see where to drill. A 1/16" drill marks the plinth underneath.

So the frame is given a clearance hole and a countersink, whilst the plinth is given a pilot hole for a size8 screw.

Bow? What bow?

 

[Steve Maskery]

I assume the black 'foot plates' you mention above are for leveling. Can I ask what made you choose that method to level the cupboard, and do you have a link to that product?

Hi Sammy,
I chose them because I've used them before and they work very well. I shall be able to level the wardrobe even after it has all been assembled, rather than relying on the plinth staying level after it is loaded up. The levelling is very important for the doors to operate properly.

Link

 

[Racers]

Steve these might fit your trimmer, I have a set if you want to try them out.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SP10174814-C ... 2749.l2649

Pete

P.s good work as usual.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thank you, Pete.
It's being sorted. Another prompt apologetic reply. The Customer Services lady gave the router model number to the "Engineer" who provided her with the wrong collet. She's ordered the right one from the OEM and has promised me 1st Class delivery. These things happen, I guess.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Good news bad news.
The correct collet arrived this morning. Hoorah!
Some stupid woman has parked her car across my drive. silly person.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's time to start assembling these carcases.

So far in this project, things have gone suspiciously smoothly, not the whisper of a hint of a suggestion of a cock-up. I should have known it was too good to last

I made a rod for the positions of the pocket screws. This way I only need to measure out once and thereafter I just copy the pencil marks.

The eagle eyed will notice that I am marking on the front edge. In fact this photo is staged because the original was out of focus, so I didn't really drill my pockets along the front edge...

I like and hate pocket-hole joinery in pretty much equal measure. It's strong and fast, but most of all I can take it all apart for transportation. But it certainly ain't pretty.

The little jig is well-made and easy to use. Line it up with the pencil mark

make sure it is flush with the edge

and with the stop-collar set correctly, drill away

Well, actually, there are a couple of problems.

The first is dust extraction, or rather the lack of it. I have to operate the drill with one hand and hold the DX hose with the other. At least it switches on automatically when I trigger the drill.

The second is the quality of the cut. It's not so bad when I'm drilling in line with the grain, but when drilling across the grain there is considerable tearout as the rotating drill pushes the veneer in on the RH side but rips it up off the LH side.

So it needs cleaning up a bit with chisel and sandpaper.

When you have dozens to do it seems like an annoyance.

The third problem is when actually screwing. The screw is at an angle, and that means it is pulling in the direction we do want, but also a little bit in the direction we don't want, pulling the board out of alignment. So clamping the boards up to within an inch of their lives is essential. I'm assembling on the plinth base (old towels- one I seem to remember buying on holiday in Greece in my 20s - preventing scratching between the plinth and the carcase side) so that I can get clamps in properly.

Edit - this carcase is on its side, it's easier to assemble this way. The open front is on the far side, away from me.

And this where the cock-up revealed itself.

Remember when I lipped these boards? I cut them full-size before lipping, as I didn't know how much cleaning up I would have to do. I planned to trim to size later.

Well I forgot. So all the tops and bottoms were 2mm oversize. I have to
rip this off the back edge (otherwise I lose all my front trim) but I've already cut my pockets, so the screws end up 2mm further in than they should be.

Fortunately the screws didn't poke through the face surface, I got away with it, but it was more by luck than judgement.

So I have one assembled cabinet and not a screw (nor a gap!) in sight.

It weighs a ton, and it was all I could do to get it upright on my own, but at least I can now sort out the interior, dismantle it and get it out of the way before I do the other two; my workshop has panels everywhere.

A loooong time ago, in a previous life, I made a router jig to make pocket holes. It wasn't as fast as the Kreg, but it was very clean and although it was no prettier, the screw went in straight rather than at an angle. I'd forgotten about it until I did this and all these weaknesses reminded me of that jig. I think I should revisit it.

 

[doctor Bob]

Can I ask why you pocket holed the back on, rather than just screwing through the back?

 

[Steve Maskery]

I could have done that, Bob, but it would mean screwing into the edge of the board, rather than the surface. And if, one day after I am gone, this stands somewhere with the sides more on display, I think it is prettier to see the side panels run right to the back, rather than seeing the edge of the back panel behind the sides.

 

[doctor Bob]

|| is prettier to see the side panels run right to the back, rather than seeing the edge of the back panel behind the sides.

I don't get that Steve, I mean do it as you have but instead of pocket holing just screw it on, or is it a case of hiding the screws?

 

[Steve Maskery]

So would you screw through the sides into the edge of the back? If so the screws would show on the outer faces.
I don't think we are understanding each other very well here!

 

[doctor Bob]

Sorry Steve, I've looked at your pic again. I assummed the back was at the top, I now realise the back is facing you. Carry on, good job.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I thank you
Actually, as someone who makes posh boxes for a living*, I really do thank you.
S
*You, not me!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've realised that I don't need to assemble the centre cabinet, as I can fit the rails easily enough at installation time, so it's just the RH cabinet to assemble, which is a relief, I can tell you. These things would have been heavy 20 years ago, but now they are crippling.

I bought a couple of different lengths of rail from Toolstation a few weeks ago, ordering it online and going to pick it up the same day. I could get a long rail and the short rail out of the longer length and the other long rail out of the shorter length. When I got there they had only one of the long lengths and that was damaged. The plastic sleeving was torn and the chrome plating badly scuffed. Fortunately the scuffing could be avoided by some judicious cutting so I accepted it and got a 10% discount. I love a bargain. I've not yet decided what to spend my 76p on. The rail sits in a couple of U-shaped plates.

Now I know I could drill the shelf pin holes with the panels flat on the bench, but I like to do it after assembly, as I can then be certain that they are all going off exactly the same reference plane. So I made a drill-board, the holes being every 50mm apart.

A strange thing happened. I did a test hole in a piece of scrap pine to check I had the right drill. Perfect, easy to get in and out without being sloppy, just as it should be.

But when I drilled the actual cabinets, the pins are much tighter, I need pliers, actually. Same drill. Two different materials, two different-sized holes. Go figure.

So I now need to dismantle these cabinets (and label each panel) and finish oiling them. Some of the faces have had only one coat. They can then be brought up into the house, freeing up some much-needed space in the workshop. (Not for long, I fear, as I have to go shopping for some more boards for the doors on Monday.)

 

[Steve Maskery]

I roped in my mate Charlie for this bit and we did it in three stages, after he finished work.

Everything has had to be hauled up the stairs. We managed it, no scuffed paintwork, no smashed light fittings. But it was challenge nonetheless, that dog-leg return doesn't help at all.

I laid the base on four strips of 6mm MDF, each strip slid under two feet and then the feet were adjusted until the bubble said Yes.

The assembly filled the room, but we managed, one cabinet at a time. This is the centre one. We fitted just the lower half of the back, then got it upright before fitting the upper half. Even so, it weighed a ton.

Coming along

I locked the three cabinets together with chromed connectors.

I've also made a shelf-cum-brace for the back of the center cabinet. It is pocketed into the sides and covers the joint between top and bottom halves of the back panel.

I've not done that quite right. The shelf was supposed to end up exactly in line with the lower rail. It helps to tie the two sides together without getting in the way of the hanging shirts. But somehow I've got the cut line too high. There is still clearance for my shirts, fortunately, but I don't know how I got that wrong, it's not a difficult calculation.

I can use that shelf for things like rolled-up belts. I have a couple of boxes of cuff links that can sit there, too, though I can't remember when I last wore them. I'm not even sure if I actually have any cuffable shirts.

With the last cabinet in place it looks like this:

Now that it is in situ, the physicality of it is a bit of a shock, TBH. I know it's what I drew, but having it in the room, well, it is enormous. And I can already tell that the room looks darker.

I can also see that I've cocked up slightly. When I designed this I left 100mm or so clearance at each side. But I did not allow for the crown moulding. The walls are not vertical and there is less clearance at the top than at floor level. If I fit moulding as I first drew it, It will be so close to the wall it might as well be touching.

Fortunately I was not hell-bent on making coving of that size, I just did that as it was easy to draw. So I have to design something that tops it all off nicely without overhanging too much.

I also have to make a decision about these doors. I've discussed in another thread my thought processes regarding my veneering options. I originally envisaged QS oak with a Mackintoshesque grid motif in bog oak. But I don't have the veneer I thought I had. A guy from DW Richards is supposed to be coming back to me with a quote for the layons, but I haven't heard anything yet.

The alternative is to forget QS oak and just find a couple of standard boards with a nice figure. It would save me a lot of money and time. But do I want to compromise? I really don't know.

So I think that there will probably be a bit of a hiatus while I do some mulling. I also have some other jobs to do which will keep me busy for a while.

But at least I can hang my shirts up properly for the first time in years and I get to sleep in my bed tonight instead of in my office...

 

[stuartpaul]

Looking good Steve. Nice to know I'm not the only one who (sometimes!) has problems measuring stuff properly.

I absolutely hate it when a measurement that should be so obviously simple is cocked up, - I've had a bit of practice at it unfortunately.

I've not yet decided what to spend my 76p on.

Don't you go blowing it all one go now!

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've started to populate it. It's full and I have TWO WASHING-MACHINE LOADS of discards as well! One or two need to go to the clothing bank, but the rest can go to a charity shop.
And I've found a posh one with cuff-link cuffs! Whoo-hoo!
I wonder if I'll ever wear it?