John is working on this little cabinet to fill an abandoned chase in my cousin Lara’s kitchen. She got the cabinet in exchange for a month or two of weekly cello lessons. What a deal!
Spice Cabinet with Hidden Compartment
May 19, 2011
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Posted by sarah
Black sculpture installed!
May 17, 2011
At last this sculptural TV cabinet is in place and all the cords contained neatly in the base.
The seven variously sized compartments are designed to hold the cable box, remote controls, and perhaps a dvd or a few books. The two seams in the Paperstone top elegantly slice the pentagon into three pieces. The sturdy painted poplar blocks that form the support structure are staggered in and out. The deeper set blocks disappear into the blackness of the piece.
Thanks to Gabe of Semolina Designs for selling me the remnant and helping with fabrication of the Paperstone top.
I’ll post photos of the finished kitchen next.
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Posted by sarah
The Death Star
May 8, 2011While I was working on this piece, the Royal Wedding occurred in England. Queen Elizabeth was praised by the press for the “timeless elegance” of her cheerful yellow suit and matching hat. It is proper for a queen to be dignified yet approachable. Reading about the contrast between the queen’s attire and the more modern styles that were worn by other guests reminded me of the contrast between my two recent furniture projects. The yellow corner cabinet is cheerful and whimsical, while the simple, black, angular lines of the TV cabinet speak a different language.
It has been a complex design and assembly process, accommodating various components and cords, but it is almost finished.
One more coat of polish, and then we deliver and install.
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Cheerful Corner Cabinet
April 30, 2011The tall cabinet is installed with a peg leg made from plumbing parts. It awaits the doors. Stay posted.
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Prototype Treasure Chest #1
April 22, 2011
Prototype #1 is finished with a bit of pyrography – a prehistoric winged creature.
Apologies to customers waiting for treasure chests, this one has become my toilet paper storage box. As you can see there are many uses for such a chest. Soon we will have prototype #2 underway.
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Progress on the Tall Cabinet
April 20, 2011
Sometimes, when working in the driveway, people stop by to check out the action. I think John is explaining the cabinet to our curious neighbor here. He now has all five boxes assembled and primed. Here are a few more pictures of the process. Even though these boxes are painted, the woven corners show through and add a nice detail. Stay tuned for the final product.
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Tall Bathroom Cabinet for Lisa and Suzanne
April 11, 2011
John Mcbride has this piece under construction as I write. I’ll post some more photos. It is intended to complement this tiled tub surround.
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Posted by sarah
Salvaged Fir and Redwood Treasure Chest Lid with a Spectra Hinge
April 5, 2011
I’ve made progress on the prototype. The lid is installed. I fashioned a hinge out of retired spectra running rigging from the 5o5 Bar-ba-loot (pictured below). The hinge needs a little fine-tuning, but I like the Xs. I handcarved the curves in the lid. Nice soft fir makes for easy carving.
Treasure chest Post 1 Treasure chest post 2
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Treasure Chest Progress
March 26, 2011
After gluing the box together, it needed some sanding.
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The lid is made from two fir 2×6 scraps and a redwood 2×4 scrap that John brought home from his job site. Better than average specimens, with fairly straight, tight grain; they are probably from appearance grade stock. I did not have a planer on hand, but they were pretty straight and flat. I used my new jointer to make edges flat and perpendicular to the faces. I also used the jointer to clean up the faces. (This is usually accomplished by a planer) Then I glued and clamped them together as shown in this photo.
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Custom TV Cabinet
March 22, 2011
We have started work on this avant-garde TV cabinet for a client in Alameda and are awaiting more sunshine to proceed. Please see this post for a 3d rendering of the piece. I am looking forward to photographing the entire project when we go to install the piece in a few weeks. Stay posted!
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Prototype treasure chest underway
March 19, 2011
Box corner jig
gluing up the prototype with box corners
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A trash & recycling container cobbled together from woodshop scraps
January 20, 2011
This Cadillac Trash Can has a top shelf for plants, a shelf for holding tuna for the cat, and a space below to push the dog bowls out of the way. It is built from remnants, so I didn't have complete control of the proportions: Richlite top, fir sides, plywood shelves, door, & back panel
Decorated with pencil and Bioshield Aqua Resin Trim Enamel (zero VOC and compostable)
The door flips open on and is held at the proper angle by rope salvaged from a sailboat. Small clothespins attach the bags to the door for easy access
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Posted by sarah
