# Dresser Top 3-Drawer TV Support



## V. Kelly Bellis (Jun 13, 2020)

For our 40th Anniversary, my wife and I each chipped in and gave ourselves a new TV for the bedroom. The only problem was it was wider than the dresser which sent me to get a piece of 4' wide plywood as soon as that was realized. That was December 24, 2019 and about when I was teaching myself how to sharpen my ad hoc collection (then) of 3 moderately abused and never quite sharp chisels, a chapter unto itself. By the way, if you're shopping for a diamond sharpening stone, here's my own short list - sorry, this forum doesn't seem to support BBC coded tables:




The 5-star winner: Schaaf Tools 400/1000 Grit Diamond Sharpening Stone!

Over the winter and after watching many videos by Paul Sellers, who is one of my all time most favorite teachers, I bought a Stanley No 4 - Type 16 off of eBay on January 8th, arriving on the 11th, and followed his procedures for its restoration. Shortly thereafter, I bought a Millers Falls No. 14B from the Hulls Cove Tool Barn in the Town of Bar Harbor, and restored it too.



 

My next bit of fun was in learning how to true up a piece of leftover 2 x 8 from Home Depot, again having been inspired by Mr. Sellers' teachings, and particularly his presentation on stock preparation. 



 
Eventually, the pine board was resawn, and hand planed further into .6" thick stock for learning and practicing hand cut dovetails. The hacksaw's fine teeth used on these first cuts were most adequate, but within a week afterwards, I purchased ($19.80 USD) a wonderful little saw (now more than doubled in price!), Gyokucho Razorsaw Ryoba Saw 180mm No. 291.

Reactions: Way Cool 2


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## V. Kelly Bellis (Jun 13, 2020)

Each of these lessons, beginning with having very sharp tools, were invaluable for what was originally designed back in December for our new TV. Here in Maine, we have number of surplus & salvage stores known as Marden's, and was where I found 5' lengths of 1/2" (0.42") thick red birch baseboard at $2.99 each. But even after going through all of the bins of this stuff, and cherry picking, none of it was really able to be used without hand planing out the twists and bows, and then hand planing both faces to remove the snipe and chatter marks. As Paul would say, it was pretty rough.





Before getting on with the next round of dovetails, I made the case (or carcass)from a type of plywood made from the Sande tree. Unfortunately, it doesn't measure 1/2" thick, but closer to 0.466" which meant I couldn't use my 1/2" router bit to cut the dados. Before its assembly, I finished off the last 6 ounces, or so, of my first quart of Zinsser with 2 coats on the inside faces (up to the glue line) and then applied 1 coat of wax. Sande hardwood is rather soft, almost like balsa wood and is similarly fairly light in weight. I only bought it because it was cheaper ($36 per 4' x 8' sheet) than the other Home Depot offerings that approximate birch plywood. Where to find 13-ply baltic birch these days and does anything measure 1/2" and 3/4" thick anymore?!






The finished size of the 3-drawer case was supposed to be 3.652" high x 47.75" long x 17.25" deep, but I ended up adding a stiffener along the bottom front edge of the case and then two short vertical terminals at its end. Apparently introduced from over clamping during glue-up, there was a slight concave bowing on the bottom in the middle drawer compartment and the stiffener fixed that. The stiffener was glued up in two steps; first the strip of red birch to the bottom of the plywood to get the bow out, then after a full day for the glue to reach strength, a second strip of red birch was glue to its face. The added edge piece serves sort of like a bench cleat keeping the casework from being pushed off the top of the dresser.





Next, I was finally able to cut my first dovetails in hardwood. Throughout all of this, the diamond stones have more than paid for themselves in ways that are hard to describe, whether that be the therapeutic effect of making whisper thin shavings from the hand plane, or the exquisite sounds of the chisel paring end grain.









Before the drawer faces were glued to the assembled drawer bodies, the drawers were all sized to fit their respective openings to within about 0.02" on either side of the drawer. A discarded box from some saltines sliced into strips worked out pretty well as spacers to hold the drawers in place while registering them to their respective faces.

Reactions: Way Cool 1


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## V. Kelly Bellis (Jun 13, 2020)



Reactions: Like 1 | Great Post 2


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## Mr. Peet (Jun 14, 2020)

Is "red birch" a term for heartwood? As Yellow, black and white are the most common lumber producing birches in Maine. Grey birch has no timber market and very few river birch make it to the mill.


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## V. Kelly Bellis (Jun 14, 2020)

Hi Mark,
I have no idea, and I had never heard of red birch before, but that's what was on the packaging for the beaded wainscot that these baseboards were related at Mardens. The next time I'm there, I'll try and see if they still have the package information with the details of where it comes from.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Gdurfey (Jun 19, 2020)

@V. Kelly Bellis , Vance, that is great story telling!!!!!!! I learned a lot; a lot to think about. Gorgeous piece; thanks for taking the time to post in this manner.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## V. Kelly Bellis (Jul 5, 2020)

Hello Mark,
I was in Mardens the other day and snagged this photo from one of the boxes of wainscot associated with the baseboards that I used in this project. The product comes from a mill here in Maine.


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## Mr. Peet (Jul 5, 2020)

V. Kelly Bellis said:


> Hello Mark,
> I was in Mardens the other day and snagged this photo from one of the boxes of wainscot associated with the baseboards that I used in this project. The product comes from a mill here in Maine.
> View attachment 190101



Maybe it is a new marketing name to sell birch heartwood?


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## Nubsnstubs (Jul 5, 2020)

Vance, that's pretty good how to on making your TV stand and drawers. It also looks well made, and I hope it gives you a lifetime of support. Unfortunately, the next TV you purchase will be just a bit larger, and you'll have to make make another...... 

There is another thread about hidden compartments. What you did at the back of your drawers is a prime example of what can be done . The reason you made it that way was to prevent drawer droop when extended, but can serve double duty......... Jerry (in Tucson)

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## barry richardson (Jul 5, 2020)

Great post Vance! I really need to get me a set of those diamond plates....

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## V. Kelly Bellis (Aug 2, 2020)

Hello @barry richardson and @Nubsnstubs - Sorry not to have replied sooner, but thank you both for commenting!!

Reactions: Like 1


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