A Promise Is a Promise: Where's My Update?!

Top two reasons it has taken so long to deliver: a yard sale and a stolen bike. But I don't want to talk about that.

So there it is, the corner bookshelf, nestled in the chaos of Hip thrift. I do believe it will be more comfortable once it has been claimed by a new owner. Keep in mind, it won't look like this anywhere else; the concept is a blank slate.

The open design makes it ideal for the creative display of toys, books, objects and art.

Meanwhile, I have been doing a bit of painting.

Dry brushwork on the side of a bookcase.

Here are new chairs to go with the tree table. Three are pictured from the set of four.

On a warm March morning, I went to a secret location with the artist Penish Wrinkle and we snagged some wonderful graffitied* tool cabinet doors.

*Graffitied is not a word yet! But I believe that one day it will be.

This is the backside of the door, which is being repurposed as the backing for a crooked, wobbly bookcase that I picked up at an estate sale.

And now it is solid as a rock and no longer crooked. I wire brushed the loose paint and heavily glazed the entire door, front and back, so it is a safe piece despite its delinquent origins.


The bookcase for vinyl sold yesterday and two different parties are now very interested in the tree table. It feels great to be productive! Thanks to everyone for your support.
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Corner Bookcase is here

After using the six odd boards from the reclaimed futon frame for my personal experiment, it's time to move on to the production piece.

Each of the twelve remaining boards measures 51-3/8 x 2-1/2 x 3/4 (inches).

Two similar panels are constructed as above, and interlocked below.

The back half of each shelf is then attached.

This detail shows how the two pieces of the frame interlock.

The connection is made with dowels so that the case can be split apart and transported.

If you give the objects enough space, as above, there will also be room to hang small art pieces within and around the two frames. I will move the Corner Bookcase into Hip Thrift tomorrow, so look for the update.

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A Very Lightweight Bookcase: Rough Design

Against the near wall in my workshop are 18 boards reclaimed years ago in Brooklyn from a broken futon frame. It sure did take a long time for this bastard wood to tell me what it wanted to be: a complete departure from my previous pair of bookcases.

Using only the four short and two long boards, I set myself to the task of making an experimental bookcase for my own use.

This model is low and long and close to the ground, well suited to my "Spartan living style" (as described by motorcycle fabricator Norm Plombe).

The shelves are rather narrow and bouncy, and the bottom "shelf" is the floor itself. These factors make the prototype unsuitable for mainstream consumption, but perfect for my meager needs and open spaces.

Using the remaining twelve regular boards, the upcoming shelf will more than double the weight of my experiment. It will also measure twice as tall and nearly twice as long, gaining stability by wrapping completely around the corner. After framing it I will decide on the use of backing, which would bring another material element into play. I hope instead that my design can allow the bookcase to fit snugly against the wall.

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Prototype Revealed: Tiny Legs for Tiny Legs

My daughter has been asking for a step stool to reach the sink, and now I have finally gotten to it!

Here are five members from my old pile of 2x4 cutoffs, arranged as three legs attached to two planks.

The feet are attached with deep-sunk wood screws.

The pre-drilled holes on each side are given a healthy bubble of wood glue and six dowels are inserted 3" deep into one plank.

With a hammer, the two sides are tapped gently together. If much force needs to be applied, it is best to use another block of wood as a beater to avoid marring the edges of the finished piece.

In a few hours the two sides of the doweled step stool will be firmly fixed in place.

Full curing time depends on the wood glue used, but usually takes 24 - 48 hours. I like the results: a simple sturdy child's step stool or comfy adult bench. If I can work out some of the kinks, a prettified version should be on sale soon -you know where - Hip Thrift.


And in completely unrelated news, this mess blessed me in front of my house in the morning . . .

What madness can I contrive from a broken exercise bike? The future remains unknown, though I certainly had a good time disassembling it!

FOUND: Tiny Legs!

You may remember my little floor table assembled from uncut upcycled deck board cutoffs.

 At the end of that post, I vowed to be vigilant in search of tiny  legs to make the table more ergonomic and functional. And vigilant I was.

As evidenced above, I found suitable material quite awhile back. It was the last haul in the old reliable Ford Ranger. These cutoffs were left over from making massive stakes and braces from lineal 2x4s.

I have finally gotten around to Project Tiny Legs, by the simple virtue of procrastination: I was able to put off another project by completing this one! I firmly hold that both designing and making are visual processes, so I always organize available materials visually before selection and layout.

Even for something as simple as attaching three legs, this exercise ensures that I think everything through before I start screwing it all . . . together . . .

With the legs attached, I turn my attention to the final detail: feet. The idea behind a three point base is to avoid rocking, regardless of the levelness of the floor. This is best achieved if the feet can end in a ball joint, allowing 3D rotation, or a single* point. (*theoretically)

 Opting for the simpler solution, I used an electric sheet sander to shape the feet. A sanding block or sandpaper would have worked just as well, only taking longer. This could also be done with a chisel, band saw, or jig saw. The curved facet is as close to a single point as it needs to be, ensuring that each leg lands on a relatively small surface area. Since a tangent is preferable to a sharp point, wooden spheres make excellent feet for furniture.

The table takes wing!

Now that I have finished a prototype, I'm itching to make a more refined variation . . .

Back to Familiar Territory

Well a week on St. Thomas was just what the doctor ordered - thanks Mom!  We had some epic long-snorkels and adventures every day on land as well.  If there is enough interest I could post a detailed log of our days and hopefully get the pictures uploaded from Mom's camera . . .

Great New Development: I have linked up with Amy of Hip Thrift in West Asheville to create reclaimed furniture on sale for consignment!  My first piece, a simple bookshelf, is on the floor now.  If it doesn't sell soon, Amy will apply her trademark painting flair.  More furniture is on the way . . .

Amy and I went down by the river to collect discarded wood. We had to pass up plenty of boards that were just too old to use.  By far the biggest catch was a ravaged fence that clearly was not getting back up before becoming music for earthworms.  It's perfect as a backing material, which stabilizes shelving and keeps things from falling down between a bookshelf and the wall.

I found this old shelf stock in the basement. I never asked from whence it came but I suspect it was installed somewhere in the shop before Amy launched her amazing Hip Thrift.  Odd detail: 1-1/2" x 1/4" flats nailed as nosing on 1x12 dimensional lumber.  I decided to flip that nosing onto the back of each shelf.

Now this is where it's at!  A 6-1/2 foot tall bi-fold closet door with slats will be used as stiles to support the shelves.  First I stripped all of the hardware, saving it for future projects of course.

I cut down the shelves to a uniform length, 30".

Out of the thick bottom rails of the closet doors I used a jigsaw to create legs.

(The fencing required no cuts, always a good feeling)

The final piece measures approximately 32"w x 79"h x 12"d.

Come to Hip Thrift to check out more by me and some very talented local artists and artisans.

201 Haywood Rd

Asheville, NC 28806

828.423.0853

(see more simple handmade wood projects here)