Ned D’Agostino asked:


Woodcraft or carpentry is a pastime for some, a passion for some. If you’re bitten by the woodcraft bug, then let’s say that you can prepare some of the most amazingly beautiful items of furniture out of wood. The real beauty is in your artistic creativity. Wood cabinets are a very popular project among woodcrafters for this very reason. Building a wood cabinet gives you ample opportunity to showcase your talent in every way.

Building a wood cabinet is your way of telling people that you have arrived as a woodcrafter. This is not a stool or a table. It is much more than a desk, even. It is the single largest item of household furniture. A wood cabinet is not just popular with the woodcrafter; everybody loves the look and ‘feel’ of a wood cabinet! Maybe it reminds them of a cabinet from their childhood. For some it speaks of culture and cultural values. Wood is the sign of durability unlike plywood. Wood is the sign of nature unlike plastic and steel. Whatever be the reason, wood cabinets are never ever going out of vogue! And as long as there are woodcrafters, there’s going to be wood cabinets. The wood for these cabinets can range from pine and cherry to birch and willow.

Wood is a natural choice for making a cabinet. It is durable unlike plywood which starts disintegrating after a few years. Wood just goes on and on. If you want to make a cabinet as a sign of artistic ability then you won’t want your work of labor and love to fall apart after just a few years. That’s why it’s got to be wood! More, you can do so much with natural wood that you cannot do with plywood or pressboard. You can carve wood and flute it and engrave it, but you can’t do any of those things with plywood!

Making a wood cabinet may appear daunting at first but it is not so. That’s not to say that it is a trivial project, not at all. The important thing is to get your ideas down on paper. Document every detail of the project. Organize yourself and your work. If you do that you will surely succeed. This primary documentation of your plan, your intention is called a blue-print - a project map so to speak.

Once the plan is filed, you must decide on the finish. What finish will you use? That is simple enough. The cabinet should match the other articles of furniture in the room. So if they’re all light colored, that’s the finish for your cabinet. And if they’re all dark colored then that’s what your cabinet is going to be like.

Finish means ‘varnish’, a light coating which allows you to see the wood grain beneath. But you have an option. You can paint the cabinet when it’s done. That way you have more control over the tonal effect of the cabinet. Painting is an excellent idea and does not detract from the natural beauty of the wood cabinet. Just avoid colors that are hideous, or clash with the room’s decor. If you have a friend who is an interior designer, then it will be a good idea to get his opinion on which color to paint the cabinet.

Wood is a good durable medium for artistic expression. And a cabinet is a good article of furniture to put your mark on. Putting the two together, a wood cabinet is an ideal project to establish your credentials as a quality woodcrafter. Remember, this is a three dimensional work of art, more like a sculpture rather than a painting. Consider it your ‘David’. Put your heart and soul into it. That way you will feel truly proud to say: ‘I did it!’



ABDUL

it will be ok asked:


I want to carve a tobacco pipe out of wood and was wondering what type of wood is best. Obviously any “treated” wood would not be good for the health (not that smoking is either).

EMORY

Mary Hasti asked:


Such was the case of a young new homeowner, giddy with first time buyer’s joy. Monique’s furniture had arrived and the walls were freshly painted. Her focus then turned to her fourteen brand new windows that commanded proper dressing. After spending the better part of an evening surfing the various online blind stores, Monique finally knew what she wanted. She wanted the look and versatility of beautiful blinds, with all the bells and whistles, at rock bottom prices. Monique wanted wood, not aluminum, but hadn’t decided on real wood or faux wood. As long as they looked and felt real, she could handle faux. I was happy to jump in at this point to clarify the differences.

I informed her that there are three types of wood blinds, real wood, and two faux woods varieties, which are a vinyl polymer, or a vinyl polymer/wood composite. All are great choices and they each have their own appeal as well as assets and liabilities.

We started with real woods. Real woods for the most part are made of basswood. It’s a light hardwood that either comes stained in a huge assortment of wood tones, or painted mostly in the white family. The best part about wood blinds is, simply, they are beautifully 100% wood. They are the most energy efficient, and the most lightweight. Since they are lighter than the alternative faux wood blinds, they can be manufactured in larger sizes and don’t have as many ladders, which makes for a less cluttered look. They have the most options available, such as choice of valances, and numerous lift and tilt options, including a motorized tilt. On the downside, because they are a natural product they can warp or mildew in extreme conditions over long periods of time

Vinyl Faux Woods are by far the least expensive. From a short distance, they do look like wood blinds, won’t warp, and are easy to clean. They do have the least number of options available though. If you find a manufacturer that offers the decorative tape option, be sure to think it through, as it can become very busy, due to the many ladders required to string the heavier slats. On the downside, they can yellow over time and can show scratches.

Composite Faux Woods stand in the middle, by virtue of material composite, cost, and attractiveness. They are not as affordable as vinyl, but more affordable than real wood. The slats have a tinted baked on hard shell finish that won’t show scratches. They won’t yellow and they weigh less than the vinyl, thus less ladders. Choices of options when compared to the vinyl also increase. This is a good-looking product and has fooled many people into thinking its real wood. The downside, it’s not 100% real wood. It is a faux.

After much deliberation, Monique decided the composite faux wood blind, with an attractive price tag and natural oak finish would work best for her. When considering wood blinds, think wood, think faux, and think options.



DANNY

Just M asked:


I want to re-paint my kitchen from cherry wood color to white . Originally it was oak color, but now I think it is so dark and want to paint white. Looking for any advice. Thanks every one!

DANNY

msenecal06 asked:


I have had wood floors for over a year now and i am so sick of my hands and knees washing and drying it. I see cleaning people using a rag on some kind of mop. Do i have to dry the wood right away? I am just so scared to ruin the floors. I have the murphy oil stuff and it works great just dont know how to use it without hurting the floors if i dont dry it right after putting it on!
** We didnt seal it…is that bad?

DEON

tj1013 asked:


The wood floor in our family room (20″x20″) has numerous discolorated spots. We ripped up a couple of wood pieces and found mold growing on the back of the wood and on the concrete slab. Our plan is to cover up the air vent and contain the room with plastics from the rest of the house when we remove the wood floor. We want to somehow first kill the mold with diluted bleach before ripping up the wood floor. How can we get to the mold as the woods are still glued down to the concret slab?

GARLAND