Reclaimed Oak Stool

I recently did the finishing touches on a stool/ end table I have been working on. The top of it was made a while ago but I was having trouble making a choice about the direction this piece would go. Initially I was planning on making an end table with a lower shelf. Then I found the legs you see in the pictures and my idea changed to maybe turning it into a stool. So here it is, the stool of indecision.

The top is layered oak panels that I reclaimed from a pallet. The pieces of purple heart I used as the inlay was a gift from my friends at Wishbone Woodworking in New York. The legs came off a chair I saved from the garbage collectors. It definitely took quite a lot of sanding and glue to bring them back to life. But I think they make a really nice addition to the whole piece.

The final step to this stool were the five coats of tongue oil, sanding in between each with some 320 grit.

Entertainment Center... In Progress.

This new project has been a lot of fun for me. I am building an entertainment center for my wife and myself. I decided to make it a bit more challenging by only using found or reclaimed wood.

The top and sides are made out of pallet wood. I spent a lot of time pulling nails for this one but I love the look of the old weathered wood so much. The first image shows the process of gluing the pieces together. I notched each piece to make it a bit sturdy.

Our current TV stand is very low and doesn't have a lot of storage space, which is always something I seem to never have enough of. So when I started designing this piece I wanted to double it. There will be four shelves on the top of the piece and one large drawer on the bottom. The front panel that will be the 4 shelves was a piece from an old desk I found on the street. It was mostly dismantled so i had a pretty easy time taking the pieces I wanted to save and leaving the rest. Honestly, when I found that front panel I started designing the rest of the unit around it. It was originally about 2' longer then it is now.

the final picture shows the entertainment center with the bottom fascia pieces. That is where the lower drawer will be. I think the drawer slides may be the only new piece of material I will have to buy. But I would prefer they be new and sturdy then old and rusty.

I am thinking about going to a few antique stores and thrift shops to try to find my drawer handles. I am trying to keep the look of the mismatched materials without making it overly cluttered looking.

This has been a fun project.