Rather than add a new project, I have updated this posting.

This is the tiny trailer house as it looks now.

I updated the pictures on 12/21 to show the current state of the trailer house.

Picture 1 is the exterior, all painted ready to go.

Picture 2, 3, 4 are various views of the interior with the insulation installed.

Next up, close in the insulation and then begin electrical and plumbing. These will not be in the walls, since I may need to get to them again at some time. I will build coverings for them as I go.

For those without Facebook access, here are a few pictures of my latest project. The framing phase has been completed, as you can see in the first picture. The second picture is the starting point, just a trailer. The third picture is the framing for the floor, along with insulation added. The fourth picture shows the walls framed. The fifth picture shows the rafters added. The last picture shows the sheathing being added.

Right now the housewrap has been applied, and it looks like a giant banner for a store. The roof has had the felt added, and I will be adding the flashing shortly. Next will be some trim boards, windows, door, and siding. That will complete the outside of the tiny trailer house (after painting of course).

Thanks for viewing the project.

My latest project was this bathroom cabinet. The cabinet was designed to fit into the bathroom in the shop. The overall measurements are 32” tall by 28” wide by 8” deep. The idea behind the cabinet was to build it with the available cutoffs and lumber I already had onhand.

The cabinet was built in sections. The frame was made from Poplar, and was basically a rectangular box. The outside of the frame was covered with 3/4” Red Oak plywood (overkill but what I had left from some previous projects). Inside, the cabinet was lined with 1/4” Red Oak plywood. The single shelf was made from 3/4” plywood.

The face frame was made with Oak, but as individual pieces instead of a single frame mounted on the cabinet. The doors were made with Oak, and featured the 1/4” plywood for the panels. The cabinet attaches to the wall with a set of french cleats to provide the extra strength to hold this monster up.

The finish was a mission oak stain, and three layers of amber shellac.

This was my first wall mounted cabinet, so I used it as a learning experience. In the course of building the cabinet, I learned a few valuable lessons. I am sure Dennis can give me some great pointers on how to make the next one. But, the lessons were:

1. It is not necessary to use 3/4” plywood for a wall mounted cabinet that is not holding heavy items.

2. Pieces should be finished before assembly, especially the internal ones (ok, so I knew this but needed a refresher).

3. Door frames should be edged on the inside edges before cutting the grooves for the panel.

4. It is not necessary to have a frame for 3/4” plywood cabinets, especially for light use.

5. I can make decent cabinets after all.

This was a great learning project, and also helped use up some of my leftovers to clear the shop. I am looking forward to building more in the future.

This is my latest project, a Franklin Chair. This chair is attributed to Ben Franklin, or so the legend goes. Anyway, This chair will convert from a chair to a step ladder.

This chair was made from Pine, and finished with clear shellac. It is approximately 40” tall by 18” wide by 20” deep. The chair height is 19”, which is the one thing I would change when making this chair again. I would lower it an inch or two to be a more comfortable chair.

Actually, as it is the chair is comfortable to sit in. The hinges are not that noticeable, at least if you are not setting for a long time.

While it might not fit with my decor, it does make a handy step ladder or extra chair as needed.

My latest project was to build a TV stand to match a customer’s existing entertainment center (the two vertical cabinets in the first picture are the originals, mine is the middle section under the TV). The basic structure was simple, a cabinet that had 2 drawers in the middle, raised panel doors on each end, and a design that matched the existing cabinets. While it seemed simple enough, there were many challenges along the way. However, the end results were worth it.

First, the height and width of the stand was designed to support a 60” tv, so again no real problem. Just simply make a box big enough. But, I went about it a bit differently. I made the base out of poplar, with supports in the middle. Then I attached a piece of plywood on top to make the base of the cabinet. So far so good.

Next, I decided to add internal supports inside the cabinet, and cover the outside with plywood. These inside supports were simple squares, that I attached with screws to the base, and then attached together at the tops to form a box. This would allow me to attach the sides without screws showing, and add extra support for the top. Plus, the top would now have a nice support to attach to as well.

The sections with the doors needed to have sides added to match the existing cabinets. I attached these, again with no screws showing (screwed in from the back side of the plywood through the poplar supports). I elected to skip the back pieces, and proceed with the outside edges.

The next step was to add Red Oak trim around the edges of the sides and back to support the plywood. A little work on the router made this easy enough to complete. Still no major problems, ok, that is a good thing. As this was my first real cabinet job, I thought I was doing pretty well at this point. Ok, now I should know trouble is coming soon.

After the basic cabinet is complete, it is time to begin the front. Again, I use Red Oak to build the front frame. A few minor off measurements, nothing that does not happen to all of us. But, work is still proceeding well. To help move things along, I cut the raised panels for the doors, check for the basic sizes, and then lay the pieces aside (hmm, nothing so far or so I thought). I then continue with the frame, cutting and matching up each section. I build a middle frame to go between the drawers, glue it together and set it aside. Things are still looking good at this point.

I had previously finished the inside of the cabinet before assembly, since it would be difficult to reach. I also did not want to deal with the glue issues, so finish was a good idea. Since it was on the inside, I did not stain it, but simply applied the varnish. Then I notice the color is not the same as the existing cabinets. Ok, so it is inside so it does not really matter. But, the outside will be a problem. So, I head to the local big box store, and pick up some stain. I thought Mission Oak in a very light coat would do. I also have some traditional cherry and golden oak stains, so I should be able to use one of those to make the cabinets match. Hmm, tricky, but it should work. I also pick up the drawer slides and return to work. The rest of the hardware I had ordered online, and was already here.

I built the drawers out of 1/2” thick poplar, with dovetails to match the existing drawers. These came out well., so I proceed with the making the doors. I had cut the rails and stiles ahead of time, and left them a little big for later trimming. The raised panels had been glued up using my Festool Domino to join the boards together. The grains matched really well and I was feeling quite pleased with myself. I cut the raised panels on my table saw, again a nice look. I then start to stain the frame pieces and panels and call it a day.

When I returned, I decided to check the panels against the customer’s existing cabinets. Wow, the stain did not match! Their cabinets had a distinct yellow hue, while the Mission Oak was definitely brown even with the thin coat I applied. Ok, not to worry, I can sand the panels again and then re-stain them and the frame again. I take a small piece from the customer to use as a match, and head back to the shop. I sand all the pieces down again, and then take a scrap piece to dry various stains. None of them match, and mixing the stains is no help either. Finally, I head to the local paint store and have them mix up a special stain to allow this Red Oak to match their existing cabinets. A few hours later, I have a stain that looks like a yellow highlighter. But, they had stained the scrap piece I gave them and showed me it matched. So, back to the shop.

With my new stain in hand, I began on the frame pieces first. It was a bright yellow stain, but with just a light application and much rubbing, it was working. Once the pieces were stained, I proceeded with the cabinet. It was Red Oak plywood, and came out a bit more yellow than with the frame pieces. Some light sanding cured that, and I began applying the finish. Work on the doors stopped while the finish dried.

When I was able to return to the doors, I received another rude surprise. I had cut the panels the right size, but not the right way for the grain. To fit into the rails and stiles, the grain would be running sideways instead of up and down. Ok, so no problem, just make some more panels, recut them, and then finish them.

My second set of raised panels was assembled like the first, with dominos and glue for a set of nicely matched panels. When I cut them to size and the make the raised panels, parts of the domino’s show through. Arrgh, I had not allowed enough space from the ends to the dominos to account for the beveled edge. Ok, so I make a third set of panels, and use biscuits instead. However, I make the same mistake again! The biscuits show through the bevel. On to a fourth set of panels, with biscuits that are places well away from the edges. Finally, the panels come out ok. I stain and finish them, and then assemble the doors. Finally, the cabinet was finished.

Ok, so this was a bit of a long winded story to say I built my first cabinet, matched stain and finish to an existing cabinet set, and then delivered the cabinet a month later than planed. Despite all the challenges, the results were worth it. I am actually looking forward to building more cabinets in the future, just not in quite the same way.

I had a bit of Redwood left over from the Potting table I built, so I decided to make a shoe bench. This bench allows me to sit down and take off my shoes, and store them in the laundry area instead of in the house.

The bench is made of Redwood. I have not put a finish on it yet, but will probably use varnish.

The design also would work as an outdoor or serving table to match the potting table.

This chess board is made of Maple and Purple Heart. It is similar to the cutting board I made a few weeks ago.

I have not put a finish on the board yet. I plan on using a water-based urethane. This will give me a chance to try it out and see how it holds up. Plus, the water based finish should not cause the maple to yellow.

In honor of Don’s love of boxes, I built a box to store DVDs or Video games in. It is similar to the candle box I made a few months ago, but it has dovetailed joints and a flat top.

The box is approximately 7” wide by 12” long by 9” high. It is made of Red Oak, with a small piece of Purple Heart for a handle.

The box is finished with oil-based urethane.

I found an old book that had quite a few projects inside. One that caught my interest was this counter top wine rack. This wine rack is made of Red Oak. It has three coats of semi gloss polyurethane finish.

I attached the top shelf, bottom shelf and sides with the Festool Dominos, as well as using it for making the wide sides. The wine glass guides were attached with screws.

The overall size of this rack is 18 inches wide, 17 inches tall, and 13 inches deep at the base.

I have been thinking of several ideas for smaller items to build, especially with Christmas coming soon. I decided to build a cutting board, and was excited to see all the different varieties online. I had a nice piece of Maple left over from one of my projects, and thought it would make a nice board. I was tempted to simple square it up and put an edge on it. But, being a Lumberjock, I felt I could not call it a project if I did just that.

The board I made is Maple and Purpleheart. I cut them into strips 1 1/4 inches wide and about 10 inches long. I glued the pieces together, sanded to 220 grit, and rounded off the edges. I have put three coats of mineral oil on the board, and will probably add two more before calling it finished.

I like the contrast between the deep purple color and the light maple. Hopefully I can find a market for these boards. I would like to make some more, with different designs and such.

Just a note – the board is a rectangle, even though the picture makes it look like a rhombus. Taking a picture with the tripod does not give you a true look down on the work.

A customer approached me on building a table for their outdoor area. They like to entertain outside sometimes by having a bar-b-que. They wanted a table to hold things like dishes, food, drinks, etc. However, they did not want a plain table. Instead, they found a plan for a potting bench that they liked, with a few modifications. Based on the plan, I build this Redwood Potting Table.

The table is made of Redwood. The legs are kiln dried 2×4s that were jointed on all sides to make them smooth and straight. The legs are approximately 3 inches square. The base sections are made with 2×4s, also jointed down and fastened together with dominos. These were the only parts that were permanently attached. The remainder of the bench is 1×6 redwood planks (not fence wood material) that is screwed in place with outdoor screws. This way, if a board should warp, it can be unscrewed and replaced easily.

The entire table was sanded to 150 grit, and then finished with tree coats of spar varnish to protect the wood and maintain its wonderful color.

The planks have a 1/4 inch gap between, to resemble a redwood deck or potting bench. Overall, the customer loved the bench.

Redwood is easy to work with, since it is a soft wood. It does have some knots in the 2×4s, but I tried to avoid as many as possible. One or two did break during the jointing, but they were in non critical areas so not easily seen. Like pine, it does have pitch pockets so you have to watch out. I read about sealing these with Shellac, and tried it. Well, it helped but a few of the pitch pockets still leaked. When I applied the spar varnish, there were no more leaks.

All in all, it was a fun project to work on. The wine bottle, glasses, and bucket are the owner’s. The pictures were taken on their patio.

My latest project was to make a set of end tables based on my Thorsen Table entry. These are mission style tables, with a simple design. There is no drawers or bottom shelf (thus less dusting).

These tables are made of Red Oak, and finished with three polyurethane (no stain involved).

The aprons, stretchers, and spindles are all attached using the Festool Domino tenons.

The tops are 16 inches square, while the base is 14 inches square.

I elected to go for little overhang on the table tops, since these would be placed next to a sofa that has the built in recliner leg supports. This allows the table to be close to the sofa, but out enough to allow someone to open the leg support latch.

Overall, the Domino allowed me to do the tenons much easier than on my last table. I still am learning how to use it, but it has been a great purchase.

And, wiping on the varnish allowed me to get a great looking finish without the usual runs and such. It is a bit more work than using a brush, but much better results.

I finally completed my latest project. This is from a set of plans I found on a woodworking site, but I forgot which one. As legend goes, this is a print stand that Frank Lloyd Wright designed, but never did build. For that reason alone, I felt I had to do this. Plus, it helps to round out my artist line of products.

The stand is made from Oak, with three coats of Shellac (2lb cut clear) for protection. The overall dimensions are 36” tall, 8” wide, and 10” deep. The spindles and frame use Festool dominos to attach. The legs are also attached with dominos. The hardest part was using the Festool to make the mortises on the base and upper support. When I make the next one, I will probably build a jig to ensure I get the mortises spaced and centered more easily. Overall, I like how it turned out.

The pictures are tall and skinny, so you will have to enlarge them to see the complete project.

My other small project between my Thorsen Table work.

This was another project based on plans in a book I slightly modified it for the shape and size.

The wood is pine, and has a traditional cherry stain. It has 3 coats of shellac to finish it off.

I wanted something that looked older, but not the pine look. The cherry stain did ok, but would have liked to have seen a bit more even coating. That is how pine is sometimes.

Between times working on my Thorsen Table, I also completed a few small items I had previously started.

This candle box is based on a project I found in a book. The original was designed to hold candles. I kept the same basic size and look, and added a small handle of Purple Heart for an accent. The wood is Red Oak, and is finished with shellac.

The top slides in the groves cut in the sides.

This will make a nice storage box for something, now to figure out what.

Ok, so I have spent the last few weeks working on my interpretation of the Thorsen Table. It does not compare to all of the wonderful works I have seen on here lately. I am almost embarrassed to show it, let alone call it a Thorsen Table. But, here it is at last.

My take on the Thorsen Table was, what would the common person buy if they could not afford the Thorsen Table. Since this was some time back, I decided the mission style look would be a nice starting place.

The table is made of Red Oak, with the same general dimensions as the Thorsen Table. The table top is a single piece raised panel, with a slight beveling on the edges. The rails and stiles are simple tongue and groove attachment, that you might be able to see on the ends.

I beveled the edges of the stiles to give it the look of a breadboard top. The edges were rounded over, and cove cut underneath to lighten the look a bit.

The spindles, aprons, and stretchers were all mortise and tenons.

The finish is simply 3 coats of shellac wiped on, and sanded with steel wool between coats.

While I had originally planned to add a small drawer, I realized the aprons were not big enough once I put the cross support on the front. Silly me, I should have put it on the bottom instead (or not at all), then I could have added the drawer as I wanted. Well, that is a design improvement for the next version.

There is a more complete write-up on my website, but here are the basics.

Red Oak and Purple Heart used for the box. Finish was simply shellac and sanded with steel wool between coats.

The box can store two 11×14 canvases inside, as well as art supplies. It can also be used as a portable artist easel, since the lid will support the canvas with magnetic knobs and a metal strip.

Here is my latest project, an Artist Painting Stand. The stand is made out of Red Oak, with the tables made from Oak Plywood, Red Oak, and Purple Heart for accents. The dimensions are approximately 24×32 for the base, table height ranges from 26-38”, one table is fixed and the other is adjustable. The finish was three coats of polyurethane varnish and sanded with steel wool in between coats.

This was a challenge as I had no plans, just a picture of what they wanted. If I was doing it again, I would change a few things, namely how the holes are drilled in the supports. I would make one hole on the outside, and the adjustment holes on the inside leg.

I will be adding it to my website shortly, but trying to help Martin reach 1000 projects for his birthday.

This is a bench I completed recently. The customer wanted a bench with a softer look than the standard mission style, but not too far removed. They also wanted raised panels and a storage area. The results were this bench, with a mission style back, the rounded back and sides, and raised panels on three sides.

The stain was traditional cherry, which closely matched their mission style furniture. I think this came out well all things considered.