Tea Cabinet

The elegant arched case of this tea cabinet is a great way to practice bent lamination and showcase some unique wood.

- Dillon Baker

PROJECT #2216

Skill Level: Advanced

Time: 3 Days

Cost: $150

If you're like me, it's difficult to imagine beginning the day without a piping hot cup of a caffeinated beverage. For some, this beverage may be coffee, but for the rest of us, it's more than likely tea. Consumed only second to water, tea possesses a past that's as long as it is complex. Dating back as far as the Han Dynasty (second century B.C.), lore has it that Emperor Shen Nung-while passing through the countryside experienced a gust of wind that caused a leaf to split from a branch and land conveniently into his boiling cup of water. Regardless of whether you believe this legend to be true or not is irrelevant because what's undeniable is tea's omnipresence and global popularity. So, what better way to celebrate the ritual of waking up than by constructing a shrine to house your favorite beverage? Follow along step-by-step as I take you through the process of building a tea cabinet that's as timeless as the tea itself.

Creating the Form

Start by creating the bending form for the main carcass. I used 3/4" Baltic birch plywood, though any plywood can be used for this application. The radius of the form should match that of the interior of the finished cabinet. I chose to oversize the depth (i.e., thickness) of the form to account for refinement once the lamination has cured.

Once you have the bending form constructed, go ahead and drill a series of holes (1¹/2" in diameter) around the perimeter. There is no perfect formula; just create enough holes to provide sufficient clamping pressure around the lamination.