This is a fun piece. I made this out of 2x4 framing lumber and sheets of 1/4" ac ply. I built this very rough. All the rails and stiles are mortised and tenoned together but I didn't use glue because I new the wood was going to shrink as it dried out. I did pin the joints together with brads to hold it in place. The joints did separate but created a very rustic look. I ran all the lumber through the planer to clean it up but did not sand any of it down. I liked the look of the machine marks. The crown on the top I made out of a piece of 2x6. I ran it through the table saw at an angle to get the oval shaped cove at the top. the rest I shaped with a hand plane. The two upper doors open then slide back into some pockets to expose a TV. The two doors on the bottom cover shelving that holds the components for the entertainment system. My original plans have a book shelf on either side with speakers mounted in the bottom portion. but because of the massive size I tend to build things. I did not have room in the room for the 2 cabinets. Originally I had stained and lacquered it, but later decided to paint it black and then beat it up (upon my decorators request). I have built a similar one for a cabin up in Island Park that is used for clothing. I went big with that one also and ended up cutting the thing off half way to get it through the doors in to the room. then putting it back together.

Oh I also did the little shelf on the wall. It's mdf with working drawers.

I put this wainscot on the wall for a surprise for my wife. I used standard trim stock found at Wheelwright. I ended up with a total of thirteen panels through out the living room and the kitchen. My wife was gone for three days and I wanted it to be finished when she got home. the first night I laid it out and put the moldings on. I was also able to caulk and spackle and get a primer coat on but it took me till 3 AM. Lucky for me my parents were able to have my kids over night and the next day. So the following day I had to go to work. When I got home that night I was able to work most of the night and spray two color coats and get cleaned up before I had to go to work again in the morning. Then by the time I got home she was there and teary eyed. Mission accomplished.

This is a picture frame I made for a Christmas present this year. The picture is 30" x 20" that my brother Kelly took this past summer. You can find his work at atthelens.com. I used 4 different moldings to make this frame. First I glued up all the moldings to make the frame stock. Then I mitered the pieces to the length I needed, glued and clamped them, then sanded them down smooth. Then I used the same technique as I did on the mantel below to carve the flat section on the frame. I also used the same finishing technique as the mantel below to finish this frame. I also added a 3/16" plywood back to it to give it more strength and keep it from twisting. Then I cut two sets of key hole slots in the back so it can be hung easier.

This is a mantel that I built for my in-laws basement. I built up the top for a heaver look. I used Knotty Alder because of the similar grain to cherry and the ease of use.

The carving was done with a 3/8" box core bit. I used the bit in a palm router with the base removed. This has been a popular feature for some people.

To finish this off I used a mahogany stain from Old Masters followed by a coat of sprayed lacquer. Then I wiped on a glaze coat of Sherwin Williams Vandyke brown followed by three more coats of hand rube lacquer.