Hi Everyone...
Getting ready to make my first dresser. It's going to be 1/4 sawn white
oak, with poplar secondary woods for the drawer sides and dust frames. Not
sure what i'm going to use for finish, but i'm leaner towards some aniline
dye and then either linseed or tung oil. I'm also planning on sanding every
piece of the dresser to 220 grit. I've been searching on the web and in
magazines and i can't find answers to some of my questions, but it could be
because the answer may be more simple than what i'm thinking. anyway, here
they are:
1) When I make tables, for example, I finish the whole thing, top and bottom
of tabletop, both sides of rails, etc. I'm assuming I want to do the same
thing here to equalize moisture? If so do i stain both sides of the top
before or after construction?
2) It's going to be in the arts and crafts style, with frame and panel
construction. the panels are going to be solid oak, not plywood, so i'm
going to finish the panels before glueing them up so that as they change
size with wood movement i dont see an 'unfinished' section as they shrink.
Do you foresee any problems with this? Since they will be floating panels i
think i'll be ok
2) I'm going to use half blind dovetails on the drawers. Do I do anything to
the plywood bottom and drawer sides/back? Do i leave the wood as is?
"bare"/"raw"? When I finish the front, I'll obviously finish the outside
face, do I do the side that's inside the drawer as well? if so, do i finish
it before i glue it up?
3) do i do anything to the dust frames or just leave the wood "raw"?
4) how 'bout the insides of the case? should those be finished as well to
equalize moisture since the outside faces will be all finished?
Please excuse what might be simple questions, just never finished anything
quite this complex before...Thanks in advance for any and all advice...
Ken
"ken blais" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:nGGYf.9590$bX5.451@dukeread04...
> Hi Everyone...
> Getting ready to make my first dresser. It's going to be 1/4 sawn white
> oak, with poplar secondary woods for the drawer sides and dust frames.
> Not
> sure what i'm going to use for finish, but i'm leaner towards some aniline
> dye and then either linseed or tung oil. I'm also planning on sanding
> every
> piece of the dresser to 220 grit. I've been searching on the web and in
> magazines and i can't find answers to some of my questions, but it could
> be
> because the answer may be more simple than what i'm thinking. anyway, here
> they are:
>
> 1) When I make tables, for example, I finish the whole thing, top and
> bottom
> of tabletop, both sides of rails, etc. I'm assuming I want to do the same
> thing here to equalize moisture? If so do i stain both sides of the top
> before or after construction?
>
> 2) It's going to be in the arts and crafts style, with frame and panel
> construction. the panels are going to be solid oak, not plywood, so i'm
> going to finish the panels before glueing them up so that as they change
> size with wood movement i dont see an 'unfinished' section as they shrink.
> Do you foresee any problems with this? Since they will be floating panels
> i
> think i'll be ok
>
> 2) I'm going to use half blind dovetails on the drawers. Do I do anything
> to
> the plywood bottom and drawer sides/back? Do i leave the wood as is?
> "bare"/"raw"? When I finish the front, I'll obviously finish the
> outside
> face, do I do the side that's inside the drawer as well? if so, do i
> finish
> it before i glue it up?
>
> 3) do i do anything to the dust frames or just leave the wood "raw"?
>
> 4) how 'bout the insides of the case? should those be finished as well to
> equalize moisture since the outside faces will be all finished?
>
> Please excuse what might be simple questions, just never finished anything
> quite this complex before...Thanks in advance for any and all advice...
>
> Ken
I have built many chests with drawers and regretted building the first with
soft wood for the drawer sides.
I strongly suggest you use a harder wood for the drawer sides and what they
will slide on. The drawers will slide very smoothly with a touch of wax
after applying the varnish. The soft woods seem to always drag and scrape
by comparison. You are going to this much trouble to use a beautiful wood
don't go cheap now. It will simply feel better with the hard wood innards.