So, I decided on using some salvaged Doug-Fir from a remodeling site to construct the chest on stand, and I was excited at the prospect. I rescued three large cutoffs (approximately 6″ x 6″ x 48″), took them home and resawed them to more managable thicknesses, and let them dry for a couple months (they were kiln-dried to begin with, and they had been stored in a crawlspace under a tarp for two years prior to my getting them).
Once I started milling them to rough dimension for the project, however, things got a little ugly. There were large internal checks and cracks, and almost everything I thought was usable turned out to be junk. I got a few relatively clear pieces out of it all, and decided I would use it to build a mock-up of the project instead.
I only have rough drawings at this point, so I thought a mock-up would give me some insight into some of the concerns I had about the scale, design details, etc… For instance, after building the mock-up, I decided I like the scale of the base, but I am still unsure whether I prefer straight stretchers, or curved ones, and also what the spacing should be between the aprons and stretchers. Anyhow, here are some pics of the base mock-up in Doug-Fir.
I am still working on the mock-up of the case. I haven’t decided whether to use bookmatched boards, or frame-and-panel with some funky burl veneered panels, or what… Any ideas or suggestions are welcomed.
Hope this all makes sense. Anyhow, keep checking back….
Regards, Jarrod
