Workshop of Charles Neil The Sugar Chest/Cellaret Project Reference Manual

Brand: Workshop of Charles Neil

Model: The Sugar Chest/Cellaret

Type: Project Reference Manual

Workshop of Charles Neil The Sugar Chest/Cellaret is a comprehensive guide to building a beautiful and functional piece of furniture. With clear instructions and detailed illustrations, this manual will walk you through every step of the process, from selecting the right lumber to applying the finishing touches.

This manual is a companion to the DVD of the same name, which provides even more in-depth instruction. Together, these resources will give you the confidence and skills you need to create a sugar chest that will be a treasured heirloom for generations to come.

Here are just a few of the things you'll learn in this manual:

The Sugar Chest/Cellaret

Project Reference Manual

email: workshopofcharlesnei[email protected]

website: www.antiquesbuiltdaily.com

April 2008

Dear Woodworker:

The sugar chest has always been a rewarding build for me. Its straight forward

construction as well as its simple beauty have always made it a joy to do and now, with

a ton of them under my belt, I pass the torch to you.

What I hope is that you will not only build the chest, but will learn from it. There

are so many sound/solid techniques used that it will surely expand the advanced

woodworker and bring the novice further than say any single project that I know of. It

has always been my favorite teaching project. So, no matter what your skill level, this is

a winner.

Not only has the chest been a favorite of mine, it has been a huge hit with my

clients, they have always sold as quickly as we made them.

The hope of any teacher is to become less and less needed, if you have a

question, please email me and once you have mastered the chest, pass it on so other

generations can share in the joy of woodworking.

Table of Contents

History of the Sugar Chest.......................................... 1

Introduction to the Project........................................... 2

Materials and Supplies............................................. 4

Calculating Your Lumber Needs...................................... 5

Line Drawings.................................................... 6

DVD Chapter References........................................... 8

Sanding Schedule. .............................................. 1 0

Finishing Schedule............................................... 1 1

Bonus Material

Selecting and Purchasing Lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2

Processing Rough Lumber. .................................. 1 4

Resources . .................................................. 1 5

-1-

The Sugar Chest/Cellaret

Why do we call the same piece two different names?

Because the most common form of a sugar chest

outwardly resembles a cellaret or bottle case. The main

difference in the two pieces is the dividers inside the

chest. A cellaret usually was divided by partitions that

separated 12 to 16 bottles and a sugar chest, if divided

at all, only had two or three compartments for storing

different types of sugar, sometimes coffee, tea and

spices.

The original piece that we fashioned our piece after was

a sugar chest that had no dividers. When making this

project you decide for yourself whether you want to

divide the chest and make a cellaret or have no dividers

as was the case with most sugar chests. So throughout this manual we will refer to the

piece as a sugar chest.

Now, the form of the sugar chest is a large wooden box, usually on a floor standing

base. It was a popular furniture form in the southern United States in the 18 and 19

th th

centuries. It was attractive and often displayed in the dining room. Most of the sugar

used in North America during the 19 century was imported making it a luxury product

used mostly by the wealthy.

The less affluent used honey, molasses or maple syrup as a sweetener. The sugar

was processed in cone-shaped clay molds that removed the syrup from the raw sugar

and made loaves of sugar crystals. The housewife purchased the expensive cone or

loaf and carefully cut into lumps using a sugar nipper. The locked chest protected the

sugar from insects and theft! The nippers were stored in the drawer below along with a

ledger in which the household’s consumption was recorded.

When the processing of sugar changed in the 1850's, and the new methods made it

inexpensive for most Americans, the sugar chest was no longer needed. Few people

today recognize and old sugar chest. It is often thought to be a jewelry chest or sewing

chest. It is currently one of the most sought after small antiques and sells from

$3,000.00 to $10,000.00 in shops and at auction.

If you are interested in purchasing cone sugar and

reproduction sugar nippers here is the only source I found:

Jas. Townsend & Son, Inc.

133 North First Street

PO Box 415-W

Pierceton, IN 46562

www.jas-townsend.com

-2-

Introduction

The sugar chest is a fun project that will provide you with an heirloom piece when

completed. This project book is a companion to our DVD, “In the Workshop with

Charles Neil - Crafting a Sugar Chest/Cellaret” and is not meant as a stand-alone book.

Having said that, after watching the DVD you will be able to use this manual to help you

retain what you saw in the DVD. It also gives you more in-depth reference material

such as basic dimensions, line drawings, etc.

Sometimes in the course of building every day, there are little details that are very

important but sometimes come so naturally that we overlook including them in the

directions, that is why this manual and the DVD together make for great instruction.

Your furniture begins taking form from the moment you select your lumber at the mill.

There are several stages the piece goes through before becoming furniture.

1. The rough lumber stage.

2. The “parts and pieces” stage.

3. The construction stage.

4. The sanding stage, and lastly

5. The finishing stage.

The rough lumber stage is a stack of boards that have no real purpose except to the

woodworker. As you select your lumber at the mill, look for character and grain that

“speaks” to you, the maker. Look for things that make your piece one-of-a-kind. The

value of the piece is increased if you use as few glued-up panels as possible. You will

find that 10" and wider boards cost more than random width, but increases the value of

the finished piece tremendously. Using matched boards also will enhance the finished

piece.

The parts and pieces stage is exactly what it says, parts and pieces. During this stage

of your woodworking, you need to take time to grain and color match pieces that

integrate with each other, paying close attention at this stage will be evident in the end

result.

The construction stage is where you shine as a woodworker. It is very important that

you use traditional joinery, (it does matter whether you use a pegged mortise and tenon

joint or screws and plug the holes). Pay close attention to all details, such as flush (not

almost flush), square, so everything works together properly. If I’ve said it once I’ve

said it a thousand times, details count!

The sanding stage can ruin the piece that has been constructed beautifully if attention

is not paid to the details. Wood can only be sanded so smooth so you must take care

in sanding (not over-sanding) to insure that flat stays flat and details of construction are

not changed. You must sand out all scratches, planer snipes, etc. All sharp edges

must be toned down for finishing, not eliminated. Our DVD does not go into detail

-3-

about how to sand your project. If you need help in learning to sand, we do have a

DVD available “Building to Finish - Sanding and Smoothing”

The finishing stage is what the other see and feel first. If you have a sloppy finish it

doesn’t matter how well the piece has been crafted, it will not appeal to the human

senses of sight and touch. A premier finish is not as simple as many think. If you can’t

finish, then you can’t build. Any finish technique is acceptable as long as it is complete.

If you need finishing help, my DVD, Finishing A to Z: Beyond the Books has opened

thousands of eyes to finishing your woodworking projects. In this DVD we do not go

into the finishing of the sugar chest but later in this manual we do give you a list of the

products we used and a finishing schedule.

So, you see, each stage has its own importance and no one stage is more important

than the other, but if undivided attention is not given to each stage, you will not have the

completed piece you had hoped for.

We encourage you to take your time, go slowly and be patient, you WILL make

mistakes and need to make corrections, we call this experience. Each project you take

on in the future will benefit from the mistakes you make today.

Throughout this manual, the right hand margin has been kept clear for note-taking.

While proceeding through the project you may find it necessary for more detailed

instructions regarding the techniques being used. Some of this information can be

found at the end of this manual.

Take some time, watch and enjoy the DVD set and being in the workshop with Charles,

then kick back and read this manual and then make your plan of attack.

-4-

Project Specific Materials and Supplies

Lumber: 4/4 Primary Wood

8/4 Primary Wood

4/4 Secondary Wood

Hardware: 1 pair 1 5/8" x 2 ½" Butt Hinges (PB409)

2 - 5/8" Knobs (H-42 with wood screw)

2 - 3" boring Drawer Pulls (H10FB with machine screw)

2 - 3 ½" boring Drawer Pulls (H10FB with machine screw)

1 - Lock (LK-7)

1 - Keyhole Escutcheon - (FE-7)

1 - #8 Brass Slotted Wood Screw

The part numbers in parenthesis following the item

are the actual part numbers we purchase for our

sugar chests from Horton Brasses Inc.

You can also ask for the brass hardware kit for the

Charles Neil Sugar Chest when ordering.

Horton Brasses, Inc.

49 Nooks Hill Road

Cromwell, CT 06416

800-754-9127

www.horton-brasses.com

Consumable supplies such as glue, sandpaper, and finishing

materials and supplies.

If you want to use the hand-forged black iron, here is the part

numbers at Horton Brasses

1 pair strap hinges - HF-10 (order 10" length for

3/4" chest back thickness)

2 - BK-1 Knobs with wood screws

2 - BK-3 Knobs with machine screws

1 - LK-7 Lock

1 - H-39 inset escutcheon

-5-

Calculating Your Lumber Needs

The Sugar Chest is the perfect project to learn to use the

Golden Ratio/Golden Mean which has been used for thousands

of years. This proportion is said to make the perfect rectangle

and therefore is very pleasing to the eye and allows your

furniture grace in proportion.

The ratio to be used is 1.62 (this is rounded). In furniture

design, we round the measurements so that we do not work

with extreme fractions of an inch.

In the Sugar Chest, all pieces work from the chest. The top and

the chest front being the most important because we want these

to be one board if possible.

So, if you have a stash that you are going to use for this project

you need to measure the width of the widest board, this will be

the depth and height of your chest. If you aren’t working from a

stash and will need to purchase the lumber then you can decide

what dimensions you want to work with.

-6-

Parts List

Qty Part Description

A 1 Chest Top

B 2 Chest Front & Back

C 2 Chest Ends/Sides

D 1 Chest Bottom

E 1 Moldings

F 4 Legs

G 1 Base Back Skirt

H 2 Base Side Skirts

I 3 Front Face Rails

J 1 Pull-Out Front Face

K 1 Drawer Front Face

L 1 Chest Lid Support

M 6 Drawer Frame

Back/Front

N 6 Drawer Frame

Sides

O 1 Pull Out

P 2 Pull Out

Bread Board Ends

Q 2 Drawer Sides

R 2 Drawer Front/Back

S 2 Drawer Bottom

Construction note for the Chest Bottom. Because this piece is

wider than the chest, and the only visibility from the outside is

the profiled edge, there are several options here.

Our preferred method of making the chest bottom is to use a

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whole panel and rout the profile directly on the chest bottom as

shown in the DVD. An alternative method, as shown in the line

drawing above is to make the chest bottom about 1/8" back

from the outside of the chest walls and to use an applied

molding on three sides. This method is usually used when

trying to get the best yield from lumber on hand.

-8-

DVD Set Contents

Disc 1

Chapter 1 - Processing Lumber

Chapter 2 - Laying Out Parts

Chapter 3 - Final Dimensions

Chapter 4 - Orientation of Chest

Chapter 5 - Dovetail Chest

Chapter 6 - Prepare Chest Inside

Chapter 7 - Chest Glue Up

Chapter 8 - Square and True

Chapter 9 - Define Story

Chapter 10 - Mortise Legs

Chapter 11 - Cut Tenons

Disc 2

Chapter 1 - Tapering Legs

Chapter 2 - Make Apron Bead

Chapter 3 - Glue the Base

Chapter 4 - Dovetail Top Rail

Chapter 5 - Carve and Chisel Socket

Chapter 6 - Drawer - Slide & Framework

Chapter 7 - Bread Board Slide

Chapter 8 - Biscuit/Nail Bread Board Slide

Chapter 9 - Make Drawer

Chapter 10 - Fitting Drawer

Chapter 11 - Drawer Frames

Disc 3

-9-

Chapter 1 - Flushing Front

Chapter 2 - Drawer Bottom

Chapter 3 - Drawer Fronts

Chapter 4 - Apply Drawer Fronts

Chapter 5 - Drawer Hardware & Stops

Chapter 6 - Moldings & Chest Bottom

Disc 4

Chapter 1 - Fit and Attach Moldings

Chapter 2 - Install Lock

Chapter 3 - Set Keyhole Escutcheon

Chapter 4 - Hinge Installation

Chapter 5 - Lid Support

Chapter 6 - Overall Details

-10-

Sanding Schedule

All construction sanding should be done with 80 grit then 120 grit and in areas that will

be difficult to reach when the piece is constructed, continue with 150 grit then 180 grit.

After the piece is constructed:

If needed in certain areas, start with 80 grit, but this is unlikely.

Start with a trace coat (diluted dye, alcohol or water) and lightly cover all surfaces

that are accessible for sanding and that will be visible in the end product. The

trace coat allows you to see any glue residue, chip out, scratches, etc. Allow to

dry before beginning to sand.

Begin with 120 grit, sand all surfaces including hand sanding all areas until the

trace coat is removed and you see no signs of residue or scratches in the

surfaces to be finished.

Next, lightly trace coat all exterior surfaces, try to stay away from areas that will

be difficult to remove the trace from.

Sand with 150 grit, again, paying close attention that all scratches are removed.

Now, final sand with 180 grit, this is only a smoothing sand, all scratches, glue

residue, etc. should already be gone.

Finishing Schedule

-11-

Old Pine Sugar Chest

General Finishes Shaker Maple Stain

One Coat Pre-Cat Flat

Light Scuff sand with 320 grit

Glaze with Van Dyke Brown

Three coats of Pre-Cat Flat Water Base

Scuffed with grain using 500 grit abralon pad

Waxed

Tiger Maple Sugar Chest

Dye with New England Maple (Gemini Coatings #DS64)

Reduce with lacquer thinner - 1 quart dye to ½ quart thinner

Wipe down with damp lacquer thinner rag - allow to dry.

Wipe coat of Zinnser Seal Coat

Top Coat with 4 coats of Gemini Coatings S5989 Pre Cat Lacquer in Satin

Sheen

-12-

Appendix A

Selecting and Purchasing Lumber for Your Project

One of the most important steps in your project will be selecting and purchasing the

lumber. There are many reputable sawmills and each handles small retail sales

differently. Ideally, look for a mill you are comfortable with and deal primarily with one

mill We recommend that you stay away from mills that do not allow you to select your

own lumber. There are also specialty mills that cater to the discreet buyer. These mills

generally charge a higher price for their lumber, but the service and end result are worth

the extra dollars. If you do not have a planer, ask the mill if they surface the lumber, if

they do, there is usually a nominal fee per board foot, but they will surface both sides to

the thickness you request.

Before you head out to the mill, equip yourself with some basic knowledge about

hardwood lumber grading and dimensions. Refer to the article from Oklahoma State

University Extension Services also on this disc.

Determine Board Footage

To determine the board footage of a board use this simple formula:

Width in inches times length in inches divided by 144 equals board feet

example: a board that is 9" wide and 8' long would be calculated as 9" x 96"

equals 864 divided by 144 equals 6 board feet.

Shopping for Lumber

What to take with you to the mill:

A measuring tape (at least 16'): You will want to measure the dimension of the

board to make sure it will fit the needs of your project and to be able to calculate

the board footage.

A calculator: To figure the board footage of the lumber you have selected.

A small hand plane: It is difficult in some cases to see the actual coloring and

grain pattern of the lumber in its rough stage, however, slight hand planing will

expose these details and assist you in selecting the right lumber.

Your cut list: You will most certainly need to make some decisions regarding the

widths and lengths of boards based on your project, so take a copy with you that

you can refer to.

Getting the best yield from the lumber you purchase is important. Not only does it save

-13-

you money, but it eliminates a lot of waste. Take a good look at the cut list for your

project, try to get a good idea in your mind of what widths and lengths will work best.

Make sure you know the minimum width of boards that will suit your needs. Determine

this by checking over your cut list and adding at least an inch to the widths required.

For example, your minimum width board is 4" on the cut list, you should purchase

nothing narrower than 5". Keep in mind any parts of your project that you may want

only one board in, such as the panel for a door. Again, take the width from your cut list

and add one inch.

Your first stop should be the One Common (1C) stack, especially if you are seeking

some character wood, either figure, wild grain, knots, etc. You will find that 1C is

usually6 substantially less expensive than FAS. Often times you will be able to get the

cuts of clear grain boards from 1C because you do not need the lengths and widths that

are demanded of the FAS grade.

Begin pulling boards from the stack based on the patina you are looking for as well as

the grain, don’t stop at “just enough,” because there may be some boards that after a

more detailed inspection won’t work. A word of warning, don’t make yourself an enemy

of the mill, make sure you re-stack their racks the way you found them after pulling your

lumber.

Now that you have a stack of rough boards, begin looking through them more carefully.

Look down the board from the end for cupping and or twisting. All boards will have a

little of one or the other and sometimes both. If it is only slight, put it in the keeper pile,

if it is severe, return it to the stack.

The illustration at the right is an example of a

cup and twist looking at the end of the board.

If the board from end to end is “cupping” or

“concave/convex” it is called wain. All boards

do this some, if it is severe, return it to the

rack.

Now is the time to get out your hand plane.

Sort through the boards once again for patina

(color) and grain likeness. Any board that

does not fit your criteria, return it to the rack.

After this sort, determine if you have enough

lumber for your project. If not, it is time to

move to the FAS rack. Using the same

procedure as above, begin sorting through the

lumber until you have enough for your project.

Processing Rough Lumber

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There are so many ways to process the rough lumber that you have purchased at the

mill. How you process the lumber is determined by what equipment you have available.

All lumber must be surfaced to a thickness that is required by your project. For

instance, 4/4 lumber in the rough is a very strong 1" thick. Most furniture projects

require no more than 7/8" thickness and in most cases 3/4". The lumber is milled

strong because during the drying and aging process, the boards will move, they may

cup, warp, twist, etc. You must be able to get a flat board with a thickness that you can

work with and therefore you must find it within the board you have purchased.

If you do not own a planer, or know someone who will let you use theirs, you need to

see out mills who will surface the lumber on both sides. DO NOT have them surface to

the exact thickness you require, it is best to have the mill do a pass on both sides of the

lumber and bring all pieces to the same thickness so you may see its grain and patina.

Be sure to instruct them what your final thickness requirement is and insist that they

stay “strong.”

Investing in a 12 or 12 ½ inch wide planer and perhaps a drum sander will give you the

best results in the long run. A belt sander can also be used to surface the lumber, but

you must be very careful to stay flat. And lastly you can follow the steps of our

forefathers and use hand planes.

The most important thing to remember is that the lumber you are using for your project

must be flat and as smooth as possible during construction.

After this first processing you will be ready to rough cut your parts and pieces of your

project. Sneak up on it and don’t just wack away cutting pieces, we firmly stand on only

cutting the exact size of the piece when you are ready to use it in your project as if there

are any mistakes in measuring or cutting, you can still adapt as needed vs. scrapping

the project and materials and starting over.

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Resources

Lumber - for nicely figured tiger maple

Bob Kloes

Seymour, Wisconsin

920-833-7157

www.bobkloes.com

Skip Hise

Good Hope Hardwoods

Landenberg, PA

610-274-8842

www.goodhope.com

Finishes

General Finishes

www.generalfinishes.com

Also available at www.woodcraft.com or your local Woodcraft Store

Gemini Coatings

www.geminicoatings.com

Hardware

Horton Brasses, Inc.

Cromwell, CT

800-754-9127

www.horton-brasses.com

Abralon by Mirka

available at www.woodcraft.com or your local Woodcraft Store

Workshop of Charles Neil The Sugar Chest/Cellaret Project Reference Manual

Brand: Workshop of Charles Neil

Model: The Sugar Chest/Cellaret

Type: Project Reference Manual

Here are just a few of the things you'll learn in this manual:

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Workshop of Charles Neil The Sugar Chest/Cellaret Project Reference Manual

Workshop of Charles Neil The Sugar Chest/Cellaret Project Reference Manual

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