Finishing the cabinet...

I'm getting close to assembly for the cabinet, so it is time to start planning the finish. I know since the cabinet is poplar I want a dark finish to hide the green hues. I decided to finish the inside of the cabinet before assembly. I read an article in Fine Woodworking (membership required) about seal coating particular woods so they wouldn't blotch. Woods like, pine, poplar and cherry are notorious for blotching when stained. So, I used a 2lb cut of Zinsser Seal Coat (de-waxed shellac) for the inside of the cabinet. I got the first coat on, and it is ready for a light sanding before the second coat.

I also seal coated a piece of scrap poplar for testing stains. I applied 2 coats of the seal coat, with a light sanding after each coat. I then applied 3 different stains in 3 different sections of the board. Unfortunately, my camera batteries died. When I get batteries I'll post the test piece and let you know which one I chose.

Cold... too cold.

The past 2 or 3 days it's been 15-25F. Too cold for me to be in the garage with power tools. Hopefully, tomorrow will be warmer.

RIGID drill press review...

I wrote my review of the RIGID DP-1550 15" 1/2 hp drill press. You can find a link under the "Reviews" section on the right.

I'm not necessarily a RIGID "fanboy". It's not that I like the color orange so much. Here are some reasons I like RIGID tools:

1. They a good quality tool for the money.
2. They repeatedly get good reviews from magazines and really good from users.
3. The RIGID warranty is pretty good.
4. I can take it back to Home Depot if I have an issue. (There's a "good" Home Depot in my area).
   
5. Home Depot usually has a 6 month to 1 year no interest deal going on. That's hard to beat.

So it's not just being a "fanboy". Although, I do hope to get the RIGID 13" planer with the 3 cutter head soon.

Rabbet...

I spent part of yesterday, and most of today getting the rabbets in the top, bottom and sides. I used my router and router fence attachment to make the rabbets. I also learned how my joining sucks. There were a few peaks and valleys where I had edge joined the boards. I need to do a better job of making sure the boards are joined and faced properly.

I glued up the back panel and let it dry, while I went to Lowe's to get some finishing supplies. When I got back I used my Random Orbital Sander (ROS) to sand all the pieces. I think it's finally ready to glue-up. My only question now is, do I finish it before glueing or after? I don't know either. Time to hit the forums.

TS-3650 review...

I just published my 1 year TS-3650 review. You can read it by following the link in the "Reviews" section to the right.

Porter Cable router

I got to use my new Porter Cable 690 router. I cut a stop dado in the sides of the cabinet to hold the bottom. My dad gave me a Skil router a year or so ago. He said he didn't need it anymore. It works for what I had used it for in the past, but it was time to upgrade. It's true that my PC router is fixed base, but I plan on getting a plunge base soon enough. The difference between the two routers is amazing. After I had made the dado with the PC I looked at the Skil and literally thought, "FAIL". Hence the pic.

Krenov style cabinet...

I've gotten a couple of questions about my "Krenov style cabinet". Mainly, "what is a Krenov style cabinet?" I was introduced to James Krenov through an episode of "Wood Works". David Marks' interview with Krenov was interesting. Mr. Krenov's cabinets are, in my opinion, artistic yet functional. The cabinets seemed to have a simplistic quality to them, although they aren't simplistic at all. Krenov pays very close attention to detail. Now, I'm sure my poplar cabinet won't come close to comparison with Krenov's, but this is a training exercise. I want to have a few more pieces under my belt before I tackle a project for someone else. Anyway, the walnut for my workbench legs hasn't come in yet, so I have time.


A little more about Krenov:
I've read "A Cabinetmaker's Notebook". I was able to ignore Krenov's grumpiness and enjoy the book. He has an interesting way of approaching his work. I loaned the book to a friend and he couldn't finish it. He disliked Krenov's "old man attitude", even though Krenov wasn't that old of a man when he wrote the book. Some folks on the woodworking and luthier forums I frequent have a deep dislike of Krenov. Not his work, just his attitude. He does have the grumpy old man attitude, but he also produces some gorgeous work. Not only is he known for his cabinets, but also his hand planes. Do some Google searches for Krenov. I think you'll find his work appealing.