Kyserike Kraftsman

It’s been some time since I’ve made a post and I apologize to those of you that look forward to my updates. It’s been a very busy summer, fall, and winter but hopefully I’ll soon be back on track in the workshop and some more regular posts on my experiences.

Just to give you an idea of some of the things that have kept me busy;

Tack Truck

I’m still working on the tack trunk as time permits. The grooming tote is done and I’m currently staining the wrap holder. The only things left are the mounts for the wrap holder in the lid, adding the lid supports, and finish staining the rest of the trunk. I still plan on making the plans available on the web site after the trunk is completed.

Wainscoting

I needed to create some wainscoting and decided on a frame and panel type design. I designed the wainscoting so that I could build a single wall section as a unit, apply the stain, and then tack the unit to the wall. I’ve been wanting to try out the Kreg pocket hole system and thought that using this system for the style and rail joinery of the wainscoting panels would work great. I was very happy with the ease of use of the Kreg system and the professional looking joints that it creates. I’ll being using this system in more projects in the future (I think it would have worked great in the tack trunk build, I wish I had thought of it sooner!)

Microwave Cabinet Face Frame

I was commissioned to create  a microwave insert unit for an existing cabinet system where the original appliance was replaced with a smaller unit. The insert needed to raise the appliance about 3 inches above the original cabinet base and also hide the space around the appliance to give it a built-in look. I created a shelf/face frame insert that would slide into the existing area. I created a prototype first out of MDF to verify the dimensioning and the visual impact, then used some left over material from the original cabinets to create the final product. I needed to also band the edges of the face frame with veneer since I used plywood for the face frame and stain this to match the existing cabinet stain color.

Shed Door Replacement

The doors for are shed were in said shape (They were just pine doors with too many years of snow piling against them). I removed the old doors and trim and created a new set using pressure treated lumber and exterior grade plywood.  Hopefully these will last a little longer than the original ones (Still need to be stained, probably wait till spring).

Workshop Makeover Part II

The workshop is undergoing a major change where I’m moving it from one garage bay to another so that I can pump some much needed heat into the area in the winter months. This project is taking much longer than I had originally anticipated but I know in the long run it will be worth the effort as I do most of my work during the winter months.

Once again I’ve changed the website design, but I think you will enjoy the new site.

One of the main reasons that I did the site makeover was that with the old design it was just too cumbersome to add new posts and maintain the site. With the new design it’s very easy to make updates so I’ll hopefully be able to both make more updates to the website and also have more time to spend in the shop

The new website allows you to add comments to any of my posts. Please feel free to add your comments. I enjoy hearing from you!

You can now also register yourself and create your own userid to use on the website for posting comments.

Please take a look around the new site, register, and leave some feedback !

The Kraftsman …

A few changes to the website this week but not much activity going on in the workshop. I’m still working on the cabinets to add in the workshop. I’ve completed two of them and have one more to go. Hopefully I’ll have them completed this week.

I will start ramping up with the tack trunk project this week as I’d like to get it completed for Chelsea’s birthday. I’ve created a page exclusively for the tack trunk project. If you are interested in watching my progress keep your eye on that page.

On the website I’ve reworked the menu to make navigation a little easier and also made it easier on myself to maintain. I’ve also cleaned up the Lingerie and Jewelry Box page.

I haven’t made an update in some time, but that doesn’t mean that it’s all quiet and dark in the workshop .

I’m still working on designing my daughter’s tack trunk, hopefully within the next few weeks I’ll complete the design and start building. I’ll keep you updated on the progress on the Projects under Construction page.

I needed some cabinets in the workshop to store some of the finishing supplies and to also make some use of that French Cleat that I put up. I didn’t want to spend a lot of time making some beautiful kitchen grade cabinets and I also wanted to use up some of the wood I had lying around the workshop so I used the particle board from my old entertainment system to create the cabinets quickly. I’ve got one completed and hanging on the cleat. I’ll add some pictures to the web site after I complete the other two cabinets.

I’ve made quite a few updates recently to the web site and there are many more in the works. There is an updated links page with the addition of a new Sketchup link category. Some great articles on how to use Sketchup for woodworking. I’ve added the Lingerie and Jewelry Chest to the completed projects page along with a slideshow of shots of the completed chest and a slideshow of some of the shots of the project during the build. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time just cleaning up the HTML for the site, but I still have much more to do.

Things to look for in the future ….

• An update to the Completed Projects page to make navigation of the projects easier.
• An image map for the workshop to highlight the machines and major tools that I use.
• Hopefully a webcam added to the Workshop page so you can see what I’m up to at that moment.

A new look to the website including our own domain and a new hosting site. Make sure you update your browser bookmarks so that you can continue to find us!