Plumbing Pipe Shelves

All posts tagged Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I Wrote A Book

Posted by James on November 1, 2016
Posted in: New Home. Tagged: , , , , , . 39 Comments

I once had a cab driver tell me that in his culture there’s a proverb;

“If you focus on something for long enough, you will burn a hole in it”

I’m paraphrasing, because he had a pretty thick accent, but was something like that.

Pretty good advice from a man who’s name was Abysmal. Seriously, it was. (Sidenote here: I always have long conversations with my cab drivers. In fact, total strangers talk to me all the time; women in line next to me at Jo Ann’s, the tool rental guys at Home Depot, TSA agents. I can’t help it. I just have one of those faces that says, “Tell me everything about your life….and don’t skimp on any of the intimate details”)

Y’all may have noticed a slight decline in the amount of blog posting/home improvements over the past 8-9 months. (I know that Jamie certainly has.) Well, this is why.

I’ve been focused on burning a hole in a personal goal this past year.

One that I am immensely proud of and can’t wait to share with y’all.

I knew 30 years ago that I wanted to write a book. I thought it would be a collection of my stories. A few of which I occasionally share on this blog. Most however are scribbled in several random notebooks or jotted down in my notes on the “Cloud”.

But now, a couple of them have been published in a genuine book.

diy-industrial-pipe-furniture-decor

DIY Industrial Pipe Furniture & Decor

Along with extremely detailed instructions for 25 of the industrial plumbing pipe projects we’ve done at the Cavender house over the past 6 years.

I know, it’s more that I can handle too.

About a year ago I got am email from an editor at Ulysses Press asking me if I would consider writing a “How To” book on plumbing pipe for them. I immediately replied with a resounding “YES”. Didn’t phase me at all that I’ve never really written a book. When I started to think about the commitment it would take…I panicked. I did.

But I looked at all the things we’ve made from plumbing pipe over the past few years……

Like Harley Davidson’s dog bed…

harley-davidson-laying-on-her-industrial-dog-bed

And this awesome Locker Basket Dresser…

locker-basket-dresser-with-cacti-and-flag

There are a few Industrial Lamps…

finished-table-top-lamp

This Rolling Clothes Rack…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Some much-needed Garden Tool Storage…

garden-tool-rack-with-tools-longways

This Industrial Candelabra…

finished-industrial-candelabra-close-up

And everybody’s favorite, Plumbing Pipe Shelves…

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

And I knew that I could document all of it…and even more.

Now, finally, everything you need to know about building furniture, lamps and other assorted necessities with plumbing pipes is contained in handy book form….

DIY Industrial Pipe Furniture & Decor.

Get your copy today.

Just click the link above to be directed to Amazon.

Go on, you know that you want to.

 

Aging Wood With Steel Wool & Vinegar

Posted by James on October 19, 2014
Posted in: New Home, Projects. Tagged: , . 16 Comments

Yeah, you can do that.

Old wood is awesome, but not so easy to find in the sizes I need.

Can be a little “pricey” too.

Here’s a quick trick to age new wood to look a little weathered……or a lot weathered.

How to Age wood with Steel Wool and Vinegar from the Cavender Diary

Shred a handful of steel wool and add it to a Mason jar of vinegar.

After a couple of days….It looks like this muck.

Lovely, right?

The Mucky Vinegar for Aging Wood

Use this to “paint” on wood.

As it dries, and the mixture soaks into the wood, the colors start to age.

Now, this is important. Different woods will react differently to the vinegar mixture.

Different Woods Take the Age Treatment Differently

Yeah, the cedar bled a little, but I think y’all get the idea.

I brushed it all over the pine shelves on my plumbing pipe fixture in the living room.

Here’s the before:

Looking Down on Our Plumbing Pipe Shelves

And after a coat of the vinegar mixture…..

Looking Down on Our Aged Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I’m not sure where the “pink” tones came from…but there they are.

I promise, it looks much more grey/brown after a few days of drying.

See?

Plumbing Pipe Shelves from the Cavender Diary

“How does the vinegar and steel wool make the wood change?” you may ask.

The only plausible answer is “Science”.

Science is why.

Use this knowledge only for good.

How to Build Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Posted by James on October 17, 2014
Posted in: New Home, Projects. Tagged: , . 123 Comments

This was bound to happen eventually.

How to Build Plumbing Pipe Shelves from the Cavender Diary

If you read any sort of “Home” blog in the internet………you’ve seen this a thousand times. Maybe more.

Time for us to catch up with everyone else.

The only wall in our living room has been begging for some shelves since the first time we stepped foot in the Cavender house.

Empty Wall in the Living Room for My Shelves

There were some “modernish” chrome/black glass ones there for a few years. Thought we could live with them, they were so cheap, but I just couldn’t any longer. Black Glass????

We’ve been using plumbing pipe for projects all over the house; like the Rolling Log Holder, our Vintage-Looking Dog Bed, and in the Garage for storage. We’re going to use even more in the closets and maybe even as a shower curtain rod. Stay Tuned

After much rooting around the Home Depot plumbing isle, here’s what we came up with to hold our 10 foot wooden shelves together.

Here are the Pieces I need for Each Shelf Support - Copy

Here’s a footing, completely screwed together….

All the Pipes Connected for my Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I spaced 4 of these babies across the wall and attaches the back flange to the wall with drywall screws.

I Set my Footings in Place and Attached Them to the Back Wall

Ignore the tall pipe on the left. I was just getting a feel for how tall I wanted it. 4 shelves including the top…..43 1/2 inches from the floor.

The wood shelves, almost the entire length of the wall, slide down on each pipe and rest on the “T” joint.

I use a 1 inch paddle bit to make 1 inch holes in my shelf boards for the 3/4 inch pipe. My pipes are set 30 inches apart, and 15 inches from each side of the end of the shelves.

Use a 1 Inch Paddle Bit to Make Holes for the Pipe

The boards rest perfectly on the “T’ connectors. 1 in the front and the second in the back

The Shelf Rests on Top of the 2 Ts

Lots and lots of measuring, but connecting the pipes and sliding on the wood shelves was a pretty easy process.

One shelf at a time, and attaching each back flange to the wall with drywall screws.

Looking good so far.

Side View of the Plumbing Pipe Self Unit

The final posts are topped with flanges just like the feet.

I carefully measured so that each one is exactly 42 1/2 inches from the floor. They easily twist to adjust the height.

My Flange Heigth is Exactly 42 and half Inches Tall

…and 14 1/2 inches from the back wall.

My Flange is Exactly 14 and a half Inches Away From the Wall

I leveled a 10 foot “cleat”, made from a 1X4, across the back wall……again, I attached it with drywall screws.

The Shelves with the Cleat Added to the Back Wall

……with 1X4 inch notches cut out and lined up perfectly with my flanges.(See where this is headed yet?)

I Knotch Out My Cleat for the Supports

14 1/2 inch supports, cut from a pine 1X4, fit in these notches and rest on the flanges in front.

Like so…..

My Support Piece Fits in the Knotch and Rests on the Flange

And the top boards sit on the supports.

The Cap Shelf Rests Perfectly on top of the Brace

A 1X2 trim piece hides all the ugly and makes my cap shelf look more substantial.

Looking Down on Our Plumbing Pipe Shelves

I didn’t want to stain my shelves, so I aged them a little with a mixture of steel wool and vinegar….(More on that to come later)

…..and then filled them with crap. Like so…..

Our Finished Plumbing Pipe Shelves in the Living Room

The Top of Our Plumbing Pipe Shelves

Books on the Plumbing Pipe Shelves in the Cavender Living Room

Plumbing Pipe Shelves from the Cavender Diary

Good place to fit the overflow of books from the den.

I’ve been collecting the vintage locker baskets to use in the closets someday. (big sigh) But for now, they hold paperbacks and CDs. Yepp, we still own CDs.

But who’s even going to notice what’s in the baskets……

…… when the shelves are so freakin’ cool?