A wooden cabinet from scraps

 

Project - Small exterior cooking cabinet on re-purposed removeable tube stand
Final step is to attach a front screen

Using scrap wood to build a small exterior cabinet

In July 2020 I built a cook station - work table at the Summer Lily Pad. It was a CCP Covid-19 project. At the time I also wanted a small enclosure for storing cooking oil, seasonings and so on.  When I replaced the grill that came with the used travel trailer I had a nice exterior, removeable stand.  Hmmm, I said to myself "This presents an opportunity". So I set it aside.

I find these projects useful in several ways. They are design challenges; i.e. finding a solution to a specific problem. This allows me to exercise my creativity in small ways, it provides an exercise in anticipating problems encountered during the process, and it requires some manual dexterity and an opportunity to use tools. In other words, it uses both sides of the brain as well as my body. These projects all have a tangible deliverable and the outcome is what it is. 

One of the challenges with these projects is always to minimize costs.  That means having available a minimum of tools which can be applied to a very wide range of projects. G thinks I have a lot of tools, but in fact, I have only a necessary few. I know, that sounds subjective.  I compare my range of tools to a modern kitchen and I have far fewer in quantity than most of the gadgets and utensils of a kitchen. 

When doing a project I sometimes re-purpose bricks, bits of scrap wood and so on as "tools" and these are usually available anywhere. A few blocks and scraps can go a long way. Furthermore, I prefer to buy as little as possible. With limited space in the Roadtrek and at the summer lily pad, having what is needed available, not less and not more is sometimes a challenge.  Challenges are good, I say. 

Original Celano Grill on removeable stand

I really didn't want to spend any money on this project.  I saved some scrap 3/8 plywood left over from the construction of the cook station/work table.  I stored it in the underbelly of the travel trailer.   I sketched a design utilizing most of the scrap, maximizing the dimensions of the cabinet by the wood available. With these dimensions and a 24 x 12 inch square straight edge I marked up the scrap plywood. I checked the dimensions several times.  "Measure twice, cut once" is the expression. 

I had some 1-1/2 inch decking screws left over from the cook station project. I had two machine screws to replace the wingnut screws holding the existing tube frame together. I wanted the sides of the "box" to extend below the support tubes and prevent sliding sideways. I also had some gray Cabot solid wood stain and Gorilla glue. What I lacked was some wood to fasten and hold the sides, top, bottom and rear together.  If I didn't want a monochrome color, then I could use some of the Royal Blue Rust-oleum enamel for the outside. I also had gloss white and black. But I didn't want black as it would absorb heat and white would show dirt. I'd probably purchase a quart of gloss of the desired color. I decided upon gloss sand Rust-oleum enamel. I had vinyl screening for a front. The out-of-pocket costs were about $15.  

What I needed to do the build was some 1x2 and 1x1 lumber, and my sketches gave me the lengths of each of the individual pieces required. I knew exactly how many 6 ft or 8 ft long pieces to buy so as to cut and minimize waste.  However, with the high lumber prices in the Spring of 2021 I decided to wait for a lower priced opportunity. 

In late July, while walking past the Beach Bucket after getting an ice cream cone, I spotted a stack of wood scraps. Neatly bundled, each bundle was priced at $5.  I picked through the bundles and selected one; this would allow me to complete the assembly of the cabinet.  The scraps were intended to use as kindling for campfires. I'll use the leftovers that way.  I extracted choice, uniform pieces for my project. Even after taking out the pieces for construction I do have a lot of kindling:

Scrap wood for kindling

Tools used:

• Clamping miter box - see photo
• Two 20 inch sliding arm bar-clamps
• Tape measure
• 24 inch steel square
• Pliers
• Xacto style knife
• Variable speed 3/8 drill and bits
• Screw drivers
• 1 inch foam brush
• Paint can opener
• 3 inch paint brush
• pen.
• Note: all screws were pre-drilled with a pilot hole.

Clamping Miter Box - similar to mine

I selected pieces approximate 1x1 inch and cut to the length required using an inexpensive plastic clamping miter box.  I did the cutting on the previously built cook station - work table.   I then clamped and glued these to the 3/8 plywood sides.  These will also attach the sides to the top and rear of the small cabinet.  I'll glue the rear of the cabinet sides to the sides, but screw the bottom and top to the sides.  I do this on a campsite picnic table, exercising care not to damage the table:

Positioned, clamped and glued 1x1 to a side - sliding arm bar clamp shown
I didn't use the corner clamp in the photo

Gorilla glue is water activated. I used a 1 inch foam brush as shown in the photo above to apply water from a paper cup to the surfaces to be glued.  I then drizzle a thin bead of glue on one of the surfaces.  Too much will squirt out under pressure; too little and a good joint does not occur. I then apply a clamp or two and let the glue set for 2 hours.  The glue reacts with water and excess flows out as can be seen in the photo below:

Pieces glued to the sides

I use a razor knife to remove any excess glue after it has set. The dry glue has a consistency like a spray foam. I can trim one piece while the other is clamped, glued and is setting.  It is important to remove any excess that might prevent two surfaces from achieving a tight fit when gluing.  I also remove some glue that might create a bad appearance.  After doing the first joint I knew how much glue to use and there was less excess to trim:

Using Ace Hardware version of Xacto (r) knife to remove excess glue
while another piece is clamped after gluing

I allowed the side pieces to set overnight and continued the project on the next day. The next step is to glue and clamp the first side to the rear of the cabinet. The brick in the photo provides stability and also a place to store a closed, inverted bottle of Gorilla glue. The glue is viscous and needs to be coaxed out of the bottle. Storing inverted expedites the gluing. I use scraps of 2x4 which I saved from the cook station project and 1x1 to provide a suitable clamp support:

First side clamped and glued to the rear of the cabinet

After the glue is completely set I then proceed with the second side. Note the "bow" in the first side, which is on the left. This is not unusual for thin plywood. I'll clamp and glue a frame to the front and the purpose will be to improve appearance, straighten the side, and provide a place to fasten a front screen:

Clamping and gluing the other side to the cabinet rear

When both sides are glued to the rear, I flip the assembly over and check the fit of the base, which is cut to the interior width.  Flipped, showing how the sides extend below the rear and bottom.  This is to prevent the cabinet from sliding off of the 3/8 inch diameter tubular rack that it will set upon:

Flipped, sides glued and with the rear on the top

Next step: attach bottom to cabinet using screws. Photo with rear glued to 1x1 side supports and bottom screwed to 1x1 side supports. I decided to screw the top and bottom so they could be replaceable if necessary. Ready for the top piece:

Bottom attached

The top was attached with four screws.  Note the overhang in all directions to prevent water from running into the edge of the plywood. The largest is on the front:

Basic box assembled

Set in place. Note the pitch of the roof from front to rear to shed water.  Ready for assembly of front frame, using approximate 1 x 2 inch scraps:

Set in place, ready for front frame assembly

Side view.  Note the 1 x 1 supports are cut to accept a front frame:

Side View prior to installing front frame

I assembled a front frame from four pieces of nominal 1 x 2 scraps. I glued the side pieces in place and screwed the top and bottom pieces into place. I purchased a quart of Rust-oleum sand gloss paint for the exterior and used Cabot gray solid wood stain for the interior.  The final step will be a front screen (I have some vinyl screening).  This to keep bugs and critters from  moving in.

Assembled and painted

The bottom piece of the frame was not a perfect 1 x 2.  I had to cut a slight recess to provide a flush front. You can see this was rough wood. Every piece I used had at least one smooth face. I always made sure a smooth face was used for gluing. To make this cut I used the saw from the miter box and did it by hand by clamping it to the cook station - work table. 

Recess cut to make the front frame flush

In this photo it can be seen how the sides of the box are longer and fit over the 3/8 tube support frame. This prevents the cabinet from sliding sideways and falling off the support frame.

Resting on the support tubing - now to add the screen and knob

Porcelain knob - from the nearby Ace Hardware

The screw that attaches the porcelain know was about 1/4 inch too long. I used my USA made "Four-Way Wire Crimper/Stripper Tool" to reduce the length of the screw. It includes several screw cutter dies.  I circled the area on the tool which has several of the dies.  It worked great!

 

Original Material: Roadtrek210.Blogspot.com (c) 2021