Posts in "woodworking"

Working on a long, narrow door to cover a narrow closet in our house where we keep sheets for bedding. The closet has a curved top. I’m using parts of a chair I got at a thrift store that perfectly matches this curve and plan to veneer it. We want to allow for air flow so this seems like a good solution.

A long narrow door with rounded top

This was a fun, quick project: I used offcuts from the midcentury cabinet I just completed to make a small first aid station in the bathroom. This replaces an old, broken wall heater that came with the house. I made it removable in case I ever need to get to the electrical wiring I hid away in the wall. The frame of the cabinet has tiny little walnut splines for strength and it’s attached to the 1/4 inch box with glue and four dowels (made from toothpicks).

a medicine cabinet cubby made of cherry wood to replace an old wall heater

I completed my midcentury cherry cabinet, made with zero power tools. Here it is in place. The top sides are half blind dovetails, the base full dovetails. The door panels are 3/8 inch thick and slide along grooves. I’m pleased with how it turned out.

midcentury cherry TV cabinet

One of the sliding doors are fit in the mid-century cabinet project, one more to go and then on to the feet.

Sliding door fit on a partially assembled TV stand cabinet

Years ago, a friend gave me an old wooden filing cabinet that was missing one of its side panels. Yesterday, I finally got around to converting it into a mobile tool caddy I can easily move around the shop.

old wooden storage cabinet converted to hold chisels and other tools

I finished resawing the boards for one of the doors for the cabinet - I’m guessing this would take less than an hour or so with a bandsaw? It took me most of the day. I used a ryoba saw and had excellent results. My arm is spent.

A woodworking bench holds various hand tools, a large wooden board, and several wood panels in a workshop setting.

Finished all the dovetail work for the mid-century cabinet and leaving it dry fit until I take apart to cut the grooves for the front sliding doors.

A wooden cabinet is placed on a blue rubber mat in a workshop.

Finally back to work in the shop. I decided to start with a warm-up project: a cherry tea tray with walnut dowels and wax cord wraps for the handles.

A wooden tray with dark blue handles sits on a workbench surrounded by tools.

Three corners completed, one to go, then on to the cabinet doors. I’ve never cut so many dovetails at once in my life.

A wooden box with dovetail joints is positioned on a workbench, surrounded by woodworking tools and materials.