My Weather Man

[Mark Singer]

We are currently experiencing very dry warm weather. It is caused by a "Santa Ana " condition where the wind blows from off shore...from the east. It is Fire season here and North of Los Angeles there are big fires... we had one in Laguna 11 years ago.
Every time it gets dry a cabinet I built entirely from solid wood has one of its 4 doors that swings open. It uses Brusso hinges and small ball catches to hold the doors closed. All year long it stays closed except when we get this extemely dry weather. I have learned techniques to fix this sort of thing. One trick is when you build the cabinet install a sub stretcher below the main one and use screws to suspend it. Then fine adjustments can be made by adding thin veneer for wedges to bring the ball catch holes lower.....this cabinet is built this way..
I won't fix it though...I like to know when it is this dry. The cabinet has a personality and not only holds things.....it is my weatherman

[Roy Wall]

Mark,


That "sub Stretcher" is made of Angle Iron??? If I recall.....

A beautiful cabinet indeed.

Thanks for the tip! I finally planed the top edge of a solid core door that kept rubbing the top Jamb in the summer months....but was okay in the winter.

[Mark Singer]

Roy,

The sub stretcher is wood and at the top...the angle iron is a strongback stiffiner at the bottom under the lower apron.


Mark,


That "sub Stretcher" is made of Angle Iron??? If I recall.....

A beautiful cabinet indeed.

Thanks for the tip! I finally planed the top edge of a solid core door that kept rubbing the top Jamb in the summer months....but was okay in the winter.

[Dan Larson]

Thanks Mark, your posting made my morning, You sparked fond memories of Santa Ana season when I lived in the Berkeley hills-- err, maybe "sparked" was a poor choice of words when referring to the Santa Ana winds! Well anyway, I recall this time of the year in the coastal CA hills as being strangely exhilarating. The hot blast of desert air was always a reminder to me of the power and fury of Nature's whims. It made the stresses of daily life seem insignificant in comparison.

Your choice to not fix the cabinet strikes a chord with me.

Dan

[Charles Bruno]

Great looking cabinet Mark, are the Santa Ana's still blowing? We left for vacation Wensday and it was hot and dry in Riverside around 10% humidity. Are the fires still burning? Hope none are close to your area. They had most of the fires contained when we left wensday.

Quite a bit of difference here in Orlando Fla. Warm and sticky. Any Florida creekers know of a good wood supply store in the Orlando area?

[Don Baer]

Are the fires still burning?

Hey Charles, Th'sere a new big one over in the Calemesa area that gotten realy big, I belve over 6,000 acres. It's between the 60 and the 10 Freewy's. No homes lost in this one yet.

Mark, I didn't mean to hijack your thread,. Sorry

[Gail O'Rourke]

Mark, I love this story...thanks for sharing and it is a beautiful cabinet.

[Charles Bruno]

Thanks for the info Don, I'll have to call home and talk to my son. I live south of the 60 a west of the 15

[Don Baer]

Thanks for the info Don, I'll have to call home and talk to my son. I live south of the 60 a west of the 15

You should be in good shape the fires not even close to there.

[Mike Vermeil]

Mark,

I've stopped using the bullet type ball catches on solid wood pieces of any size just because of that. The interference margin is so small with the catches that the slightest little movement makes them too tight, or as in this case, makes them not touch at all.

My new fave is the hidden rare earth magnet trick. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but I certainly will as soon as the opportunity arrises.

Nice cabinet by the way.

[Andrew Ault]

Mark,

I always appreciate being reminded of the natural world and my place in it. I like to keep in mind the origin of wood that I use and be respectful of it's beauty and singularity. I've lived in Southern California all my life rhythm of our seasons, which includes the Santa Anas and the influence of that big body of water.

My personal barometer resides in my left shoe. It tells me when the weather is changing...and also reminds me how big my mom's (too mean for her to ride so either I rode him or no one did) grumpy quarterhorse was when he stepped on my foot (Jimmy was a very big boy).

When doors are loose I try to remember to leave good guitars in their cases! Unlike funiture, a guitar cannot be made to "move". When you feel the frets sticking out, it's time to get it back in the case with a humidifier!

- Andy