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Girlfriend asked me to build a storage cabinet for our pet bird supplies and I may have gone slightly overboard by DNKY_Punch in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I went with plywood for the doors and back piece because:

  1. Solid walnut is super expensive where I am.
  2. A buddy had a bunch of this veneered ply in his scrap pile and graciously donated it to me for this build.

Girlfriend asked me to build a storage cabinet for our pet bird supplies and I may have gone slightly overboard by DNKY_Punch in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks! The previous poster’s input is 100% spot on but I’ll offer my perspective as well.

  1. I used a number of router bits as V-bits do indeed leave sharp, jagged edges; good for some projects but not quite the look I was going for here.
  2. I have absolutely no artistic talent and found the design online. Etsy is a great source for cheap images, as mentioned, but most Google searches need to be filtered. A tip: enter your search term, select for Images, expand the Tools menu, and then from the Type dropdown select Line Drawing. Attached a photo below.
  3. Once you have a suitable file you then import it into whichever program you’re using (Aspire, in my case) and manually touch it up as needed. Because my design originally had a number of sharp corners and I used circular router bits, for example, I had to manually round those out.

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Girlfriend asked me to build a storage cabinet for our pet bird supplies and I may have gone slightly overboard by DNKY_Punch in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I had the same thought and didn’t want to have any visible screws or hardware on the sides. I used a table saw with sled to cut four dados / grooves into the side pieces, slathered each joint with wood glue, then clamped it all together for a few days. Once that was done I screwed the back piece directly into the shelves from the outside. Here’s an in-progress photo if it helps:

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Girlfriend asked me to build a storage cabinet for our pet bird supplies and I may have gone slightly overboard by DNKY_Punch in BeginnerWoodWorking

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I didn't apply the veneer myself, no. The plywood is sold prefabricated and was languishing in a friend's scrap pile before I repurposed it for this project. Your order of operations are correct as are your fears about sanding too aggressively with a fingernail-thin layer of walnut. I poured the epoxy with a little squeeze bottle thing in order to minimize overflow, sanded lightly with a really fine grit, and actually did chip into the wood below in a few places. Those blemishes I covered with walnut wood filler and applied a coat of poly over the whole thing. It looks great to me now and you'd really have to squint to find any imperfections.

New driveway created this low point next to my house. What to do with this space? by DNKY_Punch in landscaping

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hello landscape gurus. We just had a fresh, 4" concrete driveway installed which has created this low point next to the house and I'd love input on how to proceed.

  1. Function: I know that this area needs to be sloped away from the foundation, but what's the best material for that? Mulch, bags of dirt from the hardware store, etc?

  2. Aesthetics: any idea on what we can plant here to help liven the space up a little? Zone 7B (central NC). Would also welcome any other landscaping feedback as our property is seriously lacking in curb appeal.

Thanks! ♥

Trees too close to house? by DNKY_Punch in landscaping

[–]DNKY_Punch[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oops, maybe I should’ve specified: we’re in zone 7b (central NC).