Kitchen shelf built for the family..

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The least I could do for my grandmother


 My grandmother (my mother's mom) has always lived by herself after grandfather passed away a few years back. Her erstwhile apartment was in the same municipality as our house, but it took around 15 mins commute via cycle / rickshaw. Recently she shifted into a new apartment which is just 5 mins from our house on foot.

 While shifting, mom noticed that the kitchen spice/groceries rack that grandma uses is literally falling apart - it was bought when my mom was born ! Yes - that cabinet was more than 50 years old !!

 Sensing that the piece of furniture is well past it's expiry date, my mom asked me to build a newer bigger one for my grandmother.

 I went ahead and took some measurements of the corner the rack was planned to be placed in, and went to work.

 The carcass is made with Sal wood (utilizing half lap joints) held together with glue. Further strengthened with corner braces nailed+glued together.


Clamped together while the glue sets.


Used screws for temporarily holding the pieces till the glue sets



The crosspieces are glued+nailed together and they support the shelves.



Put in 12 mm ply for back, sides, shelves and the door.

First thought about putting in only 2 shelves but added another one later on my mom's insistence. The shelves are glued to the crosspieces, and have rounded wood beading in front. The door also gets rounded wood beading, and a small metal handle + magnet to hold the door closed while shut.



I planned on putting laminates on all sides + top, but as grandma was in a hurry while shifting, I could only add couple layers of primer + white enamel + PU coating (water resistance).

Also put in small plastic pegs (not visible in pictures) at the bottom.
The shelf fits like a glove in the corner at my grandmother's new apartment, and she is happy with the extra organizing space at her disposal.

 Feels great to contribute in some way to make my grandmother's life a little easier.

Comments

  1. Kishore August 19, 2015 at 5:05 PM

    Good project Sid. A perfect gift for a new home. Its not just a storage box. This is your love for grandmother.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Indian WoodworkerNovember 13, 2015 at 6:42 PM

    Looks pretty elegant! Going through your last few posts it appears you are learning fast. Keep doing stuff, you'll soon become pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SidsidYMay 17, 2016 at 9:09 AM

    Hi sir,
    I want to start building these things at home. How should I or rather where should I start from ? What all things I need to buy to setup my mini workshop and where can I learn nuances and knowledge of carpentry. Your reply is keenly awaited sir. Thank you in advance.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. sidMay 17, 2016 at 12:41 PM

      First up - I am an amateur myself. I started with a simple drill and a handsaw.
      I would request you to read the expert blogs eg (http://indiandiy.blogspot.in/), watch videos of experts on youtube (paul sellers, rob cosman for hand tools, steve ramsey, jay bates, frank howarth , izzy swan for power tools). Check them out and make up your mind. Then start small and if you like it, gradually scale up.

      Delete

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