Peter Kramer cabinet maker

t’s interesting how things impact certain aspects of your life. Twenty-six years ago my wife and I received the March/April 1984 issue of Country Home magazine (pictured above with a price tag of $2.50). I was going through a primitive furniture phase in my woodworking and the country decorating craze was trendy. I would look through the pages of magazines for inspiration for furniture design. This issue in particular had a sizable impact on me.

It is funny to think back on how much I liked the beat up look of primitive furniture and some particularly worn antiques. There was also a furniture line available at the time in which they took great effort to make their new pieces look old; something that is still common today. I would repeatedly walk through a local furniture store and look at the "worn" new pieces from this line (no doubt the store owner wondered why I kept coming back to her store). This magazine featured the work of a particular furniture maker who did not reproduce antiques, but did make furniture with a period look.

A unique furniture designer
The cover of this magazine says, "True to tradition: The life and craft of a Virginia cabinetmaker." Inside was a feature article about the cabinetmaker, Peter Kramer. And the article featured not only his personal collection of hand made furniture, but also a tour through his unusual home - a collection of three log homes made into one. His home was interesting to me, but I really took up with his furniture and his unique eye for furniture design (I will use the word "unique" a lot in this post).

Peter’s pieces often utilized wide, knotty boards and would look right at home in a 200 year old farm house. In fact, Peter came up with a back in time imaginary community called Cloven Mill from the year 1709. He would often think of this fictional village, how the people would live and utilize furniture, and then design pieces (click photos for a larger view).

Cloven Mill. This tall chest contains a scratched drawing of Peter’s imaginary village of Cloven Mill. Note the aged look of the piece.

What I like most about the Peter's furniture, is that many of his pieces have a unique twist to them. In the tall chest above, there is a shallow plain drawer separated from the upper drawers by a protruding molding and the upper drawers feature Peter's scratch carving. Other examples of his work…

Scratch carved six board chest. Wide, distressed boards dovetailed together and decorated with floral motifs.

Nice pine. A farm table and hutch also made of wide pine planks. Note the pull-out bread board shelf on the hutch. The chairs are nice too.

Unique. A beautiful secretary and chair, and a rustic compact hutch. Note the nice turned legs on the secretary. The hutch has what is called a "donut gallery" and nice rat tail hinges.

Heartwood. Peter often used the heart of the tree as decoration. Note this on the door of this dictionary stand. Also unique are the cloverleaf hinges and the carving at the base.

In the dining room. Peter's dining room showcases more of his fine chair making as well as a table with a top made of a single board. The hutch has unique drop down extensions on each end.

Peter's furniture taught me to see how I could work unique features into my furniture designs. I still get this magazine out from time to time as I think about upcoming furniture projects.

Visit Peter Kramer's website by clicking here. Just as my furniture designs have evolved, so has Peter's. His work these days are much more modern and artistic in nature.

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Past project: a bedside table

An early project. Simple and elegant, this bedside table is one of my oldest pieces.

Years ago, when country decorating was cool (remember that?!), we had as a bedside table one of those round particle board tables that have the three screw-in legs. Then we found some nice country like fabric and threw that over the whole thing. This made my wife happy for a number of years, but as a woodworker, I would sometimes cringe at the sight of it. As I remember, my wife needed some storage space so an actual table with doors and a drawer was order (I called the old table an almost table or a near table; for a woodworker, this kind of table isn't really a table).

When we were first married, we purchased a Thomasville bedroom set that included a nice dresser, a chest on chest and a four poster bed, all made of knotty pine. At that time, knotty pine was my wood of choice and the manufacturer had dropped this particular line of furniture, so when we were not able to purchase a side table from their collection, I came up with a design that looked similar, and the result is the bedside table shown above.

As you can also see by the quilt rack and oval box, I was into Shaker furniture at one point. On the other side of the bed, out of view, is a Shaker low back chair, all of these from Shaker Workshops.

Thomasville inspiration
I used our Thomasville chest on chest (shown below) as a guide when designing our bedside table. Overall, for a mass produced piece of furniture, it is nice: fluted corner columns, dentil molding and bracket feet. And the knots are frequent.

"Make it look like that." My wife asked that the bedside table resemble this Thomasville chest on chest. Once upon a time, I started painting this room (note the door) but never finished it. We will paint this room in a few months. I hate stained base boards.

For our bedside table, I copied the side panel layout which is plain except for a little roundover on the top and bottom rails. I also borrowed the design of the bracket feet and included brass pulls, knobs and a key hole. I tried very hard to replicate the color and it is pretty close, but not exact. This is the first piece in which I added a bead around the drawer and doors and the first to have a chamfer on the corners.

This was also my first attempt at raised panels. I had to come up with a creative way to do this since my first router, a basic Craftsman model, would not handle the larger shafts found on panel raising bits. I cut a rabbet in the panels and then cut a small cove to create a raised panel look. And for a work around, I think it turned out pretty good.

Years of service. This table is about 15 years old and has held up well.

The only thing I would do differently today, would be to choose another drawer slide. This table has a center mounted drawer slide and due to the weight of all the stuff in the drawer, the slide has dragged on the bead and has damaged it (visible in the photo above). I have been meaning to attempt some sort of repair, but as you can see I have not gotten around to it. And for a soft wood, this pine piece has done very well even though there is a ding here and there. It is one of my last pieces of pine furniture.

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My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.

Scott bookcase: lower bookcase is completed

After taking a couple of days off from woodworking, I have been back at it. I am glad to report that during the later part of last week, I was able to complete the base board molding and then yesterday and today, I moved on to the top of the lower bookcase. This included fabricating the molding that runs along the underside of the top and putting an edge detail on the top itself. Here is how it went...

Decisions, decisions. I have been thinking exactly how to execute the lower base board. It is built up from two boards topped with moldings. Except for a tiny part of an edge, the inner board is not visible. So, I contemplated building this up with scraps saving solid boards for more visible use, but in the end, I decided to go with a solid plank just because it was easier to do.

Screws and brads. I use a lot of screws in my projects. I often clamp a board in place and then attach it with a screw. I like the holding power they have. Here, the back row of base board is screwed in place and for the front row, I use brads from my pneumatic nailer.

Moldings applied. These are stock moldings from The Home Depot. On top is a cove molding and the lower row has a quarter round. These two moldings form a large ogee profile.

Baseboard inspiration. I have often turned to this large breakfront for inspiration for projects. Built by Douglas Schroeder, this piece appeared in Fine Woodworking #78, September/October, 1989. Click the photo to enlarge and note the extra heavy crown.

With the base board completed, the top was next. I cut a molding with my router to transition from the top to the lower case. I created a simple roundover with a little lip under it. I then cut the top to size and cut a little cove to the underside.

Table top moldings. Here is the finished profile of the top moldings. Very little sanding at this point.

I love this. The lower bookcase finished except for some touch-up sanding.

I am going to finish sanding the lower bookcase during the week and will likely start on the top section towards the weekend. Almost halfway completed! To see what the completed bookcase will look like, click here.

To see all my posts on this project, click here. Music on my iPod: The Black Crowes, "Thorn In My Pride."

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Have a question or comment about this post? Comments are encouraged on this blog. Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below.

Scott bookcase: the lower face frame

I have reached a small milestone with this project which is the completion of the face frame for the lower bookcase. It at this point that we start to see what this project is going to look like. Pack a lunch, this is a long post.

Yesterday was another long stretch in the workshop. It started out with a trip to the Home Depot to purchase two six foot pipe clamps. I have been resisting the urge to purchase longer clamps, but I had a slight problem pop up that required one to fix it. The latest edition of Fine Woodworking’s Tools and Shops special issue has a review of parallel bar clamps, so I took a quick look at their recommendations. I went to Woodcraft on-line to see what they had (example here). I saw few options for six foot long clamps and those reviewed by FWW looked to be more expensive anyway, so I went with the clamps that I have used for more than 20 years: two three-quarter inch pipe clamps.

The problem I ran into was an out-of-square situation with the face frame. Early in my woodworking, I made a few projects that were out of square. No one noticed, but in the back of my mind, I knew and I also knew that this was something that I would need to correct for future projects. Norm Abram gets credit for showing me how to do this. In my first photo, you can see the long pipe clamp pulling the face frame into square (click photos for a larger view):

Making it square. For those that don’t know, after measuring diagonally across the face frame, I place the pipe clamp along the longest measurement and gently tighten it
until the face frame becomes square.

At this point, the lower rail has not been attached. I want it to be flush with the lower shelf, so alignment is critical. I position the face frame and carefully mark the location for the lower rail. The components of the face frame are joined using pocket screw joinery shown in the photos below:

Norm again. I first saw this type of joinery on Norm’s New Yankee Workshop PBS series. I use Kreg products for this process.

Ready to be attached. Note the location of pocket screw and biscuits.

Now that the face frame is completed, it is time to attach it to the bookcase. This took considerable thought and planning because the face frame is rather long and alignment is the utmost importance.

I did not have enough clamps to clamp up everything, so in addition to clamps, I relied on screws which would later be covered by molding and pocket screws which won’t be seen either. I also used biscuits along the left and rights sides as well as the lower shelf. This may seem like overkill, but to have all the face frame joined tightly to the box of the lower bookcase, all of this is necessary. I don’t want any cracks that have to be filled.

Glue-up choreography. After a dry run with clamps, screws and biscuits, the actual glue-up is completed. All the planning meant that I could successfully spread glue, lay the face frame in place, attach screws and the various clamps, and wipe away glue squeeze out with out becoming a nervous wreck. This is really a two person job.

Note in the photo above that I am using several short pipe clamps. I bought these short pipes a few years ago and seldom use them, but they were very handy for this glue-up.

A handy tip
I used to try to make my face frames the exact same size as the case, attach it and keep my fingers crossed that it fit as it should. Later I realized that I simply need to make the face frame slightly over-size (maybe 1/16" to 1/8" larger) and then use a flush trim bit in my router to cut away the excess. That way, I can use the case as a temple for my router to follow ensuring a proper fit. It works like a charm every time. See the photo below...

Trimming the edge. A rare action shot of me. I use a flush trim bit in my router to cut away the extra width of the stiles. This makes a giant mess on my shop floor. I am thinking of some sort of stand that I can attach a hose for my dust collector to catch the dust from such an operation as this.

What it will be. Here is a view of the Sketch-Up drawing of just the lower bookcase. Remember there will be an upper section as well.

How it currently looks. The adjustable shelf is in place and the project is starting to look pretty good.

Coming up: this sounds like something a TV announcer would say: "In our next episode of the Scott Bookcase, see the base moldings being applied." Stay tuned.

To see all the posts on this project, click here.

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Have a question or comment about this post? Comments are encouraged on this blog. Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below.

Scott bookcase: more work on the lower bookcase

First, some snowy photos. Most winters we get a snow or two in Alabama. This is our second of the season and a good snow for us is usually just enough to cover most of the grass and snarl traffic. A photo from the end of our street (photos are clickable for a larger view).

From my office window. The trees look beautiful covered with light snow.

This is what a winter storm looks like in Alabama. Yesterday evening, the weather service posted a winter storm warning for central Alabama. The forecast called for as much as four inches of snow. I am not yet sure what the official accumulation was, but it was a nice little snow, (not hardly what I would call a winter storm).

PANELS AND THE LOWER SHELF

Due to work related stuff, I have not been able to do much wood working this week. At the beginning of the week, I was able to build-up the side panels and add molding to them. And last night, I was able to begin fabrication of the adjustable shelf for the lower bookcase finishing it up this morning. See the photos...

The left panel. I use half inch MDF to make rails and stiles and then add typical stop molding around the inside. Note the molding at the bottom of the panel hasn't been cut yet.

Biscuits. I use #10 biscuits and glue to add a poplar edge to the plywood shelf. I have found that even with several coats of paint, the various layers of plywood are visible. This solid wood strip will allow for a smooth paint finish. The biscuits help create a strong joint and also help align the two surfaces.

Pipe clamps. I use four pipe clamps to pull the components of the shelf together. I then use a damp cloth to wipe away the glue that squeezes out.

WHAT IS NEXT?

I actually worked on the face frame for about two hours this afternoon, but I did not get it finished, so I'll write about that process in my next post. Then it will be on to the base moldings.

Music on my iPod: David Gray, "Babylon". To see all the posts on this project, click here.

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Have a question or comment about this post? Comments are encouraged on this blog. Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below.

Ahh, the smell of MDF in the morning

When we were looking for our current home, a requirement was a basement that was the full width of the house. This would enable us to park our cars indoors and still have room for a workshop. As you can see in the photo above, at times our cars suffer from this.

Yesterday, I was working with MDF using my router and a flush trim bit to cut the back of my current project. Even with the router connected to my shopvac, the dust generated was unbelievable - the downside of using MDF.

This morning I went down into the shop to get my iPod and the smell of MDF from yesterday was still noticable.

Later today, I will raise the garage doors and crank up my electric leaf blower and blow this stuff out into the yard. Funny, I had not planned on using my leaf blower this way, but it being electric powered and all, it is really handy for this. I have to work on my dust collection system!

By the way, the music on my iPod right now is Xavier Rudd, "No Woman No Cry." Not typical of what I listen to, but a good change of pace.

Scott bookcase: the lower box

Over the past couple of days, I have been contemplating exactly how I would glue the sides of the lower bookcase to the long lower shelf and what I am calling the sub-top. I remember Norm Abram gluing multiple pieces of a project together in fairly quick order and I often wondered just how two hands can do all that before the glue starts to set up. While that worked well for Norm, my process is sort of the opposite: slow and easy.

The shelf and sub-top measure 55 3/8” and as I said on my last post, this is the widest piece of furniture I have ever made. The massive bookcase project is just as wide, but it is really two smaller left and right sections joined together. My process is shown below - keep in mind where we left off last time: I had just completed the fabrication of the sides of the lower bookcase.

Firstly, here are the two cross pieces which are exactly the same size.

Squares. I have the good fortune of having a Woodcraft store within a 10 minute drive from my shop. I have seen Norm use what is called “3D Squares”. I went to Woodcraft to see if they offered these and they did, but their squares were rather small – six inches long. So I grabbed some scrap plywood and made some that are much longer and better suited for my big glue-up.

A little at a time. Here, I have glued the cross pieces to the side resting on my workbench, but the side closest to the ceiling is dry fitted. For me, long boards are more accurately glued by doing one side first and then doing the other side. The weight of the cross pieces were enough to cause squeeze out eliminating the need for clamps. I will let this dry over night and glue the other side in the morning.

Attaching the back. I cut the width of the MDF back a little wider than the box and then trim it flush with a router. The one-piece back will stiffen up this wide bookcase.

Time to dress it up. Here is the completed box of the lower bookcase. Next is the fun part: adding the moldings and elements that give it style.

The lower bookcase is just a box right now, not much to look at, but tomorrow I will begin applying the MDF pieces that will form the panels for the sides. Then it will be on to build the face frame for the front of the bookcase. That should take me most of the week. I'm making a lot of progress and I feel that the lower bookcase will be completed within the next two weeks.

To see all the posts on this project, click here.

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Have a question or comment about this post? Comments are encouraged on this blog. Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below.

Scott bookcase: fabricating the lower case

Woodworking is a part time thing for me. I have found that if I can do at least a little each day before and after work, then a lot can be accomplished. I officially started this project Monday morning and here it is Tuesday evening and I have both the left and right sides of the lower bookcase completed (creating the panels to the outside of the lower bookcase will happen later).

To remind you what this bookcase will look like, click here. The process is basic woodworking as you can see from the photos...

Straight from the home center. After being cut at the home center, this piece of plywood will become the sides of the upper and lower bookcase.

My first cut. I use my circular saw to cut the plywood into upper and lower sections. The space between my table saw and out-feed table is great for this.

My new panel cutting sled. After cutting the sides to the proper width,
I use this fixture for squaring up the ends.

So far, so good. Straight, square and flat. Good quality plywood is a great material to work with.

Cutting the dados. For the bottom bookcase, there will be a bottom shelf and sub-top. Both will be joined to the sides using dados. I don't use a dado blade for this. Using my fence, I locate and make an initial cut on both sides and then nibble away at the material until I get a snug fit.

Sinking holes for the shelf pins. There will be one movable shelf in the lower bookcase. I add a collar to my router; clamp this jig to the bookcase side and plunge a router bit into the plywood .

The lower sides completed. These two sides mirror each other. I am off to a good start.

Next up: cutting the shelves to size and assembling the box that will become the lower bookcase. This bookcase is about five feet wide, the widest project I have ever had to glue up. So, I will need to purchase longer pipe clamps.

To see all the posts on this project, click here.

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Have a question or comment about this post? Comments are encouraged on this blog. Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below.