I’m in the process of building a writing table to exactly fit inside a dormer window space. This is to replace a smaller table, where I sit every night before going to bed, write in my journal and maybe have a sip of Doublewood Scotch. I have no plans or drawings, just feeling my way along. I just got to the drawers and instead of turning knobs, I decided I liked the looks of the cork in the scotch bottle and this is what I came up with. I replaced the cork part with a 3/4 inch wood dowel and bored a penny thin hole for it to sit in on the face of the drawer front. Then it is screwed in from the back.
Waddaya think? Dumb? Too cute? It can be changed with little trouble.
Replies
Not at all. I think a lot of us that appreciate scotch will take inspiration from this! I like it!
I like it
I llike it. Although corks from 21 year-old Macallan Fine Oak single malt might have been better. ;-)
Hold up a minute there
If it was a single barrel Coal Ila I would have to agree with you, but a Macallan!!!
To the OP: I think it looks fine, and if it is a spot where you sit and enjoy a dram so much the better.
malts of the single kind
Yeah, I was afraid I might start a single-malt debate with that one. ;-)
Does this look dumb ?
Yes.
Just kidding! As my Mom used to say " If you like it I guess I can stand it".
Kidding, kidding.
If you like it that is all that matters really. It is cool and if you decide differently later it couldn't be easier to put on different knobs.
Corks.
Here's the problem. I had to finish the bottle to get the cork. With three drawers, I am now two corks short. I have to buy two more bottles. Since I don't trust those rubber stoppers I use in wine bottles, I have to do something with all that Scotch before it gets stale.
It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.
Thanks for the comments all. The pull in the photos was stuck together with double sided tape and stuck on the drawer the same way. Since the photo I have mounted one the right way and I think I like it too.
By All Means
As Mel Brooks said in Blazing Saddles " Work, Work, Work, Work "
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm1Jyusyoqk
Disclaimer : The people and groups of people who may find this offensive are too vast and numerous to be listed here in the space available so please chill out and remember the opinions expressed in this youtube do not reflect the views and opinions of the staff of FWW or its sponsors etc., etc., etc.,etc.,
" Work, Work, Work, Work "
roc
"How can an intelligent person find this stuff funny?"
At least I think that is what my wife is trying to tell me, it's hard to hear her. Every time I watch this movie I'm laughing too loudly.
No, not dumb...
Wonderful!
Original
Creative
Different
It's yours
Bravo!
Frank
Looks Great!
Of course, it would look better if it were an Islay... If you need help obtaining those other corks, please don't hesitate to ask. ;)
Dates?
Are you going to go with all the same dates, or different dates?
And I suppose your journal will be filling up rather quickly now! Bottoms up!
Well, yes. 1892 was the year I was born.
Actually the date on the cork of Balvenie single malt doublewood aged is the year they started conversion of Balvenie New House into a distillery, with production of Scotch starting the next year. I only drink their doublewood 'cause their others go way up in price. My guess is that all their corks have that date on them. It's too late to change anyway as I am working my way thru the next two bottles to get at the corks.
need help?
"I am working my way thru the next two bottles to get at the corks"
Ralph raises hand to volunteer. ;-)
Ralph raises a hand.
Everyone is so ready to just step in and lend a hand, it just warms my heart... oh, wait a minute... that's the Scotch going down... never mind.
Dormer Window Writing Desk.
Done.
Looks good
Nice to have that heater vent on cold mornings, too.
nice touch
Both original and personal. I like it.
Robert.
LOL, excellent photo
There needs to be a couple of extra glasses on the bench, though. Otherwise, it makes you look stingy. ;-)
Swen,
In your quest for the perfect means of attachment for these knobs, (double stick tape, glue, screws) you've overlooked the obvious--tie one on.
Best,
Ray
tie one on
My wife would say "don't encourage him"
Chris,
Nice picture by the way. I had to look at it a few times before I realized it is your reflection in a polished plane iron! I thought it odd that someone would use a key hole for a picture!
So what was the inspiration!?
Robert.
Plane iron shine
Hi Robert,
I had heard stories of how other woodworkers had easily polished the back of a plane iron already lapped flat by the manufacturer and decided to give it a try. I bit more than the unlikely dozen strokes on an 8000x stone I'd heard about, but no more than half an hour. It was shiny, so why not take a picture as proof that I did this? Besides, it's a neat picture. And I think only a woodworker would understand it. Maybe its my way of saying, "I'm a hand-plane guy" or "I have (had) too much time on my hands".
bit more than the unlikely dozen strokes on an 8000x
It is just a few strokes if you use the LN ruler trick. That way it is only a narrow and very very slight back bevel. Not wide enough to take your picture in, though.
only a woodworker would understand
Yepp your right on that count Chris. I have a 10,000 "grit" (if you can call 10k a grit) and have spent some time polishing the plane blades but then I use the "ruler" trick as they call it although I don't use a ruler (too thick) I use a narrow piece of veneer instead. But i would have a heck of a time to take any kind of picture of the reflection it can provide!
Anyway thanks for the reply -all makes perfect sense to us wood-types and as you say it IS a cool picture.
Robert
have (had) too much time on my hands
My Christmas present to myself this year was some thing completely unnecessary that I have wanted for years but talked myself out of . . . until now . . . a 15000 Shapton pro stone !
Yep that's fifteen and three zeros boys. Now I'm livin' large !
When I buy stuff like that it means one thing . . . I must have all the hand tools I could possibly need because I have run out of things to buy and all that is left is to go use 'em.
Use?
To me, a 15K Shapton doesn't imply tool use, but rather further tool fettling. ;-)
I have a Japanese water stone that's way up in the thousands, but their grit grades are different, I understand. But, it does bring up a nice polish.
15k Shapton
$15,000. for a waterstone? I knew Shaptons were expensive but wow! I guess the recession is over.
look wot I found
In a post, a long time ago, on a forum far far away, I found these words by some guy claiming to be roc:
One day . . .
while reading a post here on Knots, the sacred and holy mecca of all knowledge that is pure and good, a master plane maker, some one you know you can trust, says to you . . .
"What are ya' nuts ? Why are you using all them stones"
Then . .
THEN . . .
It becomes clear . . .
you are using "Too many stones".
Selective Amnesia
Queenmasteroftheuniverseandbabybunnytrainer , in my case anyway, practices what I call selective amnesia.
When I was "working on" THE TABLE (our dining table) she claimed to have forgotten how much the wood cost, she claimed to have forgotten how long ago we had taken delivery, it sat around for five years to "acclimate" to its new environment.
She practiced selective amnesia while I "developed" a finish all one winter and again while I did "research" on Knots (for a few years).
She probably couldn't fully ignore it when I would come up from the shop covered with plane shavings stringing them through the house and muttering "planing and planing and planing and planing and . . ." but she made a heroic attempt.
She practiced selective amnesia, after I had expounded endlessly on the "fine points" of various glues we could choose from, when the Gorilla glue got too old in all that time and behaved like an air ride over load on a truck to spread the joints apart during glue up to the point that when they came out of the clamps they exclaimed "HEY LOOK AT US HERE WE ARE !".
We cut THE TABLE apart with a circular saw down the joints and she ignored the fact that the planks stacked up looked "to the untrained eye" just like they did when they arrived.
: (
She knew I knew how I screwed up because I told her. She chose to forget it and she practiced selective amnesia while I sat out that next year "to do more glue research". Rookie mistake on my part telling her about the old gorilla glue.
: )
This is my foray to learn from her and practice selective amnesia of my own. For practice I am applying it to the published census figures for my sharpening stones. I don't quite have the spirit of the thing but that is what practice is for.
: )
Only woodworkers would understand
It's a neat picture that anyone can see but it takes a bit of knowledge to fully appreciate. One for the woodworkers! On Facebook, I listed my religion as Pins first. Non-woodworkers will be scratching their heads. By the way, I'm not dedicated to cutting dovetails pin or tail first. Whatever works works, and I use either procedure, mostly depending on how skinny the pins are (if my knife will fit in between easily).
PS: Interestingly enough, if you take your lapped-flat plane blade that looks dull gray, as it may have come from the manufacturer, sight down the face as if you are checking to see if it is warped. You will see a perfect reflection, dispite the gray-looking surface!
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