Bill built this Cherry Work Table for his grand daughter. It is made mostly from solid cherry but has accents of Curly Maple and Walnut. The finish is Tung Oil on the top and Polyurethane for the rest.
7/29/2006 Click on image for closeup.
This walnut Entertainment Center was custom-built for an alcove in Bill's son's condo. It was built in two sections, using a full-size pattern for the footprint, which was made on-site from poster boards. The right side is 90 degrees from the back wall, while the left side is 135 degrees from the back wall, creating an interesting clamping problem. The faceframe is solid walnut. Sides are 3/4"walnut plywood. Back is 1/2" walnut-stained birch plywood. Biscuit joinery was used extensively. There are two low-voltage 20-watt lights in the top. If the lights should generate excess heat, there are vent holes hidden behind the top rail of the faceframe. A rocker-style light switch is hidden behind the right stile just above the first shelf. The board against the ceiling (which covers the inevitable gap) has two routed, beaded edges. The beads on both stiles were made using separate pieces of walnut molding, fastened with brads. The top section is 62"h. x 53"w. x 15" d.
The lower section was built and installed first. It is 30"h. x 59"w. x 22"d. It has four flat-panel doors, fixed shelves, a solid walnut top, a solid walnut faceframe and a 3" x3" kick space.. The carcase is birch plywood on a poplar frame.
Finish is Semi-gloss, oil-based Varathane and Finishing Wax..
Click on image to see closeup.
3/25/2006 Click on image for closeup.
This Corner Cabinet is a housewarming gift that Bill designed as a stand for a bedroom TV and to provide additional storage. It is 30" high, made from 4/4 Walnut and 1/2" Baltic Birch plywood. The two sides that go next to the wall are 24" wide. The inset panels are solid walnut, resawn from 4/4 boards and planed down to 1/4" thick. The top is solid walnut.
Finish: Minwax Special Walnut Stain and Finishing Wax.
Click on image to see closeup.
10/29/2005 Click on image for closeup.
Tim built this chair from Curly Maple with Walnut accent wood.
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2/5/2005 Click on image for closeup.
Oak Chest of Drawers The internal drawer boxes are 1/2" Baltic Birch, including the dado-ed drawer bottoms. Drawers are dovetailed. Dust frames are incorporated into the carcase. Per the owners requirement, it is a 4-drawer chest which appears to have 6 drawers. The top two drawers are really single drawers, with a faux front. Finished with semi-gloss Varathane.
Click on image to see closeup.
7/9/2004 Click on image for closeup.
Double-sink vanity with flush-mounted doors and a center drawer stack. Birch plywood, Walnut hardwood on a Poplar hardwood frame, finished with Special Walnut stain and semi-gloss Varathane. Custom-designed by Bill for his Master Bedroom. The second picture shows it installed on its base with a Corian top.
4/3/2004 Click on image for closeup.
The solid wood cabinet is fabricated from European beech, sanded to 600 to 800 and finished with clear Watco. The handle is a reproduction Macintosh art deco piece.
3/3/2004 Click on image for closeup.
A dining room table made from solid white birch finished in maple stain and polyurethane. The top is inset with matching Formica for durability.
2/14/2004 Click on image for closeup.
John in conjunction with the future owner, designed this 94" by 43"special purpose dining table. John used Cherry to construct it and accented it with Wenge. The top of the table is divided into 60, eight inch squares, that will be covered with one quarter inch thick glass. Each square will become the home for 32 bottle corks for a total of 1,920 corks which is a part of the owners collection of corks.
12/7/2003 Click on image for closeup.
The corner picture shows the quality of John's work. The joints are mortise and tenon with square Wenge pegs allowing for cross grain movement. Even the bottom of each leg is protected with a thin piece of beveled Wenge, which provides a dense wood to protect the end grain of the Cherry leg.
It is finished with 8 to 10 coats of lacquer giving it a beautiful matte finish. This is a quality piece of furniture.
2/14/2003 Click on image for closeup.
The bookcases are made out of 1" maple plywood. The front edges are trimmed with solid maple bullnose attached by means of a spline. The case is 3' wide by 11.5' tall. The shelves are 9' wide, starting 4' off the floor. Since there is no back, it is tied together with a set of 3/8" X 40" rods running completely through the dividers to prevent sagging.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Rake Headboard
Bill designed and developed this four piece oak bedroom set for his daughter, Lynn. It is made of oak and oak plywood.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Chest of Drawers
A large chest of drawers as shown at the left. Behind the door in the large chest are shelves for sweater storage. It has a solid brass door catch.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Two Night Tables
All four pieces are finished with two coats of Minwax Sanding Sealer and two coats of Satin Varathane.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed this bar setup for his son, Tracey. It was made from solid oak and oak plywood. The 6" wide molding around the top (obtained from Conejo Hardwoods) fits the elbows nicely. It consists of a back bar, which was built inside a closet, and a standalone 6 ft. standup bar which sits about 3 feet in front of the back bar. The back bar has a dry sink set into a 3/4" solid oak patterned counter top. Stemmed glasses hang from the support installed above. Side panels are solid oak and oak plywood. The mirror completes the topside. Below the bull-nosed counter top are three drawers and three raised panel doors. Note the framed hole in the wall for the TV (on a hidden closet shelf). The working surface of the bar is solid oak. Behind/below the bar is a 2 cubic ft. refrigerator, a utility drawer, a drawer for wine bottles, and a shelved storage area with a flat panel door.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
To complement this setup, Bill made an oak backgammon table, with an inlaid veneer game board (purchased from Constantine), surrounded by 1/8" inlaid brass. It has a drawer for holding the game pieces. The legs are tapered on the inside faces.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Computer Desk
Bill designed an office layout for his son's office to match one seen in a model home. This oak desk (30" high x 36" wide x 72" long) is Part 1 of the project
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
It features a keyboard tray that stows, pulls out, adjusts in height and swivels 360 degrees. The left end of the desk butts against a wall. The picture to the left shows the keyboard tray in operating position and the enclosure for the computer.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Wall Unit
He designed and built this oak wall unit as Part 2 of the project to create an office system based on a model home design for his son.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
The unit is 12" deep x 41" high x 96" long and it hangs on a wall above the desk built in Part 1. This heavy unit is hung on the wall with a six ft. long overlapping aluminum bracket, using stainless steel screws for sheer strength.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Credenza
Bill designed and built this seven-foot oak hardwood and plywood credenza (16"deep x 30"high) as the third part of his son Bob's office. As in most large pieces of furniture he builds, Bill made extensive use of biscuit joinery. The ends of this piece are recessed, flat panels. There are 4 drawers with 100% full extension slides and 4 recessed, flat panel doors with spring-loaded hinges.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Inside each cabinet are adjustable shelves. Originally sanded down to 220 grit, it was finished with two coats of Minwax Sanding Sealer, sanded with 400 grit wet/dry sandpaper between coats. Then, 3 coats of semi-gloss Varathane were applied, scuff-sanding with 1500 grit wet/dry sandpaper between coats. Finally, it was polished with Minwax Finishing Wax.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
The last picture shows the office floor plan Not shown is the solid oak bridge (16" x 38") that connects the credenza and desk, forming a U-shaped unit. The edges of the bridge were routed as a mirror image of the edges on the desk and credenza to make a flush fit, and it is screwed to the wall studs for primary support, using 2" screws and large fender washers.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
For this bedroom project, Bill created a queen size oak headboard and remodeled two large white mahogany chests and two matching night tables for his son. The "before and after" photos of one chest are shown at the left. The well-built mahogany set was the elder Gourlay's very first bedroom set. It was stripped and veneered with 1/8" thick oak. New drawer pulls were installed. All of the pieces were sealed and finished with satin Varathane.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed and built this student desk for his granddaughter, Bailey, using poplar and birch plywood. He painted flowers on the drawer front and smaller ones at the corners of the desktop. The finish is semi-gloss Varathane.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
The storage cabinet has shelves for school supplies and writing supplies. It has an oak plywood carcase with a solid oak faceframe. The door was acquired from a builder's surplus, already assembled, and free. Again, the finish is semi-glossVarathane.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed and built two of these oak bathroom vanities and the oak shoe storage bench for his son, Tracey. The large drawer at
the bottom of the vanities accommodates an ample supply of t.p. rolls.
The bench includes full extension drawer slides and is a
convenient place to sit while changing shoes. As in all of Bill's projects where oak plywood and oak hardwood are joined, biscuit
joinery was used extensively.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed and built these 4' wide bookcases for opposite corners of his family room. Faceframe rails and stiles have a
routed beaded edge. Then, Bill installed custom crown molding. Before installing the molding, he nailed some 1 x 2 pine
furring strips on the walls next to the ceiling. This provided a nailing bed for the crown molding, such that it could be
nailed (with a nail gun) at an angle through the thicker center part of the molding. It also kept the molding from
splitting. Tip: prime and paint crown molding before you put it up. It's lots less work and a simple touchup is all that's
needed. Crown molding installation is a two person job, and Bill was ably assisted in installing it throughout the house by
his wife, Jean.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed and built this poplar fireplace mantel for a neighbor's daughter. (The board at the bottom of the legs is just a
temporary brace for transporting it.)
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
This 400 hour project was designed by Bill. It is 59" wide, 44" tall and 16" deep. It can be disassembled into 3 major parts. There are 11 drawers, including the pencil drawer below the drop front, which has no drawer pull. The antique replica drawer pulls were special-ordered from the DoIt Center. Each pedestal includes a lockable file drawer. All drawers have steel ball bearing slides with 100% full-extension. The unit was sealed and stained with MinWax Golden Oak stain, followed by 3 coats of Varathane. Finally, I waxed it with Minwax Finish Wax.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill Gourlay designed and built 6 of these unique poplar "window covering display units" for a commercial client for shipment to showrooms around the state. There are 6 display windows in each triangular unit and 3 full-swivel casters on each. Modular units are joined with threaded brass inserts and machine screws. When knocked down, they are easily packaged in custom cardboard containers for shipment. Bill provided detailed Assembly and
Disassembly Instructions (text and graphics), along with stubby screwdrivers with each unit. Two units are shown here.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill recreated a model home feature in this beautiful entertainment center. It was made from poplar with birch plywood raised door panels and melamine shelves. Primed and painted in semigloss white. The TV is on a track that allows it to pull out and swivel.
Hardest part was taking detailed measurements at my daughter's new home and building it off site in modular units. The builder wanted $1500 for it. Bill created it for about $350.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill designed and built these three oak pieces in 2000 for the family room in a son's new house:
Entertainment Center (custom-built to fit an existing 4' x 8' alcove); Mirror and Frame (rails and stiles are 1" x 4" red oak, 54" square); and the Fireplace Mantel (approx. 8" deep x 12" high x 6 ft. long). It took 2 extension ladders and 2 people to mount the heavy mirror, with overlapping aluminum tracks.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
The client had a need for custom-designed furniture for her studio, where she composes and arranges music.
The design requirement included a desk to bridge two existing end tables, to support an electronic keyboard, and a cinema display table to support two large 23" cinema displays. The bridge was made from walnut, poplar and birch plywood and has a pullout at the front and the back. The display table is solid walnut with a tung oil and waxed finish. These two units are shown separately. Then, the working unit is shown from the rear and from the front.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.
Bill's son had a need for home office computer room furniture and provided general specs for two oak desks, a table, a closet shelf cabinet and a TV wall mount. One simple desk was made for the closet, whose doors were removed. All of the furniture had to be of a knockdown design. (The two file cabinets under the tapered-leg table were purchased previously.) If you click on the small image, you will see other elements.
8/27/2002 Click on image for closeup.