Sawdust on the Floor

I should have known it would happen, in fact if I had thought about it I would have realized that it was just a matter time before I would be making a dresser to match the headboard and nightstands for our bedroom. I guess that I was somewhat foolhardy to believe that A) the dresser we had would look right or B)  that we would be able to purchase anything that either looked right or wasn’t built out of particle board and laminates. So I went looking through my collection of woodworking magazines and project idea folders that I have collected over the years looking for a design that would look right. My searc for a coordinating dresser yielded absolutely nothing. I was really getting desperate for any idea when I came across a coffee table  design that contained two drawers across the face of the table.  The look was perfect, the only problem was that it was only 16″ tall, way too short for a dresser. But the design and portions of the coffee table were a perfect fit for a dresser.  The only thing I would do different is to increase the height of project, by adding a second row of drawers. And so another project was born.  

The basic concept for the dresser is two rectangular boxes that sit atop each other. Each rectangular box holds four drawers. The bottom box has a 3/4″ plywood top and bottom. The ends  for both the bottom section and the top section are more of the cope and stick panel work that we did on the nightstand. The top of the upper box is topped with 6/4 cherry.  And just like the nightstands, the exposed edges of the plywood are covered in a decorative trim. Beneath the bottom box, there is a decorative skirt board and 4 legs that raise the entire dresser up off the floor. And that’s where I started working on the project, the skirt and feet assembly.  But before I did this I cut a 3/4″ wide 3/8″ deep dado that was centered at 21 3/8″ from both ends.

This dado will be used for a vertical piece of plywood that acts as center divider.  This vertical member also stiffens the entire dresser.  The same center line dado was cut into the second piece of plywood.  Read more…

For the most part woodworking is a solitary function. We can spend hours alone in the shop, just us alone with the wood, tools and saw dust.  And that’s really OK.   But there are times when we all need that third or forth hand.  The problem is that the help isn’t always available, when you need it.  I have been looking at a product from Fast Cap that should resolve some of those ” I need help issues”, and the best part is that it is on sale.  The  Fast Cap 3rd Hand extension, is a tool that can solve several of these issues. Very useful for installing crown molding, which is an impossible task for one, unless your arms are 6 feet long. To installed wall mounted cabinets. The reach is expandable from 5′ to 12′ and has a weight capacity of 150 Lbs.  

While my wife enjoys the work I do in the house, she is always concerned about the amounts of dust I raise with those in the house projects.  If a guy were to have a couple of the 3rd hands, he could then very easily seal off the area with plastic.  The 3rd hands would be ideal for this purpose. 

The same idea would work for forming a finish area in the shop.  So while I was considering getting one of the 3rd hands, maybe I should be getting at least a set, especially  when they are on sale.  

Hey if you get these, how about letting me know how they worked for you.