Drawers on a Budget

Well I was putzing about in my shop the other day, and I realized that my router table needed a cabinet of some kind.  Every time I use the thing I have to spend time getting all the dust off of every thing, and the whole area is suffering from a distinct lack of organization.

Drawers would be nice.

Here is a picture of the two drawers.  Note the primitive construction.  Butt joints.  A few screws and glue hold them together.  Notice that the drawer bottoms are not flush with the sides, but stick out a bit.

Those will run in the grooves seen here.  I set the table saw to a certain depth, and cut the width to match the thickness of my drawer bottoms.

I also took the time to wax my runners.  They will run much smoother this way.

Et voila!  Somewhere to put my stuff.

Actually it looks not half bad.

This project cost me exactly $0.  The plywood was scrounged from what I had in the shop.  It only took me a few hours to make it up.

This is interesting...

We are working on some floating cabinets.

Floating, ie not touching the floor.  Just fastened to the wall.

They are essentially two separate cabinets at this point.  The one on the left is the inside.  The one on the right is the outside.

It's kind of like the chassis of a car and its body.  They are built separately...

...then put together.

But wait!  First we must finish the outside with a white lacquer.  It'll be easier while the pieces are apart.

Taa daa!

Here are the cabinets finished and installed.

This unit will house various pieces of entertainment equipment.  It has a receptacle built in to it, as well as various cables communicating with the tv above the fireplace.

Also visible are the sliding glass doors.  The tracks are dadoed into the cabinet so the frame can keep its clean look.

A nice addition to the home.

Window Seat

Jacobson Construction was commissioned by artist Michelle DeVilliers to build a window seat that allowed for hidden storage below.

We designed this for her.  The top is made from 6/4 maple to match the craft table that is already in the space.  The base is designed to match the five-panel shaker doors that are throughout the house.

The final result... I feel like sitting down.

The space seen where the shoe mould is missing is for an air vent.  Electrical outlets were brought from the wall to the face of the cabinet.

Each leg of the bench top was laminated as one piece, then cut into individual "lids".  That way the grain of the maple is continuous.

There are two lids on one side and three on the other.  Each uncovers it's own compartment.

Can't see any hinges?  They're invisible.  Each one is mortised in to the back edge of the lids.

A neat trick.  Soft closing stays from Lee Valley add a nice touch.