Craig Crampton, WA

Entertainment Buffet
Jarrah
2100 x 830 x 500mm

Concept
I was finalising the last few pieces I had on order and found myself with no upcoming projects. I had been in this position before and with Christmas coming up I knew work would flow in shortly, so I decided that I personally not only wanted to make something for myself but also to show off some of my design and workmanship.
I was in need of an entertainment unit, though I did not fancy making a lowline unit to which is so popular at the moment. Instead I decided to make something in between a buffet and an entertainment unit and this was the result.
I needed a unit that not only had the room for the several components that I owned, but also wanted a design that flowed, used timber without inlays, and used joinery to show an enhancement. The unit also had to be practical and functional as I wanted this to become marketable, but also have requirements for hiding the numerous metres of cords and plugs.
Within the design I have allowed access for airflow and cords to be easily accessible to each section, but notably I wished to have the unit close up against the wall, so I recessed the kicker in the back of the unit 4–5inches as to readily hide all the plugs that are required.

Materials
I pride my self in advertising the fact that I use solid timber for all of my furniture. This unit was made from Western Australian paddock jarrah in which was purchased locally just outside of town that had been stripped stacked and naturally seasoned over seven years. I personally like the medium mauve colour of jarrah in which I used for the top, carcase, kicker, backing and adjustable shelving.
With the drawer fronts and doors I have used pink curly tiger stripe jarrah, with the darkest jarrah used for the drawer side and in construction to give the contrast in the drawer joinery. As with the drawer bases I use 6mm ply board (the only non solid timber usage in all of my furniture) and with that I cover with black felt.
80 x 8mm tongue and groove jarrah lining boards are machined for the back in which are all hand screwed as well.

Hardware
As with the unit’s hardware, I have used 50mm brass butt hinges inlayed into doors and Blumotion full extension ball bearing hidden runners for the drawers, these are also inlayed into the carcase walls to maintain the gap for the drawers. For the shelving I have used brass supports and brass ferrals which have been spaced evenly.

Joinery
For general carcase work where the endgrain is not seen and for the shelving, I have used a finger joiner which is set up on my spindle moulder. As for anything with the endgrain showing (like the top) I have used a feather join running the full length (40 x 9mm) so as to retain tradition and screwed down to the unit from the inside. For the doors I have used dowels as with the rail joinery into the carcase sides. For the divisions and the solid shelf in the carcase I have used biscuit joinery and in which any passing rails for the carcase are flush housed in and screwed. The kicker on the base has been mitred and pinned with corner blocks and then screwed underneath the unit.
The drawers sides have been butt joined to maintain the width needed (the fronts are full width pieces) and through machine dovetailed front and back using a Leigh Dovetailer. The darkest jarrah was used to enhance the through dovetails on the fronts. The ply base is felted, fitted and hand screwed into the drawer as well. The sides are hand shaped and used biscuit joinery onto the flat panels with a pinned cock beading on the bottom. The back jarrah lining board is screwed into position. As with the doors again the glass beading is mitred and hand screwed in to hold the glass into place, no glue, no silicone.
All handles are handmade! And I have used 5mm dowels for joinery to the drawer fronts and doors.

Glues
The top is glued with West System epoxy resin.
All other carcase joinery, doors and drawer construction are glued with Selleys exterior grade crosslinked PVA.
All defects (splits, birds eyes, natural gum) have been filled with West Systems epoxy resin, what small parts that are missed during the process has been filled with either coloured Timbermate putty or coloured wax sticks.

Finishes
The top has been machine sanded and finished to a 240grit hand sand and has had Beckers 30% 2 pack applied with four coats top and bottom (obviously sanded in between coats).
The carcase, drawers, doors, lining board and shelving have all been machine sanded and finished to a 150 grit hand sand and applied two coats of the above product, sanded back with 240 grit and steel wool and then applied a final coat, this includes places not also seen like inside the drawer carcase and underneath.
The above methods of joinery, use of timbers, methods of finishing, hardware used and finishing products are my minimum standards when making furniture for clients. The only exception is a cheaper option of having a screw-on drawer front, but still using through dovetails, ply base, felting and runners in the drawer construction.
All of my furniture is designed to come apart is some way, every piece I make the top can be removed along with the drawer bases, doors, back lining boards and kicker. This is to maintain an ease of use in the future if the unit needs to be refurbished for whatever reason. In saying this each and every separate part is separately finished.

Photos: Warren Griffiths