I’ve completed boxing in the bay windows. I had to deal with these windows downstairs during the living room renovation so I knew this wasn’t going to be a cake walk. The original builders pretty much winged the framing so the angles aren’t consistent. The trim was essentially supported by a trash can full of shims… some of them three inches thick.
So here’s where I’m at now. As here, I usually use hardwood plywood for box framing like this unless it’s going to support the weight of a door. Cost isn’t the only consideration, although using red oak plywood here cost about a third what I would have paid for 1-by solid lumber. Another reason is because flat-cut red oak plywood has a color and graining consistency that’s hard to find in wide, solid oak planks. Finally, plywood is more stable than hardwood.
So here’s where I’m at now. As here, I usually use hardwood plywood for box framing like this unless it’s going to support the weight of a door. Cost isn’t the only consideration, although using red oak plywood here cost about a third what I would have paid for 1-by solid lumber. Another reason is because flat-cut red oak plywood has a color and graining consistency that’s hard to find in wide, solid oak planks. Finally, plywood is more stable than hardwood.
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Now that I’m into the woodworking, my once organized pile of lumber and plywood is no longer. My shop is a dangerous obstacle course. Freeing up floor space here is driving what I’m doing in the bedroom renovation because I can’t get to the cabinetry until I have a place to construct the cabinets.
Even Jack can’t negotiate the shop now. Poor guy. He’s got a vet appointment tomorrow for a skin infection which I hope isn’t related to the dust and debris here. He’s a youngster and hasn’t lived here during one of my marathon renovation projects. Fortunately, it’s the last one.
Oh yeah! My Insteon bedroom lighting controller suddenly started working again today! On… off… on… off. I tested it for a full minute just to make sure. It hasn’t worked for the past three days then it just fixed itself? So I shut off the lights to take the pooches for a walk, came back, hit the switches…. dead. WTF??
