Monday, February 24, 2014

Distressed Beachy Combo!


Scored this little beat up gem off of CL. It looks good from afar, but trust me, 
she showed her age up close. 
I decided on a very shabby, anthro style. 

Here's what I did:


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BLUE TURQUOISE AQUA TEAL

 
Theres been a lot of blue going around this house lately.
 
Georges beach collection candles
I know it has to do with the season and the warm weather but it also has to do with
something I got recently. Annie Sloans New Book "Color Recipes for painted furniture".
The night I got it I sat in bed reading the new book as George fell off to sleep,
snoring before I got finished the introduction. I am not a good reader before bed,
but I did managed to get 30 minutes in before falling into dream land.
Only an hour later I woke up again to realize I had been dreaming
about painting all sorts of things in all sorts of colors, especially blue.
There was something about the book that got my mind working on a different level.
So let me suggest if you are looking for a kick in the rear, and jolt of ideas, or simply
want to see Annies farmhouse in northern France pick up the book.
 
my second hand rocking horse with a new color
 
 
 

I recently finished this 1920s antique dresser in colors inspired by our spring bedding.
 

 Remember inspiration comes from unexpected places, sites, and sounds.
 



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Sunday, February 23, 2014

My French Cleat System

Check out my french cleat system in my woodworking shop. Its a fabulous way to hang things on the wall and the storage options for a small or large shop are endless with this system, use your imagination! Thanks for watching, click on the"Videos" link on the left side of the page for more!
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Becoming a Personal Trainer

I am a bit of a health nut, I like reading about nutrition and exercise and I think I know a good bit more than the average man about fitness. Whenever my friends and family bring up exercising or loosing weight, I always end up explaining my understanding of it all. Whether I am right or a little bit wrong, I enjoy talking about the subect. I also love to work out and stay in shape, looking good is just a perk.

I went to college to major in business and I lost the my motivation so I dropped out and began doing odds and ends. I think all the tme what I want to do with my life, as a career. People ask me if I plan on going back to college and I always so probably not unless I can study something I am interested in. Fitness and exercise is something I am interested in and a subject that I would enjoy studying. I actually study it often on my own accord, reading books and reading on the internet about fitness and nutrition.

The other day I was talking with my mother and she was asking me to help her get on a diet and exercise program (she asks often but never goes through with it). Somehow she or my sister said something like "Why dont you be a personal trainer for a living?" My mind lit up! So then I explained how I have talked about doing that if I ever did go back to college and my mother thought it was a good idea.

So now I am looking into getting a personal trainer certification and going back to college and studying Exercise Science. If I do go through with it, I believe it would be something I would enjoy doing. Besides, if I didnt enjoy it, it wouldnt be hard to get out of it and into something else if a better opportunity came along.
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Lucilles BBQ has my stuff!!!

A few weeks ago I got a call from a woman who wanted to take a look at my "stuff"!
She had seen my blue buffet (below) on Craigslist and wondered if I had similar items. 
After inquiring why she wanted so many items, she advised me that she was decorating 
a restaurant.  Which one? Well, it would seem that Lucilles BBQ is opening up a new
one in Las Vegas, inside the Red Rock Casino!!!! There just happens to be one 5 miles from 
my house, so I know my things are going to a great place with very good food!!
Since their theme is "Old Time Southern, many of my items fit right in!
She very much liked my work and went on a purchasing spree!! 

          She liked my blue buffet and my red milk paint dresser, that I have not been able to sell                                         for over a year!!

I picked up a few other things on CL, sent her a pic, and she liked those as well. 

This tiger oak buffet got the ok.....no painting tho...which was good because this baby is in
beautiful condition.  100 yrs old and somebody took care of this! All I did was strip the top,
match the color and re-polied!!
just a tad dusty! 

My next buffet was in horrible shape. Can you say, "100 years of grease and grime???"
                            Now it came with a black marble top and a mirror......see below......However,
my customer didnt want either top. And where she was going to place it in the restaurant, would require it being painted purple!! Hooray! Ive never gotten to paint anything purple! I love it.

 I made up my own chalk paint with 3 different shades of the most gorgeous shades of purple by Behr. "Mozart" was the name of one of them and the one I used on the outside.
I love this color. I wish I could paint something in my house this color. Such a happy shade!!
   I painted over the hardware, lightly sanded and then used some gold rub nbuff to highlight.
 Lightly sanded and buffed with a natural wax from "Briwax". 
The customer said she found a different top. I thought a piece of carrara marble would be fab! 

The customer brought over a buffet that she had found. She said that this was going in the window and that the back would be visible. Would I be able to paint it and add a stencil??? 
Sure I would!!
 Forgive the blotchiness. Its the lighting. I used a satin paint. I even sanded and put a coat over the top.

So if you happen on into Lucilles in Vegas and see my stuff, you can say to yourself,,,
 "I know who did that!!!!"


Linking up at my fave parties!! :


Kammys Korner - Trash to Treasure Tuesdays
Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party
The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday
Miss Mustardseed - Furniture Feature Friday
Redoux - Friday Link Up Party
Homespun Happenings - Rustic Restorations Weekend
Funky Junk Interiors - Saturday Night Special
1929 Charmer - Sundays Best Party
Knick of Time Interiors - Knick of Time Tuesday
Elizabeth and Co., My uncommon Slice of Suburbia,
Savvy Southern Style. Weds, Beyond the Picket Fence, PJH Designs
From my Front Porch to Yours,  The 36th Avenue,
Between Naps on the Porch
                                                   The Dedicated House,-Mon
                                         Redoux

You might also like:

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Saturday, February 22, 2014

Wood Working Plans The Basic Tools Needed For Wood Working Projects

Before you start a wood working project, apart from your wood working plans you need a basic tool set to get you started. Wood working as a hobby is something you can enjoy starting with something fairly basic such as a simple coffee table and then progressing over time as you develop your skills to more complex projects. Wood working plans can range from simple to complex most of which can be built with a basic set of hand tools as long as you have somewhere to work, a bench to work on or even just a couple of saw horses.

You can build your tool set over time but to start with the minimum you will need will include saws, chisels, a mallet, hammer, various screwdrivers, a drill, drill bits, a good measuring tape, rulers, carpenters square, various clamps, pencils, a good hand plane, selection of sandpaper and a good wood glue. There is a wide variety of tools that you can use but you certainly dont need all of them to begin with.

So lets talk a little about saws - what type of saw do you need?

When it comes to saws, keep it simple, there are so many different types of saw but a general-purpose handsaw and a good tenon saw in most cases will be enough to get you going. An electric circular saw is handy for many projects and come in a variety of diameters, in corded and cordless versions. The thicker the wood you have to cut, the bigger the diameter saw you need and of course, the weight of the saw increases with the diameter making them more difficult to handle. 7 1/4 inch diameter is a common size for a corded circular saw. Most are adjustable for depth of cut; some also allow an angled cut.

There are also many different blades that can be fitted to circular saws, dependent on the material you are cutting and how fine you need the cut. Circular saws in particular can be extremely dangerous and are the cause of many accidents so if you are contemplating using one Id recommend you get one with a built in clutch so that if the blade jams the clutch stops the saw throwing itself out of the work piece. And NEVER EVER use one if the blade guard isnt working properly.

Electric jigsaws are another common accessory for your tool kit, jigsaws also have a range of blades for different purposes. If you are planning on using electric tools especially saws then you need to have appropriate safety gear such as ear mufflers and safety glasses or goggles to protect your ears and eyes. Safety is paramount when using wood working tools as the majority of the tools you will use have a cutting purpose and unfortunately, accidents do happen. If you are using power tools make sure you are plugged into a socket with earth leakage protection. Power saws have sliced through many cables.

Most important, make sure you have a good first aid kit in your work area, better to be safe than sorry. If youre a beginner you are better off buying your wood working plans as the designs will already be proven and will give you a much higher chance of a good result. As you develop your skills you can either draw your own wood working plans or modify others to suit your project. Keep your wood working tools clean and sharp.
Read Also My Sheds Plans
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Priscillas Bowl Hollowing out the bowl

Hi Everyone,

Well the temperature is rising and the snow is melting fast and so this is a good day to go out and work on the bowl some more. Heres todays photos:

I began hollowing out the bowl yesterday and I probably cut away about half the inside of the blank. My goal today was to finish hollowing it out and hollowing a bowl presents a number of challenges.  People place things inside of bowls so the volume of the bowl is one concern. Another is the thickness of the walls and the bottom-you want to wind up with a sturdy bowl that wont break if its dropped but doesnt look clunky. And the inside needs to approximately match the outside in terms of the shapes matching up.

Here is the first photo. Ive deepened the floor of the bowl and Ive begun creating the sides of the bowl. Note the position of the tool rest-it needs to sit inside of the bowl and as close to the surface as possible. This allows me to get the tip of the turning chisel into the wood without causing a lot of vibration in the tool:


 Here is the bowl several minutes later. Its deeper and the sides are beginning to shape up. Note the raised section in the center. I like to leave cutting the center until well into the turning. It gives me a visual cue as to how much wood Ive removed without having to stop and measure the depth:


One of the problems that turners encounter when making a bowl is vibration, particularly at the rim. This can lead to the tip of the chisel skipping across the surface of the wood as it spins. I like to keep the sides and bottom a uniform thickness as I turn. That really helps to counter that.

Here is a photo of the rim. I want to have the rim and the width of the ribbon match up. I think this will look good and Im just about there in the photograph:


At this point I put the camera down and finished hollowing the bowl out. Another concern, and this happens with every project, is to know when its time to stop cutting something. Dont cut enough and you wind up with essentially an unfinished bowl. Cut too much and risk cutting through the bottom or ruining the design. How thin to make  the walls and how thick to leave the bottom are also questions to be answered.

I elected to leave the walls about 1/2" thick and the bottom about 1" thick. This last measurement includes the foot of the bowl. I think these are good measurements to stop with and I dont mine leaving this bowl, or any bowl for that matter, a little bottom heavy. It keeps the bowl from easily tipping over.

Here are the last two photos for this session:




The bowl at this points seems a little heavy to me so Im going to stop and sleep on it and return to the bowl tomorrow.

See you Thursday,

VW
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Friday, February 21, 2014

Wood Turned Goblets PDF Plans 8x10x12x14x16x18x20x22x24 DIY Building Shed Blueprints

wood turned goblets Get Access To 12,000 Shed Plans in Size 16x16,12x20,12x16,12x12,12x10,12x10,12x8,10x20,10x16,10x14,10x12,10x10,8x16,8x10,8x12,8x8,8x6,6x8,4x8 Shed plans Easy To Follow Instructions.


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Build My Own Shed

There’s a certain amount of pleasure in building something yourself. Whether youre thinking I’m going to build my own birdhouse or build my own shed, it’s the knowing you can do it yourself that counts the most.

There’s a few things Ive learned the hard way when I first started building that I’d like to share with you so you won’t have to go through the frustration and headaches that I did.

1.    I know you’ve probably heard this a thousand times but it is a very common mistake. Measure twice and cut once. I’ve made this mistake building my own shed years ago. You can’t add back to a board if you cut it too short.You have the measurement in your head and then you lay out and cut only to find you’re an inch too short. Here’s something I do that helps me not to do this; I write it down and take it to the piece I’m going to cut. If someone is calling it out to me I’ll write it on the board.

2.    Make sure you stay square and level. If you start out of square and level it will only get worse as you go along. Whether it’s the floor or a wall, make sure you keep your work square and level.

These are only a couple of things I wanted to bring to your attention. If you just remember these couple of tips then you will eliminate the problems that they would cause you. To build your own shed there are a lot of different things you will need to do such as decide the size of the shed, make a material list, figure out what pitch the roof will need to be and what spacing to set your lumber on. If you would like to check out a product that has a number of different shed plans to choose from along with step by step instructions then see my previous post Woodworking Blueprints
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Wood Working WoodWorking Plans Make Projects Fun and Easy

Wood Working: WoodWorking Plans Make Projects Fun and Easy: "Woodworking plans are awesome. Regardless of your experience level, they save you money, time and frustration. Have you ever tried to do a ..."
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Thursday, February 20, 2014

Sven Garden Design

Fiji Garden Outdoor Furniture by Sven Dogs for Villa Tectona
Designer Sven Dogs created a
Fiji Garden Outdoor Furniture by Sven Dogs for Villa Tectona
sven wombwell (svenwombwell) on Twitter
Garden designer,
sven wombwell (svenwombwell) on Twitter
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Ship Building Viking ships

Hi Everyone,
Ive been researching craft traditions in other countries and one of the oldest traditions is of course ship building. There have been ships as long as there have been people and one of the best know traditions are the ships that the Vikings built.
These look like shallow draft vessels, made by hand and in these vessels they sailed all over Europe and even across the northern Atlantic Ocean.
There is a replica being built in Norway and there is a YouTube video that discusses this construction and the historical element behind it.
Go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/robinturns#p/a/f/0/tnRXdmqZWqw. The craftsmanship in these old vessels is absolutely amazing.

And for those of you who have a bent for the unusual and the historical--Ill be talking about coracles soon!

Best,
Vickie
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Gifts


Good Morning Everyone,


Id like to share a poem with you: 

Wild Geese
By Mary Oliver 



You do not have to be good. 

You do not have to walk on your knees 
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body 
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. 
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain 
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees, 
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, 
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, 

the world offers itself to your imagination, 
calls to you like the wild geese, 
harsh and exciting--
over and over announcing your place 
in the family of things.

Ive been asked to share my thoughts about my wood shop with others and here is what I think:

For me, my shop is a special, sacred place. Yes its almost always a big mess with wood shavings and tools scattered across my workbench but when I walk in, all the cares in the world suddenly take a back seat. I have found that creativity and imagination are the greatest of gifts.

Working in my shop often puts me in a meditative state-as I work the wood I get to experience it in it’s fullness. I see the amazing grain patterns and beautiful colors, and I smell the wonderful scents that each kind of wood has. I can stop and listen to birds calling one another and hear the movement of air across the landscape.  I contemplate about the amazing diversity of our world, both natural and manmade and I wonder if wood turners in the past wondered about all this. I bet they did.

August 31 was the 6th anniversary of mine being laid off and since this coincides with Labor Day here in the US, it’s always an unpleasant time. For better or worse, we are defined by the labor we perform.  It acts like a script that tells a person where and what their place in the world is and it directs a person’s generative spirit. When that script is suddenly gone, the experience can be bewildering and it’s very easy to loose yourself.

This year, however, was different. I’ve come to understand that gifts are something inherent in people and they cannot be taken away. They are here to help us to navigate the world. And yes, they are the gift of a gracious God who knows we will need them for the journey.

Creativity and imagination are gifts have helped me find my place in the world again and I’ll never loose those gifts no matter what happens in life.
 
VW

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Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Furniture Making Kits Woodworking Plans

Furniture Making Kits

Woodworking Plans

Do-it-Yourself Patterns and Crafts, Woodworking kits, Furniture Plans Plus Much, Much More. Will Show You How to Make 16,000 Different Woodworking Plans. Use The Plans For Fun, Functionality or Profit!

Furniture Making Kits. Wood is a single of the most gorgeous, durable and versatile materials that you can work with while on a do it your self project. The beauty of a cabinet door that is finished in wood can not be matched by any other material whether all-natural or man created. As with any project, you would require a detailed set of plans while you function with wood and wood primarily based components. This is why it is advisable that you use a detailed set of woodworking plans when you program to extensively use wood based components to total the project that you have embarked on.

Now let us examine why woodworking plans are vital in any wood based do it oneself project. To commence with, these plans aid you do away with waste. If you commence a woodworking project devoid of a firm plan, the probabilities are that you would finish up utilizing additional wood that you originally intended to. Most of the wood based projects would demand substantial assemblies and sub assemblies.

When you commence your project, you would be ideally working with individual members of wood and finishing them individually prior to assembling them. If you do not have the appropriate woodwork plans, you could finish up with mismatching wood members at the time of assembly. This could lead to costly price and time overruns in the project. All these challenges can be avoided by utilizing a properly laid out set of wood plans.

The other benefit that you could have if you use woodworking plans are that you would be ready with all the tools and implements that you would demand for finishing the wood primarily based project. Normally we obtain that we do not have access to a specific tool in the middle of a woodworking project. This situation could lead to a loss of time and often you may even have to abandon the project in case a unique tool is not out there. All these troubles can be avoided if you have a detailed program at the onset. Furniture Making Kits




Furniture Making Kits Details

Consistent Advertising - The romance of woodworking will have to have to be balanced with the consistent marketing and advertising and marketing essential to retain the operate coming in. In time, phrase of mouth brings in a lot of operate if you develop a great recognition. Till ultimately then, you will will need to get the phrase out routinely. Just after the work arrives in you have to have fantastic manufacturing systems so you can complete the tasks promptly and continue to maintain the money flowing. If jobs take into consideration also extremely long and the dollars movement stops, it can turn into tricky to shell out the expenses. Speaking of dollars flow, you need to construct and adhere to common assortment approaches. This is 1 region where by quite a few woodworkers fail. The payment for the carry out will need to have to be as important as the perform by itself. If you are lax in accumulating, you will run into prospects who fall quick to shell out you and this will result in seriously serious earnings movement challenges.

The Modest business enterprise - Even having said that you like woodworking, you will need to have to do the dwelling company if you are to make a dwelling at it. Very good benefits normally calls for an in-depth facts of both woodworking and enterprise management. If you never have every, I recommend you hesitate to leap in until you have honed your enterprise skills.

Looking back once more I recognize that my lack of understanding in the course of my startup quite a couple of decades back could have been offset with some frequent information and a further particular person to advise me.Sadly I had to study most elements by trial and error.

Just about each and every and each and every and every single week, I take the time to go through the comments that my viewers make about my woodworking site. 1st of all I want to them for taking the time to comment, I absolutely value all of the comments and guidelines. This earlier week there was a comment from a gentleman, who expressed a have to have to get into woodworking. As a man who is passionate about woodworking, I want to welcome him to the fold. And I want to supply you him all of the suggestions and encouragement probable in his endeavors.Furniture Making Kits


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Tag : How To Fix Furniture Making Kits, How To Get Rid Off Furniture Making Kits, Bargain Furniture Making Kits, How To I Get Furniture Making Kits, Who Sells Furniture Making Kits.

Furniture Making Kits Reviewed by Lee Dailey on Rating: 5
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Garden Ideas Around Trees


Gardening and Gardens: Garden Tour: House #3 Bayville
I loved the beds around the
Gardening and Gardens: Garden Tour: House #3 Bayville
GALLERY: Gardening Solutions and tips, Garden ideas, Growing tips
is to plant around trees.
GALLERY: Gardening Solutions and tips, Garden ideas, Growing tips
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Tips for Do It Yourself Landscaping

If you are planning to improve your lawn or garden by landscaping it, you can alchoices do so. And you need not hire a professional landscaper just to realize your dream of having a beautiful landscaped garden. You can do it all by yourself. All you need are some basic knowledge about landscaping, the right tools and equipment and of course patience and some hard works.

But, how do you really make your garden look like it was landscaped by a pro? Well, there are some basic things that you have to know before actually starting to do the landscaping. Here are some tips to remember for your do it yourself landscaping;

• Ask yourself why you really want to have a landscaped garden. This choice, you will have a real purpose while doing the works; hence, you can focus on accomplishing your goals.

• Define the real purpose of your landscaped garden when it’s done. How many persons in your household will love it or benefit from it.

• Decide whether your landscaped garden should be used only by your family or will some party be hosted here.

Out of this information, you can now go about deciding which landscape design you will adapt for your garden. Details such as the kinds of plants to be used, paving, lights and layout can now be conceived. After that, you can plan for your budget.

Choose a Theme for Your Garden

It is important to plan for the theme of your landscaped garden. With a theme included in your landscaping plan, you don’t have to buy excessive tools and supplies because you already have an idea on what you will need and how many you need. You may want to have a formal garden, a gothic one, garden with herbs or with trees and shrubs.

If you’re not sure about themes for landscaped garden, you can alchoices get a landscaping book or magazine that you can consult. Better yet, the internet is where you can look up for different themes that you can use for your gardens.

Taking Care of Your Landscaped Garden

Now that you’re done with your do it yourself landscaping activities, it’s time to take some rest. But, never ever forget to take care of your garden. Give your landscaped garden all the care and the things that they need in order to thrive and grow beautifully.

Be sure to water your plants the proper choice; water with the right amount of water depending on the need of each plants. If you want your landscaped garden to last for years, alchoices remember to visit and care for them regularly.

Do It Yourself Landscaping Online

You may be a newbie when it comes to landscaping and don’t have any idea how you will start doing the project on your own. But you know what; you can alchoices use the Internet to your advantage when looking for information regarding landscaping. There are lots of websites and blogs online where you can find different information, tips and guides on how you can make a successful do it yourself landscaping.

Need to know which landscaping tools or equipments are right for your do it yourself landscaping? Search the internet for landscaping forums and communities where you can ask for help from your fellow members regarding any landscaping needs that you have.
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Tuesday, February 18, 2014

How To Build A Deck 5 Considerations For Building A Wood Deck

How to build a deck? Building a wood deck correctly can create the perfect transition between your home and your backyard. How to build a deck planning and construction should result in a wonderful place to go to relax and unwind after a hectic day. Whether you are going to have your deck built by a professional or do it yourself, building a deck correctly requires proper planning and design.

Here are five basic considerations for building a wooden deck:

1. Choose Your Deck Type - there are several types of decks you can have for your home. An outdoor patio deck can be attached to your home. A convenient location for your outdoor patio deck could be attached to the family room or kitchen.

How to build a deck that is a destination deck? A destination deck would be typically be located in a special place with a view and would not connected to your home. You might have a winding path that would lead to the destination deck. How to build a deck that is a connector deck? A connector deck is several smaller decks of any shape or size connected to each other with pathways.

2. Consider Your Deck Activities - when building a wood deck, will your deck be a place to grill and barbecue? Are you going to have parties and entertain family and friends? Is your deck going to be a quiet place for lounging reading or enjoying your favorite beverage? Will you have a luxurious hot tub on your deck? To increase privacy, will you have landscaping, plants or trees around your deck? Take some time and think through how to build a deck that will perform the way you want. Go online and buy a good book on planning and building a wood deck.

3. Decide Your Deck Size - if your house and backyard is smaller and you wont entertain large groups, you likely dont need a large deck. Too large a deck can actually make the house appear smaller. Keep it simple, but add an angle or two to the deck design if you want. When building a wood deck, you can divide the deck into two areas - one area for lounging and sunning and another section for cooking and dining.

4. What Deck Materials Will You Use - if you will be building a wooden deck, there are several structural parts. Your deck may need concrete footings that extend below the frostline if youll have freezing winters. If your deck will be on sandy soil, you may need to build larger footings that will support the deck posts or beams.

The posts can be 4"x4" lumber which is generally strong enough to support the deck. If your deck is above ground, you may be required to use 6"x6" structural posts. The deck beams will rest horizontally on the posts and will support the deck joists. Deck joists will be spaced horizontally every 12", 16" or 24" and will support the decking boards. The decking boards are the floor of your deck that span from joist to joist.

5. Design and Build It Yourself or Hire a Professional - unless you live in a very rural area, there will probably be building code requirements, permits and inspections needed when building a wooden deck project. Contact your local building official to see what is required in your area. One major advantage to having qualified professionals help is that they understand the legal side of how to build a deck and can help ensure building code requirements are met.

One of the best ways to understand how to build a deck is to view wood deck plans that have been built many times. Seeing attractive deck plans can give you deck building ideas that will simplify your planning and design.
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The Adventure of Design

If you write novels, like my cousin Mark does, then your trade craft is in words, but words are not enough to carry through a great story. Your medium is words, and ink, and paper, but your skill comes in story and plot.  The process is simple to explain. You have an idea for a story so you write it down. Then you rewrite it, and then you rewrite it some more, then you rewrite it again, and then, after all that, you probably need to rewrite it some more.

It can be an exacting process, trying to craft and re-craft your work into the best form possible, perfecting your plot, theme, dialogue, and words.

I see correlation to this process in woodworking, specifically when it comes to the all powerful step in the process, good design. In the end it doesnt matter how well you can cut a dovetail or how smooth you can plane a board. If your design is faulty, it can look like a second grade shop class gone wrong. (hopefully minus the glue-eating)

A "car" my youngest glued together from shop scraps.
The problem with design is that it can be a very personal thing. There are some constants when it comes to relating furniture to the human body and its mechanics, but the softer decisions fall more in the mixed up arena of fashion, personal taste, and a hundred other influences. All these factors may just make designing a piece on of the most daunting processes in woodworking.

The other side of the coin is fretting and worrying about your design to such detail that you end up making a meal out of a snack. You can become paralyzed and bound up in the details. inflexible and unable to move forward on to the actual piece. Frustrated when the entropy sneaks into the build process and requires a change of plans, an "off the cuff" change to the design. Starting to cut to build a piece can be an intimidating thing, Youve put work into planing, put money and time into selecting the right stock, and now if you prove to be fallible, you can reduce that stock to nothing but sawdust and firewood.


 I understand why a lot of people like to work from published plans, it helps relieve the fears that can come in the midst of toiling away at your own design. I like to work from published plans at times myself, but mostly in just a few circumstances. One is building a reproduction of a piece. In those instances you want to get it right and getting that information from someone who had the opportunity to measure and inspect the piece is a great way to go if you cant do it yourself.

The other reason I like to use someones published plans is because that artisan is someone I want to learn directly from. Working from someone elses plans is almost like getting a glimpse inside their heads. My wife bakes cookies as her stress relief, as a result she collects recipes and cookbooks by the armload. She has said that she can tell a lot about the cook by reading the recipe. The way they order the ingredients and the details to the directions tell her about that person as a cook. I will choose to build a project from a woodworkers plans so I can gather some similar insight, and often that teaches me more in-depth lessons than the proper dimensions of a chest of drawers.

Most of the time a piece starts as a rough idea in my head. a problem to solve, something Ive admired and wanted to build for a while, or a request from a rare commission. From there I move onto my sketch book. I have a small, 6"x9" bound sketchbook that follows me around almost everywhere. I have a fine arts background so I express myself best visually, using my hands. Even in other parts of my life, if Im trying to explain a process I end up sketching something.


In those first sketches Im not worried about perfect proportions or sizing. I want to get the big ideas down. From there I work my way back into the details, but the sketchbook is always in the rough. Ill write down measurements but they are guesstimates. I may also work out some joinery and details and plan some of the order of the build. Basically at this point I am doing a combination of mind dumping and free writing. I work fast and try and get the ideas out on the paper as they come to mind and as I think of variations.

Often I fill somewhere between 3 and 5 pages like this. Then I work back over the sketches and write additional notes, make changes in the sketches and try and envision the piece as a whole. I know just enough about sacred geometry to be dangerous and Ill play with Pythagorean theorem and golden ratios, but never as a hard and fast rule, only as a way to help fill the holes Ive left behind in the fury of the sketch.

Then Im ready for the next step, I dig out the graph paper and try to get dimensions and details nailed down tight. Here I will really focus on the measurements and the joinery details. I try to end up with a finished piece on the page.


The trick to my somewhat organic design process is that sometimes unexpected surprises happen and things take off in unprepared for directions. I have been working a lot on designing some pieces lately and something Ive wanted to build for a long time is a spice chest. A small cupboard containing an apothecary of small drawers behind a showpiece door, traditionally its an 18th century style piece.

I did quite a bit of research, both in books and magazines I own and using the net to find other examples. But I struggled with the door design. I asked my wife for some ideas, (she has a similar fine arts background) and she suggested trying to break up the door like a triptych. I liked the solution and played with size and shapes until I came up with this design.


The problem was that I liked this door a lot, but it was definitely not 18th century, it was very much Arts & Crafts style. I began to change game plan, to look at my other elements to see if they fit in with the the aesthetic the door design brought to the party. I decided the basics of the chest were safe, mouldings would have to be fit to the style, but the most difficult part was getting the feet of the case right.


You can see I played with idea after idea, some good, some crap. I tried not to judge them as I was working through them. Just put them down on paper and come back to decide later.

In the end Im not sure if a Arts & Crafts Spice Chest is an idea that would appeal to anyone beyond me, but it is a fun exploration into the form of the chest and into the aesthetics inherent in  A&C pieces, and thats really where Im at in my learning process. Exploration.

I did get held up a little on moving forward with the build of this specific piece. One of my mothers co-workers has recently been diagnosed with a aggressive brain cancer and I wanted to build something to donate to the silent auction. Inspiration struck while I was paging through the woodworking books at my public library. I was looking at a copy of "The Essential Pine Book" (by John McGuane and Megan Fitzpatrick). Inside was a neat little desktop organizer with a couple of drawers. I decided to use it as a jumping off point for designing a similar piece in pine and cherry and donating it. After playing with the measurements, heres the scaled drawings I decided on.

The fundraiser is in February so Ill have to build the desktop organizer before the spice chest, but Im OK with that.



Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to you and yours.
Ratione et Passionis
Oldwolf
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