A Natural Aesthetic
I love the qualities that God has given wood: strength, beauty, functionality to mention just a few. One of the joys of living in the USA is the access to good lumber at relatively low prices. Over the years that America has been our home, I have been able to make a few things around the house, including a large shelving system for the den–most important for a bibliophile family such as ours!
My late father (pictured here) loved working with wood. In fact, he was the son of a saw miller. And while I am far from being a carpenter (I love the idea that Jesus was one), I think my father and his father both sent some of their woodworking genes my way…
As much as we live in a digital age, one of the needs all families face is how to manage and store papers. One of my values is functional elegance, so in some less-busy moments, I thought that perhaps something like a top-opening blanket chest could accommodate hanging files to accommodate our paperwork. And that set me on a course of, well, how could I easily (with the few tools I have at my disposal) actually make a chest from inexpensive lumber?
The Outcome
Den Shelving: A large, previous project
The outcome was fairly pleasing; I came up with a way to join pieces of wood, using glue and concealed screws, so as to ensure both strength and some elegance in the construction. Plywood can be flimsy, but, in a strong frame, it serves well, and it likes a nice coat of varnish–Pecan in this instance.
So, in odd spare moments, I set to the project on my screened porch, the only significant tool needing to be purchased being a tenon saw and a device to enable me to cut exact angles accurately. Everything else was served with a regular saw, drill, and screwdriver–oh, and yes, the glue and a few clamps that I used to ensure that everything was kept lined up correctly.
Take a look at the pictures in the slides following!
