This Cabinet was Nearly Thrown Away!?! || Furniture Forensics

[@nadiemequire]

Another great video. Back in the 50's, my father made furniture for our home; night stands, coffee table and end tables to name a few. They were made out of a lot of scrap wood. He made things for the same reason he didn't use those "new fangled" tools, we were poor and we couldn't afford them. So that piece you're analyzing might also have been made in the '50's and for the same reason.

[@prjndigo]

This. Also I've seen two or 3 of these heavily worn re-assembled into a single "best" piece. That was also a thing.

[@danielbowers4008]

I agree. Much is learned. Rex does a great job of showing the hows and whys as well as a useful history lesson.

[@BestLittleStudio]

This is me, I have a bunch of new tools, but when I need to relax, my yoga, my therapy, my meditation, is hand tools and scrap wood and making something needed for the home. My home was built in 1921, so I build like it. Sometimes i use power tools, sometimes I don't. But this cabinet is exactly something I would build if my wife needed a cabinet like this.

[@laurareutter6928]

I bought an antique, mission style, oak library desk. When I pulled out the drawers to clean and wax them I discovered someone had written the combination to a safe on the back, outside part that never sees daylight. All in all I felt it was a pretty good hiding place yet readily accessible if you knew where to look.

[@JDeWittDIY]

Regarding the joinery of the back corners of the drawer.... I have two theories. The wood used for the 2 sides was repurposed and one end already had the rabbit, so he used it. Or, he intended to rabbit both sides, but either the stock was not long enough, or it was cut too short and he just went with it. Good video, thanks Rex!

[@bobby-c7731]

I thought of the exact two theories about the drawer back.

[@shannonburke5286]

I was just thinking, $5 says that one of the drawer sides was too short!

[@rocktoonzz]

This almost looks like some of the parts, like the drawer face and doors, might have been re-used from a completely different piece or pieces, and whoever made this just did their best to fit them in and blend them without using paint. Neat piece!

[@mikegleaden5096]

Exactly my thoughts. Might also explain the claimed 1950s build date against the traditional methods in the doors

[@GregoryAlbright-t3p]

I didn't realize until recently. My children and grand children cherish the terrible furniture I made for them 30-40 years ago, that I knocked together because something is better than nothing. Had I known that the furniture I was building would take on the history it has, I would have done a better job, or at least taken more care. That nail that i bent over and smashed into the wood, thinking "good enough" was a mistake...

[@dlevi67]

Your enthusiasm about these modest pieces is contagious, Rex - I collect furniture, and I have found myself reassessing some of the simpler pieces and appreciating them more for what they are, rather than looking at the nicer pieces with 'collector envy' and upgraditis. Thank you!

[@contestwill1556]

waiting for the one where he finds someone's incriminating evidence

[@thomassmith4144]

I do restoration work. On one call, I was looking at a customer’s roll top desk. The roll top was locked and they had misplaced the key. So I got it open, and yep….a stash of weed in there. I just handed it to the customer and kept working. Haha

[@nokidding152]

@@thomassmith4144oh man I was getting ready for something big lol. That's like not even a come in a lot of places today.

[@contestwill1556]

@@thomassmith4144 "it's clear from this grain selection and giant bag of weed that the craftsman who built this was high out of their mind"

[@Nurk0m0rath]

I've learned so much from this series it sometimes boggles my mind. From the last one I saw, the simple bench, I learned that I have been using nails wrong my entire life. In the last week, I used that knowledge to build an open, overhead shelf, including making my own brackets, that is sturdy enough to support my weight, using only scrounged lumber and nails from a local school building I'm helping to refurbish. I gave myself a personal challenge to use only free materials, and the only things in it that I had to pay for are the screws I used to attach it to the wall, and the finish I applied to the wood. Never again will I throw away nails because I think they can't hold a joint. So thanks for that. I can't wait to see what this series can teach me next.

[@bobt2522]

I watched this while I was sitting in my dining room. As you described the cabinet, I was looking at my corner cabinet that I inherited from my mother. My parents had it in the early 60s but I don't know when it was made. It appears to be factory made and is more upscale than your brother's cabinet. The doors are rail and stile but they are joined with floating splines, nailed from the inside. Instead of hiding the joints where pieces come together, they are highlighted with roundovers. Thanks to you, I want to take everything out of it to examine the back construction. My wife would like me to just empty it out.

[@DerekKnop]

This reminds me of things my grandfather would build when I was very young. It uses things that might otherwise go to waste, including various nails he might of had laying around. It might be newer and older than people think, because if someone was a furnaturemaker in the 1870s - 1900ish then made this after they retired using just what they knew during their working career, then it could easily be as new as the 1920s easily. There were Civil War Veterans alive up to the 1940s, with the last suvivors of each side dying in the 1950s.

[@IronheartStudios]

Having worked in museums for years, I can tell you that the the public often uses the phrase "1950s" to just mean "I dunno, old-timey". People don't always know as much as they think they do.

[@darcelknowles8665]

In the 1950's many old farm houses that had been built in the 1880-90's were being torn down. People like my Grandfather would salvage the choice parts to incorporate into his and his children's homes.

[@projectrebuild908]

It's like the whole piece was designed round that one draw. Great video.

[@karolskakes388]

12:31 My guess is that the material for drawer sides came from a prior piece - thus one rear corner had already been made, the other was left as a simple butt joint. It might be that the right side was sawed off the board that forms the back, maybe?

[@jong2359]

I really like seeing the old concrete method of keeping things "right." There are so many instagram woodworkers out there these days producing pieces that aesthetically look appealing to a large audience, but literally start to fall apart if you look at them closer than 5 feet away. This piece is a testament to iron construction, and the lack of shortcuts is refreshing to reference.

[@notreallymyname3736]

"This carpenter used 6 different wood speices in this cabinet". Me nervously looking at painted kitchen cabinets I made from god knows how many different paint grade lumber spieces : "Haha who does that? I would NEVER consider doing such a thing"!

[@beglitchery]

The table in my kitchen came with my 1892 house and the seller swore it comes from the same time or earlier. It is country made, and has a base that folds up and the whole table top swings into a vertical position for storage. It’s about 7x5 feet. I wish I could get your forensics take on it!

[@coreygrua3271]

A CSI for workers of wood. These videos absolutely fascinate and please me. I like old furniture and Rex make that “like” even more meaningful.

[@Vikingwerk]

The weird mix of materials, but quality of construction leads me to think this was built by a professional carpenter who generally built cabinets and cupboards and doors in home construction (as you know, windows, doors, cupboards and cabinets used to be built on-site by home builders.) The weird mix of materials sings to my soul as being leftover bits from various jobs. Having worked construction, I can attest, every builder has a house full of projects made with the scraps from every job we work. 😂

[@TuxPanther]

I really love this serie! What I love about it is that... it's real furniture! It's easy on YT to fall on the trap of perfect handmade furniture. Here, it's the product of a good craftman and ... time, and peoples live. It's awesome.

[@wesandell]

This style of cupboard is the cover photo in the book "Country Pine" by Bill Hylton with detailed plans on how to build it inside. Hylton says he modeled it after a cupboard built in 1840 from Western Maryland. The photos in the book look pretty much identical to what your brother has. So, it may be older as you suspect, or a recreation of an older one by an amateur/hobbiest in the 1950s.

[@yizhuolin3906]

talking about corner cabinet, I remember the corner cabinet/ tv unit in my grandfather's house where they had an old TV set on it, and underneath were storage for wine, alcohol, shot glasses and snack.

[@Suppennudl]

I love to see Furniture Forensics, it's great to see some context for different techniques and styles.

[@rocketmaaaaan]

Yes more furniture forensics!! This piece specifically, with its large variety of wood species, puts me in mind that maybe the creator worked in a furniture factory or large local shop, someone who had access to a wide variety of scrap stock. I have a quilt that is made of 100s of different polyester doubleknit fabrics, far more than a home seamstress would conceivable have used to outfit her family. I wondered if it was made by a professional seamstress in a factory setting, and my sewing friend commented that her relative had been a pro seamstress in the 60s and had made many similar quilts. There is no way of knowing for sure that's how my quilt was made, of course That being said, I know way more about fabric than wood, so maybe some of these wood species wouldn't have been used in larger-scale production mid-century? But the wide variety of seemingly good stock puts me in mind of someone who had access to some sort of industrial scale wood supply

[@red-republican]

I really love this series of yours. I imagine it must be a lot of fun for you; how many times have you walked into an old house, seen a lovely old handmade piece of furniture with interesting and curious design choices, and nobody to talk to about things like this (or at least, nobody with the patience or interest to listen)? It's a beautiful thing to admire these works of love that craftsmen poured their living time and hands into, and who probably aren't around anymore. The world is full of stories like this one if you just take the time to stop, look, and listen. This really scratches that itch for me, and it's really informative for someone who wants to get into woodworking (and who maybe doesn't need the "best" techniques, but who can see that "acceptable" ones can last forever).

[@cheezmartian]

I saw something really cool done with wood in Windsor Castle (Royal one). Someone had used a unique grain pattern over a 2m/7ft ish cabinet making an otherwise ugly grain into something that looked like a Zebra😮

[@michaelrickert7999]

Great video. These old pieces have story to tell. We have a type of windsor chair that we bought in Jonsboro, AR. I can spend hours listening to the story as I look at every detail.

[@theskullkid421]

I love rex...whenever I'm feeling a bit down or overwhelmed I come back to this channel

[@gordonadams5891]

My dad, born just prior to WW I, built like this. He did this as a hobby. He liked plywood for such projects. My sister still has a hutch he built when I was in highschool. It looks like he finished it yesterday. His generation was able to build a cabin or a house from scratch. I guess codes weren't a big deal then.

[@JohnClark-tt2bl]

Hah, building codes usually started in larger cities first, because that's where faulty construction could really cause big issues. If you were outside those areas it was pretty much up to you. You wanna live in a death trap, or not?

[@dannyhale7645]

Dude, I'm watching Graham Blackburn's latest video. He just gave you a shout-out and recommended your channel. That has to be exciting. Congrats! It's well deserved. I've been learning tons of stuff from you for quite a while. Thanks for doing what you do.

[@zaphodbeeblebrox8751]

Thanks Rex. Im watching your video from a boat in the Indian Ocean and i can't wait to get back to my shed in Tasmania and restore some more old tools and furniture! I love this series of yours.

[@michaelarighi5268]

As to the thickness of the drawer sides and bottom: My guess would be that your guess of it being a drawer for the "family silver" was probably correct. Silver is heavy, making the choice of robust sides and bottom very reasonable.

[@shawnmahoney3881]

Your forensic videos are great! Love this fascinating original content.

[@Aaron-nj4ou]

Great video and discussion. As for the butt joint, drawer would likely be the last part to be made and sometimes you just need to get a piece done. Thanks Rex I always learn a lot watching these videos.

[@ping170]

Detective Rex strikes again ! Awesome 👍

[@ahorton6786]

Hello from the UK Rex. Love this furniture forensics series and your enthusiasm for the pieces. Great work 👍

[@yobgodababua1862]

LOVE this series. We need more wood forensics experts in our world.

[@andyc972]

Thanks Rex, as you say a very interesting piece of furniture with an intriguing and uncertain history !

[@madwilliamflint]

God I love these. They always look like they're not going to be particularly interesting and I'm wrong every time.

[@jasongram1287]

This reminds me a lot of some furniture I have that goes back to my grandparents. Some point in the late 1930's someone who could casually produce an entire house worth of solid good looking pieces ended up doing so, probably for a little money and a lot of traded favors. Wood was cheap where they were, so what popped out was if log furniture was made from the kind of old growth long thick and dense wood we'd kill for today. No glue, not a spot of hardware except for nails, and those are the same mix in yours that makes you wonder what century it's from. A few people's leftover bins got cleaned out making them. That butt joint in your drawer? That piece of wood wasn't cut to size for the drawer, the drawer's length was decided by how long that piece was with nothing left over for a rabbit. Same as yours, mine were refinished and repaired over time as they've been in use for almost a century. Today's antique dealers might cry, but it'll all be worth it when we spring this century old puzzle on the next generation. If we're not still using them of course.

[@jessenunes7602]

Love old furniture, keep the videos coming.

[@BlackHoleForge]

I kind of want you to take a field trip to the antiques roadshow. Not to check out million-dollar furniture, but to see great examples of how old craftsman solved their problems.

[@davidlynn7161]

I love Furniture Forensics, please don't stop. And please thank your wife for letting you bring home "crap from the side of the road".

[@gpetesr]

Bravo Rex a wonderful video, love your style and knowledge of woodworking 🙏

[@henryskinner1092]

Thank you Rex. Sorry I missed most of this. FANTASTIC as usual.

[@plfreeman111]

I wonder if a friend or local craftsman made the doors. I've certainly hit up friends that were better woodworkers than me to help me do something I didn't have the skill for yet.

[@Randomwesternredneckguy]

I think the doors may have been repurposed from an older piece of furniture.

[@Owen-rl3iy]

These are some of my favorite of your videos! Furniture forensics is great

[@michaelbauer7023]

I was raised in South St Louis with houses built from 1880 to 1940... houses that were built for working-class folks... I even renovated a few of them when I was young and dumb. Because of this, I personally love these pieces that appreciate "working class" workmanship.... keep this content up!

[@jonahbrame7874]

This is my favorite content you make! I eagerly await more forensics in the future!

[@prjndigo]

I saw cabinetry done with dovetail AND pegs. Painted pegs! They transfixed the dovetails like a locking pin and were made out of thinner than normal wood, like fine paintbrush handle diameter. Didn't dig at them but I presume they were willow switch.

[@ddarrenwillsond3620]

Been watching alot of your videos lately. I just made a moxon vice with a old dumbbell bar and Indian Mahogany wood. And variety of garden benches

[@chrisp.76]

Very fun video! You really know how to keep our interest and tell a story.

[@hdwoodshop]

I love these videos. A few years ago, I was in a tough place in my life and I found shopping at goodwill and Salvation Army stores a beneficial form of therapy. On one of those visits, I found a cute night stand, which appeared to be pine, but was constructed using old and traditional techniques. I bought it for $3 bucks. It’s been 5 years and I’m still happy I bought it. I wish I could send it to you for a forensics video. Would love to learn more about how it was made. Thanks for your forensics series. Always learn something.

[@WalterRiggs]

I’m looking forward to any follow up to this bit of forensics. 😊This looks like a fantastic starting point for a corner rifle cabinet or bar

[@terristroh3965]

I absolutely love these forensic dives!

[@leonosullivan6022]

I see the family resemblance. Nice one Rex.

[@theeddorian]

That was a truly interesting investigation. The project that got me started in woodworking was building a replacement drawer for a built-in corner cabinet in my house. The drawer is five-sided.

[@J.A.Smith2397]

This series don't get enough attention! You've had me playing furniture detective for yrs now lol

[@robnichols9331]

Your forensics videos are my favourites of yours. Really enjoy them. More please

[@FireEaterJahfre]

Thanks, Rex. That was fun. I figure the reason the drawer corners were different is because the left-hand rail was shorter. If the builder was using scraps and that one happened to be one-thick-board's thickness to short....Perfect! In the same vein, do you know why migrating geese make a "V" that is longer on one side than the other? Because there are more geese on the longer side... 🙂

[@ricos1497]

I wondered if they'd maybe measured incorrectly, forgetting to include the dovetail into the drawer front, but once cut didn't want to waste the piece.

[@LJCyrus1]

I found this very interesting. Woodworking is one of those things I should probably find a way to carve time, space, and money out to do, but don't.

[@contestwill1556]

if you can carve time and space then carving wood should be easy

[@LJCyrus1]

@@contestwill1556 If only I could.

[@glencrandall7051]

Fascinating! Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.🙂🙂

[@georgesweap7]

Great series, impressive detective work, great delivery!

[@PeteLewisWoodwork]

I love the simple charm in furniture like this. Every piece tells a story, unlike the robotic and perfectly standardised furniture manufactured now - and I'm from a furniture manufacturing family! It's a pity that not many craftspeople bother making stuff like this anymore; it's a loss of part of our culture, in my opinion. Stuff cobbled together from offcuts or leftovers need not be trash if they are functional and done sympathetically.

[@PeteLewisWoodwork]

Being British, I'm certainly no expert on American furniture but from what I've seen elsewhere over many years on KZbin, I would say it looks like 1860's/1870's American Homestead furniture. It may not actually be 1870's but it has that look about it, so maybe a son learned from his father and carried on the tradition into the early 1900's and then again carried on into the mid 1900's by a grandson or something like that. Whatever, I would date it at 1870's American Homestead style (but maybe not 1870's manufacture, who knows?). Rustic? Yes. Refined? Yes. That means that whoever made it knew his craft and made the best of whatever he had hanging around. Look at how it all merges together and the only central point that stands out is that drawer front. As for the drawer sides being differently joined at the back, I assume an error was made and he had to cut down for a butt joint because he'd run out of wood and he knew it would be unseen anyway - we've all been there! As soon as I saw it, I knew that the top shelves would have originally been faced off with doors; it was obvious. It was also obvious that as time passed and people collected more things, those doors would have been removed to put stuff on open display. Due to that, I would age that piece at between maximum 1860 and 1920 (1870's is my guess); I may be wrong.

[@bertbergers9171]

Great story and great telling from a great youtuber, thanks! And keep’em coming, i like this format!

[@rb8734]

Came out to attend Greenwood Live..... I must have missed the announcement. LoL It's all good though. They opened some of the buildings so we could tour them. Neat place, maybe next year?

[@outrageous-alex]

You need to add these to your playlists!

[@RaccoonHenry]

this series is amazing! it is astonishing just how much information you manage to squeeze out of the tiniest details!

[@MrRogsmart]

A good one Rex. Thanks.

[@ikust007]

As usual … splendid work! Merci 🙏

[@cozmic337]

Love these furniture forensics.. keep doing them. Helps me see furniture differently.

[@mattmorrisson9607]

I love this series, Rex! Thanks for your expertise and passion. I learn so much from you

[@waltjwinjo8689]

Excellent video Rex, great to see, very interesting. ( I have many nice small pieces of wood that I have saved for years, waiting for a project to use them on) Hello from Ontario., can.

[@scottboettcher1344]

That was fun. Thanks, Rex!

[@kylejohnson4662]

I would be interested in seeing you analyze some old furniture from the Rocky Mountains, especially some that has been hand painted to look like oak.

[@jennyattuross]

Terrific video. Very nice to see the koala on the top shelf. Cheers 🇦🇺

[@HippoXXL]

Furniture Forensics are my favorite! 💙 Greetings from Germany, Marcus

[@pointerish]

Awesome video, Rex. That drawer was very interesting indeed.

[@RexKrueger]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@AusterEngineer]

How is this comment from 4 days ago😂

[@jsaurman]

@@AusterEngineer His Patreon members get to see the videos way before the general public does.

[@AusterEngineer]

@@jsaurman might have to become a patron now! Thanks

[@MBDronePhoto]

I have a similar antique corner piece. Will have to pull the drawers out and check it all out. Very similar build TBH

[@clydebalcom3679]

It is beautiful. I like corner cabinets.

[@Jacob-iy1jx]

There was never a drawer bottom like that, I mean the bevel. I'll take that into account when I make my cabinets. Greetings from Mexico.

[@strongjohn10956]

Another faninating analysis! Thank you!

[@psguardian]

8:40 I've been attacked! Send reinforcements y'all. HAHAHA That Scrap.

[@johnford7847]

Very interesting, Rex. Thank you.

[@DavZell]

These are my favorite videos of yours. Keep them coming!

[@michaelmcdermott2178]

Really interesting, thanks, Rex!

[@frok7770]

Love those videos. Keep up the good work !!

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

It fits that corner very well.

[@RexKrueger]

It's hard to believe it didn't come with the house.

[@Legman688]

That left rear joint in the drawer. The one that's butted and nailed. He didn't run out of time or patience. The piece of wood he used for the left side of the drawer was too short to get the rabbet treatment the other back corner got. Whether because he miscut it, or his boy did, or just the piece of scrap he picked turned out to be a little too short.

[@stanp1104]

That was fun. Nice sleuthing.

[@filippovolpato8392]

Do you have any tips on how to deal with woodworm, both in your shop and that might be in vintage pieces? Love your work, keep up the amazing videos.

[@UserNameAnonymous]

Send a few different slivers of the different woods to get carbon dated haha. Does that even work? Great video, Rex.

[@RexKrueger]

As I understand it, that tells you the age of the tree, not the age of the piece it's used in, but I really don't know.

[@UserNameAnonymous]

@@RexKrueger - I believe it tells you how many years it's been since the tree died. In this case, it might not help if it was reclaimed wood.

[@e24mpwr]

These are so enjoyable - really appreciate your insight, knowledge and enthusiasm!

[@markhowlett1705]

Great video! sometimes utility is good enough

[@orange-micro-fiber9740]

I love this series.

[@Aard-Vark]

That's a nice picture of you, Rex.

[@u8qu1tis]

My parents have a super cheaply made corner cabinet probably from the 40s or 50s that smooths out the transition from the hall around where the fridge sits in the kitchen.

[@MisterRose90]

Not gonna lie seeing something like this makes me feel a hell of a lot better about what I make. 😂

[@ShunKodori-zp4ru]

Rex, can you cover how to do nice inlays with hand-tools?

[@rawr2u190]

I think the most likely thing is that this was a time traveler's ongoing project. Built over a number of different time leaps with nails from different eras.

[@slomkaadas9603]

Great idea for videos - pls do them even if viewing rate will be small. I love stuff like this ❤ Cheers from Poland 🍻