Fall is here and things in the shop have been busy. Before I delve into what’s being built 
check out this view of the river from the back of the property. There is always something going on here. Okay, on to the shop work. . .
I have been building a built-in unit. This is a rewarding project that is giving me a chance to not only build but also repair drywall and paint. (I began my work in building and creating working for my father as a house painter, so I am on firm ground with this type of work.) In addition, I have also, been able to build the table top for this customer. Here are some process photos:
Here I am making a template of the top of the cabinet so the counter top can fit exactly into the space. Because the walls aren’t exactly square it would be folly to just build a rectangular counter top and hope it fits. I then use this template to size the finished counter top.
And here is an image of a test fit of that counter top. You can also see some in-process drywall work on the wall in the back. Now that this counter top is confirmed to be the right size, I can take it back to the shop to be finished.
This built-in unit will have ship lap against the wall in the back. I’ve already cut the ship lap and I am painting it while applying the finish to the counter top. It is important to keep dust to a minimum while I am applying finishes, so not a lot of building can go until this step is done.
In addition to the built-in project, I also added a simple plane till to the shop. Nothing too elaborate but I was glad for the opportunity to hand cut some joints.
The carcass of this till is constructed with hand-cut dovetails. The shelf that the planes are sitting on is secured with a hand-cut dado joint.
Jon Proniewski 