Author: Gary
-
Walnut Frame step by step with photos
Wednesday morning start 9am I was asked to make 2 frames for some very respectable martial artist, I was given the certificate dimensions and the rest was left to me. Here is my design. (SketchUP for iPad) I milled this walnut a few weeks back, while in my shop in Tappahannock. Back home in my…
-
Washer Dryer Platform
My neighbor asked me to install a shelf above her washer dryer unit. I stopped by to measure noticed how low her units where, and I suggested to raise the units up and add storage below. She like the idea a lot. I headed to my big shop ran some plywood through the table saw,…
-
Modern Walnut Oak Desk
From Design to reality. The design included things in woodworking that I had never done. A breadboard top and using a pattern router bit to make identical pieces from a plywood template. I enjoyed this build immensely
-
The Octagon
Did you know? I’m a big fan of martial arts. I run Potomac Kempo Martial Arts, in Kingstowne VA. Often I’m asked to make furniture or simple items for my students or training partners. Meet Sensei Geof, a great friend, and training partner. We often say were friends just because we hit each other on…
-
Wood Chest from reclaimed lumber
Glen has this old barn up in Maryland where he has this stock pile of old lumber, its weathered and heavy. Using simple construction methods I made a wooden chest. It now lives on out front porch. Old things are better than new things, because they’ve got stories in them, Ethan.
-
Built in Cabinets
From design to finish, this was a 2 year project. I guess it’s good that this is a hobby for me and my neighbors who asked me to make these cabinets are good friends. Why did it take so long? After I got the cabinets with 4 doors installed with everything fully functional, we took…
-
Broken Bat Display Case
As you may or may “knot”know, woodworking is my hobby. My love and my actual full time job however is running a karate dojo in Kingstowne. Potomac Kempo martial arts has 5 locations (Kingstowne, Huntington, National Landing, Fairlington, and Old Town. After Renshi Cassie broke a bat with a kick, her husband asked me to…
-
Poplar Wine Rack
This build, which was for a friend and a fellow Kempo student, was the first time I made something where nothing went wrong. Typically I have a mis cut, a major chip out, a design flaw, or some other random thing that makes me go duh. Not today, I carefully planned and took my time…
-
Live Edge Waterfall Coffee Table
It was the first weekend in October, the air was crisp and I was in a good mood. I had woken up early to walk Rooster, my spunky Golden Retriever, around my in-laws property. Since this was my birthday weekend I made a decision not to work on any unfinished projects but instead, spend time…
-
Guitar Amp
Here sound quality was more important than looks, but hopefully we delivered both. My job was to make the box, then Chris – would dress it out with Tolex, grill cloth, add 2, 12 inch speakers, and all the electronics. He’ll also plug in one of his guitars, turn it on, turn it up, and…
-
Metal Bowtie in Walnut?
One evening a friend of mine and I where out eating dinner, and he mentioned wanting a coffee table made from a live edge slab, additionally he wanted colorful resin accents. Essentially, a ”river table” River tables are all the rage these days, they can be beautiful, elegant or rather tacky. For this reason some…
-
Wood slab flattening
Working with large slabs, requires a different method to get the wood flat. Typically I work with thinner wood that fits on my jointer or through my planner. Things change when it comes to live edge slabs, especially when the project calls for live edges on both sides. This slab I’m working with, while not…
-
The Hall Closet – rethought
Our upstairs hall closet, was a nightmare, the door stuck, had probably 5 to 10 coats of paint on it and once you had the door open one could only access the items that happened to be in the front section. Every few years we’d empty it out to discover riches of long forgotten junk…
-
A Magic Desk?
Hi, I’m Gary I live in Jefferson Manor with my wife Kristi. We have been “manorites” for 9 years and we love our neighborhood. The reasons are both easy and difficult to write about, and I would rather not sound cliché, so I’ll allow you to plug in all of those adjectives and positive phrases…
-
Earthy Modern Bath Vanity
Ah, the bathroom vanity. Ever stroll down the plumbing aisle of your big box hardware store then see 20 to 30 of basically the same vanities, all made from particle board? A vast majority of my latest builds have been custom bathroom furniture (sink vanity’s). The NOVA area is full of small bathrooms and everyone…
-
Dining Banquette
I got a call from Jennifer, owner of Haven Home Solutions. She had been asked by my friends Erin and Andy to give their home a new upbeat look. They needed a custom bench, to use as a dining room seating, storage, and a safety barrier over a 2 foot drop. She shared her drawing…
-
Custom Barn Wood Mantle
Erin and Andy, who are good friends of mine were looking for a new look. They were working with Jennifer of Haven Home Solutions who recommended a new mantle. Erin, reached out and I was happy to help. Now to be clear, I did not install the mantle, I left that detail to their trusted…
