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LATEST NEWS -- Update -- 05/20/09
This is my latest project. It is an ironing board holder that mounts on the wall. We needed more room in the bed room so this keeps the ironing board out of the way when not in use.
This view shows the ironing board nested inside the cabinet. The original ironing board was one that was suspended from a door. I cut the suspension pieces off and used some of them in the cabinet.
And this view shows the ironing board ready for use. The cabinet is made from yellow pine I got from a lumber mill near Huntsville, AR. It is real clear fine wood. The finish is colonial maple to sorta match the bed room furniture. The panels are birch veneered plywood.
I recently finished the shelf assembly for the living room. It is made from clear ash. The horizontal strips mount directly on the wall. I need to add 3 or 4 more of the shelf inserts. The wall strips are 45" long and the strip assembly is about 36" tall. It really changes the appearance of the living room, although you can't see it with just picture.
This picture shows how the individual shelves fit into the strip assembly. They can be inserted anywhere along the assembly and scooted along it to get just the right position.
** Well, I guess everyone knows Alphonse by now. New Alphonse adventures - He has had several new adventures, including; the Election Committeee, The Lobbyist, The Slippery Guitar and Puzzled. Also, I have set up a directory for Al's adventures, the link groups just got too big. You can go to the Directory for a list (with links) of his adventures.
ALPHONSE Click his name for the adventures of Alphonse.
Alphonse is now set up on his own website. The address is: http://www.mcalphonse.com . Or, click on: New Site .
**This is my new router table. I made it from scrap wood I got from Chris Goins - Betty's boss. I don't know what kind of wood the body is made from. It is very soft and machines like basswood. The top is a sink cutout from a sink installation somewhere. I installed a piano hinge on the back edge of the top. That way, I can raise the top to adjust the router.
**I suppose everyone has several pet peeves - I do. One is dealing with a box of Kleenex. When you first open a box, every time you reach for a Kleenex you get the box with it. Then, when the box is down to about 25% the same thing happens. I know you can purchase plastic covers for Kleenex boxes that will help this problem, but they don't go with anything. So, I decided to make a Kleenex box from the scraps I had left from the table construction. Then I would have a box that matched the table. The first picture is of the box before sanding and finishing. I used the typical box joint construction.
This picture is after sanding and applying the finish. I used oil based polyurethane for the finish. You will notice the polyurethane adds a yellow/gold color to the wood. I happen to like the color. Some don't. The color of the following tables is due to the finish. Water based polyurethane doesn't add any color, and many furniture builders prefer it.
This is a table for the living room. It fits between our recliners that are situated to point toward the TV. The table is tapered so it will not leave a gap along the arms of the recliners. It was supposed to be cypress, but the wood we selected turned out to be ash of some variety. I like the colors in the wood.
The front view shows the drawers a bit better and the color of the wood. I will build a matching end table soon. That is, right after I finish an entertainment center. The entertainment center will be made from sassafras. It is very interesting wood, but not as much character as the ash.
This is the entertainment center I made specifically for my audio/video equipment. This is made of sassafras as opposed to calico ash for the table above. It finished out nearly the same color with just polyurethane. The grain stands out good.
The center includes a receiver/audio amplifier, a CD player, a digital (DAT) tape player, a DVD player, and the Disk Network receiver. All wiring is done inside the case, so very little mess outside the center. What appears to be something black sitting on the top of the center, is actually the reflection of the TV!
This close-up of the top shows the grain structure and how it stands out. Of course, the wood is cut into strips about 3 1/2" wide and glued together. This tends to eliminate warping.
This is the new end table I built from more of the calico ash. It is supposed to look like the first one except that it has a rectangular top.
As in the picture of the other table top, the grain of the wood shows the character of the wood. Most cabinet shops will not use any wood that has character.
