Beth's built-in: construction is complete

Ready for stain. Construction is complete. I may still do a little touch-up sanding. Stain and polyurethane is next.

Over the past week or so, I have been working on the final steps in the first phase of this built-in project. This includes fabricating the shelves as well as fabricating and attaching the casing molding.

Trimming the shelves. Here I have rough cut the shelves to size, added a thin oak strip to hide the plywood edge and am about to use my router to trim these strips flush.

Making the casing. I had hoped to find some oak door casing which I want to trim the outside of the built-in with. But, after checking several sources without success, I decided to make my own. I just cut a simple cove with my router.

Installation. I use a spacer (held in place with the spring clamp) to properly position the casing and attach it with brads and glue. The dark area of the top right corner is where I wiped away some glue with a damp cloth.

Nice. I decided to trim out the built-in the same way a window is trimmed out. I like the way this looks.

What it will look like. Here is a simple SketchUp illustration of the built-in installed.

After I have applied the stain and polyurethane, I will have to mount the built-in into the wall in my daughter's bathroom. This will be the second phase of this project, and will require some decent work. I will have to cut a 23" x 64" opening in the wall, frame the wall opening with 2 x 4's, and build a simple platform for the built-in to rest on. So there is still a lot to do before this project is completed.

To see all the posts on this project including design aspects, click here.

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Have a question or comment? Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below. Or jump over to Facebook and leave me a message. My email is jobranch@yahoo.com. And if you like this post or this project, you can subscribe to Wood Fever.net by clicking here.

My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.

SketchUp design #2 - TV Console project

Moldings. This second design for the TV console features traditional elements.

When I meet with my Dad in the next few days to go over design options for his new TV console, I want to be able to present him with at least two ideas. What you see in this post is the second design.

The room where the TV console will reside is very traditional containing paneled wainscoting and heavy crown molding. The first design is somewhat modern in feel, so I wanted to design a more traditional option for him…

Traditional. Note the bracket feet and more generous use of moldings than what is found on the first design.

Borrowed. In the A/V storage area, note the design treatment on the center dividers. I borrowed this idea from an article in Fine Woodworking #78, the September/October 1989 issue - which featured a Ron Layport designed walnut chest.

Simple. The sides are solid slabs of wood. This is the easier of the two designs - not as many steps in the construction process, and more likely to be completed by my Christmas deadline.

I designed this TV console to be easier to build than the first. The sides are solid wood verses sides comprised of seven parts. I will have to cut the molding profiles on my router table vs. square stock moldings on the other design, but I think this design will be easier to execute.

The next step is to meet with my Dad and get his comments on the two designs. I am even considering a full size mock-up. Whatever this console will ultimately be, it will be small, and this isn't depicted very well in the illustrations so far. I hope to meet with my Dad this weekend.

To see all the posts on this project, click here. This is post three in this series.

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Have a question or comment? Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below. Or jump over to Facebook and leave me a message. My email is jobranch@yahoo.com. And if you like this post or this project, you can subscribe to Wood Fever by clicking here.

My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.

My favorite on-line source for quality lumber.

SketchUp design #1 - TV Console project

Interesting. The first of two design ideas for my Dad's TV Console.

I have been pouring over some magazines I use to get my creative juices flowing. I am contemplating the design of my Dad's TV console - my next project.

One of my favorite magazines is Traditional Home. This magazine often mixes traditional home environments as well as those with a modern touch. The photo above caught my attention. It features a vanity that was pulled from a yacht. I like it for it's simplicity, something I need for the TV console since I don't have much time to work on it. The photo below shows the footprint I am thinking about for this project.

Let's make it longer. In the background, the dimensions of the existing TV stand and the new foot print in front.

With the increased width of current TV's, I have felt it necessary to expand the width of the new console. Another reason to do this is to provide more space for the electronics. In my previous post, I noted that my Dad's DVD player sat on the carpeted floor. A wider console would allow for side-by-side stacking of video equipment as shown in the photo below...

Look at the top. The width of the upper section of my entertainment center is largely determined by the size of the equipment (a future project of mine is to make some stands to get those speakers off the floor).

Borrowing from a previous project. I plan to incorporate this side-by-side component layout for the TV console.

I was laying in bed yesterday morning and my thoughts turned to this project. I'm thinking about keeping the depth of the console the same, but increase the width to something like 42 inches. And I am thinking of some simple, but beefy corner posts that elevate the console off the floor. Also, I want to add some visual interest by having the face frame step back via some sort of molding.

Too thick. The legs are 3.5" square and a little too beefy, I think. For the purpose of illustrating the TV Console in Sketchup, the bottom determines the outer dimension.

Moldings. The legs are now 3" square and I increased the thickness of the bottom piece that intersects the legs from 3/4" to 1" thick. The two rows of moldings will appear on the front only.

I am thinking at this point that this design is getting a little Asian in nature - hummmm...but, I'll finish the illustration and see what it looks like - click the photos below for a larger view:

Changes. I decided to change the routed trim at the base of the front to plain, square stock.

Storage. There is now room for all of my Dad's A/V equipment plus some space for DVD's and such.

Stately. This TV console has a strong look and clean lines. The only molding is a cove to the edge of the top. I like it.

My only concern with this design is that it is still too complex to be completed by Christmas. I have a second drawing underway of what I hope is a even more simple design that has a more traditional look. That post is coming soon (and for the heck of it, the above TV console design is copywright 2010 by Jeff Branch, not that anyone would want to copy it).

I feel my SketchUp skills are moving along nicely. BTW, this is post two in this series.

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Have a question or comment? Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below. Or jump over to Facebook and leave me a message. My email is jobranch@yahoo.com. And if you like this post or this project, you can subscribe to my blog by clicking here.

My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.

A visit to my Dad's workshop

The carver's bench. My Dad with some of his projects. Note the wood chips on the floor.

I stopped by my Dad's workshop this past Sunday. He needs a new TV stand and I dropped by to talk to him about what he wants and to take a look at the available space for it. When I arrived, he had the door up to his basement wood carving shop - it was a nice fall Sunday afternoon. I found him at his workbench where he was brushing away some wood chips.

We talked for a little while and as we headed for the stairs, I took a few snap shots of his carving area...

Tools of the trade. Many sharp chisels at the ready. Note the all important boom box and more wood chips on the floor.

Waiting for final touches. So many projects, so little time. Here several carvings in various stages of completion.

Carvings everywhere. Sort of an exaggeration, but there were many carvings ready to be finished for the perfect gift.

The display table. Located in the foyer of his home, this table proudly displays some of my Dad's carvings.

Time for retirement. This TV stand has served it's purpose for about 20 years, so it is time for an update. Note the DVD player on the floor to the right.

The dimensions. Here are the measurements of the existing TV stand.

I made this TV stand soon after graduating from the University of Alabama more than 25 years ago. I was still fresh from completing a woodworking shop class. The course was titled "Wood Technology" and I had full use of a professional grade workshop (it had the largest bandsaw I have seen to date).

This TV stand is pine stained a moderately dark brown - some of the trim is fir. This joinery is Elmer's carpenter glue and nails. There is something to be said for really simple joinery.

I still have not completed the built-in cabinet for my daughter's bathroom; and it is not like me to tackle more than one project at a time. But, I need to get this project started, so I will now have two things to write about on this blog. Should be interesting.

In the coming weeks, I will use Google SketchUp to discuss some design ideas for this new project which I will call "The TV Console."

Beth's built-in: constructing the drawers, part 4

Fitting the faces. Here I use cut up business cards and masking tape to provide the spacing I want between the drawer face and the face frame.

I had not planned for this mini-series on drawer construction to cover four different blog posts, but it has. These drawers have taken a lot of time and fussing with; and there have been understandable delays due to things like football games, birthdays (my wife’s 50th) and such as that. But, I am glad to say that the drawers for the built-in project have been completed!!!

Going back to my post on October 3rd, I had completed the construction of the drawer boxes and had glued up the necessary quarter-sawn red oak boards for the drawer faces. Since that time I have taken these additional steps on the drawers…

Really sticky. After fitting the faces, I apply some stout double face tape to the drawer box.

The connection. Here I press the drawer face against the double face tape. This correctly positions the face to the drawer box.

Adding screws. While still taped together, I screw the face and box together. I like this method because I can remove the face and trim it should some fine tuning be needed.

After some additional fitting and fussing with the spacing of the drawer face within the face frame, it is time to permanently attach the face to the drawer.

Good old glue. I spread a generous amount of glue to the drawer box.

A few clamps. I screw the face to the drawer box and clamped it until the glue dries.

Drawer stops. I had contemplating adding drawer stops to the back of the cabinet, but this little lip glued to the face frame works well.

New sawhorses. I am liking my new sawhorses. In this photo, you can see how I use the lower shelf to keep some tools organized.

Drawers completed. Well, almost, I need to plug the screw holes on the inside of the drawers and then they will technically be complete.

I will work on the shelves tomorrow which will be a simple process. This will be followed by some final sanding and then the finish will be applied. The installation of this built-in will be a little bit of an undertaking, so this project still has a ways to go.

To see all the posts on this project including design aspects, click here.

________________________

Have a question or comment? Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below. Or jump over to Facebook and leave me a message. And if you like this post or this project, you can subscribe to my blog by clicking here.

My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.

Wood River Taper Jig - Product Review

I have had all sorts of problems with the drawers in my built-in project. One pesky problem is that one of my drawer openings is slightly out of square. I took great care to cut the drawer face nice and square, making sure that I had a nice, even reveal between it and the face frame of the built-in. But, one of the cross pieces is slightly off. This means that I need to cut a slight taper on the drawer face to fix it. The taper is so slight that it won’t be that noticeable.

Quick fix #1
I went to Woodcraft and bought a Wood River Tapering Jig. I thought this would be an inexpensive and fast way to get the necessary taper cut using my table saw and I would then have the jig for future use.

Flimsy. The Wood River Taper Jig.

After assembly, the taper jig was a big disappointment. The instructions were extremely poor – a line drawing of the jig and it’s parts and it looked like the drawing had been run through a copier a few times because it was hard to make out some of the nuts and bolts that are needed for assembly. There are two washers included that are not even shown in the instructions leaving me to figure out where they go. Other bolts/nuts could use the addition of lock washers to keep them nice and tight as I use the jig in the future.

Potentially dangerous. The bolt on the left easily becomes loose.

As I set the jig up for my first use, I noticed that as I adjusted it – opening it slightly, the bolt on the left (see arrow in photo above) became loose. This presents two problems: 1) the jig moves creating an inaccurate cut, and 2) this is a big safety hazard. The wood has the ability to move as it is being cut. My recommendation: stay away from this jig.

So, I returned it to Woodcraft for a full refund – the Woodcraft folks were very accommodating on this. All I am out is some lost shop time, but this is yet another delay for my built-in project.

Quick fix #2
I recently signed up for Fine Woodworking’s online resources which gives me tremendous access to articles and information on everything related to woodworking, so I signed in and searched “tapering jig” which returned several articles on the subject.

I decided to go with a very basic jig that was simple to make. Why I have never thought of this quick fix is beyond me. This is simply a cleat added to the end of some plywood and a screw which you turn in or out to adjust the taper. Perfect for me, and no additional cost.

Much better. A very basic taper jig. This shop made solution did the trick.

Fine Woodworking’s website also had a much more complex tapering jig which has safety in mind: this jig locks the stock in place. All the other jigs I have seen don’t do this. It is always a concern when I have to hold the wood to the jig as it moves through the saw blade. This more complex jig is what I hope to make in the future to cut tapers (as a woodworker buying a jig like this seems wrong anyway – sort of like buying a workbench; it’s something that a woodworker should just make and not buy).

If you have not signed up for Fine Woodworking's online articles and videos, you should. I did this a few weeks ago; it costs about $35 per year, but has already paid for itself.

Some wood carving gifts

My Dad is a wood carver and he will create neat little pieces of art as gifts. My wife's 50th birthday was this past week and my Dad carved the dog for her. I thought he did a wonderful job on it.

A while back, he gave me the small bust of an old man. It is a little hard to photograph, but he did an equally nice job on it as well.

To see a post about my Dad and another of his creations, click here.

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I have not had much time for woodworking this week. I spent just a little time yesterday morning and about an hour and a half this afternoon. I am still working on the drawers for my daughter's built-in cabinet. Very slow going - it has been a while since I made drawers and I am having a hard time getting them to fit properly within the face frame. But, it's nothing I can't work out; it is just taking much longer than I had planned.

Beth's built-in: constructing the drawers, part three

Almost complete. Only missing the drawer fronts. Note the dowel joinery.

Why does everything take longer than planned? I had hoped to be finished with the drawers at this point. But you know, presently woodworking is still just a hobby; I have a day job, a family to tend to, football to watch (ROLL TIDE!!!) and I am making big progress on the downloadable plans for my coffered ceiling project. So, I guess I should be thankful that I have so much going on right now.

I worked on and off throughout the week finishing the drawer boxes, adding the remaining dowels and fitting the plywood bottom to the third drawer. I also worked on the alignment problem mentioned in my last post. I think I have that fixed.

Yesterday, I went to Woodcraft and bought some more quarter-sawn red oak for the built-in project. They had about 15 boards of various sizes - several with some good flecking in them, but these boards were quite a bit larger than I needed. I ended up selecting one that would yield the least amount of waste, but it had only minimal flecking.

I also bought a new blade for my table saw. I am going to try to sharpen my old one (never done that before) for future use. A sharp blade is such a joy. It cut through the new oak like a hot knife through butter. Cool.

Working on the faces. I have to glue up the quarter-sawn red oak to achieve the size need for the drawer fronts. I have the box beams of my workbench flipped to the glue-up side for this process.

I hope to have the drawer fronts sized and attached by Wednesday. Then it is on to the shelves this weekend.

To see all the posts on this project including design aspects, click here.

________________________

Have a question or comment? Leave yours by clicking on the "Comments - post yours here" link below. Or jump over to Facebook and leave me a message. And if you like this post or this project, you can subscribe to my blog by clicking here.

My top three projects:

1. My coffered ceiling project. 2. The Scott Bookcase. 3. My foyer project.