Here is a picture of the nursery. I utilized the following materials:

• Stuewe & Sons, Inc. TPOT1L 4” x 30” Long Treepot
• SuperSoil Potting Soil (not as expensive potting soil)
• Miracle-Gro Potting Mix (expensive potting soil)
• Kellogg All Natural Garden Soil
• 5 Gallon Buckets
• Acorns

I purchased Stuewe & Sons, Inc. TPOT1L 4” x 30” Long Treepots since I wanted a pot that would facilitate a deep tap root. I filled the bottom third of the pot with Kellogg All Natural Garden Soil. I did this since garden soil is less expensive than potting soil. I also thought that over time the potting soil would work its way down into the garden soil. I then filled the middle third with SuperSoil Potting Soil (not as expensive potting soil). The top third of the pot I utilized Miracle-Gro Potting Mix (the expensive potting soil). At every third I added water and compacted the soil. It isn’t important to compact the soil in a 4” deep pot, but very important on a 30” pot. I utilized 5 gallon buckets to hold the tall pots. I drilled holes on the bottom of the buckets to enable the water from the pots to drain out. I used my finger to create a hole in the middle of each pot, placed an acorn horizontally in the hole, and covered it up. I watered the pots 2 – 3 times a week. One observation is that the buckets where I immediately planted the acorns are the buckets with the saplings. The two buckets where I delayed planting the acorns still do not have any visible growth. I planted the first pots on September 7^th, and on November 3^rd there are three saplings.

Akorn has now reduced the price of cabinet door bumpers for their customers to only $1.00 for a sheet of 25 bumpers. What better way to protect your newly purchased raised panel cabinet door, flat panel cabinet door, or glass cabinet door? All of Akorn’s cabinet doors are made from 100% real wood.

akorncabinets.com is the leading internet site to purchase cabinet doors made from real 3/4″ thick wood. Alternate suppliers will provide laminated doors that look like wood, or provide doors that are thinner to save on cost. Akorn supplies a convenient ordering process that can accept orders at anytime of day. Door types include raised-panel cabinet doors, flat-panel cabinet doors, and glass-panel cabinet doors (glass not included). Styles of doors include square cabinet doors, roman arch cabinet doors, cathedral arch cabinet doors, and country cabinet doors. Types of wood include knotty pine, paint grade maple, paint grade poplar, select alder, select ash, select cherry, select red oak, select white maple, select white oak, and walnut. Finish your project by purchasing the best door. The cabinet doors are what most people notice!

Here is a picture of the float test performed on the first batch of acorns that I collected in nearby Yorba Linda. The theory of the test is that if the acorns are dried-out and no longer viable, they will float. Good acorns will supposedly sink. Utilizing this test I had a 50% yield. All the brown acorns floated, giving the premise of the test some validity. The one acorn that still had a cap on it, and should theoretically not be mature, also sank. I found an article by the USDA Forest Service (”Germination Characteristics of Engelmann Oak, and Coast Live Oak from the Santa Rosa Plateau, Riverside County, California” by Gerald E. Snow) indicating that Quercus agrifolia have no dormancy, so time in the refrigerator is not required. The study also found that Quercus agrifolia acorns were susceptible to dying if dried. I decided not to learn too many things at once, so this year I will not try and slow germination in a refrigerator while drying to prevent the acorns from drying-out. I’ll plant viable acorns as soon as I get them.

akorncabinets.com is well known for their raised panel, flat panel, and glass cabinet doors. Over the years we have appreciated the various types of wood and started to appreciate the trees before they became wood. This year we have decided to try and grow California Live Oak a.k.a. Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia). We will pick the acorns (or akorns with our spelling), germinate the acorns, cultivate the seedlings, and plant the seedlings where they can prosper as trees. We will pick acorns from trees that are native to Diamond Bar, California, where akorncabinets.com is located, ensuring that the trees have the local DNA required to prosper in the local conditions. It is nearing the time to pick acorns, so look for our updates as we try and grow oak trees.

Cherry wood darkens with sun exposure. If you have a project where you are storing cherry wood, cover the wood to prevent color changes. Your favorite piece of wood might end up with “tan lines” where another board was laying over it. I recently had a “tan line” incident and sanding the wood did not remove the darkened section. Perhaps time will “blend the tan line”.

I personally do not enjoy finishing cabinets. I like constructing them. Not finishing them. Sanding is high on the list of things that I do not enjoy. When I first started I sanded like crazy until I learned a few tricks to minimize the amount of sanding that is required in a woodworking project. I typically make all by table saw cuts about 1/16″ too big, and then re-cut. Removing only 1/16″ of material on the final cut minimizes the saw marks in the cut. I also try and utilize a planer or table router for final cuts since the rotating knife or bit leaves better marks than a saw blade. I also sand the pieces BEFORE assembly so that you aren’t left with an area that needs to be sanded where an orbital sander can’t get to.

One way to enhance the appearance of a cabinet is to utilize a door as a panel in the cabinet. We back cut the raised panels on our doors, enabling the panel to be as thick as the stiles and rails. This also enables the door to have dadoes added by you about 1/8″ deep, adding some stability to an added shelf. If you are thinking about integrating a door into your cabinet, make sure to add “square edges” to the comment section during checkout. The step of routing the edges will be skipped, providing square edges for the doors.

I just recently heard of the debate that rages among the wood-working community concerning how to finish the inside corners of molding. I have always mitered the joints of my crown molding and base molding, but I have recently heard the contention that the “professional way” of doing it is to cope the joints. I haven’t heard an argument that compels me to change my mitering ways yet. I utilize Liquid Nails (www.liquidnails.com) to glue my molding to the wall. Using Liquid Nails is messy, so I’d recommend painting the walls AFTER installing the molding. I also caulk the joints. I feel that the combination of Liquid Nails and caulking refutes many of the coping claims. Let me know if I’m missing something. I’m always trying to improve my craftsmanship.

I’ve been a loyal to Watco (a Rustoleum company) stains, but I’m going to try Cabernet Varathane (a Rustoleum company) Wood Stain. Either I never noticed that Varathane made wood stains, or they are rebranding their stains with the Varathane trade name. I continue to use Varathane (yes, a Rustoleum company) polyurethane to finish my work. I trust Rustoleum, and look forward to completing my cherry wood project with Cabernet Varathane. My test sample obtained the nice red hew that I was looking for. The blond spot in the wood sample turned a slightly darker red than the remaining piece.

I utilize oil-based stains and polyurethane because I’ve heard of horror stories where a water-based product or a combination of water-based and oil-based products created a nightmare.