Introduction: Reclaimed 6 Drawer Dresser (TECHSHOP BUILT)!!

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I was asked by a friend to make her a dresser...the only thing that she mentioned is that she wanted it to look old. Old is not that easy for a novice like me, but I said yes, and she gave me a idea of what she was looking for, and I got started.

GOOD THING I HAVE A TECH SHOP MEMBERSHIP!!!!




Step 1: Reclaimed WOOD

First I found out about a guy in Half Moon Bay with a sort of reclaimed lumber yard. I went there, and stumbled upon a relatively rare wood called IPE. (EEPAY). It is a rock hard hardwood similar to teak and is a really impressive wood. I bought the whole stack for like 60 bucks.

I used a lot of it for a playhouse for my kids, but I had a bunch left...It took a bunch of planing and cutting, but I milled it down to usable planks. 

Step 2: Glue Up for Drawer Fronts and Top...

First, I used the TECHSHOP jointer/planer to get the planks down to sized I could work with. I wanted to have an old looking dresser, so I only planed one side, and left the dirt/weathering on the other. These were going to be used for the Drawer Fronts, so I made them as square as possible so I could face-glue them together.


Step 3: Building the Frame....

I used the TECHSHOP tenoning jig to create some good strong tenons for the frame of the dresser. I used some long solid pieces of IPE (EEPAY) for the framework., and glued them up with some plywood for the inside to mount the drawer glides on later.

Step 4: Making the Drawers.....

So I am no expert on drawers, and I didn't figure this for a dovetail-needed project, so I just built the drawers with a sort of half lap. I cut a groove for the drawer bottom to slide into, and glued them all together. TECHSHOP has a dovetail jig, so you can use that if you need to.

I knew that I wanted to do the fronts of the drawers without traditional pulls, I cut the drawers with cutouts on the front, so the drawers could be grabbed and pulled with one hand. I used the TECHSHOP router with a following bit, to make the cutouts all the same.

The woman I build it for wanted 6 drawers, but the top four to be offset and increasing in size, so each drawer is actually unique. 

Step 5: SHOP BOT for the Back.....

I chose to have a solid thin piece for the back of the dresser, and each of the drawers have really nice self closing drawer glides, so I used the TECHSHOP SHOPBOT to cut out the back of the dresser. The holes allow for the drawer glides to be adjusted or disconnected if necessary from behind.

Step 6: She Also WANTED STENCILED NUMBERS on the Drawers...

The woman I build this for also thought stencils on the front would be nice, so using the TECHSHOP vinyl cutter, I cut out some nice stenciled words to use to paint the front of the drawers. 

First you cut out the vinyl, then cover with a not stretch plastic sheet, then transfer the vinyl to the workpiece. This way I could paint right on it.

She loved it, and I loved making it. 


I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE TECHSHOP....THANKS FOR SUCH A GREAT PLACE..