Replies

1. 
   BOBABEUI | Dec 21, 2005 04:47pm | #1

   HI danmart,

   I have been building two of the secretaries and I am currently in the desk gallery stage (phase?). What question did you specifically have, maybe I can help?

   
   

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   Edited 12/21/2005 11:11 am ET by BOBABEUI

1. 
   danmart | Dec 24, 2005 01:57pm | #2

   I think I am going to build the Bird desk/sec in FWW 154-6 in the next year or so and I wanted to communicate with someone who is doing one or has completed one just to ask an opinion on a couple of things.

   1. Did you buy the bit set to cut the moldings and the raised panel profile?

   2. What is the number of the set? I seem to remember Bird giving the number of the set in an old issue of FWW stating the price from CMT.

   3. Not sure about mitering the door panel frames as opposed to coping?

   4. I ordered the hinges needed for the offset doors from Ball and Ball and that was easy.

   Have you completed a desk/sec already?

    

   Any help would be great

   Dan O'Sullivan

   Durham, NC 27705

1. 
   BOBABEUI | Dec 26, 2005 02:25am | #3

   Hi Dan,

   Here are the answers to your questions;

   1) Yes I puchased the CMT router bit sets suggested in the FWW article.

   2) Two CMT set were purchased #800.524.11 Lonnie Birds Small arched door set ($160) and 800.523.11 Lonnie Birds Crown Moulding set ($320). I also purchased a CMT panel Rasing bit 890.502.11 for 5/8 inch stock (upper toomstone panels).

   3) The upper door styles and rails were done just a Bird suggested, mitered thumbnail moulding.

   4) Hardware from Ball and Ball ($$$$$)

   The two pieces are Wedding gifts that should be ready for the couples fifth aniversaries :-).

   Best of Luck and Happy holidays.

    

1. 
   danmart | Dec 26, 2005 05:31am | #4

   What was the toughest part of the project for you? Was the gallery complicated or was it straight forward when you got started?

    

   Well I just finished a windsor chair and I'm heading to the FWW/Colonial Williamsburg Symposium in January. Its a whole lot of fun to get up there with some woodworkers and talking about projects.

   This year I'm going to see Curtis Buchanan do his thing in the first session.

    

   Thanks for the reply

   Dan O'Sullivan

1. 
   BOBABEUI | Dec 26, 2005 07:34pm | #5

   Dan,

   Actually, the main structure of the galley is straight forward.. You can actually dry assemble the whole galley deal without any glue, the combination of the stopped dado's and with the vee-grooves really works out well. After you get everything figured out in your mind it goes pretty well. I used lots of templates and test cuts, because it really takes guts to start cutting dado's in the inside of the semi-finished case, one woops and it's all over..

   I am a really, really slow builder, job and family has only made the situation worse. I figure the way I work I have another year of building to go.

   Best of luck..

    

2. 
   jazzdogg | Dec 29, 2005 07:41pm | #6

   I applied a little gamma correction to one of your snapshots, reduced its size, and saved it as a jpeg file (attached).

   You can download free photo software from http://www.irfanview.com that will allow you to do the same thing.

    

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

   
1. 
   DougU | Dec 30, 2005 05:15am | #7

   Jazz

   I use irfanview all the time, but when I try to save a pic like those above I dont seam to be able to get them to jpeg, how do you do that part.

   If there in bitmap I'm usually screwed, no matter how small I make em, there still huge!

   Is there some trick that I dont know?

   Doug

1. 
   jazzdogg | Dec 30, 2005 07:55am | #8

   Hi Doug,

   I open the file, make my changes to the photograph, then click <SAVE AS> and select jpeg as the file extension I want to use.

   The changes to the photograph (file re-sizing, gamma correction, sharpness, etc.) are made under the <IMAGE> pull-down menu.

    -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie

1. 
   DougU | Dec 30, 2005 04:14pm | #9

   JD

   Thanks

   I was saving a bitmap to my pictures thinking I should be able to convert it to jpeg in the transfer to my computer.

   I tried one and did the conversion with irfanview, worked like a charm!

   Thanks

   Doug

    

2. 
   danmart | Jan 01, 2006 03:38am | #10

   wow. thats just a shot I took of a desk I made years ago with limited light. It seems funny to see it "fixed" up and  being looked at by other folks.

    

   Nice

   Dan

1. 
   domermatt | Jan 27, 2006 05:41am | #11

   I'm also making a desk based on Lonnie Brid's articles.  I am making some changes to his design though. Most importantly, I'm using cherry.  I also decided to make cock beaded drawers instead of Lonnie's profile.  And I changed the gallery to suit my tastes.  A desk like this takes a LONG time to make, and  the fact that my shop is 12' by 12' complicates matters.  That said I hope to be done with the base by March, which is one year after I started it. Right now I'm making the drawers, and prepping for my first attempt at veneering. I'll attach some more pics soon.

    

   Attached are some pictures of the work in progress.When people 100 years from now see my work, they'll know I cared. --Matt Mulka

   
1. 
   tfk3160 | Jan 27, 2006 06:22am | #12

   I have a question regarding technique on this.  I have seen how the horizontal drawer runners attach to the sides by a dove tail joint.  How do you cut the dove tail on a long piece such as a horizontal drawer runner?  Do  you do this in  a router table with the drawer runner held up vertically?  Thanks

1. 
   domermatt | Jan 28, 2006 05:34am | #13

   I use a horizontal router table made from the plans in FWW #147.  I think a hortizontal table is much superior in many applications. 

    When people 100 years from now see my work, they'll know I cared. --Matt Mulka

2. 
   BOBABEUI | Feb 16, 2006 04:05pm | #14

   I built one of Pat Warner's jigs to make the dovetails on the horizontal drawer dividers, it's here http://www.patwarner.com/dovetail_tenoner.html. Got to say it worked really well, the ticket is to use a genune De-Sta-Co toggle clamp not a knockoff.

   Best of luck