Paul Jackman Builds a Hidden Bar Inside of a Road Case

This week’s video is for all you DIYer’s at heart, who love to craft things on and off your boat, and explore the endless possibilities of unique functional projects. That said, this week’s video is from none other than Paul Jackman of Jackman Works! He recently shared a unique build: a hidden bar inside of a road case. It left us wondering, what else can we make and hide a mini bar inside?

Jackman describes this project as five in one:

Given that Paul built this piece out of solid wood (versus a thin veneer) you know he had to use some of the highest quality products to get the job done 😉

For the road case, Jackman used High Performance Epoxy tinted with some Pigment Dispersion to fill in any voids on the panels. After sanding it all smooth, he coated them with Gleam Marine Spar Varnish, which really made the red oak pop. Bonus: in the video Jackman showed quick clips of the full varnish process, which included a first coat, sanding, cleaning with denatured alcohol, then a second coat.

When piecing the case together, he used Thixo Pro to adhere the aluminum extrusions as well as for the latches and handles. Once the case is finally assembled, he gives the interior a coat of Gleam.

Moving on to the cabinet and drawers inside the case, we get to enjoy Jackman’s video editing artistry, as he skillfully builds the interior structure and each drawer using a variety of tried and true woodworking techniques, including use of a dovetail jig. The completed drawers get varnished with a spray coat of Halcyon Water Based Marine Varnish.

Jackman used various woods for this project, from red oak, to walnut, to upcycled pallet wood panels from an older project. The pallet wood plays its part in this build as the countertop for the mini bar. After laminating the panels together, they get a coat of Penetrating Epoxy and a top coat of TableTop Epoxy. And for the underside of the countertop? You guessed it, more Gleam varnish!

Thixo makes one last appearance as Jackman uses the Fast Cure to help adhere some engraved boxes to the doors. These boxes hold the cup dispensers and the ice, a necessity for the mini bar!

It’s always a joy to watch Paul work his magic both in video editing and his woodworking projects. We hope you enjoy this week’s video, and feel inspired to build something fun.

Be sure to check out Jackman's other projects, like his 'Upside Down Boat,' or his crazy Giant Screwdriver!