Wednesday, August 21, 2013

it's just nuts here ... but really, i'm not complaining

 well .. what can i say?  it's nuts here.  almost out of control ... but things are getting done.  two coffee tables left for new york city monday, and arrived yesterday.  the bookmatched cherry plank and steel table above, and the large (54 x 84) steel frame below. 
this one looks right at home




and this is a big one .. probably just under 300 pounds.  the stone (another +/- 500 pounds), will be cut and fitted in new york ...
 
specifications included :  " must support dancers" .. sounds like fun.

 it had a nice dark bronze patina and some decorative screw details in the top frame ..
 and we've got a pair of stools waiting for the final stain color approval.  they'll be upholstered by the designer's workroom in massachusetts .. tougher than they look ...
 and we're coming down the home stretch on the kitchen project.  it's starting to look like the model.  we're awaiting appliances and counter tops, which should be arriving sometime in the next few weeks.

 and there are other parts to that project too, like the +/- 8' x 8' painted vanity below.  we turned it over to the painters on site and will be reassembling it as it appears in the shop, as the counter tops and stone backsplashes arrive.

 there will be a mirror and some sconces in the big open space.  the horizontal shelf over the sink area is just for our convenience as we built it.
 and upstairs, there's a quartered oak vanity/shelf unit .. steel pipe supports on the end later.
 
 and downstairs, a barnboard vanity for the half bath.
the curved moldings in barn board are gonna be a trick  .. working on that tomorrow.


coming up, some living room shelves involving a barn beam from the renovation and a bunch of 3" thick torsion box shelves ... should be interesting.
 
 and a baby gate !! i haven't made one for about 30 years now ...
 and i never made one that wasn't a piece of painted plywood with a poster on it ... this one is gonna look official!
and will, for the time being at least, has officially moved on to full time custom banjos and stringed instrument repairs.  he's been at it for a while now, and while i miss his input and production in the shop, i'm wishing him the very best of luck following his heart.  why wait .. start now.  see where it goes. 
and sam's busy ... along with the railings he finished recently, above and below, he is coming down the home stretch on a major project at the local church downtown.  more on that later ...




jig for building the railings
 3 floors on this project ... fussy figuring ...
 


 and the metal shop doors and stairs are here, as is the slate,, below ...more progress soon.
and our friend rachel turned 70 last week.  big party last sunday.  people we haven't seen in a long time.  we made her one of our garolite and zebra wood 'life event' coasters.  kit said i should have made 'a dozen of them' .  we're gettin' up there.
all for now

4 comments:

Unknown said...

What did you do to get that great bronze finish on the steel in the coffee table?

Dorset Custom Furniture said...

we use chemicals from sur fin chemical company in los angeles .. that one's called rainbow, and you have to use it 3 or 4 times before you get the hang of it. it's one of the fussier ones we use, but it looks great when you get it right.

here's a link

http://www.surfinchemical.com/

Unknown said...

i have an old beam i would like to bring into my house and use for a project but im afraid i will bring in ants or some kind of bugs .. do u recommend any form of treatment before i bring an unknown wood into my house

cheers

Kris

Dorset Custom Furniture said...

hi kris .. hmm .. good question .. it kind of depends what part of the country you are in. up here, we don't have termites (as far as i know), though in other parts of the country, that could be a problem. if you are really concerned, maybe lay it on a big piece of plastic, spray it with some kind of bug spray and then wrap it up for a night or two .. might be best to do this outside. unwrap it and hose it down and let it dry before you take it in .. i'd observe it closely in an undisturbed spot to see if little piles of sawdust appear on or under it .. good luck .. dan