I just finished a big project that has taken me almost 2 years to complete.
This is a custom designed and built bar in my basement. The design is one my wife and I came up with. I designed and built the entire project (with my wife’s help of course) We knew we wanted an old style bar, so we went to numerous bars to come up with ideas. The refrigerator is elevated up to eye level, and the wine rack compliments the other end of the bar. I built and installed soffit cabinets with under cabinet lighting. I added in cabinet lighting for the glasses, and built a light box for the bottles. I also added several accent lights, along with under bar top lighting. The sink was a must. It took a little work, but we were able to do all the plumbing and wiring ourselves. The only thing I had to hire out was for a guy to do the sewing on the padded bar rails, and someone to cut the glass for the shelves, doors, and mirror. We wanted a sturdy top, so I designed and built the corbels that hold up the upper bar top. The lower bar top is made from a laminate that looks like granite. The bar is made from red oak (to match the other wood in my house) along with a tiger maple upper bar top. For the top, I had to make a road trip to get the amount of tiger maple for the project, but it was well worth the drive in the end. The whole bar except for the top is finished with cherry color oil stain, and topped off with 3 coats of oil polyurethane. The bar top was more challenging. Since I wanted to use an epoxy coating, I was concerned about using the oil stain as a base. I spent 2 days experimenting with alcohol based dyes before I was able to match the color and technique without streaking. It can be very difficult to stain tiger maple a dark color, but with patience, my time paid off. I wound up using a dry rag to work in the dye in very small amounts to get the look I wanted. I finished the top with 2 coats of pour epoxy. I built and finished 30 raised panel doors, along with 6 doors. Everything was finished after building except for the wine rack, in which I finished everything before I assembled, and then I added a face frame and finished that in place. The bar top finish was poured prior to placing the finished bar top on the sub bar top I made from MDF.
We still have to add the ceiling, and will be trimming with crown molding. The finished part of the soffit extends up to where it will meet the crown molding.
This was a long project that I worked on while working on other projects, along with having to work my real job to pay the bills. That being said, now I can sit back and relax and enjoy a cocktail until I start the next project ….. Tomorrow.

After looking at all the cross cut sleds out there and having had a few of my own, I really wanted to make one that was functional and would help speed up production. I looked online and was unable to find what I was looking for, so I designed and built this. It has built in tracks for accessories, along with a Kreg precision track with a modified stop. I added several safety features to help save my fingers. This is great for cross cutting, as it has a built in precision tape measure down to the 32nd of an inch. I am posting a link to the youtube video that shows how this is made.

http://youtu.be/ZWpYMGDCsC8

Built this Settee for my wife. It sits at the end of the bed. Made from Honduran Mahogany, Made with mortise and tenion joinery. Hand cut and finished cabriolet legs with wings. Had fun building it, and happy with the results.

I just finished off my workbench this summer, and am now putting it to good use. It is 3″ thick hard maple. I laminated 8/4 maple on edge, making 4 rows of square bench dogs holes that span the entire length. I made the square holes prior to the assembly (by doing it this way, I was able to cut the dog holes on the table saw with a home made jig that angled the holes 2.5 degrees towards the end vise). I then routed out 1″ out the top of the dog holes, so the bench dogs can recess flush with the top. The base is solid maple with pinned mortise and tenon at the base, and wedge mortise and tenon for the stretchers. The pins and wedges are black walnut. All base mortises are hand chiseled (not fun in 3″ thick hard maple). The front and side aprons are 7-1/4″ 8/4 maple. I have a Veritas twin screw vise for the end vise (mounted on a 4″ thick maple vise with square bench dog holes), and a quick release front vise made with 3″ thick maple with round dog holes (and 2 rows of of round holes across the bench). It took several days of labor intensive hand planing to get a dead flat top, but it was worth it. I finished it off with several coats of danish oil, and a coat of paste wax. I figure the final weight is around 450-500 pounds.