I don'k know how anybody else goes about designing their work, but lately I've taken a distinctly Krenovian approach to the task and once I've got the vague outlines of a job, I go and get all the wood out, stick it all over the 'shop and have a good think, usually armed with a tape measure, calculator and a nice brew...
Such was the case this afternoon. If you recollect, I recently finished a wall hung cabinet in English Walnut so I needed to start to think about something else to do...but this isn't the next job, it's the one after, the next project can be seen 'in stick' under the bench just next to the AirPress pump.
An idea has slowly been taking shape in the 'pea soup' upstairs, based on an slightly oriental idea that I've incorporated into a couple of projects in the past. Around July '10 I finished a Media Unit, where the top and bottom were slabs with rounded edges, capped with ebony. Imagine these two now tipped vertically (but a bit skinnier) and a cabinet slung between them. Alan Peters showed something similar in this rather excellent book, 'Cabinet Making - the Professional Approach' so that's the basis of this design.
The two long boards of Wych Elm shown will be sliced up for the side veneers and there may, just maybe mind you, be enough for the back panel, plus a bit extra using the little bit on the left (suitably sliced up of course)
The front panel could be made from the book-matched pair of boards shown...
...above, with the stiles shown in place (again a book-matched pair) and the lump of elm for the door rails and back panel shown as well. Have a close look at the grain as it's curving upwards towards the corners. I'm thinking that this ought to look quite good...
...but it's not Wych Elm, just elm 'ordinarie' (hence a different colour) so do I use it?... or try and and find something else amongst my small stash? There may be a bit left over once I've cut all the veneer...hopefully.
Looking on the bright side, I've got all the timber and it's all nice and dry (vital for elm, as it'll twist and turn at the drop of a hat)
On the other hand, I also have plans to make a small, wall mounted bow-fronted cabinet in ash and I definitely haven't got enough of that, so a trip to Yandles seems on the cards...
Decisions, decisions...
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