LumberJocks
DAILY DEALS Turning Tool Set at Rockler  |  DeWalt Gauge Narrow Crown Stapler at Tool King

2x4 Cabinet

Project by SPalm posted 648 days ago 2058 views 3 times favorited 37 comments Add to Favorites Watch

Well this has been fun. I had not used my jointer, planer, or bandsaw for over 15 years. It was great to be back in the shop building something that was neither a home improvement nor another machine. I had never done any resawing before, and really came to like it.

I wanted to build the largest piece of furniture that I could design out of a 2×4. I chose a cabinet on legs to make it look bigger. I tried to include several design elements to enhance this thought; use frame and panel to maximize wood usage, hold the legs away from the cabinet, splay out the legs at the top, use a wider piece for the horizontal rails to add heft, and sweep these rails up. I used dovetails for flair and strength. It is finished with an oil/poly blend.

The entire piece is 43” tall. The cabinet is about 10” wide, because that is the width of three 2×4s. I made it about 16” high to keep to the golden ratio (1:1.6). The depth is around 7”, or two 2×4s. I made the legs from what was left over. They about 30”. The square stiles are 5/8” thick, which is the max I could obtain after removing the bandsaw marks. These pieces became quite delicate with dovetails at each end and dados on two sides to hold the panels.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon


37 comments so far

View robfrommaine's profile

robfrommaine

4 posts in 649 days


posted 648 days ago

Very impressive, creative piece. Guess the skill and talent doesn’t go away after a 15 year lay off, eh?

-- Rob, Maine

View Popintraining's profile

Popintraining

109 posts in 717 days


posted 648 days ago

Nice piece
This contest is really bringing out some awesome designs.

-- Illegitimis nil carborundum - Don't let the bastards grind you down http://woodworkingtipsfrompop.com

View scottb's profile

scottb

3391 posts in 1206 days


posted 648 days ago

You certainly succeeded on going as big as possible. Nice design, way to stretch out that stud!

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View mot's profile

mot

4901 posts in 915 days


posted 648 days ago

That’s great, Steve!

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

View Scott Bryan's profile

Scott Bryan

20080 posts in 701 days


posted 648 days ago

Like I have said before I will never look at a 2×4 in the same vein ever again. It is simply amazing what is lying beneath the surface of common construction lumber. I love the elegance and design of your piece. Holding the legs out from the cabinet and using dovetails was highly imaginative.

But leaving the tools sitting idle for 15 years? I am surprised that the tools even worked anymore. We need to find a way to get you some more shop time. Hopefully this project has rekindled the woodworking fire.

Thanks for sharing.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

View Paul's profile

Paul

607 posts in 971 days


posted 648 days ago

Great job . . . another wonderful entry!

-- Paul, Texas

View Jimthecarver's profile

Jimthecarver

421 posts in 664 days


posted 648 days ago

And to think that was a 2X4. I will be very interested in seeing who wins. From what I have seen made from a 2X4 in the last few weeks, I think your all winners! Awesome job.
Nice dovetail work, and the knots in the wood add just the right look.

-- Can't never could do anything, to try is to advance.

View Marge's profile

Marge

144 posts in 833 days


posted 648 days ago

Nice work – imagine this from a 2X4

-- Marge, Colorado

View Alin Dobra's profile

Alin Dobra

316 posts in 767 days


posted 648 days ago

Steve,

I was watching your blog and wondering how the project would look like when done. I really like the design you came up with (a little Chinese influence for the shape of the legs, if I’m not mistaken).

Alin

-- -- Alin Dobra, Gainesville, Florida

View Les Hastings's profile

Les Hastings

948 posts in 652 days


posted 648 days ago

I looked at a 2×4 today,,,,funny I didn’t see that in there. Nice work, perfect design!

-- Les, Wichita, Ks. (I'd rather be covered in saw dust!)

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

921 posts in 761 days


posted 648 days ago

Thanks everyone for the kind words. I have been building some things over the last years, but just not anything that required jointing or planing. I like this a lot, and I just became an empty nester, so I hope to continue it.

Alan, I like to think some Oriental influence too. Thanks for noticing. I recently have fallen in love with Thos Moser’s American Bungalow collection and hope to replicate a piece or two in the near future. Arts and Crafts with an Oriental influence.

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View CharlieM1958's profile

CharlieM1958

7467 posts in 1097 days


posted 648 days ago

Not bad for a rusty old woodworker. <g>

Fantastic job, Steve. I just don’t think HD sells those kind of 2×4’s down here in my neck of the woods.

-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"

View DocK16's profile

DocK16

697 posts in 966 days


posted 648 days ago

Extremely inovative, I love the joinery.

-- DocK, WV

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

921 posts in 761 days


posted 648 days ago

Charlie, That’s why I bought it at Lowes :)

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View Bob Babcock's profile

Bob Babcock

1808 posts in 965 days


posted 648 days ago

Nice work steve…the dovetails look great and I love the design.

-- Bob, Carver Massachusetts, Sawdust Maker http://www.capecodbaychallenge.org

View Douglas Bordner's profile

Douglas Bordner

3415 posts in 943 days


posted 648 days ago

Damn fine piece of work, Steve. Very shapely and oriental. Way more than any 2×4 would deserve, even a Lowe’s board. My hat is off to you.

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View cajunpen's profile

cajunpen

5970 posts in 945 days


posted 648 days ago

I’m going to Lowes first thing in the morning to get me a couple of those Furniture 2×4s. Who would have known that they held such beauty.

-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/

View Karson's profile

Karson

25279 posts in 1279 days


posted 648 days ago

Steve: A great job. Nice Krenov chest. A real beauty. Congratulations on finishing.

-- What happens in the workshop stays in the workshop. No wait that doesn't sound right. Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View Blake's profile

Blake

2715 posts in 753 days


posted 648 days ago

Beautiful design! A lot of thought must have gone in to planning it out to fit the 2×4. Well done.

-- Check out my new website! http://www.blakeweberwoodworking.com

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11338 posts in 753 days


posted 647 days ago

Very, very impressive.

View Russel's profile

Russel

2033 posts in 818 days


posted 647 days ago

Very nice cabinet and from a 2×4 no less. Good work. I like the way the legs attach and the dovetail joinery. Both add just enough flair to a clean design.

-- When you give someone a chance it may well be their last.

View MsDebbieP's profile

MsDebbieP

14096 posts in 1039 days


posted 647 days ago

Goal achieved.
challenge met
project outstanding!!
can’t get any better than that.

It’s gorgeous. Love those legs

-- ~ Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

View mrtrim's profile

mrtrim

1700 posts in 759 days


posted 647 days ago

oh yea , i love this piece ! great design , nice work steve

View YorkshireStewart's profile

YorkshireStewart

779 posts in 780 days


posted 647 days ago

Your cabinet is a work of art Steve. We like it a lot. (Mrs YS is taking as much interest in this competition as I am).. Good move to turn the possible door into a shelf. It works well.

A million miles away from a hunk of construction timber!

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business. http://www.folksy.com/shops/TreeGems

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

921 posts in 761 days


posted 647 days ago

Thanks everyone. It was a blast. I was jealous of other peoples 2×4s without any knots, but in the end, they look alright.

Stewart: My Mrs also has also kept a keen interest. It is fun to work together. And agreed, the shelf works.

Karson: Did you notice the toaster tong in pic #1? You inspired it. I cut it with my CNC from solid cherry.

Also in that picture is a sliding dovetailed box.

The pottery was done by a good friend of ours. It shows well.

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View dennis mitchell's profile

dennis mitchell

3785 posts in 1193 days


posted 647 days ago

View gene's profile

gene

2165 posts in 762 days


posted 647 days ago

Hay! Steve
A great looking job.
God bless

-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia

View Thos. Angle's profile

Thos. Angle

4015 posts in 841 days


posted 647 days ago

Good work, Steve.

-- Thos. Angle

View Zuki's profile

Zuki

1219 posts in 956 days


posted 647 days ago

I really like the dovetails and how they attach the legs.

Good job steve

-- The significant problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them

View cheller's profile

cheller

248 posts in 988 days


posted 646 days ago

Very nice. The proportions are wonderful.

-- Chelle http://artsgranddaughter.blogspot.com

View shaun's profile

shaun

361 posts in 784 days


posted 645 days ago

great job Steve. very creative design. Love the oriental look.

-- I've cut that board three times and it's still too short!

View SPalm's profile

SPalm

921 posts in 761 days


posted 639 days ago

Well again, thanks everyone for the nice comments.

Woodjack, I do plan on making some pieces using some of the concepts I played with on this. But not repeat this exact design. I really like the concept of holding the legs away from the cabinet, to give it an airy look. I hope to find some time this spring to really get going. But time is so hard to find.

And thanks everyone for voting for this in the 2×4 contest. I won the largest number of 5th place votes! Yea!

Steve

-- Stevethepeeve -- I'm no rocket surgeon

View Bruce's profile

Bruce

90 posts in 654 days


posted 638 days ago

Gee, around every corner I learn something new on Lumberjocks. I once built a table out of 2 X 4’s to use as a TV stand wen I got out of college. My friends laughed at me and we often joked about it. But now that I have been here and seen some of the things you guys are making out of pPINE, I realize its just another type of wood. Nice design.

View Lee A. Jesberger's profile

Lee A. Jesberger

3709 posts in 858 days


posted 495 days ago

Hi Steve;

This is great!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com

View Mark A. DeCou's profile

Mark A. DeCou

1533 posts in 1284 days


posted 490 days ago

I was walking through some of the old projects and found this one. I missed it when it was posted. Great design and use of a 2×4, and just wanted to tell you so.

M

-- Mark DeCou - American Contemporary Craft Artisan - www.decoustudio.com

View Dusty56's profile

Dusty56

3402 posts in 567 days


posted 474 days ago

this is a fantastic piece that just came up on the dice roll here …Great job to say the least …I’ll never look at a 2×4 the same way again . thank you

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

View Randolph Torres's profile

Randolph Torres

114 posts in 407 days


posted 371 days ago

SPalm: I also like the seperate look as if the main box is suspended in mid air. There are many ways to adapt this concept another is to have long legs and suspend from the top instead of underneath. You get an “A” for design and an “A” for construction details.

-- another tip from cooperedpatterns

You must be signed in to post the comments.

  • View all advertisers
  • Advertise with us

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

HomeRefurbers.com

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics

GardenTenders.com :: gardening showcase