# Entertainment center/fireplace surround



## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

This is a entertainment center I built when I still worked for a builder a few years back. Everything was done from scratch except the doors. In my area there is a company that only makes cabinet doors and alot of the cabinet makers buy from them. I know it's kinda cheating but I was in a hurry.


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## Tom R (Oct 11, 2006)

Nice work, Dave, - - yah, I'm thinkin' of cheatin' the same way, - - I (just about) finished my kitchen about 3 years ago, - - never did get around t' buildin' the doors, though . . .


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

The place around here that builds doors builds them cheaper than I can buy the material. Not to mention they have about any style of door you want.


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## nywoodwizard (Oct 31, 2006)

Thats like a bakery buying someone elses cake.I understand the material factor,large companies get there lumber for a fraction of what we have to pay and bang out a door in about 10 min.Some one asked me to build them a few laminate file cabinets the other day,i told him its a few hundred each,don't waste your money go to an office depot or a staples and buy a stock item,ends up being approx 2/3 less.Is that fireplace ventless ?


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Yes the fireplace is ventless. This was when I was working for a builder and did all of the work ie, trim,paint,elec,tile,etc. I wanted to do it and had to crank it out quick.


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## Norrud (Oct 31, 2006)

Great job Dave. 

Was wondering, you said that you use to work for a builder doing it all. Me too. Did you go out on your own?

I am thinking of going out on my own also. Been doing trim carpentry,hardwood flooring, paint, cabinet install, just about everything from Drywall Stage to Keys in Hand for 6 years. Any tips you might have for getting starting and finding customers. Would like to get started and have some clients before I jump ship.

THanks


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Yes I did go out on my own. Scariest thing I ever did. My situation was a little different. I ended up specializing in something i never would have thought to do and I believe that is the only thing that has worked to my advantage. I was 35 when I decided to go out on my own. What made me do it was we were building a custom home for some people an they wanted rustic interior stuff. We told them we could do it and got the job. This was the first time I had ever attempted any such thing but I love a challenge. I found a local lumber yard that deals with strictly rustic stuff and got some ideas and found out that there really isn't any one around that does this kind of stuff. So after doing the house I took some pictures and took them to the lumber yard and asked if they thought I was good enough to give me references. They said sure and the rest is history. I mostly do wood floors, which pays the best, but also do a few log handrails and a few furniture peices. Below are pictures of the house that started it all. Bear in mind me and my boss did all of the work that you see, cabinets,flooring,trim, anything wood. My brother did the stone work.














































I did not build any of the furniture. This was a fun house to work on. Even all of the trim is just rough sawn pine with a simple chamfer.


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## Burlkraft (Oct 15, 2006)

Beeeutiful work there Dave....

The stonework on that house is awesome too...:thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## clampman (Oct 20, 2006)

Big Dave,

I just love that work. You certainly made a good choice in switching. There is no comparison between what you are doing now and the entertainment center - but then I don't like red oak either.

The last 4 or 5 years I spent full time, I did a whole lot of not rustic so "much as make it look old" work. There are not that many people doing it and you can charge the big bucks. For one, it is slow and tough on tools, what with all the rust fragments from nails and bolts that cant be gotten out. Plus, the best looking stuff is crumbly, and you really have to have enough from the same source to do a complete job. It's a pain, but can be very rewarding.

The den below was a white oak barn floor upstairs in a very old building that had to come down. I glued up material for the door right of the fpl so it would match. For the cabs and panels, I joined, planed then edge glued boards together. Then I sandwiched the panels between two sheets of plywood glued them up, then bandsawed them apart on the builder's resaw, which would handle 12" widths.

All this was because the material was so crumbly, and I couldn't get enough that looked the same - so I doubled the sq footage for all the walls and cabinet carcases.












The architect wouldn't let me run the entertainment center to the ceiling for some reason. We went round and round on that.










That cab is quite a bit bigger than it looks like so I had to use one of th0se hafele scissors rigs for the doors.

If you ever get into doing the nail imbedded stuff - the best thing you can do is invest in a 20" chop suey planer with a 4 knife head and run two carbide and two steel knives in it. The steel keeps the carbide from shattering and the carbide does most of the the cutting. And that's after checking thoroughly with a metal detector of course. The big black blotches in the picture are metal stains. The looks of this stuff grows on you. I didn't like it at first.

You do great work Big Dave. I bet you could find a use for some old garbage wood. Here and there.

Regards,

Jimc


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Thanks Clampman. I love your stuff as well. I haven't gotten into anything that big. I would love to work with the old stuff but it is hard to find around here so I just buy new and make it look older. Some creative dents and nail holes with the proper stain does the job. At this point I've only been in business just over a year and am still working on getting a good reputation. I've just recently started getting a couple of builders to let me do their floors although I hate working for builders. They never really appreciate your work and want it done now and cheap. Anyway again thanks for the praise, Dave.


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