Dailey Woodworks

Over Size Door Installation in Bryan Texas

This doorway was a challenge.  The entry to an older home in Bryan, TX was a massive door that, unfortunately, was damaged beyond repair.  Years of rain, Texas heat, and, most recently, a beating from Hurricane Harvey had caused the old wooden door to swell, crack, and begin to fail at the joints.  We set about replacing the door and rebuilding the entryway.

My clients chose a door from our door supplier and we installed it when the door arrived a few weeks later.  The old entryway had no insulation and I can imagine that in full summer heat or winter chill, you would feel the draft walking by.  We completely tore out the old framing, built new framing, installed the door, added insulation, closed it back up, and painted it.

The finished result really boosted the curb appeal of this home.  In fact, the homeowners loved it so much that I’m going back to replace a few more doors for them in the next couple of weeks.  We originally painted the door and surround in Doe Skin by Kelly Moore but since both of the homeowners are professors at Texas A&M University, it just wasn’t right without some Aggie Maroon.

 

We professionally install interior and exterior doors throughout the Brazos Valley, Contact Us for a free estimate.

Whiskey Barrel Table Build

My client supplied the whiskey barrels for this project and thanks to pictures knew exactly what he wanted me to do.  We took two whiskey barrels and made two matching tables for him and his brother.  We went with an Oak top stained with English Chestnut and finished with a semi-gloss clear coat.

Oak gives the strength and stability needed for this type of table.  We initially make a top out of pine with disappointing results.

Cutting a perfect circle in wood is a little tricky.  There are a few methods of doing this.  I chose to make a compass jig for my router.  You can buy these but making one is very simple.  Using shallow passes made multiple cuts until I bottomed out my plunge router.  I then used a jigsaw to cut away the rest and cleaned that up with a flush trim router bit.

 

To mount the top we used some very simple 2×4 bracing.  Our youtube video shows you how we did it better than we can tell you.

Pinterest is a fun place for ideas and projects.  I’ve done a folding workbench a client found on Pinterest and a few other projects.  If you have an odd build request use the Pinterest Challenge contact form are we will work on bringing your ideas to reality.

If you have a project in mind Contact Us, we can build what you want and have nationwide shipping available for furniture projects.

Check out our Youtube Video to see how it’s made:

Budget Kitchen Transformation

Does your kitchen look like this?

Let’s walk you through how we transformed it into this

This was a Kitchen Remodel in Bryan TX.

Your kitchen is the most important room of your house.

It’s where you prep your meals, it’s where your junk drawer is, it’s the countertops you put groceries on, it’s where you make your coffee… I could go on (but I could have also just said your kitchen is where you make your coffee to establish my point).

The Kitchen is the Hub of most homes, if that space isn’t functional or enjoyable then it affects your whole life.  We took this old, worn out, and poorly laid out 1960’s kitchen and completely updated it to be beautiful and functional.  AND WE USED THE EXISTING CABINETS SAVING THE HOMEOWNER $1000s!  

Modifying existing cabinets is called “Cabinet Refacing.” Refacing cabinets can be as simple as new door and drawer fronts on a functional but dated kitchen.  Or Refacing can be extensive modifications to existing cabinets to drastically change how a kitchen functions.  Sometimes it is best to go with all new cabinets but many times we can come up with budget-friendly solutions.

This kitchen had a built-in oven and a separate range, both broken.  We looked at the option of replacing each but it’s shocking how much a built-in oven costs.  We decided to demo the existing cabinets and build to new base cabinets to allow for a combination stove/range.  Even with the cost of new base cabinets for this area and a nice new stove was still about $500 less than it would have been for separate built in oven and stove top.

I built two drawer banks to flank the new oven and when we were all said and done you cant tell where the original cabinets end and the new ones begin.

All About Those Drawers

All but one of the base cabinets were converted to drawer banks.  Deep drawers do a better job of not only organizing your pots and pans but also allow for better access.  We built all of our drawers with 1/2 birch plywood and have 1/4 drawer bottoms that are captive on 3 sides.  This creates a very strong drawer that can hold a lot of weight.  We use ballbearing full extension drawer slides.

The drawers are clear-coated with lacquer for a durable finish.

Doors and Drawer Faces

Simple elegance was the goal with this kitchen.  Shaker style doors and drawer faces create a timeless look.  We only use Euro Style concealed hinges on our cabinets.

Finishes

DuraPoxy by Kelly Moore Paints is my go to paint for cabinetry.  It goes on beautifully and when dry gives an extremely durable finish.  Park Oak Paint in Bryan is the Brazos Valley’s only Kelly Moore dealer, and my favorite paint store.

Shout Outs

No remodeling project is done by just one guy.  It takes various tradesmen to get the job done.  My tile guy Chris is outstanding in his attention to detail.  The Electrician installed all new can lights, undercabinet lighting, and brought everything up to modern code. Scott, my favorite plumber from Bass Plumbing puts up with me and fixed what was a mess underneath the sink.

Our countertops were done by Brazos Valley Granite.

YouTube Video

Want a walk through?  I documented this remodel on my youtube channel so you can see the process of how this project came together.

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Straighten Boards With This DIY Table Saw Jointer Jig

Straight boards are essential to quality woodworking, however, I’ve yet to buy a perfectly straight board.  This easy to make jig can be made in a few hours and will definitely up your woodworking game.

A Jointer is a woodworking tool that is used to get a perfectly straight edge on a board.  You cannot typically do this on a table saw because the curve of the wood will follow the fence and you’ll be left with a narrower curved board.  A Jointer is a specialized tool that is able to deal with the imperfect boards to get them straight.  They are also expensive ranging from $400-$3000.  

Also, I don’t really have room for one in my shop.  But I can achieve the same results faster and a whole lot cheaper with a jointing jig for the table saw.  With this jig, I’m able to get perfectly straight edges on lumber up to 2x12x96.  That’s a little overkill for most folk so you can make a smaller one that better suits your needs.  The jig uses plywood, which will have a straight edge from the factory and inexpensive toggle clamps.

Watch the Video Below to See How It’s Made

 

Built-In Cabinet Modification

Custom Cabinets in College Station TX

Did you know that you’re existing built-in cabinets can be modified?  Many people assume that built-in cabinetry has to be completely removed and new cabinets made if they ever want to make changes.  What a waste of time, money, and materials!

Cabinet Modification, also commonly called cabinet refacing, allows existing cabinets and built-ins to be changed, modified, and updated to change their function and style.

This entertainment center was built in the days of big heavy CRT televisions.  Thank goodness for new technology and better TVs.

Seriously, this 49in HDTV is only $300, and has Netflix built in! And it only weighs 25lbs vs 9,001lbs

For obvious reasons, my client would rather have a TV like this rather than the old style that this cabinet was built for.

 

They saved $1,600 modifying the existing cabinet vs building new

Here’s what we did:

Partial demoing of the cabinet (Hover over pictures for captions)

This was actually three cabinet units
The full center section was removed and cut down
The sides of the outer cabinets were left

Modifications

I skinned the back wall with 1/4 Maple Plywood
New plywood top
Bookshelves add to top
Faceframes added and cabinet primed

Detail Pictures

Routed faceframes to match the original style
Before: Obsolete track system
After: Skinned with 1/4 plywood
Edge trim added to new top
Crown Molding
Crown Molding adds a finishing touch

The client opted to save even more money by painting the “New” cabinet themselves. They were pretty happy with this 2-day modification.

We build new cabinets and modify existing cabinets.  Contact us to set up a free estimate for your next home improvement project.

Improving Dust Collection on a Jobsite Table Saw

how to improve dust collection on a table saw

I recently purchased the Ridgid 10in Heavy Duty Portable Table Saw (R4513) to replace my Hitachi C10RJ Table Saw (Sigh). The Ridgid R4513 has a great fence, plenty of power, and a “gravity rise” stand.  I’m mostly happy with this saw and can trust it on the job site unlike the Hitachi.

One area that really could use improvement on the Ridgid Jobsite Table Saw is dust collection.  I’ve really been on a dust collection crusade recently, because of the health benefits, time saved in clean up, and an overall more enjoyable woodworking experience.

Check out my youtube videos for my homemade two-stage dust collector and the amazing auto switch I use to automatically turn my vacuum on and off.

I noticed fairly quickly that the dust collection was poor on my new saw.  Looking underneath I found that the shroud was mostly open which didn’t allow for strong suction.  I decided to do something about it,

I couldn’t make a shroud cover out of plywood or stiff material because it would interfere with the blade tilt mechanism.  Therefore, I simply doubled up some duct tape (sticky sides together) and started closing in the empty spaces.  I also used Zero Clearance Tape by Fastcap to quickly make my stock throat plate a zero clearance throat plate and to add some rigidity to my Gorilla Tape shroud underneath the saw.

The results were too good.  I actually closed up the saw to the point that air was only entering through the zero clearance throat plate.  This caused too much restriction and quickly caused the dust shroud to clog.  I cut out a small portion of the duct tape at the front of the shroud to allow for air flow and it works great.

This simple improvement greatly improved the dust collection at my table saw and makes it far more enjoyable to use.  I did this to my Ridgid Portable Table Saw but the same method should work on any table saw.

VIDEO

Watch the video below to see how I did this.  It should work on any jobsite or portable table saw.

how to improve dust collection on a table saw

*Click image above to watch video*

Cheap and Easy Two-Stage DIY Dust Separator

I don’t have an elaborate dust collection system at my shop.  My system is two shop vacuums that I got on Black Friday deals for about $40 each. I did splurge on a few extra hoses here and there but that’s it.

One thing that I always do is run filter bags in my vacuums.  Especially while sanding the fine particles will quickly clog a filter and dramatically decrease performance.  The filters also really suck (no pun intended) to clean.  Filter bags do a great job of keeping your wet/dry vacuum performing at full capacity until the bag is packed full, but man they are expensive!

Filter Bags get Expensive, Y’all!

The best prices I’ve found for filter bags are on Amazon (which is not always the case).  Here’s the link: http://amzn.to/2u5oCzU

These are 3 for $10 with free shipping,  If you look sometimes you can find better but $3.33 per bag is about the best I can find.  The Orange store runs about $5 per bag and the Blue store is a shocking $7 per bag.  It pays to shop around!

If I’m building a Dog Kennel running my miter saw, table saw, and sander I can fill one of these up in a day, easy.  So I decided to try and make my own dust separator.

 

There are, of course, commercially available cyclones and chip separators (Like the Dust Deputy) that probably work better than mine: but where’s the fun in that?

My separator is about 80% effective.  This means that every time I fill up the trash can I used I save at least $13. That adds up over the year.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what I used:

All together I spent about $20 in supplies. If you count the trash can then it would be about $50 total.  Use what you have and be creative!

Form Fit PVC to Shop VAC hose with a Heat Gun

Now we run into a problem when we try to connect a 2″ vacuum hose to a 2″ PVC pipe.  It doesn’t work… but we can make it work.

Use a heat gun to soften the PVC and then work it over the shop vac fitting.  When it cools it will stay molded to the fitting giving a nice friction fit.  (BTW I love my DeWalt Heat Gun)

See how I put it all together on Youtube

diy dust separator

One More Thing…

I purchased an auto switch that automatically turns on my vacuum when I start up my saws.  It is an amazing time saver and I should have bought one sooner.

See how it works with this Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/BYaHQQNWKgY

 

 

 

 

Thanks For Reading

Thanks for reading.  If you found this article useful be sure to share, pin, mail, etc this with others.

How To Install Upgraded Tow Mirrors On Your F-150 (With Video)

Towing is something that must be done carefully and safely.  Tow mirrors increase your ability to see your trailer and surroundings.  See how to install aftermarket tow mirrors on your Ford 150.  It’s easy.  

My shop is completely mobile.  This allows me to do everything from building you a Murphy Bed to a full remodel anywhere within our service area.  I’ve dubbed this “The Dailey Portable Shop.”  This is the fancy name for my 6×12 Cargo Trailer that I have meticulously organized and optimized to serve as my shop.

Everything in its place and a place for everything

Pulling this trailer is not without its downsides.  The increased traffic in College Station paired with all the road construction has made driving through town stressful.  Adding a trailer with into this equation doubles the stress.  The Dailey Portable Shop is backed into the driveway of most homes so that we can set up shop in the garage.

So how can I see everything I need to see to do all this safely?

Enter Aftermarket Tow Mirrors

My primary concern in adding tow mirrors is to increase my visibility while backing my trailer.  I have small children.  It honestly terrifies me that one of them may run behind my trailer while I’m backing it in and I not see them.  (Obviously, we try to teach them safety and keep them in a safe space while this is happening but…they’re children who don’t recognize and process the danger.  They’re just excited to hear daddy’s truck and want to run out to see me).  Tow Mirrors have dramatically increased my visibility.

Before
After

I did a lot of research to find an affordable, quality aftermarket tow mirror that would fit my 2014 Ford F-150.  The reviews online pointed me to 1A Auto, and these Trail Ridge Tow Mirrors for only $173.00.  If you’ve looked for Ford OEM Mirrors you’ll know this is a much better deal.  These mirrors will fit 2007-2014 Ford F-150s but be sure to double check before ordering.

How to Install Tow Mirrors On Your Ford F-150 (Video)

See it’s that easy.

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Murphy Bed Built for Playroom

We recently had the opportunity to build this Murphy Bed for a lovely family in the Woodlands, Texas.  This is a queen size bed that we installed in this family’s playroom.  That is the great thing about a Wall Bed, when this bed is folded up it only takes up 16″ of floor space, allowing for a truly useful multipurpose room in your house.

Only the Best Hardware

Create-a-bed Murphy Bed Hardware is the only hardware we use for our Murphy Beds.  It is high quality, well-designed hardware specifically tailored for safe, easy to use Murphy Beds.  I always cringe when I see Youtube Videos or Pinterest Posts touting “DIY Murphy Bed Hardware” or “I built a Murphy Bed for $400.”  The first statement worries me about safety and ease of use. The second is a flat lie, there is more than that in lumber alone.

With Hardware from Create-a-Bed, you get a smooth operation that anyone can operate with one hand, and it comes with a lifetime warranty.  The Create-a-bed hardware also has a great set of plans to build your own Murphy Bed if you’re a DIY’er.

Quality Materials

High-Quality lumber and materials lead to a high quality finished product.  Our paint grade beds are built with Radiata Pine Plywood and Lumber.  This material provides a very stable and smooth surface that paints exceptionally well.  All of our paint grade cabinetry is built with this material.

To finish the bed we primed with a quality sandable primer.  This fills the pores of the wood allowing us to sand to a very smooth finish.  A good paint job is all in the prep.  My new favorite cabinet paint is Durapoxy by Kelly-Moore Paints.  Durapoxy creates a very hard finish that is easy to clean and exceptionally durable to high use items, such as cabinetry, doors, and trim.  Using my Titan 440 airless paint sprayer (I’ve set it up specifically for cabinet painting) I apply two finish coats of paint.  Spraying with an Airless sprayer gives a flawless, glass smooth finish.  The color used for this bed is Semi-Gloss Dover White, it’s almost identical to the Antique White we use on our Dog Kennels.

Extended Service Area

The great thing about our Murphy Beds is you don’t have to live in Bryan or College Station, Texas to get one installed in your home.  We build your bed to your specifications in our shop and come install it in your home.  Typically in one day.  This allows us to offer installation to an expanded area including; Huntsville, Conroe, The Woodlands, Brenham, Bastrop, North Houston, Waco, Temple-Killeen, and Austin.

 

Contact us to get a free quote for an Awesome Murphy Bed

See how we build your bed on Youtube

Share on Pinterest

5AM

It’s Sunday, and here I sit a 6:24am fully dressed down to my shoes.  My keys, wallet, and knife are in their pockets; I’m ready to walk out the door.  I don’t have anywhere to be until church at 11am.  The little monsters sweet children get up around 8 every day.  So why?

Because I want to be productive.  My web developer, Jason at Placer Marketing, told me about an article he read about productivity and the power of getting up early.  He sent me the link and I’m convinced to give it a try.  Click here to read the article by Benjamin Hardy.

When I think back, the most productive times in my life have been when I consistency woke up early

When I think back to the most productive times in my life, they have been the seasons that I intentionally woke up early.  I remember my first job as a part-time youth minister while in college, I was so excited and driven.  The biggest perk was I had a nice office, and keys to the building.  For the first few months, I was there by 7:30, no one else was there until 8:30.  By noon I had accomplished everything I needed to do that day including many long-term goals.  My grades in college also improved thanks to my early rising and intentional planning of each day.  Eventually, the excitement wore off and I fell back into the “wake up late, rush out the door, arrive barely on time routine the majority of people live in.

Most people spend their day reacting to situations instead of anticipating them

Most people spend their day reacting to their obligations instead of anticipating them.  Yesterday was Saturday.  Saturday in my world is “work on our house day.”  There are chores do, children to play with, trash to take to the dump (We live in a rural area without curbside garbage service). I meant to start this “get up a 5am” thing yesterday but hit my alarm button as soon as I heard it and went back to sleep.

At 7:30 I was awoken by little ones hungry and ready to be awake (Saturday is my wife’s day to sleep in: she adamantly disagrees with anyone who says you should wake up before 9:00 am).  Now I was in reaction mode,  I had two hungry and fussy toddlers who had to get frustrated and loud enough to wake me from my sleep to get their needs taken care of.  I had to jump out of bed and go straight to them and start getting their breakfast and sippy cups ready.  Because I wasn’t ready to be awake this made my attitude…less than pleasant…and set my tone for the entire day.

Today will be different.  I’m already up and can anticipate and plan my morning.  My oldest gets up first then wakes up the middle-est (Yes I’m making up a new word).  If I can get him up and out the middle-est can keep sleeping for another hour.  I can have his pop-tart and cup ready and we can have some quality time first thing before getting ready for church.  I’m anticipating my day instead of reacting to it.  I’m taking back control.

Unplanned time is wasted time

Unplanned time is wasted time.  Therefore, just waking up at 5am is pointless without a plan.  So I applied Lean to my 5am wake-up time.  Lean is about continuously improving a process.  Your morning routine is a process and therefore can be improved to eliminate waste and increase productivity.

This is what my mornings were looking like:

  • Alarm goes off at 6:40. Hit snooze until 7:20
  • 7:20 rush to get dressed and out the door by 7:30, usually 8 if I’m working from home
  • 8:00 get to jobsite or shop without any real plan on what I should be doing first

As you see I’m reacting to my day:

This is my goal for what my mornings will look like now:

  • 5:00-5:15 Get up and get fully dressed.  To me, there is something psychological about being dressed and ready to go.  It’s always been a thing for me.  I’m sure there is research to validate my opinion on this (this is the internet after all…).
  • 5:15-5:30 Stretch, get moving.  From past experience I know if I get up and go straight to a desk (or couch) I will fall asleep there or just sit there in a zombie state. Stretching has tons of benefits and feels good.  I don’t exercise in this time I’m just on my feet.
  • 5:30-5:45 – Bible reading, prayer, meditation.  This is something I have neglected in my life for much too long.
  • 5:45-6:00 – Physical Activity.  My body is still fighting consciousness at this point so I do something to get the blood moving.  I got this awesome punching bag for Christmas but it’s on the back porch and I would wake the family up using it at this time.  So shadow boxing.
  • 6:00-6:15 – Plan my day, 3S (a Lean thing), make an actionable plan for self-improvement.
  • 6:15-7:00 – Computer time to blog, edit video, return business email, work on estimates, etc.  Today I’m writing this blog post.  And it’s my Sabbath so I’m not doing any real work.  This blog post is different somehow, I think because it’s more personal, so I don’t consider it work.  I’m also bleeding into my next block of time.  Also, no social media during this time.
  • 7:00-7:30 – Continued computer time, load up the trailer to head to jobsite, or start cleaning shop to start work at 8:00
  • 7:30-8:00 – Travel time to jobsite.  It takes me roughly 30mins to get to a location, and I cant really start making noise until 8:00 due to city ordinances and common courtesy.
  • 8:00 – Saw Blades spinning.  Out of respect for my neighbors, I don’t start any loud equipment until 8:00.  I have stood there with my hand on the saw and a clock at 7:59 waiting for 8:00.

This is my planned morning routine.  It’s not set in stone and I can change it as I see fit.  However, following my planned morning routine is set in stone in that whatever plan I set I will follow.  So far I’ve had a calm and productive morning.

Remember: Your morning routine is a process and all processes can be continuously improved.

What does your morning routine look like? What changes can you make to improve your morning productivity?

Be sure to read the article that inspired me to start this new 5am madness: You Make Or Break Your Life Between 5-7 AM by Benjamin Hardy

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