Coming soon to my workbench is a small cabinet for my cousin. What’s everyone building this holiday season?

  • @[email protected]
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    13 days ago

    Alright, thanks for the jargon ! No, I mean yes, without the panels. I was picturing a hollow frame with some cloth stapled over it. No need to make it heavier than necessary, and I don’t want it to be completely opaque either, just not see-through. Also wood is very expensive over here, so I want to keep material to a minimum. My main concern is managing to find sapine bars straight enough. Sapine ? bars ? I have no idea if I’m using the right words. I’m loosely translating from french

    • @[email protected]
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      22 days ago

      If you don’t already have fabric you’re intending to use, you might also consider paper as an option. Paper of the type used in Japanese shoji screens, that is, not office bond paper.

    • Captain AggravatedOP
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      23 days ago

      Your English is certainly better than my French.

      Google translates “sapine” to “fir” so I take it you either mean fir or cedar wood or softwood in general? “bar” you probably mean “board.”

      Concerned about finding fir/cedar/softwood boards that are straight enough? I feel that. Softwoods don’t like to stay straight even when properly dried and milled. Perhaps a hardwood like birch or poplar (depending on availability in your part of the world) might be easier to work with.

      In case you’re more used to British jargon, what us Americans call a “rabbet” the Brits call a “rebate.” A groove cut at the edge of the board.

      • @[email protected]
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        13 days ago

        Ah yes, sapin is indeed fir. I assumed since pin is pine, sapin must be sapine… but it’s never that simple. 😁 When I said bar, I meant a piece that’s usually 240cm long, with a square-ish section about 4*4cm. The french for it is tasseau -google says “cleat”, but an image search doesn’t exactly return what I’m trying to convey. Anyway…! yes, for a freestanding screen I would go for a more stable wood, but there’s only fir and red wood, and the latter is unaffordable… it’s okay though ! as a complete amateur, I accept the risks. I am also not equipped to cut a rabbet (!), looks like I need some special equipment. Thanks btw, I just learned a lot !

        • Captain AggravatedOP
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          23 days ago

          Lots of ways to cut a rabbet, they make router bits for it, you can do it with a table saw (Americans often use a dado blade but it can be done with a standard blade in two cuts) or you can accomplish it with nothing but a chisel.

          • @[email protected]
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            13 days ago

            I’d have to go the manual route I think, given my lack of proper equipment. I’ll consider rabbetting for my screen, I always feel kinda bad using screws 😁

            • Captain AggravatedOP
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              13 days ago

              You will hear voices out there who will tell you it’s wrong or improper or lowly to use metal fasteners rather than traditional joinery in furniture projects. Those voices are dumb and bad and wrong. Pocket screw joinery–done correctly–is strong enough for projects like this, inexpensive and easy to make, and accessible without a lot of tools. If it holds the project you want together what’s the problem?

              • @[email protected]
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                13 days ago

                Yea, well said. I have a tendency to never be satisfied with my work, but I try hard for it not to extend to my hobbies. I recently completed a dish cabinet, mostly using brackets (after a failed first try with glue and gudgeons!). Ultimately I am very happy with it, like you said, it does the job. Thanks for the wise words