Phone Nook/Niche/Cabinet Build

[FABphones]

My next phone related woodwork project. A Telephone Nook made from whatever old wood I can find.

As before; carpenters, wood hobbyists, perfectionists, and folks with a good supply of decent lumber or an amazing workshop full of great carpentry tools - look away now.....

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Nook Design
This will incorporate two designs. The first is loosely based on an example from an old US advert for Nooks (image one below), which gives dimensions of three models offered for sale. This build will follow the dimensions of BW-1143.

A bellbox cupboard is not required, so a telephone directory shelf (image two below) will be added in its place.

As this Nook is being made from misc reclaimed wood, the final result will differ slightly from these example images, but they offer a good basis to work from.

Materials
The search for suitable wood unearthed an old pine wardrobe door which had been stored in the barn for a few years, and some offcuts of architrave (image three).

Despite a thorough search for something suitable, one length of pine (3m x 10cm x 2cm) had to be purchased for this project.

Wood glue I already had a good supply of.

Tools
Adjustable workbench, tape measure/pencil, circular saw, jigsaw, rechargeable screwdriver/assorted bits, screws, tacks, nails, tack hammer, hammer, clamps, electric sander, sandpaper/block, mitre saw/gauge, set square, paintbrush.

Paint Finish
White Undercoat.
Ivory Satin Top Coat.


This build is anticipated to take a week or two to complete (fitted in around other chores), so I'll begin this thread with todays progress:

- drew up the final design
- gathered the wood needed to complete the project
- measured and cut the old pine door

Whilst cutting the old door, part of it broke away. The door is made from strips of pine which had been glued together, no surprise it hadn't benefited from over a decade in the barn. This has been reglued, clamped, and will be left overnight.

Image four is a very rough mock up just to give an idea of layout.

More to follow. 

[Key2871]

Looks like a pretty good start. Finding and using older parts always has its problems.
As long as rot hasn't got it, a little sand paper and wood glue, will make a good difference.
Keep us up on your progress.

[FABphones]

Today the Nook looks like I have spent five minutes on it, when in fact I have been working on it for much of the day. All wood has been cut to size, sanded and holes drilled. Glued, tacked and screwed as much of it as is possible.

The issue is the reclaim door. The wood is good, but the glue between the strips of pine has failed on a daily basis. After breaking away the weak joints, glueing and clamping, another piece literally drops off. As I type, three clamps are at work overnight - hopefully the last of the weak seams. I have literally scraped out the glue pot. All gone.

As work has progressed the list of tools required has grown. Updated above.

Photo below showing a rear view of the newly added recess. The cross piece to top may or may not remain, it offers up a good brace between those glued strips of wood. If does remain the hole for recess will need to be cut a little taller to accommodate the wood in order for the Nook to sit flush to the wall.

I hope to be able to download some good progress images on my next update.

[RB]

Nice work!
Looking at the pics, I can see why the joints broke.
That is a redo waiting to happen.
Almost like it was intentional.
I was helpin my older Bro once clean up a little outside...
Found a piano top layin flat in a pile of wood.
It had the top come off some time before, and some of the boards inside had already separated.
I thot it was trash, and dumped it.
It wasn't... He left it there so the joints WOULD dry out and break so he could reuse the boards...my bad.
It is lookin good. Jam on! 

[FABphones]

Thanks for the replies guys.

A piano. Wow.

It's a throwaway society we live in, but I like to reuse or repurpose wherever possible. When I go to the Déchetterie I am astounded by the amount of good wood (and other stuff) that folks throw out. Unfortunately the public are not allowed to 'rescue' anything.

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Today has progressed well. With all wood out of it's clamps, I can begin the process of assembly in earnest.

Yesterday the recess was tacked onto the fascia, today it has been *nailed, with the heads tapped just below the wood surface so they can be filled and hidden prior to painting. I used nails to the front due to their being so close to the edge of the recess.

*Before any nail (or screw) is inserted I always drill a pilot hole first, wood cracks easily, especially when so close to the edge (I know you guys know that ).

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The rear section of the recess is the piece which was cutout from the front. After sanding, it has literally been repositioned 10cm further back and glued/screwed into place. The bracing bar has been removed, with everything now in place the facia is strong enough to do it's job as is.

I'm not being too fussy about keeping the rear (and out of sight) area of this project perfectly neat, but I will be giving it a tidy up.

Images below:

[FABphones]

The two shelf supports to front were cut from the same length of wood as the recess sides. Glued, and screwed on from the rear and top.

No Directory Shelf has been added. I cut one but when offered up it just didn't look right. The routing feature to top comes down too low to keep it all in balance visually.

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A piece of architrave was cut with 45 deg angles to each end, glued and tacked along the front and each side - the finishing piece to the bottom as per the original designs above.

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And here it is. Another sanding required to tidy it up, some filling, a quick smooth over with a sanding block, and then on to it's first layer of undercoat.

[HarrySmith]

Looks great! Nice work.I think it is fantastic you did it all with reclaimed wood.

[Key2871]

Agreed, nice work looks nice!

[david@london]

A really nice Nook CJ, great result. Will it be installed in a niche in your house?
And I wonder which type of phone(s) will reside there.

[FABphones]

Thank you .

...Will it be installed in a niche in your house?
And I wonder which type of phone(s) will reside there.

It will go into the new phone room/den/bureau, there is an area where it should fit in nicely.

I cut the recess height so it takes a candlestick, it may become the 'favourite phone' Nook (currently a Kellogg stick).

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Here it is having received its first undercoat. It will receive another. For the top coat I'll be applying an Ivory Satin Paint, it helps give a slightly aged look to a paint finish rather than a bright white.

[Pourme]

~

I love this project.....can't wait to see the finished job!

[Scott]

Excellent! Nicely done.

Regards,
Scott K.

[FABphones]

Finally! It is on (in) the wall.

New phone room - work still in progress but getting closer to completion by the day!

[oldguy]

I love the way you started with an old cabinet door & turned it into a piece of art. It's beautiful CJ.

[MMikeJBenN27]

Pretty nice.  Now if we could only get they younger folks to embrace Home Phones.

Mike