Nice work on the units, very impressive. Another way to do this would be to use approximately 1/16" thick x 2 1/8" wide solid wood for the edging on all the plywood units. This would show less edge grain on the shelves and sides and allow the overhang to simply be sanded off and avoid the routing process altogether. The plywood would have to be glued together with spacers going the length of the sides and shelves however as the 1/16" veneer would need backing for strength. These units would get put together first without the veneer and then ripped to the correct width first to allow the edges to be perfectly square and straight. Pieces can then be be glued and clamped together with the veneer two units at a time with the veneers facing each other. I use some sort of cushion between the veneer strips to provide even pressure on the veneers and keep any excess glue squeeze out from sticking the veneers to each other. I feel anytime you can reduce the thickness of an edging or faceframe, you reduce the chances of sanding (or routing) through the often too thin veneer on plywood.
Only 15 so it’s amazing. My dad built homes sir probably 50 yrs. I showed him a Spencer stair video one day & he watched intently. Then he commented that’s the guy you hire, give him the plans , take all his phone calls , then leave him alone? He will make both him & I money !
Love to see a video of the poor chap painting the backs of the cabinets. Spencer I would love to see you set up a finishing department with all the space you have . We finish most everything before we fabricate. The finished product is what your judged on. Love seeing your business grow .
I thought the same thing......oof what a pain in the arse to tape off that stain grade oak. It makes me think it would have been better to prime and paint that back panel once before he stapled them on. But, like he said, that's not his problem...it's the painter's problem.
Typical shortsighted crap that you see on so many jobs: "not my problem." No way will that paint job be as good as if it were done PRIOR to the back panel installation. A better way would be to coordinate with the painter. Or, for god's sake, just roll the paint yourself! There was a time when a carpenter would pick up a paint brush or roller.
When I was active and had my own shop I was building projects like this and furniture. Since my wife passed away I sold our house and my shop and it never got back up and running again. Just took the life out of me. I like to think I was on your level on projects such as this. Love to see someone else that lives their work like you do Spencer. Look forward to your next video as always.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your wife. There are absences that are beyond filling. Given your evident continued interest, perhaps there's a way for you to rejoin this part of yourself, maybe through teaching or some appropriate volunteer activity, to pass along your hard-earned knowledge and passion for the craft. Many could benefit from all you have to offer.
Great video! I believe that the 23 gauge, as well as 21 and 18 have a chisel point. This means that when you are firing oins,with these smaller gauges, you should be holding the gun perpendicular' not parallel. This way, the pin will deflect to the right or left, rather than the fron or back. however, with the larger 15, and 16s, the chisel is cut the other way. and should be nailed with the gun parallel. The pins on the 23 are so small that it may not matter, but this is a good rule of thumb. I hope this is helpful. I am a retired furniture maker of 35 plus years, and am still learning. I have gained a lot of new ideas from you and enjoy very much your superb content! thanks.
Other than some adjacent base trim at the drywall, it’s trimmed. Scribed to drywall and a short piece of white oak added at the soffit and paint grade base inside at the back panel. Thin brick will bury the stiles closest to the fireplace. Let’s hope the mason or tile guy masks off well and with clean hands.
In my day here in the southeast, the expectation was that the work would be scribed to the drywall. In those cases, shelves were usually adjustable with a single fixed shelf in the center. (Aesthetics on shelf nosings flush with the frame weren't crucial, and weight would be less). An oversize face frame would be scribed onsite and attached with the case pulled out, so glue could be applied and pocket screws could be attached. Once the FF was done, the piece would be slid back into the opening and would fit like a glove. The alternative method would use either fillers or 2-pc framing to butt the drywall.. You end up with a finished look, but the only aspect you have to sweat is scribing face frames or fillers. Dimensions on the case weren't critical. In my experience, designers always over-specify and obsess about details the average homeowner would never notice or appreciate - often driving up costs without benefit. Your 2" fixed, flush shelves being an example.
@@landonedwards7504 it might be preferred to have a designer helping the client to spend money. Higher margins maybe. We always loved them for that reason. Build in a line item for “conferences” though. Often you will have to tactfully educate a designer about best methods - in the presence of the client and this requires skill and patience. We have done it the same as you describe but attach the face frame prior to scribe. In this case with the video, with thin brick and grouted mortar joints, I would have done these cases the same with only slight structural improvements on the build. A scribe to masonry is always fun and an opportunity to show your skills but in this case, I would let the brick meet the stile - as was done in the video. The only concern is staining the raw oak with thinset or similar mortar. I believe the stile meeting drywall was scribed however. Keep watching.
It is really nice to watch a video that is put out on RU-vid for informative reasons rather than entertainment. I am so tired of watching people that think that they are entertaining, but have no substance to what they’re talking about. Not only are you extremely informative and painstakingly detailed about how and why you do everything that you do but you are also entertaining at the same time because of the detail and the information that you convey. Keep up the good work. I have always enjoyed watching your videos.
Man buddy u hit the nail on thee head! I am always trying to learn! Bottom line I want to reduce the number of clients I hv to those who are aware of prices however; will pay your price w/ o haggling ! That means I hv to execute precisely in my carpentry builds! Listening to music, 10 x speed ( while they work thru what seems to them to be boring) and I am screaming nooooo I need to see how you executed that joint ! I am done I cancel and move on! I even spend hours watching framing so if a customer states I hv this issue I understand and can refer them to the right framer, roofer, ect.,. In order to be competent; passion is a huge part of it! Bout 3/4 years ago I clicked on Spencer and I found that teacher! Great resource!
I really like watching your videos. I learn so much from watching them. I am a hobbyist but you have helped me improve the quality of my work so much. Thanks for what you do and keep it up.
Im a electrical contractor by trade for about 30 years but have done alot of wood work also. Man would love to work with my guy here for about a year, to have the opportunity to learn from a true master of wood working. Outstanding quality work!
very informative as always. spencer gives us for free a master class in so many aspects of carpentry and he never stops learning as we do as builders. love it! also the comprehensive breakdowns on tool set ups and case use is unrivaled. thank you!
Spencer your videos in my opinion are the best thing to watch on TV. Keep up the good work. Next to Norm your videos are the best. This may be your most informative and fun videos you’ve made yet!
For such high quality work and expertly detailed video’s you deserve waaay more views. This stuff so much better than your next epoxy river table video. 👍
When I come across a channel like this, with a guy who does such a great job and gives people so many detailed and valuable explanations about how to do things the best way, I can definitely not leave without subscribing. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I appreciate your response I really do. I’m putting drawer faces on at the moment. Got a walk thru tomorrow. Man I know you hear this a lot but I really find your channel a breath of fresh air. You are the real deal and I relate 100%. Thank you for the tip. God bless.
I am a finish carpenter and have done so for the last 15 yrs. For people who don't know the inner workings of running trim and doing built ins etc, He is the real deal. It's not often you see someone who delivers such high end results consistently in every aspect of his jobs. The customers are getting their money's worth without a doubt. Even us experienced carpenters learn new techniques/efficiency from watching this channel. Keep up the good work man. You have a awesome thing going and I have nothing but respect for you and what you do.. to many more years from Woodstock Ga. 👍👍💪
I guess I started at a company that did this stuff, so I really don't know any other way to do it. The houses look similar to the ones we do. Mr. Lewis is definitely high level, luckily I worked in a shop full of him, and I was the guy who was a master at looking stupid.
Spencer, love your videos, brother. I hope you’ll take this in the way that I mean it. Speaking for every woodworker who’s NOT in the trades, it does my heart good to hear someone like you say they’ve screwed up countless built-ins. It’s the feeling every hack golfer gets when they watch Tiger shank one into the woods. Thanks for the honesty!
I know the table saw is king but you really should think about investing in a high grade panel saw. I work for a cabinet shop in Massachusetts, the owner purchased one a few years back. It is an absolute game changer. Anways always a pleasure watching your content!
Brilliant - thanks so much for taking the time to produce these videos. What I aspire to mostly is the level of calm you bring to your workplace. I run around like a blue arse fly then wonder where the day has gone !
You are a wonderful craftsman. I’ve been in the cabinet business for over 30 years. I know quality and you have it. The castle machine is the best money can buy
This vid was a banger. I love these long form carpentry videos. So many small expert tips that add up to an incredibly professional result. I am a huge fan of the design also (except the drywall backer idea, lol). Expertly executed, Spencer. 👍 👌
I so appreciate this type of video - detailed enough to really be useful, not just edited for length. And its really all about the planning and strategy separating work that is 'good enough' from...well, pretty fabulous. I hope your clients appreicate you!
Nice work Spencer! After 30+ years of carpentry, I'm always learning from you. This was a fun one. You could still make this a free standing unit by adding panels to the outside. Something I might add to your shelves is to do them like floating shelves. Take two of the spacers and attach ithem to the insides of the box for each shelf. Would have been nice to paint that back panel before attaching, oh well. Many Thanks!
Thanks Spencer for showing us how it’s done. Great reminders at all key steps. This video is a real confidence-builder for a project that can be a little intimidating. That Castle machine is sweet! Someday. I’m also a big believer in “idiot” marks, especially for built-ins. I tried using a Pentel Hi Polymer Block Eraser to take off pencil lines. They have worked well for me. Amazon sells them, in bulk if you use them a lot (like I do). Erasing with the grain usually takes the marks off completely, or at least close enough. Sometime you need to sand the area (w/ 180 or 220j - lightly, by hand - if the surface will be stained or clear-coated. This has worked for me to eliminate all eraser debris. I agree that a stapler is The tool for back panels. Really hold tight. It’ll stay on there nice & tight - even when you’re moving it into place. Thanks again for all of the time to take to make us better, and yes, please make more project videos. They really help.
Made similar matching bookshelves but ran dado slots for 3/4" shelves with a router with the shelf fronts behind the face frame. Glued them in, clamped them and they're solid as a truss beam.
Surprised not to see clamps on the back edges at the filler strips to pull them together. Must be nice to work with flat plywood ! Another awesome video. Thank you and more like this please.
I really like your reasoning for making them bigger and then cutting down, I would not have thought about that. I have some 'chunky' shelves in my future and this is a great video to flag for rewatching.
I built one of these for my house early last year. I learned a lot of the stuff you laid out here the hard way. I wish you made this a year earlier but good one.
Thank you for this detailed video ! Been watcing you for a couple years now and gotta say youre one of my top favorites to watch and i try to watch your videos as soon as they come out. As always top notch work and outstanding results. Cant wait to see more!
Thanks for walking us through the details of your thought process for each step. I learned so much more that way than I would have from a simple “do this” video. It really helps me as I think about how to approach a given project.
Not making this up......as soon as the flooring is down and I run the base in my current job, I'm building two bookcases to fit in the cavities either side of their fireplace. Timing is everything! Thanks, Spencer!👍
About the only thing I would do differently is to have the thickness spacers on the ends be wider so that when cutting to final size, the ends would be solid. The rest of this build is beautiful. I wish there was at least one picture of it finished.
I love how you teach. You are so specific on the details even while knowing your videos are a blend of how to and just trade enjoyment from how to place your wood to be cut to not tearout or over build to cut down. I feel like an apprentice of yours. I do feel a bit let down seeing the gaps and the top trim board installed at the home. I would have really appreciated your few extra minutes of time to at least explain how you were going to fill gaps and finish the install if you didn’t have to do the remainder of the filming. Bravo buddy you are still my favorite trim you tuber. Thanks for challenging me to be the best at all my skills with your level of detail.
Wow man. You are a busy guy. I never expected you to respond. That makes sense. That’s for pointing this out. I’m building some simple one now, nothing like yours. My brick is already there so I’ll probably need shoe or quarter on mine. Thank for the video.
Really well thought out. I believe adding a 1/2" cleat, pre positioned on each side for the shelves to engage, would help with placement during assembly. (You could even use glue without the mess)
I understand that methods and attention to detail matter, but as a newbie I wonder how much of building is just doing the work and earning the experience? I really enjoy watching masters do the work. There’s something truly beautiful about watching something done right.
You have inspired me. I am going to build a fireplace/TV center on the wall out of studs and sheetrock. I am then going to make thick cantilevered shelves and shelves that insert into the "center" like yours. Basically there will be an opening for an electric fireplace, an opening for the huge TV, a place to put a soundbar, and openings for the DVR, electronics, and security system DVR. I may do thick wall boxes for some. I do not know about doors yet. TBD as things progress.
My lord that clamp rack should come with an 18+ rating haha! Excellent video and content, as ever. Many thanks for your ongoing effort to educate us all.
Well, I wasn't expecting a master class in built-in shelves. Great detailed video. All the stuff and none of the fluff. Definitely a subscriber now. Thnaks!
Love your videos. I was wondering if you would possibly do a video showing how you use sketch up. I’ve seen that people have different ways of using it and would love to see how a professional carpenter goes about it. Beautiful work!
Very nice tips! My friend and I did a similar built in project, flush 2” shelves. We ended up making the shelves over sized, but doing miter boxes for them with support in the center as you did. Since we were no longer gluing to the edge of the ply, no need to create a cupped edge for expansion. For face trim we did it all after install leaving 1/32 proud and then cleaning up with flush trim. This came after assembly which worked fine, but may be more work than the assembly process you used. Lots of great tips in here should we ever build this style again.
Love it. I worked in a custom shop for ten years. Only thing i would have added to that is one domino to the oak on shelf and to face frames to make lining up the faces and assembly easier. Pre domino machine i would have done exactly what you did. I'd have sprayed it iny shop too. I def wouldn't want to paint that back after the fact.
20:36 You can also use the festool MFK700 for this exact purpose. It’s a much smaller trim router so easier handle, and they’ve refined the fence a lot too to make it easier to use.
