Making a Big 21 Drawer Apothecary Cabinet Out of Walnut

Welcome back! I have another apothecary cabinet build to share with you. This one ended up begin around 72" x 38" x 20". The case work is 1.5" thick with 1" thick dividers. There are 21 drawers that are about 9" x 9" x 19.5". The finish is an oil-modified water based polyurethane, linked below. Thanks for watching!
Here are products I like to use often in the shop. These are affiliate links. Purchasing through these links helps support the parillaworks channel. Thanks!
Oil-Modified Polyurethane: amzn.to/3iodrtl
Dowelmax Dowelling Jig: amzn.to/2VCNRW9
Flat Bottom Grind Blade: amzn.to/2vo44Ec
Makita Trim Router: amzn.to/2IbBYOW
Dewalt Trim Router: amzn.to/2I9rEqO
Makita Track Saw: amzn.to/38dwyO5
Double Sided Tape: amzn.to/32Nxd82
¼” Spiral Flush Trim Bit: amzn.to/2uS2ZUQ
Narex Chisels: amzn.to/38fP3l7
amzn.to/2VETFi8
amzn.to/3crk34M
Mahoney’s Walnut Oil: amzn.to/2VETNy8
Website: www.parillawork...
Instagram: / parillaworks

[@Matasky2010]

When the finish goes on Walnut there's a magical reaction that takes place.

[@odiesclips7621]

The undertaking of this huge beauty held my interest. I have dabbled in woodworking for 40 years. I can appreciate the level of planning for something like this. Well done! New subscriber, Odie.

[@parillaworks]

Thanks Odie!!!

[@captchunkytoes]

I love how the grain of the wood on the face of all the drawers match to create the larger pattern. Beautiful work!

[@smeefamily54]

It is so rewarding to have children in the workshop. They get to learn what woodworking is all about and you get to spend time with them. Mine used to help me assemble my pens. Stay safe and enjoy.

[@jasonsovereign4750]

the woodgrain flow on the front of the drawers is incredible and really grabs the eye.

[@MrBentastic]

Seeing the screwdriver go into a solitary drawer with the voice over of "that's it" immediately made me think the front reveal would be something to behold, but even moreso, it completely floored me. The pracision craftsmanship that went into this piece is astonishing and visible on every meticulously and gorgeously refined surface. I'm in awe and inspired by your planning and execution.

[@Bubbles-em2fb]

I love this build. My favourite part was watching your daughter help. Amazing talent and obviously a good father.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!!

[@nurgulergin2175]

That’s looks amazing. It is wonderful that the patterns on the front of the cabinet continue across the entire surface. Amazing job sir.

[@juliaknepper4024]

This is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen

[@Seaskunk]

Great job! I learned that you can never have too many clamps!

[@WatchTashi]

How could anyone thumbs down this video? I’m thinking it must be the folks who have zero skills. Beautiful craftsmanship.

[@xerckd]

I love how you paid attention to the boards' grain continuing over the front panels. I also love the matt finish that makes said grain stand out. It's the details that make a difference. There's little room for the drawers to deform (expand, contract, curve) over time. Aren't you worried some drawers might get stuck or become very tight?

[@StephRenee812]

I have been wanting something like this for many years. Going to get tons of pallet wood and going to get my hubby to help and make me one.. thank you for sharing

[@johnhughes6106]

Those are truly beautiful. From an old woodworker to a craftsman. Use a mallet instead of your hands. In 30 years when you are playing with your grandchildren, you will thank me. Great build !!

[@eburalik]

What comes to my mind.....Traditional Chinese Pharmacy Cabinets .... nice 👍

[@axellisenstain9970]

Those should have been golden handles! Really great looking anyway, can’t get enough of that finish

[@Jamil1989]

Beautiful attention to the wood grain detail placement on the front of those drawers. They all line up together. 😁

[@agentbey]

Watching this made me miss being in a shop.

[@flamabl1]

LOL! Lesson learned? Since dominos aren't adding any strength to the joint, two to three would have been plenty since they are really mostly for alignment in that use. Don't know how you did it even on the loose setting, lol. Love the pine on the drawer box. The tiny round over on the drawer boxes and case looks sooo good. Cool to see how your experience has led you to a process that would render this next to impossible without it.

[@bawona]

Wow man, as a fellow woodworker and furniture designer I really appreciate everything you put into this, beautiful!

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!!

[@falenone11]

Those fingers were pretty close to that happy spinning saw blade looking for lunch!

[@BiP00]

This is a great project, properly done. Congratulations, feel proud of yourself, it takes a lot of dedication to get something like this done. And congratulations for the lovely family, that's something to cherish! Keep those projects coming!!!

[@SisterShirley]

I'm stunned That is so beautiful

[@Trebor667]

Remarkable work. Let’s also give some credit to the beauty and workability of walnut.

[@mj28inpa]

WOW!!!! What an amazing piece!!!

[@emmasmith3732]

Absolutely love this build! All that labor was worth that finished product. The walnut was a great choice it looks gorgeous.

[@fredc1932]

Wow the grain match on the drawers is amazing

[@HarlyGuy13]

What a beautiful piece.

[@kyrylofilonenko322]

This is one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I've ever seen!

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!!

[@FGI]

Oh wow, I've always been a fan of your work but this is really something special. Hoping I can own something like this one day!

[@parillaworks]

Thanks so much!

[@PrimalEdge]

hands down, my favorite cabinet style! great build!!

[@parillaworks]

Thanks!

[@FearsomeWarrior]

The wood surfaces look so silky smooth and the grain is amazing. Cool place to store everything and look great in the space too. I can’t wait to do spray lacquer. Brush/wipe poly is fine for small stuff but I’ve always thought lacquer is better protection for surfaces that get touched or could get dirty. It maybe bonds to the wood better or even soaks in to it a tiny bit.

[@parillaworks]

Ya this new (to me) finish worked pretty well. I was very close to using lacquer but wanted something with less VOC and easier cleanup. But from I can tell, a lot of the pros go with a pre-cat lacquer.

[@jwvandegronden]

What a beautiful cabinet, and the level of skill and foresight to maximize your economy of movement is possibly even more impressive. Meticulous, sharp eye for detail and the willingness to not take the easy route but rather go for perfection (fitting the drawer faces by hand, and have the grains line up with each other, times 21 is massive addition in complexity and workload!) is really inspiring! The rounded edges are definitely giving it the high-end finish it deserves, again perfection over short-cuts, willing to go the extra mile, and it shows! There is one thing, but that is solely personal taste: the front is quite massive, as it all has the same texture and intensity. I would have opted for a different finish of either drawers or the cabinet to create some air in the visual impact it has. But that is really utterly irrelevant as it is a gorgeous furniture piece. Even with my preference as a side note, it is honest, both in design and materials and lasts a lifetime or longer. Well done mate!

[@michaelalexander9120]

Absolutely beautiful.

[@theofarmmanager267]

Another excellent result. Very good work and very good video production. It’s sometimes nice to see large pieces produced in small shops. I’m a (sometime serious hobby and sometime business) woodworker for over 45 years. I’ve therefore seen the introduction of ground breaking equipment such as dominoes, widely-available routers for the normal person. Revolutionised the speed at which high quality pieces can be made. Timber prices on the UK are, I believe, higher than the USA. I’ve been paying around £3,600 per cubic metre (including taxes but excluding delivery; roughly $4,200) for European walnut that is kiln dried but waney edge. With that, I expect to get up to 30% wastage. So, it’s certainly not cheap. With a business, you are always balancing cost of materials against labour input. Now that I’m almost retired, cost overwhelms the labour consideration. If I were building the same cabinet, I would a lot of veneered board. I would either buy ready veneered (easier option; thin veneer; no great grain explosion) or make my own veneer (6mm?) and attach to MDF or plywood. That has the advantage over solid timber of avoiding future timber movement. I would then obviously edge band with solid timber. If my boards had to be quite thick (50mm and over), then I tend to make torsion boxes which are so much cheaper than solid timber; so much lighter and, again, no movement. But that takes time. I firmly believe that Festool, when developing the domino system, went all out to see how stressful they could make a glue up. Trying to align more than a few dominos at any one time! When I am attaching two substantial pieces at 90degrees, I have gone over to routing dados in each and insert a single loose tenon. Glues ups are much easier amd I don’t think the loss of the additional glue area of a domino makes any real difference on the thicker boards. I do think that, in those situations, the dominos are much more for alignment than strength. None of this is, in any way, a criticism; just insight into another way. There are many right ways to get an excellent result - only outnumbered by the number of ways to get a poor result.

[@parillaworks]

Hey thanks for the comment. I appreciate your thoughts. If I did the conversion correctly, I think I paid slightly less for my walnut but typically it would be in that range. For this build, the weight of everything was the real tricky part. I’m not sure veneered plywoods or MDF solved that. The torsion box would but then there’s a lot of veneer to worry about which I’m not we’ll versed in. I usually stick to 3/4” thick cases; this one at 1.5” was a bit of an anomaly. This was my first project with the Domino. Like many have commented, I definitely used too many. The glue up became very stressful. But luckily the epoxy bought me plenty of time to get it all together. No offense taken by the way. I appreciate insight like this. Thanks a lot. Take care!

[@theofarmmanager267]

@@parillaworks I agree about the weight - mdf particularly probably weighs more than the equivalent solid wood. Although I can make veneers down to 0.5mm thick(slow on a bandsaw with new blade and rollers as feather board), I tend to cut mine much thicker. So, if I want a 18mm board, I would use 12mm mdf with 3mm “veneer” each side. That gives me meat so that I use a rebate joint at the corners. Uses a lot less solid timber but saves nothing on weight. I’ve seen how you cut thin slices and you’ve shown it is very achievable although a good drum sander definitely helps. Jointing them onto the substrate is no more difficult than joining thin pieces of solid - and, again, you’ve shown how that is done with very good results. If you are sensible, you are always learning and that learning can sometimes mean going back to something you did years ago. I must admit that I fell out of using dowels - for no good reason. Thanks to you, I am now back to using them as an alternative to small dominos or small loose tenons. Style is personal; quality ought to be universal. For me, your clean aesthetics resonate. After function, they show the timber to be king. But customers are the decision makers on this. What they want and can pay for, they get. Even if the aesthetics grinds personally. Good saying - the customer is not always right; but they are always the customer. I’m personally pleased at the lack of overt joints. There does seem to a prevalence to regarding dovetails as somehow the pinnacle of fine woodwork - it seems almost macho. As you know, with practice, they are fairly standard to make but I wonder why they are used. Dovetails really originated at a time when fastenings (mechanical or adhesive) were poor. And so a mechanical joint was needed. It took time but labour was cheap then. Now that we excellent hidden fastenings and adhesives stronger than the timber, do we need dovetails? I tend to think it’s only woodworkers who want dovetails as a sign of their skill. I’d offer the comment that in pieces like yours, dovetails are not only unnecessary for fastening but would seriously detract from the clean aesthetic. I would ask proponents of dovetails whether they thought that Chippendale, if he had the use of those modern day fastenings and adhesives, would have wasted money on having dovetails made. I think the answer is fairly easy - the makers of past generations made pieces to the best standards they could using the best equipment, fastenings and adhesives available to them - in their time. I’ve only ever had one customer comment on dovetails - I had designed a keepsake box with dovetails and she asked me what those ugly things were and could I make the box without them. Very happy to. Apologies for the long response. Result of not being able to get out to the workshop and do things. I hope you, your family and all your subscribers keep safe and well in these quite unprecedented times.

[@crackerjack010101]

That’s a gorgeous beast

[@Oak_And_Iron]

This is heirloom level, my dude. Strong work.

[@michaeldillon4070]

Very Nice Result and it looks fantastic regards from Sydney Australia

[@parillaworks]

Thanks Michael!

[@judihopewell2499]

Gorgeous. What a catch you are for some lucky person….

[@josesotopezoa]

So freaking good!!!! Wood baby yeah!!! 🤘🏼

[@j.chappel1160]

That's a beautiful apothecary drawer!

[@carolinefreeman4546]

Beautiful work!! The grain on the drawers and the smooth finish of the wood is gorgeous! Love watching your process here. Love seeing your cute daughter too

[@jacquesmertens3369]

Plenty of useful tips that I have never seen anywhere else. Fantastic! The wood grain on the drawers also ligns up perfectly. I do hope the wheels are just a temporary measure to transport the cabinet.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you! And yes the wheels were just to help me move it around in the shop. 🙃

[@augustwest8559]

Every shop should have a little person with a big hammer. 🙂

[@maxadrian]

Wow! That looks like a lot of fun. Love all that massive wood. Very nice and careful detailing. Congratulations on a beautiful piece.

[@yarnacles]

Such a beautiful job. Obviously a lot of thought and care went into the final product. 👍🏻

[@jimmymac601]

Beautiful work. Absolutely beautiful I envy you because I have to wait for grandchildren to get myself a cute little helper like yours. She's adorable.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you James. She’s a great shop buddy :)

[@frankcornfield5915]

Fantastic work producing such a large cabinet by yourself.

[@kevinpitsch9983]

Beautiful piece and greatly appreciated that you've shared. This has given me some excellent ideas.

[@singlecatt]

A very beautiful cabinet. You do very good quality work.

[@S7tronic]

Amazing cabinet, quality workmanship. If you give the sides of the domino's a rub of some 80 grit, they don't catch as much-saves some time during the glue up.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!! And that’s a great tip. I’ll give it a shot

[@djamelsibachir1417]

Greeting from 🇩🇿 Good craftsmanship .thanks for all the tips.

[@scottshuler2166]

What a build! Beautiful work and hope you were paid handsomely for all of that effort! You make it sound easy...but we all know it is anything but.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!

[@TheToddbart]

Beautiful cabinet. That was truly an exercise in patience! Nice work.

[@A-Cintrai]

Beautiful job. Very nice

[@miloe1er]

Beautiful piece.

[@AlainPilon]

Domino tip: You dont actually need to put a domino in each hole! You can cut them to use the pin for the next one, but when it is time to glue up, you can skip a few and it will make it easier to align the top piece. I did not see the bit you use for the dados, is it a spiral? If not, you really need to try them: night and day in cut cleanness and speed vs straight blades.

[@parillaworks]

Thanks Alan! That’s a great tip. The router bit was actually a 5/8” straight mortising bit. I like using my little plunge router and it only accepts 1/4” shank. So using this but let’s me knock out the 1” wide dado in 2 passes. But yes, I usually prefer spiral bits when possible. And now that I think about it, I do have a couple nice 1/2” spiral bits. But I hate my bigger Dewalt plunge router. Need to get a new one.

[@AlainPilon]

@@parillaworks all I read there is that you need to buy a new 1/4" spiral bit ;-) I have the Festool OF1400 router, with a pistol grip. I like it very much, very comfortable and precise. I got it for 200$ but I dont think I could/would justify the current price. BTW, I wasnt sure then you did the round overs, but the result really adds a level of refinement!

[@Matasky2010]

@@AlainPilon I agree, a 1/16" roundover makes any project look more professional.

[@simonking3949]

What a beautiful piece~

[@sureshot311]

Holy mackerel. The front of that is incredible. Beautiful work.

[@Rikiiiiiii]

WOW ! Just amazing ! Okay it's walnut but it's so beautiful ! Good job.

[@janionmakes11]

That came out super nice. Looks like a real beast to move around though

[@luciofonseca1770]

Dá uma inveja. Nos EUA as ferramentas são baratas. Aqui no Brasil nem nós profissionais conseguimos ter estas ferramentas

[@robkelly218]

Amazing work…..really like the slightly modern look to the draws. Would so love some of your tools in my collection.

[@MCsCreations]

Amazing work, John! Really beautiful! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@thomasstufe1676]

Really impressive work. Hope your client paid well.

[@paulhume8083]

That is absolutely beautiful.

[@TomKaren94]

13:06 - DANGEROUS crosscut. You're just ASKING for kickback. 19:18 - Beautiful end product, great job on continuous grain across the drawer fronts. Make sure you number your drawer backs.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you! That cut at 13:06 is just cutting a 9”x9” square. The main force pushing the board is from my right hand. The left hand is just gently guiding the board.

[@jake0lson]

Gorgeous.

[@andy1232269]

Absolutely Amazing!!! Just stunning!!

[@nurhayatimn6871]

What a beauty!

[@eherlitz]

Nice work, beautiful result. I'm using SV-SYS D14 (for the D700) or KV-SYS D8 (for the D500) when assembling structures like that. Plenty of strong and less stressful.

[@parillaworks]

Thanks! That’s a great suggestion. I had considered it briefly because I had another lady project in the queue that could use them. I might have to try them next time.

[@stephenembry259]

First video I came across of yours. Within 3 minutes I gave you a subscribe. I enjoyed your content. Very well put together informative video.

[@parillaworks]

Thanks Stephen. I really appreciate it!

[@Lechanan]

That is some damn fine woodworking, sir.

[@dovetalerwoodcraft]

I love your work. I don't know why it took me so long, but I subbed today! I really appreciate your understated presentation ... letting your gorgeous work speak for itself. A true craftsman!

[@parillaworks]

I really appreciate it!!

[@lfuentes4098]

Gorgeous!

[@Squalor89]

Beautiful

[@brunomckay1875]

Beautiful and the grain match is superb, well done.

[@Cjfasching]

Really really nice work!

[@hewittgordon8843]

Drop dead gorgeous. Excellent work.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!!

[@BlessedForever888]

Wow this was so beautiful and relaxing to watch. Thank you for sharing your art!

[@Lutzboater]

An incredible build. It's absolutely perfect. Very well done.

[@parillaworks]

Thank you!

[@smallspacecreation5768]

Looks great really enjoyable video 👍👍

[@Sladeofdark]

I have always wanted one of these in my dream home, to look like the Japanese ones (Spirited Away) but with no visible handles.

[@jerseycornboy]

Beautiful!

[@ThatVideoGuyTom]

It's beautiful

[@davidaitken1023]

Very nice job

[@joosf]

Very nice cabinet, well made! 👌🏼Nice video

[@justinself9248]

Nice work!

[@TheApalachian]

Well done!

[@zachmathew4320]

Amazing work. The cabinet is stunning.

[@leedavies-hadley3402]

That's was an absolutely amazing experience. Thanks for the time and effort with this....so much inspiration!

[@milopacheco5519]

its like a mini version of Kamaji's boiler room drawers from spirited away

[@warumawaru]

so gorgeous... what a dream. Thank you so much for showing us your process and hard work, I would love to some day own one of these!

[@ButtiFarms]

Beautiful :) keep the good work budd

[@ldmlhome]

Stunning!!!

[@rishibepat2419]

beautiful

[@tatane5981]

Très joli. Magnifique travail.

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Beautiful work John! Thanks for always sharing with us!💖👌👍😎JP

[@bchi521]

wow... amazing work.

[@philoutoulon]

Magnifique 🎉 bel ouvrage , Bravo 🍾 🎉