Soliciting opinions here for a tool cabinet.
I seem to have a small plane problem. Until I build a tool cabinet, SWMBO has put the kibosh on buying any more planes.
As some of you know, I built a bench out of hickory. Yay, right? Let's just say it's satisfied my desire to work with hickory on a large scale for a long, long time, so I'm looking for suggestions to build a tool cabinet to hold my planes, saws, rules, and other hand tools. I think I'd like to make it out of birch, beech, or maple, buuuuuuut. . .I'd like opinions on those who have worked with them for the stability, how they were finished, etc. I don't really want to use Borg pine because, well, I want experience working hardwoods.
I started to make this thing from hickory, but after planing a 5 foot long piece that was 2 inches wide, forget it. It's overly hard for a cabinet, stringy, and a pain in the lily white buttocks to work with. So, from the 3 previous selections, any suggestions? The cabinet will be going in a basement, so I'd like to keep it a light wood to keep the basement atmosphere light, but at the same time, I like to use any project as a learning experience on how to finish, etc, so *technically*, any wood is open to suggestion.
TIA, y'all.