Making Bookcase Cabinet Doors ... Pt 1 of 138

Ok, that's a bit of a joke! If there really are 138 parts, I'm not gonna break them down into the 1-by-1, we'll just cover this as we go along and see how many times I can write about it before I get bored or start to cry.

So, I hopped over to my friendly big-blue-box home improvement store and bought some wood, and can I rant about that for a minute? WHERE IS THIS WOOD COMING FROM? Who is planing it? Why is it all so warped? Are they shipping the stuff in a round tube? I don't understand why you can't just walk in and pick up the wood you need! You literally have to stand there for an hour, pulling piece by piece off the shelf to inspect it for the least imperfect, BECAUSE NONE OF THEM ARE PERFECT. Seriously, I'm pretty easy going - but my headache with this project started right there in the lumber aisle.

Then of course I get my imperfect boards (but as imperfectly imperfect as they made available to me) home and had to start cutting with my trusty hand tools. 

That's right! No fancy power tools here. No fancy woodshop either. Right there, down and dirty on the living room carpet. Ha! I'm literally shaking my head, writing this. Once the wood was all cut and ready to go, I started putting it together: 

My trusty drill and clamps and jig to make this thing super sturdy. And yes, that's saw dust on my antique carpet! Oh boy! In case you didn't already know - I'm impulsive, and do whatever I want, pretty much wherever I can when I decide that I HAVE to have it. Speaking of HAVE to's: I have to tell you - if you're interested in these sorts of projects at all, you should definitely look into one of these: 

It's a Kreg pocket hole jig, and they make these perfect little recessed holes, and once you put in your screw - that thing is never coming apart. I was shocked at how sturdy it all was once I was done. Like a professional had put it together! Seriously, can't say enough good things. If you don't have one and you're gonna tackle a door project - look into it. You won't be sorry. Ok, so, got it all put together and put on the shelf. Here's where the ONE black and white photo of the semi-finished door hanging up on the shelves comes in, partly because I wanna keep this sorta kinda veiled until I'm all done and the room is completely ready to show, and also because I didn't clean up my mess - so the room is well, messy! 

Like a glove! I chose to leave the hinges exposed, and went with brass. The doors of course will need to be sanded, the minor little spaces will have to be filled in, and then the door has to get a coat of paint. I've got to get my router from a friend and router the doors to fit the glass panels, then hang the curtains. There's a lot left to do yet, and another 3-doors to make! The hardware is super cool: 

Pretty cool, huh? I'm pretty excited about them. Tonight's agenda is finishing the other door, sanding them both and putting on the first coat of paint! It's so exciting to see this room coming oh so close to finished! If only I had 4 more pairs of hands and infinite-less money and time. But alas ... til' next time! I'll update you soon!