Having marveled at the craftsmanship of some of the other "rec" denizens, I feel a little sheepish "showing off" a project as relatively simple as this:
Greg Guarino
Nice Greg.
Only a preference, but I think I'd have done vertical grain on the cabinet sides, but since it's ply, it doesn't affect strength or anything.
- Doug
Doug Winterburn wrote in news:4f673e57$0$39213$c3e8da3$ snipped-for-privacy@news.astraweb.com:
It looks great to me!
Hey, a hearty Well Done, Greg. Kudos on your accomplisment. That's a far larger and more complicated project than most of us started with.
So, how do you like Waterlox now that you've used it? Other than the smell (and it smells far, far better than Watco, lemme tell ya) I simply adore it.
-- When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire. -- Whoopi Goldberg
Well, it's not the very first thing I've done. In fact, I made the cabinet boxes (sans doors) fifteen years ago. I cut them down about 6 inches for this project. I've also built and finished a couple of wall-hung cubbyhole shelf units. And I've had a fair amount of experience in home repair. It's a different pew, to be sure, but a related denomination of church, at worst. The techniques may not always be similar, but both require a problem-solving mindset.
That said, the desk is certainly the largest project so far, with the most time-consuming finishing. And the panel doors were probably the biggest challenge I've taken on yet. But as so often happens, I'm sure I could build another set now in a fraction of the time and with fewer errors. Except, of course, for the finishing.
The whole experience has given me more ideas than I have time for, but I intend to keep at it when I can.
I'll tell you some things I've learned for the next project. The most important lesson seems to be wood selection. The waterlox on the oak rails and stiles is probably the nicest finish I have yet accomplished; smooth with a little gloss, but with no plastic-y thickness. I used some garden-variety birch ply for the panels. The contrast in color is nice, but the panel surface didn't give nearly as nice a finish as the oak.
Please take these constructively. I'm sure you learned a lot during this build.
I suspect that is a small percentage of the people actually view these post. Sometime I go for weeks with out posting then someone will post something that catches my eye and I will follow the thread, posting when appropriated.
Don't worry. I am terribly proud of myself, and not just for the result, but also for puzzling out solutions for each of the problems that came up during the project. I think I have a pretty realistic assessment of my skill level, and what I need to improve on. I've learned a good bit recently, and I intend to use that learning to make better mistakes in the future. :)
Thanks for the encouragement.
Please espline! Which picture reveals the splines you mentioned?
Hadn't thought of that. I can see now how the strength of the spline would be greater "your" way, but I think it should be adequate in this application as is.
I built that part a while back. Had I been doing it now I might have chosen other wood entirely, but the horizontal grain itself doesn't bother me.
Yes indeed. That realization dawned on me as I was finishing the doors. It was damn near impossible to get an even finish in the corners. I will certainly follow that advice next time.
I thank you for taking the time to delve that deeply into the photo set.
Do you? With splines? It's funny; part of the impetus for this project was to see if I could actually make a panel door. That had seemed like a daunting task before. Now, less so.
My Dad always said, "everything is easy once you know how". I try to teach my daughter that too.
Pew? You can't say those common home-repair words in any church I've been in. ;)
Familiarity breeds content. (sorry for the pun)
Grok that.
It's probably because of the lack of color to begin with. Several more coats might impart a bit of amber to it. Practice on a spare piece about 6" square. Save your wiping rag in a plastic baggie and it'll last for a couple weeks. Leave the bag on the concrete (oily rag hazard) and do a coat the first thing every morning or evening.
Did you remember to remove the air on top of the Waterlox so it doesn't set hard on you? If not, do it RIGHT NOW! It might not be too late... I lost half a quart can that way, but not the gallon!
-- When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire. -- Whoopi Goldberg
in most groups it's been my exprience there are just as many lurkers as posters,sometimes more. Depending on the friendliness of the group
Explain how you did it, Greg. What's the config for holding the panel in and allowing for expansion. Why the small gap between the rails and stiles?
-- When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire. -- Whoopi Goldberg
Precisely! Dad taught me that a scientific curiosity was my friend and I started learning how -everything- worked from the get-go. It is one of the most pleasurable aspects of my life.
Kudos on teaching that to your kids.
-- When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire. -- Whoopi Goldberg
I -thought- I saw a 'wrong' spline there. If the grain direction is the same as that of the stile (which I thought I saw) it can break very easily, especially with the little gaps you had. Slam the door hard once and it could be CURTAINS! G'luck!
It's all a matter of taste, but vertical is more frequently used. I didn't even notice it.
Prefinish the case pieces, too, so the glue doesn't squeeze out onto the bare wood, keeping the finish from adhering and coloring the wood. The bottom to side panel showed a couple of those in one pic.
He's wrong there. Anything which can move finish into a corner is a brush. Needle-nose pliers with a piece of t-shirt in their jaws, q-tips, whatever's handy, but it has to be wiped, too.
-- When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else. And it'll become like a wildfire. -- Whoopi Goldberg
The grain runs in the same direction as the stiles, vertically. See below
Hadn't thought of that. I can see now how the strength of the spline would be greater "your" way, but I think it should be adequate in this application as is. ___________
Just out of curiosity, why did you decide to use splines rather than cut tongues on the ends of the rails?
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.