Nick Logston

Firearms cabinet

Gun safes are the preferred method of storing and securing firearms and ammunition

(Gun Safes) .Firearms cabinets have been built and used for hundreds of years. Firearms

cabinets began being built to keep guns out of the weather, and to keep them locked up and

safe. Overtime the looks of gun cabinets as well as the process to building a firearms cabinet

have changed slightly. Today more design and technique are put towards the production of the

cabinet. Also, today we understand more about wood types which allows us to build stronger

better lasting cabinets. Here are the basics on building a gun cabinet: tools, wood types, and

finishing’s. All in all, the cabinet allows you to store your weapons for everyone to see, and

provides you the stage to show off your assortment of firearms.

Deciding on the type of wood to use for the firearms cabinet is the most important part

of building. The most preferred wood type is oak. Oak is one of the least expensive types of

wood because it is very strong and durable and also lasts for a long time (Bradstream). One

down side of using oak wood is that if it placed near windows where sunlight can shine on the

cabinet because over time the sunlight causes the colors to fade (Bradstream). Another, types

of wood that is widely used when building is Hickory. Hickory wood is stronger than oak and in

the end will last a lot longer and needs no finish, but because Hickory wood is stronger it also

means that it has a higher price (Bradstream). Beech wood is also a good choice when choosing

wood types because there is a lot of it and it is also a cheaper wood (Bradstream). Last but not

least, “Mahogany is the most preferred wood to use. Mahogany is the creme de la creme of

cabinet wood” (Bradstream). The dark colored wood will not show wear and tear, but it will

darken over time (Bradstream). All in all, deciding on the type of wood to use for your cabinet is

the most important part of cabinet building, but it all depends on the buyer’s preferences.

Another important part of building your firearms cabinet is having the right tools for

building and designing the cabinet. Some of the tools needed are “Table saw or circular saw;

drill; jig saw; circular saw; belt sander; drum sander; and wood plane”(Peter Fiduccia). The

table saw is used to cut the shape of the wood in which you want the cabinet; an example is the

main sides of the cabinet. The drill is used to drill holes for the hinges to be hung for the door,

to shoot screws in the wood to hold the cabinet together and to insert the lock to ensure that

the firearms inside the case are safe. The jig saw is used to cut small pieces of wood such as the

slits that have to be cut in order to keep the guns in place inside the cabinet. The circle saw is

used to carve designs inside the wood for finishing touches. Many times people carve types of

lines or even picture into the wood to make it unique in look. The belt sander is used to sand

the flat surfaces of the cabinet to get it ready for staining if the buyer chooses to stain the

cabinet. On the other hand, the drum sander is used to sand down the designs. In many cases

the designs are small thin grooves that that need to be lightly sanded to make sure they are not

damaged. Last but not least, the wood plane is used to cut and measure the wood to make sure

all cuts and measurement are professional and precise. Making sure you have the right tools to

make the look of your cabinet turn out right is a big part of building your cabinet.

Another big part of finalizing your cabinet is putting the finishing or staining on the

cabinet. Staining can take a long time depend on how much wood there is to stain, not counting

adding the finishing to it (Staining Kitchen Cabinets). Cabinet staining is difficult because wood

colors vary even if they are of the same species (Staining Kitchen Cabinets). Many times when

you stain cabinets you will notice darker and lighter shades all over the cabinet, but the ending

results almost always turn out nice and in the end the color change is not as noticeable as when

you start. When you add stain to the wood, it allows for the wood to keep a deep color and it

protects the colors from fading as bad. In the end, when you put finishing on the cabinet it

helps protect the stain applied and allows the cabinet to have a glossy finishing look to it. All in

all, adding stain and finish to your cabinet give it a great look and protects the cabinet all the

same.

Safety to the firearm cabinet is also a big deal to the buyer to ensure that their firearms

will be safe while inside the cabinet. “A gun safe is specifically designed with two purposes in

mind - to protect valuable guns and to restrict access to them to only authorized persons” (Gun

Safes Information). There are three main options to choose from to make sure your cabinet is

locked safely, a tradition lock and key, a traditional mechanical dial lock, or an electronic

keypad lock. The traditional lock and key is the easiest and cheapest way to go to lock your

cabinet for security purposes such as keeping children out of the cabinet. Another solution

would be to use a traditional dial lock which is very safe and effective way to keep not just

children but burglars also from entering the gun cabinet. Last but not least, the electronic

keypad is the best and most effective way to keep your firearms safe, but the down side on this

is that it is the most expensive way to keep your cabinet locked. The upside to having the

electronic keypad is knowing that no one but the owner himself will be able to open the gun

cabinet without a struggle. Another thing to look at when purchasing an old fashioned gun

cabinet is does it use glass or Plexiglas. Glass is often cheaper and more effective if you are not

worried about burglary. The downside to glass is that if bumped wrong it can be easily broken.

Plexiglas on the other hand, is strong, durable, and also easy to see through. Plexiglas is often

higher priced but much safer to use. All in all, ensuring the safety of your guns is important

when building a gun cabinet.