Project Of The Day : Desktop Thermoelectric Winadors

[shilala]

I finally got the shop done and I'm ready to get down to business.
I did a couple little projects to get used to my new tools, and now I'm starting a little bigger one for the same reason.
I'm simply pimping out a half dozen Fridgidaire Thermoelectric Desktop Winadors.
There will be four drawers in each, capacity will be over 200 robustos. Actually, it'll handle 192 6" sticks, I do believe. I figured it out roughly yesterday. It all depends on how you arrange stuff, of course, but the trays are of nice size and they're a nice capacity.
I plan to work in some spanish cedar, humidity control, a good hygrometer/thermometer, etc. They'll arive to new owners ready to plug in and fill with sticks. No cleaning, fetching extra stuff, or seasoning.

I built the prototype drawer yesterday to get my dimensions down, and I built the first drawer frame. The drawer fronts will get cherry, chestnut, oak, or zebrawood fronts and some sort of drawer pulls. Basically whatever I have laying around.

I'm not sure of the particular particulars yet, I won't know exactly what I'm going to do until I do it.

One thing I'm doing that I've not done in the past is to make the drawers interchangeable in place. Usually I'll make them custom to maximize room, and the drawers have to go back in their specific glides. I'm making these so that they'll all go anywhere and can be replaced if the dog eats one.

This morning I have to build a jig for assembly, otherwise it'll take me forever to build all these drawers. Wish me luck on that. I've been thinking on it since last night and I got nothing. :D

Anyways, a couple pics...

Most all the pieces...
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/9f817530.jpg

The first usable drawer...
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/1be4b700.jpg

[Jefft72]

Looks like a lot of fun! I'll be looking for more progress pics as you get the final units finished.

Here's an idea for your drawer jig: Use some scrap stock that would be fixed to the work surface that will hold the drawer sides upright and square to the others. You could use some 2x2 on either side of the drawer side so that the drawer pieces are held in place. Apply glue to the ends and then set the drawer bottom on top with some glue and a few brads (drawer assembled upside down). 4 clamps to hold everything tight.

Given your available work area you could have several of these setup in glue.

[Blak Smyth]

Looking forward to seeing how these progress Scott!

[chaase321]

Looks like you are going to have quite a good time Scott. Good luck and enjoy yourself. Can't wait to see the progress :tu

[kelmac07]

Looking forward to seeing this final product. :D

[shilala]

Looks like a lot of fun! I'll be looking for more progress pics as you get the final units finished.

Here's an idea for your drawer jig: Use some scrap stock that would be fixed to the work surface that will hold the drawer sides upright and square to the others. You could use some 2x2 on either side of the drawer side so that the drawer pieces are held in place. Apply glue to the ends and then set the drawer bottom on top with some glue and a few brads (drawer assembled upside down). 4 clamps to hold everything tight.

Given your available work area you could have several of these setup in glue.
That'd work, but my side stock is under 3/8" and it's all presanded. If I smear glue all around the inside of the box, it'll cost me more time than I saved.
I managed to work out a clamping setup that allows me to clean the glue, pre-drill and nail everything, and keep everything square. I just gotta move fast. :D

[icehog3]

You are a whirling Derbish, Scott! :D

[shilala]

I got a set of drawer bodies done for the first unit. They worked out very well and went real quick once I got a groove on.
The very first unit I unboxed, the stupid light doesn't work. I'll have to open another one and swap out the lighting board and see if it's broken or if a wire is pulled off. I'll check the main board first and see if it's even connected.

The second pic is the drawer faces. I resawed some cherry and it looks like it'll be nice. I pulled out a chunk of zebrawood to run through the planer, I'll make a set of faces from it, as well. I dug out some really nice brazilian cherry that's gonna look nice, too.
Things is, the window in the door is very dark. I can hadly see through it, so I'm not going to fuss too much with the faces, no one will be able to see them anyways. I'm going to go with something very simple on most of them.

Okay, pics...
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/e0c6104f.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/1b5a4c8a.jpg

[Jasonw560]

Lolking great so far!!

I am jealous of your ability. I'm going to try and do some small stuff to see how much I suck, and if there's any hope for me to wood work.

[Ogre]

Looking good brother. You have one great skill there.

[Digs]

Scott that looks great! You say your pimping out a 1/2 dozen, they for sale?

[emopunker2004]

I got a set of drawer bodies done for the first unit. They worked out very well and went real quick once I got a groove on.
The very first unit I unboxed, the stupid light doesn't work. I'll have to open another one and swap out the lighting board and see if it's broken or if a wire is pulled off. I'll check the main board first and see if it's even connected.

The second pic is the drawer faces. I resawed some cherry and it looks like it'll be nice. I pulled out a chunk of zebrawood to run through the planer, I'll make a set of faces from it, as well. I dug out some really nice brazilian cherry that's gonna look nice, too.
Things is, the window in the door is very dark. I can hadly see through it, so I'm not going to fuss too much with the faces, no one will be able to see them anyways. I'm going to go with something very simple on most of them.

Okay, pics...
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/e0c6104f.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/1b5a4c8a.jpg

Empty humidor :D

[Blak Smyth]

Scott,
Are you selling the whole units?
How much?
I would be interested in one but I don't know how soon.

[shilala]

Scott that looks great! You say your pimping out a 1/2 dozen, they for sale?

Scott,
Are you selling the whole units?
How much?
I would be interested in one but I don't know how soon.
Yes, I'll be selling them. I have no idea how much until I finish them and cost them out. I'll figure something out in the next week or two. :tu

[chaase321]

Yes, I'll be selling them. I have no idea how much until I finish them and cost them out. I'll figure something out in the next week or two. :tu

Woot Woot!

Looking good Scott :banger waiting to see more pictures once you get it all finished up.

[czerbe]

Nice job when your done you can build me one as well LOL

[shilala]

I made drawer fronts. I went with Cherry, Black Walnut and Zebrawood because that's what I had laying around. I guees I should have taken a picture. Duh. :)

[jonumberone]

Scott, what are the dimensions of the unit you are using, or bottle capacity?
I had thought about getting a small winador to only store vintage singles in.
The unit in your pic appears to be larger than I imagined.
Though, it's hard to tell scale from the images.

[shilala]

Scott, what are the dimensions of the unit you are using, or bottle capacity?
I had thought about getting a small winador to only store vintage singles in.
The unit in your pic appears to be larger than I imagined.
Though, it's hard to tell scale from the images.
It's an 8 bottle, Dom. It's about 18" high by 10" wide by 20" deep.
They all run about 20" deep, I chose this model because of the small footprint. It'd sit on a counter really nice.
It'll hold about 200 robustos, easily. Mix and matching things, probably more. It'd hold a serious mess of pc's and lanceros. :D

[jonumberone]

It's an 8 bottle, Dom. It's about 18" high by 10" wide by 20" deep.
They all run about 20" deep, I chose this model because of the small footprint. It'd sit on a counter really nice.
It'll hold about 200 robustos, easily. Mix and matching things, probably more. It'd hold a serious mess of pc's and lanceros. :D

Thanks Scott! :tu

That sounds about perfect, both in size and capacity, for my needs.
will be on the lookout for the finished product.

[shilala]

Thanks Scott! :tu

That sounds about perfect, both in size and capacity, for my needs.
will be on the lookout for the finished product.
I just about have one done. If I'd get off my ass, I'd be done today. :D

[shilala]

I finished up the drawers, the faces just need taken off and polyurethaned. I'm just going to leave the faces natural color, the cherry has an awesome grain that I took advantage of when I resawed the material for the faces.
Here's what they look like...

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/6a45241d.jpg

http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/4965f494.jpg

And the unit closed up...
http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad96/scottshilala/460518b7.jpg

[shilala]

See how you can just barely see through the glass on the door?
It's a lot different than what I'm used to, but I suppose it'll make these things a lot easier for the wives to look at. :)

[kelmac07]

Beautiful Scott!! Might have to get in line to snag one of those. :tu :tu

[Bax]

Looks good Scott! Another cool project in the books:tu

[maninblack]

Those look awesome Scott!! You did a great job!

[CigarNut]

Very cool Scott!

What are the dimensions of the drawers?

[Blak Smyth]

See how you can just barely see through the glass on the door?
It's a lot different than what I'm used to, but I suppose it'll make these things a lot easier for the wives to look at. :)

I like it like that, the wife wouldn't complain as much if she can't see in :D
I like how you shaped the top drawer too.

[shilala]

Very cool Scott!

What are the dimensions of the drawers?
Michael, they're 10 7/16" long x 6 3/8" wide x 2 1/2" deep.
The bottom three drawers have 3/4" headroom which may allow an extra row depending on what type of smokes go in there. The top drawer doesn't have the headroom because there's a useless light in the roof that screws things up.

[shilala]

I like it like that, the wife wouldn't complain as much if she can't see in :D
I like how you shaped the top drawer too.
I was going to shape the bottom drawer, but it was an engineering tradeoff.
I had to stay true to the guides in the sides of the unit. If I made the face longer, which I could have done, the bottom drawer would not sit flat when it's removed.
My goal was to make them all interchangeable, but the top drawer guides forced me to make the top drawer face shorter than the rest.
I had to balance the whole thing with as much reason and common sense as possible to make it as sensible as possible.
In the end, the bottom 3 drawers are completely interchangable, the drawers all have flat bottoms, and it's obvious the top drawer goes where it goes.
There's plenty of space everywhere, front, back, and between drawers for airflow. Overall, I'm pleased. In a perfect world the drawer glides would have been spaced the way I needed them, but at least it was close. :tu

[Hem]

Beautiful work Scott!

[kelmac07]

So Scott...what's the price point on these things???

[shilala]

So Scott...what's the price point on these things???
I tried to crunch numbers on it the other day, and it looks like about $350. Heheh, tree fiddy. No, really. I'm not sure what shipping is like, it'll take me an hour or two just to get one packed to ship. Probably looking at $400 shipped, realistically, before it's all said and done.
I do have one that the light doesn't work. It's not the connections or the led panel, it's a broke wire somewhere in the body of the unit, hence unfixable. I'll have to let that one go cheaper or bomb it out or use it for awhile or something.
The light is senseless anyways, but in my way of thinking, for that kind of money, it damn well better work whether I'm using it or not.

[shilala]

I finished this sweet baby up and decided to let it go in the Troop Support Auction, in case any of you guys are interested.
You can see it right here. (http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=55890)
There's some finished pics in that thread, as well. She turned out really pretty, I'm looking forward to banging out a few more when I get some rainy days. :)
All the pieces are cut, they just need sanded, finished and assembled. I need to gather them all up and put them on a shelf and get them off my workbench. The shop is jam packed now that I brought the motorcycles home. That's gonna force me to build a shed now. That should slow me down considerably. :D