Case on Case question

Case on Case question · 11-01-2009, 09:02 PM

Today I started on my FIL's Firearm Display Cabinet, I got a lot of the QSRO jointed and planed and even managed to get some glue ups in clamps

The plans are here and I'm sad to say they aren't too good. They built the whole thing out edge banded plywood and trim so the dimensions are all messed up. I decided I'm just gonna wing it and come up with some spin off of what's shown...

My question is the base cabinet has a top but the hutch doesn't have a dressed bottom. If you look at the diagram you'll see what I mean, it's just a piece of wrap around trim, which is fine for plywood but not a good idea for solid sides

. If I were going to make a bottom for the hutch do you think it would work out if I made the hutch bottom to fit the edge of 1/2 roundover of the top on the base cabinet? I'm thinking this would give a layered effect. The 7/8" thick base top would be slightly wider (1/2") than 7/8" thick hutch bottom. I hope I didn't confuse anyone to bad.

Thanks

Glennbear · 11-01-2009, 09:12 PM

I am easily confused

so feel free to disregard this entire post.

Anyway, I am presuming that you are concerned with using the trim as in the drawing because of the wood movement of solid sides. If that is your dilemma why not fasten the trim only at the center thus allowing the sides freedom of movement ? JMTCW.

FredP · 11-01-2009, 09:24 PM

why not go a little more and do raised panel sides?

frame and panel allows for movement and adds detail to the sides.

and I think a little more overhang between the 2 pieces looks good to. maybe 1"?

Jeff Mills · 11-01-2009, 09:45 PM

Sorry for being confusing... a picture is worth 1000 words.

Thanks

Gotcha6 · 11-01-2009, 10:05 PM

MTCW, if you're using the same species & the grain for the top of the base & bottom of the hutch are in the same orientation, there shouldn't be a problem. Any movement should be minimal. I'd still drill a through hole in the base and screw the top to it to prevent tipping over.

steviegwood · 11-01-2009, 10:08 PM

You could recess the hutch bottom up into the hutch and only have the base top overhang the base. Then mount the hutch to the base. Steve

Jeff Mills · 11-01-2009, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by FredP

why not go a little more and do raised panel sides? frame and panel allows for movement and adds detail to the sides. and I think a little more overhang between the 2 pieces looks good to. maybe 1"?

Fred, I actually thought I might change this up a bit and do it in three separate pieces.

* The base (not to be confused with 'The Bas') with two or three drawers for ammo, cleaning kits, etc..

* The pistol display with it's flip down door and instead of solid wood sides, wood framed shatter proof plastic sheet stuff

* The boom stick display with the sides wood framed shatter proof plastic like the pistol display.

You know how I am when my mind gets to churning... Being three separate pieces, it might be easier to make and a lot easier to move (i.e. stack-able).

Jeff Mills · 11-01-2009, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by Gotcha6

MTCW, if you're using the same species & the grain for the top of the base & bottom of the hutch are in the same orientation, there shouldn't be a problem. Any movement should be minimal. I'd still drill a through hole in the base and screw the top to it to prevent tipping over.

Dennis, I agree the pieces most will need to be bolted together to avoid tipping. I'm making it all from the same RO log, so we should be ok with it being the same species.

Jeff Mills · 11-01-2009, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by steviegwood

You could recess the hutch bottom up into the hutch and only have the base top overhang the base. Then mount the hutch to the base. Steve

A great idea, I didn't think of that.

McRabbet · 11-01-2009, 10:33 PM

Many two-piece chests and highboys are made with the top sitting on the base like your plan shows. In some that I have seen (and own), the molding on the base is larger than what the plan shows and the base has two short dowels that mate with holes in the upper cabinet to register the pieces, Gravity does the key work (we have a Queen Anne Highboy made in NC where the top is 1-1/2 times the height of the base and it is not tippy).

Jeff Mills · 11-03-2009, 12:35 AM

Sometimes I'm so stupid I amaze myself. I cut the base cabinet sides to shape. Had it nice a square... Figured I would take my belt sander to the edges just to remove the saw marks. So I clamped the two sides together and proceeded to sand all 5 edges. I sanded one edge and my cell rings so I'm yapping on the phone, hung up and sanded the next edge. Then I noticed the first edge I sanded one of the panels shifted about a 1/8 off. I scratched my head... thinking man that was a lot of wood movement is a short amount of time

.

But as stupidity would have it I didn't tighten the clamp enough, I got distracted by that darn cell phone that my wife insists I have on me at all times, she even got me one with big buttons but it's still a electronic leash that's all it is.

Now both panels are out of square. Uggg... double uggg... by the time I squared both of them back up, the base is going to be a 1/4" narrower than I planed. It's a design feature right? Isn't that what we say here, a design feature?

Lesson 1 - throw cell phone into the pond, problem solved