New member - oak cabinet advice

[scrob]

Hi guys, just joined the forum, looks great! I have just posted my last creation in the projects section, take a look here: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=30050

Anyway, I joined up for some specific advice on the next project I am planning. I want to make a hard wood cabinet to house some fly tying equipment. I am currently drawing plans for it, but have some preliminary questions:

- Can I use real solid oak, of around 18mm thick? I have been warned it may warp over time as it dries out.
- If I can use the oak, where do I get boards broad enough to make a cabinet?
- For a complete novice, full of the best will in the world, how hard is it to make dove tail joints? I have searched and seen the array of specialist saws that can be used, and I would be prepared to buy the right tool for the job. But just wondering if it is within the reach of an eager novice.

That will do for now - I look forward to your replies.

Rob

Ps - this cabinet is my main inspiration:

 

[Chems]

You can't really buy real 18mm Oak off the shelf. You will need to buy either some straight from the tree oak and plane it and thickness it and then join it. A length and expensive process. You could buy Planed All Round oak which is oak ready to be joined you would only need to buy a biscuit jointer to do it using this method but you are less likely to get nice wood thats straight and square if you buy pre-planed wood.

For dovetails, they can be achieved perfectly buy buying a dovetail jig and using a cheap 1/4 router.

An alternative is to buy oak veneered MDF for your main panels.

 

[scrob]

Thanks for the advice - I wouldn't be in the position to plane my own raw boards to size.

I'm also not too keen on oak veneer, prefer solid oak if possible.

Pre-planed - why do you say this is not such a good idea?

Are there any other nice hardwoods you could recommend instead? Not so keen on mahogany but would maybe consider others if oak is a non-starter..

 

[scrob]

For example, what would be wrong with using something like the following

245x20mm planed square edged white oak

http://www.roncurrie.co.uk/hardwoods.htm

 

[devonwoody]

I would be a bit concerned with the choice of timber (Oak). I could see further down the road that your hooks could go rusty.
Modern hooks might be different from my fishing days of 50 years ago, but iron/steel does not live together with oak.

Welcome to the forum, pity you are not a sea fisherman with a boat in Torbay. :wink:

 

[guypie333]

Hi guys, just joined the forum, looks great! I have just posted my last creation in the projects section, take a look here: https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/forums/view ... hp?t=30050

Anyway, I joined up for some specific advice on the next project I am planning. I want to make a hard wood cabinet to house some fly tying equipment. I am currently drawing plans for it, but have some preliminary questions:

- Can I use real solid oak, of around 18mm thick? I have been warned it may warp over time as it dries out.
- If I can use the oak, where do I get boards broad enough to make a cabinet?
- For a complete novice, full of the best will in the world, how hard is it to make dove tail joints? I have searched and seen the array of specialist saws that can be used, and I would be prepared to buy the right tool for the job. But just wondering if it is within the reach of an eager novice.

That will do for now - I look forward to your replies.

Rob

Ps - this cabinet is my main inspiration:

hi scrob like you i am new to the forum and live in NI.i take it your not considering staining .have you thought of japanese pull saws for dovetailing reletively cheap to buy.a little engineering square sliding bevel plenty of softwood to practise on and go for it.hav'nt looked but there must be technique instructions here .cheers guy

 

[Derek Willis.]

If you're not happy with the joining of boards, then use Oak veneered M.D.F. and lip the edges, using only solid oak for frames and drawer fronts, this would be a simple solution.
Derek.

 

[Mr Ed]

Welcome to the forum Rob.

A cabinet like that is a **** of a challenge for a beginner. You need high levels of precision to get a satisfactory end result, not that I'm saying you can't achieve that, but it has the potential for great frustration.

Personally I think I would buy the cabinet from here;

http://www.classichandtools.com/acatalo ... hests.html

and spend my time on some more accessible projects.

Cheers, Ed

 

[wizer]

I certainly wouldn't use solid hardwood if this is an early project. Real wood veneered MDF is good stuff. Tho, I'm not sure I'd go for Oak. If you do, make sure you use a waterproof finish.

 

[scrob]

Thanks for the advice and welcome guys.

I am a novice to dovetails but not to working with wood, it's something I'd like to attempt and I'm fairly determined to give this project a go, so any more advice on a suitable material would be greatly appreciated And as for the dovetails, I will practice on some waste wood until I get the hang of it. Got to start somewhere

Obviously I'll never produce something anywhere near as good the Gerstner that I posted, but I'm under no illusion that I will. If I could construct a solid carcass and a few sliding drawer's I'd be happy enough.

I would be a bit concerned with the choice of timber (Oak). I could see further down the road that your hooks could go rusty.
Modern hooks might be different from my fishing days of 50 years ago, but iron/steel does not live together with oak.

Thanks for that - didn't know they didn't get on! However, it's only the tying materials such as feathers furs threads etc so shouldn't be too big a problem. It won't actually leave the house or house flies and won't come into contact with water.

 

[The_Stig]

We stock 20mm sawn oak boards or alternatively 27mm boards to achieve a finished thickness of 18mm.

 

[woodbloke]

I agree with Ed...a big learning curve here 8-[ 'specially for a newcomer to this game. Better to buy one and concentrate on something a little easier to start with. If you do decide to make it though, I'd go for a good quality pine rather than AWO...it's not easy stuff to work with at the best of times and even more so if you want to do some tricky joinery - Rob

 

[scrob]

I am determined to give this a go, if I fail then I'm only out my time and the wood, its no huge deal. I don't want to use pine, it's just not the finish I am after.

However, if there are other hardwoods out there that I could consider, by all means I am all ears? Apart from mahogany, it's not really what I'm after either.

A friend owns a flooring business and I am sure I could get some off cuts of floor boards of any different material to practice my jointing on FOC before I would tackle the actual cabinet. I have been reading up the theory and watching videos on youtube and fancy giving it a go... if I fail, then it's no huge loss!

 

[wizer]

ok well then stop thinking about making cabinets and get practising. There is an excellent DVD by Rob Cosman which gives excellent tuition on this subject. Once you've seen him do it and learned his method, it's just practise.

 

[lurker]

I'd steer clear of Oak because of the tannins

I'd also incorporate a bit of Cedar in the drawers to keep the moths away from fly tying materials DAMHIKT :twisted: :twisted:

Engineers chests (near as dammit the same thing) often crop up on the bay quite cheap. I bought a damaged one for less than £20 and fixed it up for my measuring tools.

 

[devonwoody]

Sweet chesnut, sycamore and ash are nearly all the same colour and have attractive grain textures.
Even your tool tying equipment might rust in an oak cabinet because of the tannins

 

[scrob]

Sourced some scrap wood so good to get started now on the practicing. Axminster (sp) seem to be selling a jap Dozuki for around 20 quid which seems reasonable, so will probably start with that, my own coping saw and a chisel for the waste.

Will look into this tannin issue a bit more, go-go google...

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[Woodmagnet]

Welcome to the forum Rob, sorry i can't offer any
advice but i will offer you my good wishes with the
project and i can fully understand your wishing to
build it yourself and not do the easy thing and buy
one. Like you say all it costs is a bit of time, practise,
and scrap wood to get started, then onto the real thing.
Keep us posted with your progress please as i'm
interested in seeing how you get on. :wink:

 

[guypie333]

hi scrob where are you in northern ireland i'm in tyrone cheers guy

 

[dicktimber]

Hi Rob, greetings...
Yes you can do everything you ask...so that's sorted.
The problem you have is that you don't want to be disappointed as you crash on with the box.
If you don't take some time to read up about how solid timbers react to moisture, humidity, warping etc..a whole host of problems would arise.
That is why, we old farts, have oversize pre planed timber stuck under the bed and occupying every nook and cranny, inside our homes, stabilizing, before final machining and working to drawing size.
You are taking a massive jump from MDF dices.
Take some time to practice. Sign up to a nightschool woodworking class.Readup about the subject. Start with making the full range of wood joints by hand, getting used to tools of the trade.
It's abig learning curve, but believe me, you will reap the benefits.
Mike
oh and bye the way the box isn't big enough...they never are!