the model train cabinet that sort of happened
A few months ago I enrolled in the Sturt School for their 10 week part time course to improve (gain?) my handtool skills. I started with the obligatory mallet, then hand cut dovetail drawers for my Chinese coffee table restoration and then…..
“we have a pre-cut kit of timbers to make a tool cabinet… do you want to make that?”
I already have an adequate tool cabinet and so I decided to modify the tool cabinet for which there were detailed drawings and make a display cabinet for model trains for which there is absolutely no concept nor design!
I have promised such a cabinet to an old friend of mine and so coincidence took over from common sense. My first dovetail joints weren’t good enough for a display cabinet and so they were cut off, I changed the dovetails to finger joints so that I could finger joint the shelves as well … and the bad ones were cut off … the timber was rapidly shrinking and, if I didn’t improve my joints, I would end up with only enough timber left to make a medicine cabinet.
Well eventually it all worked out and, a few weeks ago, I delivered it to my mate for him to do the electrics. The ‘electrics’ are concealed LV wiring for LED strip lights and to electrify some of the shelves so that carriage lights can be turned on. The wires are hidden behind the huon pine strips which are notched to support the shelves and I used the brass hinges to get power to the opening front cabinet portions.
The following pic shows how it was done…….
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Last Saturday the cabinet was installed. I insisted to my friends that the cabinet isn’t “furniture grade” and that I wouldn’t be offended if it was installed in the garage near the HUGE model train layout but NO, it is installed inside the house in a very prominent position. Suddenly every mistake and blemish seemed to jump out at me … but not thankfully to anyone else…
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Track will be fixed to each shelf and one switch turns on the lights, the other delivers 12v to selected shelves. The Orient Express dining car has LED lamps on every table .. it will look spectacular lit up in a darkened cabinet.
Once again another piece of furniture comes out of the shed but, this time, without a concept being decided until it was virtually finished.
fletty