Gun Cabinet - Fun day with dad

[Viracnis]

My parents moved to Idaho a few years back, and one of the things I've really missed is the weekend "do-it-yourself" projects my dad and I used to get into when they lived down the road.  So when dad told me they'd been in town for a few weeks for a conference, I started trying to find a fun project for us to work on.

 

Dad could only really commit to one day - so I had to find a project that we could do pretty quickly, but I was at a loss.  So this past week I was putting the Christmas decorations in the storage room and I noticed this old TV stand.  It's been collecting dust (and my overwhelming collection of White Wolf books) for years - basically since we got the flat screen. 

 

 

The wife wanted to throw it away, but I always held out hope that I'd use it for something cool.  Today was its day.  After talking over the possibilities with dad, we decided to turn this old thing into a gun cabinet.  Right now I don't have any way of securing my guns from kids or houseguests.  So we headed to home depot early this morning and got some 3/4in maple plywood and got to work. 

 

Stuff we already did:

 

- Fixed the doors so they actually close and stay closed properly.

- Doubled up the bottom to be sure it could hold the weight

- Removed the shelf from the center to make room for the guns (measured it to 5" taller than the Mosin)

- Added a stabilizer down the center to hold shelves on either side and to allow me to install a lock.

- Added a reinforced back.  It didn't have a back before.

- Added a reinforced shelf on the right side to catch the door.  That shelf will hold my valet where I dump my wallet, keys, etc every day.

- Added a shelf for the pistols (10" tall) on the left side.

- Reattached a bunch of the molding.  Replacing double-sided tape with brass screws.

- Replaced the entire top, as it had some water damage from a plant my wife kept up there when it served as a TV stand.

 

 

 

Things left to do on it next Saturday after the gun show:

 

- Binding the doors together on the left side, to make one big door.

- Install 5 more shelves on the right side - two below the one there now (for Ammo) and three above (Belts, holsters, knives).

- Install the pegs that will hold the guns along the left wall.  I've got some long wooden cabinet door pull handles for this. 

- Install the lock on the left door so I can really secure the guns from prying child hands.

 

Things I'll probably do on my own before I put it in the house:

- Put a cleat along the bottom to stop the bottom doors and hold the padding.

- Stain all the new wood.  Refinish (light sanding and light stain) the existing wood.

- Put some rubber or felt padding in the left side floor to protect the rifle stocks.

- Install battery powered lights on both sides, so I can see back onto the shelves.

- Put some hooks on the inside of both doors for hanging.... stuff.

- Hang something cool along the back wall.  I'm thinking a big metal barn star painted red.

 

I'll post more pictures as the project progresses.

 

[TGO David]

Enjoy every opportunity you can get to do things like that with your dad.  Mine would have been 66 today.  :)

[Grand Torino]

That's cool...you really are making something from nothing....congrats.

[gunwhatgun]

That is fantastic. I love to see things repurposed and made better. Thumbs up to you and your dad!

[peejman]

Nice!

[wadejjet]

Very nice! I too spent the day with my dad building a (much smaller) gun cabinet to keep my few handguns and my HD shotgun locked up when the need arises. Fun project.

[Murgatroy]

I see some D&D books in there...

[NoBanStan]

Enjoy every opportunity you can get to do things like that with your dad.  Mine would have been 66 today.  :)

 

Crazy, my father would have been 65 tomorrow 2/3

[Parrothead]

Looks like a great project. Enjoy the time with your dad!

[Fourtyfive]

Nice , my dad is 86 , I'm going to watch the Superbowl with him and share a few brews today !

[Viracnis]

I see some D&D books in there...

 

You noticed, eh?  I don't suppose you'd believe those aren't mine, that I'm just holding them for a friend?

[Murgatroy]

You noticed, eh?  I don't suppose you'd believe those aren't mine, that I'm just holding them for a friend?

We had a thread on this a couple of years ago, there are a lot of D&D players here.

 

Your secret is safe.

[Viracnis]

 

Got the doors on the left bound together after some fiddling with the hinges to get the two doors swinging on the same path. 

 

Mocked up the pegs on one wall to see how it works - 4" on center.  I think it's just about right, so I'll get the rest of the knobs and do the other two walls tonight.  The Mosin fits!

[Viracnis]

 

The gun/sword side is ready for stain.  Dad and I are heading to the gun show tomorrow - afterward we'll probably finish up the shelves on the other side and start refinishing the whole thing.  

[Viracnis]

Finished the Cabinet today.

 

Outside with the doors closed:

 

Inside:

[No_0ne]

Very nice work, and a great way to spend time with your dad.

[TrickyNicky]

Wow that came out looking great. Good job on that.

[rugerla1]

Very nice! Glad you and your Dad were able to do it together.