1st Commission Complete

[Eric Shields]

Finally, I get to post a actual project, a commissioned one at that :D

A few of you may recall my post from the Design (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=38687) Forum, and offered your critiques and suggestions. Some I incorporated, others, my client decided against. Either way, I greatly appreciated your input.

The casework is Birch Ply from the Orange Borg and Soft Maple for the Face Frame, Rails and Styles. The finish is Golden Pecan and Poly. Construction techniques were basic Jointery Techniques, Biscuits and Pocket Screws.

The Original Space
51019

Installed Builtin
51018

Though the design was rather straight forward, I am really pleased with the results. One of the comments I recieved in my initial post was the size of the project for my one man basement shop, boy was he ever right. Though I would happily do it again.

The most important part though, is that my client is more than happy with the end result and I had fun building it. Since starting to convert my basement into a shop I haven't had much opportunity to actually build something. This was a great distraction from that and added some extra funds to the shop kitty.

Thanks for looking and for your comments.

Eric

[Per Swenson]

Eric,

Nice and clean, darn fine job.

Feels good to get paid for this stuff Hunh?

per

[Dan Oliphant]

Eric, from what I can see, the project turned out just fine. Well done.

[Jim Becker]

That turned out great, Eric!! A classic built-in like that is really nice in the space. Congrats on a great first commission!

Small shops can turn out big things...one just has to think about how to pull it off. A few years ago, when my shop was half the size it is now (still not really big...) I was working on two full sized beds, three night stands, one student desk AND our kitchen island. It was a mad-house. I still can't believe I got it all done without destroying something in the process. Half of the time, I was fuguring out what to move where so I could do something on something else... Oy!

[Byron Trantham]

Eric,
Your commission is beautiful! I ams sure the client is ecstatic.

I have a small (20 sq ft) basement shop and I build huge items. The biggest was a 15' long break front cabinet. I build with modules. I figure out the bookcase widths based on the overall length and make individual "boxes" and assemble them on site. I gain several advantages. First and most important they are something I can handle in the shop, second they can be lifted and moved around without damaging walls and lastly, I can fine tune the fit. Also, if its a break front design, I make the bases separate from the tops.

Again, nice job on your project.

[Scott D Johnson]

Great job, especially if you have a small shop. I, too have a small basement shop (10' x 20') and find working on anything over 5' long a little challenging, especially during the assembly phase. I really admire that you made something so nice out of "common materials". I also use BORG ply/sheet goods for my projects and "soft maple" for face frames, rough from the mill. All to save costs. I know that one can get a much nicer end result from "prefinished cabinet" ply and/or baltic birch. I have heard "expensive ply can be upwards of $125 per sheet compared to the $25 "cabinet grade ply" or $27 melamine I get from the BORG.
Thanks for the inspiration, sometimes it's seems like I should give up when I compare my shop to others, but you have proved it is possible to produce work from a "low cost perspective". I know "neanders" prouduce extremely fine goods with small shops, but that's just not where my interests are.

[John Renzetti]

Hi Eric, Great job and the fact that you got paid for it plus had fun at the same time makes it all the better.
take care,
John

[Dan Clark]

...
Though the design was rather straight forward...
Eric
Eric,

VERY nice work.

Regarding your comment about the design being straight forward, I had an art teacher many years ago that said the difficulty many artists have is "knowing when it's finished". I.e., a lot of great work is messed up when the artist keeps fooling with it. Really nice, simple designs are destroyed when the artist "adds stuff". Great implementation becomes less so when the artist "adds stuff".

Or, as an architect once told me, the highest form of architectural art is creating "an honest structure" - nicely built stuff that works well. I'd say that your builtin easily qualifies as "an honest structure".

Well done,

Dan.