Wood Work Wood House with Clint

That is a large entertainment center…what was the process for building it?

When we walked into the Wood family house, it was clear that they wanted to add something unique and different to their house. A piece which would stand out and be a conversation piece. I really didn’t feel like making an entertainment center out of plywood, which isn’t a bad thing…but I wanted something with more character. After walking through the house, I stepped on the back patio and it hit me. We were surrounded by new construction on every side! I knew if we looked around for 15 minutes we could find enough scrap wood to build everything they wanted out of that entertainment center! After talking with the foreman and getting the go ahead we went around with the trailer and just started piling in as much wood as we could find. We found 2x4’s, 2x6’s, 2x8’s and more. The plan was to take all that wood back to the shop, mill it up, joint it, plane it, and then join it all together to make panels wide enough for the body and shelves for the whole piece. And that’s exactly what we did! It turned out great. With the way we prepped that wood, cutting off the rounded edges and whatnot, and then joined it together you would have never known that was just your basic construction grade lumber that we found lying around and in the dumpsters. The Woods were all in for this plan which made it even more fun and we had a blast making it.

What type of wood did you use for the front door? And how is it weather proof?

Clint: We used antique pine and then sealed it with a high grade outdoor water-resistant polyurethane.

If someone wants to make their own front door what are some tips you can give about making and installing it?

Take your time! Do it right and use quality materials. The last thing you want is a door that’s not square or one that is made from cheap materials and ends up warping. Using wood that is dried somewhere around 8-10% moisture content should work just fine. Use quality glue as well that will stand up to extreme temps and humidity. It’s also not a bad idea to use a wood that is somewhat common in the area you live. When hanging it, again, take your time and do it right! Most door hanging kits these days come with jigs and templates to make it almost a no-brainer. It’s worth it to find a kit that offers that if hanging doors is not your full-time job!

What new table designs did you come up with for this project?

Well the whole project, outside of the door, involved new designs. Obviously, the entertainment center was completely unique but there were a few others as well. Starting with their sitting area we constructed a new coffee table and side table pair. We made them out of white oak and loved how they complimented the clean look the Woods were going for. We also made a desk but this one was made out of antique pine. We sort of modeled it after our Melissa table/console table and then added a drawer for function. Kelly suggested the brass handle which really set the whole thing off! The coffee and side tables were made from white oak and we left them raw with a poly coat, but the desk was stained dark brown to the Wood’s liking!