Vancouver Mantel

What a difference light, paint and hitting the "refresh" button makes!

Once again, my client karma was very, very good when a lovely young couple contacted me about building a mantel around their new gas fireplace insert.

We brainstormed a bit about how far to go and what to put up there. The original built in shelf was lackluster and required a replacement. The new mantel got an electrical outlet and the windows were re-trimmed, this time with a plumb and horizontal theme!

  The panelling came down easily enough and we began to play with the proportions and deal with the a symmetry of the walls and design.

Reclaimed Fir Coffee Table

The wood came out of an attic of a 1926 Bungalow and was simply waiting to be re-born. Simple chevron pattern, a lot of sanding and finishing later and voila!

The long, black hairpin table legs really seal the deal for this design. Simple and clean. A piece of 3/16" glass cut for the top helps the soft surface survive many cups of coffee.

Clamp time

Final resting place with Glass top

Wine Cellar

This is the kind of project and client combination every carpenter dreams about. Every step of this process was a pleasure--OK not the sewer line re-rout--but everything else.

When the clients are as nice, attentive and understanding as these were, everything is possible.

They knew what they wanted, Cedar walls, cedar racks, hardwood floors. After some serious research on my end, I had a design that could work with the space under the house. Their goal was 700 bottle capacity--mostly Pinot Noir. We ended up with 770 slots.

BEFORE

After the initial framing of the structure, shoring up the plumbing, electrical and HVAC requirements and cutting in the doorway, the goal became to make an air tight, cold room. Consistent temperature (54 degrees) and constant humidity levels (60%) were paramount. The Cedar walls ironically make it look like a sauna before the wine went on the wall.

time to put some (more) wood on the walls

It became a running joke in the wood shop that I was building  a bunch of ladders for cats to climb on. The fabrication process was very, very, very repetitive. Thousands of narrow crown staples later, my modular design was ready for the big install. Because the doors were fairly narrow and low, we could not make one big rack and fit it to the wall.

One of 5 buckets necessary for 700+ bottles

and again . . . .and again . . .and again . . .

VG Fir cabinet with granite top tasting bar. Each bay can swallow 2 cases + magnums at the end

So many

Soft close drawers on one continuous Fir face frame.

Clear Western Red Cedar walls simply shine. No stain necessary.

Front Door Windows

 This was a fantastic little project. My wonderful neighbors approached me with an opportunity I simply could not refuse. They wanted 3 CRESTVIEW Door kit windows to be installed in their once plain old front door--actually it turned out to be a cool old Stanley metal / foam door. Nothing the old Jigsaw couldn't handle.

It was a challenge to get the cut just right. Lets just say layout went on, and on and on until EVERYTHING was aligned in harmony. The cutting went just fine--slow and steady with the patented Denny (Overkill)  Millner "Fan Cuts" used to great effect. This prevents the jig saw blade from binding and bending in the material when approaching your corners. 

I was very impressed with the product and the install went in very smooth. Good design, solid instructions written clearly and made in the USA (out of Austin, Texas). My only complaint was not enough dowell material was provided. But we overcame.

The home owners did a fabulous job painting and now the door not only glows on the outside, but the light coming inside really transforms the entry and adds so much warmth to the house.

6 and 2 Gate in North Portland

Outside view

This project found me while working on another client's house. I was finishing up a replacement Cedar fence when a neighbor hailed me over to take a look at his gate. It was a crumbling, untreated pile of wood that had long been pulled apart after the posts misaligned.

Bonfire fodder

I informed him that I would be unable to duplicate that design, because it was terrible. The poor thing was given no real chance from day one. It shall make an excellent beach fire somewhere and hopefully toast a marshmallow or two before turning to embers.

Inside view

 Think of how often we use gates to get in and out of our yards every day. Many use one to get into the front door or bypass the front door to the side and into the kitchen. Yet most are built very cheap and the hardware gets beat up and fails to close properly. This realisation helped inspire me to start making my own gate "latch" hardware. Instead of a cheap catch system, I use a solid metal plate and strong rare-earth magnets.

Steel plate & magnetic catch

The challenge was coaxing the existing post back into plumb and adapting the hardware to the old side run of fence that was still standing (for now). A turnbuckle system worked perfectly to get the post top back towards the house. It can also be tweaked in either direction if need be.

Turnbuckle system doing the job admirably

It does look rather strange with the old & new side by side. But there is a functional gate there now that should be trouble free for a long time.

Really guys? Chalk still on the post?

Double Gate

Fence and Gate season is HERE! This project was a blast. What was once an obscure side yard is now converted to a secure dog run.

Dog door trimmed out

I combined the simplicity of the half-lap joint + some tough outdoor wood glue and added a triple hardwood dowel on each joint to ensure a long, happy life for the gate.

Aligned

The thick gauge galvanized 4"x4" grid was procured from an Agricultural supplier. The layout went off without a hitch and the gates practically put themselves together. . . .

Half-lap pre sanding

Lots of sanding. Lots of careful staining. Cedar is a tricky material and likes to fracture and splinter--but really performs well in outdoor conditions with a little chemical help to make it shine!

Simple and secure

N. Cleveland Porch Redux

This porch was in need of some beautification. It was rotting away and was built without care and foresight.

The client was an absolute delight to work for and we shared many laughs throughout the project. No more gaps in the risers for cats to sneak into and cause trouble. No more ugly roofing material as non-stick pad. No more jiggly railing because of rusted wood screws & loose concrete anchors. New paint with tread color mixed with sand for complete non-slip safety.

I almost wish something would go wrong with it so I can hang out with Dorothy some more. She's hilarious and fun.