Greetings:
I know there is a lot of variety
out there in regards to hobbies - you know, that
activity you used to engage in before building a
family and career. My own interests have always
included woodworking, for both furniture and model
airplanes. Recently, I completed a restoration project
on an 100+ year-old clothes chest that Melanie's
great-grandfather made somewhere in York, Pennsylvania.
It is made of pine, with hand-cut dovetail joints
and held together in places with the old wedge-shaped
iron nails that look like horseshoe nails.
Over the course of about three months, I chemically
stripped the old varnish, sanded it smooth, filled
in dents and dings and missing wood, glued split
panels, and sanded some more. Then, it was stained
with a dark oak color, and had two brushed coats
of clear lacquer applied, sanded and steel-wooled
between coats. Finally three sprayed-on coats of
satin clear lacquer, steel-wooled between coats,
completed the job. 1/4" thick cedar panels were
glued together, then cut and screwed onto the inside
bottom surface and the underside of the lid. A nice,
heavy brass piano hinge replaces the two door type
hinges that were not very good, and a black chain
keeps the lid from opening too far.
Your
hobby endeavours are welcome here, regardless of
what they are.
Here is the finished product.
A couple "before" shots are included as well.
--------- Before
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