Shelf life - part 1

One of the most complex elements in the whole model is the ground floor shelf & drawer unit which virtually fills the entire rear wall of the shop. This fine Victorian structure is thought to have originally come from a chemist shop in Ely.

The cabinet is an assembly of cabinets forming a composite unit of 188 drawers, 77 shelves and 39 lower compartments. From the appearance of different timber species, it is clear that various recycled items were brought together to result in the complete structure.

An overview of the shelf & drawer system. This view has not been seen
in decades. With the shop now ceased trading, we were in a position to
move all the pegboard product racks that were obscuring this original,
Victorian presentation.

View of the some of the drawers and lower compartments.

Intricate carved framing detail. The coving features a
variation of  the traditional "egg & dart" design.

The modelling of the shelf system begins with the lower framework and compartments being formed. I am using a combination of 1.5mm thick obeche sheet material for the main frames and rear wall planking, plus 0.8mm thick plywood for the thinner shelves and vertical dividers.

Cynaoacrylate (superglue) is used throughout to speed up the drying of hundreds of joint necessary to complete this task.

Construction of the cabinets begin, working on one of the scaled drawings

prepared during extensive surveys conducted in Autumn 2011

0.8mm thick birch plywood compartments glued in position.

The challenge here was to use the tiniest possible amount of  

cyanoacrylate adhesive to avoid gluing it to to the metal squaring block.

1.5mm thick Obeche cut into varying width planks which were butt
joined together to form the rear panel for the entire cabinet.

Rear panel planking in position and central drawer areas are blocked in

ready for the individual drawer fronts to be added