A showcase for your tools

Got a box of rusty tools lying around? With a little care you can give them a new lease on life and put them on display

 

EQUIPMENT

• saw and tenon saw
• plane or circular saw
• sandpaper
• bradawl
• pencil
• drill and router bit
• clamp
• straight edge
• chisel
• wood glue

 

SHOPPING LIST

 

A*: window sash 870 x 710 x 30mm oregon, glazed

B: 2 case sides 145 x 20 x 870mm oregon

C: 4 top/bottom/shelves 135 x 20 x 680mm oregon

D: top rail 70 x 20 x 670mm oregon

E: 7 backing boards 100 x 10 x 850mm oregon panelling

F: Long top decoration 90 x 20  750mm oregon

G: 2 end decorations 90 x 20 x 105mm oregon

850mm piano hinge

water-based clear ployurethane with satin finish

Roller catch

Wooden knob

Wood filler

White or cream paint

 

*size of window frames are cut to equal width, sash grooves and horns removed

 

GET TO WORK

 

1. Remove sash cords, clouts and old hardware from the window (A) Cut horns flush with the top of the frame. Plane away the grooves that housed the sash cords and use a circular saw or plane to even up the sash rails that will become the uprights. Fill holes, sand and paint the window with a coat of white or cream paint When dry, sand again lightly to reveal some of the old surface. Finish with two thin coats of water-based clear polyurethane with a satin finish
2. Cut the timber components 25mm longer than needed, remove old nails and use a bradawl to check under the wood filler for rusted nail heads. Remove the old surface of the wood with a plane to reveal the grain on both sides and to finish boards 20mm thick
3. Plane the tongue off the floorboards so they finish 145mm wide. For the two sides (B), plane off the inner part of the tongue groove, leaving the outer section to form a rebate. Plane groove entirely off the top, bottom and shelves (C) to produce boards 135mm wide
4. Use the window sash to mark the positions of the 20mm-wide housings for the shelves. The shelves should coincide with the position of th glazing bars. Also mark in the 20mm-wide rebate at the top and bottom. Measure 20mm back from the front edge to stop the housings and rebates. Set a 19mm straight router bit to cut 5mm deep, clamp on a straight edge and rout the housings and rebates. Move the straight edge by 1mm and rerout for 20mm housings
5. Adapt the front edge of the top, bottom and shelves with a 30 x 5mm notch. The extra lenght means you do not have to sqaure the ends of the housing in the sides. Cut down the notch carefully with a tenon saw, then chisel out the waste
6. Apply glue to the hsouings and rebates and rbing in the horizontal members. Secure with three nails from the sides, and punch them below the surface
7. Saw the top rail (D) to width and install flush with the rebate at the back. Add backing boards (E), working outwards from the centre so that they are evenly spaced. Plane edge boards as needed to fit
8. Screw on top decoration (F) by centering it on the cabinet and leaving a 50mm overhang at the front. Then screw on the side pieces (G) Fill the nail holes with wood filler and sand the entire unit, then apply two coats of water-based clear polyurethane with a satin finish.
9. Screw the window frame to the cabinet with a continuous lenght of piane hinge. To finish, add the knob and roller catch to the front door