Fremont Chest of Drawers

Darrell Peart

This Fremont Chest of Drawers is the logical companion to the Fremont Nightstand.  With the same motifs, they possess a common DNA – which plays out in each according to context.

Made from Sapele and Ebony, the dimensions are 37″ W x 26″D x 60″H

  • 15 lessons
  • 346 min
  • $99.00
  • Fremont Chest of Drawers Templates

    If you want to hit the ground running and don't feel like making your own templates, add these to your order.

Here's what we'll cover:

  1. Introduction, Lumber, Drawer Fronts, End Panels

    A design review and the initial milling of drawer fronts and end panels.

  2. End Panel Construction

    The end panel comes together with rails and a mullion.

  3. Legs & End Panel Ebony Plug Mortises

    The legs are constructed and attached to the end panels.

  4. Rear Lower Rail, Back Panel, Web Frames

    The rear panel comes together with the rear rails and the web frames are glued up.

  5. Cutting to Width, Cloud Lift Rail, Drawer Front Templates

    Cutting to Width, Cloud Lift Rail, Drawer Front Templates

  6. Biscuits & Dominos

    The back panel, side panel, and web frames receive their biscuit slots and Dominos.

  7. Sub-Assemblies & Glueups

    The chest begins to come together with a couple of sub-assemblies and the glueup.

  8. Top Divider & Drawer Parts

    The top drawer divider is installed and the drawer parts are cut to size.

  9. Finger Joints & Rabbets

    Finger joints are cut at the front and grooves are added for the drawer back.

  10. Top Drawers & Other Drawer Details

    The top drawer fronts are shaped and a few other things need to be done to complete the drawers.

  11. Drawer Details & Glueup

    Ebony pegs, pillowing, and drawer glueups.

  12. Ribbon Pulls

    The ribbon pulls are cut, finessed, and attached to the drawer fronts.

  13. Drawer Hanging

    Making the runners and locating them in the case.

  14. The Top

    The top is more than just a panel, including breadboards and ebony details.

  15. The Finish

    A hardwax oil finish is applied and it brings the sapele to life!

 

This is an Advanced project!

Advanced does not necessarily mean DIFFICULT. It simply means that there won’t be quite as much hand-holding as we normally feature in Guild projects. Darrell uses specific tools such as a biscuit joiner and a Festool Domino in his work. While there are alternative options, this series doesn’t cover them. An experienced woodworker should have no problem substituting their own joinery preferences and tools.  Also, because guest instructor projects are filmed on the road in a limited time-frame, we just can’t spend as much time on each segment as we’d like. A beginning woodworker might find the pace a little too fast though the series still contains valuable insights that a new woodworker can benefit from. Between the videos, the cut list, and the dimensioned drawings, a relatively experienced woodworker will be able to step through the process without trouble.

This is a stand-alone project. The Fremont Nightstand is not a pre-requisite. Everything you need to successfully build this piece will be presented in detail.  But, if this project seems a bit daunting, you may want to start with the smaller Nightstand.

What Will I Receive?

  • Detailed cut list and plans including a PDF and a SketchUp file (Metric and Imperial).
  • Printable PDF patterns you can use to generate your own hard templates.
  • Hours of detailed video instruction (15 videos in total) showing every step of the build.
  • All videos and plans are digital and will be available for download upon purchase. 

What will I learn?

  • Material Selection
  • End Panel Faux-rail Construction
  • Ebony pegs
  • Greene & Greene edge/corner treatment
  • Biscuit joinery
  • Domino Joinery
  • Finger Joints
  • Spline joinery
  • Greene & Greene Ebony Splines
  • Breadboard Ends
  • Drawer Construction
  • Hanging Drawers on wooden runners
  • Pattern Making
  • Making offset matching pattern
  • Template Routing
  • Cloud lifts
  • Shaping /pillowing proud fingers
  • Making a G&G Pull
  • Discussion on Greene & Greene Design
  • Greene and Greene finishing

What will I need?

A Note About Tools

This is a fairly large project that makes use of a number of specialized tools and bits. You don’t have to have everything on this list to complete the project since there’s always an alternative way to get the job done. It’s important that you watch each video to see how the various tools are used. Do not look at this list and start shopping as you might find you already have tools in the shop that would suffice.

If you need hard templates, you can purchase them here. 

Wood

Numbers include 20% for potential waste:

  • Species 1 (Sapele) 4/4 Hardwood 63 Board Feet
  • Species 1 (Sapele) 5/4 Hardwood 10 Board Feet
  • Species 1 (Sapele) 8/4 Hardwood 18 Board Feet
  • Species 2 (For Internal Components)  4/4 Hardwood 5 Board Feet
  • Hard Maple (For Drawer Slides) 4/4 Hardwood 3 Board Feet
  • Ebony for various plugs, bars and splines

Common Tools

Table Saw (with Dado Stack), Bandsaw, Router Table, Router, Jointer, Planer, Drill, Drill Press, Oscillating Spindle Sander, Disc Sander, Brad Nailer, Chop Saw or Radial Arm Saw

Specialized Tools

Bits

Rasps

  • Auriou 6” Thumb/Laurel Riffler grain 14 for finger pull
  • Liogier 6” flat rasp 15 grain for easing top edge of pull
  • Auriou  Chris Pye 2pc Set of Rifflers for Wood 7” for shaping steps ( ribbon folds)
  • Liogier Riffler for wood n°6”  V Shape + rectangular grain 14 for shaping steps

Misc

Please note that if you intend to build Darrell’s designs for profit, you’ll want to contact him directly regarding licensing fees.

Reviews:

Phenomenal… I’m 80% through (ignoring the 100+ plugs I still need to make) matching dressers to go along with matching Fremont bedside tables I’ve previously made from Darrells design. Nothing really “new” with the dressers just so much more work. Would strongly recommend learning the process with the bedside tables first. Couldn’t be move pleased with the quality of the instructions and plans. Great videography of an excellent teacher. Full throated endorsement to finish with bed… if not Darrell, you’ll be receiving a call from me for a custom piece to finish the set.

nick wolf
Guild Member
Read all reviews / Leave a review

About Your Instructor:

Darrell Peart

Darrell Peart started his career in the early 1970’s making and selling small wooden items at Seattle’s Pike Place Market. To broaden his experience, he then went on to work for various high-end custom shops throughout the Puget Sound area gaining an extensive background in both commercial and custom furniture making.

Exploring new design ideas is where Darrell’s passion lies. Although the influence of Greene and Greene can clearly be seen in his work – he draws inspiration from other varied sources as well.

Darrell also writes and lectures about design, woodworking, and the history of Greene & Greene. He has written articles for Home Furniture, Today’s Woodworker, Fine Woodworking, Woodwork, Popular Woodworking, American Woodworker, Woodworker West, Style 1900, British Woodworking, 360 Woodworking, The SAPFM Journal, and Australian Wood Review.

His first book, Greene and Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop, was published in April 2006 by Linden Press followed by his second book In the Greene & Greene Style: Projects and Details for the Woodworker, in 2013.