TV Cabinet for my Dad

In 1993, I took on a project for my Dad.  He wanted a TV cabinet for the end of the family room on the farm.  He had specifications, he wanted leaded glass in the top with enough room for a very big TV.  I made it out of Indiana Oak.  You will start seeing a theme in my woodworking, I started only using Indiana woods and still do to this day.  Cherry, Oak, Maple, Oak, and Sycamore are all woods I use from Indiana.  We found a place in Centerville OH to make the leaded glass for the doors.  My Mom still uses it to this day with a 42" TV in the case.  My Dad died in 1994, so it was an honor to get this done before he passed away.

Basement in Dayton

I am not sure if we needed more room, but with tools at my disposal I tackled the refinishing the basement.  So, I thought it would be a good time to learn to drywall.  My brother, George came and helped me for my birthday.  We hung the drywall on the ceiling.   It was well used. 

1992 -- Another TV Cabinet

Sandy's parents wanted a cherry TV cabinet, so I drew up my first real plan.  When my father in law moved to Westminster Village (about 2005) in the semi skilled nursing area it was the only piece of furniture he wanted in his room.    John Sillaman, Cole Sillaman, Todd and I delivered the cabinet to Zip and Betty.  The reason I love cherry, is it looks better with age (above).

Tools Improve Your Performance

Delco Remy had a contest to save money.  I worked with my buddies in the plant and we won many prizes in 1989.  The prizes I remember taking home were a ping pong table, refrigerator, and radial arm saw.  My Mom and Dad purchased me a band saw in 1986 and I built small pieces, a bench and many other pieces that I have forgotten.  Yet, with the bandsaw and radial arm saw I was able to build and install dentil molding at our home in Centerville Ohio. 

Great Grandpa's High Chair

I tackled my Great Grandpa's high chair when Todd was born.  When he was three we thought he could use it.  The rungs are worn from the feet hanging off the chair.

First Furniture

In 1982 I bought my first PC and wanted to have a cabinet to store it.  I could not find what I wanted, so I decided to build it.  Zip (Sandy's Dad) had a table saw so we went at it.  After that I built a TV cabinet.  Todd's was using the cabinet on his first birthday in 1987.  Andy is helping him with his toys.

Other Projects

Sandy's Grandparents Dresser

The Victrola

The Piano

Starting our with refinishing, I bought a trunk at an auction in Medaryville for $10.  We also bought a chair for $15.  I remember it was about 1979 when we bought our house in Pendleton.  There were many hand tools I bought for the garden.  At the same auction I bid on an old Victrola.  There was a man from Francesville that told me he had an old Edison that I bought for $75.  We still play records on it.  I even tackled a piano and refinished it, added the ivory and the whole works.  We bought the piano for $25.  I also refinished furniture for our bedroom that was stored in Sandy's parent's basement. 

Aunt Elva

My Dad and I were repairing tile on my Aunt Elva farm.  We dug up this old Singer sewing machine stand.  I bought Aunt Elva farm in 1983.  I put a piece of granite as a top. 

The Trunk

In 1975, Grandma gave us a trunk.  It was in a corner of her shed.  It travelled with my Great-Grandparents from North Carolina to Indiana.  It has a metal shell and I was told that it fell from the wagon and dented the top.   

Necessity -- 1975

Many hobbies start with necessity.  Sandy and I had no furniture when we were married, so Sandy’s Grandmother gave us a piece out of the old house.  I took it to the farm and refinished it.  If you are wondering, the naked kid is my younger brother, Mike.  The piece has layers of paint, with the last layer seen in the picture.  Grandmother used the cabinet to store her dished, flour and as the counter space in the kitchen.  It was originally a dry sink with the door in front hinging down to roll out flour for bread.  The inside was painted white.
 

The cabinet today. 

Grandfather Wilson, John Alex Wilson, bought this cabinet from a farmer in Indiana for $79, before he was married.  This was the only piece of kitchen furniture at the farm house of Grandfather and Grandmother Wilson that stored all the kitchen supplies and pots and pans.  The bigger door at the left was the medicine cabinet on the farm.  The silverware was in the top drawer, the cutlery was in the middle door and the spices were on the bottom drawer.

The flour was stored in the bottom bin.  Pots and pans were stored in the big door at the bottom.  Newspapers were stored on top of the cabinet.  Grandfather put Aunt Margaret on the top the cabinet to hide her from her sisters when they played hide and seek.  Linens were stored in the side drawers facing the wall.

The gun above the cabinet was my great grandfather's Peter Owen.  It is a muzzle loader shotgun used in the Civil War, per my grandfather.  My grandfather was a circuit rider preacher for the Methodist Church.