Since this system was designed to be portable, I figured that it would be subject to a decent amount of wear-and-tear and the occasional water sprinkling. As such, I didn't want to use MDF due to its soft corners and water absorbing characteristics. Instead, I used a ¾" 11-ply hardwood plywood; luckily this cabinet is just small enough that all of the external walls can be built from a single 2 ft. x 4 ft. pre-cut panel. However, I did need to use a few scraps of ¾" material that I had leftover in the workshop for some of the internal bracing and partitioning. More detailed info and drawings of the enclosure can be found within this project write-up on the website.

Assembly was done with air brad nails, glue, and a few biscuits. The four side joints were mitered to 45 degrees, biscuited, and then a 1" x 1" reinforcing stringer was nailed and glued from the inside. The stringer was dual-purpose in that it was used for bracing and to create the proper seating depth for the front and rear panels. The electronics sub-enclosure was installed and fastened, and then the front and rear panels were set into place and secured. All seams were sealed and reinforced with polyurethane glue.

As far as achieving the aesthetic look I was going for, it was actually a simple process, though admittedly a bit time consuming. First, I used a 3/8" roundover bit to ease all of the edges to give the softer look I was going for. Then, I used automotive body filler on all of the cracks and voids, and rubbed a thin layer onto all exposed end grain and sanded smooth with medium grit sandpaper. After this, I applied several coats of a filler/primer spray paint out of a can and sanded smooth with fine grit sandpaper. Next was a first color coat of Rust-Oleum gloss white spray enamel which I let dry for a day or two and then gave a quick once over with very fine sandpaper. A final coat of the gloss white spray-can Rust-Oleum, and I was in business with a finish that looks very rich and is quite durable.