Shadows Custom Woodworking

Apartment kitchen renovation

2012-01-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

Here are a set of before and after pictures of a recent apartment renovation.

Finishing the header and trim

2012-01-06T21:06:00.000-05:00

I've finished the buildout on the side wall, and installed colonial trim. This completes this section of header. After all is done, then the painting can be completed, and new crown installed. There is another header to be built - pictures coming soon...

Making a header for crown

2012-01-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

Today's project is to make a header at the beginning of a hallway. In doing so, I'll be able to install crown molding in just the living room, and not down the hallway, saving on cost of crown and labor.

Here are a few pictures. I've built a basic 2x4 frame, and covered both sides with drywall. The important part is to get the drywall flush with the adjacent wall next to the coat closet. This way, the crown will run neatly past. I've also installed a built up 2x4 on the wall, which will give a paint break, as well as allow for trimming out of the opening...

Duplicating a cabinet door

2012-01-04T10:35:00.000-05:00

One of the many services I can provide is the duplication of cabinet doors! Here is a picture of one I did recently - the original door was damaged, and because it is a custom size it needed to be custom made.

Email me with your door questions and requests today!

Soffit construction in Sylvania, OH

2011-12-28T07:40:00.000-05:00

With the ductwork being repaired at the remodel project in Sylvania, I've built a soffit around it to finish it off. With this work done, along with some misc furring, the insulator can come in and insulate this room. It will be a spray on insulation, and should seal it up pretty well. Here are some pictures of the new soffit...

Cabinet install

2011-12-02T09:34:00.000-05:00

This weeks cabinet install is at Sandpiper Apartments. Here is a picture of the finished product...

Turning a closet into a workspace-Part II

2011-11-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics from installation day. I started by removing the old ledger strips that held up previous shelving...

Mounting the countertop came first. The countertop sits on ledger strips, similar to a shelf, in case it ever needs to be removed. This closet (like every other closet) is out of square and the walls are bowed. This is typical, even in new construction! I shaved down the countertop until it fit, but scribing to the walls is impossible inside a closet. If you are doing a similar project, remember that the ledger boards must be secured into the studs, where ever possible.

The shelves above came next, again mounted with simple but secure ledger strips. I've added two bifold doors so that the area can be closed off when desired. The customer painted the inside of the closet after I had finished, and now has a great area for storing and making crafts!

Turning a closet into a workspace-Part I

2011-11-08T07:56:00.000-05:00

In this new project, I will be renovating a standard 2' x 4' closet into a workspace. The space will have a laminated countertop, which will accommodate the computer and monitor, and shelving above for storage. I will also be adding new bifold doors so that the area can be closed off.

The first step is to make the laminated top. I've already made up my substrate, which is two pieces of 3/4" particle board glued together, and all surfaces sanded. This top will have a finished front edge, which is what I apply first. I cut the edge strip oversized, apply adhesive to both the strip and the substrate, let dry, and apply. The excess is trimmed off with a router. Here is a picture of the front edge just after trimming...

Next, I'm ready to apply the top laminate. Again, I've coated both surfaces with adhesive and will let them dry completely before putting them together. Once the adhesive is dry and they are put together, it will be nearly impossible to separate them. The adhesive is milky when you first put it on, and will dry to a semi-clear color. Here is a picture with wet adhesive...

A picture of the two pieces joined and trimmed...

For all countertop edges, I use the power sander with 220 grit paper to smooth. This way there will be no sharp edges. Here's a close up of the front edge...

And the overall top...

The doors and ledger strips are being painted, and the shelving is 3/4" white melamine. Install day is coming, and so will more pictures!

Flag Corp's flag holder

2011-10-10T10:22:00.000-04:00

I've put some temporary end bracing on the unit until the glue dries on the mortise and tenon joints...

Flag Corp's flag holder

2011-10-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

Sylvania Northview High School's band director has asked me to make a flag holder for the bands flags. After looking at several designs, I've settled on an upright unit with holes, so that the flags can easily be slipped in and out and the kids can't pack any trash into it (they wouldn't do that, right?).

Using pine, I've cut the top and bottom sections, and clamped them together. Using a 1-3/8" forstner bit, I start by drilling the holes for the poles. I've laid out my spacing pattern using a piece of pegboard, centered on the work piece, and marked each hole location.

I've also made a pair of legs for the sides. Most edges will receive a roundover to smooth the edge, including the holes...

Rounded edges...

Making a Countertop, Part III

2011-10-03T08:10:00.000-04:00

Installation day. As I said earlier, this top is for an apartment renovation, so it is quite small and easy.

In the first picture, I've dry fitted the top in place, and am marking the center of the sink onto the top where I need to cut the sink hole. The backsplashes are not yet attached.

In these two final pics, I have cut the hole for the sink, and set the backsplashes in place. The backsplashes are fixed in place with hot glue, and I have siliconed where they meet the top. The finish caulking and the setting of the sink will be done by the maintenance guy.

This is just a very basic no frills countertop, but for a small apartment, it works out well. I would invite any questions you might have on this How-to series!

Making a Countertop, Part II

2011-09-25T18:16:00.000-04:00

I've made 3-1/2" backsplashes, which will be applied on site, to the wall using a hot glue gun. This is probably the quickest way to apply them. The longest one will be screwed to the back of the countertop in order to move the top 3/4" away from the wall (as I needed to accommodate for the cabinet width on the leg end).
Here are what the backsplashes look like. The first one is just sitting in place...

Coming soon - installation day!

Making a Countertop, Part I

2011-09-21T20:53:00.000-04:00

I'm making a countertop for an apartment makeover, and thought this would be a good opportunity for a how-to. There are two pieces to this - a peninsula and an L shaped section.

I start by rough trimming some laminate using laminate sheers. They are kind of a pain, but they cut safely with little tear to the laminate.

I've started with the peninsula. I am using 3/4" particle board for the substrate. I cut the overall top piece, and add 3" wide strips on the underside. The strips give the top rigidity, and also build up the edges to 1 1/2" where we want it.
I want to start with all the finished edges first, so I've trimmed out some oversized strips to apply. I will finish trim them later. I apply a layer of Wilsonart adhesive to the particle board, and also to the strip being applied, and let it dry completely. Note: I apply two coats to the edges, because the edges are more porous. The first coat, once dried, will put the second coat where I want it - on the surface and ready to hold the laminate in place!
Adhesive has to dry completely to work! You will know its dry when it is no longer a milky color.

The laminate I'm using is a lighter color, but here it is applied to the end and trimmed.

Here is a closer look. I leave the edge strips overhanging, and will trim them flush with a trim router...

Here is the peninsula with all sides completed....

Now for the L shaped piece. I've cut the top, and have applied the 3" build up strips on the underside. At this point, I would normally take this to the jobsite and scribe the wall side of the top to the wall itself, but in this case, I plan to make a 3/4" backsplash which will be installed on top of this countertop, hiding where it meets the wall, so there is no need to scribe. You can see that I leave the 3" strips on the wall side of the top about 1/2" from the edge - this would make scribing easier.

Applying the edges first...

Now I have cut the top piece of laminate, making it oversized also.

Here is a pic of the trim router in action. Note: the trim bit should be set just deep enough to cut to top laminate. If the bit is extended to far, it can chew into your side pieces. Trust me, you won't be happy when that happens!

Making progress on trimming the inside corner...

And here is the finished L shaped section! After the trimming is done, I use a power sander with 220 grit paper to smooth all the edges - just a quick pass will do it, and its a nice edge all around. Total time to make just this section was a little over 4 hours.

Coming up - the backsplashes and the installation.

Pictures after a water damage

2011-09-12T16:39:00.000-04:00

Here are some "after" pictures of new cabinets and a countertop. The homeowner had a water loss in the kitchen, and all old cabinets were taken out, which I replaced.

Another happy customer!

Sylvania Ohio wainscot project - matching up in the hallway

2011-09-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

Here are some pictures of a revisit to a job I worked on several months ago. We are continuing on with the same theme through the entry way and the island at the kitchen.

This before picture shows what the outside of the island looked like, with a brick finish. It was stripped away, in favor of the new design...

Here I am making a foot rest on the end.Its a simple box design, anchored to the floor and the island, and capped with poplar. I put a rounded edge on it to help keep from scuffing.

Looking at the rest of the hallway, I continued the shaker design that I had previously installed in the initial visit several months back...

And back at the island, I have built up each corner to make it appear as a "beefier" post. In the future, we plan to continue the larger posts up to the top, and remodel the kitchen. Once finished completely, each corner will be a strong visual tie in.

And finally, I've added vinyl stair treads to the foot rest for additional protection.

Central Academy Playground - Final Pictures

2011-08-19T10:31:00.000-04:00

Here are the final pictures from the playground project. Two semi loads of mulch have been laid down by Don Sheppard Landscaping, for a total of 130 cubic yards of playground grade mulch! This is the last step of the process. All in all, this was a fun project to do!

Central Academy Playground

2011-08-09T21:21:00.000-04:00

One of the goals I had when I started my own business was to have fun doing what I wanted to do. My latest project has nothing to do with woodworking, but it looked like it would be a fun project, so I bid the job and got it!

We're assembling a playground at a school in Toledo! There was nothing but field here, and it took two days on a bobcat to dig out our 60x66 area. It has to be 9" deep everywhere, and 12" deep below the swings and slide. We've assembled a large jungle jim, a 43' swing set, and a huge slide. My crew of 4 has worked diligently, and we are actually ahead of schedule by a little (considering we doubled the size from the first look at it). All structural posts are set in concrete. This has to be done before the new school year, and we've been driving hard to get it done. Most days have been 9 hours straight, and I'd like to give a big shout out to my guys for a job WELL DONE!

An unusual desk project - follow up pics

2011-07-08T18:25:00.000-04:00

Here are some follow up pictures on the desk project. At this point, it is a matter of slowly blending in the final coats of stain and poly to get as close of a match to the original as possible. I am very close, and it will only be a matter of touch ups at this point. These pictures don't really show the true color matchs. The ultimate goal is, of course, to have a satisfied customer!

Retrofitting old doors

2011-07-08T17:10:00.000-04:00

Part of the work at the Sylvania remodel is making a new corner coat closet, and using the old bifold doors in the new opening. I wanted to make a few notes on this, so here we go...

On the left side of this picture you can see the new closet opening. I've made the opening to accommodate the old doors, and also took into account the future floor thickness.

I've trimmed the inside of the opening with 1x select pine, which will be the finished opening, and will be painted. I've let it overlap the outside and inside of the studs by 1/2" so the drywall will butt up to it, and it will be easy to trim.

Here is a shot of the old style hardware used 50-some years ago. I will remove it, redrill the holes as needed, and install new hardware.

This door didn't quite survive the hardware removal, and an existing crack was made worse. I've filled the hole and crack with a mixture of glue and sawdust, and clamped it together overnight. I'll be able to redrill the hole, and have a stable pivot point.

New spaces!

2011-07-02T09:35:00.000-04:00

Revisiting the Sylvania, Ohio remodel project - my crew and I have taken out the wall between the garage and the rear entry, and installed a new support beam. This beam is 2 - 14' x 1 3/4" x 11 7/8" Versalam beams, nailed together. It took all four of us to get it into position, but now, there is a large room that's going to make a wonderful new space for the family!

Take a look at the new wide open space we've created!

I've started to stud around the perimeter of the block foundation and across the front. This will allow us to insulate the walls, and to run new electrical and gas lines as needed.

An unusual desk project Part III - Sylvania, Ohio

2011-06-29T17:17:00.000-04:00

Cutting day! I've set up a straight edge to follow, to get as straight of a cut as possible. I have first scored the surface with an 1/8" straight router bit to minimize chipping. I attempted to finish the cut with a jig saw, but found that the blade still wanted to wander a bit, so I finished it with a circular saw, and straightened up the edges afterwards. This was one of those cuts that I thought about for days, and still had surprises!

After cleaning up the edges, I've attached the rear bull nose, and dry fit the top to make any adjustments.

Getting ready to biscuit join everything back together with glue and underside supports...

I've put a pipe clamp on the stable end, and used it as an anchor for the strap clamps. Everything needs to be in place before any glue is applied. This will set for a day to cure...

I've attached the support legs underneath, and have cleaned up the edges and applied the front bull nose. A little sanding helps new blend with old. In this situation, it's tough at best to get a perfect fit, but this came out really close! I'm happy with the result. Really the only way to get all the profiles dead on is to do the entire project in the shop from start to finish - this is more of a retrofit situation.

The drawer has been mounted...

Here is a pic of the support legs. Getting the proper angles made the new legs look just like the original.

The polyurethane has been applied, and I will have some final pictures posted shortly!

A revisit to the Sylvania remodel project

2011-06-24T20:53:00.000-04:00

Going back to our Sylvania, Ohio remodel project, I have started the next phase of the project. The original goal is to combine the room in the rear of the house with the front garage. Today, I'm framing in the garage door opening. The owner has removed the door, and had the concrete guy level out the floor.

Setting up shop inside and out of the rain drops is nice!

I've run the top plate, plumbed down to the floor, and ran the treated bottom plate. If you do this, don't forget to silicone beneath the bottom plate.

Remember the window I took out from the back of the house to put in the new french door? It's going back in to this new opening!

The driveway is going to be stoned and backfilled, so I've used treated plywood as the front sheathing to help protect it. It will need to be sealed, papered, and covered with plastic before backfilling.

Finished up for the day, with the window in place. Ready for protection, and then stone and fill! The next step will be to remove the interior wall, and install a double lam beam!

An unusual desk project Part II - Sylvania, Ohio

2011-06-24T20:26:00.000-04:00

I've made all the new pieces for the desk, and I'm doing all of the staining and finishing that I can do up front, in the shop. Here are the legs, bullnose, and drawer face on the table...

I've made a dado joint to connect the two legs together...

Here is the drawer box, with a coat of polyurethane...

And here is the desk top extension. I have attached the transition pieces already, by using biscuit joinery and glue. It will work well for this application.

Next week is the big week to split the existing desk. Sometimes I wish I had a magic wand, but this will be a test of my skill. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

An unusual desk project Part I - Sylvania, Ohio

2011-06-24T20:11:00.000-04:00

I've started work on an unusual desk project, and wanted to share it with you. My customer has asked me to make his desk longer! Here are some pictures of the existing desk. It is a custom built desk, about 7 years old.

There are several major challenges on this project: Color matching the stain, the precision cut to split the desk, and making the entire thing come back together! A word about color matching stains - I cannot guarantee a perfect match. This desk has been in front of this window for several years, and has also endured usage and age, which makes matching almost impossible. But, I think I have it as close as its going to get...

Ok, here's the plan...

I'm going to split this desk into two pieces. I will be making a cut to the right side of the existing drawer, and adding a 3' section in between, with a new drawer below.

I will need to add a new support piece also. Here is what the existing looks like...

The desk top is separated with a transition piece. I can section in the new top addition using a similar transition piece...

Now for some shop work. After coming up with a color match and approving it with the customer, I've started to make the new support legs in the shop. I picked up the angle from the existing supports, so that my new supports will match. I've also made so new bullnose pieces, and cut the top...

All of the materials are birch. Birch is a great material for a desk, and used to be pretty readily available, but not so much any more. I've managed to locate what I need, but it took some leg work to track it down. More to come...

Apartment renovations

2011-06-07T19:58:00.000-04:00

Here are some before / after pictures of some renovations to an apartment. I have been doing renovations on several different apartment complexes over the last few years, and this has become some of my "bread and butter" work! Many owners are now starting to fix up as tenents move out, and are getting rid of the 50's and 60's look in favor of new. I did this apartment last week.