Pine Nightstand

A customer brought us a nightstand to see if we could make a copy of it. The nightstand matched his childhood bedroom set and now that he is married, he needed a second one.

After getting measurements of the nightstand, we started by planning down several pine boards and then laying out which pieces would be taken from the various boards. We then began cutting pieces to length.

The face of the nightstand was then put together using Kreg pocket screws.

The larger pine board had pieces cut that were then re-sawed on the band saw to make 1/4″ veneer. The veneer pieces were taped together and then glued to 1/2″ plywood to make the side panels. These were then inserted into a vacuum bag (Roarockit Thin Air Press) and the air was removed to compress the boards while the glue dried. The edges that would be open then had banding applied to give them a finished edge.

The top insert was made the same way as the sides with the pieces being glued together and put under compression in the vacuum bag. The top frame and insert were then put together using biscuits to help ensure the alignment of the boards stayed in place. The biscuits were not glued to allow the top to expand and contract without cracking. Kreg pocket screws were used to hold the pieces together.

The front, sides and top were then put together. Biscuits were again used to ensure alignment. After making sure the structure was square and the sides were centered on the structure, clamps were used to keep anything from moving while the pocket screws were added. It’s starting to look like its model!

It was now time to start thinking about which stains were going to be used to match the color of the original. We started with colonial maple but after three coats, while the color was matching we weren’t happy with the depth of the color. We decided to try natural cherry since it has a redish tint to it while still having a brown base. We decided that we were going to be able to achieve the desired color needed using the cherry stain.