Let your partner know that many communities have Maker groups that have large tools available for members (as well as people to share their knowledge and experience). It can be a lot easier to pay modest monthly dues than buy your own equipment (and have space for it). The one nearest to me has woodworking tools, 3d printers, EE equipment, and so on.
You're too kind! IDK if I can share plans- I designed it in Sketchup. Yes for sure I used a table saw, circular saw, scroll saw- so many saws!
It is mostly walnut plywood, but there is solid walnut on the doors, the molding, and the feet. I spent $600 on all the supplies including drawer slides and hinges.
Peter Millard is a UK woodworker that does custom cabinets in a tiny UK basement.
He has lots of recommendations on tools and processes to build stuff like this in a small, inexpensive place.
He does a LOT of projects with high quality MDF and plywood, but a lot of it also applies to other materials. You can really learn and build a ton with sheet goods and then work your way up to solid, expensive wood later.
I don’t mean to put you down, but instead of spending your whole winter working on this, you could have just bought something with the same build quality and appeal from a master craftsperson for thousands of dollars.
Nuance is challenging through text - both coming and going.
I’d considered some sort of silliness indicator, but was too tired to find one that matched my tone.
Alas.
(For the record, it’s great work. And my winter project has been to poorly make about 60% of a headboard that is mostly MDF - so I’m clearly not in a place to judge anything.)
That's really nice! It's so beautiful. The slats on the cabinets are nice since it allows you to put electronics in there like a receiver while still maintaining air flow and it's nice to have a pattern to break up the flat wood of the middle drawer..
I’m a hardcore MCM type, and I’d buy this in a heartbeat. I have a nice period teak credenza right now, but this is an absolutely gorgeous piece of work.
Yes exactly! I haven’t worked much with solid hardwoods but I have promised myself that my next piece will be. I got a second hand planer. And I’m ready, I want to make a pair of nightstands inspired by the couch in Wharton Esherick’s house
I made a mistake and got a surface planer instead of a jointer, and I haven't gotten around to making a jointer Jig, so my woodworking has been on hold.
Yes I got some high-quality walnut plywood and some solid walnut too. My finish is 3 coats of wipe-on poly cut with a little mineral spirits, then 3-4 coats of paste wax. Extra wax on top.
Ultimately, you need both for good power-tool lumber processing, and the surface planer can at least accommodate a jig for face jointing. Get a good blade and you can make a table saw jig that can stand in for edge-jointing, especially if you also have a decent hand plane.