Ash Bar

Rich Aldrich

Member
Messages
296
Location
Manistique, Michigan
This is a bar I made in 2006 for a friend. It is 8' x 5'. The main panels are raised panels. The cabinets were finished with natural stain and polyurethane clear coat. The bar top is glued strips and finished with marine varnish. There is a garage door on the top cabinet. We hid the plumbing for the wet bar in the top cabinet. I was able to do all of the wiring and plumbing.

THe bar itself was made in panels and dry fit in the shop. There was no way to get the assembled cabinet in his basement, so I put the bar together in his basement. The long side is 8' and just fit down the stairs. I put down a plastic tarp and glued and screwed the cabinet together. It was a challenge not to ruin anything that is already finished.
 

Attachments

  • IMG.jpg
    IMG.jpg
    55.8 KB · Views: 53
  • IMG_0004.jpg
    IMG_0004.jpg
    57.4 KB · Views: 54
  • IMG_0002.jpg
    IMG_0002.jpg
    45.3 KB · Views: 47
  • IMG_0001.jpg
    IMG_0001.jpg
    46.9 KB · Views: 49
  • IMG_0003.jpg
    IMG_0003.jpg
    59.7 KB · Views: 58
well done rich,, and the mitred counter must have been a bear to get right. end grain cutting and then having to match besides.. how did you pull that off? got some kind of clamps under it like a normal premade counter has? ash looks real good in there..:thumb::thumb:
 
Rich,

Beautiful -- your work and finished product are wonderful.

For sure it did not make an ash out of you..... :rofl:

Paul
 
Thank you all for the compliments. I tried to keep the dark grain for the raised panels and then the bottom rails. Then, I let it run from there.

The most challenging thing about this job was the countertop. I didnt charge much just so that I could gain the experience and it is for a friend. It took me almost as long to make the countertop as it did to make the rest of the bar.

The miter cut proved to be the most challenging part. I spent a lot of time (a couple of hours at least) on the set up and only a couple of minutes making the cut. I tried to plan the lay out of the wood to match at the miter -some of it was luck. I did not glue the final pieces to either length in case I had to recut the miter.

Ash is so nice to work with.

My friend's wife works at Timber Products, where I buy my rought cut. She got it for cost as an employee. It is a good company to deal with - I just hope they make it through these hard times.

Ash at the time was $1.00 per board foot rough cut and oak was $2.10 per board foot. Good prices (my prices, so employee was better) and only 27 miles from my house.
__________________
 
well done rich,, and the mitred counter must have been a bear to get right. end grain cutting and then having to match besides.. how did you pull that off? got some kind of clamps under it like a normal premade counter has? ash looks real good in there..:thumb::thumb:

I use a piece of 3/4 plywood inset inside the cabinet. This helps square the top of the cabinet (or keep it square) and gives a great deal of area to put screws in to hold it down.

I did try to plan the end grain match - some of it was luck. That is why it took about 2 hours to set up the miter cuts. A Sunday morning was spent messing with the miter.
 
Top