Build cabinets from scratch? Sure, why not...

While this blog is mostly about fixing up an old trailer, it could easily be titled, "A bunch of skills I never thought I'd learn."  In that spirit, I can now add custom cabinet maker to my growing list of trades I didn't know I wanted to learn.  Lots of advice out there saying not to build the doors or drawers or whatever but I jumped in with both feet & built everything except the drawer boxes, which I just ordered from Barker.

This is what my cabinet area looked like a few weeks ago.

Here is a picture of my little helpers.  They are applying a vinegar & rust stain that oxidizes the white oak and turns it black/blue/brown.

  This is a picture of the effect caused by the vinegar solution.  If you use this technique, I'd advise 1) apply the solution to everything at once  2) do not sand it after applying the vinegar & steel.  I tried it and it turns into a disaster.  3) Seal it with some kind of top coat as soon as it has the desired look.  The solution will rust and change color if you don't.

 This picture shows the wood still wet but in rapid transition.

I used the cheap Kreg jig pocket screw kit for assembling the face frames.  It worked great!  Link:  https://www.kregtool.com/store/c13/kreg-jigsreg/p169/kreg-jigreg-r3/

This is some of the raw material that is partially milled.  Most of these pieces became doors and drawers.  Big thanks to Home Resource in Missoula!!!!  Home Resource is a local non-profit that takes building material donations and offers them for sale.  In my case, they were good enough to mill my rough material into consistent thickness.  They also milled face frame 1x2 material into consistent width.  Affordable & quality work.

Here are the door frames going together.  I didn't have the right tools for cabinets but we have an amazing local non-profit tool library that has made this project possible.  Many thanks MUD (Missoula Urban Demonstration Project)!!!!  Because of MUD, I've had access to table saw, biscuit jointer, clamps, edge jointer, table top belt sander, etc.  For these face frames, I cut the material to width with the MUD table saw and then cut grooves in them for the 1/4" panel of quarter sawn oak plywood.

This image shows a drawer face being glued.  I used the MUD tools and clamps.  Turned out great and I barely had to sand the finished product.

 Dry-fitting one of the three doors.  Holy crap, this might work!

Work in progress shot...

 Gluing up a door.  

Here is an image showing the face frame with vinegar & rusted steel.  Not sure if you can tell in the picture but the finish is rusting and turning red.  I also don't like that it is washing out the cool grain in the quarter sawn oak I'm using...

Two finish doors.  Not as hard as I thought it was going to be.  Super pleased with the results.

Drawer front with awesome grain.

 Finish is even more red now.  I don't like it but am committed.

Applying the vinegar & steel finish to my favorite drawer front.  Looks like shit, so I sanded it off this drawer and the two face frames.  

 This is the same drawer as above after having sanded off the vinegar solution and added a quality stain.  

 In this shot, I'm applying teak oil to a stained drawer front.  Finally doing this beautiful wood some justice!

 Stained with dry oil.

Finishing up the cabinet with several thin layers of shellac. 

 Light isn't doing this justice but everything is looking great.  I left the black edges on the face frame from the vinegar & it gives a cool effect.

Face frame is installed and just need the barker drawer boxes to complete.  Just ordered them last night and they have a 7 week lead time!   Never expected that, guess I'll be working on other parts of the project for awhile...