My mitzvah for the summer

 

Since the AWFS Show ended last week, I've been playing catch-up with all the jobs piling up in the shop! Seems like everyone wants some new furniture these days!

One commitment I wanted to finish up was a donation I promised to LightHouse Charities - a non profit located just a few blocks from my shop. 

I'd stopped by to speak with them, and they'd mentioned that an opportunity to sell bread from their bakery has popped up. Even though it's blazing hot right now, they hope to sell some baked good at Gilcrease Orchards, a gem of a "pick your own fruit and veggies" nursery up in the northwest part of town. 

So they'd asked for some sort of tabletop rack for selling their goodies. 

You know - it takes a village - I never turn down a donation, so when Ken at Legacy Woodworking asked if I wanted some plywood cutoffs from a job that they had built, I picked them up. 

That was a while ago - and I stared at that stack for a long time, wondering what I would do with all of it. Sure, a few friends would ask for a board or two, but I still had a ton, even after giving much of it away. 

So it was a natural conclusion that I would build the bread rack from it - baltic birch plywood is a high quality plywood, beautiful and often used in food service displays. 

I started by making three shelves, in different widths. Since I had 3/4" and 1/4" plywood - I made the exterior frames from the thicker stock. Then I made the slats for the bottom out of the thinner stock. 

Once they were made, I had to decide on the "framework" that would told them all together. So I laid them out and played with some various design ideas. 

Nothing was really hitting me right, and then it dawned on me! A solid side would allow a stringer connection to the shelves, and also allow for a little artwork, if necessary. So I cut some sides, and clamped it all together, to see how it looked.

I love it when a plan comes together in my brain!

I purchased some special connectors 

from one of my favorite hardware suppliers - McMaster-Carr. I swear - they have the best assortment and quickest shipping out there. And reasonable shipping charges, which is pretty important, too. 

Within a day, I had the connectors I needed.  

Finally - I lasered some signage for the rack. It's screwed in place, so if they want to change the rack to sell something different, they can remove it, they can. 

They make a variety of items for sale, and I suspect this won't be the last rack I'll build for them.

 Luckily - I have more plywood!