mikemcquinn.com

Cherry Bookcase

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This post documents a cherry bookcase I built using hand tools from rough sawn lumber. It is based on a bookcase designed by Paul Sellers.

Here is the sketch I drew of the plan

I didn’t take any photos of milling the wood or jointing the panels, but here is some of the dryfitting.

I finished the insides of the panels and the shelves before assembly using Natura One Coat clear.

And fully assembled

Here with the tools I used to build it: rip saw, crosscut saw, dovetail saw, combination square, chisels, chisel hammer, #4 plane, #5 plane, and a marking knife.

And a few more shots in better lighting.

Window Mechanical Restorations

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This post documents a mechanical restoration of five windows on the first floor – four facing south (s4, s5, s6, and s7) and one facing west (w1).

Here is the bottom sash and weight access panels removed from the S7 window.

And with the upper sash and pulleys removed.

And a shot from the exterior.

Here is a view with all sashes removed and the S7 window jamb stripped.

And a before and after shot of the hardware.

And the weights collected.

Here all the jambs are stripped.

The sill on the S4 was cracked.

And repaired with some clamps, glue, and epoxy filler.

The stops and access panel covers were stripped.

Sashes were installed with original pulleys and weights and new rope.

Third Disc Golf Ace

Mon, 05 May 2025 00:00:00 -0400

Third disc golf ace. Highland hole #1. Forehand zone.

S3 Window Mechanical Restoration

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This post documents the restoration of the S3 window, original to the addition put on the 1950s.

Here are some pictures taken before deconstructing the jamb. I pulled the casings off the jamb so that I could get the pulleys out.

And a picture of the knot used to hold the sash.

The jamb was pretty rotten on one side.

It was repaired with wood epox.

The left jamb was also split at the slot for the parting bead.

The hardware was soaked in a crockpot and paint removed.

The jamb was primed and painted

Bronze weatherstrip was installed in jambs and silicon bulb was installed in sill and head jamb.

E1 Window Mechanical Restoration

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 00:00:00 -0400

This post documents the mechanical restoration of the E1 window, original to the addition put on the 1950s.

Here are some pictures taken before deconstructing the jamb. I pulled the casings off the jamb so that I could get the pulleys out.

And a picture of the hardware once removed. One sash lock was broken and will be replaced.

And some pictures of the restoration process. Weight access pockets were installed, new rope and pulleys installed. I broke a pane of glass in the process, which was cut and replaced. Hardware was soaked in a crockpot and excess paint removed.

Jamb was primed and painted. New hardware installed.

Second Disc Golf Ace

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Second disc golf ace. First glow ace. Highland hole #9 in the long position. Disc is a glow Innova VRoc.

Bowled a 206

Sun, 02 Feb 2025 00:00:00 -0500

Went bowling with some friends and got hot. Had a small crowd for the last ball, but missed it.

Racing the Dragon

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0400

Two shots of us in the van driving to STL from the cabin.

Weber Genesis Silver B Restoration

Sat, 25 May 2024 00:00:00 -0400

This post documents the restoration of a Weber Genesis Silver B propane grill. This has been our only grill since 2005, having been parked on balconies, decks, and patios in six houses in three states. If you ate a grilled meal at our house, it was cooked on this grill!

It was in pretty rough condition, both inside and out. The cooking grates and burners had been replaced two or three times. The starter worked exactly once, then never again.

The cookbox had been damaged, the front lip warped due to a grease fire in the porky days of 2012. The deformed lip prevented the grease tray from sliding completely into place. The grease bottom tray and liner bracket had turned to rust.

There was plenty of rust in the bottom of the cabinet as well.

I disassembled the hood and separated the cookbox from the cabinet. I removed the left shelves, front doors, but was unable to remove the right handle and condiment tray.

Weber provided me a new cooktop under the original 25 year warranty.

The cabinet and frame were scraped with an angle grinder and then sanded, primed, and painted with a glossy bbq paint.

The hood supports were cleaned inside and out with Simple Green twice. I then degreased them with brake cleaner and painted with a matte high-heat bbq paint. The hood was cleaned with Simple Green and polished. The “Weber” front emblem was sanded bright, and the thermometer and housing were polished with stainless steel polish. The support brackets and propane gauge were similarly cleaned, primed, and painted with a gloss spray paint.

I cleaned the plastic shelves and lid handle with Simple Green and then applied a few coats of 303 Aerospace Protectant.

The cabinet door panels had a plastic coating that had begun to fail. I scraped it off and cleaned with Simple Green and polished with stainless steel polish and 0000 steel wool.

Here are some after shots and our first meal.

Small Gift Box

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0500

I made a small gift box out of Morado (Bolivian Rosewood).

with some of the tools used: