the cupboard is done. Photographing it for real tomorrow, with the proverbial help from my friends.
Last week I posted a video in the joined chest series. In it, I said I rarely true up the bottoms of my wooden planes. They just don’t wear as much as you might think… – words to that effect anyway. And then the next day I was planing up some leftover oak – and knocked a chip out behind the iron! I never saw that before.
I scribed a spot that would envelope the whole chip and using a chisel and router plane cut out a recess to take a patch. The router plane is maybe my newest tool – I’ve never used one until recently.
I had a piece of dry maple hanging around so used that to patch it. Because my plane’s soles get pretty damp planing so much green wood, I used yellow glue to set it in place. Used it a bit the next day. Seems alright so far.
I’ve seen planes patched in front of the mouth and even done a couple. But I don’t ever recall seeing one patched behind the iron. Something new every day…
Back to what I was doing. Part of my work over the past few days has been sorting some of the oak bolts in the yard. I planed up these boards – just random sizes, depending on what the log sections would yield. Some of this will be box parts or panels – 7″-8″ wide by 24″ long. Other bits will be framing parts; 3 1/2″-5″ wide. This & that lengths. This coming week includes a big shop clean-up, at which time this batch (& more to come) will get stacked & stickered.
Later I got out a chair I began months ago. At that point, I had made all of one piece – one of the uprights. So I made the other and the crest. Chopped the mortise & tenon joints and test fit them. Today I added some chip-carving. Butternut.
I forgot that I’m going to drawbore & pin these joints – right through these pinwheels. I’ll carve the pegs after I trim them…they’re soft enough in butternut. This chair is not going to be a copy of a specific chair. It’s based on some photos given to me and a small publication about German examples. I just don’t know what to call it – it’s not a brettstuhl (board chair) – and they’re German, Swiss, Italian, Austrian, French and more besides. I just know I like making them.
I’ll finish trimming the juncture between the upright & crest after pegging it.
Here’s one of the pictures Chris Schwarz and his chair-mad friends gave me – this chair is part of the inspiration for what I’m making now…
PETER FOLLANSBEE: JOINER’S NOTES 
absolutely lovely work. perhaps it’s time to christen that the “follanstuhl”? :)
Congratulations Peter! It’s a beautiful chest. Was this commissioned work? Either way it will look stunning in anyones home.
Nice work Peter.
I see the German, Swiss, Austrian…….character in your chip carved “pinwheels’.
When I see them I think exactly to those country’s and mountainous areas of Europe. Like Edelweiss and Snowflakes.
I think chair, stool, seat fits the work.
That cupboard is awesome, I hope it feels as good as I think it does to have finished it.
Absolutely stunning piece of woodworking that I am sure on the one hand you are glad you have finished it and on the other hand like a good book you almost hate to finish it. Congratulations Peter!
Thank you, Peter, for sharing this construction. There are so many interesting elements in it and the whole journey was VERY good reading for me.
The cupboard is a masterpiece
The cupboard is spectacular. Would you explain how to glue on the appliqués without having glue squeeze-out interfere with the joining process?
Hey Peter,
Interesting chip on the wooden plane. Almost looked like a nub from a previously growing limb leftover might have been the culprit. With the dimensions of the chip and all. In the “post patched” image, it looks like a crack has formed behind the patch, that I didn’t see in the “before” image. Hope it is just a light/angle thing. Cheers, Lee
You can see it in the “Before” picture when you zoom in.
You are so right! Thx. lol can just make out a dark line now. My eyes were more tired than usual yesterday. Cheers, Lee
job done and more to come–
Peter its fabulous I had a wonderful time watching it come together, id like to think I learned a lil something as well, Im sure JA would be proud!
I remember subscribing to your channel when I saw you hand cut the wood for the cupboard from a log. With an Axe. I thought….This is a woodworker I have to follow.
Nice Job! It’s amazing to see how it turns out.
Peter, I don’t like to be a naysayer, but that last one is not a chair. It’s a coffee grinder.
Common mistake.
Nice work on that cupboard designed by a madman (or three). And congratulations on your leap into the 19th century with that hotrod router plane.