Project WIP - Knockoff Gerstner 2610 chest - Part I

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CDPeters

Master of None
Chris
Some of you may recall that I said in a recent post reply that my current project is a knock-off of a Gerstner 2610 machinist's chest. Well, I finally found the "round-tuit" and got some work accomplished on it.

I started a few months ago by designing the chest in Sketchup, reverse engineering from photos and videos and specs found on the web. A few weeks ago, I started by making up the panel blanks for the main carcase ( sorry, I did not think to snap any pics :cry_smile). The project is being built from some native red oak I acquired from a friend of my dad's that was cut on his property near Woodbridge, VA. I made up:

Side panels - book matched QSRO with a breadboard top rail
Back panel - book matched QSRO
Bottom panel - 1/2" ply with QSRO front edge trim
Tray panel - 1/2" ply

This past weekend, I completed milling the dados for all the panel fits and the drawer guide rails. Here are some photos:

Dry fit of raw main carcase panels:
IMG_06191.JPG


And the back:
IMG_06234.JPG





Tray panel with mortises cut for the center dividers:
IMG_06245.JPG



Side panel - fitting drawer guide rails:
IMG_06314.JPG



One of 2 center dividers with drawer guides installed:
IMG_06327.JPG




Dry fit of carcase and dividers:
IMG_06305.JPG




So that's all I got done this weekend. All of the drawer guides are glued in and I think I'm ready for one more dry fit before I do final sanding and glue up of the carcase. Then I will need to make a run down to SR Hardwoods and pick up some poplar to start in on the drawers. I also need to mill and assemble the top assembly and the rail & stile front. I also need to decide if I want to stain this piece down some, or just do a blonde finish.

Not sure when I will find time to get back to this project, so I posted this as "Part I" so I can do a Part II when next I get back to it.


So far, I'm having alot of fun with this project...
C.

PS: A few more photos in the Gallery here
 
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CDPeters

Master of None
Chris
Indeed you do. When I picked up the lumber it had been in a warehouse and was in the rough and quite dirty. The ray fleck was quite evident, but it was not until I started milling it that the curl became evident. It's really nice looking "live", but it sure is a bear to get a smooth surface in the planer. I have to take the last 2 passes very light to prevent the grain from "plucking".

Here's a shot of some of the raw lumber... pardon the messy shop!

20160214_101429.jpg
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
Looks good. Anxious to see how it goes. Are the dividers mortised in original Gerstners? Or dadoed?
 

CDPeters

Master of None
Chris
Looks good. Anxious to see how it goes. Are the dividers mortised in original Gerstners? Or dadoed?

Rick, from what I've seen on the assembly videos by Gerstner, they are mortised front, center and back at the top on the underside of the tray. The lower rails that support the bottom of the dividers on the genuine Gerstner are let into the side panels with a front-to-back dado. I elected to use mortises here instead.
 

Rick M

New User
Rick
Thanks. I found those videos and will give them a watch. I've been collecting pictures of various tool boxes, Gerstner, Union, others; and would like to build one someday for smaller precision tools.
 
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