This Month's Column:

• Bath Vanity Follow-Up • Scrap Wood Follow-Up • A Little Trash Talk

Bath Vanity Follow-Up

Click on any picture to see a larger version.

I was not-so-gently reminded the other day (someone kicked me up the side of the head) that I never shared any finished pictures of the Bathroom Vanity project . There was a plan… really… but, you know how it is…

Figure 1 - The custom top with the built-in sink took about 5 weeks to come in, the simple rectangular piece on the left took over 4 months... go figure!

My plan was to take a "glamour" photo of the vanity after it was installed and use that as a title card for the video playlist about making the bath vanity. Unfortunately, I was waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the custom top for the smaller side piece of the vanity assembly to be fabricated. Well, it finally arrived, it fit perfectly, and so here it is, the finished bath vanity.

The drawer slides were a breeze to install once the vanity was set in place, but the tight working quarters made me appreciate being able to do such work in the shop. The fact is, though, the vanity would have simply been too heavy to carry up the stairs with the drawers and drawer slides installed. Did you know that in many instances those full extension self-closing slides weigh more than the drawer itself?

Figure 2 - The drawer pulls are a near perfect match for the metal frame around the vanity mirror, so I guess they were worth the trouble!

The doors went on easily, too. In fact, it was much easier to install both the doors and the drawers without the top installed, so I guess the delivery delay worked out okay.

The pulls were another story. They came from a company that specializes in antique and restoration hardware. Most pulls today are flat on the back "landing" area, so a simple hole through the drawer front suffices. These pulls have an extension protruding from the back that requires a 1/4" deep by 1/4" diameter hole in the drawer front so the handle will seat properly. They were a bear to install and took almost as long to do as installing the drawers, drawer fronts, and doors combined. But they look nice and match some other décor in the bathroom. And I didn't choose them. Most of you can read the hidden meaning in that…

Figure 3 - The side "extension" to the vanity utilizes space efficiently and adds excellent additional storage.

All in all, I'm happy with the way the bath vanity turned out. Tons of storage space in a relatively small bathroom is just what this house needed. The shorter "branch" of the vanity utilizes some space that might otherwise have been wasted and provides much additional storage. And in a pinch, it's a great place to sit and pull on your socks. As we woodworkers all know, the only way to get what we really want/need, is to build it ourselves.

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Steven Johnson is retired from an almost 30-year career selling medical equipment and supplies, and now enjoys improving his shop, his skills, and his designs on a full time basis (although he says home improvement projects and furniture building have been hobbies for most of his adult life). Steven can be reached directly via email at sjohnson@downtoearthwoodworking.com

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