Replies

1. 
   JiminFla | Jul 10, 2009 12:25am | #1

   Nice work, Sarge.

    

   Jim

   http://www.jimreedy.com
1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 05:37am | #3

   Thanks Jim... that's some pretty impressive work on your web-site. I love the cherry high-boy even though that sort of thing look very out of place in my barn-yard. :>) My first wife was quite cosmopolitan and into the Queen Anne.. etc. That furniture sits in her home at Atlanta Country Club at this point. I have had that pleasure of stocking two homes with furniture at this point and working on # 3 but.. #3 is more of this old country boy's style which is casual... very casual. :>)

   Regards...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

2. 
   roc | Jul 10, 2009 04:58am | #2

   The second to last photo really shows the grain/texture of the wood. It is really some thing. Great job.

   I am impressed that you do work like this without much for plans. I am so bad at wood working I need every little detail spelled out and clear.

   Thank you for posting your work ! ! ! Just what I needed to see when I got home from work. There IS still some sanity and craftsmanship in the world !

   roc

   Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe. Abraham Lincoln ( 54° shaves )

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 05:58am | #4

   Thanks Roc... this was somewhat of a challenge from day one. If you briefly look at a photo of a G. Stickley hunt-board.. then one of a Liberty and Co. hutch on their hunt-board... then attempt to accommodate a CPU.. key-board.. monitor.. speakers.. a small printer that was asked for above the monitor.. book space for computer related and then hide the wires...  then an after you build the cabinets which would be open on both sides request to add drawers on one side and you have set up to inset the doors 3/16".. you have yourself a PITA designing with keeping balance and harmony along with the only known dimensions being the current electronic components themselves.

   I often think one of those CAD things would be nice but... I am not a computer whiz to begin with and as Ray Pine says.... "I've always done it that way. :>) I wish the photo-graphy could be better as I am not very proficient at that either. The pics I took early morning was not the piece I actually built but a play of bad light and distortion. I simply would not post them as the piece actually doesn't look that bad in person.

   Yeah.. it was heavy with 130 bd. ft. of QSWO and another 20 + of maple. I made it into a 3 piece break apart with the base.. the top and the top. The base alone was well over 100 pounds and a bear to get up 12 steps. But.. it assembled in minutes up-stairs as I used removable wooden anchors just for that reason and if it ever had to be moved again. Otherwise... a crane would have had to be called in.. :>)

   Regards...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

3. 
   dovetail59 | Jul 10, 2009 06:57am | #5

   Great job Sarge , l like the box joints on the drawers , what was the finish & top coat ? Thanks for posting .

   Gary

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 08:10pm | #15

   I normally finish anything other than kitchen and bath pieces in shellac but.. my wife has a feline that loves to explore heights. Miss Abby is currently napping in the right upper cabinet. Paws and light finish do no mix so...

   Bartley's American Oak gel-stain as I don't personally care for fuming with harsh chemicals from the chemical or fume stand-point. And fuming darkens the wood much darker than I wanted to go in this case. Too much familiarity with dark oak breeds contempt may be the case for me here.

   Two wipe-on coats of gloss poly cut 60%-40% with naptha. A light pressure sanding with Abra-lon 500 to knock down sheen. The base coat now applied.. wait until cure. Then 3 wipe-on coats of satin poly cut to 50%-50% with naptha. Light sanding with Abra-lon 1000 between coats and then wait two weeks to gas off and harden.

   Two birds killed with one stone rubbing out. Liberon 0000 steel wool used to apply Liberon Medium Oak wax which is tinted with the grain. The steel wool knocks the sheen down to desired luster and the wax is removed with a terry cloth towel and a horse hair shoe brush in tight spots after it dries. Wait 3 days for the wax to gas off and cure then the piece can be used.

   Regards...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

4. 
   mikeddd | Jul 10, 2009 07:25am | #6

    Very nice work, I like the design, no plans I can't even imagine.

   Mike

    

5. 
   Lataxe | Jul 10, 2009 12:28pm | #7

   Sarge,

   That is no mean feat, to integrate a Stickley with a Liberty style.  I notice you put a little bt of "square" into the Liberty curves, which certainly eases the flow of the one style into the other. 

   Also, you have managed the grain patterns to amplify the symmetry, as well as the delineations of one part from another.  In fact, as far as grain arrangements go it is difficult to spot a "fault" of any kind.  Perhaps the  only one might be the change in grain direction at the joins atween the styles and rails of the top-corner openings.  Even though it would have cost more timber and introduced a potential wood-movement issue, it might have been worth cutting two "styles" from wider pieces (or even cutting the opening out of one piece) and avoiding that grain-direction change.....?  But this is a very minor criticism.

   At first sight, the lower opening of the top looks rather bare - until the function of the desk is realised: that a computer screen will fit in there.  Perhaps you will be able to post a final photo or two with the equipment installed?  Tell your customer that his screen-surround must be matt-black to match the iron-work.  :-)

   I'm also wondering if a couple of iron-clasped doors in the upper top corner recesses might be appropriate....  especially if the beautiful lines of the piece would suffer interference from the presence of various multi-coloured computer-book spines?  But perhaps some speakers are to go in there?  (They too must be matt-black, if so).

   The ladywife, incidentally, says that those top-alcove cut-out shapes woud be improved were they to have slightly more gothic-arch in them, to echo the cut-outs in the sides but also because she finds something inelegant in  the cubby cutouts.  When pressed she says they look too "fat".  (??).  I would say they are morphing to Stickley "square"

   I confess to a dislike for those internal drawers, which must be designated Ikea in style.  They seem alien to the rest of the piece. Now, you will have been forced by the specification to make them thus, I imagine.  It is a good thing that those proper doors hide the great rascals!

   So, a truly A&C piece - functional, with simplicity and great presence; beauty from form and material.  If only you had proper English oak instead of that muddy American stuff.   ;->  However, I will overlook this if you would send it here to be my computer desk, where it will be properly appreciated on a daily basis.  I promise not to lie and say I made it myself. (No I don't).

   An admiring Lataxe.

    

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 09:22pm | #20

   Ah.. Sir Lataxe. Of course I was not going to miss a reply to you as that would be like over-looking Simon Cowell's impression on American Idol.. Lynn's on Dancing With the Stars and Pierce's on America's Got Talent and what makes those shows sizzle. The hardest judges on those panels for Americans to please and all English which is probably co-incidence. Perhaps we shouldn't have dumped all that tea when we did and just paid the taxes. ha.. ha...

   I think the open spaces will look quite different in a few hours as I am about to take the old system down and transfer to new. I will indeed post a picture of the completed task and BTW.. the new wide-screen monitor has a gloss black surround. Arched speakers were to go into the two cubby's originally but.. "she" has decided to use the one;s we have even though small as they are of excellent quality. So the cubby's are not relegated for whatever she and Miss Abby the cat chooses. Miss Abby is currently taking a nap in the top right at the moment only to awaken briefly to approve or dis-approve of the carrying's on going on below. :>)

   I did consider using vertical grain entirely in the top cubby. Simply enough to do as you don't really have to cut it from one wide board but shorter vertical pieces could be splined side by side in a pinch. I thought about it and dismissed the idea due to the middle fascia runner in the center which runs horizontal grain. A one piece horizontal on those cubby's would not look good under the circumstance IMO. So....

   Doors were considered for those two cubby's also. I dismissed that thought also due to speakers were to originally go there. Once the cuts were made and components assembled.. there is no going back so what you see is what you get from circumstances.

   The IKEA drawers.. I ask the question before the build.. "would you like drawers lower left compartment"? "No" was the answer so I set out to inset the doors 3/16" as all of the various panels in frames are. No problem using off-set hinges. But alas.. After the cabinets and had been constructed and doors hung in-set.. the First Lady changed her mind and ask if it was too late to add drawers. I should have said yes but... you scratch my back.. I'll scratch yours rules in the male-female relation-ship.

   Back to the drawing board to find a way for drawers to clean an in-set door that will not swing fully open. A box inside a box was the solution for the clearance but... there was an added request of the bottom drawer must hold computer related note-books that some measured 13" tall standing. She is retired computer operations and has a number of manuals for such.

   So... she did not specify a style of drawer and left that for me which was simple since they would be hidden behind closed doors. I normally do hand cut DT's on all front drawers but... there is a reason that everything you see on this desk-hutch is the way it is.

   My father sat behind an oak desk at the U.S. Post Office doing the accounting for over 30 years before his early passing when I was 12 years old. That desk had two doors with the same style drawer fronts in both cabinets. Just like the ones you see with box joints even though his did not have the deep drawer which is for 13" tall manuals on mine. So... the drawers are normally hidden unless something is retrieved and frankly... I don't build gallery pieces so I chose those to remind me of my father when I open them which they do just that.

   Some like the styling of a Chevy truck.. some a Ford.. some Toyota.. Dodge and some just don't like pick-ups period. Variety in taste makes the world more interesting as what a boring place it would be if everyone chose a grey suit cut in the same manner and marched to the beat of the same drummer.

   I have no regrets and absolutely love what I have done here which might not please all but.. if you get 90% of the vote you have accomplished what might be called a "land-slide" victory. Perhaps some won't vote as I'm sure will be the case but... that is there choice and are quite welcome to render their opinion if they wish. My opinion has been expressed and made public in the form of a 160 pound jointing of QSWO for public view. At least I can say I was in the shop giving it a go in lieu of just talking about it and having a good time doing so with no dead-lines hanging over my head. Just my spirit.. the wood and the tools alone together. I find something harmonious and pleasing about that :>)

   Regards...

    

    

    

   Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

   Edited 7/10/2009 2:46 pm ET by SARGEgrinder47

6. 
   ASK | Jul 10, 2009 03:40pm | #8

   Very Very nice.

   Seem a shame you have to put stuff on and in it.

   ASK

7. 
   oldusty | Jul 10, 2009 05:00pm | #9

      Morning Sarge ,

              The Hutch / desk came out great , I'll bet your glad it is done .

               Design and detail very cool , very ,,   " Sargish "

          Really like  the hardware , I'm glad you sprung for the QSWO , seems you talked about saving and using Red .

       The White Oak takes a finish so nicely and the QS is just fun to work with .

                   thanks   for posting

                            regards     dusty   

          

8. 
   forestgirl | Jul 10, 2009 05:10pm | #10

   Wow, Sarge, that is FABULOUS!!!!  What a great job, and fantastic wood, this is a piece to treasure forever.  Thanks for posting.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
9. 
   RalphBarker | Jul 10, 2009 05:17pm | #11

   Nice work, Sarge. I like the melding of the different design styles.

   Perhaps you should have bleached the oak, though, so the photos would have come out lighter. ;-)

1. 
   DHAM | Jul 10, 2009 05:38pm | #12

   Beautiful Sarge! 

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 08:17pm | #18

   Thanks Dham.. I missed ya on the message of thanks to all. My mind is on the point of over-load which means no two thoughts at once. That's called old age. :>)

   Regards...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

1. 
   ctsjr | Jul 11, 2009 01:09am | #24

   Very nice work Sarge. I really like the upper shelf openings. Nice curve. Tom"Notice that at no time do my fingers leave my hand"

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 11, 2009 06:37am | #27

   Thanks Tom.. I have built a desk similar to this one but... the hutch has a lot of my twist added to someone else's basic idea and I enjoyed the challenge throughly. Some what of a gamble but... I am a river-boat gambler from way back anyway. :>)

   Regards and again... thanks very much....Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

2. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 08:14pm | #16

   I hate photo-graphy Ralph.. other than call in a pro there is not much I can think of for me to get a decent shot. As explained in post to ALL about the shades being pulled or open.. I compromised to the dark as the open shades just killed the piece entirely to the point it was not mine but an alien play of light and distortion.

   I had rather spend the money on wood than a better digital camera and lessons. I'm hard core. :>)

   Regards...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jul 10, 2009 08:45pm | #19

   Yeah, I understand, Sarge. But (obviously), I couldn't resist teasing you a bit about it. A lot can be done to adjust photos with inexpensive photo-editing software. For most things, only a couple of features need to be learned. As an example, I took the liberty of adjusting only "Levels" and contrast in the attached edit. If you're interested, I'd be happy to show you how.

   
1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 09:27pm | #21

   That looks interesting and does impove Ralph. I don't put the pictures on the computer as my wife handles those chores. She is out now but I will ask her if she is intertested in software to do so. She may be aware of it as she is retired State of Georgia in computer operations specializing in soft-ware. I am basically a computer illiterate as turning it off and turning it on is about the extent of my computer ability.

   I'll PM you if she is not aware. BTW.. what is the name of the soft-ware you use?

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

1. 
   RalphBarker | Jul 11, 2009 12:17am | #22

   "BTW.. what is the name of the soft-ware you use?"I use Adobe Photoshop, because I do a fair amount of photography (up to 8x10 film, dedicated darkroom in the house, etc.). But there are lots of inexpensive programs that would do the job easily.

2. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 11, 2009 12:56am | #23

   Thanks Ralph. My wife is here and I ask her about it. She said she did have a program years ago on a system we have long abandonded but she only has something now that came with the cheap Kodak digital she down-loaded. It will crop... darken the entire picture and lighten but... will not do much with color tint once the picture is darkened or lightened.

   I watch her do my pictures. In some cases I could get the over-all view ligthtened but.. it changed to color of the piece so light it shared no real resemblance to true color. We don't do a great deal of pictures so the question is.. is there a cheapie soft-ware that will do a better job with color on top of cropping and the normal dark-light we already have with the supplied software we got with the camera?

   Thanks...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

3. 
   Boogalee | Jul 11, 2009 04:28am | #25

   Sarge

   Try pacasa 3 (http://www.picasa.com) for editing your photos.  It is free.

4. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 11, 2009 06:41am | #28

   Thanks Boogalee. I pointed the site out to my wife and she just gave me the computer back to catch up on messages. She got involved on the site so I suppose she is giving it a try as that word "free" always catchs us southern folks attention. ha.. ha... ha..ha..ha..

   Regards and hold down the fort in Metairie till I get back over that way..Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

5. 
   RalphBarker | Jul 11, 2009 05:09pm | #29

   Sarge, as I mentioned, there are literally dozens of different photo editing programs available. I haven't tried most of them, since I have the full version of Adobe Photoshop, which is considered the platinum standard among photo editors.For your woodworking photos, the main features to look for are "Levels" correction, Curves/contrast correction, and sharpening ("unsharp masking" is usually the best).Photoshop Elements (about $100) has enough of the features of the full version to be sufficient for most folks. It is often bundled with scanners, which makes it essentially free in that case.Corel Paintshop Pro (about $50) is a close second to the full version of Photoshop.Both of the above programs have everything you need and much more. Other programs, including Picasa from Google, may also have sufficient features. I'm just not familiar with them.

6. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 11, 2009 06:04pm | #30

   Again.. thanks Ralph. My wife has heard of both you mentioned and she is going to check the Picasa and the sites for those two. She gets about as involved in this computer thingy as I do creating piles of saw-dust so I trust her on the issue as I am clue-less. She does need some clarity with pictures as she makes high end crochet baby blankets.. booties.. outfits.. etc. for baby showers and sells on E-bay.

   Regards...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

2. 
   dgreen | Jul 12, 2009 07:58pm | #31

   I had a go at it too. You beat me to it Ralph! 

    

   ................................................

   Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot

   
1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 13, 2009 04:41am | #32

   You guys did a nice job of balancing the light even though it is a few tones deeper in brown than thaat particular picture. But the true tone does come through on some of the closer shots. I would like to see it on someone else's computer just to see what you guys are seeing. It  may be the same.. may not as again I'm not very computer saavy.

   Have a good evening DG..

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

2. 
   dgreen | Jul 13, 2009 10:17am | #35

   I always look forward to seeing your pieces Sarge, like Sir Lataxe you seem to have a knack for making functional pieces look very good. It was a pleasure to look at. 

    

   ................................................

   Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.~ Denis Diderot

3. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 13, 2009 07:32pm | #37

   Thanks DG.. Not there yet but I think at least I finally have gotten a bead on the direction I want to follow in the attempt to get there. I hope to just be around long enough to see the "promised land" if that truly exist. :>)

   Regards...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

10. 
    WillGeorge | Jul 10, 2009 05:56pm | #13

    Very pretty. I too design 'on the fly with notes' I see nothing wrong with plans but I'd probably change the design anyway..

    I like the color. OK, what my old monitor shows.

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 10, 2009 07:48pm | #14

   Thanks for the kind words from Gary.. Mike.. Lataxe.. ASK.. Dusty.. Jamie (FG).. Ralph.. Will..... they are certainly appreciated as this was a mental task even more than a physical task in this case. X.. Y.. X must go here and A.. B.. C must go there within the confines of the given peri-meter of the piece. How to hide the wires.. how to blend two different designs on top and bottom. how to make it a break-down unit that can be transported up stairs as the carcass weighs in at 150 lbs. +.

   Throw in... I need extra space for the mouse movement on the key-board... I need this and that after the original concept was thought out. This has been a bear but... southern field engineering.. patience and perseverance won the day IMO as she simply.. loves the outcome.

   I will attempt to address some specific questions now as I do have to take the computer down shortly to transfer from the old abode to the new. The open space will begin to fill up shortly and I will try to post a picture after the move. Again.. sorry about the lighting. With shades drawn a bit dark.. with them open a definite glare and I simply would not post those original pictures at all. So a compromise from someone who is not a natural at photo's or shooting them. But.. I offer no apology for that as it just is not my game.

   Regards...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

1. 
   WillGeorge | Jul 10, 2009 08:16pm | #17

   as this was a mental task even more than a physical task .. I agree! Mental is hard to figgure out!!

11. 
    jonnieboy | Jul 11, 2009 06:36am | #26

    Sarge,

    Really nice! Thanks for posting the pictures.

    -jonnieboy

12. 
    Mackwood | Jul 13, 2009 04:47am | #33

    Sarge,

    I didn't see the "Southern Cross" anywhere.  Did I miss it or is that only a "once in a while" detail.  Very nice work by the way.  I envy your ability to design on the wing---that's what my wood working really lacks.

    Regards,

    Mack

    "Close enough for government work=measured with a micrometer, marked with chalk and cut with an axe"

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 13, 2009 04:52am | #34

   Thanks Mack. My wife wanted it also actually but I explained I didn't have sufficient room with the design but.. she got it on the back of the piece with my signature just to keep her happy. :>)

   Regards...Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia

13. 
    9619 | Jul 13, 2009 02:49pm | #36

    Sarge,
    I think that if Messers. Greene and Greene had seen your hutch before they started designing, they would have come up with a style more like yours than theirs. That is a nice piece.
    Mel

    Measure your output in smiles per board foot. 

1. 
   SARGEgrinder47 | Jul 13, 2009 07:35pm | #38

   Thanks very much Mel. I think that might be a stretch but I do appreciate the words of encouragement. Even though I love the solace of the shop I do like to come up for a breath of air not filled with saw-dust every now and then and encouragement always sends me back down for another shot at the wood.

   Regards...

    Sarge..

   Woodworkers' Guild of Georgia