Umbra Cabinet
Umbra Cabinet
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PROJECT: Original Cabinet
COURSE: Furniture 4: Cabinetry
DATE: winter 2024
MATERIALS: solid red oak, solid maple, pre-veneered red oak plywood, canvas
DIMENSIONS: 60” wide, 15” tall, and 13” deep
SURFACE TREATMENT: black-tinted plant-based wax-oils
BRIEF
Design and fabricate a cabinet no larger than 10 cubic feet.
INTENT
My goal was to create an original wall-mounted tambour cabinet. Tambour cabinets are ideal for storing and displaying things like ceramics or stoneware, books, figurines, liquor, glassware, tea paraphernalia, and other collectibles.
Typically, the bend of a tambour door is left exposed. So why are there front panels covering the bends on my cabinet? When I was a kid, the first time I saw a tambour door open, it was like a magic trick - wondering where the door disappeared to. So with this cabinet, I tried to sustain that mystery by concealing the bend.
Iterative sketches.
Digital model made in Fusion 360.
1:4 scale model.
Finish samples.
Full-size cardboard mock-up.
Full-size mock-up of tambour door track.
Testing shape of tongue.
Making test door slats out of maple.
Testing door slats.
Test slats finished and taped together.
Glued-up MDF slats on canvas to measure back-bend.
Made a jig for cutting outside bevels of tongues.
Made a jig for chiseling inside bevels of tongues.
Gluing-up case panels.
Made a jig for routing tambour tracks into panels.
Exploring different ways to get desired finish.
Gluing-up test door.
Routing grooves to house back panel.
Dry-fit before cutting biscuits.
Cut biscuit slots.
Dry-fit after cutting biscuits.
Pre-drill and test-fit false back panel.
After staining and burnishing slats, cut tongues.
Four coats of clear gloss wax-oil.
Wax-oil finish on panels.
Cabinet cleats.
Case glue-up.
Tambour door slats in the glue-up jig.
Pre-drilled holes for door handles.
Test-fit door handles.
Door stops with cork padding.
What my doors would look like without front panels.
Glue-up of outer gables.
Back view of cabinet. Wall cleat mounted in gallery.
All images © 2021-2025 Galen Lau
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