I rescued a good bit of old trim from a nearby remodel. It was just going to go into the trash! It’s basically identical to the beautiful old trim on our house. I think I could make some nice small pieces (boxes, picture frames, etc) from this stack. But holy crap they loved to drive the nails.
One last picture of the completed project. It’s definitely utilitarian carpentry but it solves a few problems for us. Rachel put some struggling spinach plants in it for the time being but I doubt they’ll recover as the heat ramps up.
Now it just needs a few pieces of trim, some paint, and a pile of dirt. I’ll post a final picture once it is finished and planted.
The supervisor inspecting our work. He has requested that we use the space to plant peanuts.
Work on the raised bed within the back deck has begun in earnest.
I may attempt this wall mounted tool chest from the New Yankee Workshop someday–but, of more general interest, it begins with one of the best looks at the famous Studley Tool Chest I’ve seen online. It’s an absolute gem of design and craftsmanship.
I finished a tabletop shelf for all of my work electronics, plus an inset pencil cup. Plenty of flaws and a couple of big mistakes, but I learned a bit more about priming and painting and filling gaps in plywood ends. Now having completed a handful of projects, I have discovered that there is almost always a moment—usually near the end—when I am convinced that this is the crappiest thing ever built by human hands.
The bookcase is finally completed and set in its corner of the dining room where I work. I’ve placed on it a mix of things I need every day and things I need to see every day. On the bottom shelf is a blanket made for me by Rachel. Also, my ten key that’s been my accounting companion for over twenty years.
Build things, not content.
I’m nearing completion on the bookcase. (So, so slow.) At this point I just need to apply some wood filler in a couple of spots and then stain it. Things I’ve learned: It’s hard to align and glue large pieces together by yourself, so it’s really handy when you have a kind and patient wife to help you out. Also, to talk you down because it happened at the end of a long day and I was convinced the whole thing was a pile of crap fit only for burning.