Daughter's Window Seat/Cabinets

[David Bridgeman]

I just posted a bunch of pics on abpw of a window unit I build for my daughter's room. See Subject: "How to fix a window leak"

[David Bridgeman]

I am playing with posting the pics on my comcast account website:

abpw post:

When we first moved in this house, 20 years ago, the windows were horrible. Due to tight funds we replaced the existing windows with inexpensive vinyl units. About a year ago we noticed dampness down the wall below the window. After some inspection, we realized that the miter corner of the window frame had come unglued and water was leaking into the wall.

So we ripped all the sheet rock out and replace sagging insulation as needed. After the drywall was done, we replaced the window with a 6? wide Andersen slider unit (the rough opening is 3? high and 6? wide). A very nice unit.

Then I began building the cabinets for the wall unit/window seat. Knowing that all would be ultimately painted, I used borg birch ply and poplar. There are to base cabinets one about 42? wide and one 36? wide. Then, I build the upper shelf cabinets (no bottom, but one fixed shelf at about 14? above the base). I wanted strong and sturdy support for the window seat, so I used doubled up 3/4? ply for each of the four supports across the 6? seat. I planned to put 3 drawers in the window seat on full extension slides. I used ½? birch ply to make the drawers approximately 20? square using a drawer lock bit, glue and brads. The drawers were shellacked on all sides in and out. I dadoed ¼? ply into the bottom of each seat support to form a bottom of the drawer opening and provide support. I also nailed and glued a piece of ¾? ply across the back. I built the face frame with pocket holes an inch and a half higher that the supports to cover 2 pieces of ¾? ply for the seat itself.

All the units were installed. Beaded plywood was used as the seat back. Window trim molding was installed.

I wanted to put lights in the top. So I framed out the top and put three small recessed into a piece of plywood for the top. To frame in the lights I attached a wide poplar board between the upper units with a half of an ellipse cut out (thanks to SonomaProducts for ideas). Finally, I installed a piece of small crown molding across the top of all the units.

The wife took over and painted all the cabinets. In the meantime, I tried my hand at raised panel doors out of solid poplar using a set I bought some time ago from Jesada. All went well and the doors turned out great. I wanted a low profile for the doors and drawer fronts so I inset the doors 3/8ths of and inch. For the drawer fronts I used part of the raised panel set to cut a small ogee in each drawer front. The sweet painter again stepped in and painted the doors and drawer fronts. All were hung/attached. Finally, the multi-talented painter stepped in and made the cushion for the window seat out of 5? foam covered with batting and final fabric. Curtain hardware and matching curtains were hung.

Window doesn?t leak.

[damian penney]

the pics on abpw but never saw them. How did you paint the cabinets, and is there anything you'd do differently if you had to do it again?