Another Much Needed Cabinet

[Steve Wargo]

Well, I'd outgrown my last moulding plane cabinet and a couple weeks ago decided to make a new one. This one with a little room to grow. Just another "cheesey" plywood case with euro hinges. About 90 minutes to construct, but a bunch more room to hold new aquisitions. Haven't even put a finish on it yet. I debated on whether or not to veneer it, and ended up just putting it to use. Only a few oddball planes here. Complete half set of H/R (Same maker and owner), Snipe bills and side rebates, Rule Joint planes, Center beads, side beads, astragals, coves, about 8 or 9 nice ogee profiles, Sash planes, a few dados, a couple T&G planes and about 8 or 9 really nice small furniture sized moulding profiles. A couple old coffing smoothers and a great screw arm, handled plow plane. Thanks for looking.

http://madhunkyworkshop.com/images/MouldingClosed.jpg

http://madhunkyworkshop.com/images/MouldingOpen.jpg

[Alan Turner]

Nice work, as always, but I am surprised you didn't leave a bit more expansion room. Don't tell us that you won't again be acquisitive. That just wouldn't be true.

My recollection is that you don't have a table saw. Would you mind letting us know how you build plywood cabinets without one? Festool plunge saw? Router with guide? Perhaps a hand saw with a Nineteenth Century plywood edging plane? Carving knife, used carefully?

[Steve Wargo]

Alan,
I use a straight edge and my trusty Hitachi circular saw on a pair of saw horses. All the joinery is through dowels (quick and dirty). Then planed flush and all the edges are touched up with a block plane. Doors fit the same way. Corner reenforcement blocks are used in the back. Doors are left long on the bottom so they can be used as pulls. No edgebanding or anything fancy like that. Actually there is plenty of room for expansion. Usually I store the coffin smoothers on the top of the cabinet. So I figure I can fit another 25 planes in this cabinet. It's taken me 5 years to accumulate this many and I imagine that it will take that long to get 25 more. I'm to the point where I really only purchase moulding planes that I "Need". So the profile needs to be small and flashy for me to bite. I've probably used all but 5 or 6 of the planes in this cabinet.

[John Dingman]

Steve,

Very nice job on the cabinet! Nice collection of planes too. But I'm with Alan, you should have built it bigger, for future acquisitions ;)

Great Work!
John

[Roy Wall]

Steve,

I think your cabinet looks great! Clean and roomy ----(yes, you have extra room:p )

I do have a silly question.....is there any concern when planing the plywood edges - such as glue on the blade, against grain/with grain crossing, etc.. Any special technique or anything? I'l like to rip some ply veneer up on the bandsaw and then plane to fit also...

THanks for the look!

[Steve Wargo]

Roy,
Yes there is concern when planing plywood. It tears the hell out of the irons. I have a standard iron LN Block plane I use only for "rough" work. It tend to get the iron sharpened a bit more than my other planes. There is a difference between planing good plywood and cheap stuff. The good plywood, obviously has less voids and tends to tear out less. This is cheap plywood.

[Roy Wall]

Roy,
Yes there is concern when planing plywood. It tears the hell out of the irons. I have a standard iron LN Block plane I use only for "rough" work. It tend to get the iron sharpened a bit more than my other planes. There is a difference between planing good plywood and cheap stuff. The good plywood, obviously has less voids and tends to tear out less. This is cheap plywood.
I've got an old block planes I can relegate to "strickly plywood" edging when needed:cool:

Thanks again - cabinet looks good!!:)

[Tom LaRussa]

About 90 minutes to construct, but a bunch more room to hold new aquisitions.
90 MINUTES?

Geez Steve, what took you so long? :p :p

But seriously, it usually takes me longer than that just to get the wood I'm using gathered into one part of the shop. :o

[David Fried]

Glad to hear you have a circular saw. I had visions of you planing a 4x8 sheet to size! Came out a lot nicer than my circular saw projects!