Father's Day gift done with PICs

[Craig Stueve]

Seeing all of the beautiful and inspiring work done by the members here I am a bit hesitant to post a completed project. But this was a special project for me so I'll give it a go.

First and foremost I am an AMATEUR woodworker. No part of my income is derived from it. My motives are purely self gratification, entertainment, and hopefully some gained knowledge with each completed project. If I can make something for either myself or someone else that they enjoy or fills a need for them I am satisfied. My first real WWing project was a simple painted headboard that I made for my Mothers Day 2 years ago. By all accounts that was a big success. Between then and now I have managed to get out of my apartment and into a house with a nice 16X28 heated garage. I have a good compliment of tools and the space to use them now. I decided to make my Dad a rolling tool cabinet similar to one I found in Shop Notes. The cabinet is constructed using oak shorts and plywood. I added a couple of pieces of walnut to the top to add a little character to the piece. I tried so many new techniques and learned so much doing this I can't even begin to list them all.

As I said this was special to me. Largely because as a young man I wanted to be able to make the same things that he was able to, but never had the patience to learn. I constantly heard "You need to build a damn bird house before you build a real house." As a bull head young man who certainly new it all I resented that and withdrew from WWing for some time. Now many years later I understand the wisdom of those words and often thought about them while I was building and especially while I was finishing this. My Father will be coming down to see my new place for the first time on Father's Day and has absolutely no idea that I have built anything for him. I am nervous and excited to see his reaction next Sunday.

I'm done being sappy for now. Here are the pictures.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/HawkeyeStoob/woodworking/IMG_0958.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/HawkeyeStoob/woodworking/IMG_0959.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v133/HawkeyeStoob/woodworking/IMG_0961.jpg

Thanks for looking,
Craig

[Harvey Chute]

That will mean so much to your Dad. Beautiful job on the cart. I'm inspired.

[tod evans]

cool craig! your dad will be proud of you! especially if you tell him the birdhouse story as you`ve done here. or let him read what you`ve written? nice job.....02 tod

[Tim Clark]

Super job Craig.

Dad'll be proud to have it in his shop.

[Bob Noles]

Craig,

You did a spectacular job and I for one would be very proud to have it in my shop. I believe you Dad will be very proud as well as surprised.

That was a very inspiring post to go with the pictures. Thanks for taking the time to shre it with us.

[Ralph Okonieski]

Beautiful job, beautiful chest. I love the different woods. Really makes it "pop" as is said. Very nicely done !

[Neil Lamens]

Don't be hesitant about your work, that's a beautiful job.
Inset drawer nicely fit, what drawer slide hardware did you use???

Good job man...........Neil

[Jerry Olexa]

Your Dad will be very happy and Proud of you!! Great thought and great results!! Nice job on both counts...

[Jay Knoll]

Craig,

thanks for the post, the pics and especially the story. Great work and wonderful personal reflection. I echo Tod's comments, share the post (and the kudos) with him.

Jay

[Peter Pedisich]

Craig,

Now that I'm a dad stories like this really get to me, definately share the words with your father as well as the excellent shop cabinet.

Thanks for sharing the story and pics, like the walnut also!

Pete

[Craig Stueve]

Thank you all for the kind words.

As for sharing the story with him I think I am planning on taking a paint type marker and writing something like "I know it's not a bird house, but it's a start." on the case below the bottom drawer. It will always be there then, but you will have to know about it to look for it.

I'm not certain what the brand of the drawer slides are Neil. They were the heaviest capacity euro type 3/4 extension slides that Menards has. If I had it to do over again I would have spent the extra money and used good quality full extension slides. Once again more learning.

Craig

[Larry Cooke]

Criag,

I like it! You did a great job for sure. I'm sure your dad will love it. Myself, I have had no real experience with making cabinets yet. Would you mind telling me how you did the sides and back? Is the ply floating in the frames like a panel door or?

Thanks for sharing this with us, you're on you're way to bigger and better projects for sure.

Larry

[Vaughn McMillan]

Great job, Craig. Your dad will surely be surprised and very happy to receive the tool cabinet, and the birdhouse quote will make it mean all that much more.

BTW, you should never be hesitant to post pics of your work here. All of us were starting out at one time or another. (Some. like me, have started out more than once.) ;)

- Vaughn

[Steve Ash]

Craig, I'd say that's a winner in anybodys book and you made it for your dad with love, that's something no money can buy. I'm glad you posted the pics, the story and shared it with us. Let us know the outcome when your dad sees it, I can imagine he will be very proud of you!

[John Miliunas]

Very nicely done, Craig! Looks to be well executed. I really like the Walnut on the top...Kinda' reminds me of racing stripes on some of the older muscle cars! :)

As for the story that goes with it, isn't it just simply amazing how, as we get older our dads seem to get smarter??? :D I'm positive he's gonna' love it and will be bubbling over with pride! Be sure and post pics of Dad with the cabinet! :) Good job, Craig. :) :cool:

[Charles Bruno]

Hello Graig,
Being a father myself I can tell you he will be very pleased. The tool cabinet looks good and they are handy.
I've a few "Bird House" stories myself and going through life I've found my fathers words coming back to me. I too was a bull headed young man.
Thanks for sharing

[Dan Forman]

Like the cabinet and the story. I wonder, do you have time to make a very modest birdhouse too? Maybe put it on or in the chest, see if he remembers the expression.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Craig...........Nicely done! Be sure to sign and date it too! Dad will bust with pride! Nicely done!

[Craig Stueve]

I want to again thank all of you for the kind words in both the posts and PMs I have received. I am always looking at the work done by those here and elsewhere as it is a great source of inspiration for me and many others I am sure. One of the things I like most about working with wood is the fact that with each project I complete I realize that there is so much more I simply don't know about the process. That is one of the things that keeps me interested and trying bigger and better things, not always successfully I might add.

I hadn't though of making a small birdhouse to go along with the chest, but I do like the idea. I may just do that sometime in the future out of some oak and walnut scraps I have lying around. I simply won't have the time this week with all I have going on at the job. The walnut does look like a muscle car stripe package now that you say that. My initial plan was to offset the walnut boards, but I didn't care for the way it looked when I dry clamped everything together.

Craig