Spread out

For this job I am using a precatalyzed lacquer and an HVLP system.
Final look over before finish.

Final fit

The parts and grain line up. once fit, I'll mark them so they go back in the right spot during final install.

Parts puzzle

I have the doors and parts trimmed now and I can use my templates to check the sizes.
Hinges and door fitting

Whats that??

ZZZZZZZZZ, bbbburrrrrrrrrrrr, wwwhhhiiizzzzzzzzzzzz......... trimming the edges, prep for sanding.

Pressing matters

Once the veneers are jointed and edge taped into their layout for each door- I'm ready to glue the veneer to the curved and edged door substrate.
I like to use rollers to apply an even glue surface- too much glue and I will have a lot of leak through that needs to be sanded- this adds time and risks sand through, so even is best, too light and I risk bad adhesion..........watch it! roll it! lay it on there, cover with properly sized glue resistant covers, and bag it! Is it lined up? Is it slid over too far? Will it get pressed firmly? Is my system ok, no holes, good machine......normal press time is 30 mins but with he curves and my desire for good sticky I'll leave them in for 1 hour each press cycle.

Smart choices

This Santos is nice- it sands well, is pretty wide and clear, pretty flat. There are a lot of choices for veneers and variety in working quality - the burls and highly figured woods are more time consuming to work, this wood has good working properties and matches the budget.

Cut for parts

I'll take the veneer sheets and slice them in sequence for each door or drawer bank thats taped with a little masking tape and marked for location: front door and drawer for island, front surface, back surface. I am going to need enough for twice the overall surface area because each door gets veneer front and back for structural balance. One of the overall woodworking rules is to treat both sides of a board the same, same sanding, same finish, same air flow while stacked and so on, this keeps wood stable. Veneered doors are no exception, so I balance the layers of veneer and hopefully the door will stay flat and true.

Sheets

The veneer comes in a stack of slices from the same board- its my job to sort it out and create a pattern for the grain as it relates to the whole job- in this case we are using three widths of veneer book matched and oriented to be horizontal throughout the kitchen. Each door and section of cabinet needs to be in sequence to the overall pattern and layout- this requires a little planning and organization.

Adventures with veneer

Back on the curved kitchen job- I wanted to walk through the process of each door to show how these parts are made- here we go!

This is the species of veneer I am using:
Santos mahogany veneer-

Myroxylon is a genus of two species of Central American and South American trees in the Fabaceae (Leguminosae). The tree is well known in the western world as the source for Peru balsam and Tolu balsam. The tree is often called Quina or Balsamo. Other names include Tolu in Colombia, Quina quina in Argentina; in lumber trade, sometimes named Santos Mahogany.

Its sweetish scent, reminiscent of vanilla and green olives, has caused it to be used in the manufacture of perfumes as a source for Balsam. Balsam of Peru is used as a flavoring and fragrance in many products and can cause allergic reactions.^[2]

They are large trees growing to 40 m tall, with evergreen pinnate leaves 15 cm long with 5-13 leaflets. The flowers are white with yellow stamens, produced in racemes. The fruit is a pod 7–11 cm long, containing a single seed.^[3]

The wood is dark brown with a deep red heartwood. Natural oils grant it excellent decay resistance. In fact, it is also resistant to preservative treatment. Its specific gravity is 0.74 to 0.81.

As regards woodworking, this tree is regarded as moderately difficult to work but can be finished with a high natural polish; some tool dulling.

The old man

My dad in Pueblo Bonito

Pull it open

The drawers will get this wood pull- its made of alder and has a step detail on the front, I cut a similar detail around the fronts and a few other spots- just giving it a little interest.

Drawer work

I cut some sliding dovetails for these drawers- its a pretty good joint and I have a nice thick drawer bottom to help keep them stable- full extension heavy duty drawer slides, all make for a pretty sturdy set of drawers.

Lightening

There was quite a storm in the desert when we delivered this piece- its really cool to watch a good thunderstorm off in the distance and feel the wind and smell the rain- bonus!

Home sweet home

I sometimes have a little separation anxiety on delivery- I've spent some time with the piece and made some critical design decisions, when they work its labor of love and I want to keep the piece forever! But I have another project and so off it goes to start its life in the client's home.

Finish- ed

Oil finish is the best- I get to see the wood come alive and enhance the buffing and polish I gave the surfaces. I'm using an eco friendly oil finish.

Are we done yet?

Now I've got the leg details carved and the piece is reassembled with glass insert and rotation system in place, looking sweet, where's that finish I ordered?

Midnight oil

All of the carvings are a little different yet they play with the same vocabulary of line and texture, this is where I let my heart drive the bus- close your eyes, feel the shape, follow your dreams...

Take it to the streets

So the expressive idea has to be applied in a way that makes visual sense on the piece as a whole- if I add carving to the top of the legs then it could conflict visually with the compex puzzle parts of the top- adding the detail to the side of the legs would decrease the slightly larger mass of the legs and add the desired detail- bingo-

Expression

My original drawing has some carving on the legs- until now I was not sure where or how I wanted to add some of this texture. To me the legs needed a way to break up the mass of the shape and add some interest to them in some way-

Rattle snake

Nice Blacktail on a hike yesterday in Fay Canyon, early evening with a light sprinkle of rain....