| Project by lumberdustjohn | posted 12-15-2009 02:47 PM | 2127 views | 0 times favorited | 15 comments |  |
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My son asked for a dresser for his wife for Christmas. The bed they purchased a few years ago was made from pine and stained sort of a medium dark color. I didn’t want to build out of pine so I went to the Amish lumber yard and asked what he had. Choices were Rustic Cherry, Cherry, Oak, Poplar, and Elm. Oak was out for this project and I am not that fond of cherry, poplar well,.. was poplar. Not seeing much on this site for Elm, was my choice. It was said that it was easy to work with and if you finish it the right color the wood grain would look like quail feathers. I was on vacation Deer hunting a would build this between hunts. It was easy to work with and sanded out nicely. No step by step pictures were taken during the build, remember I am still green at this and My shop is messy. One of these days I will have the patience and the camera in the shop. Well I completed it, took it to the finish shop to have it stained S-12 a medium brown. Picked it up a week later. Wow, was my response. Asked the finisher why builders don’t use Elm it was the same price as Oak. He said that it has a warping habit. I hope this doesn’t. After taking it home to put the pulls on it I decided to make a matching Chest of Drawers. I have since completed it and am waiting for the finisher to call that it is completed.
Tried to take some pictures of the grain. One is a drawer front and the other is the low top.
-- Safety first because someone needs you.
15 comments so far
bladeburner
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88 posts in 3448 days
#1 posted 12-15-2009 03:02 PM
Very nice!
CharlieM1958
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#2 posted 12-15-2009 03:28 PM
Nice build. And you’re right….that elm is really beautiful.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Safetyboy
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#3 posted 12-15-2009 03:42 PM
Wow, that does look fantastic! Fairly strong grain, but not so strong as oak…
Do you have a wide belt sander or something to flatten out those tops & wide panels?
And which Amish lumber yard and finishing shop do you use? I get most of my stuff from Dryco Lumber on South Carr Road….
-- -- Kevin in Mentor, Ohio
Karson
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#4 posted 12-15-2009 03:55 PM
That is some great looking wood.
The design and execution is fantastic. A great job.
-- I've been blessed with a father who liked to tinker in wood, and a wife who lets me tinker in wood. Appomattox Virginia [email protected] †
woodworm
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#5 posted 12-15-2009 04:24 PM
Beautiful.
-- masrol, kuala lumpur, MY.
Kindlingmaker
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#6 posted 12-15-2009 04:39 PM
A beautiful job and the elm is outstanding in choice! If you are new at this it really does not show in your craftsmanship for it is excellant!
-- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings
NBeener
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4816 posts in 3535 days
#7 posted 12-15-2009 05:00 PM
Uhhhhh: “remember I am still green at this”
You are????
I hate to think what that makes me LOL!
Beautifully done. Just beautiful. The dovetails look perfectly cut. The grain is elegant and interesting. The design is stately. The assembly looks top-notch.
AND … your socks are clean!!
Bravo! Really nice work!!
-- -- Neil
sras
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#8 posted 12-15-2009 05:11 PM
The elm looks great! Nice job!
-- Steve - Impatience is Expensive
lumberdustjohn
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#9 posted 12-15-2009 05:18 PM
South of Fredericksburg Ohio is a Swartzentruber Amish named Noah Petersheim
He primarily does Glue up orders.
The boards are glued up and then ran through his planner. Elm Material for this was $133.00.
This doesn’t include the back panel or drawers.
Chresser at the tallest point is 52” and the lower end being 31”
I have neighbor that has a Carpenter shop and he lets me use his 48” line shaft driven widebelt.
He also is set up for 5/8 material Dove tail boxes, again he lets me use his toys.
Good neighbors are great!
-- Safety first because someone needs you.
lumberdustjohn
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1263 posts in 3528 days
#10 posted 12-15-2009 05:26 PM
I use Steiners Amish Furniture finish shop on Criswell rd east of Apple Creek.
-- Safety first because someone needs you.
Beginningwoodworker
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#11 posted 12-15-2009 05:43 PM
Nice looking shop, is those plywood or wide boards!
lumberdustjohn
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#12 posted 12-15-2009 06:50 PM
Side panel and tops are glued, 3/4” thickness.
-- Safety first because someone needs you.
Jordan
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#13 posted 12-15-2009 08:36 PM
Now that’s one set of drawers I’d like to have in my house! I think if I ever get some money, I’ll do my furniture shopping at LJ’s. Nice job!
-- http://www.jordanstraker.com
matt garcia
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#14 posted 12-15-2009 08:42 PM
Very nice!!!
-- Matt Garcia Wannabe Period Furniture Maker, Houston TX
wchips
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#15 posted 12-16-2009 06:36 PM
Varey nice pice of furniture. I build a lot of things out of elm myself. It takes a vary buteful finish. I have never had a warping problem with elm Have a nice day Lee
-- wchips
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