upcoming project

{Update: I have finished this project, here are pictures.}

Recently my dad gave me some wood, which was actually the excess from what he had been given from someone else. When he called with the question of my desire for it, I had not idea what I would need it for, but I have learned to never pass up on freee wood. You can always use it sooner or later.

Well after just a few days I have come up with a project. There has been a computer desktop in the dining room, since before we inherited the house. Since then, the computer has left but the desk stayed—working now as a magnet for collecting stuff, or rather junk.

My wife did the hard work of cleaning out the desk, a project that has been on ‘the list’ for quite some time. So we moved the desk out to the curb, put a free sign on it, and it quickly disappeared.

My mission is to build something to replace the empty space with that is functional , but not too functional, i.e., too much table space for stuff to accumulate. The old desk was rather imposing, the replacement needs to be simple and rather minimalist.

I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted, so I got online to browse for ideas. I don’t shop for furniture—unless you count thrift stores and garage sales— so I wasn’t sure where to go. The only place that came to mind was ikea. {Don’t read that as my endorsement of them. They have some stuff that looks pretty nice, but most of their stuff is poorly constructed out of inferior materials}

With that being said…

Here are a collection of items that I liked. I think that what I end up making will try to incorporate different features of each of these. I’m no real carpenter, so it should be an interesting project.

I am a pretty elementary woodworker; I really don’t know what I’m doing. So I know I shouldn’t try to make anything too fancy. So I don’t think I’m going to mess with drawers, maybe some cubby-holes instead. I do like the big sliding doors; I think that shouldn’t be too hard, if can keep the design simple.

What is most inspiring is being able to make something which would cost so much if I was to go and buy it. I have been blessed in that I haven’t had to buy wood for a project in a long time. I love being able to re-use unwanted disgarded lumber.I just recently made some shelves, for our ever growing library, completely out of re-used items—even the screws were free.

Instead of the project costing me upwards of many hundreds of dollars, I will be able to create it for basically nothing—my time and a few extra meals (after working up a larger than normal appettite).