December 19, 2011
-
Cabinets I made
I stopped by the house of one of my clients to take some measurements for an upcoming project, and decided to take photos of cabinets I built for her a few years ago. This entertainment center was built with stock doors from Home Depot before I discovered the door factory I use now, so it looks a little gappy in the teeth. I need to do something about that.
The master bedroom closet is the size of a small bedroom. I filled one end with floor-to-ceiling cabinets and shelves. The cabinet doors were only $5 apiece from Seconds & Surplus. (Don't tell the client!)
On her side of the closet, I hung cabinets over the clothes rods as well.
She wanted a matching dresser. I had never built one before, but it's just a freestanding cabinet with a back on it, not rocket science.
She asked for a blanket box that she could sit on. The lid flips up and has a gizmo to keep it open. She added the padding on top.
Sometimes I think I ought to give up all my handyman work except for carpentry and tiling. Those are what I enjoy most. I really need to clear out my garage so I have room to use my tools.
Comments (37)
Makes me want to learn how to build stuff.
Husband is a cabinet designer/engineer/house designer. This is neat.
@TheSecretLifeOfPandas - Yay, Jenny's back! Building stuff is cool. I'm very grateful for those weekends I spent helping my dad when I was a kid.
My sister Jenny had a hysterectomy on Friday and is recovering. They'll get the biopsy results tomorrow. She had cancerous polyps in the uterus.
@LKJSlain - What a great job! I wish I could do this full time, but I'd go broke, I think. I'm not very fast.
wow. you are handy! these things are great.
Oh that's very nice... very nice work indeed! I managed to make a duct tape wallet. Not as handy, but at least useful
@Happily_Married_Guy - As long as you can master the Handyman's Secret Weapon, you'll be fine. Thank you!
@promisesunshine - Thanks. I'm going to be building a cabinet for a TV on her back porch, once I get back from Colombia. Should be an interesting project.
@Roadkill_Spatula - gotta feel good to create something fine.
do what you love and love what you do - you do good work, Tim.
@plantinthewindow - Thanks, John. There's not much that's more rewarding than cabinetry.
Are you sure you can't do my kitchen in January?! These are wonderful!
@slmret - I wish I could, but I'll be in Colombia for most of January.
Very nice work.
My husband is a carpenter too. It's nice having him around. =)
Have a great week getting ready for Christmas.
@Elizabethmarie_1 - Thank you. Yeah, apparently there aren't all that many carpenters out there. You're fortunate to have one in the family.
Awesome to see someone who still knows how to do the practical, hands-on work and do it right.
Very nice! Thrifty too
you do good work!
I wish my father was handy like that. He's not. He's more of an autobody guy.
Ah. I'm sorry to hear about your sister.
I hope for a speedy recovery for her. I'll keep her in my prayers.
Hmmm, I need you to improve the storage space in my apt closet. It's a walk in, but there is so much wasted space that could be used for storage. Especially since the apartment is only 500 sq ft. Beautiful work. Very nice.
Why to give up your handyman works where you are excellent?
you work really well .
In friendship
michel
My goodness... you have a wonderful talent. Those cabinets are beautiful!!
My grandfather tinkered with woodworking while his father was a very talented cabinet maker. I hope someday to have the opportunity to learn a bit about woodworking, although only as a hobby.
These are fantastic. I need cabinets in my game room. A LOT of cabinets.
@lanney - Thank you. I've enjoyed carpentry since I was a kid; my dad had a shop in the garage and I used to help him on weekends. It was fun and funny to go to his place in Arkansas a few years ago and build shelves in his garage there, because now the roles were reversed and I was the leader and he the helper.
@ordinarybutloud - The fastest way is with stock cabinets from Home Depot or Lowe's or Seconds & Surplus. When my ex and I were remodeling the house we bought in 1995, I used to put up one or two cabinets per evening after work, about 45 minutes per upper cabinet. It takes me a lot longer to custom-build (like the ones above).
@YouToMe - Thrifty is right. I way undercharged for this work. I'm not very good at estimating. Need to get around more, I guess.
@Babyboomerjill - Thank you.
@MzSilver - If you're in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, I'll be glad to help you. A garage is a great place for cabinets. I built some for my dad and stepmom that cleared up huge amounts of stuff.
@fauquet - I don't want to give up all of it, just the parts I don't enjoy as much. What I like best is carpentry and tiling and electricity. I don't like plumbing or wallboard repair.
@christao408 - It's amazingly affordable now; fifteen years ago you NEVER saw a table saw or miter saw for $99. Now you can buy them for as little as $79 each, and that's at Home Depot and Lowe's, not just Harbor Freight. (It's better to buy decent brand-name power tools because the junky Chinese ones don't last and aren't as accurate.) Magazines like Family Handyman have great step-by-step articles, and there are all kinds of books out there. But it's easier to learn from another person than from a book or video. I hope you can find someone to help you get started.
@Roadkill_Spatula - That sounds much more interesting than making cabinets for a Xangan in California! Have a great trip!!!
Well it looks like he taught you well and I'm sure it helped the two of you bond as well. good things
You do good work! Making or building things gives me a sense of accomplishment and I suspect it probably does that for everyone.
@History_Nut - Thank you! Yes, my handyman work is usually much more rewarding than my full-time translation job.
Very nice.
Oh, how I wish you lived nearby so I could get you to build me some cabinets! These are great.
Comments are closed.