Whimsical Cabinets

Create a rowboat cabinet to cleverly house your TV and other electronic components. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Another cabinet, inspired by a birdhouse. Carry out the nautical theme with a lighthouse cabinet. Use it to hold entertainment equipment, books, videos, etc.

This cabinet is made up of three parts--the lower shelf section which holds the TV and VCR, the upper storage shelf, and the boat carcass overall. For ease of assembly, start with the lower section first. Please note that all measurements are approximate and you should always measure the size of your TV components first to ensure they will fit properly.

Materials:

1/4" birch plywood
1/2" birch plywood
1" x 2" poplar furring strips
1' x 8' poplar
measuring tape
carpenter's square
circular saw
power screwdriver
power sander
wood glue
drywall screws
finish or brad nails
paint brushes, rollers, tray
paint

Steps:

1. Cut the three lower shelves measuring 21" x 30" out of 1/2" birch plywood. To add further strength, install poplar furring strips all around the underside of each shelf using glue and brad nails (figure A). Allow glue to dry.
2. Cut the sides of the boat cabinet out of 1/4" birch plywood. Cut two pieces measuring about 21-1/2" wide by 8' tall. On one end of each side piece, cut an angle so the bow of the boat will come together nicely (figure B). In this example, a 60 degree angle was used.
3. Next, attach the lower shelves. Starting at the bottom, attach one of the lower shelves so that the furring strip is flush with the bottom of the side and the face of the shelf is flush with the edge (figure C). Attach the shelf to the side with glue and drywall screws.
4. With the lowest shelf in place, measure up about one foot and attach the next shelf to the side in the same manner with glue and screws. Attach the third shelf after making sure there is enough space to fit a VCR.
5. Attach the other side piece to the shelves and allow the glue to dry.
6. Lay the side assembly on a sheet of 1/2" birch plywood which will become the cabinet back. With a helper, carefully draw the points of the bow together. While they are together, trace the inside edge of the side pieces onto the back piece. Remove the back piece and cut it out using a jig or saber saw.
7. Glue and clamp the bow of the boat together, then slide the back into place and attach it to the side pieces using glue and brads down the entire edge. When this is dry, proceed with the installation of the final shelf and trimming out the boat.
8. The width of the upper shelf depends entirely upon how high in the boat you want to mount it. Figure out how high you would like it and measure the inside width of the cabinet at that point and cut the shelf to fit. Use the poplar furring strips to add a little strength and install like the other shelves. Note: To fit the shelf nicely, cut the side edges of the shelf and adjust the cutting of the furring strips to match the angle of the cabinet sides.
9. To trim out the boat, first place a piece of 1x8 poplar on the bow of the boat and trace the inside edge. Cut out the triangle and attach with glue and brads (figure D).
10. To create the gunwales, carefully bend 1x2 furring strips up the side of the cabinet, attach with glue, screws and brads (figure E).
11. Paint or stain as desired. In this example, a combination of paint and stain was used. Apply an oak stain on the outside of the boat below the "waterline" and the interior. Allow to dry. Then paint above the "waterline" in a color that complements the paint in the room. Finish with a water-based polyurethane.
12. For added style, accessorize with oarlocks or other nautical items.

General Steps and Instructions

1. Find some sort of inspiration piece. In other words, a miniature version of the cabinet you hope to create. For the featured birdhouse TV cabinet, it was an eight -inch tall painted birdhouse. For the lighthouse cabinet, a wall- mounted lighthouse -shaped cabinet that was about 16 inches tall. Find something to use to get your design , scale, colors and general construction ideas from.
2. Measure the height of the inspiration piece. If it is seven inches tall, you may be able to use the scale 1" = 1'. If it's larger, like the 16-inch lighthouse, 2 " = approximately 1'. This is approximate because an eight-foot cabinet doesn't fit too well in a room with an eight-foot ceiling! So, in that case, host Matt Fox worked backwards to determine the height of the finished cabinet to be seven feet, then somewhat guesstimated the width and the depth. At this stage, it's nice to know how the cabinet is going to be used, because this is when you would want to alter any of the dimensions to work for the size of your TV, stereo, books or whatever it will hold.
3. Once the size of the finished cabinet is somewhat figured out, start dissecting the inspiration cabinet one piece at a time. For instance, the little birdhouse had four round wooden beads as feet so large wooden finials meant for use as posts of an exterior railing were used as the base. Then move up to the body of the cabinet . Use different thicknesses of plywood for different parts of the cabinet's body . The featured birdhouse cabinet sides were 1/2-inch plywood, the front was 3/4 inch because doors were cut out of it, and the back was 1/4-inch plywood to keep the weight down. The plywood sides were all held together with 2" x 2" framing system. So was the roof, and that's how it was attached to the body.
4. Don't forget things like mobility and be sure to think about the smallest details :
5. Will it be built in the garage, and then fit through the doorway?
6. Are regular hinges going to work on the doors you are considering?
7. Should the cabinet be made in separate pieces so it can be removed from the room if need be?
8. Are the doors wide enough to get the TV in along with arms as you place it i
9. Run the plan by a friend. They may pick up something obvious that's been missed .
10. Consider details early so that they can be planned for them as the materials list is made and each section is built.
11. List everything needed to put the cabinet together. Try to be economical in the use of materials chosen.
12. If painting the piece, consider priming all pieces after they are cut out and before you start putting everything together. It can be difficult to get inside the cabinet once it is built.
13. Start putting the pieces together at the bottom and work up, solving any problems as you go. Take it step by step make the job seem less overwhelming and more fun .
14. Paint if desired, following the inspiration piece. Allow to dry and put items in place.

paint used for birdhouse:
Golden Valley 3B-5
discontinued: Berries 3-R-7
Wreath 8I-5
discontinued: Welches Point 16-V-2
Prairie Dawn 7D-3