Recent Project Completed (pics)

[Brandon Shew]

Just finished up this project this weekend. It may be too contemporary for some - solid Zebrawood/Zebrano cabinet w/ Walnut legs. I used a lock mitre joint on the sides/top/bottom.

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[Brian Lindenlaub]

Beautiful cabinet Brandon. Love that zebrawood!

[mark koopman]

I really like the look of that wood. how much did it cost cost you per bd/ft?

[Rick Doyle]

nice job! what kind of finish did you use? i've seen zebrawood in the store but i think yours is the first time i've seen it used for a furniture piece - looks great.

[Pete Harbin]

Ooooo, I like that Brandon! Nice clean lines and walnut does compliment zebrawood nicely. Well done! Will you use it for display or for electronics?

Pete

[Vaughn McMillan]

Not too contemporary for me. :) Great looking cabinet, Brandon. I second Pete's question -- what's the planned use for the cabinet?

- Vaughn

[Jay Knoll]

Brandon

Great work! It is nice to see some contemporary work in a furniture post. Thanks for the pic

Jay

[Brandon Shew]

I really like the look of that wood. how much did it cost cost you per bd/ft?

Alot. I didn't price it per bd ft, but it was pricey.


For now it will be used to hold my stereo amp, but I have other plans for it once I move.

[John Timberlake]

You're right about it being a little too modern for my tastes, but you did an excellent job. Good form, clean lines, and excellent finish. What kind of joint did you use on the corners. Need something very strong with no additional bracing on the back.

[Kyle Stiefel]

Brandon,

Very nice piece. I had a question on the zebrawood, did you find it needed substantial more sanding then say the walnut you worked with? I have only used a couple of small pieces and it seemed to require a bit more attention to get the desired results. However, the results are worth it being a striking wood.

Kyle

[Mark Singer]

Brandon,
I love it! a great mid century modern feel! Great workmanship too!

[Brandon Shew]

Kyle - I didn't find that it needed too much aditional sanding, but tearout was more of an issue as the grain pattern makes the wood more "stringy." (even with a good sacrificial backer board) I actually dimensioned the wood a little on the large side, cut the mitre joints, and then had to come back and rip the sides again to remove any leftover tearout marks

John - I used a lock mitre joint on the corners (pic below). It's pretty strong and I made sure to keep the overall dimensions under control to avoid sagging or flex on the top and bottom.
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Rick - As much as I hate to admit it - the finish is Poly over an oil finish. I used a Maloof style finish to pull out the natural colors in the wood and then applied several coats of Poly with a lot of wet sanding in between coats and a final hand rubbed coat at the end. I opted for the poly as the console will be placed in an area where it may come into contact with a wet glass or two from time to time and I didn't want to risk the chance of ring marks on the finish.

I enjoyed working w/ the wood and learned a few things in the process. Unfortunately the pictures don't do it as much justice as seeing it in person - the grain is striking. I originally wanted to use Wenge for the legs, but I don't have a good source for 8/4 wenge locally.

[Chip Charnley]

How did you cut those locking miters? Special router bit?

[Brandon Shew]

Yes. There is a lock mitre router bit. The top & botom panels were cut on the bit parallel to the table and the sides were cut on the bit perpendicular to the table.

Setup can be a little tricky on the lock mitre bit, so I would recommend running a few test strips through to get it set right. You can then use the test strips as a template to set up the bit in the future (assuming same stock thickness).

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful cabinet! The wood grain is outstanding. Nicely done!

[Mark Valsi]

Very nice, even if you don't like the style !!

[Corey Hallagan]

Wow, that is simpley great! I have never seen that much Zebrawood in a project like this. Very very striking. Nice job.

Corey

[Alan Turner]

Brandon. Very clean. Lock miters were a good choice for this piece. Did you find the smell anoying when sanding?

[Brandon Shew]

Did you find the smell anoying when sanding?

When sanding I always wear a respirator with a particulate filter over an organic vapor canister so that may have blocked it out. I could smell it a little when cutting, but I didn't find it too bad.

[Dana Nurmela]

I myself love zebrawood. You got a winner here!

[Richard Neel]

Brandon,

What was the final thickness of the zebra wood? It looks quite thick. It's nice you were able to find such nice thick/wide stock. I am considering a smaller version of this project that would be used as and end/occasional table.

[Jim Becker]

Brandon, I think the cabinet looks grand...great material and the simplicity of the contemporary style lets the wood speak loudly.

[Brandon Shew]

What was the final thickness of the zebra wood? It looks quite thick.

Final thickness is approx 5/4