Complete Kitchen Cabinet Build

Tom Hoffman

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145
SWAMBO has determined that we need to tear out our old MDS (Medium Density Soft) board cabinets. They are not much better than what you would find in a cheap mobil home.

Batted her long blonde eye lashes at me and said "Please, will you build me some new cabinets"

Now I ask you, how can a guy say no to that?

I was just up to my locat sawmill yesterday and bought a whole log run of Quater Sawn White Oak for some Morris Chairs that I want to build. While there I saw a log laying outside that I thought looked like Sycamore. I asked my friend the Sawyer, he said "Nope, that's white pine with the bark stripped off. I do have a couple of very big Sycamore logs out back 4' dia X 12' long each."

I asked him if he had ever cut Sycamore yet. "Hope." He replied. I'll send you a picture. I said.

He really did not know what he had.

I have decided to build my Kitchen Cabinets out of Quarter Sawn Sycamore.

Now the reason for the post.

I would like some help with finding a door style that will show off the spectacular grain of Sycamore.

Here is a pic. Quarter Sawn Sycamore

Sycamore.jpg


Any help with an unusual style or design ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tom...:D
 
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WOW!

I don't know jack squat about anything, but with wood that beautiful I'd make a simple Shaker Door. Square frame and flat panels. No beads, no fancy raised panels. Just show off that grain on book matched flat panels.

If you book match QS wood, will BOTH sides be as pretty or is QS uni-directional?

Told you I didn't know jack . . .

Good luck

Jim
 
well jim, for someone who supposedly knows nothing,, your idea was what i was thinking as well.. so that must mean that there are two of us that are in the same boat, or maybe your got more up there than you thought:) that sycamore is gorgeous looking stuff ,, how is it to work with??? as for hardware i would go with something simple and lean towards a dull bronze look.
 
Well, there's at least three of us who think that a shaker style flat panel would show off the grain best of all, but ................ I'm going to be a bit negative and wonder out loud here a bit ........ is that Sycamore grain so strong that having that much all in one place might be too overpowering? maybe a bit hard on the eyes? I'm not sayin', just wondering.

Maybe a contrasting wood for rails and stiles mixed with Sycamore panels, or vice-versa wouldn't be as strong yet would still show off that grain?

BTW, that Sycamore grain really reminds me of Honey Locust. I ran a big Honey Locust through the sawmill last spring, and the grain was almost identical to that Sycamore - nice stuff!!

cheers

John

good point john!! maybe some plain maple or hichory to offset the sycamore but the panels got be sycamore:)
 
Cabinets

I like the idea of contrasting woods and I like the idea of the simple shaker doors. When in doubt, simple always looks good.

I built these http://home-and-garden.webshots.comalbum/560434703DhKrZA
with SWAMBO's help so we could put all of our stuff away in the garage a couple of years agol. They are just painted plywood cases and shelves with Maple Face Frames and shelf edges. The doors are Birch.

We were trying to get the most storage for the $$$$. Total cost of these was around $200.

I will have to pull out my Shaker books and do some studying. Anyone with different ideas don't be shy. I am open to all. We won't start building untill weather moderates and the snow goes away. We are only a couple of inches away from an all time record for snow fall here in Iowa. I hate breaking those kinds of records.:D
 
What about regular sawn stiles and rails? Would that soften the grain enough so they stained up closer in color.:dunno::dunno:
 
Tom was that wood was just sawn out?
If so what do they say the drying time is with it?
I know with oaks and such they say to air dry up to 5 years.
Is the mill going to kiln dry it for you?
 
Maple Face Frames and may be rails and stiles too...

The Oak I just got was kiln dried as would be the Sycamore. It takes him approx. 4-5 weeks to dry 4/4 stock. My WO was 5/4 so he left it in about 5 weeks. He just delivered it today and it looks really nice. Lots of Tiger Ray flecking in some of the boards.

Yeah, The maple face frames very light water clear finish and the Sycamore with a Amber finish might look nice. I won't have the Sycamore for a couple of months.

John, Thanks for fixing that link. Don't know what happened there.:D

Tom...
 
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