Curiously Special...

This wall mounted curio cabinet is especially distinguished in both design and selection of wood species and grain.

The case sides and upper front are made from smooth, select cherrywood and the door frames and lower shelf (which is dovetailed by hand into the sides at the bottom) are made of nervous-grained Birch. Of course, Cherry is notably stable when cured, but Birch is notoriously prone to twisting and warping or bowing. The challenge to apply Birch to the door frame manufacture was met by finding a board with this particularly nervous (curly-grained) feature. You see, when the grain of birchwood grows in this particular back and forth pattern, it produces a very stable solid once cured. These lovely little glass-filled, delicate doors, which have three dowel points on their meeting edges, close so perfectly, that they hold themselves shut without any kind of latch, using only the tension in the brass hinges and the wood. This cabinet was handcrafted in 1986 and still works and looks like new after 20 years, including being moved and rehung to it's present location.

Notice the thin, smooth cherry shelves held aloft by hand-carved hearts (picture above), the Birch-burl butterfly door handles, and the bird on a branch and heart (picture below). A very special Mother's Day gift it did make!

Author's Comments, 031506...

One of the problems with being the owner of a well developed homeshop is that the projects never end. I'm presently doing a new kitchen for my beautiful wife and with my regular responsibilities as a homeowner and caregiver for my aging mother (to be 91 in August) I am not finding the discipline I need to post enough material here-on nor in a regular enough fashion to make this a valuable resource for readers that seek this type of information.

My title must have been a loser as an attention-getter, also. The proof is in the readership, and their isn't any to speak of. Therefore, I have changed it.

I have also decided to to make comments and guest images (of home projects) a frequent addition to my posts, so we all can have a deeper well of ideas and knowledge to draw from.
I will be glad to receive any JPG images to consider for posting. Please be friendly, don't embed any script, and respect other folks' right to creative ownership and copyrights. Tell me the name or handle you wish to be credited with the image, if you'd like.

Check out the email address (my profile) and send me pictures of things you've made, or jobs you've done or been a part of, and I'll post them here. After a few months, there could be lots of great stuff here to learn, be inspired by and from which to borrow tips and ideas!

See you later,
Able.