# Spool cabinet for wife's christmas present



## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

I thought that I would share a photo of the spool cabinet that I completed for my wife's Christmas present. It is six drawers with plate glass windows. The windows are personalized to her pre-retirement business venture of 25+ years. Each drawer interior is configured in different ways for spools and other items. The cabinet is hard maple with birdseye panels on three sides. The cabinet sits on a special carriage with wheels. The overall height is 42". Drawers are dovetailed. The rope twist half spirals were produced on a vintage Craftsman router crafter. The hard maple that I used on the three sides is left over from a kitchen re-flooring done 5 years ago.
Enrico Caruso


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

I am uncertain that the photo is attached to the post that I just made. If it is not there, can somebody tell me how to put it there now?
Enrico Caruso


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

Your photo didn't load. Click on "New Reply" button, then "Manage Attachments" at the bottom of the screen. Click on "Choose File". Then find your photo on your computer and click "open" Either make that window full-size or pull the bar at the bottom so the right side of the window is visible. Click on "Upload". Then close the window and click "Submit Reply".


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*spool cabinet photo try #2*

Trying to upload photos.
THANK YOU ANDY FOR THE PROCESS DIRECTIONS.
ENRICO CARUSO


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

Enrico

It was worth waiting for the pictures to upload - great looking cabinet.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

You get a lot of husband points for a project like that, Only problem is those points expire fast some times. Nice project.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

vchiarelli said:


> Enrico
> 
> It was worth waiting for the pictures to upload - great looking cabinet.


you got tht right...
work of art...


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

That's a work of art


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## DonkeyHody (Jan 22, 2015)

Why that's no spool cabinet, That's a museum piece! Beautifully done. Should help to justify the tools.


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## Semipro (Mar 22, 2013)

Enrico
very nice great job


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

jaguar1201 said:


> Trying to upload photos.
> THANK YOU ANDY FOR THE PROCESS DIRECTIONS.
> ENRICO CARUSO


WOW!!! Now that is what I call real woodworking.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Very nice work


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## vindaloo (May 30, 2009)

Wot they all said, that's a beauty.


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## Nickp (Dec 4, 2012)

WOW...can't help but to keep looking at it...what exquisite detail and workmanship...you have me wondering how you made and what you used to make all the fine detail...

I disagree with Tom...these hubbie points should last a long time... 


EDIT...I keep going back to the pictures and see more and more each time I look...WHAT PRECISION... ! ! !


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## patlaw (Jan 4, 2010)

Incredible


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

Really nice, beyond my skill level, consider that as fine woodworking.
Herb


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## billyjim (Feb 11, 2012)

Enrico that is a Masterpiece.


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## old coasty (Aug 15, 2014)

Great Job.


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

Excellent work. Please upload photos of the interior and drawer structure as well.


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*Spool cabinet more photos*

Hi everybody, 
Thanks for the nice comments. I will add more photos of the interior of some of the drawers, as soon as I take some, but now I will add photos of the sides and back. That shows the birdseye panels and the vertical bead motif that is followed through on the legs of the base structure.
Enrico Caruso


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## Roy Drake (Feb 10, 2014)

Enrico: Over the top! Superb.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

premium...


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## jw2170 (Jan 24, 2008)

Wow...The bar has been raised....


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## Programer (Jan 10, 2015)

Top notch! Love it.


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## OutoftheWoodwork (Oct 4, 2012)

I am in total AWE... wow!


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*Drawer interior of spool cabinet*

Jon,
you requested photos of the drawer interior and to see how they are constructed. I am not good using a camera, so they did not all turn out, but the ones that did are attached. The drawer sides are 3/8" maple and are half blind dovetailed to the 3/4" front of the drawers. That photo was a dud. The 3/16" drawer bottoms are glued into rabbets along all four sides. 
The 1/4" plate glass racetrack shaped windows sit in the drawer fronts, which have a 1/8 rabbet all around (like a picture frame would have), and is backed with a felt strip and then covered with 1/4" thick wood piece of the same size as the drawer backs which are then held in place by the through screws that mount the glass knobs. This allows for dia-assembly in the event of a broken glass which needs to be replaced.

Two drawer interiors are configured for regular sewing thread spindles of different lengths, one drawer for short spools sitting on spindle pegs, a drawer is made in egg crate form for other sewing items, and two with no special interior as yet.
One photo shower the dividers that are between each drawer.


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## Stick486 (Jan 4, 2013)

oh *WOW!!!...*


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## JFPNCM (Dec 13, 2009)

@jaguar1201

Thank you for the detailed discussion and photos. No worries on the dud photo, your description covered it well. 

Excellent work.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Rick that is absolutely beautiful. Don't worry about your camera skills you have far greater skills in your woodworking.


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## AndyL (Jun 3, 2011)

Outstanding work Enrico. Really wonderful. How did you do the spiral columns, are they hand-carved?


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

*Spiral rope twist half columns on spool cabinet*

Hi Andy,
The spiral rope twist half columns are not hand carved, but they are produced on a vintage fixture called a Craftsman Router Crafter that was sold by Sears. I believe the fixture was produced by TREND in the U.K. To make the half columns I sawed a 2" x 2" x 24" hard maple turning block (same as I used for the legs on the undercarriage) and then glued it back together with newspaper in between, before mounting it in the fixture. The Sears router mounts on an overhead platform and a hand crank on the axis moves the platform along and turns the stock at the same time, much like a leadscrew would do, but this device uses a drum and cable.
There are many of these vintage Router Crafters listed for sale on eBay every week. I will probably post a photo of the Router crafter soon.
Enrico Caruso


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## Ghidrah (Oct 21, 2008)

Yikes! jaguar1201 that's a freakin beauty, I lurve the panels


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## Knothead47 (Feb 10, 2010)

Beautiful piece of furniture. BTW, guys, that is not a work of art. It is a work of Enrico. :laugh2:
Another router? Wouldn't know where to put it. Cramped for space as it is. I would like to see a picture of it.


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## dcrusoe (Apr 28, 2014)

jaguar1201 said:


> I thought that I would share a photo of the spool cabinet that I completed for my wife's Christmas present. It is six drawers with plate glass windows. The windows are personalized to her pre-retirement business venture of 25+ years. Each drawer interior is configured in different ways for spools and other items. The cabinet is hard maple with birdseye panels on three sides. The cabinet sits on a special carriage with wheels. The overall height is 42". Drawers are dovetailed. The rope twist half spirals were produced on a vintage Craftsman router crafter. The hard maple that I used on the three sides is left over from a kitchen re-flooring done 5 years ago.
> Enrico Caruso


Stunning work!M Might I ask, did you use plans or is this your own design?


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## jaguar1201 (Feb 4, 2015)

David, 
There are no plans other than the few sketches that I made on 3x5" pieces of paper.

John (Knothead 47),
I will take photos of the Router Crafter set up and post them soon. There are user and parts manuals available on line and on this website too, I think.

Again, thanks to all for the kind comments.
Enrico Caruso


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