Arch-top cabinet – day 5 Complete
In the last post, I applied the first coat of finish. Since then, I have applied four coats. I did not bother to photograph each coat, because they all look the same…
Between each coat, I sanded down the walnut with 400 grit paper, wiped the dust off, and re-applied another coat of Tung oil.
After four coats, the polymers in the finish are just starting to build just above the surface of the wood, leaving most of their protection just below the surface. I like this look, because it does not look encased in plastic, like you can get with too many coats of polyurethane.
In preparation for the final glue-up, I removed the masking tape on the base and the upper cabinet body.
Next, I inserted the LED strip through the access hole, in the bottom and removed the paper from the back, then pressed the adhesive side to the brass strip.
To help prevent the wire from breaking, I attached two retainer clips to the bottom.
Before the cabinet went on, I plugged in the strip, just to make sure it all worked.
Now it is time to start installing hardware.
I applied a bead of glue to the masked areas and clamped the cabinet in place with the one really deep clamp that I have. I used leather on each side to prevent the clamp from denting the wood.
While that dried, I re-installed the hinges, and the pulls.
I remembered to add a drop of CA glue to the threads to prevent the pull from unscrewing accidentally.
Final assembly is done.
The last thing I wanted to do was buff in a coat of paste wax. It doesn’t add to the protection much, but it does add a bit of shine to the wood.
I took a picture of the cabinet with the LED on as well as off so you can see why I added the LED. The cabinet would have needed to be much larger and less portable to allow enough light in to see the sunburst in the back.
And here is a picture with the doors closed. I think it turned out nice. Hopefully it will travel well.
This was an interesting project, with a couple of challenges. Mainly the arch top pieces and their joinery. The arches are not perfect, but they look nice and I learned a few things along the way.
Midnight Woodworking 
Nice work Lawrence.
Looks like lots of challenges in a small package