Penn Chippendale Slant Front Desk Building Gallery Pt 3 Step 12

I started to work on the document folders.   I decided to use 1/4 inch birch plywood because it will be quite stable.

I started by milling a piece of cherry 1/2 inch  and putting a rabbet on each side for the plywood and a stop.

 

I added a back and bottom.  I nailed and glued the four pieces together leaving the top open.

I slid it in the opening to check the fit.  I want it to be nice and snug.

I will show how I made the flutes in a little bit.  But the columns have a base and capital.  I carved these since I didn't have router bits that could make the shape.

Later I'll show how I made the hidden locks.

I drew a ogee shape on the sides that I later cutout on a band saw. This allows the owner to grab the papers that are placed in the document folders.

Here is how I put the flutes on the columns.  I marked the start and stop points on the side of the folder.

I marked the router table on either side of the 1/4 inch router bit.

I then set the fence to cut the slot which is the furthest from the fence.  Then carefully drop the face on to the bit at the start point.

Then push it down to the stop point and lift it off.

 
Now I need to cut the other three slots.  I just add a 1/2 inch strip of wood and repeat the process.

Then I added a 1 inch piece and cut another slot.

Then I added a 1 1/2 inch piece and cut the 4th slot.

You can see the 4 flutes on the front of the folder below as well as the ogee cutout on the top of the folder.
These are suppose to be secret folders. To accommodate that a hidden lock needs to be added to the folder.
A wooden spring is installed in the side of the folder.  I drilled a hole in the side which will be hidden by one of the drawers.  Pressing a paper clip into the hole and depressing the wooden lock will release the folder.

There is a matching depression on the inside of the vertical divider. When the folder is pushed back in the wooded spring snaps back in place and the folder is locked.

I cut out the valences on a band saw and cleaned them up with a spindle sander.  

I will glue them in place and put small glue blocks behind them.

They are slightly recessed  to give a 3d effect.

With the document folders made and everything all glued in place I am going to start on the drawers.

Here is today's video:

Penn Chippendale Slant Front Desk Building Gallery Pt 2 Step 11

Now that the main vertical dividers are in, I turn my attention to the horizontal dividers.  First I need the 3/16 inch grooves or dados for the dividers.

I have marked them out on the vertical dividers and the sides of the desk.

Now I am ready to cut the dados with a 3/16 inch bit 1/8 of an inch deep.  I am using a rule that I made which is the width from the edge of the router guide to the router bit. 

I can put the rule on the lines that I drew and then clamp a straight edge to the rule. Remove the rule. Then I am ready to cut the dado right where it needs to be.
 

 
These are stopped dados, I stop them 3/8 of an inch from the front.

You can see that I have all the dados cut now.

Now for the horizontal dividers. I milled up a bunch of 3/16 inch stock to fit in the grooves.  Since they are stopped dados, I need to cut out notches on each corner so the divider can slip all the way to the front.

The template I made earlier matches the curve on the back of the round over on the base. This is the curve for the drawer fronts.

 I made a larger template for the dividers so that I could fasten it to the whole piece.  I trace the curve on the front from the template.

Then rough it out on the band saw leaving about 1/16 of an inch away from the line.

Then I used a flush trim bit to clean up the front edge.

Then I used the beading bit with a bearing to put the bead on the front of the divider.

Now the upper horizontal divider needs to be divided into the pigeon holes. First I need 3/16 inch dados down the center of the upper divider.  I use the same technique as before to route the groove in the center of the divider. I also put a matching dado on the underside of the top for the divider.

These dividers have a ogee shape on the front edge.  There was a photo in the article that I am using for reference so I blew it up to the size I needed.  Fine Woodworking Magazine March April 2002

I made a template again like before to flush trim the fronts after sawing out the pattern on a scroll saw. Then put the bead on the front using the beading bit.  The tight curve in the lower portion with have to be cleaned up with a chisel.

All of the dividers are in place.  I am going to glue them in later when I am done with the document folders.

I am making the valances now, I made a template from a picture in the article. Then cut out 8 small pieces of 3/16 inch cherry.

I am going to tape 4 pieces together and gang saw them out on the band saw.  Then flush trim them.  They do not need a bead on the edge.  The small notch in either side will have to be carved.

That is it for today.  Next will be the hidden document folders.

Here is today's video:

Penn Chippendale Slant Front Desk Building the Gallery Pt I Step 10

 Time to get started on the gallery. I have built two other galleries which were copies of a particular piece.  This slant front is not a copy of one piece but a conglomeration of features that I like. The gallery that I like is from Fine Woodworking Magazine March April 2002.  Lonnie Bird.
I will modify the size and some of the features but on the whole it is a good start.

Of course I made a story stick with the layout.  I will also use it as a template for routing the pattern.

 I am going to need a lot of thin 3/16 and 3/8 cherry and poplar, so I re-sawed a bunch and stickered it so that it would be stable by the time I needed to use it.

I used a piece of pine to practice making the base and testing my template story stick. I roughed out the curves with a jig saw. Then used a flush trim bit to get them smooth.  Then I used a 3/8 inch round over bit on the 1/2 stock leaving a 1/8 inch fillet.
 

 One tricky part is the bump out for the document folders.  You have to cut away the round over and insert a 7/8 inch piece.  It was good to practice because I want a nice tight fit.

Using the round over bit on the router table. The template is only half of the pattern. I turn it over and use it on the other side to complete the pattern.

 I cut out the round over portion of the edge with a chisel where the bump out is going to be. I used a 45 degree guide block and hand saw to cut the miters in the corners of the opening.

I made the little pieces by screwing a piece of pine to be bottom as a template.  Routing the edges with the round over.  Then using the chop saw cut the 45 miter on each corner at 7/8.  Then I ripped off the 7/8.

Chop saw for the partial 45 on the piece.

Ripped of the 7/8 inch that I needed.

I need to glue in the base so that I can route the dados for the vertical divider panels. This way I can use templates to guide the router for the top and bottom dados that are needed.

I am using my small trim router and a 3/8 inch bit 3/16 deep. You can see the guide template to my right, just a piece of 1/4 inch plywood.   I'll use the same template on the top underside dado.
These are stopped dados 3/8 of an inch from the front.

Had to turn the desk upside down to route the matching dados in the underside of the top. You can see I have it clamped to the work bench so it won't tip over.

Here all of the dados are cut including the 3/16 inch side dados for the horizontal drawer dividers. They are all stopped dados.

I made this template to match the curve of the drawer fronts and horizontal dividers. 

The vertical dividers have a twin bead on the front edges. It is suppose to make it look like two 3/16 inch panels together.  To make the beads, I am using a home made scratch stock and a bit from Lie-Nielsen. If I did not have it already I could have made it from a piece of scrap metal band saw blade.
I used just two of the three curves on the bit.

It did not take much work to scratch in the beading on the edge.  I did use a little sand paper to clean up the edges.

I cut them to size and slipped them into the dados.  They fit nice and snug.

I marked the top and bottom edges on the front and still need to cut out the 3/8 inch notch on the top and bottom so the panels can slip forward to the correct position.That would complete the vertical dividers.

That's it for Part I of the Gallery.  Next will be the horizontal dividers and drawer fronts.

Here is today's video: