The End Is Near

It has been an extremely long time since I updated the blog on the sunroom project. It's actually more or less done as I write this, so it's probably time to get caught up with all the stuff that's been done since October.  So let's get to it!

One of the bits of the project that I've been mulling over for some time - since the beginning, in fact - is the place where the 'shelf' that runs around half the room meets the door.   The PO had a piece of wood there that was just sort of stuck on - it was rectangular and didn't blend in well.   It was ripped out when we took the old carpeting off the floor.

I figured whatever I did I would like at least to better match the shelf and make it look more blended in.  So I cut a rectangular board a bit wider than the space and figured I'd at least cut the edge on an angle to match the shelf top.

I cut the board and used my circular saw set on an angle to match the shelf angle.  In looking at the shelf cut, you'd think it was about 45 degrees, right?  Not so.  I didn't write it down, but it was more like 38 degrees as I recall.  Further supporting the "eh, whatever" approach of the PO.

When I cut the new piece, I knowingly made it a bit oversize because I figured I'd have to hand fit it to suit.  I cut away a bit of the door molding to get the board to snug right up to it.  

With the end piece test-fitted, it's starting to show promise.  Here you can clearly see the angle I cut to match up with the shelf cut.

Originally I was just going to leave it as is, but there is a big section under the shelf where the new end piece juts out.  Not good.   Time to get creative.

After a bit of pondering, I figured I'd try cutting that middle section back some to line up with the vertical board under the shelf.  If I mess it up, I'll just go back to Plan A, right?

I marked the side of the board where it meets the shelf and the floor molding.  As I was doing this, it occurred to me that I might be able to make this relatively complex cut with my new Best Tool Friend, the amazing coping saw.

Coping saw:  it cuts, it follows curves and it helps you deal with life's problems.  What a deal.

Here we are making the actual cut.  The lines look like a mess but they actually meant something to me.

I cut a little outside the lines so, again, I had some extra material to work with for the final fitting.

Yikes!

This actually looks like it's gonna work.  Just a little filing to make it line up perfectly should do it.  I'm amazed I got it the first time.  During the cutting I was dreading the thought of having to do all this over again.

The floor molding isn't nailed in place just yet, so I just stuck it up next to the vertical shelf board to use as a template.



I took a file to the bottom section of the end where it butts (hee hee I wrote butt) up to the molding. Took a file and emulated the profile of the molding. It's a good thing the shape isn't real complex!





I'm not sure how well this can be read, but I had to include it.  On the back of the molding, which is MDF, it says "Made from Sustainable Plantations."  I never knew there were actual MDF plantations!  I suppose they have them in Chile.