Another crazy cabinet

[Leo G]

I have an entertainment center to build. Another crazy design. It is using an accuride pc of hardware for audio/video equipment. You make a box 20.75" wide x 18 deep by up to 60" tall. Mine will be 27 1/2" tall. This hardware will allow the box to be pulled out and then it can be rotated 90 degrees to the right or left so you can get at the back of the cabinet to access the wires. It is a $500 pc of hardware.

It is a partial built in. It is about 55" wide and 25" deep. About 14" will be sticking out from the wall the rest is behind the wall. I am not doing the install and have only seen pictures of the area.

The front has two doors. Well sort of. The doors are to look like two banks of drawers in an inset face frame style. The openings will have a 1/4" bead surrounding them with slab drawers.

The cabinet is straight (flat) on the front and a "T" shape on the rear. The middle is deeper than the sides.

The two sides have a single panel each. The top will be as deep as the unit sticks out plus the thickness of the wall (2x4) that will be notched in. The TV will sit on top.

The GC designing this came by with the dimensions and we sat down at the CAD and determined all the dimensions. Then I made an eCab rendering of it, dimensioned it and sent it off to him. I get an email back saying don't build it the dimensions are wrong. At least I hadn't started. He won't tell me what is wrong and needs to come by to work it out.

He tells me the two side cabinets are too shallow. Now remember, we spent about an hour on my CAD figuring this thing out, I just drew what we put in the CAD.

So now we get it all figured out. So that added to the PITA factor about the cabinet.

So today I started on the cabinet and got it test assembled. I had to cut down some of the decks in width to shorten the cabinet up. Dimensional errors because the plywood is 11/16" +1/64". I thought I had it figured out but the cabinet ended up 3/32" to long, better than two short I guess. I put the hardware in just to get the holes in the plywood, took it out again.

Here is the rendering:

http://fototime.com/958153DE57F4F2C/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/8C4FF79D5AA6AF4/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/3660F32D16C9B57/orig.jpg

[naptownCr]

That is both an intelluctually challenging and asthetically beautiful piece Leo!
I only wish I could do as fine a job of craftsmanship as you will undoubtably will acheive on this masterpiece of an entertainment center.

[Leo G]

I tried to find one at WalMart and just pass it off as my own. The one I found was 2" to short :laugh3:

[naptownCr]

I tried to find one at WalMart and just pass it off as my own. The one I found was 2" to long edit :laugh3:

Considering this is not the Boardroom and only 22 minutes to Be Nice To Leo day, I will leave that one alone.

[Splinter]

Considering this is not the Boardroom and only 22 minutes to Be Nice To Leo day, I will leave that one alone.

This is be nice to Leo day? Aww, crap, I'll see you all tomorrow then. :mad:

[PA Woodbutcher]

This is be nice to Leo day? Aww, crap, I'll see you all tomorrow then. :mad:

I'll also be back tomorrow:laugh3:

[Bodger]

Leo, you got a link or part number for that Accuride rig? I'd like to see how it works.

[Leo G]

Accuride M.A.C.

http://www.accuride.com/Resources/PDF/mac_50___100_ss.pdf

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11184

[Splinter]

I like the "cable management" system to keep the wires from binding up the units operation. It seems from the look of that plate that the only adjustable dimension is the height. Do they offer other sizes? I suppose it's sized for a standard piece of A/V equipment.

Rockler is always overpriced... Cant find it from a different distributor?

[Leo G]

Use the internet. I got the hardware handed to me. I could probably get it for 40% off that price from my distributor.

[Bodger]

I'm not sure I see the advantage of that. Unless you're sitting right there, does it really matter that those components are pulled out and/or turned 90 degrees to the cabinet?

Am I missing a huge utilitarian benefit?

[Leo G]

This is going on a built in cabinet. You wouldn't have access to the wires in the rear of the cabinet. This is what the main function of the hardware is for, cable access. I think it is a lot of money for what it does. But who am I to say what you want to spend on something that you will use once or twice a lifetime after the initial setup. What ever floats there boat. I put an additional $500 to figure out and install the hardware. It is really a very simple pc of hardware. I figured good.

[Bodger]

This is going on a built in cabinet. You wouldn't have access to the wires in the rear of the cabinet. This is what the main function of the hardware is for, cable access. I think it is a lot of money for what it does. But who am I to say what you want to spend on something that you will use once or twice a lifetime after the initial setup. What ever floats there boat. I put an additional $500 to figure out and install the hardware. It is really a very simple pc of hardware. I figured good.

I see, so it's just access. Still a good idea, because that can be a nightmare dealing with a tangled wad back there. Tech guys must love it.

[PA Woodbutcher]

I'll also be back tomorrow:laugh3:

What is it you do that attracts all the crazies, are you?:mad2:

Pretty interesting project though and should be something to get people talking when they see it. Conversation like that usually leads to more work....I like unique things, they sell other unique things.

[Leo G]

I'm getting there. Got the box put together, the door parts are made. I tried the stain that was given to me and it worked nice. No blotching, smooth color. The inside has one coat of clear on it and I stained the front parts of the cabinet. I think I will stain the front of everything in the inside of the cabinet so you will see stained parts but keep the inside of the cabinet bright and visible. I took two pics.

http://fototime.com/62FB691441BE7A3/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/09672CDEC17CA28/orig.jpg

[Bodger]

What material are the raised panels made of?

[Leo G]

Everything is white birch.

[Leo G]

Starting up with the finishing process of various items. I stained the side panels on the cabinet. It came out a bit blotchy, but not to bad, when the clear went on it cleared up a bit. The stain has a lot of red dye in it and it seems to be the predominant color in the stain. When you put the clear on, the brownish color of the stain becomes more red as the clear penetrates below the surface and enhances the dye.

I sanded the faceframe doors, put lots of masking tape on the various parts so I can seal most of the parts up while keeping areas raw for gluing things together.

I made a bunch of shelves. I am making them with the front edge stained and the rest of it clear. There is a trick to doing it and getting a nice crisp clean line between the stain and the clear coat.

For the trick; I mask off the front edge with blue tape. The I seal both surfaces, in the case of a shelf I will seal the other three edges too. Then I let it dry. After it is dry I remove the tape off the front edge and put tape on the surfaces right next to the raw wood edge, both sides. Then I apply the stain and wipe it down. Let it setup for a minute or so and remove the tape. If there is any bleed through take some sandpaper and sand the affected area and it will come off the clear coat easily. Then clear the front edge and finish as you would usually do. Gives a nice clean line.

Look !! It's a door.
http://fototime.com/8D41C06243ABA67/orig.jpg

http://fototime.com/791FAF7BE44E267/orig.jpg

In my drying room, some stained and 1 coat of clear:
http://fototime.com/66CC84909E9585B/orig.jpg

Side panel on cabinet:
http://fototime.com/0E60CC3C9829DCE/orig.jpg
The plywood section will be inside the wall, it only gets seen before the install is complete.

[naptownCr]

How are you doing the bead on the rails and stiles. Are they applied or do you shape the edges and miter the rails to the stiles?

[Leo G]

Just applied. Not enough money in the job to do a true notched beaded stile and rail system. I'm not setup to do it, don't have the notching system. I would have to do it with the tablesaw by sliding the board back and forth to clean out the straight area. I have done it a bunch of times, but not for this cabinet.

I'm just happy the FF door came out nice and flat. Usually I don't care if there is a small twist in it because it will be glued to a true cabinet. I did the test fit on the cabinet and they lay nice and flat.

[Bodger]

What is the sealer that you're using prior to the taping and staining?

[naptownCr]

You need to invent a router bit to do it in one pass.
Wait a minute what did I say I meant me I need to invent that so I can retire and spend all day on here.

[Leo G]

I use a beading bit. I do it in one pass.

[naptownCr]

I meant the notching not the bead:smash:

[Leo G]

What is the sealer that you're using prior to the taping and staining?

Same clear coat as I put on the cabinet. In this particular case I am using a pre catalyzed conversion coating from MLC called MagnaKlear. Usually I use MagnaMax, but I am switching over to this. It is tougher and more forgiving when you spray it.

[Bodger]

I think I've seen Norm Abram run the ends of the stiles through the table saw perpendicular with a stacked dado head cutter set up in there to notch for that detail. Norm had a fat budget though.

I had a nice cope and stick set-up that I used for cabinet doors, loved that.

[Leo G]

I meant the notching not the bead:smash:

I've seen several machines to do this. One of them was a cannibalized William & Hussey molder that had a linear mechanism that would hold the pc and move it though the custom cutter. It was set up for a certain size rail, your common, but if you had something wider you could just slide it and do a second pass.

Kreg, the pocket hole people, also have a system using a special router bit to do it in a few passes.

[Bodger]

I've seen several machines to do this. One of them was a cannibalized William & Hussey molder that had a linear mechanism that would hold the pc and move it though the custom cutter. It was set up for a certain size rail, your common, but if you had something wider you could just slide it and do a second pass.

Kreg, the pocket hole people, also have a system using a special router bit to do it in a few passes.

I remember now, Norm would cut off the bead up to a point, and then miter the beads on both the rail and the stile so they would mate up once the bead had been removed where the rail met the stile.

I haven't seen that Kreg rig, sounds pretty cool. All of my Kreg stuff is ten years old.

[naptownCr]

I've seen several machines to do this. One of them was a cannibalized William & Hussey molder that had a linear mechanism that would hold the pc and move it though the custom cutter. It was set up for a certain size rail, your common, but if you had something wider you could just slide it and do a second pass.

Kreg, the pocket hole people, also have a system using a special router bit to do it in a few passes.

Figures
the man is always keeping me down.

[Leo G]

Here is a real machine to do it.

http://www.exfactory.com/detail.asp?recnum=WM-010211&prev=WM-010210&next=WM-010192&mfg=&code=&UFOBREGION=&Page=&Viewed=1&FNListings=0&FNsubcat=0&showSpecWriter=433&numPics=1&video=0&videoThumbnail=&crossPost=&litVideoID=

[Bodger]

Here is a real machine to do it.

http://www.exfactory.com/detail.asp?recnum=WM-010211&prev=WM-010210&next=WM-010192&mfg=&code=&UFOBREGION=&Page=&Viewed=1&FNListings=0&FNsubcat=0&showSpecWriter=433&numPics=1&video=0&videoThumbnail=&crossPost=&litVideoID=

$28K. Oofah.

[Leo G]

Makes the Kreg jig look good huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuS_Rf4Ble8&NR=1
fuS_Rf4Ble8&NR=1

[Bodger]

Makes the Kreg jig look good huh?




That's a beautiful thing. That guy from Kreg is real live wire, eh? :laugh3:

[Leo G]

More progress on the cabinet. I think tomorrow will be the day it is done.
And if not it will only be the countertop, I need to get more wood, two
boards short. But I forgot to account for the wood for the top. I was
thinking I would use a pc of plywood. But after staining plywood with the
stain given to me it came out very dark and since I didn't develop the
staining system for this it there basically no way to control the way the color
soaks in.

If it were my part do develop the stain system I would have used a conditioner,
a stain and a toner to even things out. But all I have is a stain so the color
is what it is and how the wood absorbs it.

Here are a few more pics:

Here is the door frame stained and cleared:
http://fototime.com/9D5C87456547AEC/orig.jpg

The back of the door, this face goes towards the front of the door, the
other face is a solid stain color:
http://fototime.com/3113991DF74C1EE/orig.jpg

This is the read of the door/faceframe. Things were taped off so I could
glue things together:
http://fototime.com/57A2330A4CE0002/orig.jpg

Here is the door with the back installed, the stained areas will show through
the margins (gaps) around the faux drawer front, the unstained raw wood
area will be a gluing surface:
http://fototime.com/1C5808BCC53104D/orig.jpg

[Leo G]

Here is the cabinet while I was fitting the doors. I chose to set them while the door was still only a faceframe. That way I could reach through the holes to drill the holes holding the Euro hinge plates. Made it real easy to mount them. Plus they were lighter and had nice hand holds.

Here is the cabinet with the door frames mounted:
http://fototime.com/0A9F20738581BE3/orig.jpg

Here is the assembled door:
http://fototime.com/98DA95CEAED560E/orig.jpg

[Leo G]

OK 95% done. The only thing left is the top. The blank is glued up and I am waiting to use my buddies widebelt sander. Tomorrow morning is the day.

I have assembled everything and it went together well. The only things that aren't shown in the pics is the top (Duh) and the molding that will go under the top and the base molding.

Here is the front view. Sorry about the crappy phone pics. I gotta get my real camera over there.
http://fototime.com/D984CA988CC0AD5/orig.jpg

Here it is with the doors open showing the two tone interior:
http://fototime.com/FC7443594E5D5D3/orig.jpg

Here is the pull out, pulled out, the top an bottom metal pcs are
now covered with a stained pc of wood:
http://fototime.com/B6F154FD2CE8293/orig.jpg

Here is the pull out, spun 90º
http://fototime.com/40C8422EB4DE358/orig.jpg

[PA Woodbutcher]

How many hours?

Looks great Leo....might just have to build me a variant next winter.:2thumbsup:

[PA Woodbutcher]

Probably missed it, as I've been busy and only half paying attention.:mad2:

How is the center pull out box assembled to keep it from racking?

[Leo G]

The hardware is very heavy and very stiff. There is no anti-rack mechanism. It can only do one sized box, 20.75"w x 18"d, but it can vary in height up to about 60" and handle 300 lbs.

Most of the metal is about 12 ga, about 1/16" thick.

[Bodger]

The hardware is very heavy and very stiff. There is no anti-rack mechanism. It can only do one sized box, 20.75"w x 18"d, but it can vary in height up to about 60" and handle 300 lbs.

Most of the metal is about 12 ga, about 1/16" thick.


How are the shelves attached to the carcase? Pocket screws?

And do you cut dados much anymore for this type of fabrication? I learned a lot of what I do from watching Norm Abram. Seems like he always dadoed his cabinet shelves together and pinned with brads.

[Leo G]

I used 1/8" deep dadoes and pocket screws with glue. The center lower deck also has 2" screws (3) going into it through the dadoes to make sure nothing goes nowhere. I usually use 1/4" deep dadoes, but because I have dadoes on both sides that line up I decided to make them less deep.

The cabinet is upside down on my bench in this picture. The center
deck is on the left side of the picture.
http://fototime.com/9CF24F4ADFD39A9/orig.jpg