Poplar Cabinet

This is a cabinet that DW wanted me to build as a storage unit for odds n’ ends. She wanted it modeled from another piece of furniture that we have. The element that I carried over was the detail in the skirt. I actually finished the unit last fall however we did not bring it into the house until this spring so as to allow the paint to offgass completely.

It is made from poplar, the same stuff that I bought last year and was very anxious to use. For the sides and back I used T&G construction with braces (on the inside) screwing the boards together. These braces also support the shelf. I do not believe that I will use T&G again for panel construction because the movement was crazy!!!! It went totally out of square on all three axis until we brought it into the house where it returned to normal. My next panel furniture will use pocket screws.

As with my Thorsen Side Table I inserted removable tiles into the top of the unit.

I had a few gaps in mitred corners of the skirt so in an effort to be as environmentally friendly as possible I made my own wood filler from Knox brand food grade gelatine and poplar dust. It filled the gaps quite well . . . until the cabinet started to shift over the winter. I did not bother to refill the gaps . . . I now consider it character.

I now use the cabinet for my new laptop and media storage.

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