It has begun!
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6 November 2013 at 8:02 pm #20961
Brian that looks brilliant i cant wait to see more pics good luck with the rest of the build
6 November 2013 at 8:18 pm #20964A very nice looking tool cabinet Brian, I like the Poplar you have used. I take it you are in the USA where does Poplar come in the price range compared to say Pine or Oak, Is Poplar something we can easily get in the UK , it looks like a Knot free Pine
In Southern California, First-and-seconds Poplar sold at lumber yards is usually around US $2.25-$2.75 a board foot.Lumberyards often surface these boards before they are offered for sale, so you are really only getting 13/16″ thickness. Flat sawn FAS Oak sells for US $4-$5 dollars per board foot.
Rough cut lumber is supposedly cheaper, but I have not yet been to a place here that will let me freely pick through a palette of rough lumber. I suspect this is because they allocate boards with the straightest grain for other applications like milling moldings.
The 3/4″ thick common pine (with knots) sold at the big box stores is around US $1.80-$2.00 per board foot. With careful picking you can sometimes find boards that are nearly knot free. More convenient than a trip to the lumber yard, but not any cheaper – especially considering you often lose material cutting around the knots.
I can sometimes find clear pine and vertical grain Douglas Fir at lumberyards, but it usually commands a price that is equal to if not more than Oak prices.
6 November 2013 at 9:37 pm #20968Thanks for the comments everyone! A very fun project so far. Can’t wait to fill it full of tools but I think I will need to build a cabinet to set it on first!
I am in Dallas, TX and poplar here runs ~$1.80/bd ft (4/4 rough), so it is a great in-expensive wood. Big box S4S pine is actually more expensive! It has been a while since I bought Oak but I think it was around $3 for red and $4 for rift sawn white oak (or maybe it was $4 and $5??). Cherry and walnut is ~$6.
I just finished that bench earlier this year and really enjoy it. I think it is a bit too low though (back hurts after a while) so I may raise it by 2″ or so. The dovetailed legs were fun to make and look nice but that yellow pine end grain is like concrete! Flattening the top is brutal in those areas. Actually will scratch metal plane soles….
27 December 2013 at 5:55 pm #24636Finally got some shop time to work on the tool chest some more. Been busy with the holidays and other commitments…
I sawed the box in half! Wasn’t too difficult. I used a 14″ tenon saw to cut across the corners as deep as it would go, then finished up with a 20″ rip panel saw. I cleaned up the saw marks with a #7 going around and around until it met the scribed lines.
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Cleaning up the edges exposed a corner that I undercut the dovetails way too much. Will need to fix that somehow. Maybe clean it up with a thin kerf saw and glue in a wedge.
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Next, I fit the plywood panel. Had to search around to find 3/8″. finally found some at woodcraft. Fit is snug!
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Then I wrapped the bottom with 1/2″ square strips for the plywood to rest on. I nailed and glued with some 1″ square cut headless brads.
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I plan on putting on the hinges today. Hopefully all goes well 🙂
27 December 2013 at 10:55 pm #24655Thanks guys!
I was able to get the hinges on today.
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PS said to leave about 1/32″ of a gap and mine is just under that.
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The top is just slightly out of alignment with the bottom from left to right. Just catches a finger nail. Front to back is spot on.
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I did the trick where you awl in the hinge screw holes off center to pull them in tight. I think I over-did though. It is really putting a lot of pressure on that thin mortise wall. I had to cut it back some because I could hear the wood want to split as I tightened the screws. Be careful!!!
Time for some drawers! I have the wood roughly milled. Probably start on that tomorrow…
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27 December 2013 at 11:02 pm #24656I took a picture and looked closer at the thin mortise wall I am worried about. You can see a hairline split starting in top left corner! Will have to take the hinges off and relieve that. I did not try and “clock” all the screws yet so ignore that ugliness 😉
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28 December 2013 at 4:18 am #24689Great job Brian)) Thanks for posting photos and sharing with us your project))
21 January 2014 at 5:48 pm #26317I made some more progress. The end is in sight!
Drawers: Cut the fronts to a nice snug fit in the opening.
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Then started cut the half blinds.
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I then cut the grooves for the bottom with a plow plane.
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Sawing the drawer back to width (and showing off my new panel saw!).
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I chopped the mortises and sawed the tenons for the back. The first wedged tenon I did I made the gaps way too big! When I glued it up and put the wedges in, there were still gaps at the edges. I decided to improvise this quadruple wedged tenon! hahahah… can’t hardly tell it was a mistake now.
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The other 3 wedged tenons came out correctly.
The drawer fits!
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I repeated for the top drawer and fit the brass chain.
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I am working on the drawer handles and doing the final fitting of the drawers. Hopefully we finish up this weekend then begin cleaning it up for finish!
21 January 2014 at 7:18 pm #26325Looks a very fine piece of work Brian.
What finish are you going to use?21 January 2014 at 7:39 pm #26331Thanks Mark.
Originally I was going to paint it with green milk paint. I think I would rather show the wood though. I am now deciding between Watco Danish Oil or shellac. I finished a bookcase with danish oil and like how it turned out but since the inside will be finished with shellac, why not just cover the whole thing in it. Decisions decisions…
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