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When you create a peice of furniture you sometimes use a back of 1/4" ply. Do you glue or nail it in place? Do you prefinish it and the rest of the peice so that you can spray the interior ? Do you fasten it in place to act as a squaring device then after the glue drys in the frame remove it for finishing later on? I am finishing up my daughters curio cabinet and think it should go this way. 1. cut to fit but do not install. 2. Fiinish the face and sides of the peices and spray if desired. 3. Finish the plywood back. 4. Install the back with Nails to allow some wood movement.

Might be the Dr. Feelgood? Got a wild-arsed idea last night. To take the dresser build system I was using in the late 1980s, and tweek it just a bit. Back then, I could start at 0800 on a Saturday morning, and by 2000 that night, have a 5 drawer Chest of Drawers standing in the shop, awaiting a finish. Haven't quite the room that I had back then. Thought about doing a little step-by-step of how those were made, back then. They usually sold @$20 per drawer, BTW. Back then, lumber supply was about five 2x4x8's, a 1 x 6 x8' or 1 x 8x8's one for each drawer. At least one sheet of 1/4" Luann plywood ( because it was cheap), and not a whole lot more. One 2 x 4 x 8 was reserved for the top's frame. Two more were ripped into 3/4" thick strips. And the last two ( and the best of the bunch) were cut for the 4 corner posts. Each 1x provide the four sides of a drawer. Drawers were 3/4 overlay, dovetails at the front, dado for the backs. I got to be very good at changing tablesaw blades. Sides were frames, with some of the 1/4" plywood as panels....insides of the case were smooth and flat, to guide the drawers. Webframes were made from the ripped down 2 x 4 x 8....and some of the wider face frame parts were also ripped. Usually began by figuring out the spacing of the webframes, to find out how long the corner posts needed to be. had to allow for the top frame to be a tad wider, and the bottom face frame piece at 3-1/2" wide.. I could either mill, assemble and stack 6 webframes, with kickers, or work on the corner posts. usually the frames were done first...as I didn't slow down much doing the posts. Corner posts.....Used to be, not much else was done, decided to thin things done a bit, one day....both edges were ripped off. Leaves a nice straight, square 3" wide post....most 2 x 4s have a good face, and a not-so good face....I would rip the not-so good off, to make the posts 1" thick......much better than a lumpy 1-3/8" x 3-1/2" with rounded corners. Post got a bit more work, back then it was on the tablesaw I set the 4 posts, to see which would be the best for the front. Marked them as to where the inside was. Couple of cuts to make a rebate down the back edge of the two back posts ( holds the plywood back) Then all got a rebate along the inside edge. 1/4" x 3/4" wide. A foot detail was sawn...usually started about 5" about the foot, and tapered to 1" square at the foot.....thinner posts could get a fancier curved cut out, The second rebate was to house a series of rails, and plywood panels....and the rails needed a few cuts. a rebate to house the plywood panel...each edge as needed ( top and bottom rail only got one), and a dado on each end, to sit flush in the post's rebate. Usually, a cove bit was used on the "show" edges...cove on the posts were even with the outside of the rails. Well, that be a start, was lunchtime, anyway... IF anyone wants, I could keep this write-up going....IF and when I get back to the shop, I might try this build....slowly.

These are not mine. My wife and I went to the Biltmore House in NC and these are pictures of a few pieces of furniture. I thought you all might enjoy these.

A blog written by Jeff Branch to help the reader learn to use Sketchup for furniture design. https://jeffbranchww.com/2018/07/08/designing-furniture-in-sketchup/

View File Workbench Magazine Jan-Feb 1967 Wood-Aluminum Furniture This is a scanned document of the now defunct Workbench Magazine of this era. Permission was granted by the new Workbench Publication for The Patriot Woodworker community to copy and use the old Workbench Magazine at our pleasure, and for free distribution and re-use. Submitter John Morris Submitted 03/17/2018 Category Furnishings  

It take a few minutes to watch, but it is amazing the skill and engineering that went into these projects

Morning gents. Went to a home show here in KC last Friday. There was an Amish furniture booth there that had a dining table on display. The wood was amazing. Gorgeous color and grain pattern with wonderful contrast between the light and dark pattern in the wood. I had to ask what type of wood it was made of and was told elm. Anyone ever work with elm and if so what does it compare to re. workability? Thanks.

I get Tom Fidgen's Newsletter in my inbox and I always look forward to it. Tom is a hand made by hand tool guy, long story short, great stuff, beautiful work, I have been following him for along time. In the most recent newsletter he is advertising his new Two Handled Rasps, these are beautiful tools, I want them, I gotta have them, don't know how yet, but some day I'll have them in my shop. These tools just make sense, with their two handles, stitched rasp, these are made for accurate stock removal. I have no horse in the game here, I just love beautiful tools is all. Here they are. Just thought I'd share them.

Starting a new project a head shaped bookshelf made from red oak. The customer could not find anyone that would even consider doing this project for him. I got the design finalized and emailed the itemized bid to him and I was kind of hoping my bid would scare him into not doing the project but all he said was do you want half to start. This is the design he accepted. It will be about 3 1/2 feet wide, 5 1/2 feet tall and 11 1/2 inches deep.

Nick Offerman posted a photo of an Enzo Mari dining set that they were proud to have made for a customer. FYI, Enzo is/was an famous italian designer. Ugh, not my taste. Someone commented, "This style just looks like the very bad chairs made in a first year woodshop class. These are the kind of chairs I would keep in my garage and when questioned, shrug my shoulders and say, "Well, I made it out of scraps"" Can't decide if they used drywall screws or nails like the originals. Notice there's three different styles of chairs, each with different seats and backs. Whaddya think?

View File Workbench Magazine May-June 1966 Antique Cradle This is a scanned document of the now defunct Workbench Magazine of this era. Permission was granted by the new Workbench Publication for The Patriot Woodworker community to copy and use the old Workbench Magazine at our pleasure, and for free distribution and re-use. Submitter John Morris Submitted 04/29/2017 Category Furnishings  

View File Workbench Magazine May-June 1966 Nautical Attic Bedroom This is a scanned document of the now defunct Workbench Magazine of this era. Permission was granted by the new Workbench Publication for The Patriot Woodworker community to copy and use the old Workbench Magazine at our pleasure, and for free distribution and re-use. Submitter John Morris Submitted 04/29/2017 Category Furnishings