Showing posts with label in. Show all posts
Showing posts with label in. Show all posts
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Vintage Pieces in varying colors!
I scored about 4 vintage dressers from the 60s.
All solid wood and in pretty good shape. I tried some different colors
this time and this is what I ended up with~ (Pardon my garage staging!! I am out of room!!!)
This guy is made from solid Elm! Have never seen elm before. So I sanded off the old stain and
found this gorgeous solid wood top! I think I put a light shade of walnut on it and used tung oil
to finish it off. Did a custom mix of my own chalk paint in different shades of blues.....Something different!

Next one is a MCM dresser. Same thing. Sanded off the ick, redid the walnut fronts and top.
This one I used an oil base glossy white paint. About 4 coats! Its hard as nails when it dries!! Gave it some racing stripes for something different.
Ok...and #3 is a different looking vintage dresser in Coral!!
I had this oops paint for over a year and made some chalk paint with it.
Mod podged some frabic on the inner drawer fronts
I used a darker shade of coral on the inner door both for contrast and because I used
every last drop of the other shade on the body!!
| Shhh....still have to wax the sides! I soooooo hate waxing...... |
ok....So there you have my vintage three!!! A little something for every taste!!!
Restore Interiors - Restored it Wednesday
Kammys Korner - Trash to Treasure Tuesdays
Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday
Miss Mustardseed - Furniture Feature Friday
Redoux - Friday Link Up Party
Homespun Happenings - Rustic Restorations Weekend
Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Night Special
1929 Charmer - Sundays Best Party
Knick of Time Interiors - Knick of Time Tuesday
Elizabeth and Co., My uncommon Slice of Suburbia,
Savvy Southern Style. Weds, Beyond the Picket Fence, PJH Designs
From my Front Porch to Yours,
Between Naps on the Porch
The Dedicated House, Redoux
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Overcoming Lifes Little Irritants And Making Bigger Ones In The Process
My ever beautiful, vivacious, kind, loving, but completely irrational wife insisted on “anything but an iPhone” when it came time to update her cell phone recently. This is probably due to my actions, more than hers.
Come on. Be honest with me. How many of you, while involved in something your really into, have either turned off your cell phone’s ringer, or turned the phone off completely? Then, when questioned by your wives why you didn’t pick up the phone when she called, you have answered with; “Gosh, it didn’t ring the whole time I was there. It must have been a bad signal”?
I used that con so many times, my wife believe the iPhones are crap. They are, of course, but don’t tell the members of the Apple cult that or you will be taking your life into your own hands.
So I bought my wife a Blackberry Tour.
If I were “joe-executive”, I would buy a Blackberry in a minute. Hands down, it is probably the fastest, most reliable cell phone out there that is configured and formatted with the businessman in mind. But I’m not joe-exec, so the thing is just a pain in the ass for me, but hey, it’s my wife’s phone so I don’t really care. Hers or not, it did presented me with a dilemma.
I started to write an explanation of the whys, hows and whatnots of this dilemma, but when I realized that I was typing away on page number 10, I wiped it all out and instead, will give you the abbreviated version.
Blackberry | Bluetooth equipped (as per all cell phones these days) |
2007 Ford Fusion | Not Bluetooth equipped - became standard in 2008 (figures) |
Pairing | To set up the common frequency between two devices and establish the encryption they will use to attempt to keep the contents of their communication private |
Pairing Devices | Available aftermarket ranging from $9 to $1000 |
Suitability | None |
Reason | Mounted by suction cups larger than my wife’s bra, clasps that scratch the dashboard piece just showing them to each other, or possible positions result in wiring hanging down in front of the driver |
Conclusion | Make my own |
Result | The following “hands-free” cell phone unit that will mount the phone without damaging the dashboard components and will allow the phone conversation to be heard through the car’s stereo |

Material | Walnut |
Product used | Griffith Hands-Free Microphone and AUX Cable |
Connections | One wire from the phone to the mic, mic plugs into the auxiliary jack on the car’s stereo |
Issue | Fusion has auxiliary jack buried in the console glove box |
Design | Buried the wires between the phone and the mic in the phone’s mount pad, installed the mic in a tower beside the phone, allow the pad to swivel and make everything robust enough to take my wife’s abuse |
Time | 3-hours per day over a 4-day period |
Last procedure | Drilled pad for swivel mount |
Procedures remaining | None |
Reason | Drilled through the damned buried wiring!!! |
Results | None - its pure junk now!!! |
Peace,
Mitchell
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Sylvania Ohio built in Step 2
With the side window seats installed, its now time for the center cabinet. This cabinet is to have a lower storage area, a middle area for the electronics, and an upper shelf that pulls forward to allow access to the back of the tv. I will be making a door for the lower area later on.
Ive built the cabinet case in my shop, and will trim it out on site...
Now back to the job site. Ive installed the cabinet, and made sure it is level. Ive wrapped the upper shelf using the 1x4 trim, which gives it a nice bold look. Ive also face trimmed the rest of the front. The cabinet sets back into the old fireplace cavity which will be finish off soon. The whole thing gives this lower area some dimension.
Monday, February 10, 2014
A House In The Trees Part VIII
With the walls and lower shed roof done, this video documents the clear-story and main roof framing.
I framed the clear-story to accommodate the windows Im going to fabricated using some Kalwall samples I have. Im not yet sure if the main roof will receive a skylight or not, but if it does I wont bother to cut out the rafters within the skylight footprint. It is, after all, just a tree house.
If youd like to catch up on how the Tree House got to this point, be sure to check out these older posts.
Read More..
I framed the clear-story to accommodate the windows Im going to fabricated using some Kalwall samples I have. Im not yet sure if the main roof will receive a skylight or not, but if it does I wont bother to cut out the rafters within the skylight footprint. It is, after all, just a tree house.
Moving Pictures of Woodworking In America 13
I never seem to leave Woodworking in America having taken enough media back with me. This year, though I took plenty of photos, I didnt take any videos (except for some silly Vines). Luckily, many others did take videos.
+Marc Spagnuolo took many great videos and after what Im sure was much more editing than I would like to do, he put together this great video on what he saw in Covington.
+Matt Vanderlist was paying much more attention in Roy Underhills Timber! class which opened the conference. He has this great video showing how Roy squares a log.
On Saturday in the marketplace I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Lee Valley Tools. Connie from their social media team talked with many bloggers and some actual talented wood workers and tool makers. I believe there will be a few videos coming out in the coming weeks. This first one covers what the interviewees would teach kids first. I cant say mine is the best answer (it isnt) but there clearly are some wood workers with a great grasp on how to bring the young into the craft.
Of the silly Vines I shot, here is my favorite. Ive already shared it and Im sorry if youve already seen it. I just cant help buy laugh every time I watch.
Dont forget about the +Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We talk woodworking with Guests from around the world of woodworking every other week. Subscribe to the RSS feed or iTunes today.
Read More..
+Marc Spagnuolo took many great videos and after what Im sure was much more editing than I would like to do, he put together this great video on what he saw in Covington.
Dont forget about the +Modern Woodworkers Association Podcast. We talk woodworking with Guests from around the world of woodworking every other week. Subscribe to the RSS feed or iTunes today.
DIY in 1 Hour or Less Removeable Jersey Lampshade cover
Today Im sharing another DIY in 1 hour or less! A removable lampshade cover is the perfect solution if your current lampshade doesnt work with your room, but you want a quick and cheap temporary solution.
When we took pictures for our final CWTS project, we had to get all new accessories (since photos were submitted anonymously), including a lamp because every bed needs light. Not only is it practical, it helps add height to your nightstand, which helps balance the height of the headboard. We had to return the light that we used (we kept a lot of things that we used too) and make our existing lamp work.
Instead of buying a new shade I decided to make a removable lampshade cover that wouldnt damage the shade, in case I decide to use it again.
Jersey is the perfect solution - especially for a tapered shade because it stretches and conforms to the lampshade. It is also great because it requires minimal sewing - only on the connecting end. The top and bottom dont need to be sewn since it doesnt fray.
It is translucent, so white wasnt the easiest choice, but Ill explain how I fixed that in a little.

Heres how I did it!


3. After doing a normal stitch and it bunching because of the stretch, I tore out the stitch, looked online and found that the stitch has to zig zag. I put my sewing machine on the zig zag setting (#3) and started sewing (make sure not to back stitch, I had to start over one more time...)
** I did slightly taper my stitch so that it was a little wider at the bottom. The jersey is pretty forgiving and will stretch, so this probably wasnt necessary. Getting it tight at the top is the most important and then it stretches a little more at the bottom.
4. I sewed one line and cut off the extra fabric. So easy, once I figured out the right settings!
I put the seam of the cover on the seam of the lampshade and then repeated so I had three individual layers. I decided to do the layers separately since it was easier to sew that way (at least for me :)
After the third layer, you could still see through to the shade underneath. I decided that a thin piece of white paper (like normal printer paper) would work well underneath the jersey to hide the pattern. Since the shade is tapered, a large piece of paper would be needed to get one continuous strip. I didnt have any on hand, so I placed a layer of paper towels between the lampshade and the jersey. I couldnt get it out of the height of the paper towel, so they are layered and taped inside. It isnt pretty, but the layers of jersey smooth it out.
Super easy!




Read More..
When we took pictures for our final CWTS project, we had to get all new accessories (since photos were submitted anonymously), including a lamp because every bed needs light. Not only is it practical, it helps add height to your nightstand, which helps balance the height of the headboard. We had to return the light that we used (we kept a lot of things that we used too) and make our existing lamp work.
Instead of buying a new shade I decided to make a removable lampshade cover that wouldnt damage the shade, in case I decide to use it again.
Jersey is the perfect solution - especially for a tapered shade because it stretches and conforms to the lampshade. It is also great because it requires minimal sewing - only on the connecting end. The top and bottom dont need to be sewn since it doesnt fray.
It is translucent, so white wasnt the easiest choice, but Ill explain how I fixed that in a little.


1. I measured around my lampshade (about the center but closer to the top) and calculated the amount of fabric I would need. ~46" to go around the shade and since the height was 10" I would need about 11"-12" for each layer. For 2 shades (3 layers of jersey each) I purchased 2.5 yards and had some left over.
2. I cut 3 - 46" long and 12" high (to be safe) sections. I wrapped one layer of jersey around the shade, pulled somewhat tight and pinched the top (on the line where I would sew), and pinned in on the top and bottom.
** Once cut, the jersey curls one way, when I was pinning, I made sure that the curl would go in the inside (on outside while sewing and then flip so its on the inside) so it would curl around the inside of the lampshade.

** I did slightly taper my stitch so that it was a little wider at the bottom. The jersey is pretty forgiving and will stretch, so this probably wasnt necessary. Getting it tight at the top is the most important and then it stretches a little more at the bottom.
4. I sewed one line and cut off the extra fabric. So easy, once I figured out the right settings!
I put the seam of the cover on the seam of the lampshade and then repeated so I had three individual layers. I decided to do the layers separately since it was easier to sew that way (at least for me :)
After the third layer, you could still see through to the shade underneath. I decided that a thin piece of white paper (like normal printer paper) would work well underneath the jersey to hide the pattern. Since the shade is tapered, a large piece of paper would be needed to get one continuous strip. I didnt have any on hand, so I placed a layer of paper towels between the lampshade and the jersey. I couldnt get it out of the height of the paper towel, so they are layered and taped inside. It isnt pretty, but the layers of jersey smooth it out.
Super easy!

The jersey hugs the inside lip of the lampshade perfectly!


The hydrangeas from last weekend still look great!

We are using our Ikea Lack upholstered tables temporarily until we built new nightstands that wont hide the grasscloth + nailhead feature wall. They arent perfect in the space, but they will work for now!
I purchased the jersey from Fabric.com - it looks like the exact fabric is no longer available, here is the gray version.
This is such an easy way to (temporarily) update a lampshade! I may add a ribbon trim a little later, but for now Im loving the white.
--
I spent all day in the garage yesterday, and Im almost finished our round table ... photos soon!!!
Boxing in the Bastard Tool Cabinet
Those of you following along have now realized that I havent posted about the Bastard Tool Cabinet for a few weeks. Lately Ive been busy attending the Woodworking Shows in NJ and preparing for the Northeast Woodworkers Showcase in Saratoga (more on that in some upcoming posts). Ive also had tons of work to do at my day job, which has frequently become my night and weekend job too.
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| So many woodworking shows. So little time. |
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| Dominoing the top. |
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| Thats 23 Dominos holding on the right side. |
Once the parts were Dominoed it was just a matter of clamping them. I glued up the top first, then the sides. For both I used my clamping squares to ensure a square glue up.
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| Lots of clamps and clamping squares for good measure. |
Did you finish youre Wood Whisperer Guild Wall Cabinet Build yet, or are you as far behind as I am?
Other Bastard Wall Cabinet Posts
Winter Wall Cabinet Wonderland
The Bastard Wall Cabinet (for tools!)
Trudging Towards Tool Storage
Cutting the Cabinet Carcass (in relative terms)
A Home For My Planes
Continued Wall Cabinet Assembly
Whats a Bastard Wall Cabinet without Shelves?
Other Bastard Wall Cabinet Posts
Winter Wall Cabinet Wonderland
The Bastard Wall Cabinet (for tools!)
Trudging Towards Tool Storage
Cutting the Cabinet Carcass (in relative terms)
A Home For My Planes
Continued Wall Cabinet Assembly
Whats a Bastard Wall Cabinet without Shelves?
Crown Molding in The Quarry Maumee OH
Here are some pictures of a crown molding project going on this past week. This is a two piece crown, with a decorative base piece on bottom, and a 3-5/8" crown on top. Im also installing a furring strip behind, in order to support the upper crown. When finished, all nail holes and joints will be caulked, and touch up paint will be completed. If you want to add true value to your home, this is one way to do it!!!





Spoonflower Im in love
While I finish up the mirror, I thought I would share one of my recent favorite finds ..
Yesterday while I was searching for fabrics I came across Spoonflower and to say that I am in love is an understatement ...
In case you havent heard of Spoonflower, you can either upload your own design and have them print it on fabric, or shop from existing designs.
Also, you choose what fabric it is printed on, ranging from $17.50 to $38 per yard. Creating your custom design starts at $15.75 per yard.
Here are some of my favorites:





I will definitely ordering from the existing designs or creating my own to be printed soon! Cant wait to try this out!
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I am back to working on the mirror ... finishing it up has been a little more difficult than expected, almost done, promise :)
Read More..
Yesterday while I was searching for fabrics I came across Spoonflower and to say that I am in love is an understatement ...
In case you havent heard of Spoonflower, you can either upload your own design and have them print it on fabric, or shop from existing designs.
Also, you choose what fabric it is printed on, ranging from $17.50 to $38 per yard. Creating your custom design starts at $15.75 per yard.
Here are some of my favorites:
Coral Ikat by domesticate
Trellis Grey by samanthanelson
Quatrefoil by Melberry

Lattice by cest_la_viv
yellow circles by holli zollinger
I will definitely ordering from the existing designs or creating my own to be printed soon! Cant wait to try this out!
--
I am back to working on the mirror ... finishing it up has been a little more difficult than expected, almost done, promise :)
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Custom Built in Bookcase

This Maple bookcase was hand-rubbed with a custom mixed white-wash finish which tints the wood, and highlights its beauty.
This bookcase features adjustable shelves, custom moldings, and storage for items behind the doors.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
6 in 1 woodworking machine
#1: 6 in 1 woodworking machine must see
6 1/8" jointer planer: quiet woodworking precision from sears, Get accuracy, durability and value with this 6 1/8" jointer planer. the craftsman professional 1 1/2 hp 6-1/8" jointer/planer is a precision tool designed for the. Woodworking machine - wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, A woodworking machine is a machine that is intended to process wood. these machines are usually powered by electric motors and are used extensively in woodworking..



