The Melameaning of Life

I've had a distaste for melamine for a long time.  Long before evil people in a large country in Asia started using it in pet food and baby formula, cabinet makers in our country started putting it in our kitchen cabinets.  It's a shortcut product and it's great for the cabinetmaker's profit margins, but it isn't good for the homeowner.

My lumber delivery driver told me this week that I'm the only shop he knows of that doesn't always use melamine for their cabinet boxes.  And he asked me if people complain that I don't use melamine.  Wow.  I wasn't aware that people still think of melamine as a good thing...especially here in Portland where we pay special attention to environmental concerns.

I have three main gripes about melamine. 

First, it isn't a 100 year product.  It's particle board with a thin layer of plastic bonded to it.  Fasteners tend to pull out of particle board, and it swells horribly when and if it gets wet.  You can't repair it either.  It either looks ugly when you chip/crack/soak it, or you replace it.

Second, that thin layer of plastic disqualifies the waste from being recycled with other wood products.  Also, more waste is generated within the shop because the offall isn't as versatile for use in the cabinetmaking process.

Finally, there's the chemical thing.  There's the melamine and the formaldehyde.  I can source a no-added-formaldehyde melamine product, but it's about twice the cost of standard melamine.

Saratoga Woodworks' standard materials include formaldehyde free (NAUF/CARB compliant) plywood products with water based and low VOC finishes.

We have the capability to use many Green products you may beinterested in, from wheat board to reclaimed material to Paperstone countertops.

Ranch (re)Dressing

The current project in the shop is a kitchen for a 70's ranch home.

The kitchen hadn't been updated since the house was built and it was looking pretty tired so we designed replacement cabinets with the needs of the homeowner in mind. She wanted to have some big drawers, better access to the space in the corners of her U shaped kitchen, and she wanted to be able to pull up a couple of barstools to the far end of the peninsula.

The new kitchen features a full round lazy susan in one corner, and a pie-cut lazy susan in the other. the big drawers glide smoothly on their full extension guides and an unique notch in the peninsula allows for the required barstools.

The new kitchen also features our no-added-formaldehyde plywoods sliding dovetail drawer construction.

Oh, and yes, the bottom picture is upside down as was the cabinet when I took the picture.

Now That's Entertainment!

Okay, first of all, that TV is the 60" model. The entire unit is about 10.5 feet long and 8.5 feet tall.

The entertainment center is recessed into a little niche so the goal was to make it look like it was built in place. Even when you look closely, it is difficult to tell how the unit is assembled. We delivered it in nine pieces and it fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

There were 5 different cabinet depths among the nine pieces which really gives it visual interest. As you may be able to see from the pictures, the cabinets above and below the TV have the bay window shape.

The subwoofer (at the bottom of the open cabinet in the center) is mounted on an isolated platform. This prevents the bass from rattling anything on the cabinet. There is also a hidden door to allow the homeowner to access the wire and plugs running between the amplifier and the television.

"Reclaimed!" he exclaimed.

This Kitchen is shaping up to be really cool...and green.

All of the lumber on this project is reclaimed fir. Even the top on the cabinet to the left is glued up from strips of reclaimed fir.

These cabinets are destined for a 1917 bungalow and are designed to look period appropriate...and cabinets from that era didn't have toekicks. We overcame the inconvenience of not having that space for your toes by providing an overhang on one cabinet and a recessed section under the sink. A counter height eating bar can also be used as a workstation.

This kitchen has some unusual features:
-The counter height is 38" (The homeowners are tall).
-A pull-out step under the sink cabinet gives the kids better access to help with the dishes.
-A blind corner is accessed by pulling a section of cabinetry(mounted on casters) out of its home. Moving this rolling workstation gives excellent access to an area that is usually occupied by a space-inefficient lazy susan or a deep, dark hole where small appliances get lost.
-a small (18" wide x 33" tall) dishwasher will occupy the space to the left of the sink.

The upper cabinets will be featured in an upcoming post.

Breaking News: Door morphs into table

This table was custom designed for a client with small children and a narrow nook with L shaped built in seating. She had an old door that she wanted to turn into a table, but decided that she didn't really know how to proceed.

The table is significantly cantilevered. The photos are deceiving, but there is very little overhang on the far side of the table. The supporting lumber is all reclaimed fir. The finishing touch will be a piece of 1/4" glass on the top.

I'm proud of this one because two of my vendors--who have seen it all--told me how much they like it. I think this design would make a great desk too, with the addition of a pencil drawer.

Sleek or be sleeked

This trick little job is almost finished. This was for an interior designer's own house so she had some unusual ideas that she wanted to incorporate. The material is quartersawn walnut.

These cabinets look quite simple, but you might be surprised at the amount of design work that goes into making them look simple. The cabinets featured soft close door and drawers and a stainless steel band just below countertop level.

The armoire is built under the steps so it has an angled ceiling. The vanity has furniture style legs and was made to barely accomodate the sink while making the drawers and cubbies as large as possible.

The first day of creation

I've always wanted to give an inside look at what I do at Saratoga Woodworks, and to try to keep interested clients updated on their projects.  It finally hit me that blogging might be the right tool to accomplish both goals. 

I'm looking forward to getting this up and running.