Flurry of projects
As always, the last few weeks here in Madison have been an almost constant flurry of activity. In retrospect it would have been a good idea to close down my practice on Aug 1 so I could finish the projects I’ve committed to… but at the time I was thinking OH SWEET LORD I NEED EVERY NICKEL I CAN GET BEFORE I LEAVE or some other soothing thought like that. So, now it’s work, break to go to the woodshop, back to work, eat dinner, back to the shop. I think once I’m done with these things, I’ll feel completely lost… what do normal people do with their free time???
Here’s what I’ve been working on.
Nancy and KC’s walnut bookshelves.
The corner detail matches a detail on their bannister, and the wood is stained to match the character of ther 100+ yr old farm house.
Word to the wise: walnut plywood is really expensive.
Project 2: Pass through mailbox. Susan is remodeling her house, and wanted a mailbox that projected through the new living room wall (formerly the porch) so that she could get mail without going outside… like the old time milk boxes. We went through a lot of designs, and came up with a little copper-topped one that she liked. Really, the biggest problem was making sure that both the inner and outer doors sealed well to keep the weather at bay. You can operate the little flag from inside the box by moving a lever.
The siding hasn’t gone on yet, and it will cover that large square of copper that’s been soldered to the mailbox roof. The box will also be painted at some point.
Project #3. Bathroom sink / drawers / shelves. Suz wanted a nice vanity for her upstairs bathroom, so we worked out a nifty thing with a vessel sink on the right, a little stack of drawers in the middle, and a little scooped out counter surface with shelves on the left. The countertops are all quilted maple, and with the sink bowl sitting on top, it should give the impression of a bowl floating on a shimmering surface of water. It’s getting close to done and I’m really pleased with it so far. Photos coming soon.