This project got me involved with woodworking a few years back.  I had always "dabbled" with minor things, but I had this dream to build a display case for my main hobby, scale models.  This was built entirely out of red oak and one sheet of ply for the base. All wood was off the shelf and I used an old cheap Ryobi miter saw that I discovered is badly out of square.  I also bought a biscuit joiner, dowel jig and a router for this one.
The mirrors on the back were out of our two bathroom remodels we did and all the side and top glass was recycled from glass we had a work for desk surfaces they were throwing out.  I think I had to buy only one piece.
After building this I came to the conclusion that NO wood is square and ready to use as you buy it.



This is an old cherry wood box that was used in the South Carolina Senate chamber for many years.  It housed all of the microphone kill switches for Senators mics.  When they restored the State House, they were placed temporarily in an old hotel across the street from it.  When they moved back in after remodeling, all the electronic gear was abandonded. I was told to go pull everything and get rid of it.  I could not part with this box and held on to it for probably 15 years or more until my son asked me to build him a humidor.


It was a little plane looking, so I added some details.
Started with a piece of walnut and cut out a silhouette of SC and glued it to the top.


I didn't like how "flat" it looked, so I pulled out my little palm plane and gave it some shape with a little curvature.


Years ago I was at a small chain department store a friend managed in Myrtle Beach.  I saw these "trinkets" at the cash register for something like a buck or two each and grabbed a couple.  With my hoarding tendencies, I tossed them into my dresser drawer that collects junk and always wanted to find a way to use them.



So using a forstner bit, I countersunk a hole for them to fit in and epoxied them in place.

Finished image of the top after a few fresh coats of polyurethane.  had a hell of a time sanding off all the old yellowed clear. I never realized it was cherry until I started removing the old crap.



Here's the inside.  I cut corners due to Christmas deadline with having to ship this to him in Colorado.  I bought the cigar tray off Amazon and the bulk cedar to line the box as well.


Headboard for my daughter.  She "designed" it, I made it happen.  I guess one day she will hand this down to her kids.


Cart for my electric smoker.  Made of redwood.


Outdoor "Mud Kitchen" for our grand.  I actually whipped this up in a couple of hours from scrap wood I had saved. That hoarding thing again...


Coworker introduced me to the little bandsaw boxes everyone was making.  I figured it was a great excuse to guy a used Jet bandsaw and an extension to raise it up.


This was a little something I made for my wife for Christmas since she's a Clemson grad.  It was a lot of hard work, but very satisfying.  To this day, she has not once opened it up and used it to "stash" anything.  But it's kind of cool.


Other than some small items, this is about it for now.  We moved into a new home 3 months ago and my garage is much, much smaller now and I'm having to juggle classic car storage with work being done.  And all my wood remnants are stacked in a corner until my 12X24 storage building comes next month.  Hell, I'm still "moving in" at this point anyway.

Here's a few more display cases I made for my diecast car collection. I need to make about 3 or 4 more, just no room to display them now.




In their new home...

Wow!  Those projects look great!  And nice recovery for the box.  

Like you I hate to throw things out and often look to see how I can adapt or reuse items in other projects.  I have been known to reclaim all kinds of miscellanies materials by salvaging someone else's "Junk".

No model trains?
No Vanishing Point Challenger?
No liquor display w/ an unnecessary amount of bourbon?

Very nice display cases, though

ETA: Is that Saturn V made out of Lego?

Very nice, and I like the Saturn V in the corner too!

Saturn V is actually a 1/72 scale model put out by Dragon a few years back.  I have the space shuttle to go with it.



Someone say trains??

Trying to figure out where to put it at the new house.

Love the Wine Barrel train.  Very cool.

Are you going to show us the vintage red mustang at some point, or just tease us?

GT500?

Well, okay. Since you asked.
Here it is all dirty and dusty from the old house before pulling it in the garage.  
Not a Shelby, but a real GT.  



In his new bedroom

Damn!
I once had a 68, just a 6 banger, but fun nonetheless.
Yours is sweet!

That is a very neat design idea with the old style gas pump looking display cases

OP that's a nice bunch of work you posted.  
But that box is Mahogany not cherry.  Honduran I'd guess due to the fine grain. Maybe cuban if old enough.

That was my thought as well.

Op's collection of models reminds me of my Dad's in his "man cave".
he had a ton of trains, mostly HO but some older Lionel stuff, lots of cars and lots of airplanes.
Most of his airplane models he made himself back in the late '30's and early '40's from pictures in magazines.
all carved from scratch from solid wood scraps he found laying around.

Thanks. I’m a noob at figuring out wood unless it comes with a label stuck to it.