After getting the ClearVue installed, I've enjoyed working with some of my wood. Here's a pic of an accessory cabinet I just completed. It is, of course, nothing fancy and shows no real craftsmanship, but the fact that I built it myself pleases me.
The carcass is plywood, I forget where I got it, but you can be assured it wasn't flat, had voids, warped within five minutes of getting in the shop, and wasn't any known standard thickness.
The drawers are made from 3/4" gum that Jeff... cut for me last year. That stuff sure warped and twisted and got nasty as it dried, but I was able to mill it to 1/2". It's tough stuff, and I tried my hand at handcut doves, but the gum doesn't work well, so I gave up and decided to build a box joint jig and box joint the thing. That worked well.
The drawer faces are poplar, Zinser primed and two coats of some strange color paint I found way, way back in a dusty, lower cabinet.
These were the first drawers I had made in a year or so, and when I cut the grooves for the hardboard, I forgot about needing mirror copies, so half the grooves were cut on the wrong side. Note to self: mark inside of drawers next time.
I also made the box joints so tight that I almost blistered my palm tightening those big Besseys, and when they finally got right they literally snapped. Not broken-snapped, just a large pop.
The slides were scavenged from a closeout sale at Lowes sometime last spring. They're only 20" slides on 24" drawers, but what the heck. The pulls were a closeout bargain I scored yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised at how they dressed up the thrown-together mess.
Other than paint runs on the side of the cabinet (from hurrying, when I have no reason to hurry :eusa_doh: )and the drawer screwup, everything went as planned. A fluke, I know, but it shows that there is hope. There's always hope, unless you want change. Wait, I won't go there.
Now y'all don't need to tell me how wonderful and beautiful it is, because I already know it ain't. It's just shop furniture and technique building and skill improving type stuff. Save the congrats for someone who shows you true craftsmanship. And that ain't me.
The carcass is plywood, I forget where I got it, but you can be assured it wasn't flat, had voids, warped within five minutes of getting in the shop, and wasn't any known standard thickness.
The drawers are made from 3/4" gum that Jeff... cut for me last year. That stuff sure warped and twisted and got nasty as it dried, but I was able to mill it to 1/2". It's tough stuff, and I tried my hand at handcut doves, but the gum doesn't work well, so I gave up and decided to build a box joint jig and box joint the thing. That worked well.
The drawer faces are poplar, Zinser primed and two coats of some strange color paint I found way, way back in a dusty, lower cabinet.
These were the first drawers I had made in a year or so, and when I cut the grooves for the hardboard, I forgot about needing mirror copies, so half the grooves were cut on the wrong side. Note to self: mark inside of drawers next time.
I also made the box joints so tight that I almost blistered my palm tightening those big Besseys, and when they finally got right they literally snapped. Not broken-snapped, just a large pop.
The slides were scavenged from a closeout sale at Lowes sometime last spring. They're only 20" slides on 24" drawers, but what the heck. The pulls were a closeout bargain I scored yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised at how they dressed up the thrown-together mess.
Other than paint runs on the side of the cabinet (from hurrying, when I have no reason to hurry :eusa_doh: )and the drawer screwup, everything went as planned. A fluke, I know, but it shows that there is hope. There's always hope, unless you want change. Wait, I won't go there.
Now y'all don't need to tell me how wonderful and beautiful it is, because I already know it ain't. It's just shop furniture and technique building and skill improving type stuff. Save the congrats for someone who shows you true craftsmanship. And that ain't me.