Tool chest nearly done

I managed a couple of hours sanity in the shop today and closed contented after transferring all of the Christmas presents to my car. The shop looked empty but I was glad to have accomplished everything.

Shellac works especially well for tool chests and is easily repaired.

I also got to start on the dovetailed drawers and applied some coloured shellac to the main chest, which will eventually match my other tool chest.

I always fit my drawer fronts exactly to the opening with no reduction. In my experience drawers can easily come out undersized so I find that when I start this way they always fit and i can plane for clearance as needed.

Here I am fitting the drawer fronts to dead size.

An even base coat is critical for a flawless finished look

I mix my own coloured shellac and apply a good even coat after first applying a clear coat of bleached shellac. Applying this first coat raises any fibrous surface grain so I can sand any roughness caused by the first coat of shellac. Subsequent coats will not raise the grain at all. If I apply coloured shellac it is very likely that I will sand through the coat back to the whiter wood which will show as unevenness.

The first drawer fits into the opening well and so too the dovetails lapped to the front face of the drawer.

I always draw out the joints to size in my journal and use the drawings as a reference to work from. It takes a little extra time, but that way I have a lifetime reference in case I make one again or need it for reference.

I'll be back early next week. Not much time left between my trip to the US. If you will be at The Woodworking Shows in Baltimore The Woodworking Shows Masterclasses — Baltimore MD. Please look me up in the New Legacy Woodworking Shows booth and at the demonstration areas.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Paul