Rusty Door Lock and Knob

by Prairie Bench0

This was a little treasure found in a wayward door beyond repair. The hardware was extracted carefully and the wood was so rotted, compressed air and a brush did most of the work.

One half was installed on a faux door with a trinket ledge. This false door is made of “cherry preserves”, left over hardwood bits from an import pallet. It measures approx. 36″x12″ The ledge is about 8″ wide and the planks are 3″ wide. The knob and keyhole plate was unaltered to keep the layers of old paint with glints of metal coming through corrosion. A thin, clear layer of polyurethane encases the relic—kind of like plastic wrap.

The lock, plate, and remaining door knob were presented to a student locksmith as a gift. No key was recovered, but markings on the lock indicate a stamp: CORBIN. Have fun picking it. If a key can be made, the components will be put back together again.

Live Edge Picture Frames

by Prairie Bench0

A fun project using left over mill planks that were left with live edges… rough cuts.

The large one is hemlock and approx. 48″x24″. The interior image area is considerably smaller, approx. 12″x36″. A simple wide sketch might be appropriate, maybe using parts of the frame as elements of the picture. We were thinking a western motiff, perhaps a rider on a horse overlooking a vista on the high plains.

The smaller frame is cedar and aged. No finish is used. The size is approx. 36″x 18″. A light sanding with 80 grit removed any slivers. It is tricky to find usable 45° angles to join the sides of the frame. Little cuts are made until matching edges line up. The frames are both glued with PL, a construction grade adhesive.

Both frames are not numbered and created as an experiment. We’ll post an update when we find appropriate pictures to use in the frames.

Hemlock Live Edge Bench – for two

by Prairie Bench0

42″ long, 18″ high, 18″ wide. Uses 3″ thick slab of Hemlock on walnut legs with a walnut trestle design. The legs are glued with a cross beam, but pegged to the slab using gravity. The trestle then joins the legs with a snug fit. No metal is used.

Numbered 05-14-19 BL

The Hemlock bench is finished in a mix of 50% polyurethane and 50% paint thinner. This mix leaves the appearance of a hand-worn lustre, instead of a shiny gloss. The bench is now on a front patio under cover, with a view of a beautiful rock garden.

Wall Mounted Cedar Jewelry Case

by Prairie Bench0
This is a simple cedar slat box with a pine frame, cut in two, hinged, and mounted with two steel L-brackets. The L-brackets are mounted to a wall stud above and below the case. A small hole is drilled through the top and bottom of the case and two steel removeable pins secure the case to the brackets. Pull the pins and the case can be taken down and displayed on a flat surface.
The style is to be old farmhouse. All the surfaces are sanded smooth and there is no finish. The case will age and darken over time naturally. A simple gate latch holds the door.
Pegs were plotted on a pencil graph using a square. Two more cedar slats create a couple shelves. A detachable ring case rests inside. The dimensions are 63×24 cm (25″x 11″) and 17cm (6.75″) deep when closed.
Plumbing o-rings fit perfectly on 1/2″ dowel as a stop. The cedar slats are only 1/4″ thick so the 1.5″ pegs are cut at a 5° slope and glued in place. This keeps necklaces against the backboard.
The ring case uses 3/8″ dowels cut square and glued in place. A recycled picture stand is glued to the back and folds flat to tuck in a slat on the larger case.
The cedar is dry but still quite light in tone. Over the years the unfinished wood will age and start looking like a barn door. This piece is unnumbered and created as a fun test.

Soaring Cedar Bird of Prey

by Prairie Bench0

This project uses a sample wain cut from a West Coast cedar log. The wood sat drying for a year to prevent splits, then it was shaped with a chainsaw and sanded smooth. The final piece stands just under 8 feet tall at 94″ (240cm), 24″ wide (60cm), 9″ thick (23cm).

The reverse side is uncut and displays as raw wood. The outline of the upper wing is left mostly in the same condition as we received it. It took a fair bit of gazing and study to finally “see” the modified bird of prey with out stretched wings. We talked about adding a tail section, but the vote was to leave it at just a suggestion. The goal was to have a rough cut bird appearing out of the wood. The profile and wing style portray a falcon or hawk.

The chainsaw is evident in the way the feathers were cut using the round tip to “staircase” the surface in layers.

 

 

The finish is polyurethane which works as a durable and protective coating. It will darken over time and a light sanding may bring out the feather tips to add some contrast.