Novice woodworker here + photos of my first project

[JT Chrstianson]

Good evening...

The photos in the link below are of me getting eyebrow deep into my first woodworking project ever; a kitchen remodel. My dad, who is an accomplished metal fabricator/woodworker and to whom I am deeply indebted, helped me at various stages along the way. "This is how you set the router table... Push the wood into the saw at this way.", and so on.

I can't say enough about Sketchup. Designing the guts for the cabinets was a cinch. More importantly, it allowed me to visualize the entire kitchen before making a single cut.

http://picasaweb.google.com/dohcfox/WoodworkingProjects/photo#5161822683114647298

The vitals:


cabinet guts are 3/4" birch plywood with 1/4" pine edge banding made by yours truly
doors and drawer fronts are pine with 1/4" MDF inserts
Blum hinges throughout
counter tops are 1 1/2" birch chopping block
the sink is a commercial kitchen single sink unit with drain basin and pre-wash rinser/faucet
and some other stuff I can't rememberThere are definitely some loose ends to be dealt with plus one wall cabinet that needs to be designed and built. Otherwise, the kitchen is 100% functional and light years beyond the original kitchen in all regards.

Take care everyone and I really look forward to learning as much as I can from this board. I promise to make good use of the search function! :D

JT Christianson

[Mark Patoka]

Welcome to the Creek JT! I really like your album. I'm getting ready to put a wall of cabinets in our basement room and was planning on making them very similiar to what you did. Your pictures gave me a few more ideas of what I'm planning.

Don't be afraid to keep sharing and jump in!

[JT Chrstianson]

Welcome to the Creek JT! I really like your album. I'm getting ready to put a wall of cabinets in our basement room and was planning on making them very similiar to what you did. Your pictures gave me a few more ideas of what I'm planning.

Don't be afraid to keep sharing and jump in!

Not that you probably couldn't figure out how I built my cabinets in about 0.000008 seconds, but I'd be happy to furnish you with my drawings if you'd like. ;)

Thank you for the comments and the welcome!

JT

[judson davis]

Not that you probably couldn't figure out how I built my cabinets in about 0.000008 seconds, but I'd be happy to furnish you with my drawings if you'd like. ;)

Thank you for the comments and the welcome!

JT

JT, I'm beginning to look at a kitchen remodel in our house. I'd love to see the plans you drew up on Sketchup if you are willing to share. The pictures look very good.

[JT Chrstianson]

JT, I'm beginning to look at a kitchen remodel in our house. I'd love to see the plans you drew up on Sketchup if you are willing to share. The pictures look very good.

You bet! Let me just figure out how to post the drawings from Sketchup...

[JT Chrstianson]

Here is a quick sketch that I did for a friend who's thinking of remodeling his kitchen. This is the kind of thing that I would draw before drawing individual cabinet parts.

What I found so helpful about Sketchup was that I could draw one cabinet 'box', include all critical dimensions, indicate the orientation of rabbits (sp?), print it, take it to the shop, cut, machine and assemble.

Cheers,

JT

[judson davis]

Did you draw any schematics in Sketchup that included the drawers? I've never used the program before and I'm not sure how deep you could go with it.

[frank shic]

pretty nice job for a "novice" ;) don't forget that's it's usually the finishing details that can take MONTHS if not YEARS in my case to get done!

[Mike Heidrick]

I love the picture with the chicken.

[JT Chrstianson]

Did you draw any schematics in Sketchup that included the drawers? I've never used the program before and I'm not sure how deep you could go with it.

I actually drew cabinet boxes and drawers separately. Drawer fronts and doors were drawn over the top of sketches like the one I posted. Let me see if I can find one...

[JT Chrstianson]

I love the picture with the chicken.

Lol! That was the day that we demo'd the kitchen and we had the side door to the yard open. Our very curious barred rock decided to cruise in to check out the hub bub and decided to take a break in the old pantry cabinet. I let her chill out for about an hour while we did other stuff because that cabinet was on its way out by the end of the day. Chickens are hilarious :D

[keith ouellette]

Great first project. I ust finished my first cabinets for the house also. It's a real kick to get it done.

[JT Chrstianson]

pretty nice job for a "novice" ;) don't forget that's it's usually the finishing details that can take MONTHS if not YEARS in my case to get done!

All too true. I've had my kitchen in its current state for 3 months now with not much in the way of tidying up much less hanging some doors here and there. I guess that means that I need to buy a table saw now. All of the "cool guy wood worker stuff that I can't live without" is at my dad's shop. :(

It turns out that my wife and I actually moved in with my folks for 2 months while I built most of the cabinetry. Once we moved home, most meaningful fabrication came to a screeching halt.

[Joe Chritz]

Like the pics and the cabs look good.

Why is there a barred rock in your cabinet?

Joe

[JT Chrstianson]

Like the pics and the cabs look good.

Why is there a barred rock in your cabinet?

Joe


Lol! That was the day that we demo'd the kitchen and we had the side door to the yard open. Our very curious barred rock decided to cruise in to check out the hub bub and decided to take a break in the old pantry cabinet. I let her chill out for about an hour while we did other stuff because that cabinet was on its way out by the end of the day. Chickens are hilarious :D

I gave a quick explanation a few posts up. ;) Barred rocks are great chickens, very mellow and like hanging out with people.

[JT Chrstianson]

Did you draw any schematics in Sketchup that included the drawers? I've never used the program before and I'm not sure how deep you could go with it.

Here is another cabinet model with doors and drawer fronts attached.

[JT Chrstianson]

Great first project. I ust finished my first cabinets for the house also. It's a real kick to get it done.

Do you have any pictures? I'd love to see them!

Take care,

JT

[gary Zimmel]

JT

Big project to tackle for a first one, but it sure looks like it's comming along. Good job....

And welcome to the Creek.

[JT Chrstianson]

JT

Big project to tackle for a first one, but it sure looks like it's comming along. Good job....

And welcome to the Creek.

Thank you sir. And thanks to everyone else for the welcome. This project has been intimidating for sure.

JT

[Mike Heidrick]

I don't know much about chickens - that one looked pretty cool.

Your work looks great - thanks for sharing.

[John Thompson]

Nice job JT... I need to do new ones in my kitchen, but I started in May and finished in August staining the outside.. painting the entire inside.. replacing a bedroom ceiling and building a new deck. The first lady put me on a new bed which is finished and 2/3 through the first of two chest of drawers. A tall one to come.

Then maybe... (ugghh) those kitchen cabinets..... maybe! :)

Again.. very nice way to get on a roll. Keep moving forward...

Sarge..

[Daniel McCurdy]

JT, nice looking work! Love the pro sink too. How about another picture of the finished job (the sun coming in obscures it in the current shot)

BTW, is that you on the table saw? Don't mean to preach, but please wear your PPE!!!

[mark page]

Nice job.
Guess we'll have to change the phrase "a chicken in every pot to a chicken in every cupboard" lol.:D

[JT Chrstianson]

JT, nice looking work! Love the pro sink too. How about another picture of the finished job (the sun coming in obscures it in the current shot)

BTW, is that you on the table saw? Don't mean to preach, but please wear your PPE!!!

I need to hang some more doors and install drawer fronts before I take any more photos but I plan to have that done by this weekend and pics of some more finished work should be up soon.

Yeah, that's me on the saw. :o You are not preaching. Practical advice meant to help me maintain my bodily integrity is always appreciated.

[JT Chrstianson]

Nice job.
Guess we'll have to change the phrase "a chicken in every pot to a chicken in every cupboard" lol.:D

Lol! Really! Especially since my hens would easily weigh out to about $5.00 a pound after all of the feed and time put into building them shelter! :D