Entertainement Armoire ..too much for a novice??
Hi All
New to the site. Quickly saw the invaluable knowledge base and made my donation.
I unfortuanely don't get to spend much time at WW with job and little ones. I want to make an entertainment armoire and was thinking of trying this one........... http://www.popularwoodworking.com/pr.../?planid=11100. But wanted some advice.
I do not have a planer or joiner so was toying with the idea of making it with dimensional poplar from a box store. Priced it out and can do it relatively cheap. From reading here and elsewhere, one concern would be finishing it, and the variations in the green poplar. I definatley want a dark finish so it won't be too bad. I was thinking of staining it a dark walnut....thoughts? How would you finish it?
Can a somewhat novice do this project? Would you use plywood for the sides instead of solid wood?
Any other suggestions, advice, and question would be appreciated.
...not much info to go on
Hello Matt, ...and welcome to the Creek!
Hats off to our newest contributor! Good to have you on the team.
I am afraid I have two answers for you:
The enthusiastic ww in me wants to tell you to just go for it, and solve
any problems (which we will call challenges) along the way.
After all, that is the only sure way I know how to not be a newby anymore.
All lessons in life cost... safety first please!
A more practical approach would be to build smaller projects first, which
offer many lessons. Going through the building process will point out
where you need to spend time, money and effort to make your shopspace
and skillset more functional.
You do not mention what tools are available to you.
A jointer and planer work together to dress solid stock, without them you
will have to be plenty creative.
Sheetgoods are a good choice for a carcase. Flat, stable and not subject
to seasonal wood movement, which can be a handful for a newby.
There are unlimited ways to build boxes, even an armoire. For a rookie,
I could see using light colour plywood core hardwood veenered from a bigbox store.
Snug dado joints for top and bottom cut with a homemade router guide,
which would be useful for other things. Probably at least one full width
shelf dadoed between the sides as well, to firm up the box.
Maybe 1/4" sheetgood back, dadoed in with either tablesaw or homemade
router table, to lock out sway.
Facings of solid wood, nailed and filled, or screwed and plugged, or even biscuited.
Raised panel doors would be a real trick. Maybe see what you can buy,
and dimension your cabinet to fit them? Or build simple 5pc 1/4" flat planel
doors with stub tenons on the t-saw.
There is no end to the options, just a matter of how you are set up. (?)
Good luck,
Walt
:)