This year, for Christmas, I decided to build something for my darling wife. She has been wanting a medicine cab to store extra stuff for years so I decided to crank one out. I had recently purchased a pickup load of spalted maple on speculation and decided a cherry cabinet with spalted door panels might look pretty cool. Cabinet is solid wood, panels are bookmatched and veneered over an 1/8 thick baltic birch core.
Photos of cabinet and close up of panel.
Replies
Husband of the year.
You got it locked up.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
mmmmmmm, NICE.
That is very very nice . I started on the curly birch trim today.
Beautiful.
I saw some just like that at Home Depot today. ;)
Seriously, great work!
The Breaktimer formerly known as "Steve-O"
"Preach the Gospel at all times; if necessary, use words." - St. Francis of Assisi
hey! youse got trim around yur windows too - no fair....
are you considering building a base unit also?
David, I guess that be funny, trim on my windows. That happens to be one of the few windows in the house that does have trim. No I'm not planning on building a base since this unit hangs over the camode.
Very nice. I wasn't sure what spalted maple was, looks great. I bet she's very happy with the gift.
I get paid to do carpentry. That makes me a professional.
If I work on my own house does that make me a DIY?
Hooker - Spalted maple is actually from a "diseased" tree IIRC, I think it's a virus. There was an article in WOOD magazine a year or two ago. It really gives the wood some character, no?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Riverman - You do nice work. I look at that cabinet and see lots of hours of labor. Deceptively simple unless you have a good shop set up.
I love the maple. When you say it's veneered, did you cut your own veneers? How? What was the size of the maple you got? I noticed the top crown projects out to the fronts of the doors - Did you just block it out with a strip of cherry?
Don K.
EJG Homes Renovations - New Construction - Rentals
Spalted wood is in the early stages of rot, bacteria attacks the cells and causes the pinstriping effect. At some point the spalting turns to rot and the wood is to punky to use. The crown mold is attached to a seperate plywood base then I covered the base edge with a piece of 3/8 bead molding which protrudes past the crown just a tad. This allows me to use the least amount of cherry lumber and still get the look of a solid cross section.I resaw my own veneer on a Hitachi resaw. I start with a 7/8 thick board and get 5 to 6 slabs off the board depending on internal stress or cupping.
Edited 1/14/2006 1:53 pm ET by riverman
I love when a plan works out. Man that is cool. I tried a zillion ways from Sunday to seal spalted wood and get an even sheen, the wild and pourus grain is so fragile.
Good work.
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
You are right the spalted is tough to seal. I use a Sherwin Williams Kem-Var conversion varnish, takes about 3 coats sometimes 4. In some cases where ithe wood is almost to soft to use I'll soak it several times in Watco Danish oil and let it sit till it cures that apply a top coat.
yeppers. Spalt is a headache.You rock ( maple that is}.....
Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Thanks Don, I'm looking forward to seeing the curly birch trim. We ran a batch for a customer a month ago and it looked so good I wanted to install it in my house instead of selling it.