Handcrafted Craftsman Style Trim and Wainscoting

The Handcrafted Craftsman Style Trim and Wainscoting for our bath remodel are complete. The update has added to the craftsman theme of this home. This update was to continue the theme from our bathroom makeover. One of the key decisions for this makeover is to replace the contractor-grade door trim. The trim was not only generic it was of poor quality material and horrible installation. The finger-jointed trim showed through every 4 to 5 inches. Sanding would have been very labor-intensive. None of the doors closed properly leaving gaps you could see through.

Trim

During the removal of the trim from the doors, we found the door jambs were not correctly installed. We corrected all of the door jambs during this upgrade and now they all operate properly.

In keeping with the Craftsman theme, I needed an economical way to obtain the trim. Since we are painting the trim white we opted for using MDF. Fortunately, I have a local supplier that carries it in several thicknesses. 1/4, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4″ in 4×8 sheets. All the trim was produced in my shop for a fraction of what it would cost to purchase. I could also adust the dimensions to ensure it appears correct in this home.

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Spring Landscape Project part 2

2021 Update!

It has been two years since we added our landscaping. in our Spring landscape project part 2. Our plants have filled in as well as the lawn. Maintenance has been relatively easy with the occasional weed whacking along the stone but it’s mostly mow and go. We changed the wood edging on the inner flower bed to stone to match the main flower bed. The ground cover has been filling in and we hope that we will not have to mulch that area soon. We may be changing out some of the flowers that are getting crowded out.

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Spring Landscape Project part 1

It’s that time of year. Our spring landscape project has been on hold since we moved here in 2016. The weather has been very wet last year and so far this year. So we don’t lose any more time we are going to move forward and hope for some dry weather.

This is not a woodworking related post. The weather here has kept me focused on projects like the farm table, laundry remodels and a few other projects, but sometimes you need to take a break and get some work done around the house.

Our first flower bed was done in 2017 to add some color and make mowing easier. A Japanese Maple is our focal point in the main flower bed. We added a few taller ornamental conifers to add height and some daylilies and Back eyed Susans for a splash of color. Finished up with some black mulch and called it a season.

The walkway is the same stone as the driveway. We have not been a fan of this. We had no choice. The ground was very muddy when we moved into our new house. because it was so wet that year we needed something so we could move our furniture in with. During the next part of this project, we will be changing this to flagstone.

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Farm Table Construction

Yet another rainy day here in NC. I decided to go through my pictures and share how we made our Farm table. Thanks to my brother in-law I was able to obtain the larger solid hardwood I was looking for to construct the table.

I wish I had taken pictures of the stock I used. It looked like firewood. Anyway after sizing my lumber the first pictures shows the first cuts for the tenon used to make the legs. These joints used hand cut Brazilian Cherry pins to attach the legs at the base. After making the legs for each end I set them in place to determine how long the table should be. I also wanted to maximize the lumber. It seemed a shame to have nice long beams only to cut them down.

First Joint
Holes for Cherry pins
Laying out dimensions

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Large farm house table

This large farm house table offers a solid two inch thick Oak top. The top is supported by a Pinned mortise and tenon hardwood base. Table seats 6 to 10 with 2 extensions on either end. The extensions are supported by solid Oak slides. The leaves attach at both ends of the table with a bultin support system that when assembled is as solid as the main top.

Due to the weight of this table it disassembles into 4 pieces allowing for ease of moving. This large farm house table is an heirloom quality table that can be handed down for generations.

All of the mortise and tenons were hand cut. The pins are made from hand turned Brazillian cherry.

Table with both extensions installed

Seating for 6 without extensions

During construction

Table with both extensions installed

This table can be customized to fit your space. The color shown was chosen by our client. She wanted a rustic table with a modern feel. For details on the construction of this table click here.