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My 7-year old, Alex, was really proud of the picture he drew for Mom. It had little animals made from a rubber stamp. It had an ocean made with blue crayon. You could tell he put a lot of effort into it. After Mom gushed all over it, he turns to me and says, “Dad, can we make a frame for my picture?”

That was about a month ago. We were getting ready for a vacation trip at the time and my time in the shop was pretty limited. I kept putting him off, knowing in my heart of hearts that I’d better work with him on this as soon as possible or it would be another “lost opportunity.”

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I haven’t been in my shop since last week, but I have a good excuse — I was working on a particularly nasty “Honey Do.” It’s one of those jobs that I’ve been putting off because I knew it was going to take a lot of work and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. As you can see, I’ve been removing old moldy grout and caulk (lots of caulk!) in our downstairs shower.

I spent the better part of the weekend in a cramped 36″x36″ space, with very little light, working on my hands and knees. And for anyone that knows me, I filled up most of that space…and I can’t see very well as it is…and I’ve got bad knees! So I’m not a happy camper. But my wife is, and that’s what counts. Read the rest of this article »

Some homes have dining rooms large enough to hold 8-foot tables, a mammoth sideboard, and a floor-to-ceiling china cabinet — and still have room to spare. Other homes, townhouses, and apartments might share a dining area and kitchen. In the next issue of Woodsmith (Issue No. 167), the Designer Project Tall Kitchen Table will look great in just about any size room — whether it’s a tiny breakfast nook or tucked away in the corner of of a larger room.

The Glass-panel Display Cabinet is another project with a small footprint that doesn’t take up much space. Glass panels and a couple of glass shelves provide a great way to display your family’s heirlooms. And, as our Heirloom Project, you can bet it features traditional joinery and several unique details that help set it apart.

Finally, a Weekend Project like the Curved-front Bookcase should be simple to build with joinery that’s not too complicated. We used quick-connect fasteners to hold it all together. And iron-on flexible edging solved the problem of hiding the exposed plywood edges on the curved fronts of the case.

Look for Woodsmith Issue No. 167 on newsstands soon. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can get a free sample issue here.