# Working to make momma happy



## Schroedc (Jan 1, 2015)

So a little back story,

My in-laws have a turn of the century icebox that was restored in their family room to store games and movies and my wife has always been on the lookout for one for our house. Fast forward a bunch of years and I'm at a garage sale and in the corner of the garage being used for nut and bolt storage is a smaller icebox. I asked them if it was for sale and got the response "I dunno". after taking a look and seeing a few condition issues from being built into a house for 50 years and then put in the garage I offered them 25.00 for it and they accepted. Took it home and into a corner of my garage it went for over a year. 

I'm in my slow season at the shop and just finished up an order for one of my corporate customers so I decided to bring it into the shop and see how bad it was going to be to clean it up. I looked it over and realized it is pretty tough so I decided to use the internal structure and lining to rebuild the rest of it around. Appears most of the construction was Ash and it was painted from day one. 

I've decided to use some of the maple I've got stacked up both Brown Hard Maple and some really nice KD Spalted Maple to completely build a new shell for it and figured I'd document it here as I go.

Started out with the mallet and a block of wood and a bar and pulled off the front and sides. If I can I plan to keep the original back as it has the patent information stenciled on it.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 14


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## Nature Man (Jan 1, 2015)

Cool (pun intended) restoration. Will look forward to future updates. Chuck

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## NYWoodturner (Jan 2, 2015)

I've always thought those were cool. Looking forward to seeing the finished product

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## ironman123 (Jan 2, 2015)

Very, very interesting. I have pulled up my easy chair.

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## Kevin (Jan 2, 2015)

Gonna be fun to see this progress. Don't mess it up though - the missus might become a little frigid with you. Mess it up bad enough and she might coldcock you. Totally ruin it and she'll freeze you out of the bedroom then we'll all have to put up with your icy disposition . . . . .

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## Schroedc (Jan 2, 2015)

So here is what I've been up to today. Didn't get into the shop until about 10 since it was my day to run kids to places. Hauled in all my lumber (With the shop as small as it is I store a fair amount of stuff at home) Measured up everything and figured out a few changes. The original sides had a four small panels and I'm going with two instead to show off the material I'm going to use for the inset panels (found something on the shelf I'd forgotten I had so it'll be a surprise and a chance for me to try out a new skill) I also shortened it about 2 inches since I'm going to do something different for the wheels and since it won't ever get ice in it again I don't need the swinging door for the drain tray

Cut all the pieces to my measurements (the cross pieces for the sides are cut long on purpose for the mortise and tenon work) Since the face frame isn't load bearing (All the internal structure is hung off the sides and resting on the bottom) I think I'll use my dowel jig I got as a gift a few years ago to put the face together.

I have found I tend to write a lot of info on the pieces in pencil but after cutting up pieces I needed on another project by accident I tend to overdo it 

Maybe by the end of the day I can get the face assembled and in the clamps.....

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## Schroedc (Jan 2, 2015)

Got the dowel holes drilled and the face glued up, left it in the clamps for a couple hours and then pulled it out, scraped a little glue I missed and hit it with some 120 on the sander to clean off my marks and get it a little closer to smooth. I won't do any more sanding until the assembly phase since I could see sanding it out to 400 and then dropping it.

You can see how much I shortened the piece by comparing the old face frame and the new one.

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## ironman123 (Jan 2, 2015)

Alright, need to go pop another bag.

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## DLJeffs (Jan 2, 2015)

I really nice project. Will you keep the cork and metal liner too? The hardware is great too. I'm watching.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tony (Jan 2, 2015)

This is going to be good! I've always wanted one of these as well, can't wait to see how it ends up. I've never heard of Brown Maple, it will be interesting to see. Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 2, 2015)

DLJeffs said:


> I really nice project. Will you keep the cork and metal liner too? The hardware is great too. I'm watching.



Yes I'm keeping the inside. Pretty much building a new shell to slide the guts back into.


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## NYWoodturner (Jan 3, 2015)

Looking great Colin.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 6, 2015)

So here is what I got done today. Was late getting into the shop due to the whole swollen face thing and I figured I'd better make sure I was feeling well enough to run power tools. Got all the mortise and tenon work done for the side panels, cut everything a hair thick and fine tuned it with one of my 100 year old chisels, cut some really pretty veneer and the backer panels for it, glued up the veneer and got the sides assembled and into the clamps.

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## Sprung (Jan 6, 2015)

Looking sharp, Colin!

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 7, 2015)

At the end of the day and getting ready to head out. In between a couple other things I had to do today and a run to the doctor I got the case assembled, The guts back into it and managed to figure out a way to reuse the original back. Because of the way it was originally built the face of the innards had been nailed to the front before the back of the galvanized box was soldered on. I didn't want to pull it apart that far so I used some screws going in from the outside but to keep it looking somewhat period I went craftsman and drilled square holes to countersink the screws and filled them with 5/16 mahogany plugs (man were those hard to turn on the lathe) there will be 6 more screws in the face but those are't going in until I've marked and drilled for the hinges so I can hide them under the hinges. I've got a few things I could have done better but for my first larger "Higher End" piece of furniture I'm quite happy with it so far. I also learned that the contact adhesive I usually use for veneer doesn't like the veneer I used on this project. After everything dried out I ended up with some hairline cracks in the veneer in the center crotch areas. I think I'll mix some shellac with really fine sawdust as close to the color of the veneer as I can get and squeegee it in to fill those lines (I need to use a shellac sanding sealer on the veneer anyways to prevent any issues with the solvents in the finish I put on it causing delaminations according to a guy I trust)

Next steps are to get the top made, make the wheeled base, and make the doors.

Does anyone have any good suggestions on a decent source for period correct wheels? This is nice enough I don't want to just stick 1.99 hardware store wheels on it.

Reactions: Like 4 | EyeCandy! 2 | Way Cool 7


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## Fsyxxx (Jan 7, 2015)

Really enjoying this thread, thanks for doing it.

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## Steve Walker (Jan 9, 2015)

@Schroedc,
If you'll give me a day or two, I've got a coffee can full of swivel wooden casters, but it's at my folk's house. I'll be out there this weekend, and will pick it up, dump it out, and see if there are 4 matching ones in there that are complete with the inserts. My grandfather was brought up through the depression and saved everything, so these come from way back.

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## Steve Walker (Jan 12, 2015)

Sorry @Schroedc, I could only come up with sets of 3 in all of the casters that I have. But, if you do a google search for wooden wheel casters, there are several options out there.

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## Sprung (Jan 12, 2015)

Colin, Just saw Steve's offer and that he didn't have anything. I may have some old, small casters from a very old dining table that was taken apart. I'll check and see real quick.


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## Sprung (Jan 12, 2015)

Sprung said:


> Colin, Just saw Steve's offer and that he didn't have anything. I may have some old, small casters from a very old dining table that was taken apart. I'll check and see real quick.



Sorry, I couldn't find them. Might not have made the move with us...

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Schroedc (Jan 12, 2015)

Thank you both for looking. My wife has decided this morning where in the house it's going once it's done and we may not put wheels on it. I may also just build a flat cart that would fit up under the bottom (There is a 4 inch space between the bottom supports and the floor) if we decide to make it mobile later on.


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## DLJeffs (Jan 12, 2015)

Looking great. Anxious to see the finished doors and all. One thing to consider about the castor wheels. If this weighs a fair bit and the wheels are small (most old wheels are) it'll put some serious dents in whatever it is sitting on unless it's tile or concrete. My wife has an old sewing machine with tiny metal wheels and I had to put some heavy duty carpet protector deals under the wheels. That's not a big deal but if you want to be able to move this around the protectors defeat the purpose of the wheels. If you want to be able to roll it around maybe you can use some good, wide ply wheels castors but hide them under a skirt around the bottom. Just a thought.


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## Kevin (Jan 12, 2015)

It's looking great Colin. You might consider applying a slight chamfer to the outside corners and stopping them about an inch from the top/bottom. Or not! Either way would be period correct. It looks great the way it is. Beautiful project and something to be very proud of. Square pegs are a great look.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jan 12, 2015)

I don't know how I missed this but I'm subscribed now!

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## justallan (Jan 22, 2015)

Great build, Colin.
I'd say if it didn't come with wheels I'd go without them, and especially if it ends up on carpet and you don't plan to move it. If your wife puts knick-knacks on it, I would think it would be more stable. Plus ladies can see a piece of fuzz under something at 400 yards that you can't.
Johnnie Cochrans mother once said, "If the vacuum don't fit, let it sit".

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## Schroedc (Feb 4, 2015)

It's been a while since I've gotten a chance to work on this what with the furnace in the shop going out and having to scramble to get some paying jobs done but I did get the top on it today with the square pegs to hide the fasteners. I had thought about just pegging it but knowing the way people seem to always want to lift stuff by the edges of the top I figured a few screws wouldn't hurt. I'll probably get the door stock ripped and cut tomorrow and figure out how I want to build the doors to be able to reattach the inside insulation frames to them from the old doors.

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## NYWoodturner (Feb 5, 2015)

Looking great Colin. Me thinks your too shy on the pics...

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## Schroedc (Feb 5, 2015)

NYWoodturner said:


> Looking great Colin. Me thinks your too shy on the pics...



The stock for the door frames got cut today (it's in the upper right of the picture). I would have preferred to go with narrower frames but the hinges and latches kinda dictate the width for me. Tomorrow I'll probably start the Mortise and Tenon work to get them put together. It might be a bit until I get the inset panels made as I'm seriously considering a vacuum bag for the veneer work......

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## Schroedc (Aug 17, 2015)

Wow, Just realized it's been 6 months since I did anything on this project. Tried out my vacuum bag today and got the inserts for the doors glued up. Worked out pretty well but I can see I have more of a learning curve on veneering (Excess glue there was, Lots to clean up I had) Got the doors assembled and found I could use more clamps, just put the last one into the clamps. Thinking about picking up hardware tonight and then tomorrow getting the hinges and latches mounted and this thing looking a little more finished.....

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 17, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> (Excess glue there was, Lots to clean up I had)


Yoda works the wood, lol. May the schwartz be with you!
Seriously though the doors look great.

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## Sprung (Aug 17, 2015)

I agree with Greg - the doors look great!

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## Tony (Aug 17, 2015)

Glad you got back to this, I've been waiting for it. Looks great! Tony

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## ironman123 (Aug 17, 2015)

Looking good Colin.

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## Schroedc (Aug 17, 2015)

And of course the local hardware store didn't have the screws I need so it's a 50 mile round trip to get screwed, er, screw the doors on

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## Schroedc (Aug 18, 2015)

When is a door not a door? When it's ajar! HA! 

One down, two to go, then to take it all apart and sand and finish. This morning I'm cutting the relief in the back of the doors and reinstalling the insulated panels and getting the hinges and latches on them.

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## manbuckwal (Aug 18, 2015)

Flat out awesome Colin ! Very unique

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## Schroedc (Aug 18, 2015)

Thank you everyone for your patience and support as I stumbled my way through this project. It is now complete, sanded to 150, and will now sit in a corner under a sheet for probably 6-8 weeks while I get a few other projects to the finishing point. At that time, I'll disassemble the hardware, polish all the chromed parts, finish sand to 320 or 400 and make up my mind on what finish to use. I'm leaning towards either a Lacquer or possibly a sprayed on automotive catalyzed urethane (I've got a couple gallons still within their use by date form back when I was painting cars)

What did I learn on this project?

1) My Joinery has improved 500% since doing the case 6 months ago and the doors this week
2) Water based adhesive on non paper backed veneer was a bad idea (I've got some hairline cracks to fill on the side panels but they'll just make it look older )
3) On a related note- While I've learned a lot about veneer and my cobbled together vacuum bag press did work I can see some practice might be in order before doing another larger project with veneers.
4) Whether rebuilding, restoring, or recycling the parts, these older pieces are a lot of fun and if it is possible I think they should be returned to a beautiful, usable state instead of just going in the firewood pile.
5) Oh, And I could use more clamps too!

There are a couple things I am not totally pleased with, A couple tiny gaps and the afore mention shrink in the veneer and a spot I cut a dado completely from side to side instead of stopping an inch from the end (had to fill (2) 3/4 x 1/4 areas with a matching piece of maple as I was an idiot when cutting the groove for the base support inside the case) but all in all it definitely stretched me beyond where I was and put me on a path to finer and finer furniture.

C and C always welcome. Thanks for following along.

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## Sprung (Aug 18, 2015)

Colin, I'd say you did an awesome job on that! Very well done - something to be proud of, and something to last for years to come. Will be looking forward to a pic of it with finish on it, whenever that happens.

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## woodtickgreg (Aug 18, 2015)

That thing is gonna pop! with a finish on it. Very cool.

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## Tony (Aug 18, 2015)

Colin, that looks fantastic, I can't wait to see how it looks with a finish on it! Great job, your family is going to enjoy that for generations! By the way, I have that exact model of bandsaw, great choice! Tony


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## Schroedc (Aug 18, 2015)

Tony said:


> Colin, that looks fantastic, I can't wait to see how it looks with a finish on it! Great job, your family is going to enjoy that for generations! By the way, I have that exact model of bandsaw, great choice! Tony



Yeah, I got a great deal on that saw a few years ago. Only had to move it up three flights of stairs to get it into the truck.


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## Tony (Aug 18, 2015)

I bought mine at an auction of a fiberglass company that went out of business. Had to buy new tires and clean a crap-ton of fiberglass off of it, but it's been a great saw. Tony


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## Schroedc (Mar 24, 2016)

Time to get this one done and out of the shop. Got the shrinkage filled in the veneer, Getting the first coats of WOP on to everything, and while waiting for finish to dry for coat two, started cleaning and polishing all the hardware. If all goes well, I'll be able to get it reassembled and waxed and taken home by tomorrow night.

I'm really thinking that when I build a new shop (Like that is ever going to happen but a guy can dream....) I'll put in a spray booth so I can start using sprayed urethanes.....

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## Schroedc (Mar 25, 2016)

.... And lo did he raise his hands to the sky and scream to the heavens, "IT IS FINISHED!"

3 coats Satin WOP, 00 steel wool between coats, wax applied with 0000 steel wool and lots of rubbing to bring out a nice warm luster.

This has been a learning experience, I'm amazed at myself how far I've come with various facets of my skill set and looking at the piece I can see the difference in the sections I did at the beginning and the major improvements in the later parts like the doors. I've learned lots about what not to do with veneer and found things I really think will be a staple of my "Style" as I build more furniture.

C and C are always welcome.

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## Wilson's Woodworking (Mar 25, 2016)

That is WAY COOLER than WAY COOL! did that make sense?
Momma Will be VERY HAPPY with DADA!

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## justallan (Mar 25, 2016)

That thing is beautiful!

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## Kevin (Mar 25, 2016)

Bellissimo! 

That's going to be the centerpiece of any room it's in. Well done!

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## Tony (Mar 25, 2016)

That is just stupendously cool Colin! Beautiful piece, I'm sure the wife is thrilled! Tony

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## Nature Man (Mar 25, 2016)

I'm sure it looks way better than it did originally! I really, really like it. Congrats on completing a major project! Chuck

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## Schroedc (Mar 25, 2016)

Nature Man said:


> I'm sure it looks way better than it did originally! I really, really like it. Congrats on completing a major project! Chuck



Yeah, this is what I started with-

It really shouldn't have taken so long but you know, Life...

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