How many people out there build, refinish or restore furniture. I have been doing it for 35 years and still look at a piece of furniture in the rough and see what it could be.
I had this in another tread but this is a china cabinet that was found being used as a chicken coop. It took some work but the attachment shows it in our living room.
Wow! Maybe it's the country in me, but reading your story and seeing the attachment, all I could think was -- what a great nesting box that would have made! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
I hope to make this my hobby during my retirement, but for 22 years, it was my job [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Unfortunately, was not much into saving pictures during that time, but I have a couple.
Here's a raised panel drop ceiling. I had out in the parking lot for final assembly, because it had to enter the house in 4 L-shaped sections.
A mantel. Woodworker's (or any builder's) worst nightmare....the architect and the customer were the same person, so everything had to be just right [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
I never saw this in the house and was not involved with the installation. The carpenters snapped this after installation.
Wish I had a picture of what I considered the most "trick" project I ever did, but I'll describe it. It was a display for the shop's booth at the Washington DC home show one year:
A bowed, triple hung window (including dentil casing for inside trim, brick molding outside), made entirely of white ash.
The ceiling is something else. You are sure right about mantels causing problems. I had ours all drawn up and could not find someone to make it. The additional problem was that it had to meet an entertainment center that was being done by a cabinet maker. He did not want to do the mantel. He suggested another craftsman who finally did do it. There were a few sleepless nights wondering if the units would meet properly. I really thought that I had made a mistake having two different people do the pieces.
When the mantle and entertainment center arrived, there was only very minor adjustment and it slipped right together. I was going to make our cabinets but Jane said she wanted to move in while she was still young enough to enjoy the house.
<font color="purple"> I was going to make our cabinets but Jane said she wanted to move in while she was still young enough to enjoy the house. </font color>
I long ago gave up making things for us, or at least telling the spouse that I was doing it. It was easier to just buy it than to put up with the "comments" about its not being done yet [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]
<font color="red"> A bowed, triple hung window (including dentil casing for inside trim, brick molding outside), made entirely of white ash.
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I have seen these windows before. WOW! I don't think you can apreatate how much work goes into one, unless you have a little expearance with wood working.