New year, new project!

Sooo, I checked my wood pile, went to Orange for some 1/2" dowel and some decent 1x12 and 1x10 (the scrap pile there wasn't helpful, so I bought 4' lengths of each) and got started on that crazy magazine rack doohickey my Dad requested.  He's moving to his new condo in a warm clime 'some time real soon now...maybe Jan, maybe Feb!' so I need to get cracking!



The plans are fairly seats of my pants type of stuff.  I'm using 2x2s for the 2 legs, a 1x12 for the bottom, a 1x10 for the top, framed in 1x2, 1x3 for the bottom of the magazine rack, 1/2" dowel for the slats and 1x2 for the top of the rack.  I'll cut some 1x3 or 1x4 for the shelf support, and make it curved a bit, but I DO have some decorative pieces we knocked out of the family room built-ins that I may try, if they're not plywood!  I'll have to dig around in the garage to check.

I've cut the legs today, and the 1x10 and 1x12...Started practising on the framed 1x2s and wow, that's HARD with a circular saw, because they're so small!  I tried the jig and had a bit better result.  Got the short sides cut for that, but they need some sanding and fiddling.  The only worrisome part after getting those done is for the magazine rack I want to do framed edges as well, on the 45, but they're the 'long' way so I need to actually cut with the blade at an angle.  Both the circular and the jig have that feature, so I'll have to figure out which one works best!  Might be going through a lot of scraps this project, testing things out...But, I bet I make a killer picture frame after this!

I have the top & bottom pieces indoors with weights stacked up on them...they're both just very slightly cupped and that's no good.  I'll practise more cuts tomorrow..Husbeast's last day of holiday, and Little Boy doesn't have school till wednesday so I need to work while I can!

My plan is to build the 'inside', so the legs and the magazine rack.  Then screw up into the legs (and rack) from the bottom.  Attach the supports to the legs, the extra horizontal piece to the underside of the top, then attach them together and viola ;)  We'll see how THAT goes...it sure sounds easy, right?

 This is the top, with the two pieces I cut today framing it to get an idea of what it will hopefully look like!  I'll be attaching the frame ends to eachother with the Kreg jig, then the frame to the 1x10 with the Kreg.  I think it's really a perfect application for it!

Cuts I made today...2 legs, the 2 end pieces for the top, the top, the bottom.