finished my winter built in project

[Nelson Howe]

Here are pics of last winter's project. I'm figuring this all out as I go (with help from all of you here).

The shelves are sized for cds and are built of red oak and oak ply. The table and benches are red oak and utile (sipo to some, I believe, but the local place calls it utile), with a little oak ply (no more ever again--I promise). Drawer fronts on the cases are utile. Legs are tapered, bent laminations. Pulls are cutoffs from the laminations. The phone is from Bellsouth. Finish is oil/varnish blend.

I learned a lot along the way. As many of you explained on the finishing forum, this is not a very hard finish. In rubbing it out, I was rubbing too hard, and in many cases rubbed away much of the buildup I had attained. I waxed. We'll see how durable it is.

I definitely developed (and still am developing) my planing skills. I made a Krenov style smooth plane and used it on the top, and many of the parts. Utile is tricky for me to plane. The grain changes around a lot, and tears out often. I did some sanding for sure. I need to cut in an insert to close the mouth of my plane.

Anyway, take a look, and let me know what you think.

Thanks,

Nelson Howe

[John Keeton]

Some really inovative design going on there! I take it the table is connected to the wall?

Nelson, I think you did a great job on this. The style is not my favorite, but you have executed it well. The only thing I may have done different would be to have oriented the grain on the door panels vertically to match the other side - minor issue here.

Very well done!!

[Nelson Howe]

Yeah, that was my intent. But somehow I made a cut wrong, and was out of wood, so had to orient the grain horizontally. There was some language in the shop that day.

And yes, the table is screwed to the wall.

Nelson

[Jim Kountz]

Really nice work Nelson, thats some very interesting looking wood. Im more into period things but fine woodworking is fine woodworking and this is it!!

[Brad Wood]

I like it.... and the style works for me (so there Jim and John) :D

I really like the legs on the table and the wood grain on the drawer fronts.. what type of wood is that? edit, nevermind on the wood, I actually read your post :)

[John Keeton]

But somehow I made a cut wrong, and was out of wood.....There was some language in the shop that day.You realize, of course, that you are the only woodworker that has ever done that;):rolleyes:

[Jim Rimmer]

table and benches are red oak and utile (sipo to some, I believe, but the local place calls it utile),

Pardon my ignosrance, but what is SIPO. I looked at the link to anagrams and couldn't find it. :confused:

[Bruce Page]

It looks like a nice spot to play some Chess.
What’s the story behind the pay phone?

[Nelson Howe]

I put the sipo thing in because nobody seems to have heard of utile, and, when I looked it up, sipo was listed as an alternate name. So I figured maybe everybody else calls it that. It's an african wood that is a good alternative to mahogany. Someone ordered it locally, and now the yard carries it. That's about all I know.

When we lived in Atlanta, Bellsouth pulled all their payphones due to the rise of the cell phone. They reconditioned them and sold them to the public. We bought one on a lark, and it's been in the garage for about five years. We figured this would be a good place for it.

Thanks for the kind words.

Nelson

[John Keeton]

FWIW, Festool makes sipo dominoes for outdoor application.

[John Thompson]

Very nice looking build Nelson. Well done.....

BTW.... I had a Sippo lighter I purchased in Vietnam. I think it was an Oriental knock-off of a Zippo. :)

Sarge..

[John Baranowski]

Did you have any issues with movement on the utile? I tried to use some last year, but every time I got it flat, it would twist within minutes.

[Nelson Howe]

It's been pretty stable. My tops didn't stay dead flat, but the apron and bench carcasses seem to hold them right on.

[Phil Thien]

Great work.

Does the phone work?

[Nelson Howe]

Works great. I'm hoping to put the kids through college on the quarters we collect from the neighbors.

[Dan Karachio]

Nelson, this is very very nice. Fantastic work and bravo. I particularly like your benches. You have tackled and succeeded at a few things I am gearing up for - furniture quality pieces with nice panel work, your slight inset/reveal on the frame, curve on the bottom frame. Really, thank you so much for posting. You are giving me some courage to move on. :-)

P.S. To others and Nelson, the book "Built-In Furniture" by Jim Toplin, Taunton Press is a great book for anyone tackling built ins of any type. It has TONS of examples and ideas of all styles, plus some technique covered on the challenge of building along walls that are never straight, plumb, square...

[Nelson Howe]

Thanks for the kind words. I'll look for that book. I have a similar title, "Trim Carpentry and Built-Ins," by Clayton Dekorne, which is part of the Taunton's "Build like a Pro" series. It's got a lot of good information as well. Though I must admit that I have failed at trying cope crown molding.

Nelson