Thread: Converting an old pine cupboard

How about you rip it down the guits and turn it into two tool cupboards?

or a single cupboard 250mm deep cupboard with 150mm deep doors



ian

Originally Posted by ian

How about you rip it down the guits and turn it into two tool cupboards?

or a single cupboard 250mm deep cupboard with 150mm deep doors



ian

G'day ian,
I suppose you mean rip it down the middle from the front, not from the side?
Lot of work to then rebuild the drawer etc. The idea of making the doors 150mm deep appeals but I wonder if the door return would take the weight. Probably yes but I might have to upgrade the original hinges to heavier duty. I'll work your idea up in Sketchup.

Thanks, much appreciated.

Cheers
Michael

It'd make a good lathe base or drill press bench etc

Michael

I was thinking ripping the cupboard longitudionally into a front and back
hinge the front (reconfigured into a pair of a pair of deep doors) to the back
fit out the doors to hold chisels, screw drivers, files, rasps, spoke shaves, hand drills, etc
fit out the back to hold heavy stuff like planes, power tools, etc

the right size pianio hinge should easily hold a 150mm deep door full of saws or chisels or screwdrivers


this suggestion is based on the most valuable bit of the original cupboard is the timber



ian

Originally Posted by ian

Michael

I was thinking ripping the cupboard longitudionally into a front and back
hinge the front (reconfigured into a pair of a pair of deep doors) to the back
fit out the doors to hold chisels, screw drivers, files, rasps, spoke shaves, hand drills, etc
fit out the back to hold heavy stuff like planes, power tools, etc

the right size pianio hinge should easily hold a 150mm deep door full of saws or chisels or screwdrivers


this suggestion is based on the most valuable bit of the original cupboard is the timber



ian

OH, the pennies dropped I'd leave the drawer section untouched and do what you suggest for the rest. I like that idea

Cheers
Michael

Okeydokey, I've got the cupboard modeled in Sketchup, now to play around.
Cheers
Michael

Originally Posted by echnidna

It'd make a good lathe base or drill press bench etc

The timber is much too nice to reduce it to an drill press stand (I do need one though) and I'm predjudiced against lathes (not turners!) and don't own one.

Cheers
Michael

I've decapitated the cupboard down below all the damaged wood and it now stands 1300mm high. Cut to just above the line and shot down to the line with my trusty Millers Falls 56B. There's a photo showing the blind dovetails of the top, the hide glue in the dovetails doesn't look like it ever took to the end grain. The small blocks visible in that photo are another story, the hide glue is hanging on hard and fast. Now to model the truncated version and fit it out.
Seeing as this isn't a restoration anymore I'll see if a nice moderator will move it to Big Stuff.

Cheers
Michael

Here are a couple of sketchup images of where I'm heading. The door will be frame and panel mounted on dovetailed frames, mounted with piano hinges as ian suggested. There'll be a gap between the two doors so they don't conflict and that'll be hidden by an overlaying handle monted on one door. Tomorrow I'll work up some internal drawers and fittings. What do you think?

Cheers
Michael

I have modeled all my Stanley planes and fitted them to a side of the tool cabinet. I'm pretty happy with the use of space.
For those interested, I downloaded a Stanley no 7 model from sketchup warehouse and modified it to model all the Stanley planes I have. I also downloaded a blockplane to simulate a Millers Falls 56B and Stanley 60 1/2.
From left, top to bottom I've fitted
3, 4, 5; 56B, 60 1/2, 4 1/2, 5 1/2; 10, 6; 40, 7

Next I'll fit a couple of woody planes and chisels. The centre column will be a tower of drawers.

Cheers
Michael

german smoother, Funkyplane, Atkins rip and Diston crosscut and dovetail saws fitted to the left door.

Michael

may I suggset that you arrange your planes not so much on size but on frequency of use.
in other words make you most used planes the most accessible, even if this means putting a bigger plane above a small one


ian
BTW the conversion looks good

Originally Posted by ian

Michael

may I suggset that you arrange your planes not so much on size but on frequency of use.
in other words make you most used planes the most accessible, even if this means putting a bigger plane above a small one


ian
BTW the conversion looks good

Thanks ian,
You've reminded me of Lord Nibbo's build which had adjustable shelves for plane storage. That may be a solution here.

thanks
Michael

That about does it for the left door and plane storage (except making it adjustable).
The left side now contains stanley planes, woody planes, saws, chisels and my two spokeshaves (a flat and round 151).

Next onto the drawer unit which will hold router bits, sharpening stones, precision instruments like the Colen Clenton tools etc....