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.