# Haley's Dressing Table



## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

New Project! :grin:

My wife's niece asked if we could make her daughter a dressing table. OK.

She provided a picture to go by. I drew up the plans, and after a "business lunch", all was good to go.

I have purchased almost everything I need except for the drawer bottoms. I'll save that for next week. 

I have attached a few drawings. The project includes two cabinets with 4 drawers in each, a table top and four floating shelves.

They have the mirror ordered.

I have most of the parts for the shelves and drawers cut out and ready to assemble.

More info as the project moves along.


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

What kind of joints are you using on the drawer boxes,Mike, pocket screws?
Herb


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Herb Stoops said:


> What kind of joints are you using on the drawer boxes,Mike, pocket screws?
> Herb


Nothing fancy, just rabbets.


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

I'm going to watch this thread carefully , as a lot of this could apply to a future computer desk that I want to build .
Thanks for sharing yet another project with us Mike . I need to take a nap just thinking about all the work you do lol


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

I left out a few pictures. They didn't want to spring for Corian, so we decided to use a door for the top.
I have already cut the door to size. That was fun. I bought a 24 inch hollow core door for the top.

First, I cut the length a little oversize. Then I tore the remaining part of the door apart and salvaged the actual wood pieces. Next I glued and clamped the end piece into the open cavity.

After an hour, I ripped the door to the desired width, and repeated the salvaging/gluing the piece into the cavity part.

The actual opening the dressing table will sit in is 61 1/2 inches wide x 18 3/4 inches deep. I cut the length to 61 1/4 inches. When I got finished, the door looks exactly like it came off the shelf at the big box store, only smaller! :surprise:

I have some Timbermate that I plan to apply to the door and then sand it to make it smooth. Some Sherwin William Pro Classic extra white paint should do the trick. White is what they want.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Another Mike WIP. Chair out and sitting back for next instalment.


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## furboo (Oct 12, 2015)

Great idea using the door, Mike.

I've used Timbermate to seal some Ikea-knockoff picture shelves (Doug Fir), before painting them flat black. I'd be afraid it would take a lot to seal the whole door, but maybe I'm not watering it down enough. Any tips on the consistency you shoot for? My wife wants more shelves :x


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

furboo said:


> Great idea using the door, Mike.
> 
> I've used Timbermate to seal some Ikea-knockoff picture shelves (Doug Fir), before painting them flat black. I'd be afraid it would take a lot to seal the whole door, but maybe I'm not watering it down enough. Any tips on the consistency you shoot for? My wife wants more shelves :x


No, but I bought the plain large economy size. It should last me a loong time.

And it's not a whole door any more. It is 18x61 1/4 so only a mere shadow of it's former self! :grin:

The videos look like it gets mixed until it is easy to just paint it on, then squeegee the extra into a pan and save it for another time.

I guess we will see what we will see. :smile:


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## Herb Stoops (Aug 28, 2012)

MT Stringer said:


> I left out a few pictures.
> 
> I have some Timbermate that I plan to apply to the door and then sand it to make it smooth. Some Sherwin William Pro Classic extra white paint should do the trick. White is what they want.


I used to just use drywall Spackle and trowel it on tight,sand when dry ,then roll satin wall paint on the doors,gives a nice finish.
Herb


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## hawkeye10 (Jul 28, 2015)

Mike this is going to be fun to watch and I am sure to learn from it. A question I have is why did you buy a door instead of making the top out of similar wood?


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## bryansong (Mar 4, 2015)

Mike,

Do you ever stop working, you amaze me. I can't wait to see how it finally comes out.

Bryan


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

That's going to be a very nice dressing table. Great job so far, Mike!


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## TenGees (Sep 12, 2012)

Looks like it's gonna be really interesting. Nice touch with the floating shelves above. What're the plywood parts for, Mike?


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

TenGees said:


> Looks like it's gonna be really interesting. Nice touch with the floating shelves above. What're the plywood parts for, Mike?


Thanks.
I have eight drawers to build. :surprise:

I have already built and installed four floating shelves in the master bath and master bedroom (two in each), and our niece loves them.

See...>


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## difalkner (Jan 3, 2012)

Those look nice, too, Mike. Are they on a French cleat?

David


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

difalkner said:


> Those look nice, too, Mike. Are they on a French cleat?
> 
> David


No sir...Mikey cleats! >

These are 2x4 material ripped to 1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches. They are attached to a wall with a pair of 3 inch screws , and a wall anchor in the area where there isn't a stud.

The short stubby supports are attached to the back with pocket screws.

Just slip the box over the frame and secure it to the frame back with a couple of wood screws from the topside.

I make the frame after the boxes have been assembled so I can make sure it will fit without being snug and getting stuck. And, a little wiggle room helps to align the shelves with each other.

Note: The second picture was from the shelves I built for my daughters house. The frames are a little wider, longer, etc.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

hawkeye10 said:


> Mike this is going to be fun to watch and I am sure to learn from it. A question I have is why did you buy a door instead of making the top out of similar wood?


I think because, when finished, she'll think it's a-door-able.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

I've done that a few times. Fun, isn't it (not). The cardboard web they put in the middle is a pain to clean out where the wood needs to go back in. If that part went well, you should have a good light top for that table I hope she never decides to sit or stand on it when she gets to be a teen. 

Charley


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Today was a fairly slow day. I decided to sleep in. :grin:

So, I jumped out of bed at the crack of noon only to discover it was raining.:surprise:

With most of my parts cut yesterday, I decided to build the floating shelves. That went smoothly and they are ready for a little light sanding and they will be ready for primer.

Tomorrow is face frame day. I haven't cut the pieces yet so I will be ripping and cutting, and then assembling the frames.

Onward and upward.
Mike


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

This job is finished!

Today was installation day, and all went well. Mom and step dad were delighted. We haven't heard from Haley yet but I think she will be a happy 12 y/o-soon-to-be-13.

Let me see if I can bring everyone up to date.
I built the cabinets from 3/4 inch paint grade plywood. They went together nice, easy and square. That's always a good thing. The face frame and drawer fronts are made from poplar. The drawer boxes are 1/2 inch Baltic birch plywood.

The drawer slides are standard epoxy slides - nothing fancy here.

Like mentioned before, the top is a hollow core door that I cut to fit (and it did!!!) from my measurements. Slid right in. I bought a piece of trim at the big box store and cut it down leaving a slight lip that overhangs the cabinets. It was attached with glue and 23ga pin nails.

Oh, yeah, I forgot. We had to paint them white. :surprise::frown::frown::frown:

Actually, I bought a new airless sprayer. It is a Graco LTS15. Man it worked like a champ. The paint is Sherwin Williams Pro Classic water base paint in White...very white. Now that I have a new sprayer, I can attack the storage building and replace the facia boards and then paint it.

Somehow I managed to skip over the cabinet construction. Sorry about that.


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## honesttjohn (Feb 17, 2015)

She should fall in love with that!!!!!!!


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

Wow, great outcome as always Mike . I wish doctors could find out what you have differently from mere mortals that gives you this everlasting energy 

Is that the son inlaw in fatigues?


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

RainMan 2.0 said:


> Wow, great outcome as always Mike . I wish doctors could find out what you have differently from mere mortals that gives you this everlasting energy
> 
> Is that the son inlaw in fatigues?


Thanks Rick.

Yes. US Navy. Not sure of his status. I think he has completed his tenure, but goes to meetings as is the case this week.


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## DesertRatTom (Jul 3, 2012)

I cut openings for some hollow core doors to install metal vents so the cooled air could go through, but the dog couldn't. I had to strip out the cardboard filler inside but also installed some wood reinforcements so I could firmly attach the grilles. I think you could use that approach to make a girl style curved front for a dressing table like this. Nice project. Particularly like the floating shelves. Glad you included pictures. Those pocket hole joints look very ridged.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

Beautiful job, Mike. How did the sprayer work out ?


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## RainMan 2.0 (May 6, 2014)

MT Stringer said:


> Yes. US Navy. Not sure of his status. I think he has completed his tenure, but goes to meetings as is the case this week.


Well tell him RainMan thanks him for his service . He'll be like , what?


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

thomas1389 said:


> Beautiful job, Mike. How did the sprayer work out ?


Thanks.

It worked very well. I was pleasantly surprised. Thick paint but the 
015 tip did the job. No way could I have gotten that smooth a finish with a brush. One coat.


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## woodknots (Mar 7, 2012)

@MT Stringer - nice job on the desk - always like your write-ups and photos. And a belated congrats on winning the router - I know you "needed" another one.


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## old55 (Aug 11, 2013)

Brilliant WIP as always Mike. Thanks for sharing.


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## thomas1389 (Jan 4, 2012)

MT Stringer said:


> Thanks.
> 
> It worked very well. I was pleasantly surprised. Thick paint but the
> 015 tip did the job. No way could I have gotten that smooth a finish with a brush. One coat.


That Sherwin Williams Pro Classic is a great paint. I use it in the house on all my trim and doors. I dilute it with Floetrol. 
I have an Earlex 5500 that I've only used once (with stain, never paint) and wondered how it would be with the S.W. on my doors.
I've got 18 of them and it sure is tedious with a brush. I'm a fuss pot with painting. I can't settle for less than near perfect.
I'll have to try it when the weather warms. I don't really want try it inside. When I do doors I take off all hardware so I'm just painting wood.

Your finished job looks great.


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## MT Stringer (Aug 15, 2012)

Well, here is the official final pic of the dressing area decorate and in service. Haley loves it. :smile:


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