Walnut Corner Cabinet

[John TenEyck]

This cabinet is going to fill the corner where a love seat and couch meet.


It still need pulls on the drawer and doors, but it's done otherwise.










The walnut came from a tree I helped take down last year and milled/dried. The photos don't do justice to the great curly character in it. The panels are shop sawn veneer on Baltic birch plywood. The drawer front and top and bottom stretchers is laminated veneer, and the doors are veneer over several layers of 1/8" bending plywood. The drawer sides are ambrosia maple I milled last year. The finish is Transtint Dark Walnut followed by Arm-R-Seal satin. I'm not sure why it went so well this time, but this wiped on finish is as perfect as any I have ever sprayed using nothing more than a blue shop towel.

I'm not sure I like the raised panels on the sides; flat panels might have gone better with the overall style of the piece, but it's too late now.

John

[Jim Mackell]

For some reason, the photos won't show.

[glenn bradley]

For some reason, the photos won't show.

Same here. Always better to host the pics on the site. Way too many threads here have lost value due to the pics being hosted elsewhere and breaking. I know, I know, the limiting of picture uploads is a pain and I actually stopped posting for awhile because it was just too much trouble. I still don't post near as much here as elsewhere but, its a good group and I like to give back.

[John TenEyck]

Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully, the photos are visible now.

John

[Prashun Patel]

Awesome.
How's your drawer fixed? runner down the middle?

Normally would consider it a sin to stain walnut, but I'm sure you had reason - and it looks great.

I like the raised panel sides. It's a detail made more significant by the fact that it's probably going to be hidden.

[glenn bradley]

Thanks for letting me know. Hopefully, the photos are visible now.

John

Yep and she looks great. I can easily see where that piece will go. An attractive and useful item for that spot. Cool design and your usual beautiful execution. Well done.

[John TenEyck]

Awesome.
How's your drawer fixed? runner down the middle?

Normally would consider it a sin to stain walnut, but I'm sure you had reason - and it looks great.

I like the raised panel sides. It's a detail made more significant by the fact that it's probably going to be hidden.

Glad the photos are showing now. Thanks for the kind words, Glenn and Prashun. Yes, there is a single slide under the center of the drawer. I had to get a little creative with how to mount the nylon glides that stabilize the drawer from tipping left right. With a rectangular drawer you mount them to the bottom of the drawer sides or on the cabinet where they run, but with this geometry that doesn't work. I ended up mounting two sets of glides, one set on the bottom of the drawer sides even with the front of the cabinet when the drawer was fully extended, and another set just behind the drawer front. The first set keep the drawer from sagging downward at full extension and the second set make sure the reveal around the drawer stays constant when it's closed.

I dyed the piece for two reasons. It adds depth to the grain, but the primary reason was to make it darker and shift the tone so that it will go better with the colors of the furniture where it will sit. I wanted the piece to compliment the couches, like it belonged there.

Did anyone notice that the doors open well beyond 90° yet are mounted on inset butt hinges? If you look closely you will see I added a 1/4" wide piece of stock to the side of the front cabinet stiles, so it forms a rabbet. That provided enough extra space for the doors to open more fully for easy access to the interior. The doors have a slight warp to them, too, I guess my form wasn't absolutely perfect, but by tilting those hinge mounting strips just a little fore and aft I was able to get them to meet flush in the middle.

John

[Prashun Patel]

Now that you say it I can see it. That's a clever detail. Do you normally inset butt hinges this way?

I really enjoy pieces that appear elegantly straightforward, but reveal complexity only when you pause to think.

BTW, thanks for your finishing tips all these years. Am learning a great deal from you there.

pp

[Brian Tymchak]

Very nice work John! As Prashan noted, very clever solution for the hinges. I didn't notice until you mentioned it.

ArmRSeal satin is my favorite finish for cabinets. It's almost fool proof which is what I need.

I have preliminary plans for a corner cabinet for our bathroom that is similar to yours in several ways - walnut, bowfront, raised panels on the sides. Hope to get to it later this year. Had not considered the issue with door swing so thank you for highlighting your experience and solution.

[John TenEyck]

Now that you say it I can see it. That's a clever detail. Do you normally inset butt hinges this way?

I really enjoy pieces that appear elegantly straightforward, but reveal complexity only when you pause to think.

BTW, thanks for your finishing tips all these years. Am learning a great deal from you there.

pp

It's the only solution I've come up with to use butt hinges where the door is inset from the stile and get it to open more than 90°. But using the separate, 1/4" thick piece was new and when I realized I could tilt it fore and aft to adjust how the doors meet it was one of those rare serendipitous moments.

OK, one more detail. Have you noticed that little cove cut around the perimeter of the top? As I pondered that big flat slab I knew it needed some other than a straight edge, although that would have been far easier to make; just veneer an oversize slab, cut it to size and edge band it. But to include that cove detail I had to first wrap an undersized plywood substrate with solid wood. No big deal on the two sides, but a bit more complicated around the curved front, and then to bring it all flush with the substrate. In the end, I think it was well worth the effort. It's a subtle detail but I think the shadow line the cove creates helps give the top some character and ties it together with the curves of the cabinet it sits on.

John

[Jim Becker]

That's really outstanding, John!

[Mel Fulks]

Like it ,and that color is great and even. I would put cloth lining or perhaps marbleized paper inside that drawer ; sides as
well as bottom. MY liquor likes an upscale cushy environment ! I see your point about the panels,but I like them,without
them some might think it was the lone survivor of a flexible set.

[Robert Maloney]

Beautiful job John! Curves are always challenging and you executed it masterfully.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Nicely done John! That walnut and it's finish are spectacular!

[jim sauterer]

Really well done john.