How to Make an Antique Style Ice Box

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I'm not sure why it happens, but sometimes I get involved in building something that turns out to be one my favorite builds ever ... this is one of those projects.
Not long ago I made a video on some of the elements that go into "distressing wood" in an effort to make wood look old and well used. In this article we take that information and apply it to the making of an antique style Ice Box, something that would have been built and used between the 1880s and 1920s. This piece of furniture was crudely made, probably by people with few tools and little knowledge of woodworking. There are very few of these pieces around anymore, most have long since been scraped so in order to have something like this means recreating it.

I don't know why this piece of furniture caught my eye, something about it was appealing. I love old and antique furniture and this little ice box seemed like a nice piece to replicate. Anyone looking very closely at it would not be fooled, and certainly any furniture expert would not be deceived by the replication of a piece of furniture like this but in a room full of furniture, this piece stands out by giving the illusion that it has been around for many decades and could likely have been rescued from an old barn or disused cottage in many parts of the world.

Because this piece was to appear old I worked hard at finding rough cut lumber that had nasty knots, cracks saw marks, chips and gouges in it because this would all add to the finished affect.

Making Distressed Wood for an Antique Look

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I don't know who coined the phrase "what's old is new and what's new is old" but it certainly fits well in the entire furniture making industry. There are many companies that work hard making new furniture look old. It's not that they are trying to fool anyone, they are filling a market need. There is lots of old furniture around in various states of condition but sometimes it's quicker and easier to replicate the furniture than it is to go out an find it, then to carefully restore it specific condition.

The elements that go in to making new wood look old are as varied as you can imagine and basically there is no right or wrong way of doing it, you just do what ever works. All that really counts in the end is how the finished piece looks and if it lives up to your expectations.

Of course the first thing to choose is the type of wood you want to use and if you want to stay true to replicating a specific piece of furniture you would want to use the same wood, but, as I said, there are no rules, if you want to use a different kind of wood, you need to experiment with how the finished wood will look and this means working with different finishes, like dyes, stains and top coats ...

Building a Thin Strip Tablesaw Jig

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Cutting small pieces on any power tool can be dangerous so we always try to think of ways to be safer while still maintaining the quality of cut we need. As we all know, table saws are notorious for kicking back wood and especially smaller pieces that are hard to hold on to make these risks higher and more crucial to address.

The jig outlined in this article addresses the kick back and other risks, but remember, working safely is always paramount. If you do NOT feel comfortable using any power tool for any type of cut, do NOT do it. There are hand tools and other ways of making cuts that may be slower for you, but they allow you the confidence of being in control of your work and your tools.  Remember,  you are always responsible for your own safety and well being and for making the right choices and decisions.
For this jig all that is requite is a T-nut and matching bolt and another nut that will be used as a locking mechanism for the bolt. You will also need a piece of hardwood that is at least 2 inches wide and at least 6 inches long. You will also need something called a "Mag Switch".

Mag Switches come in a variety of sizes and types and because of their Patent, they are the only thing on the  market that I know of that can do these kinds of jobs. They are quite widely available and links are provided here to see the different sizes ...

Review of Canadian Tire Dual Base Router - Sponsored

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Wood routers have been in use for the better part of 50 years, but for new woodworkers they still represent a bit of mystery. Part of the reason for this is that routers are capable of so many different kinds jobs and there is really no other tool that can replace the work they do. Another part of the confusion comes from the styles of wood routers which is either “fixed base” or “plunge” which always prompts the question, which is best?

I am frequently asked about routers, what brands, what types, what features and in general terms I tell people that a plunge router will do everything a fixed base router can do, and more. Like everything there are trade-offs and the disadvantage with plunge routers is they are bigger and bulkier and actual plunge feature is not really often used so it's really nice to have both. Such is the case with Canadian Tire's exclusive “Maximum” dual base wood router. I comes complete with both a plunge and fixed base and is quick and easy to switch between them.
http://www.canadiantire.ca/MAXIMUM  I must say, whoever designed this router, knew their way around wood routers. It's a nice design and has all the features that anyone would need in a router package.

 The router itself is an 11 AMP, 2 HP unit which means it can handle both 1/4” and 1/2” bits which is important for anyone who wants to use the larger bits for things like making cabinet doors, windows and many of the other larger bits for making things like crown mouldings, base boards and similar items. Almost all of these bigger bits are available only in 1/2” shank size and require routers with higher horse power to drive them.