Gerstner B2704 User manual

prep parts and Work Area before starting
• Make sure you are working on a sturdy, flat work surface
that will not scratch or damage the parts while handling.
• Lightly sand and deburr the part edges if needed.
• It is recomended to dry fit (construct without glue) the
parts to familiarize yourself with the assembly process.
B2704 Base
DIY Kit Instruction Manual
Recommended Tools for Base Construction
• Wood Glue
• 30" Bar Clamps (4)
• #2 Philips Screw Driver
• Rubber Mallet or Hammer
• Electric Drill
• Router (Optional)
• 3/16" Roundover Bit
• 80, 120 and 150 Grit Sandpaper
• 90 Degree Square
• Choice of Stain/Finish
• Drill Bits: 3/32", 3/16", 7/16" and #25
• Paraffin wax
• Drawer bead bit if desired
Please Note: If you are not going to start building the chest right away, you will need to weight down the parts. The parts are
unfinished and can warp if left in the box for extended periods of time. Gerstner is not responsible for replacing warped parts
15 days after receipt.

BASE Sides
1Install the Lid Slide Plate w/nails on each side.
Drawer Slides
2Install the drawer slides: Glue the maple drawer slides
in the grooves on the side. The maple drawer slides are
a snug fit in the groove and a little extra sanding/fitting
may be needed. Use glue lightly and use a hammer/
rubber mallet to tap the slides into the grooves.
Drawer Partitions
3Glue the Maple Drawer Slides in the grooves of the
Birch Plywood Small Partitions with Cap. If the maple
drawer slides are tight in the groove, use a rubber
mallet to tap the slides into the grooves. Flip the
partition over and repeat.
Optional Handle Installation
(Sold separately)
We've made is easy to add handles
to your B2704 Base. Use the pre-
drilled 5 hole pattern on the inside
of both side panels as a guide to
drill 1/8" holes all the way through.
The holes will line up for Gerstner's
Part #1015 Nickel Side Handles, or
Part #1016 Brass Side Handles
(both come with screws).
Top Panel assembly
4Glue the small partitions with the solid wood cap facing
the front edge of the top partition. It is shown upside
down during assembly. The narrow plywood stinger is
installed in the rear position. The hardwood stringer is
installed in the front position and must set flush to the
short partitions.
*Front edge has hardwood trim or cap as shown
Box assembly
5It is recommended that
you pre-assemble the
box WITHOUT glue to
familiarize yourself with
the process.
Start with one of the
sides laying down on the
workbench and begin
to assemble the chest.
Make sure you match
your pace with the curing
time of the glue.
Install top
sub-assembly into
side as shown.
Scan to shop for handles.

Box Assembly (continued)
6Install back of chest into side as shown. Makesure the
grooves for the top and bottom of chest are aligned. If
the grooves do not line up with one another chances are
the back panel is upside down.
7Install the box bottom as shown, make sure the back
panel is flush at the top and bottom edge of the side.
8Install remaining chest side as shown, It will be a
little challenging to get all of the parts in their proper
grooves. Take your time and ensure all edges are flush
and construction is correct.
9Clamp the assembled chest with bar clamps and clean
up any excess glue that has squeezed out of the joints.
Ensure that the chest is square and all parts are flush
and aligned correctly. It might also be necessary to clamp
the chest front to back as well.
Front Lid Assembly
10 Install lid end rail as
show, the parts have
been marked with a
pencil line to indicate
the front face. All lines
should be on the same
front face if assembled
correctly.
11 Slide raised panel into lid assembly making sure the
raised panel profile shows to the front. Make sure the
end rails set flush on the outside edges.
12 Install remaining long lid rail as shown and check for
square. Clamp lid together and clean up any excess
glue squeezed from the parts.
13 Place lock into hole from backside and pre-drill a
3/32" hole for screw holes.
Be careful to not drill through wood.
CAUTION: Do not mount or drill lock on front face of lid.
Have Questions? Call us at [phone],
or email us at [e-mail]

Drawer Fronts: knob hole machining
14 Mark the knob location on the inside of the drawer face.
15 Drill a 3/16" hole at the desired location.
16 Using a 7/16 drill, countersink or forstner bit,
countersink for screw head.
17 Set the countersink depth so the screw sticks out
1/4'' from the face.
18 Sand location marks from wood.
19 Knob hole machining is complete.
Drawer assembly
20 Because the drawers are assembled the same way
regardless of size we will only be covering assembly of
one single drawer.
Assemble the drawer front and back into the drawer
side as shown. The drawer front should set flush at the
top and stick below the bottom edge by 1/16".
21 Slide the 1/8" thick plywood drawer bottom into the
drawer as shown. The drawer bottom can be glued into
place or float without being glued into the drawer.
22 Install the remaining drawer side and clamp the drawer
together. Make sure the drawer is square and all excess
glue has been removed. Continue this process for all
remaining drawers.

Sanding and Finishing
23 Flush-up all joinery. This may be done with a flush
cut router bit or by hand sanding. Take extra care in
flushing-up the chest top and back.*
*CAUTION: We use veneer plywood on the back of
this chest. This plywood gives the box stability through
ever changing conditions of humidity. Please note that
you must exercise great care when sanding the back
surface. The veneer is .010" thick and excessive sand-
ing on these areas can cause a sand-through, to the
plywood core below the veneer. We suggest you sand
the solid wood just enough to meet the surface of the
veneer.
24 Round over edges of the chest as desired. The corner
protectors have a 3/16" radius.
25 Fit the drawers to the box making sure that the gaps
between the drawers are uniform. Because all wood
swells under certain conditions, a drawer fit with
minimal clearance is not recommended. (Gerstner
recommends 1/32"-1/16" gap on all sides of the
drawer.)
26 Final sand all parts of your chest to desired grit.
(Gerstner recommends at least 150 grit).
Staining & Finishing
27 Stain and finish the parts as desired. Gerstner stains
and then applies 1-2 coats of a lacquer sealer and then
1-2 top coats of lacquer. (Make sure to use a style finish
that you are comfortable working with.)
Many options exist for adding a
protective finish to your wood
project. Select the finish of your
choice and apply as desired. If
using the recommended Gerstner
Classic Wood Stains with lacquer
top coat, please follow the
directions listed below.
28 Prior to finishing, remove any hardware that was
installed during drilling. Lightly re-sand the exterior
surfaces to remove any scratches or contamination
(oils from your skin). This will allow for a quality finish.
29 Apply stain to inside edges, and exterior surfaces as
desired. Wipe excess stain from the surface and make
sure the color has been evenly applied.
30 Apply a lacquer finish to the chest. Lightly sand the first
coat, or seal coat, once dry with 320 grit sand paper.
31 Apply top coat to parts as desired and let finish fully
cure before handling.

Felt Installation
A 50/50 mix of
white glue and water
can be used for
felt installation. We
recommend Gerstner
Whew Glue for all
felt applications, as it
holds reliably, yet is
easy to replace if you
ever need to re-felt in
the coming years. It is
the only felt glue we
use in our workshop.
32 Brush the mixture onto the surface and then carefully
press the felt into place.
33 All felt pieces have been pre-cut to fit the base top,
drawers and back of front lid.
34 After all felt has been installed, let the chest sit open for
a few hours to dry.
35 Install hardware on the chest as desired. The 4 rubber
bumpers are mounted on the bottom of the chest, using
the (4) 3/8" screws. The screw goes through the rubber
bumper and through the hole in the leg of the bottom corner.
Front lid pins
36 Once the front lid has been fit to the chest, you will
need to drill for the Front Lid Pins with a 5/32" diameter
drill bit. The locations for the holes are shown below.
37 Install both lid pins in the front lid. The pins should
protrude about 1/8" from the edge of the front lid. The
2 felt dots will be put in the bottom of the chest, 3/4"
from the front edge to keep the front lid from rubbing
against the bottom of the chest.
Scan to watch a brief video
on how to install your front
lid in your chest
38 Rub paraffin wax onto the drawers and the inside of the
chest to help the drawers glide smoothly.

Wood Parts List Quantity
• Top panel ................................1
• Bottom panel .............................1
• Back panel ...............................1
• Left side panel ............................1
• Right side panel ...........................1
• Hardwood Stringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
• Plywood Stringer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
• Short partitions............................2
• Maple drawer slides ........................8
• Lid end rails ..............................2
• Long lid rails ..............................2
• Raised lid panel ...........................1
• Small drawer faces .........................3
• Large drawer face..........................1
• Small left drawer sides ......................3
• Small right drawer sides .....................3
• Large left drawer side .......................1
• Large right drawer side ......................1
• Small drawer backs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
• Large drawer back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
• Small drawer bottoms .......................3
• Large drawer bottom .......................1
Hardware Parts List Quantity
• Felt for box and drawers ......................6
• Box corners with screws ......................4
• Rubber bumpers ............................4
• Drawer pull knobs...........................5
• Gerstner Workshop nameplate with nails ..........1
• Base lock with screws .......................1
• Lid pins ..................................2
• Lid slide plates with nails .....................2
• Felt lid supports ............................2
Parts List: DIY KIT Style B2704 Base
We would love to see your Gerstner Workshop
project pictures! Post and visit us at:
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Find helpful Gerstner tips and tricks at:
Youtube.com/Gerstner2010
For any questions or additional supplies,
please contact customer service.
Email: [e-mail]
Customer Support line: [phone]
Gerstner Workshop is a division of
H. Gerstner & Sons, Inc.
20 Gerstner Way, Dayton, Ohio 45402
GerstnerUSA.com
03-2023
Did you Enjoy
BUILDING YOUR NEW
B2704 Base?
Check out all of the other Gerstner Workshop DIY Kits
at www.GerstnerUSA.com.
Congratulations!
You have built an heirloom
quality Gerstner chest that
will last for generations. Keep
your fine wood chest in tip top
shape by using Gerstner Finish
Restorer and Preserver.
Scan to watch
a brief video
demonstration
of cleaning with
Gerstner Finish
Restorer and
Preserver
Style #2609
MasterCraftsman Chest
DIY Kit