Entry Details

I made this display cabinet about 3 months ago and call it my “Cabinet for Everywhere”.  Over a number of years, I had collected a number of small oilcans and had them stored in a box, never being able to enjoy them.  I finally motivated myself to build a display case.  Each and every one of the cans has its’ own unique shape and character.  Secondly, literally every can was purchased in a different town or state.  Therefore, the name, “Cabinet from Everywhere”.  Standing in front of the case talking about its’ unique contents always makes a relaxing conversation with houseguests.

I’m would definitely call myself an amateur woodcrafter.  I utilized my homemade 2.5’ x 12’ workbench in my garage.  I constructed the cabinet using a Sears router positioned within the bench, an average Ryobi table saw, an above-average Dewalt miter saw, a low-end Sears drill press, a dowel alignment vice, a pair of sheet metal cutters (for sizing the ceiling tin), a 19.2V cordless Sears drill and a conventional hammer.

I wanted the case to look a little classy, so I decided to add a top panel with crown modeling, a bottom apron, side windows for added light, ¼” diameter holes for adjustable 1/4” glass shelves, and a visible backing that was unique.  Secondly, I wanted to devise some type of cabinet hanging mechanism that was strong, reliable, non-detrimental to the wall, and most of all, easy to hang.

Top Panel and Cabinet Sides:
The top panel is comprised of 1¼” crown molding with a top panel screwed to the cabinet for stability and clean appearance. I counter sunk all my screws on the top panel and utilized wood plugs to fill the holes. Although not visible from the viewer, this gives the top a nice finished look and one less place for dust to collect. To give the case an antique flair, I utilized some small accent molding around the top panel. To ensure the detailing was noticeable, I decided to use a touch of Rub n’Buff antique gold paint to highlight the trim.
The sides of the cabinet are constructed with glass openings. Although this design added more work to the cabinet, the glass allows additional lighting inside of the case. The sides surrounding the glass openings are comprised of 4 wooden pieces jointed tightly together using dowel joints. To hold the side glass, I used by table saw to rip a ¼” thick board approximately 3/8” wide to act as a glass stop. I rounded one edge of the stop in a half circle with a small router bit facing out to give the case a finished look. To highlight the rounded edged of the stop, I used a touch of Buff N’Rub paint. The other edge was left square in order to butt against the glass for stability. Molding glue was used to mount the stop in-place. Removable rubber glass stops were screwed on the inside of the case to allow the glass to be easily removed for cleaning or replacement.

Bottom Apron:
The bottom apron is comprised of 1¼” crown molding and a ¾” x 1½” board for backing and stability. The boards are screwed to the bottom of the case, and as the top panel, I countered sunk all the screws and utilized wood plugs to fill the holes. As with the top, I used some small molding highlighted with Rub N’Buff paint to accent the trim.

Door and Interior of Cabinet:
The doorframe was assembled using dowel joints with a glass stop glued to the outside opening for the glass. As with the sides of the case, this glass stop is comprised of a ¼” thick board approximately 3/8” wide rounded into a half-circle on one side with a router. The square edge of the stop was placed against the glass for stability, and the round edge facing out to give the case a finished look. Again, highlighting the rounded edge with Buff N’ Rub paint. As with the side glass, removable rubber glass stops were screw mounted on the door’s inside to allow the glass to be removed, if desired. The door is mounted using two antique door hinges countersunk into the doorframe and cabinet. This technique resulted in a tight and consistent gap around the doors edge.
Interior:
On the sides of the case's interior, I drilled a number of ¼” diameter holes to hold support pins for the ¼” adjustable glass shelves.

Back of Cabinet and Hanging:
On the inside back of each side, I routed a channel deep and wide enough to hold the ceiling tin, ¼” birch paneling for backing and a ¾” hanging cleat. I used woodscrews to hold them firmly to the case. The channel and screws allow the back of the cabinet to be easily removed should I decide in the future to replace the tin backing with a mirror.
To hang the case to the wall, I made two wall cleats from 1’ x 3” poplar boards both ripped on one side with my table saw to a 45-degree angle. One board was screwed to the back of the cabinet and the other mounted to the wall. The cabinet is mounted by inter-locking the bevels of the boards together. With the cabinet having a 21” width, it provided the flexibility for the wall-mounted cleat to hit at least one wall stud, assuming stud spacing of 16” centers. I would recommend using this type of hanging method to anyone desiring a sturdy yet simple way to mount a cabinet to the wall.