Well not the latest, the next to last. The same customer hired me to
fill one of her closets with shelving.

Anyway this was for a customer that needed more storage spac4e in her
kitchen. The piece is 42" tall 60" wide, and 20" deep. White Oak with
a clear finish.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14830759132/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14831120485/

Today I bought 60 linear feet of 1x8 African mahogany and a sheet of the
same in 1/4". This is going to be used to build a federal style head
board to match the rest of their bedroom furniture. It will be stained
with a Colonial Cherry Gel varnish followed with a clear gel varnish.
This piece will have a little bit of spindle work in the center.


And hopefully after that I get the bid for an entertainment center that
I designed for a referred customer.

And hopefully before the end of the year a small glass box for a repeat
customer.

Ad then back to my wife's sewing room.

Oh and then the couple that wants a copy of our "tower" project bedroom.
We will see on that one.. ;~)

and then maybe my son's dining room table.......

On Monday, August 4, 2014 5:22:59 PM UTC-5, Leon wrote:
Well not the latest, the next to last. The same customer ... African mahogany -federal style head board .... after that ....before the end of the year ... And then back to my wife's sewing room. Oh and then ....and then.../...

Love those repeat and referred customers. Her storage cabinet looks nice. Good job.

I've been swamped with repeat and referred upholstery customers, lately. Between that, family reunion weekend, getting a $350 Unisaw in shop-shape and lawn maintenance, I barely have time to play in the woodshop, but parts of the trestle table and a recently started fireplace/mantle project are getting done, little by little.

I'm having some difficulty with the trestle board assembling into the leg units. The trestle board has two 1X4 tenons on each end and fitting them into the double mortises, in each leg unit, is proving a challenge. The fittings are really snug, too snug, for ease of insertions, as I would like.... as easy as I had hoped it would have been. ... but I do want them as snug as possible, before keying them securely. A touch more sanding and those fittings should be easier.

Sonny

Beautiful. Elegant. Just plain nice.

Larry

On 8/4/2014 9:40 PM, Sonny wrote:
On Monday, August 4, 2014 5:22:59 PM UTC-5, Leon wrote:
Well not the latest, the next to last. The same customer ... African mahogany -federal style head board .... after that ....before the end of the year ... And then back to my wife's sewing room. Oh and then ....and then.../..

Love those repeat and referred customers. Her storage cabinet looks nice. Good job.

Yes repeaters and referrals seem to be an easier sell as they already
have seen your work and know about what to expect to pay.

Thank you!








I've been swamped with repeat and referred upholstery customers, lately. Between that, family reunion weekend, getting a $350 Unisaw in shop-shape and lawn maintenance, I barely have time to play in the woodshop, but parts of the trestle table and a recently started fireplace/mantle project are getting done, little by little.

I'm having some difficulty with the trestle board assembling into the leg units. The trestle board has two 1X4 tenons on each end and fitting them into the double mortises, in each leg unit, is proving a challenge. The fittings are really snug, too snug, for ease of insertions, as I would like.... as easy as I had hoped it would have been. ... but I do want them as snug as possible, before keying them securely. A touch more sanding and those fittings should be easier.

Sonny


Little by little will get you there. ;~)

On 8/4/2014 9:44 PM, Gramps' shop wrote:


Beautiful. Elegant. Just plain nice.

Larry


Thank you. She did not want fancy so much as solid and built to last.

Leon wrote:


Yes repeaters and referrals seem to be an easier sell as they already
have seen your work and know about what to expect to pay.


Yup! Referals can be a bit tricky since no one provides a reference that is
going to talk badly about them, but you can usually tell by the way a
reference actually speaks about a contractor, just how the work really was.
When I checked references on the crew I hired to do my house, both
references that I spoke with went on and on in a very animated manner,
talking about what they loved about this contractor. That can't be faked.
Once the guy moved on, we found him to be everything that they had talked
about - and more. We will be repeat customers of his since we have some
interior work to do this winter, and now I would not trust that work to
anyone else. Of course - we've tried to go out of our way to equal his
commitment to our work, in the way that we behaved as customers. I believe
that any deal has to be good for both parties, and at a point I went out to
talk to him and told him that I was concerned for how much he was giving
away (outside of the contract), and that we really needed to talk about some
uplifts.

--

-Mike-

You know Leon, I have seen you work in person, up close and personal. Your workmanship is impeccable.

But as impressive to me is your flair and obvious talent for design and the ability to match the materials you use to your design form.

My man, you just do good work. That is another impressive piece that would fit well in any home.

As far as repeat/referral customers go, I haven't advertised in about 20 years, and didn't actually do well with it so I gave up on it. I completely concentrate now on keeping clients happy and satisfied. I always ask for referrals, and always answer my phone personally. All my clients have my cell number and I put it on my card for instant access. My business is like everyone I know that has one; up and down. Somehow, it has taken care of me for the last 25 years.

Robert

On Thursday, August 7, 2014 2:42:02 AM UTC-5, wrote:
But as impressive to me is your flair and obvious talent for design and the ability to match the materials you use to your design form. Robert

+1

Sonny

On 8/7/2014 2:42 AM, wrote:
You know Leon, I have seen you work in person, up close and personal. Your workmanship is impeccable.

TAKE THAT BACK! Oh, impeccable..... Thank you Robert!


But as impressive to me is your flair and obvious talent for design and the ability to match the materials you use to your design form.

Thank you again!


My man, you just do good work. That is another impressive piece that would fit well in any home.

Funny you should mention that, and thank you again BTW. I try to build
to a degree that if I got stuck with the piece that I would not mind
having it in my own home. I take no payment up front, but probably
should, but have only had a couple of close calls in the last 18 years.
So it would not be unheard of if some one backed out of the deal. I
did talk with a couple that came to our house to see my work last week
and they might they be a first for requesting a down payment and a
contract. Being paid after completion gives me incentive to stay on point.



As far as repeat/referral customers go, I haven't advertised in about 20 years, and didn't actually do well with it so I gave up on it. I completely concentrate now on keeping clients happy and satisfied. I always ask for referrals, and always answer my phone personally. All my clients have my cell number and I put it on my card for instant access. My business is like everyone I know that has one; up and down. Somehow, it has taken care of me for the last 25 years.

That is pretty much how I operate, I have never advertized other than
business cards. I try to make the transaction more personal with my
customers and feel that they would not refer just any one. I try to
make them feel that both of us should end up with a fair deal.
I mentioned a few times in the past, when asked about my bids, that I do
this for fun and absolutely do not depend on this for a living. However
I do charge what is a fair price for both of us, I'm not giving any
discounts here and I do have to charge enough so that I actually want to
do the work.
Well there is that one airplane display that I did come down $100 from
my quote, but I still wanted to do the job. Coming down 2.5% did not
distract me. ;~)


Robert

Hope to see you and Katy sooner than later!

I mentioned a few times in the past, when asked about my bids, that I do
this for fun and absolutely do not depend on this for a living. However
I do charge what is a fair price for both of us, I'm not giving any
discounts here and I do have to charge enough so that I actually want to
do the work.

It's a game changer to do it for a living. Karl and me have had some good discussions about this aspect of what we do. While Karl and me have input on our projects (he has complete control on his commissions...) we are presented with overall design ideas, dimensions that we must adhere to, materials dictated by price and job requirement, and then... price to the client.

When I started my first construction business, one two things I learned to like the hard way was ramen noodles and humble pie. If folks don't share your artistic vision and you don't have clients that can appreciate and indulge that, you are doomed to ramen. Now you learn to build to spec, the details of structural design, assembly, and amount of labor are determined by you. You design around the materials a client picks, the dimensions they dictate, the finishes they want, and all to be done within the time frame they determine.

The thing I really appreciate about Karl's work and designs are his mastery of joinery and the actual joints he picks out to do his assembly. When I first visited, I expected a large shop full of expensive, tricked out expensive tools from for off European shores. Nope, old school. It is skill and accuracy, with the joints picked for their suitability of use matched to his equipment. Then of course, there is that other side of Karl... the famous metal TV stand. Now THAT took some vision!

It has been many years since I built anything for myself. Too many years of doing it for money (35?)have robbed me of the pleasure of it. It is a job, not a recreational activity.

Besides, when I visit you and Karl, I enjoy seeing your work and what you two have been up to enough I am happy with that. Although, I have to say I might get out the lathe this Fall to spin up some wood for some recreation. It has been a few years since I have, and I am kind of getting that itch.

Robert

On 8/8/2014 1:13 AM, wrote:

It's a game changer to do it for a living. Karl and me have had some good discussions about this aspect of what we do. While Karl and me have input on our projects (he has complete control on his commissions...) we are presented with overall design ideas, dimensions that we must adhere to, materials dictated by price and job requirement, and then... price to the client.

When I started my first construction business, one two things I learned to like the hard way was ramen noodles and humble pie. If folks don't share your artistic vision and you don't have clients that can appreciate and indulge that, you are doomed to ramen. Now you learn to build to spec, the details of structural design, assembly, and amount of labor are determined by you. You design around the materials a client picks, the dimensions they dictate, the finishes they want, and all to be done within the time frame they determine.

Hammer, directly on the nail head!

The opportunity, not always present, to chose your client dictates the
ball game; and often determines whether it's chicken ... or ramen noodles.

For occasionally you will run across a client whose indecision from
design to finishing, along with a reluctance to be bothered with any
details but expecting those details to somehow equal their (undisclosed)
vision, coupled with a lack of both understanding and appreciation for
the skill required to effect that vision, will be a detriment to all
aspects of the project ... to the dissatisfaction of all concerned.

That's where that money upfront comes in handy.

--
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Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
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KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 8/8/2014 1:13 AM, wrote:
I mentioned a few times in the past, when asked about my bids, that I do
this for fun and absolutely do not depend on this for a living. However
I do charge what is a fair price for both of us, I'm not giving any
discounts here and I do have to charge enough so that I actually want to
do the work.

It's a game changer to do it for a living. Karl and me have had some good discussions about this aspect of what we do. While Karl and me have input on our projects (he has complete control on his commissions...) we are presented with overall design ideas, dimensions that we must adhere to, materials dictated by price and job requirement, and then... price to the client.


Absolutely! You have to consider everything and it seems, especially the
jobs you may not want to do. He and I have worked together several
times in the past, me assisting him on his jobs mostly, and if it were
not for us working together I seriously doubt that I would have been
involved with that kind of work. Although 15~20 years ago I was doing
kitchens and bathrooms redo's, but not many. I really try to steer
towards free standing furniture. I am not a fan of hauling my shop to
the job site. A couple of weeks ago I installed closet shelving on
site, the back of my truck was loaded. I spent a third of my time
loading and unloading.



When I started my first construction business, one two things I learned to like the hard way was ramen noodles and humble pie. If folks don't share your artistic vision and you don't have clients that can appreciate and indulge that, you are doomed to ramen. Now you learn to build to spec, the details of structural design, assembly, and amount of labor are determined by you. You design around the materials a client picks, the dimensions they dictate, the finishes they want, and all to be done within the time frame they determine.


Yeah I have been fortunate enough to not be eating much ramen lately.
;!) I will say that I give the customer a lot of room to tell me what
they want and how much extra design they want. Strangely enough I am
having a lot of success with the front and back face frame type
cabinets, similar to the pantry in our house. Including the pantry that
was completed about 2 1/2 years ago I have built 30 or separate units
with the same basic style.




The thing I really appreciate about Karl's work and designs are his mastery of joinery and the actual joints he picks out to do his assembly. When I first visited, I expected a large shop full of expensive, tricked out expensive tools from for off European shores. Nope, old school. It is skill and accuracy, with the joints picked for their suitability of use matched to his equipment. Then of course, there is that other side of Karl... the famous metal TV stand. Now THAT took some vision!

Yeah we have similar equipment and and build to the nearest 1/64" in
many cases. You absolutely have to be that accurate when all of your
panels fit into dado's on each other and dado's and groves in the face
frames. If something is off just a little bit there is an a awful lot
of redoing. What I always liked about working with Karl is the fact
that we naturally work to pretty much the same tolerances. I think we
have built 6 kitchens together and I typically would cut all the plywood
panels, he would build the face frames, all this going on in different
shops. Keep in mind that all the panels I cut have to fit inside the
dado's and groves in his face frames. I recall us doing 2 kitchens at
the same time, I went home from the lumber yard with 27 sheets of
plywood that needed to be cut to match the face frames that he was
building. I don't think we ever had to rebuild any face frame or recut
any panel.






It has been many years since I built anything for myself. Too many years of doing it for money (35?)have robbed me of the pleasure of it. It is a job, not a recreational activity.

I thought I was retired, ;~) Since we have moved into our new home I
have seldom not had a job or project in the works, so recreational hobby
has almost turned into a full time job so to speak. I am working on a
mahogany headboard at the moment but in the works are an entertainment
center, display box, maybe a bedroom full of furniture, china cabinet,
and sooner or later my son's mesquite dining room table and more
cabinets for Kim's sewing room. If it all comes together I am busy
until the end of next year. ;~)


Besides, when I visit you and Karl, I enjoy seeing your work and what you two have been up to enough I am happy with that. Although, I have to say I might get out the lathe this Fall to spin up some wood for some recreation. It has been a few years since I have, and I am kind of getting that itch.


We love you and Kathy visiting and patting us on the back. ;~)

Speaking of lathes, I was doing something and my Nova chuck screwed up,
it would not move the jaws in evenly. After disassembling and
reassembling a couple of times I discovered that the snap ring that
holds everything in place never ever was properly seated. This allowed
the jaws to travel at different rates. It was always wrong since I
bought it new. The jaws worked fine in the beginning but slowly became
a problem. Since fixing the problem the chuck totally feels different
when tightening and loosening than it did when new. I guess I was just
lucky that it even worked correctly from the start.

Anyway.....




Robert

On 8/8/2014 9:34 AM, Leon wrote:

I don't think we ever had to rebuild any face frame or recut any panel.

You betcha your bippy, Bubba!

Can't miss with a well thought out PLAN (aided by our respective, and
highly proficient use of CAD/modeling software); a unique, and
intelligent collaboration of the highest order; the excellent wielding
of CutList software; and, last but not least, ahem: our collective and
brilliantly skillful execution.

Dayum, or we good, or wot!?? LOL

--
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Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
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KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 8/8/2014 9:53 AM, Swingman wrote:
On 8/8/2014 9:34 AM, Leon wrote:

I don't think we ever had to rebuild any face frame or recut any panel.

You betcha your bippy, Bubba!

Can't miss with a well thought out PLAN (aided by our respective, and
highly proficient use of CAD/modeling software); a unique, and
intelligent collaboration of the highest order; the excellent wielding
of CutList software; and, last but not least, ahem: our collective and
brilliantly skillful execution.

Dayum, or we good, or wot!?? LOL



We have said this once or two thousand times in the past, Sketchup, at
least for me, had been a huge boost to my design and productivity. It
is sooooo much easier to fix mistakes on the drawing rather than in the
shop. I previously used AutoCAD LT and 2D just does not show the
potential for mistakes in the drawing. Drawing 2 or more views of a
component simply does not work efficiently compared to 3D. I think
simply being able to draw separate components is the biggest benefit.

On another note, I am currently building a mahogany headboard for a
customer. It has probably been 20 or so years since I have worked with
mahogany. Geeeeeez this stuff is fun. No knots, light weight,
interesting grain pattern, and cuts like butt'a. This is a fun job, so
far. There will be a bit of turning involved but only one piece.

Additionally, I am taking another shot at using a dark General Finishes
gel stain, Georgian cherry. A couple of years ago I tried the Expresso
color in the same brand and the stain would actually wipe off if I
overlapped, like coming full circle around a face frame and ending at
the beginning. This stain is working correctly. Whew!

"Leon" lcb11211@swbelldotnet wrote

Yeah we have similar equipment and and build to the nearest 1/64" in many
cases. You absolutely have to be that accurate when all of your panels
fit into dado's on each other and dado's and groves in the face frames.
If something is off just a little bit there is an a awful lot of redoing.
What I always liked about working with Karl is the fact that we naturally
work to pretty much the same tolerances. I think we have built 6 kitchens
together and I typically would cut all the plywood panels, he would build
the face frames, all this going on in different shops. Keep in mind that
all the panels I cut have to fit inside the dado's and groves in his face
frames. I recall us doing 2 kitchens at the same time, I went home from
the lumber yard with 27 sheets of plywood that needed to be cut to match
the face frames that he was building. I don't think we ever had to
rebuild any face frame or recut any panel.

That is the beauty of working from accurate drawings, using accurate
measuring devices, and the skill to combine the two. Think of all of the
commercial aircraft being built nowadays on different continents sometimes,
and all fitting together, with all of the complexity of those parts. That
one still amazes me, at times.


--
Jim in NC


---
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On 8/8/2014 10:34 AM, Leon wrote:

We have said this once or two thousand times in the past, Sketchup, at
least for me, had been a huge boost to my design and productivity.

And, IIRC, the first two kitchens may have been designed and fabricated,
from the construction drawings, and _before_ the house was built, using
2D QuickCAD?

Just had to make damned sure the houses was built to spec.

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KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On Friday, August 8, 2014 9:34:05 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:


Absolutely! You have to consider everything and it seems, especially the

jobs you may not want to do. He and I have worked together several

times in the past, me assisting him on his jobs mostly, and if it were

not for us working together I seriously doubt that I would have been

involved with that kind of work. Although 15~20 years ago I was doing

kitchens and bathrooms redo's, but not many. I really try to steer

towards free standing furniture. I am not a fan of hauling my shop to

the job site. A couple of weeks ago I installed closet shelving on

site, the back of my truck was loaded. I spent a third of my time

loading and unloading.

That's the way I started doing it. I started working full time in '75 as a laborer, excuse me, I mean a carpenter's assistant. I was trained by union carpenter with profound skills, enormously talented and blessed with great on site problem solving skills. Imagine this; we used to build almost all the job cabinets on site! More complex stuff was built in the shop, but when doing new construction we routinely built all cabinets out on the job. Not to knock anyone's skill set, but that is how you learn just how good you are with your hands. Building cabinets with all hand tools is a different deal altogether than working in a nice shop full of stationary equipment.

On 8/8/2014 12:45 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 8/8/2014 10:34 AM, Leon wrote:

We have said this once or two thousand times in the past, Sketchup, at
least for me, had been a huge boost to my design and productivity.

And, IIRC, the first two kitchens may have been designed and fabricated,
from the construction drawings, and _before_ the house was built, using
2D QuickCAD?

Just had to make damned sure the houses was built to spec.

I think we were both on 2D drawings, it was later on, just before the
Austin build that we switched.

On 8/8/2014 2:02 PM, wrote:
On Friday, August 8, 2014 9:34:05 AM UTC-5, Leon wrote:


Absolutely! You have to consider everything and it seems, especially the

jobs you may not want to do. He and I have worked together several

times in the past, me assisting him on his jobs mostly, and if it were

not for us working together I seriously doubt that I would have been

involved with that kind of work. Although 15~20 years ago I was doing

kitchens and bathrooms redo's, but not many. I really try to steer

towards free standing furniture. I am not a fan of hauling my shop to

the job site. A couple of weeks ago I installed closet shelving on

site, the back of my truck was loaded. I spent a third of my time

loading and unloading.

That's the way I started doing it. I started working full time in '75 as a laborer, excuse me, I mean a carpenter's assistant. I was trained by union carpenter with profound skills, enormously talented and blessed with great on site problem solving skills. Imagine this; we used to build almost all the job cabinets on site! More complex stuff was built in the shop, but when doing new construction we routinely built all cabinets out on the job. Not to knock anyone's skill set, but that is how you learn just how good you are with your hands. Building cabinets with all hand tools is a different deal altogether than working in a nice shop full of stationary equipment.

I relished the day my boss would let me build a few cabinets myself, with only a helper to help me break down the sheet goods. They bought me a planer blade for my Rockwell 346, provided me with various grits of sandpaper, a box of 3d, 4d and 6d nails. I pre-drilled all holes and glued all joints. We built "carcass and face" style most of the time and our face corners of the rails were held together with corrugated fasteners, hand driven. The doors were the old fashioned full face half lap, and the rabbet was accomplished with a router upside down in a shop built plywood table, the fence clamped in place with two "C" clamps. We made our own jigs as templates for hinge and knob location and drilled every screw hole by hand.

When connecting two pieces of wood on the edge, we used dowels and a simple dowel jig purchased somewhere. It would center dowels on 3/4" stock, but larger or smaller the dowel would wind up offset as it only set dowels 3/8" down from the top of the jig. So regardless of thickness if you kept the side that said "this side up" in sight, your dowels would line up. There was a time before time, when there wasn't even a readily found biscuit!

For fine cabinets, we used to dado in our shelves into the plywood sides using a jig made for a specific router, and in two passes with a straight bit we would have a nicely cut, perfectly square cut dado. It was moved each time for each dado, but with a trusted helper clamping one side and you on the other, it really didn't take long at all.

For bathroom cabinets, storage cabinets, etc., we didn't dado. We clamped the shelf in the carcass and attached. If it was painted, we drove 6d through the sides. Any tiny gaps were caulked in before painting and nail holes were filled where visible. For better cabinets, we cut a 3/4" piece off of a 2X4, cut at a 45 degree bevel. (Hurray for me! This was my idea and got me big points with my teacher!) On 6d through the side, then the 45 degree pieces were used as cleats under the shelves, glued in place with PL400. Never had one fail.

Another innovation of mine was when I built an office full of bookcases for an attorneys group. It was all red oak plywood with red oak faces, stained with that awful walnut stain they used to use on oak, slathered with some kind of awful clear coat. I built those in pieces and assembled them on site. Since I didn't want any nails showing on the side, I cut 1"X1" stock from dimensioned lumber. I cut a 1/2" Ogee pattern on one edge, and used that as a cleat with the Ogee showing as the exposed corner. The cleat was attached to the sides before assembly with glue and 4d nails. The shelves were dropped in between the sides, clamped and the shelves were attached the cleats, not the sides. Even the worst finisher around could hide 4d nail holes in red oak, an the filled nails weren't ever noticed under a shelf, but I got a lot of compliments on those fancy cleats.

We made our own screen mold with a circular saw and a rip guide. Sawn side to the back, we cut off the edges of suitable 2X4s, and cut the molding about 1/16 wider than we needed. A piece of sandpaper but a matching rounded edge on the trim and took care of that 1/16. Glued flush to the top of the shelf, a piece of 220gr easily flushed up the bottom of the trim to the installed shelf.

I remember making panel doors with a table saw, too. Talk about a lot of sanding! And o.Our dado blades when we needed to do a lot of cuts (like all the rabbets on a group of cabinet backs)? Two or three blades mounted on the saw at the same time, the blades carefully picked out and measured for the desired size of cut. We only went up to 1/4" though, as the combined on site safety knowledge deemed anything more than that unsafe. Unless we were at the shop and had the table saw, and we would go 1/2". We found that all new blades from the same manufacturer, factory sharpened, did a heckuva job!

I learned make my own interior/exterior doors by my own trial and error. Frame out kiln dried Douglass Fir 2X6s into a square, put a cross member centered at between the location of the lock and deadbolt, the one running top to bottom centered by width. Face with 1/8" door skins each side, so one side could be birch (outside for easier painting) and oak inside for better appearance. (Think about it; 1 1/2" frame stock, 2 X 3/16" facing material, and then a sixteenth to fudge, you were easily in door dimension tolerances.)

I used to connect the door framing parts with 3, 3/4" dowels per edge, hand drilled using my speed square as reference for straight. If I was a little off (always!!) the holes not perfectly drilled holes would grab the dowels better as I clamped the assembly tight. I made the dowels myself, and cut spiral striations on them with a rat tail file. The striations added just a few seconds, but I was convinced that a little more glue in the joint was a good thing. After assembling the frame and letting it dry, it was usually out about 1/8". Since I made it a bit big, I could easily square it up with some careful measuring (hello, Pythagoras!) and a carfully guided cut. Slap on the skins, and trim with a flush cut router bit. Custom sized doors? Not a problem in those days. But today, there isn't good kiln dried stock, no one sells door skins anymore, and there aren't many custom sizes as almost all doors come prehung.

We used to build store fixtures, cover them with custom laminates, make table tops for bars and restaurants, make custom built in cabinets for homes and commercial use, and on an on.

Man... I hadn't thought of that stuff of years. Times long gone. All the tips and tricks I learned on my own or was taught are practically useless now. And all the site building craftsmen? Long gone. The only ones I know are retired. I am glad these days to do almost all finish wood working myself, and thrilled when I find a carpenter/craftsman that has what we used to consider as a "pretty good helper" skills.

Robert



I recall the new house that my parents bought in 1966, the kitchen
cabinets were ash plywood. As you mentioned the outer corners were not
overlapped, the face frame and sides were all plywood, the face frame
was made from a solid sheet with cut outs for the drawers and the doors.
The cut outs were mostly done by plunge cutting with a table saw.
The stiles were just barely hanging on but reinforced with another small
block of plywood in the back side. The outer corners were filled with a
strip of plywood bevel cut at 45 to fill the corner void. The cabinets
also had insets and those were cut at 22.5 on both mating surfaces.
Doors had a decorative cut about 3/32" deep to reveal the lower ply for
contrast.

Those cabinets are probably going to out last any thing store bought and
installed today, and or builder installed.

On 8/4/14, 4:22 PM, Leon wrote:
Well not the latest, the next to last. The same customer hired me to
fill one of her closets with shelving.

Anyway this was for a customer that needed more storage spac4e in her
kitchen. The piece is 42" tall 60" wide, and 20" deep. White Oak with
a clear finish.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14830759132/

WTF is with that third picture! Scared the beejeezus outta me!

Other than that, nice work Leon. I'm building a set of white oak end
tables for the gallery that should be done soon (plan on fuming). Wood
prices have been jumping around, just paid $3.86 bd-ft for the oak (4/4)
but Cherry has dropped to under $4 which is 'refreshing'.

-BR


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14831120485/

Today I bought 60 linear feet of 1x8 African mahogany and a sheet of the
same in 1/4". This is going to be used to build a federal style head
board to match the rest of their bedroom furniture. It will be stained
with a Colonial Cherry Gel varnish followed with a clear gel varnish.
This piece will have a little bit of spindle work in the center.


And hopefully after that I get the bid for an entertainment center that
I designed for a referred customer.

And hopefully before the end of the year a small glass box for a repeat
customer.

Ad then back to my wife's sewing room.

Oh and then the couple that wants a copy of our "tower" project bedroom.
We will see on that one.. ;~)

and then maybe my son's dining room table.......





--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On 8/9/2014 9:24 AM, Brewster wrote:
On 8/4/14, 4:22 PM, Leon wrote:
Well not the latest, the next to last. The same customer hired me to
fill one of her closets with shelving.

Anyway this was for a customer that needed more storage spac4e in her
kitchen. The piece is 42" tall 60" wide, and 20" deep. White Oak with
a clear finish.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14830759132/

WTF is with that third picture! Scared the beejeezus outta me!

The video? I was doing the picture is worth a thousand words thing.
Dave was inquiring about how much to apply at a time and how soon to
wipe down. This is Old Masters gel varnish, if you don't immediately
wipe down the excess and the buff with a separate towel the varnish can
take 2~4 days to dry. and if you wait as much as a minute before the
wipe and buff the towels will stick to the surface.





Other than that, nice work Leon. I'm building a set of white oak end
tables for the gallery that should be done soon (plan on fuming). Wood
prices have been jumping around, just paid $3.86 bd-ft for the oak (4/4)
but Cherry has dropped to under $4 which is 'refreshing'.

Thank you. For S4S 1x8 white oak I am paying $3.99 per LF, IIRC about
$3.25 per BF for S3S. The S4S saves me much more in the time that it saves.

It has been a few years since I have priced cherry, 5+


-BR


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14831120485/

Today I bought 60 linear feet of 1x8 African mahogany and a sheet of the
same in 1/4". This is going to be used to build a federal style head
board to match the rest of their bedroom furniture. It will be stained
with a Colonial Cherry Gel varnish followed with a clear gel varnish.
This piece will have a little bit of spindle work in the center.


And hopefully after that I get the bid for an entertainment center that
I designed for a referred customer.

And hopefully before the end of the year a small glass box for a repeat
customer.

Ad then back to my wife's sewing room.

Oh and then the couple that wants a copy of our "tower" project bedroom.
We will see on that one.. ;~)

and then maybe my son's dining room table.......





--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On 8/9/2014 11:40 AM, Leon wrote:
For S4S 1x8 white oak I am paying $3.99 per LF, IIRC about $3.25 per BF
for S3S. The S4S saves me much more in the time that it saves.

Just paid, for S2S1E, 6/4, _quarter sawn_ white oak, $8.75/bf, and can't
even find enough of it locally, yet, to finish the project.

Hardwood Products doesn't carry it; Houston Hardwood's does not look
like the FAS they advertise; and Clark's is supposed to be getting a
shipment in to mill when??, and Mason Mill and Lumber won't let you pick
and chose last time I was there a few years back.

Thinking about heading up 59N into East Texas this next week to look
around, need about 30/bf 4/4. Want to go?

--
eWoodShop: www.eWoodShop.com
Wood Shop: www.e-WoodShop.net
https://www.google.com/+eWoodShop
https://plus.google.com/+KarlCaillouet/posts
http://www.custommade.com/by/ewoodshop/
KarlCaillouet@ (the obvious)

On 8/9/2014 1:27 PM, Swingman wrote:
On 8/9/2014 11:40 AM, Leon wrote:
For S4S 1x8 white oak I am paying $3.99 per LF, IIRC about $3.25 per BF
for S3S. The S4S saves me much more in the time that it saves.

Just paid, for S2S1E, 6/4, _quarter sawn_ white oak, $8.75/bf, and can't
even find enough of it locally, yet, to finish the project.

What'cha building?



Hardwood Products doesn't carry it; Houston Hardwood's does not look
like the FAS they advertise; and Clark's is supposed to be getting a
shipment in to mill when??, and Mason Mill and Lumber won't let you pick
and chose last time I was there a few years back.




Thinking about heading up 59N into East Texas this next week to look
around, need about 30/bf 4/4. Want to go?


Perhaps, where do you plan to go?

On 8/9/14, 10:40 AM, Leon wrote:
On 8/9/2014 9:24 AM, Brewster wrote:
On 8/4/14, 4:22 PM, Leon wrote:


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lcb11211/14830759132/

WTF is with that third picture! Scared the beejeezus outta me!

The video?

Naw. I now realize flickr throws up random ad pictures as someone clicks
through your album.
I was checking out the proportions of your cabinet then up popped a
picture of Hillary (shudder).


-BR

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

On Sunday, August 10, 2014 8:49:50 AM UTC-5, Brewster wrote:
Naw. I now realize flickr throws up random ad pictures as someone clicks through your album. I was checking out the proportions of your cabinet then up popped a picture of Hillary (shudder).

Shudder is right. That has to be one of the worse kinds of internet virus-like phenomenon.

Sonny