# Downstairs Built-ins Extravaganza!



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Time to get started*

So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.

Now the walls are back up and painted, and it's time to build all the built-ins that I have planned. I'm putting shelving/drawer units on either side of the fireplace, then making a double desk for our computers, a vanity for the bathroom, and of course all the trim, mantel, etc. will be done too.

This is my inspiration pic as far as style, colors go:









The first thing that I need to make is the built-in where all the electronics will be kept. Right now it is a bare wall with a huge snarl of wires and cables and I need to get it all covered up and tucked away. I've already strategically placed outlets and the low-voltage boxes so that they will end up on the shelves where I want that particular equipment to be. The bottom half of this built-in will be a drawer cabinet to store DVDs and games, and little drawers for the extra remotes. It will be 3' high, 4' wide and 2' deep. It is probably the most complicated part of my whole project, and hopefully I'll figure it out okay and the rest will be easy peasy.

Here is my sketch:









Once I get that done, I will build the shelves for the upper part of the unit. They will be all open shelves so the equipment stays nice and cool. Except for the speaker - I'm going to make a nice screen that will hide it away but let the sound out.

I should probably note that I have not made furniture before.

I have some tools of my own already. I am mooching a table saw from a friend who says I can borrow it for at least a couple months. I've got a compound miter, router (+dovetail jig), jigsaw, circular saw, and I just picked up a dewalt biscuit joiner off of craigslist for cheap today. I need to get some pipe clamps too. I'm not sure what else I'll need? I guess I'll figure that out! Hopefully I can get by with what I have so far.

Tomorrow I will go pick out my first batch of wood from my local lumberyard. A plug here for Dunn Lumber. I heart them. I'm going to be making stuff out of cherry since I can get it in boards and plywood both. This drawer cabinet can mostly be made from regular cheap plywood for the parts you don't see and then I'll make the face frame, top, side, and drawer fronts out of cherry.

What else can I ramble about? I think the hardest part of being a newbie to this is planning out the strategy for assembling everything. I have a pretty good idea of how to put it all together just from reading and checking out the furniture I have. And I've installed premade cabinets. But this will be an adventure! I'm looking forward to it. (Except the part where I have to park outside the garage in the cold temporarily - brrrr!!!)

Anyhoo, stay tuned and watch the noob work out her project. I'll post lots of pics along the way.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Great inspiration. I am a remodeling contractor and I would be like a pig in mud with your project.

I am doing a built-in banquet for a period home right now. The built-ins like I am doing or what you are going to do are a lot of fun.

If you have questions let me know.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Thank you, Todd! I'm sure I will have tons of questions along the way!


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## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Beth,

Since you're new to furniture making, you might find Google's SketchUp software (a free download) to be a valuable tool for designing your project. It really saves time when you get to the build. I find "building" on the computer is a lot less costly when I make mistakes and easier to rework when I'm not completely pleased with the design and need to tweak it.

We're anxious to see your progress.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


I do have sketchup, and I used it to plan our downstairs layout to see how to fit everything.  But I'm still faster with graph paper (though I don't get the 3D visual). Oh, and I do have the double desk all sketched out in sketchup, I forgot about that. It is a great little program for being free!


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Here's my sketchup of one side of the downstairs layout. Ignore the shelving in the bottom left, I just wanted to see much I could cram in that corner, but I will likely do something else there. The desk is just roughed out to figure out the cabinet sizes, the details will be worked out later. Ignore the colors and style.  The built-ins that I'm making first go in the bottom right corner that you can't see in this view.


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## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Nowadays, with all this technology fuss, it's refreshing to see an sketch like your! 
That little sketch, gives a LOT more information, about the woodworker sensibility and the project…..it's not the cold computer generated, cuasi perfect view…
What type of runners or slices are you considering for the drawers?


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


I have Sketchup and still have not learned to use it. It is a great way to show clients a proposed project and yet I still draw by hand because it is so much faster for me and I do not have to take my computer.

I admire the sketchup skills demonstrated here on LJ, but in the end I still have the skills in the shop.

Good planning does save money.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


I'm with ya'll on the paper plan. Hi-tech is great, but too slow…........then there is the learning curve :-( I do too much without anything on paper. My wife says i can visulize anything ;-) Just food for thought, the inspiration picture has a lot of dark. We have remodeled out a lot of dark walnut to light oak. The same with the original floors. It sure makes things a bit more cheery, open and larger. Anyway, Good luck with your built-ins!! ;~))


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## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Beth, it sounds like you have a good plan and a mental commitment to your project which are the initial hurdles that must be surmounted. You have selected a nice wood to work with as well. Cherry happens to be my personal favorite. Keep us posted on your progress as you go along.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the encouragement everyone.  And it's nice to have some commisseration on the low-tech approach.  I've got more sketches too that I haven't posted - of the case, the face frame, drawers, cutting diagrams.

Moai, I'm not entirely sure what you are asking about the drawers - but I will be using some sort of drawer slides where I'll be able to pull the drawer all the way out. If people have recommendations for brands, that'd be great. Also, I'm a little unclear about how long of drawer slides I need - the chest will be 24" deep, and the drawers will be flush (I think - I might change my mind later). So I'm not sure what length slide that translates to - I was going to get 20" long ones.

Topamax Survivor - I picked this inspiration pic for it's earthy colors and the cozy feeling of the dark wood. It's okay if it makes the room feel smaller. This is where I'll be snuggling up with the family on the big couch and watching movies. So I want the room to feel snuggly and comfortable, if that makes sense.  The rest of the house is slowly evolving into more of a rustic-y feeling house too. We're not planning on moving ever, so I get to do whatever I want to do to the house without worrying about resale.  Sometime I'll have to put up a blog entry and show you all the crazy things I've done to this place.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to get started*
> 
> So recently we had gutted our downstairs. Our home is a 70's split-level and the walls were previously covered in painted-over wood paneling. We took off all the walls, ran 5 new circuits, put in a ton more lights, and redid the fireplace with gas inserts.
> 
> ...


Sooo….I have another thread in the forums asking about what wood to use, and my cherry idea isn't going over so well. lol! So instead of buying all my wood today, I'm just going to pick up some various boards and some stain and will start experimenting.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Time to mooch the table saw.*

So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.

Anyhoo, there were several people who commented in my wood thread about how cherry doesn't really get its true color until it's been exposed to sunlight, and I may find that it gets TOO dark eventually. So back to square one, I went the lumber store so I could make a decision with the wood actually in front of me.

At my lumber store I have to choose from: red oak, poplar, cherry, and maple. These are my options because I'd really like to work with plywood instead of making my own panels from boards. And I can get these woods in both plywood and boards. I don't like red oak, cherry has its darkening issue, poplar I think is kind of icky looking, and maple has a really lovely swirly grain on it. Especially the plywood, they had a piece of dark maple plywood that just looked so fanciful with its swirls. I'm thinking, "why can't I use this?" And I guess I was worried that it would not get dark enough. But the guy at the store said that it darkens up as well as the oak. I took home a scrap board and a stain sample and tried it, and it actually looks like it will work.

Today I've been reading about the horrors of trying to darken maple. ha ha! Apparently it is quite a PITA. But people do it, so I'm willing to give it a go. It seems that a common suggestion is to color it with a dye first. So I've ordered 2 different colors of Transtint dye, and I will do some experimenting with some different finishing techniques. I figure one of them will work decently, and I'll get my dark brown AND my nice swirls and I'll be happy. 

But in the meantime, I got two sheets of regular plywood, so as soon as I get that table saw borrowed, I can start cutting stuff.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


To me the choice of wood is not really difficult. As a contractor I see the use of poplar wood for trim packages in houses all of the time. You can use a good stain to achieve any overall look that you want.

Here is a house my brother and I built:



This is some of the trim. The doors, door and window casing, baseboard, ceiling beams, and light trough and column caps are all made of poplar wood.



Choice of stain is easy, just go to Sherwin Williams.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


Pretty!


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


If you use poplar just avoid the heavy dark streaks that are typically purple or black. All of the wood here was white and green colored.

Using Sherwin Williams' Sherwood line works well because it is a heavy bodied stain and covers well. This means that it has a high solids content compared to something like Minwax.

Sherwood Classics dries in 2 hours and I also use Sherwin BAC wiping stain which dries in 30 minutes. This one can be more difficult to work because it dries so fast, especially when you do any project with inside corners it takes an experienced hand to work it fast. Both can be reactivated with a little more stain or solvent on a rag.

I typically spray pre-catalyzed lacquers on my trim work. I use Sherwin's T77-F37 or T77-F57. My new favorite is M.L.Campbell's MagnaMax, this one comes from a Pittsburgh Paint dealer in my town.

Go to one of these places that deal with professionals. You can buy there too, do not be intimidated. These stores have people that really know their product.

The reason that I have great success is that I not only use good tools, but I use good products. These products are designed to help me make money by efficient and enhanced application performance as well as durability. Amazingly, these products are not much more expensive than what you pay for inferior products at the box stores. For the way that they perform, I pay less in the long run.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


Another thing is dye. At a professional paint store you can get a quart of dye for $90 so that is $2.81 per oz.

A 2 oz. bottle of Transtint costs $18.50 plus shipping if there is not a store nearby. That is $9.25 an ounce.

But for your project, I do not think that you really need the dye.

What you really need to do is take some wood in that you are going to use and have some samples made up. Don't just put the stain on, give it a few minutes and shoot a rattle can of lacquer on it to see how it looks with a clearcoat. The color typically deepens and comes to life.


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## Jojo (Jul 11, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


*Beth*, listen to the wise words of *Todd*. He says that (sic): "The reason that I have great success is that I not only use good tools, but I use good products." but the truth is that, above all, he has great success because he is a true craftsman that knows his trade very well. Problem is he is too humble. You can't go wrong following his advice.


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## Sawdust2 (Mar 18, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


I will reinforce what these folks have said.
I would add that you can get a 14 day free trial at www.finewoodworking.com.
Once you are there you can read all that Peter Gedrys has to say about finishing (staining, dyeing) wood.
Especially that part about dyeing wood yellow or orange (or both) to bring out the grain before you get to your final color.
It is not a simple process to figure out on your own.
Sample boards make it easier plus you can write the process on each board so it's repeatable.
Consider aspen as an alternative (less expensive) choice for cherry.
Lee


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


Beth, I have discovered things that as a recent newbie, (1 yr) you can take to the Bank, There are a few LJ's that are Masters and Todd is definitely one of them and the other is that Todd and most of the others like to share their knowledge and if necessary take you in hand to guide you and help you. You are undertaking a complex and expensive project. The only way to due it is the right way. Any little error that you think that you might have made you will always see even though no-one else does. As you are doing now, take your time, research, learn before you commit yourself and you bank account to a project of this magnitude.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to mooch the table saw.*
> 
> So there was still some debate about which wood I was going to make stuff in. Therefore I didn't pick up as much wood today as I thought I wood. I mean would. I can't believe I just typed that.
> 
> ...


Thank you all for your advice. I will definitely check the local sherwin-williams to see what they've got.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*

Before I waste a whole bunch of wood. 

Here is my sketch from before to give you an idea of what it will look like:









Now I'm trying to figure out how to construct the plywood case. I drew out these sketches. This will be in a corner, and I have some play on the wall side so that I can fit it to the wall when I make the face frame. The tricky part of this is that it is 4 feet wide, and will be supporting a big shelving unit on top. So it has to be strong.









I'm thinking that I need to double up the plywood (3/4" doubled) on the big vertical pieces. And maybe part B, too? And add extra supports on the bottom. What do you guys think? What would you do different? Thanks in advance for any advice!

The part of the sketch that got cropped out:


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Ack, my sketch is cropped, let me add another…


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


I think that the 3/4" sides ply should be enough for support and don't think doubling them up is really necessary. as long as you brace them properly with a square back. also doubling part 'B' will do nothing to the ridgidity of the piece to support more weight, as it only acts as a brace to the sides, and does not carry weight itself. make sure you use good quality plywood though.


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## lumberknowledgist (Dec 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Your design looks good. I agree, I don't think you would need to reinforce the sides, plywood is very strong and will withstand a great deal of pressure when held vertically.


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## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Agree on not needing extra plywood as long as it's a good quality product. Ply is meant to carry weight, so need to double it up. How will you do the face frame? Brad Nails? Pocket Holes?

I like that you have allowed for the piece to be scribed to the wall. It's not something DIY'ers always think about.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Really? You guys think it will be enough? Even though it's 4' wide? (And with a 5' tall bookcase on top?)Because that seems really wide to me - I've been trying to find something to refer to, so I can compare. The widest things in my house are mostly only 3' wide. And I notice that some of even those are looking really saggy. It's also going to be 2' deep, if that makes a difference. Though I can see how the back and face frame will help stabilize it.

How about assembling the case? If I'm using 3/4" plywood, can I use dadoes because the middle vertical will be getting cut into from both sides. Or should I just use biscuits anyway? If the plywood is doubled up then I think the dadoes will not be a problem, right?

I haven't figured out how to attach the face frame yet. I need something easy but not visible from the front. I need to look that up before I start putting things together.

Thanks for taking the time to help me work out my thoughts.  It is a big help and reassuring.


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


You will not need to double up the carcass sides.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


You don't need to doouble up the verticle pieces under compression forces. Spanning 4 feet is where the problem will be with a heavy load.


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## patcav (Mar 3, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Beth, I agree with everyone, there is no need to double up the plywood. I would cut a dado to let in the horizontal (D) dividers into the sides (3/8") and center (1/4"). And I would use biscuits to attach the faceframe to the carcass.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


definitely use dadoes, since biscuits will not give you any strength to the structure - only alignment, while dadoes will give you the extra strength to hold the weight. 3/8" dado in the 3/4" material should be fine - no need to double it up - make the dado fit snug + glue, and you're good to go.

once good tip about dadoes and plywood that I picked up is - don't try to cut the perfect dado to match the plywood thickness (3/4" undersized) - instead, cut the dado at 5/8" and cut a rabbet at the edge of the horizontal component that will reduce the ~3/4" plywood to perfect 5/8" which will be a perfect fit for the 5/8" dado.


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## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Beth, it appears that you have enough support in the middle to do what you want, even with the bookcase on top. If it makes you feel better, you could double up the top thickness. That certainly would help with possible saginess (yes it's a word I just made up) that is worrying you. You also don't need to use solid (unless you want to) pieces between what I'm assuming are 3 drawers on the top of this cabinet. You could make frames that would cost a little time, but still be stable enough.

For the face frame, you could go "simple" and just use straight pieces brad nailed onto the front of the plywood, but to make it stronger, I'd suggest looking into a $40 Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (K3) and some fine and coarse threaded screws for your project. That's just me. No need to use biscuits unless you are set on that way. Brads could easily be used to attach the frame to the cabinet, without worrying about the nails being seen. Especially since as I recall, you want a darker color.

Would a sketch up or more detailed drawing be easier to understand how things could be done?


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Thanks, guys. You're right, I'm actually more worried about the span than the vertical supports, now that I think about it. But I'm the worrying type. You've all made me feel better. I think having the plywood top + the maple on top of that will be good.

PurpLev, thanks for the dado tips!

I didn't realize that I could put dadoes into either side of the same piece of wood, leaving 1/4" uncut in the middle. I was worried that it would be too much cutting in, but I guess since it's all glued that it gets its strength back from the wood going in.

oldskoolmodder, thanks so much for the offer of the drawings, but I think I've got it. I'll have to check out the pocket hole jig (and ask my FIL if he has one!) 

This weekend the table saw and I will be getting acquainted, and then hopefully I'll be getting started soon after!


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


The thing you left out is the design of the top "book case" and how it is being structured. 
Are you are putting a center divider for support? A 4 foot span of 3/4 wood will sag with heavy books on it. If the shelves are permanently fixed a face frame on them will give some support and fastening the shelves to the back panel will help too. If the shelves are adjustable you definitely need a center divider. In that case you will be transferring part of the load to the center of your bottom unit so make sure your vertical drawer dividers are solid and are supported all the way to the floor (dado them in too). Although your 2" thick top may be enough support it would be a shame if it sagged and the drawers started binding.
I tend to over build at times but I agree the 3/4" sides are strong enough especially when you add the solid verticle dividers between the drawers.
Have fun.


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## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...












I drew your drawing up in sketchup. Image A. And made a few changes to it. The only other thought I had was to beef up the middle stile.








The top ones show the comparison with 3" wide middle stile.
the only thing your drawings seem to not show is some type of back for the cases. or nailers.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


Gizmodyne, you are a peach for putting that into sketchup. It's nice to see all of the options. Now I just have to pick which one I like best. I do like B or maybe F better. I'd like to keep the 3 little drawers on top as I think it adds more visual interest.

There will be a back to the case. I have 3/8" beaded paneling that I was going to use for the bookcases, and I should have a piece left that will fit the back of these drawers. Do you guys think that will be sufficient or do I need to put a thicker nailer part on?

I whipped up a sketch of the whole thing with the shelving on top:









I am going to have some fixed 4' wide shelves, and I was definitely going to double them up. I was thinking I'd maybe even encase some metal rods between the doubled up shelves and then they'd never sag. That's probably overdoing it though.  The top part of the unit will be 18" deep, while the drawer part is 24" deep.


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## LesB (Dec 21, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I Haz Saw Now. Plz Check Work.*
> 
> Before I waste a whole bunch of wood.
> 
> ...


The extra sketch helps. I think you will be fine if you are using a 1-1/2" face frame on the book shelf section (use pocket screws or biscuits to attach face frame to shelves) and fastening the shelves to the 3/8" back panel with nails/screws should keep the shelves from sagging. I don't want to mess with you design but that speaker would probably look better in the top shelf in the center.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*The saw and I get chummy*

So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.

First step was to download the table saw's owner's manual since my friend didn't have his anymore. Then I watched a bunch of videos on youtube. There's a great one on there that shows you how a board can get snagged and chucked right at your head. Very dramatically gets the point across.

My husband set up a "containment field" in the garage. Basically plastic sheeting separating my woodworking space from my ceramic tile studio. We have to park the cars outside temporarily. Thank goodness it is finally warming up around here - I will miss parking in the garage! I have the shop vac attached to the table saw also, so hopefully the mess won't be too bad.

My goal for the day was to cut a piece for a sacrificial fence, make a featherboard, and then make a panel cutting sled since I will be needing to cut a lot of panels and I want them square. You'll be pleased to hear that I did all those things and I still have all my fingers and eyes. The panel sled I did just like in a New Yankee Workshop video from youtube here:




I think it will help me a lot! It came out pretty bitchen, if I do say so myself. It is perfectly square. I should take pictures. 

So I think I'm about ready to start on my cabinets. I need to do some final measurements and figure out how big to make everything accounting for the depth of the dadoes and all that. And then the other thing I need to wait for is I had to order a dado insert for the saw since my friend did not have one. Hopefully it won't take too long to get here. Oh, and I also need to set up some tables or something behind the saw.

The next entry I make should have something looking like a cabinet in it. Stay tuned!


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


I admire your ambition in tackling such a large project. Sounds like you are doing your research. Looking forward to following your progress.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Ditto what Betsy said, and, we need pictures!!!!


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## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


All the more reason to use the table saw, so you can build a new place for the cars. Table saws are scary and you have to be on your toes all the time, but boy are they useful.

That's a nice basic sled, I just wonder after watching the video, why he didn't trim the whole thing at once, instead of two cuts to size the sled.


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## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


You have everything on wheels Beth!
What I do when handling sheets of plywood is to cut them with the "Skil Saw" first on a couple of saw horses, downd the size needed + half inch, so its much easier to manage smaller pieces on the table saw.


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## BigBard (Jan 19, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


always use push sticks!


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## ND2ELK (Jan 25, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Good for you Beth! There are some really good videos and books on the use of a table saw. Everyone new to woodworking should do their homework before operating one. I work at Lowes part time and one night a guy comes in and wants to buy a table saw and power miter box saw. As I am loading them on the cart he asked me which side of the saw do you feed the board from!!!!!!!! When I asked him if he ever ran a table saw, I get NO! I told him, you need to read your instruction manuel over, watch videos and get some books on table saws before you use it. BE CAREFUL!

God Bless
tom


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Betsy and Lew - thanks!

oldskoolmodder - I was wondering the same thing. Maybe he just wanted to be sure us newbies didn't saw through a fastener on the back stop.

Moai - I actually had the lumber yard rip my sheets in half longwise for me, so I don't have to haul the big pieces around. I love my lumber store.

BigBard - no worries, I've got some fence cutting system thing that my friend had that helps push the wood through. I am the ultra-paranoid type and I'm not putting any of my parts anywhere near that saw blade. My husband is the non-paranoid type, and he's not allowed to use the table saw. 

Tom - I'll be careful! I promise!  I'm still reading and researching too.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


So which table saw did you end up with , Beth ? Let us know how that shopvac works out for you on the tablesaw .


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


I'm borrowing a craftsman saw from a friend that lives nearby. I'm not sure how old it is, but it is big and heavy. 10" sawblade.

I've only cut those few things, but the shop vac seems to work okay so far. I'll know if it's doing anything once I really get going.


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Bet, I admire you for tackling a project like this particularly with tools that you've never used. Perhaps a new woodworking motto 'read twice, cut once'


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


I finally took a moment to take a picture of the little things I made yesterday.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


oh, and Oldskoolmodder - I realized why he cut the sled twice in the video. It's in case you didn't put the runner on exactly parallel to the edge. So, you put the runner on, cut the plywood end off, then you add the back stop exactly square to the freshly cut edge, and then trim that off if any is sticking out.


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## bluchz (Mar 1, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Now that saw looks familiar…. i think i inherited one just like it. Ummmmmmmm could u make me a sled also? This looks like a well thought out project.


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *The saw and I get chummy*
> 
> So I've been doing my research on table saws for the past couple of days. I have a lot of tools, but I have never used a table saw - just jigsaws, circular saws, miter saws. I don't think I've even really seen one used before. My dad used a radial arm saw, and that was a long time ago anyway. The only thing I really knew about table saws was that ripping boards was very precarious.
> 
> ...


Nice sled and fingerboard , Beth : )


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*

I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.

I was waiting for a dado insert for the table saw, and I got that the other day. So really I had no more excuse not to start on this thing, other than nerves.

All my plywood was already cut into 2'x8' pieces, but I still had to rough cut that into smaller pieces with the circular saw. Then I ripped them to the widths that they needed to be. Then I used the panel cutting sled that I'd made to square them up and cut their final length. That sled was really nice! Made things very easy.

Then came the dadoes and the rabbets. The adjustable dado takes some getting used to - I did a lot of practice cuts with it in order to get it to just the right width. I am really good at taking sawblades on and off now.

I only made one mistake cutting, and had to use my extra plywood that I had. I did it when I had about 2 cuts left and was getting cocky thinking, "hey I did all that without making any mistakes, I rock". Totally jinxing myself.

Anyhoo, here are some pics from when I was checking to make sure there wasn't any glaring errors. It might look a little wonky because I didn't snug it together all the way, and the pieces are mostly leaning on each other. (This is the back)









My son in there for scale - though I think he makes it look smaller!









Before I glue it all up, I want to figure out the drawer slides and get them situated on there. I have slides for the top three drawers, but I forgot that I need to get some for the bottom four. I'm thinking that instead of using the extra face frame hardware, I will just build out where the drawer slides will go, then the slide will be supported it's whole length (better for the big drawers), and the slide won't be too visible from the front since I can set it back from the face frame if I do flush-front drawers.

So far, so good. I did my first dadoes.  Another big thing I learned was that the shopvac doesn't really do too much with your table saw sawdust when you forget to turn it on. I swear half my cuts I forgot to turn on the shopvac.

OMG I'm so tired now. I didn't realize how much I beat myself up until I just sat down. I am going to be sore tomorrow!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


Beth,

You didn't give any credit to your little helper! :=) Happy Birthday! Congrats on your discovery of muscles you never knew you had ;-))

I was wondering how you are doing a few minutes ago, now, here's your blog ;-)) It's a migraine thing. Premonitions are common in migraineurs. I just wish I could dial up the Lotto numbers on demand ;-((


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## Karson (May 9, 2006)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


It's looking great. Kids like to climb into things. I put mine into some 30" deep drawers.


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


40! NoWay!!

Looks like a really great start!!


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


looks good ! happy bDay!


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## toddc (Mar 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


You are on your way!


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


Thanks, everybody!

Barry~ I'm trying to remember what the plywood I got is called. It's actually really nice with mahogany on one side, but the picture is taken from the bottom where all the not-so-pretty sides are. But I think it should be good.


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## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


Nice job…looking forward to the next post.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I got a little more done today than I thought I would!*
> 
> I wasn't sure that I would have any free time today to do any work on my project. And yesterday was my 40th birthday, so I expected to be tired and hungover. ;P But I wasn't too bad off.
> 
> ...


Can you guys see my big mistake? I just figured it out today. I made the top three drawers equal sized, but that won't work with the face frame being wider on the sides than in-between the drawers. But luckily, the face frame will be wide enough to compensate for the wrong placement of those dividers between the drawers, and no one will be the wiser.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Inside of drawer case is done.*










I put my drawer case together and have the slides in there. There are a couple of spots where the measurements were wonky for some reason, but I got it all squared up where it needs to be squared up. I think I may have cut my dadoes a wee bit too tight, because I had to wrestle with this thing quite a lot. And it is big, so there was some sweating and swearing. I think if I had more experience with this sort of thing, I could've planned my assembly attack better, and maybe saved some final cuts for when I was actually putting it together. Like, those small vertical dividers - I had to recut those to be slightly bigger. Ah well. The worst is over. I didn't really trust my glue joints since I fiddled with them so much, so I put a bunch of screws in there too.

I was debating what sort of drawer slides to use. I liked the concealed ones, but they are really expensive, like almost 50 bucks a pair. Then I was going to use some cheaper side-mounted ones, and I was just about to order them when I found a screamin' deal on some slightly used accuride concealed slides in just the right size on ebay. I ended up paying around $15/pair, and I have extra for the other built-ins that I plan on making. Score!

The little drawers on top have a simple undermount center slide.

So now I have to get the wood for the face frame, top, and side. I'm on a little break from this project as I suffer through the flu, but hopefully I will be working on it again soon!


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks Great Beth! 
But:
Like, those small vertical dividers - I had to recut those to be slightly bigger

?!? you gotta teach us that trick, usually when we cut it twice it's still too short… not slightly bigger?!?

j/k 

hope you feel better soon. always keep an eye on eBay and craigslist for hardware deals etc. worth it in the long run.


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## Kindlingmaker (Sep 29, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like you are doing well. ...and speaking of well, get better soon. The flu and dust masks don't mix!


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## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


what part do you think that you need more experience in ? the sweating or the swearing ?


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You guys are cracking me up! Thanks for the well-wishes. I hope to be back to mostly back to my old self by the weekend.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Looks like you're on a roll now!! Take care of that flu bug.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Inside of drawer case is done.*
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Shopguryl~ yes, I have the drawer releases.  The center drawer slides should be in okay - I've removed the piece that connects to the drawer, so maybe it looks funky because of that. I'm sure I'll find out eventually if they're backwards, though.  I'm not worried about sagging because these top drawers will be very small - it's kind of hard to see that at this point because the space is so large in the case. They're really only going to be half that height that you can see. Just enough to hold remote controls (of which there are many!)


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Making up for lost time.*

So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!

I made the face frame pieces for the drawer cabinet. I'm working with maple now and it took me a moment to figure out why my saw suddenly didn't seem to cut so fast anymore - this stuff is hard! I guess that's why it's called "hardwood", eh?

Making the face frame pieces was time consuming because I was working with rough cut boards. Luckily they all had one straight edge on them, so I would first make the other edge straight, and then rip them to width. I had some trouble ripping at first, but I realized that it was the blade guard that was getting hung up on stuff and moving (it's an old saw I'm using and a little wonky). I seem to be able to keep it from doing whatever crazy thing it was doing now.

I decided to fasten everything together with biscuits, although pocket screws would've been a lot faster. But I chose biscuits because a) I'd already bought a biscuit joiner off craigslist when I started this project, b) I didn't already have a pocket screw jig, c) I really don't want any visible connectors - it wouldn't be an issue with these drawers, but it would be with some of the other shelves I'm planning, and so I might as well get used to the biscuits. d) pocket screw holes are very inviting for spiders. Spiders!!

So I had to figure out the biscuit joiner thing. First lesson - make sure the blade is all the way retracted into the housing before you start it. Otherwise it rolls down your wood wreaking destruction. Luckily, nobody will be able to see where this happened.  It takes some practice to get to know exactly where the cutter is going to cut, but once you have it figured out then you're good to go. Now I have all my biscuit slots and the face frame is ready to be joined together and fastened to the cabinet. I'll just use dowels for the skinnier pieces. I think I'm going to stain all the pieces first and then join them together. Not all the pieces are attached in this pic, in case you notice any big gaps. 










I was debating what to do with the side. One side is against the wall in the corner, but the right side is visible. I really didn't want one big smooth piece there. So I was hemming and hawing because I thinking what I might like is boards joined together with a touch of a bevel on the edges. But I didn't really want spend a lot on maple boards when the maple plywood is cheaper. My solution was to cut the maple ply into "boards" following any existing lines in the plywood facing. I put rabbets in them and the little bevels. Then I glued them up overnight. It worked out pretty well! It'll give the side some visual interest and make the cabinet a little more rustic. I'll stain this up before I attach it also.










I still need to work on the top. I had to get more wood because I had the lumber guys rough cut it a tad too small. The top will be plywood, and I'll put a rabbet in it to attach some simple molding to and finish the edge.

Meanwhile…I am almost halfway done with the top shelving section that sits atop these drawers! I've got the sides cut and dadoed, the 4' shelf pieces doubled and glued together and rabbeted on both sides to fit into the dadoes. I had a little disaster cutting the dadoes in the side and realized that it is more goof-proof if I use my router. But I'm almost done with the case for the upper shelving unit - one little vertical shelf needs its dadoes and the top needs some rabbets.

I think I have one more day of cutting stuff, then I'm going to start sanding, sanding, sanding, and then clean the garage and then stain for a while. I'm at a turning point in my project where I think I've done all the skills that I needed to learn, and I have a lot more confidence to proceed. I feel very good about how it's all going to come out! So excited. But man, I am so tired right now! I'm looking forward to building the drawers because the pieces of wood are a lot smaller than what I've been dealing with!


----------



## BigBard (Jan 19, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Your on your way, this is shaping-up Lovely!


----------



## Newton (Jun 29, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


One step at a time. Forcing yourself to work when you are tired = mistakes and accidents. Good job!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Beth, That wasn't the swine flu, was it?? Looks like you are doing a great job!! Are you going to dovetail the drawers?


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Your best tool is between your ears and when it's tired it can be dangerous and damaging to your project.
good progress, look forward to your next report.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Big Bard~ Thanks!

Don Newtonand Jim~ I'm usually pretty good about quitting when I get tired. Except for the previous day's work on this thing where I went to do one last little trim and forget to check the setup and cut off too much. lol! Luckily that piece was not all the way cut down to size so I could still use it today. But I quit after I got the hint!

TS~I'm pretty sure it was just the regular human flu. I forgot to get my flu shot this year. The regular flu is going around WA right now, but it wouldn't surprise me if they figured out that the most recent flu going around has been swine flu the whole time and they are just now finding it. In any case, I am all better now! The swine flu thing did add a bit of drama to my misery, though!

I was planning on dovetailing the drawers on account of my dad gave me his old dovetail template. I still need to see if it works with my router though, and then figure out how to use it. That reminds me, I have a question about drawers. How thick should I make these things? The big ones are about 18" wide. Should I use 1/2" or 3/4"? I should probably go around my house and look for myself what my existing drawers use. I'm too tired to get out of my chair, though.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


I hopw you're right about them finding out the swine flu is the normal flu this time. I heard on the news the other day they discovered it isn't a swine flu at all.

Back to the drawers, I'd go with 1/2". I assume you're talking about the sides and backs. 1/4" ply for the bottoms.

If you can't figure out that thig-a-ma-jig, there are plenty of options, hand cut dovetails ) dados, box joints, plain old butt joints, rabbets…........


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Coming along nicely, Beth!

About the drawer thickness, a lot depends on what you want to store in them. If it's just light weight stuff (paper and office type stuff) you could probably get away with half inch sides and back and 1/4" bottoms. The fronts may be thicker depending on how you were going to fasten them.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Ts~ I figure since I'm putting all this effort into hiding fasteners and I have the concealed slides, then I should make my drawers pretty too. Though I draw the line at hand-cutting the dovetails. lol! I imagine if the template won't work with my router, maybe it'll work with my father-in-law's and I'll just borrow his. I'll have to take a picture of the jig and see if someone here can tell me how the heck it works. 

Lew~ Thanks! These drawers will be filled with DVDs and CDs and games. I imagine 1/2" will be good, but I also have to take into consideration my 4-year-old who likes to use open drawers as stepstools.  The fronts will be simple framed panels - so 3/4" frame around 1/2" ply. (The little top drawers will just be solid, but I might put something decorative on them.)


----------



## gizmodyne (Mar 15, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


Hi,

You may have thought of this, but you might want to cut some spacers for those big drawer openings for when you glue up the face frame. Two per drawer would allow you to position the horizontal members with greater ease.

Thinking ahead:

Also, you might want to rabbet or otherwise relieve the right stile edge that will be scribed to the wall by a 1/4" before you attach it. This will make it easier to scribe to the wall if you plan to use a belt sander or plane.

For the top, there is no need to rabbet the edge if you plan to hide it with a molding. Just attach it and nail a molding on when the whole piece is in place. That will hide the ply edge.d

If the floors are not level, you will need to shim and put some time of molding to hide as well. So you might as well make and stain all of the moldings ahead of time. Depending on how well you scribe that right egde, you might need a little molding for that too, though if you scribe it well that can handle it.

Keep on.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Making up for lost time.*
> 
> So I'm finally over my flu. I've since put almost 3 days into my project since my last update and I've gotten a lot done!
> 
> ...


gizmodyne~ I think I know what you're talking about with the spacers. But what I was planning to do was glue up the face frame and then put it on the case with the biscuits without glue just to help hold everything in place until it dried. Which would be sort of the same idea as the spacers. Then once that's dry, glue the face frame to the case. The face frame piece that goes against the wall I definitely will leave loose til the end since I might need to trim it a bit. Really, what I mean to say is after all that, I'm just going to wing it.  I know it's kind of complicated because there are so many pieces interlocking and I'm not sure how much I can glue up at once.

I was thinking I would put a rabbet in the top because I'd like to avoid nails. I thought a rabbet would help hold the molding flush with the top better. And yes, I will have molding on the bottom too and I'll stain that up before I put it on, and I'm sure I will be doing some shimming.  But it's nice to know you all are lookin' out for me!

Oh! That reminds me - I am putting these on concrete. What should I put underneath them to protect them from moisture?


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Time to stock up on sandpaper!*

Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!

Here is what I finished up today…

This is the casing for the upper shelves that sit atop the drawers. It is ginormous! So I'll be staining it before I glue it all together. This is the back of it facing up. The hardest part was fine-tuning the joints so that it all fits snugly. I was carrying those big doubled up shelves back and forth to the garage and they are heavy! I'm looking pretty buff now from the workout I've been getting. 









This is the molding for the top with a little slot for the rabbet on the plywood. The molding that I'm using on this thing is simply a 45 slice off the corner of a board. I wanted very simple lines on this thing. (I know I need to sand out those saw marks. My saw is really wonky.)









And the molding to go on the bottom. (Don't mind all the loose pieces, nothing is attached yet.)









So sanding questions…

OMG I have so much sanding to do. I already have a little palm sander - will that suffice? Or should I do it by hand with a block? What grits should I be using? I need to make a run to the store and get a ton of this stuff. While I'm doing all the sanding I'll be making up some test boards with the finish. I seem to have a lot of scrap lying around!

Thanks for looking!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Hi Beth
Looks like things are moving right along. As far as sanding goes at least a Random orbital sander will make things a lot easier than just a pad sander(a sander with 1/4 sheet of sand paper that just moves back and forth)If you buy one the type that has hook and loop (velcro) disc are easiest to change the sand paper.
On hard wood (not plywood) start sanding at 60 grit for Farly rough surfaces and work your way through finer grits of sand paper in this order 60,80,100,120,150,180 you can go even finer if you wish but be careful because the finer you go the more it seals of the wood from finish. In time you will know when you can start at a finer grit than 60. It's best to parctice on some wood before useing a new sander on your built ins.
Hope this helps.
Jim


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Listen to Jim, he has it right!

If you are going to continue to do wood working, a random orbital finish sander will become your friend! I wish I had purchased the type with hook and loop system when I started but I opted for the for the sticky, pressure sensitive adhesive type. The sanding disks were cheaper. The problem is that often you don't "use up" a sanding disk before needing a different grit. A used disk never seems to stick too good the next time.


----------



## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Beth, Jim & Lew are right on the money. with hook and loop you can change sheets and still reattach without any problem. This is so useful that its worth it to go for one of the better brands and not some cheepie (B&D) also consider features like variable speed. its worth the investment. Also keep dust control in mind and wear dust masks, over time sanding dust can kill you !


----------



## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


I agree with all of the above and also think your project is looking pretty darn good!!


----------



## eagle124 (Dec 17, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Well, I guess if you are determined to sand all the saw marks away…....their right…..But I think I would start with a good scraper….and maybe even end with it too!!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Okay, I'll be off to the store today to look at sanders and get sandpaper. But now I'm all intrigued by John's suggestion. I didn't even realize that scraping was an option, but I just googled it. I'm not sure what would be easier for me - but I do hate sanding! If anyone wants to chime in more about scraping, or give me some good links, I would like know more. Thanks!


----------



## Woodhacker (Mar 16, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Beth, I agree with the comments above, but I'm concerned about using that technique on the plywood. If you sand through that many different grits, there's a good chance you could sand through the finish layer of veneer on the plywood. For the plywood you might consider starting with 100 or 120, then go straight to 180 or 220, depending on how dark you plan to stain the unit.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Time to stock up on sandpaper!*
> 
> Okay, I am done cutting wood for a while. I've had about enough of that! Time to start sanding and staining so all these pieces of cabinets are out of the way and I have room to work on more parts. There is wood everywhere!
> 
> ...


Woodhacker ~ that's a good point. And I like your advice because it's easier.  I will be doing test boards too, so I'll be able to see what works and what doesn't.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Figuring out staining*

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!

After all my tests, I found this woodwhisperer's video:
http://thewoodwhisperer.com/73-coloring-blotchy-woods/

Which was EXACTLY what I needed to see. I think I could've cut out a lot of testing if I'd seen that first!

I played with a lot of dye/wood conditioner/stain combos. As you know, I'm trying to make maple dark, and maple is one of those woods that will blotch all to hell. I tried like 3 different wood conditioners, but they all SUCKED compared to shellac. Shellac is like a miracle solution for blotching. But shellac didn't let any color in. That's about when I found the wood whisperer video where he used a combo of shellac with a General Finishes gel stain in Java. That stain is so rich and so dark, it will color anything, I bet. It is awesome. It is a bit chocolately, though, and I wanted just a hint of red, so I dyed the wood first with Transtint in Brown Mahogany, and that gives the finish its red and the layering adds some depth to the color.

So here's my finishing plan, which I'm writing down so that I will remember it for the next wave of staining:

Sand to 180
raise the grain with water, let dry, sand to 180 again
dye with transtint brown mahogany in water (I don't know the exact dilution, it's about 30-40 drops in about half a deli container's worth of water - I think the container might be about a quart) I basically just flood the surface with a paintbrush, then wipe off the excess with paper towels. Let dry, any grain that came up this time can be taken care of with a 3M 00 scrubby.
Wipe everything down with mineral spirits to clean it off and let dry.
Wipe on a layer of 50:50 Zinssner Seal Coat shellac:denatured alcohol. You have to be fast and get it on as evenly as you can and quickly wipe up excess. Let dry about 15 minutes.
General Finishes Java gel stain - use a foam brush to slap it on, then wipe off. I've noticed that if the temp is 70 or more, then it will get tacky fairly quickly and be harder to wipe off, so don't cover too much at once before wiping. You have to be firm with the wiping, and get most of it back off. One coat is plenty dark, it's incredible. 
General Finishes Gel Topcoat - put on the same way as the stain. At least 3 coats.

I love, love, LOVE the General Finishes. It even smells nice. I've never had a stain and topcoat be so goofproof. I'm so pleased with the finish - it is so smooth and pristine, I can't believe I accomplished it without using some sort of sprayer. The only downside to this system is that you have to wait overnight between coats, and it makes the process take a long time. The maple still blotches a little bit where the grain is the most dramatic, but nowhere near as bad as a regular stain/wood conditioner. It's just enough to give the wood some character without looking sloppy.

Other notes:
Shellac is made by a bug! Called the Lac bug. I had no idea! It was cool to see some biology (my field) in woodworking.
Transtint dye in alcohol vs. water. I was experimenting putting the dye in alcohol. It goes on fine, but as it dries, it produces this weird color pattern in the wood that makes it look like fish scales. I wouldn't recommend putting the dye in alcohol because of this. Water works much better. 
The reason I raised the grain first instead of just letting the dye step raise the grain is because sanding the grain back down takes off too much dye if I don't do it beforehand. 
If I was doing some more experimenting, I would try the same schedule, but maybe sand to 240 and use full-strength Seal Coat. I'm a bit curious about how that would look. But I am happy with what I have so far.

Here's a picture of my final finish, I still haven't actually put the face frame together yet, but you can get an idea of what it all will look like:








It's a little blurry since you could see the color better without the flash. Though it still looks redder in this picture than it does it real life.


----------



## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


WOW!!! That is really nice.


----------



## oldskoolmodder (Apr 28, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


It's coming along great Beth. Nice Job.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Beth,

Ditto what robbi said! There is already a beautiful satin sheen!


----------



## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Very nice finish Beth. I guess you know that this "product" from the lac bug is also used in some candies and ice cream and probably a bunch of other stuff.


----------



## mattg (May 6, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


You're right, Java stain have a pleasant smell to it!! I used it on the lingerie chest I made for my girlfriend. My buddy at Rockler told me that Java was their best selling stain, I can see why! Your project looks great, great job, Beth!!


----------



## TheCaver (Nov 21, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Any other pictures?

JC


----------



## Emeralds (Aug 24, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Very nice Beth, beautiful work.

I'm also a big fan of GF Gel Stains, my favorite being "Candlelite" which is a beautiful "old world cherry" stain. Like all gels, it can be applied in very thin coats and deepened to an incredibly large range (depth) of colors.
I actually buy "hues" and have been able to get a wide variety of colors from blonde to almost ebonized with from the same stain.

When Marc first introduced that video, he referenced a Charles Neil video that was also very helpful and informative. If you are interested in using Shellac and want more in depth info, check out that video.

Cheers and thanks for sharing.
Joe

Incidently, if you want to try another very effective top coat, use the same 1lb cut of Zinser over the finished stain, allow to cure, scuff with 4k SW or 800 grit wet/dry paper and repeat. Four to seven coats (more coats will generate more gloss) will give you a everlastingly durable top coat.


----------



## danhux (Feb 28, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


very nice work…great job


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Hey Beth
great Job it looks wonderful, If you want a full blown course of staining and dying,spraying anything to do with coloring wood get fellow LJer Charles Neil finishing a-z it might seem like its a little expensive but its a complete course on finishing no Doubt were Marc got his info.


----------



## gbvinc (Aug 6, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Looks like the color came out perfect! Nice job!


----------



## sbryan55 (Dec 8, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Beth, this looks really good. And thanks for the info on the your finishing routine.


----------



## Jojo (Jul 11, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


It is looking great *Beth*, I'm very much enjoying your series. Keep up the good work.


----------



## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Nice Job, the cabinet is looking fantastic!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Thank you all! Still chugging through staining my other pieces and putting the face frame on to this base cabinet. I uploaded a couple more pictures that I took on the way.

Here is that transtint thing I mentioned in my post. Alcohol is on the left, water is on the right. They both look the same when you first put it on, but the alcohol side dries all weird. I'm guessing this happens because the transtint is meant to be used in water. I just wanted to see what it would do. 









And this is just a bunch of face frame pieces from the cabinet in the original post after they just got dyed. This is the color Brown Mahogany. It's all orangey-red. 









I'll have more pictures soon, promise!


----------



## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Beth,

You are really thorough in your research. Thanks for sharing it with us. Your finish looks great.


----------



## TheCaver (Nov 21, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


I've used transtint dyes in alcohol several times, but based on the pics above, I will now be testing on scraps first! That's a strange result….Thanks for bringing that to our attention….

JC


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


Yeah, isn't it weird? It might also be a technique thing. When I put the dye on with water, I basically flood the surface. I did the same thing with the alcohol dilution, and the flooding could be the reason why this happens - too much alcohol. And maybe the alcohol carries the dye with it more or something.

And to elaborate more on this topic - I also played with different dilutions of shellac. When I tried what was approx. a 1/2lb cut of shellac in alcohol and put it on a waterbased-dyed board, the alcohol started screwing with the dye coat and make the same pattern. So alcohol can also screw up a dyed board later on too. Just be cautious!


----------



## Manitario (Jul 4, 2010)

BethMartin said:


> *Figuring out staining*
> 
> It's been a while since I've posted. I've been playing with staining and finally have something to show for it. I spent about a week experimenting - and I think I ended up with more test boards that actual boards that needed stain - lol!
> 
> ...


thanks for posting this in such detail. I have some maple that I need to finish over the next couple of days, and from what I've gathered on LJ's, it will not be fun. You post though gives me a nice easy approach.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*

I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out. 









I want to keep it simple and rustic like the trim on this doorway (this is to my master bath):









So I drew this out:









But it's really too big of a span and I need to break it up somehow. Thoughts?


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


How about a Valance just at the top using the top of the door as a "pattern" and maybe 3 individual sills.


----------



## chriswright (Nov 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


How long is it? You could case out each window individually. A bit more work, but could look real nice.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


It's about 13.5 feet long.

Lew, I don't quite get what you're saying there.

Chris, that's what I'm thinking, but I'm not quite sure how to do it. The vertical spaces between the windows is about 4", so if I split that in half, then the casing would be too narrow.

I should note that the insides of the windows need to have wood on them too.


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


case the inside first , and then reveal the face style that should bring it down to 3.5 and make it slimer in design .
you con put a wider sill for flower pots or knik-knaks there .
when i do window casings i make them in shop as a complete unit that is square and 1/16 under opening , so they are nice and tight to themselves . then trim them in place .if you do it board by board in window the rough opening can be squed and make your corners of enough to make it slopy.
it looks like red oak ? check your finish as red oak has a tendency to turn black when wet . or use a tray for poted plants .


----------



## TraumaJacques (Oct 25, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


How about a shutter system were each set of window would have 2 panels that can slide away to be open.Lots of work but with the right wood your rustic look would be reached and you wont have to worry about trims.The frame would fill in the 4 " gaps.
a href="http://s603.photobucket.com/albums/tt115/traumajacques/?action=view&current=grashutters.jpg" target="blank">







</a>

Just an idea. Nice work by the way.


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


I lthink David has a good approach (as always) but trimming in place might be a better choice for someone who hasn't don't before. As Dave said start with the inside first the sides and then top and bottom. I think you might be surprised I've have customers actually say it looks smaller after it's trimmed out.


----------



## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


I still like your drawing the best. I think it will break itself up if the wood contrasts to the wall color.
Ellen


----------



## chriswright (Nov 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


You're right, casing each window by its self would be difficult with that small of a space between them. I say go with your original design. It might be hard to find, but go to your local lumber yard and go digging through the piles. I've gotten boards that were close to 16 feet long. You might end up haveing to pay a little more for them. If that dosen't work, you could always split it in the middle and use a simple decorative cap to cover the joint between the two boards.


----------



## Moai (Feb 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Beth, How much is the distance to the lateral walls? is it the same at both sides?


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Do you want to do away with any of the windows?


----------



## BrennaAnne (May 22, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Beth ~

I am going with Chris on this one… your design is brilliant… you'll find a way to make it work! You're brilliant.


----------



## Akelawood (May 19, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Beth,
How about putting puting either a decorative corbel or rosette block at the to/bottom of each of the upright pieces. That would break up the long horizontal run. Obviously you wouldn't want anything to intricate to keep the rustic look.


----------



## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


I like your design…I have the same kind of windows in my house and have been experimenting with different options. I trimmed out one of my bedrooms but I think it's to much oak (I did the baseboards too)....so I am still trying to decide on my livingroom. I'll be watching this to see how it goes. Can you post a close-up shot of the top trim on the door? Is it two seperate pieces? And of course because I might want to copy it, that is the style of trim I like the most…simple.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


The shutter idea is kind of intriguing - as I will have to do some sort of shade for it. But I think they will be in the way.

The windows are centered on the wall now, but my built-ins will be put in on the right and then they won't be centered anymore.

Maybe Chris is right and I should look for some long boards. I know I can find 12' easy, but 14' might be harder to find. It would save me the trouble of figuring out a different design, though. ;P

robbi - The door trim to my master bath is hemlock stained with a dark walnut stain. The door itself is just pine with the same stain. The trim is just 1"x4" (I think) boards and then at the top there is an additional 1"x2". I glued the 1"x2" onto the top board, before staining and nailing it up. Easiest door trim ever with no miters. 

David's casing idea to do it before setting the window is interesting. I can see how that would make it tighter and more square. I'll have to think if I want to do that. But a little wonkiness might be okay with the rustic-ness.

ts- I need to keep all my windows as it is the lower level of our split-level house. 

akealawood - I'll have to think about that suggestion too, hmmm…

Okay, I should hit the lumberyard and see what I can find. I'm trying to do some windows at the same time as my built-ins so when I'm in the staining phase I get more done at once. I need to pick up the pace a little bit!


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


If you can't get boards long enough, you could just miter the butt joint. When they are end te end, the miter will cover any movement and it will be hardly noticable.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Ooh…I think Akealawood was onto something. Right after my last post I did this to my drawing:










I think breaking it up like this is just the ticket. It doesn't even have to be decorative corbels, it can just be different thicknesses or just have some bevels or something. So thanks!!


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Beth, that looks good ;-)) BTW, looks like your rhodys are in full glory!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *I need help figuring out what to do with these windows*
> 
> I have this row of 4 windows that I need to trim out.
> 
> ...


Yep, they are!

I have to make an edit about the door trim. That skinny piece on the top is not a 1"x2", it's more like 1/2"x2".


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Just a little quick update with no pics*

Still chugging along. I bought a bunch of wood for my windows. Ho-lee crap. So much wood. I didn't realize how deep my windows were. I thought I could case out the insides with 1×8"s, but that's just a shade too narrow. So a ton of 1×10" boards. There's no way I could afford to do it in the maple I've been using for the cabinets. And so I'm doing it in fir. The stained color should be about the same, and I'm going for the rustic look anyway, so it will do. I had to spend about $400 to case out these 4 windows. On FIR. That's how much wood is involved. I do think they are going to look pretty cool when they are done, though. So I'll live.

The snag that I have now is that the inner top of the window only really has room for a 1/2" thick board (The header is in the way). And I can't get 1/2" boards that wide that I know of yet. So I have 1" boards (which are really 3/4") and I need to have them planed down or something. Or find some wide 1/2" boards. I dunno. The guy at the lumberyard gave me a couple of phone numbers of people with their own shops near me who might be able to help me plane them down.

Anyhoo, so I spent some time ripping wood to put on the inside window cases. The other thing I did was finish up making the face frame pieces for the upper part of the cabinets I'm working on. Then I started putting together the back of that thing, which is made up of tongue-n-groove and I'll paint that blue before I put it on. I decided to modify the upper part of the case by adding a couple of stringers (I think that is what they are called?) at the top and bottom, for strength. Because the back is a little flimsy and the bottom of it really needs something to attach to. I think it will look neater too. I'm going to stain everything before I put it together. But I should get the bulk of this thing together this week! Yay!


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Just a little quick update with no pics*
> 
> Still chugging along. I bought a bunch of wood for my windows. Ho-lee crap. So much wood. I didn't realize how deep my windows were. I thought I could case out the insides with 1×8"s, but that's just a shade too narrow. So a ton of 1×10" boards. There's no way I could afford to do it in the maple I've been using for the cabinets. And so I'm doing it in fir. The stained color should be about the same, and I'm going for the rustic look anyway, so it will do. I had to spend about $400 to case out these 4 windows. On FIR. That's how much wood is involved. I do think they are going to look pretty cool when they are done, though. So I'll live.
> 
> ...


Looking forward to seeing the final design on the windows!

Just a word about sizing your stock. I would wait until you have the 1×10 planed to 1/2" thick before cutting them to size. Just in case there are any defects in the planing.

Just my $.02


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Just a little quick update with no pics*
> 
> Still chugging along. I bought a bunch of wood for my windows. Ho-lee crap. So much wood. I didn't realize how deep my windows were. I thought I could case out the insides with 1×8"s, but that's just a shade too narrow. So a ton of 1×10" boards. There's no way I could afford to do it in the maple I've been using for the cabinets. And so I'm doing it in fir. The stained color should be about the same, and I'm going for the rustic look anyway, so it will do. I had to spend about $400 to case out these 4 windows. On FIR. That's how much wood is involved. I do think they are going to look pretty cool when they are done, though. So I'll live.
> 
> ...


$400 for fir!!!!!!!! Sure didn't look like that much work in the drawings!!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Just a little quick update with no pics*
> 
> Still chugging along. I bought a bunch of wood for my windows. Ho-lee crap. So much wood. I didn't realize how deep my windows were. I thought I could case out the insides with 1×8"s, but that's just a shade too narrow. So a ton of 1×10" boards. There's no way I could afford to do it in the maple I've been using for the cabinets. And so I'm doing it in fir. The stained color should be about the same, and I'm going for the rustic look anyway, so it will do. I had to spend about $400 to case out these 4 windows. On FIR. That's how much wood is involved. I do think they are going to look pretty cool when they are done, though. So I'll live.
> 
> ...


I called up a guy recommended by the lumber yard who they thought would help me plane my boards, and he did! He too warned about the SNIPE when I called him. I became very worried about the snipe. Especially because I'd already cut my boards to length. Crap! I didn't know about the snipe! I was so worried that I went and bought a couple more longer boards in case mine weren't going to work anymore and brought those along just in case. (more $$$ - ugh!). But the snipe turned out to be totally negligable. You can barely tell that it's there, and it's on a part that you won't see. Whew!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Where I'm at!*

Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!

This is the back of the top part of my shelving unit, before I put the back on.









And this is with the back on. I painted it first, then attached it. It's just cheapy pine tongue and groove. It's really hard to photograph the color but I think this pic is close. I've left the wall side stile off until I can fit it once it's up there. I finally relented and bought a pocket screw jig and will attach it with pocket screws. Now my face frames are a mixture of glue, biscuits and pocket screws. 









Since I got the top part of my shelving unit mostly done, so we recruited a bunch of my husbands friends to heft it into place. This picture is after I got all the holes cut for all the electronics outlets. There is also going to be an adjustable shelf in the middle right, but I haven't gotten that in there yet. The side panels are not put on yet, I will wait on those until I figure out what I'm going to do about the fireplace mantel and hearth. The TV is above the fire place. The black cord you see is the HDMI cable which is obviously way too long.  Also missing is the molding around the top of the drawers, and the baseboard and top molding. I'll do those all at once when I do the other set of shelves.









You might be able to see that I trimmed out the insides of the windows. They look pretty nice so far. I wanted to wait until I got this unit in until I did the rest.

While I was waiting for my blue paint to dry, I ended up making the drawers. At first, I thought I was going to do dovetails, because my dad had given me his old dovetail jig. Then I realized that I actually like the look of box joints better. Then I figured out I couldn't really do those because my adjustable dado blade wont leave a flat bottom in the cut. Then I found a cool video explaining lock rabbets:

http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/file.jsp?item=video/player&temp=yes&bcpid=979295690&bclid=1339078484&bctid=1213841038

That looked pretty easy, I thought, and so I started cutting up this 1/2" maple ply that I'd gotten for no particular reason.

Okay, it turns out that lock rabbet joints aren't really conducive to plywood. because pieces tend to break off. Or maybe my plywood wasn't that great? It wasn't cabinet grade, just a step below. But I kept chugging along, and most of the trouble spots are out of sight, so the drawers actually came out pretty nice for my first drawers. I sanded about half of the drawers down so far and glued one up together. Here is my highly specialized drawer clamping apparatus:









I need to get more rope so that I can do more than one at a time!

Okay, here's my question about drawers. So the drawers fit really well, however I did make one mistake where the bottom got put 3/16" too low, which raises the drawer box 3/16". Now I have about 1/4" clearance left between the top of the drawer and the cabinet. Do you see any issues with that? I'm imagining that if the drawer get stuffed full someday and something gets caught as I pull the drawer out, I won't have too much finagling room to get the drawer unstuck.


----------



## Ottis (Apr 17, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Wow Beth…looks great so far…I look forward to seeing the completed project !!


----------



## Splinterman (Mar 13, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Coming along nicely Beth…..good job.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Great Work, Beth!

As for the drawer, maybe you could trim the sides and back down a little, leaving the front full size. When the drawer is closed- no one would see the sides/back are slightly shorter and you would have a little more room to work to un-stick the drawer.


----------



## JMatt (Mar 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Great work. I agree with Splinterman. Coming along very nicely!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Thanks all! 
Lew, the drawer still needs to get it's front attached, so I'm able to trim the whole drawer box if I want to. I'm just wondering if I should bother trimming it or not worry about it. 

I'm pretty sure I'm being totally paranoid. Because once I get the front on, which will likely be inset and have no clearance anyway, that there's really no point in making the rest of the drawer shorter.


----------



## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Nice unit Beth.
I see the window in one picture…what did you decide about that project!
Ellen


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Ellen, I put the windows on hold until this unit went in. Because originally I was going to frame it all out in wood that was the same width as the spaces between the windows, but it almost looks like the frame is too wide that way. And it brings it awfully close to the shelving unit. So I need to play with the design some more before I do anything. 

But at least I got the insides of the windows done, which I think was the harder part - as the windows are so wonky, not square, and often a half inch deeper in one corner than the other. There was a LOT of cutting involved to make the pieces sit tightly together, and I had to make sure that the tops were at the same level all the way across. It was a PITA!


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


very nice beth !
are the drawers full sided or are you using slides ?
your project is looking very nice .


----------



## kerflesss (Mar 7, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Looks good to me Beth!! I really like your drawer clamps. I use ratcheting cargo straps from my truck in a pinch so I get double duty from them. Looking froward to seeing it finished.


----------



## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Beth, sorry if I missed a few chapters as I was out of town(without a computer) for a few weeks but have now reviewed all and have come to the conclusion that you have a lot more experience than we may have been lead to believe.(?) Anyway, To stick my 2 cents in on several questions past and present. I like your modified window plan the best. I always prefer getting the most natural light possible and split levels always lack in this dept. Clamps ,whatever works is the right clamp. If I read this correctly the one drawer is 3/16 of an inch closer to the top than the others which are 7/16 from the top. Don't see this as being much of a problem keeping in mind that you probably will not fill any of them much above the the edge of the drawer, unlike my dresser drawers which I am always cramming full of my collection of old, holey, stained, should have been thrown out, t-shirts. Consider that drawer your own personal mark that only you and all the lumberjocks in the world know about. I won't tell you how great a job you're doing or how good it looks since everyone else has and which you already know just by looking at it because I don't want to be redundant.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Patron~ I have fancy bottom mount slides, I got a screamin' deal on some slightly used ones off of ebay. Woot! I put my first drawer in and it fits nicely.

Kerflesss~ I was so worried that I was going to be hurting for clamps when I put these drawers together, I've got a few small clamps and six pipe clamps. Then I remembered that people used straps, grabbed some old rope and voila! It works just fine! 

Rtb~ I was slacking in posting for a while, so you didn't miss much. The drawer issue is with all the big drawers, so they're all sitting a little too high, not just one drawer. It's not an issue that it'll be visible because it's going to have a front attached. I was just getting myself worked up because all the drawers in my house seem to have like 1" or more clearance for the drawer boxes. But I'm realizing that they may be like that because the manufacturer didn't make them deeper to save money rather than a functionality thing. So I've decided not to worry about it. 

And thank you for the nice comments. To be honest, I look at this thing and I think wow this is pretty good for a noob and I'm so pleased with how it's turning out and I can't believe that I've made it. But really, I do have a little bit of experience with tools and stuff, just not making cabinets. I am a scientist, though, so I naturally over-research things and I think that helps. Google helps too.  I don't know if I'd been able to pull this off myself if we didn't have the resources on the internet like we do today. (Like Lumberjocks.) The shared experience on the web is so wonderful. This unit has its flaws, but hopefully I'm the only one who'll know where they are.


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Oh, I wanted to add…

I just hooked up all the electronics, and I'm so glad that I was generous about the shelf sizes. I made the top shelves 18" deep and that works out just perfect to make it easy to hook things up and tuck the cords behind everything. I ordered a shorter HDMI cable though - there's no "tucking" of that monster. It's about 5' too long - lol!


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


Beth, your drawer clamp looks like the "clamps" my wife uses for everything ) No matter what happens, she fixes it with yarn, or braided yarn or crochetted yarn. Sort of like a farmer would use baling wire )

Looks like yiu are on a roll now! Thanks for postiing the lock dado video. That looks like a good production joint.


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Where I'm at!*
> 
> Got some stuff done today, so now I need to get some pics up!
> 
> ...


thanks beth ,
you are right about drawer sides in comercial applications ,
save wood , save money .
with the undermount slides ,
the drawer dosn't need to tilt to get it out ,
so there is no top height problems .
with side mount self closing slides the drawer needs at least 1/2' clearance over head ,
as you have to tilt it down at the end to get it in and out .
we lumberjock squerels (?) never overload our drawers ,
so its never a problem !-)

just build another dresser !


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Next unit!*

I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.

This is the sketch for the 2nd shelving unit on the other side of the fireplace from the first. This one is all one piece, and not as deep as the first one I made. It also has to sit underneath a soffit, so it's not quite as tall. The bottom half will store board games, as my husband is a board game geek. Then there is a place for the other front speaker, and an adjustable shelf next to that.










And here is where I'm at so far. The case is done and finished. Now I have to make the face frame. This is the back, and the top is to the bottom right. 









This one went a little more quickly now that I have a little more clue what I'm doing. Making more use of pocket screws when I can put them out of sight. (Looking at my pic, I could probably use a few more pocket screws, I was trying to throw this together fast before my glue dried.) I used a router for ALL my dadoes this time, and the router and I fought a little bit. So there are some extra gouges but luckily they are all where you can't see them. I also had a bit of trouble with the plywood. So far I've been able to get away with "not-quite-cabinet-grade" maple ply and it's been really nice. But this time I got a not-so-great piece with a bunch of voids in it. What happens is that when you wet it down with dye, or raise the grain, you end up with a small section with ripples in it as the wood warps. Luckily these are all out of sight too.

I'm still working on the windows bit by bit. They are coming out really nice, and all I need to do now is put on the bottom trim and the sills.

They look really messy as they are covered in drywall dust. I had to trim back the drywall in spots so that everything would meet up without gaps in the trim. But you can get an idea of the design I ended up with. The vertical pieces meet the horizontal pieces with slightly overlapping rabbets.


----------



## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


oooh, this starts to take on a new form and look - looks fantastic!


----------



## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Love reading your posts. You are a few steps ahead of me and I learn a lot! My todos coming up are wall units like yours and kitchen. But I am practicing on the laundryroom and shop first…


----------



## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Beth,
You are amazing! Really nice work!!
Thanks for posting. I really really really like what you've done with the windows!
Ellen


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Beth,

This is coming along, beautifully! The framing around the windows is really great!!


----------



## Toolz (Feb 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Looking good Beth!


----------



## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Way to go Beth looks great


----------



## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


great trim ,
and the shelves will add more detail !
pretty soon ,
it will look like you bought it this way .
but you know ,
and can be proud ,
as we are of you !


----------



## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


I am beginning to think you kew more than you let on when you started. Looking great. You remiind me of my Dau-in-law, adding a whole new dimension to homemaker! )


----------



## rtb (Mar 26, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Next unit!*
> 
> I started working on my second shelving unit, though I'm not quite done with the first. I figure I'll make all my drawer fronts and doors at the same time. Things have slowed down a bit over here with birthdays and holidays and a visit from my BIL. Hopefully I'll get back in gear soon.
> 
> ...


Keep it up and you'll be giving us lessons before long!


----------



## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*

I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.

So you can see that the big units are in. I still need to put on all the molding, side panels, doors and drawer fronts. And a few more adjustable shelves still need to be cut too. A LOT of small things. But at least we can kind of use them to hold stuff for the time being.

What we did during this remodel was put in a new gas insert, and also push out that wall so that we could run wiring above the fireplace and put the big tv there. My plan for that little center speaker you see is to put it within the mantel. Which is what I want to work on next! Here is my rough sketch…










I want to make the top of the mantel removable, so that I can have the option of running things through it like the wire for the Wii sensor bar, and if I need to get at the speaker. There is also a space left behind the wall to make some extra room for the speaker, once we figure out exactly where it will sit. Then the mantel doesn't have to stick out too far. This is probably really confusing, but there is a method to my madness! 

One of my questions is, how are mantels usually attached to walls? Are they hung on some sort of bracket or are they just bolted on? I'm thinking I might make the top portion of the mantel first. And I need to think about accomodating the tile which I will make later (I make handmade tile.)

Any mantel tips are appreciated!

The big reason I'm so distracted from my project is I got my new baby Hahn's macaw. His name is Buzz, and he is the cutest!










These are the smallest of the macaws, and they are excellent talkers. He's only 11 weeks old and really wobbly on his feet, but he flies pretty well. He is a big snuggabugga and wants to be on someone all the time.


----------



## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*
> 
> I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.
> 
> ...


The mantle I have seen were bolted onto the wall. However, they were "free standing" so they had to support a lot of weight. It looks like yours will be supported by columns so the fastening method may not have to be so rigorous.

Cute Bird!!


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*
> 
> I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.
> 
> ...


Looks like a good mantle design


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## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*
> 
> I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.
> 
> ...


French Cleat for the fireplace mantle? I think those have to be attached though….hmmm. Are you worried about the amount of heat the insert will generate with the TV above it? I have an insert actually, it is more like a wood stove, it sticks out quite far and it gets crazy hot, I'm too chicken to put a TV above it. I like your design and I can't believe you get so much done with kids…mine are all moved out and I think I get less done than you!! Nice work.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*
> 
> I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.
> 
> ...


The insert puts out a lot of heat, and in front of the fireplace it gets really warm, but not so much directly above it. I keep meaning to put a thermometer where the tv is when the insert is going to prove that it's really not at all hot. And then the mantel will work to deflect heat too. But really, the blower seems to go more downwards and forwards from the bottom, and not straight up.

Now, we just had a big ol' record breaking heatwave here in the Seattle area. It was 106 at our house and we have no air conditioning. THAT definitely took its toll on our electronics and we kept everything shut down during the worst of it. In fact, the a/v receiver shut itself down, it couldn't take it! lol!

If I didn't have kids, I think I would be done by now lol! And now I've got this little bird to feed too. It's going to take me a while!


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## cwdance1 (Jun 23, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Things so far and sketching out mantel and my new macaw*
> 
> I need to get motivated to get going again. Still have a lot to do! Here is where I'm at so far, you can see where I've been going with all this.
> 
> ...


I have a blue and gold and he would hang on me all day if I would let him. He is great company when he wants to be and realy loud when he wants attention. Good luck with the bird.


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

*Phase I complete-ish*

I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.










The mantel was the last part that I needed to do before I could move our cars back into our garage. I am so glad too, because we were able to park in there again just before this freaky cold spell hit. Whew!

Here are some various pics of my mantel as I was working on it. It is basically just a hollow box and it is held onto the wall with french cleats. The top of it is removable so if I want to run any new low-voltage wires through it ever, it will be super easy. (The speaker wires were already in place in the wall behind the center speaker). The corbels are just really simple and I made those by doubling up the wood that I've been using all along.














































It's all just really hanging by its french cleats right now and super-removable. So when I do the tile it won't be a big deal to take it down and get it out of the way.

I had some issues with my staining when I was making the doors. I went through my usual routine of dye-shellac-stain-topcoat. But when I got to the topcoat stage, patches of stain would come completely off and leave big light spots. It was a total nightmare, and I still don't know what exactly caused it. It wasn't glue - it would happen on pieces that never saw glue too. I didn't have that problem at all with the first batches of staining. There are also some color differences between the cabinets and the doors, and I think it has to do with me fixing this staining issue on the door and having them come out a bit darker. However, it doesn't bother me enough to want to fix it. ;P And once I have my colorful tile up on the fireplace, it'll distract everyone from the variation.

Another issue I've had is that my backs CRACKED. Once that freaky cold spell hit, and the humidity plummeted, these cracks showed up. So then I patched them, and then they cracked even more! I would be sitting at the computer and I could hear them. I think it's because they are so big and move so much and one side is against a cold outside wall and the other is under the heat vent. And I probably could have shimmed them a lot better. So I've decided to just let everything settle for the winter and crack as much as it wants and then I'll come back with some caulk and fix it all up.

Thanks to everyone for following along with me and cheering me on! It helped so much! And I learned a TON.


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## lightweightladylefty (Mar 27, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Beth,

This looks absolutely fabulous.

We don't quite understand what you mean by "my backs CRACKED." Do you mean the plywood back in the bookcases? You're probably correct about the temperature/humidity variations causing the problem. We constantly hear cracking, etc. as our 20-year-old home continues to settle/expand/contract/etc.

We think you did a wonderful job with which you should be very pleased.


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## patron (Apr 2, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


beth ,
this looks very nice !
i would say , a great christmas present to self !

don't worry about the ' not nailed on yet ' stuff ,
my place comes apart like a leggo set .
as long as ther are future things to do there ,
they don't get final .

have a great holidays !


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## BethMartin (Feb 24, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the nice comments!

Yep the back totally cracked. You can even see it on the right side built in on the upper left. It's almost 1/4" wide now! yikes! I used this tongue and groove planky stuff and glued them together to make the back panels. It's just cheapie pine and I figured I could get away with it since it was going to be painted and I didn't mean for it to add any strength. I'm thinking if I would've just left the planks unglued then it would've had some extra breathing room. Ah well. Once I get around to fixing it no one will see - it's just an annoyance at the moment.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


IT all looks great Beth super job its an outstanding job.


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## ellen35 (Jan 1, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Beth,
Everything looks great! I especially like the design of the fireplace surround and mantle. The stain makes it really classy. Your bookcases and other built-ins look great. I can even see a glimpse of the window trim!
Nice work… now sit back and enjoy it… until you find the next project!
Ellen


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## stefang (Apr 9, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Looks great Beth. Will be spectacular when you get the tiling done. Good work!


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Lookin' good Beth. A little paintable caulk will take care of the crack. Be sure it says "paintable" and is not silicone!!


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## mtkate (Apr 18, 2009)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


You know what? I did something like the backing you have in shelving I made - and I was also worried about the cracking. This house I bought had this stuff ALL OVER. At least the previous owner was very consistent in his design methods… I have it all removed from the upper floor now. The bottom floor - I painted over it white and it looks better. But that stuff was always cracking and coming apart. So when I used it for backing and doors I created panels with it, then made frames around the panels so it would not come apart too much. It's in my bathroom downstairs, and still holding well (another unposted project!). That's probably the only solution for that stuff.

Despite the problems (cracking, the stain) this looks great. Looks like you did a great job on the doors and drawers.


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## robbi (Jul 28, 2007)

BethMartin said:


> *Phase I complete-ish*
> 
> I know it's been a while, but I am done with my woodworking for the winter, because I finished! All I need to do now is make some tile for the fireplace surround/hearth. (The baseboard molding of the cabinets and mantel is not actually attached yet, I just propped them up for the pic.) The picture is not that great - the finish looks a lot better in person - the mantel pics below show the color better.
> 
> ...


Very nice work Beth. You inspired me to make myself an entertainment center. I am using all my leftover wood from past projects so I am painting it so you can't see all the different grains. And I am wingin it as far as a plan. If it is half way decent, I might post it. It is wonderful to make your own stuff, and you save SO MUCH money….all the new tools you buy to make it don't count….that is a future investment. I think I have only spent about $2000.00 to make my entertainment center….all tools!! LOL

Nice to see you back and in action…looking forward to seeing the end result.


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