Mccallumcabinetry's Blog

Walnut Desk

mccallumcabinetry — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:14:49 +0000

This desk was recently completed for a client in Portage, Michigan. The desk is constructed of Walnut, and has a hand rubbed oil finish.

Walnut Linen press

mccallumcabinetry — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:12:03 +0000

This piece was designed to resemble a linen press. At roughly half the depth of a traditional linen press, it is meant to be used as a storage/medicine cabinet. Constructed of solid Walnut, with traditional butt-hinges, and inset doors.

Click to view slideshow.

Custom Walnut Staircase

mccallumcabinetry — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:11:34 +0000

Here is a short slideshow of a custom staircase that I fabricated the parts for. The newel posts, handrail, and stair treads are made from solid Walnut.

Click to view slideshow.

Handcrafted Walnut Bathroom Vanity

mccallumcabinetry — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:38:45 +0000

The image to the right is of the completed piece, which now resides in Clarkston, Michigan.

It is constructed of solid Walnut, and features inset doors and drawers. The doors also have a traditional full mortise lock, and thumb latches installed.

Pegged twin mortise and tenons were used as the main method of joinery for this piece. I decided to keep the pegs hidden from view by inserting them from the back of the frame.

Click to view slideshow.

Thousand Canker Disease Affecting Walnut.

mccallumcabinetry — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 15:08:58 +0000

If you are planning on purchasing any Walnut lumber, please make sure that you know where it is coming from! Here is a link to an article detailing the affects and spread of this disease.

Thousand Cankers Disease: A Red Alert for Walnut

Custom Maple and Walnut Bench

mccallumcabinetry — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:28:55 +0000

Here are a few pictures of the finished benches previously mentioned in the “wedged mortise and tenon” post. These benches are constructed of solid wood. The top is Hard Maple, the base is Walnut. Finished with 100% pure Tung oil.

Click to view slideshow.

Eco-Friendly Cabinets

mccallumcabinetry — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 23:48:26 +0000

Whether you want to call them eco-friendly, sustainably built, or green, the cabinets that I build fit the bill, and here are some of the reasons why;

First, I choose the materials that I work with carefully. I have to work with them, and you have to live with them, which is why I build all of my cabinets with the following:

PureBond “formaldehyde-free” plywood from Columbia Forest Products.

Locally sourced and milled lumber, and/or FSC certified lumber.

“Green” finishes from Mid-America Coatings.

Kirei Board, Bamboo, and Wheatboard are also available!

Aside from the materials, when you choose McCallum Cabinetry, your cabinets are built locally, right here in Portage, Michigan. Since the cabinets do not have to be shipped across the country, this greatly reduces their overall carbon footprint. I also do my best to reduce material waste, from optimizing the way the sheet goods are cut to obtain the best possible yield, to finding use for or recycling the scrap wood and sawdust.

Thanks for looking, and please feel free to post any questions or comments that you may have.

Custom “Over the Fridge” Wine Cabinet

mccallumcabinetry — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 12:56:08 +0000

Here is a picture from the most recent set of kitchen cabinets that I built for a home in Kalamazoo. Wood species is Cherry with a clear finish. This wine cabinet will hold 12 bottles, and 24+ glasses. I will be posting more pictures of the completed kitchen once the appliances are installed.

Joinery: Wedged Mortise and Tenon

mccallumcabinetry — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 14:51:10 +0000

I was recently commissioned to build a pair of benches, a table, and an “adjusting bench” for the Accord Chiropractic Center in Kalamazoo. Here is a pictorial of the joinery that was used, the wedged mortise and tenon:

This is the tenon with slots cut to accept the wedges

Will it fit?

Success, another perfect fit.

Testing the wedges...

close up after glue-up.

One side assembled

Pictures of the completed project are coming soon!

Quality Materials and Joinery Means Durability

mccallumcabinetry — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:14:58 +0000

The cabinets that you choose for your kitchen or bath can either be a good investment, or a source of future frustration. The latter will not be the case with cabinets from McCallum Cabinetry. To make this so, I start with quality materials, and use methods of joinery that will ensure that your new cabinets will last for many years to come.

Materials and Joinery

Cabinet Boxes: All boxes are constructed with 3/4″ domestic Birch, or Maple plywood. All structural joints are done with dadoes, which are reinforced with glue and screws.

Drawers: All drawer boxes are dovetailed, and made with either solid wood, or 5/8″ plywood.

Doors: Whether its raised panel or flat panel, I use only solid wood. Typically the “cope and stick” method of joinery is used, but mortise and tenon, and pegged mortise and tenon can be requested.

Face Frames: Once again, only solid wood is used.

Hinges: Fully adjustable “Blum” compacts are standard.

Drawer Slides: KV full extension, ball bearing, self closing slides are standard.

Lumber: I use only sustainably harvested lumber. In order to obtain the flattest and straightest boards possible, I purchase the lumber rough sawn, and preform the final machining in-house.

Finishes: I use environmentally friendly water-based finishes from Mid-America Coatings.