Sweat Power is Simple

I’ve been planning this for a couple of months and, as of last weekend or so, I’ve begun working on my tool cabinet.

I tend to be an impatient person when it comes to realizing my own project plans, so I often go straight into milling wood before a drawing. This time, I resisted that urge and started with a sheet of cardboard.

Looks like my cabinet will be 8″ deep by 36″ x 49″, or so. (Plus the depth of the doors) I’d like to have the main interior house my user planes, plus braces, egg beaters and straight edges. The area under the plans will be a drawer box for some layout tools, parts, etc. Then, the front will be covered by two swing-out doors about 3″ deep. The doors will house chisels, marking and measuring tools and my dovetail saws.

The wood will be cherry, culled from my pre-existing lumber supply. What I have is very likely trashy by some of you guys’ standards, but I make a habit of buying lumber when I find a good deal and try to do my best with that. Here’s the pile I’ve started with:

I have two wide 13/16″ planks of curly cherry, but I’m saving them for something special. I’m thinking I’ll use some of it for the drawer fronts or the swing-out doors.

I have a confession to make here. In the weeks leading up to this, I’ve been afraid that my own inexperience would cause me to botch the primary dovetails on this main carcass. That fear led me to seriously consider an easier, but weaker joint like a tongue and groove. I even went so far as to make my first scribe mark for doing so when I finished preparing the four sides of the main case…

BUT, at the last minute, I decided to go for it and do dovetails instead. I knew I would regret it if I didn’t try. So, I started in on them yesterday. (Please overlook the signs of electron-burning in the last image. I blame the fact that I don’t yet have a saw bench and adequate saw sharpening skills. Yet.)

I must say, despite being out of the shop for a while, I’m pleased with how they came together. Although they’re not perfect, they’re an improvement over my previous efforts and I’m satisfied with them for this particular project.

(As you can see, I had to glue up at least two sides to make boards wide enough for my use, 8″. But grain and color matching really isn’t a big concern for me at this point. I just want square, the best joinery I can muster at this stage in my journey, and a place for my tools.)

Here’s where I am as of this afternoon. A test fit:

Looks pretty good to me, all things considered.

I’ve been looking around for months for a good, but inexpensive iPod dock option for my shop. Something small, but with decent sound. I had given up until I stumbled on a deal on Buy.com a few weeks ago. $50 Griffin Amplifi. (Normally $130) This baby sounds very good and I’m thrilled with the deal. (Simple Living Content: I don’t like overpaying for such things.)