MDF Draw fronts/doors

when i first started working with wood, i wasn't a big fan of MDF (Medium-density fibreboard)
they have always been labeled as cheap or weak material
its true that MDF is just mechanically glued up saw dust
however, all materials have their good side
they are flat!
ideal for doors and draw fronts

allow me to demonstrate they prep of a MDF door

this peace was cut as a draw front

MDF surface is going to be smooth and flat 

which means very little sanding before finish

 as a draw front, the edges need to be sanded 

getting rid of saw marks

a sanding block and 150 grid sandpaper will do

always use sanding block to keep edge straight

i like to use a trimmer to round the edges so they are all uniform

now your MDF piece is shaped and ready to start finishing

1- glue edge with glue and water solution to seal edge

2- sand glue, 150 grid sanding paper 

3- repeat for stronger and less grainy board

4- 2 coats of primer, sanding required between each coat

5- 2 coats of desired color with lacquer, sanding between each coat

MDF displays true color

great medium to draw on

MDF is soft before finish

making it easy to shape

unfinished MDF piece

finished MDF piece

wood is good

even MDF

my bench

I think it would be proper to talk about my work bench
i was able to gather about 8 pieces of reclaimed lumber, about 2-3' each from cuts we made to do a job

i took 7 of them, cleaned the edges and glued them up to make a table top
i planed it with an electric hand planer
and smoothed it with a jack plane

this picture is about 4 weeks of work

next step was to sand it
square it up with a circular saw and a clamped up leveler
and rubed it down with linseed oil
"tried and true linseed oil" i recommend this for everything
big ups to Pat and Brian from the shop for putting me on

here my bench was born

it looked nice on a cast iron leg, but it wasnt cutting it

too rocky 

had to give my bench some new legs

unk 6"x6" bridal joint

a pencil, ruler, try square and a hand saw did its job

my new baby was born

gave her some made in USA vise and she's ready to work

i have spent many nights with her

and looking forward to spending many more

wood is good 

800+ dvd rack

I'm constantly looking for more reasons to practice and push myself

trying out different ideas and experimenting new ways to make a simple/ functionable piece

a dvd rack for my girl friend's mom was a good idea

she has a lot of dvds

movies for years

main wood is prefinished birch ply w/ bamboo edge tape

Cut strips about a half inch bigger than a dvd case

10 in total

7 for the levels

2 for the side panels 

and 1 for the dividers

all 10 were ripped the same size

i selected 2 slabs with a best face

it only needs one side because the dvd case will be covering the other side

with a 1/4"straight edge bit on a router, i routed out about 1/2" on the sides for the dadoed shelves to sit in

the dividers were screwed in from top and bottom

 the experimental part of this piece was the 1 very long telephone wire

The wire has two jobs

-to act as a back stop for the dvds so that it does not fall out the back

-the more important, is to give tension from the sides and keep the wood sturdy so the piece does not calapse. This was achieved my boring holes, weaving the wire like a big shoes. A knob in the beginning and the end does the job of a stop.  However, the knob should be replaced by something else...

im please to say that the dvd rack is filled up and over loaded with more than 800 dvds

its been about a year and the telephone wire is doing a great job holding the rack in place

wood is good

salvaged telephone wire as well

address plate

if i had my way

everything would be made from wood

the woods pine

started warping due to the sever winter we just had

the numbers were cut with a thin blade on a band saw

glued to a rectangle piece

poly finish for outdoor use

wood is good

my first coffee table

for my first wood project i decided to make a coffee table

it took me about 2 weeks but it was worth it

i did not buy any wood for this project

the top is from an old ikea mattress support stained

the legs i believe is pine 

was in a garage for a while

the frame as you can see from the bottom shot is scrap flooring wood (oak)

challenged myself with a mitered lap joint

poly finish makes it very shinny and durable

if i had to make this table agin

i would spread the legs wider 

wood is good