Mom's Room
Three pieces that do various things in Mom's room
Background
When I was starting out, I made a bunch of much needed custom things for various places in the house. Some were made specifically for Mom’s room, hence the title for the post. I hope that they made her stay a little more comfortable.
A Three Piece Set
The Bookcase
This bookcase is made from red oak, which basically means that it is yet another of my super-heavy, hard-to-move, pieces. Despite that, I was pretty happy with it, given it was my first shelving/bookcase project of any substance.
I was still using pocket holes at this time, nothing but pocket holes. Hey, when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything had better be a nail.
If I were doing this today, it would be very different: different joinery, different finish, different style. The thing with using pocket holes and screws is that they are great if they are totally hidden, but if you can see them, then you need to fill them, and filling them can be a pretty big chunk of work. So much so that other joinery types becomes a much better option.
The Desk
This desk was custom fit to go between the wall and the foot of the bed, which is why it’s a little skinny. I wouldn’t want to prep my taxes on this desk, but it’s perfect for setting up a notebook for Mom to play her puzzles and games.
The desk has not yet been finished, so it has that bright red oak look. I am thinking of using a natural tint on this one, maybe with just a little bit of dark thrown in. I sanded this one very smooth (600 grit I think), so if I do espresso or something of that level of black, it is going to look like a piano.
The Box
This little keepsake box almost never came into being. I was making a new jig for doing box joints. In testing the new jig, I had a bunch of red oak scraps lying around so I started using those to test cut on the jig and test fit the results.
Things were going pretty well, so I said to myself, “Hey self, do you really need to throw these scraps out? They look good and the joinery is actually working well.” And my self answered, “Great idea self, let’s do that!”
Materials
- Red Oak from Robert Bury
- General Finishes black stain and polyurethane
- Kreg pocket screws for most of the joinery