Building An Armoire

DSCN2571It took five months – but I am proud to say that I have completed my first ‘real’ piece of furniture. (sorry son, but I’m not sure if your toy box counts as furniture…)

Using a pattern I found in a Handyman book, I went wood shopping. As I did so, I quickly discovered that oak plywood cost the same amount as birch wood (which the pattern originally called for) – or fairly close to the same amount.

So, I bought a bunch of oak – besides, it is TONS cooler to say that it is solid oak versus solid birch.  (oh – and oak grain is very pretty – as you will see later).

The only problem was that once I had the wood in hand, I wasn’t quite sure of where to start….

This issue was resolved with a visit from my father and stepmother at the end of May/beginning of June.

A Family Of Helpers
A Family Of Helpers

Piece by piece, joint by joint the armoire begin to take shape….

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Having my father around to help build the armoire was a life safer as I learn a ton of tricks and techniques that a book could never provide.

Almost Done...
Almost Done...

We placed some pine boards around the oak body to add a decorative look to the armoire – as you can see from the above picture.

Adding the stain and varnish
Adding the stain and varnish

At last, the last coat of varnish has dried and the armoire has been moved into place. It is a welcome addition to the household – an addition that will help keep things a tad clearing as things now have a ‘home’. 🙂

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You have to love that wood grain!
You have to love that wood grain!

A huge thanks and shout out to my father, stepmother, and wife who helped me through out this entire project. Your hands and encouragement were a true blessing! =D