Tag Archives for carpentry
Agile Construction is an integrated system of principles and methods, and a philosophy of doing business adapted to jobsites and overall project delivery in the construction industry.
The Agile Principles
The focus is incremental project execution and continuous client involvement to reduce risk, complexity, and scope-creep.
Marbleized concrete countertop
I adore concrete and it’s versatility.
Getting the marbled effect
Building the form out of melamine
The smear: Aim for lots of little streaks and chunks. Because white portland cement and white sand are significantly more expensive than the stuff you buy at home depot in 80-lb bags for a few bucks, I had a decorative layer with white and grays, then poured gray over it in a few layers. Once the first layer of gray was poured over the white streaky bits, I stuck my fingers in to blend the colors a bit here and there. You don’t want to blend too much – stone tends to have well-defined streaks created by layers of sediment built up over years.
Here’s where I encountered a sticky problem — make sure you have your mold raised up, so you can access all sides with a vibrating device (I like to use a power drill with a mixer bit, or hammers). Because I had it on the floor, I had limited access to the sides of the form, which meant more air bubble patching when it came out.
Fresh out of the mold
Patching, sanding, sealing
Plopped into place after wall repairs, painting and new cabinet install:
BEFORE:
painting racks
Notes: Normally I would use joist hangers, but in this case mounting them on the floor would have meant scratching the edges of paintings sliding in and out. I went with rail brackets instead and was really pleased with the subtle result. Second tier shelving repurposed from the Ikea shelves that these took the place of.
Bathroom renovation
Before:
After:
Years of IT got me used to cleaning up other people’s disasters, and this was yet another project that got me shaking my head and wondering “what were they thinking?” Demolition had been carried out throughout the unit by someone working alone, without drawings, a plan, or timeline before I took over. Luckily there were bathrooms on other floors to use while we worked, but I wondered, why start by demolishing a functioning bathroom? Whether you’re working by yourself around the clock on-site or with a team in shifts, it’s the first necessity, for peeing, washing tools, or showering off a day’s worth of fiberglass insulation. This is a big reason I work in chunked phases, even within a single room — the wheels of production grind faster overall when one isolates and minimizes the functional downtime of each room and fixture.
Engineered stone tile on floor and walls, pine ceiling, replaced ventilation fan, sink/vanity, bath fixtures.
Kitchen Remodel
Before:
After:
Notable tasks: Using appliance paint to make a black refrigerator white, and being pleasantly surprised at the results. Opted for roll-on instead of spray based on online-reviews. Converting an unused bathroom vanity by swapping the sink out for a piece of butcher-block. Updating some 70’s style cabinet doors by filling in the routed groove and painting over (as opposed to cabinet replacement…I like to up-cycle where possible). Floor is laminate strips printed to look like wood.
Adult Trike Kiddie Cab
And now for something completely different…
The idea for this emerged from the repeated dilemma of needing to transport two kids, which the trail-a-bike simply can’t accommodate. I started looking at cargo bikes, or “bakfietsen” which I had seen all over Amsterdam, but found the cost prohibitive. Trikes on the other hand, are roughly the same price as two-wheelers. I found what I was after on Craig’s list, gave the bike some TLC, built a custom bench out of some pine support slats I rescued from a bed being thrown out, et voilà:
What I started with:
Old motor components removed:
Primed and painted:
Designing the bench:
I’ve been toying with the idea of motorizing it (even the most fit of us can only go so far carrying so much weight), hence the locking storage under the seat.
<3 airline seat buckles. Why aren't these used in cars?
Final:
Classroom Cubbies
2019
Some remnants of what I ripped out:
What I started with – 7 chipboard bookcases being sold by a downsizing lawfirm. I like reclaimed materials, not just for the ecological aspect, but because I hate staining and varnishing:
Sketches:
Phases:
Final:
Corner Cabinet
2014
Body & shelves made from 1/2 plywood to save on cost and weight. Edges concealed with iron-on veneer. Doors and facing made of solid pine. Chinese cabinet hardware purchased ebay.
Vestibule Cubbies
2011
I used slot joints to create this one, but in retrospect, I think dado joints would have been a better choice. Slot joints are great for flexible materials, or in a perfect world where all the pine you get from the lumberyard is flawlessly straight and uniform, but well, yeah.
Floating Bathroom Bench
2015
Angled pieces cut from 2×12’s, which required the creation of paper templates pieced together in the space to get the shapes right. Hidden reinforcement with reclaimed “fasttrack” shelving hardware.
garden bench restoration
Replaced rotten boards with weather-treated 2×4’s dadoed with a circular saw to fit and lightly stained. I expect this to last decades longer than the thin polyurethaned slats that typically come with these models. Couldn’t find brass bolts in the right size, so I ended up spray painting some carriage bolts gold.
Before:
After:
