If you’re looking for a simple diy woodworking project for yourself or a bored loved-one this idea might get your creative juices flowing.
Have a look at the panel covered sections of wall in the picture below.
When I see that I think it looks pretty cool, but what it really does is start to give me ideas. I start thinking of other looks that could go with this same concept.
A few thoughts:
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A symettrical grid pattern with squares or “landscape” oriented rectangles (printer speak for sideways)
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Fabric on the back rather than another wood. Or maybe even multi-color glass.
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Make a couple of these panels and screw them together with hinges to create a screen.
Wait! There’s more.
I looked at this picture ten times before I realized that the back wall panels are actually doors. If you look closely you can see the sliding hardware in the ceiling. I think I have a post about that around here somewhere, oh here it is: Wall Mounted Sliding Door Hardware…
Once You Get All Set-Up, Might As Well Keep Building
Once you get the hang of the simple wood joints that go into making something like this there won’t be any holding you back. You’ll be throwing these panels together like nobody’s business and, before you know it, the whole place will look like a South Seas Tropical Resort… which is where these pictures were taken. (not by unfortunately)
Nice. I’m game. The orchid blossoms are a nice touch, don’t you think?
Half-Lap Joints
Back to talking about wood, the panels you see can be created using what’s known as a “half-lap joint”. If you’ve got a table-saw, then you can do this. (table saw’s are among the most versitile of all tools, btw – great selection on Amazon.com)
I tried to think of a way to describe a half-lap joint with words, but it’s harder to explain than it is to do. Lucky for me, there’s YouTube and a good video that shows the basics of the half-lap joint.
In the video they use a corner as an example, but you’ll notice towards the end of the clip that he shows a half-lap joint in the middle of a board. That’s what you need for something like these panels.
Check out the video:
For more information on half-lap joinery, the guy in the video has a website: NewWoodworker.com
Same Idea, But Not
I knew I had a picture here that showed another version of this idea! This one may be more up your alley…
This photo was included in an earlier series on wood paneling, here.
Does the combination of the picture above with the main “South Seas” idea above give you any thoughts?
A wall like the one above can be built in the exact same way. Just build the grid and lay it over the wall. A less intense way would be to just nail the grid on the wall and skip the fancy joinery. But the fancy way is, well, fancier. Depends on your needs/budget/skill-level I guess.
Anyhooo, just a little idea I thought I’d share. Hope it helps!
~ Tim
Top photo’s under Creative Commons license by Witness.org on flickr http://bit.ly/Um40oM
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