Tool cabinet finally done!

[Steven Mikes]

Took a few weeks (I get surpising little shop time on weekends), but my cabinet is finally done. I had a pile of red cedar that needs using, so thought this would be a suitable purpose for some of it.

Of course I have now learned that red cedar is really not a very good wood for furniture but oh well. Since it's I'm the garage I didn't worry about all the chips and tearout. I also did not spend much time planning, measuring, or squaring things. Just started putting pieces together and adjusting them as I went. Amazingly it worked out pretty well, although I ended up with the amusingly different-sized doors as a result. I also decided to try making raised panels in the second door just for the hell of it, so that looks funny now too.

The doors close nicely with at most 1mm gap around. Here's hoping that my tools will finally stop rusting now!

[David Myers]

Nice job. I need to get busy on one for my shop.

Sounds like you had fun building it. I've used cedar for a few odd projects. Shavings never smelled so good.

[Jim Koepke]

Of course I have now learned that red cedar is really not a very good wood for furniture but oh well. Since it's I'm the garage I didn't worry about all the chips and tearout. I also did not spend much time planning, measuring, or squaring things. Just started putting pieces together and adjusting them as I went. Amazingly it worked out pretty well,

Sounds about the way many of my projects go.

A friend had me make him a piece of furniture out of some red cedar he bought at a flea market. It was a bit of a pain.

jtk

[ken hatch]

Took a few weeks (I get surpising little shop time on weekends), but my cabinet is finally done. I had a pile of red cedar that needs using, so thought this would be a suitable purpose for some of it.

Of course I have now learned that red cedar is really not a very good wood for furniture but oh well. Since it's I'm the garage I didn't worry about all the chips and tearout. I also did not spend much time planning, measuring, or squaring things. Just started putting pieces together and adjusting them as I went. Amazingly it worked out pretty well, although I ended up with the amusingly different-sized doors as a result. I also decided to try making raised panels in the second door just for the hell of it, so that looks funny now too.

The doors close nicely with at most 1mm gap around. Here's hoping that my tools will finally stop rusting now!

Steven,

I like. Good on you, lots of visual interest in the wood and the asymmetry. Plus your tools will smell good:D.

ken

[David Eisenhauer]

Good stuff Steven. I like the look of that cabinet and also hope that rust be gone. Are the shelves fixed or movable?

[Dan Hulbert]

Great cabinet. Add some desiccant or some sticks of chalk and you should be well on your way to rust control.

[Steven Mikes]

The shelves are fixed, in rebates. The cabinet bottom is joined to the sides with dovetails, but I just screwed and glued the top on, and the plywood back as well.
Dan thanks for the chalk suggestion! I'll put some in there.

[James Pallas]

Very nice Steven. I like the look and the colors of cedar. It is my nemesis tho. 5 minutes of work with it and my eyes will nearly swell shut, the saw dust. I don't have a problem with other wood. Your cabinet will be cheerful to look at for a very long time.
Jim

[Dan Hulbert]

It's a trick I heard of from an old machinist. I bought a tub of sidewalk chalk for next to nothing and scattered the sticks through my cabinets and tool boxes. Seems to work well and when the grand kids come to visit, they enjoy the chalk hunt in grandpa's shop.

[Jim Koepke]

It's a trick I heard of from an old machinist. I bought a tub of sidewalk chalk for next to nothing and scattered the sticks through my cabinets and tool boxes. Seems to work well and when the grand kids come to visit, they enjoy the chalk hunt in grandpa's shop.

It would be interesting to see if the chalk has gained weight from absorbing moisture or if it would loose weight by being in the oven awhile.

jtk

[Robert Engel]

Its a very soft wood, but you can build furniture of cedars.

A friend of mine has a very nice cedar blanket chest and some cedar living room furniture that looks pretty nice.

I made this table years ago for my office:

388521

[Dan Hulbert]

It would be interesting to see if the chalk has gained weight from absorbing moisture or if it would loose weight by being in the oven awhile.

jtk

I would have to force the weight gain test here. Currently 99 with 8% humidity. But the chalk trick did work when I lived in places that actually had humidity (NE Ohio and SE MA).

[Christopher Charles]

Hello Steven,

Nice looking cabinet and I like the asymmetry. I bet it will be a nice study piece in both proportion and details for future pieces. Thanks for sharing.

Best,
Chris