Shoe rack and storage

This project started out as one thing then became another and another and another before it was a shoe rack. When I build stuff I tend to get an idea in my head then I just start putting it together. I usually don’t follow any plans. I tend to just get an image of what I want in my head then I start making it. I think this was going to be a towel storage at first but then I decided I a shoe rack would be more useful in the house. The rack is built out of basswood and most of it was done by hand. Bass wood is such a great wood to carve and plane by hand. It cuts so easy and has a great feel to it. I never imagined I would ever like using hand tools until I started working with bass wood. I glued up a couple boards to make the shelves and then laminated a thin strip of the basswood on the ends where exposed. The shelves fit into dados. I finished the rack with a clear coat of poly. Basswood is very clear. There are hardly any knots and the grain is very nice. After building this I found a new love for basswood and plan to use it often.

-- Dan - "Collector of Hand Planes"