Project Update 1: Armoire

Woodworking went really well this last Wednesday. I made a lot of progress, even though I spent too much time dithering about some of the dimensions. As you can see below, my plans aren’t super-detailed. I’m pretty visually-minded, and so it’s hard for me to decide what the dimensions should be from my lovely not-to-scale drawing.

Last week I sanded smooth and cut to size the 4 long pieces and 6 short pieces that will make up the side panels of the armoire. You can see how they fit together in the lower right corner of the plans. This week I used a router to cut the profiles and the grooves of these pieces so they can fit together.
My instructor found a spare piece of walnut laminate that he said I could use for the panels. It’s not solid wood, but it has a real walnut veneer on the front. The dimensions of the laminate panels determine the overall dimensions of the sides of the armoire, and so I put a side together to help get an idea of what I wanted the overall dimensions to be. It took me entirely too long, but I finally decided that the legs should be 7 1/2 inches tall. (I know, I know–7 1/2 is SO MUCH better than 8 or 7 inches! I’m glad you agree.) So I cut the laminate to size.

And then I glued the whole thing together. There was only enough time left in class to glue one side; I’ll have to do the other side next time. Even though I only got one side together, I was pleased with the progress I made this week. It usually takes me longer to get to this point and so it’s satisfying to have a side put together already. It’s makes it seem more like a piece of furniture in progress instead of a pile of sticks.

Next week: making the top and bottom of the armoire.