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Miniature Chest Assembly Step 3...Although they are shown in some of the drawings, I later decided to add the handles after the chest was completed.
Now apply a short bead of glue on each side and assemble one large drawer front to the front of the chest sliding it up to the top and even with the sides. By using the guide marks on my cutting mat I push everything square and hold the drawer in place until the glue has set. You have plenty of time to twist things a little to make it square, so don't rush. Then once satisfied just press down on the drawer front towards the mat until the glue is set. Run a thin bead of glue down each side and begin adding the rest of the miniature drawers to the front. Butt each piece to the drawer above it and align the two edges to the sides. Try to keep the glue to the inside edges of the sides to keep off the outside. Complete the process with the front brace on the bottom and with the curved edge facing what would be the floor. Slide this piece down so it's bottom edges align with the bottom of the chest sides. This gap will be covered with the trim in the next steps. Allow this assembly to cure until you are satisfied nothing will shift. Our next step is to sand everything and stain the assembly. Now We can Sand this Whole Sub-Assembly...Begin by placing a sheet of sandpaper - 150/220 grit should be OK - on the work surface. Be sure the surface is clean, the same for the back of the sandpaper. If there is any debris between the paper and the work surface it will cause a bump in the paper and an uneven area will result in the sanded surface of the wood. Lay the chest on its side and with a light pressure sand back and forth with the grain of the side. I hold the piece between my thumb and little finger, and have my other three fingers resting on the top of the side. The odds are the drawers are a whisper wider then the top so I apply the downward pressure with my forefinger. I do this so that the sandpaper bites a little more into the drawer edges and I don't round the back edges of the sides. Repeat for the second side. Remember, light pressure, many strokes. Take your time and you'll get nice clean, square edges. Next, lay the chest on its front. Again, using light pressure stroke the front over the sandpaper in the direction of the wood's grain (side to side). You shouldn't need more then a few passes, as all your doing is cleaning the face a little bit and making it smooth. Do the same for the top - just a couple of passes to clean and smooth. Inspect your work and if there are any remaining fuzzies take a piece of finer grit, say 220, sandpaper and holding it in your hand brush it over the corners lightly to remove those fuzzies. Now is the Time to Stain...Wipe everything down with a cloth and stain this sub-assembly. Review my Basic Staining Section here. Set the chest aside to dry overnight. Check out the next step as you will probably want to stain all the trim pieces now at this same time. Continue on to Miniature Chest Assembly Step 4...
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