Spice box progress -- Complete
- Thread starter creasman
- Start date
Occasionally, yes. This is especially true for drawers in a non-air-conditioned space. When that's happened I've taken the drawer out and planed a bit more off the side (or wherever it's sticking). Usually doesn't take much.
I'd be curious to know what process others follow when fitting small drawers. I start by getting the cabinet as square and true as possible. Otherwise, you're in for a real struggle. After that I cut the front and back so they fit very snug into the opening's width. The length doesn't have to be so exact.
Next I set a pair of marking gauges to scribe the dovetails, through dovetails on the back and half-blind on the front. I set a gauge just a hair thicker than the sides so when these are fit you can just feel the difference. This gives me a chance to plane the pins down flush. Once the drawer is glued up I use a block plane and scraper to size it down to fit. That's for the width.
The height of the sides depends on how you install the bottom. For larger drawers I plow a groove and slide the bottom in from the back. For small drawers I make the bottom out of 1/8" stock and simply glue it to the bottom of the drawer sides. This means that when you cut the drawer sides you have to account for the thickness of the bottom. Again, I rip the drawer sides so they fit snug. After the glue has set I use a small plan to take the sides down until I get a good fit.
I've also learned to only put finish on the front of the drawer and not coat it inside and out. This only increases the thickness. I do wax the parts of the drawer that slide on the cabinet.
This is a somewhat time-consuming process. With practice I'm getting better/quicker at it. As I mentioned, I'm curious to know what shortcuts and/or best-practices others follow.
The bottom of my drawers are glued onto the sides. I allow these to extend about 1/4" beyond the back of the drawer and have a stop block glued to the back of the cabinet. Once the drawer is sliding freely I plane off the bottom in the back until it goes in as far as I want. For these drawers this part involved removing slightly less than 1/8".
I couldn't agree more. This is my first and it's like building a full-size chest, only in miniature.
That is a clever way to make a precise fit.
Very nice! And a beautiful combination of woods.
I'm almost done with the spice box. After mortising for the hinges and lock one of the last things I needed was an escutcheon for the key hole. I ordered one only to find out it was really too big for the size of key that came with the lock. At this point I debated whether to order another, use inlay around the key hole, do nothing, or make an insert. I decided on the latter. I've done a fair amount of brass work on tools and other items so figured I would give it a try.
I started with a 3/16" thick brass plate and scratched out the design. The hole was easy to drill and everything else lays out from there. Next step was to saw it out as close to the lines as I dared, which was not very close on something this small. Brass is soft enough to use a fret saw blade. The next challenge is holding something this small while you file it. Fortunately, a hand vise mounted in a bench vise does the trick.
I filed the sides of the shape so they taper slightly in, making the back perimeter slightly thinner than the front. This allows for the insert to be wedged in tight. As you can see it's barely 3/8" high.
I carefully marked and mortised the door for the insert. I could have relied solely on the compression fit to keep it in place, but I felt better using a dab of epoxy, so it would not come loose later. I used a C-clamp to force it all the way in and left it to dry overnight. A bit of light sanding and it's ready to finish!
I wanted a simple escutcheon that didn't distract from the door. Its main purpose is to protect the key hole from wear. Most of the hardware is hidden when the door is shut so I was pleased with the way this small insert works into the design.
I have a few more coats of shellac before I call this project complete. My next post will be the finished cabinet.
I started with a 3/16" thick brass plate and scratched out the design. The hole was easy to drill and everything else lays out from there. Next step was to saw it out as close to the lines as I dared, which was not very close on something this small. Brass is soft enough to use a fret saw blade. The next challenge is holding something this small while you file it. Fortunately, a hand vise mounted in a bench vise does the trick.
I filed the sides of the shape so they taper slightly in, making the back perimeter slightly thinner than the front. This allows for the insert to be wedged in tight. As you can see it's barely 3/8" high.
I carefully marked and mortised the door for the insert. I could have relied solely on the compression fit to keep it in place, but I felt better using a dab of epoxy, so it would not come loose later. I used a C-clamp to force it all the way in and left it to dry overnight. A bit of light sanding and it's ready to finish!
I wanted a simple escutcheon that didn't distract from the door. Its main purpose is to protect the key hole from wear. Most of the hardware is hidden when the door is shut so I was pleased with the way this small insert works into the design.
I have a few more coats of shellac before I call this project complete. My next post will be the finished cabinet.
Really nice. Thanks for including so many construction details.
You're welcome. I enjoy learning how something is done as much as seeing the end result.
Wow!
Love it!
Finally finished the Spice Box. I never realized how much work goes into something so small. These are really just scaled down chest of drawers, complete with some secret compartments.
One of the things I did on this project -- something I've never done before -- was to keep a log of my activity. Each time I worked on it I logged my time and what I did. Not saying I would ever do that again, but it was eye opening. Keep in mind this is all hand work except for prepping the rough stock. For that I used a table saw and planer.
Project at a glance:
How I spent my time:
One of the things I did on this project -- something I've never done before -- was to keep a log of my activity. Each time I worked on it I logged my time and what I did. Not saying I would ever do that again, but it was eye opening. Keep in mind this is all hand work except for prepping the rough stock. For that I used a table saw and planer.
Project at a glance:
Date started: | August 29, 2020 |
Date finished: | March 18, 2022 |
Total hours spent: | 160 hours, 21 minutes |
Average time spent per work session: | 46 minutes |
Number of individual work sessions: | 205 sessions spread over 111 days |
How I spent my time:
Nice!
Gorgeous. That takes my breath away. It's beautiful.
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