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Turkish Delight

McDesign | Posted in Photo Gallery on March 30, 2009 02:10am

Finally getting around to a job I started a decade ago. 

The ceiling of the end of this room had fallen out long before we got the house,  because the idiots that added the 1916 bay window to the 1886 house just took out the end wall of the room – the one where the ceiling joists sat . . .  After we put a beam in up above, we took the liberty of putting in a cathedral ceiling.

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My favorite children’s book is The Diamond in the Window, about a great house in Concord, MA, and I always wanted to make a Turkish window like would have been in that house.   I framed this opening in, and plastered around it a long time ago – it opens into the attic, where the playroom will be.  This room has always been DW’s studio, and the funny-shaped hole had a wad of insulation stuck in it.  Now that the room is about to become son’s bedroom, seems that was no longer good enough.

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Made this this morning from some Baltic Birch ply, old pine, and a piece of left-over bending plywood. 

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Went back and drew lots of mullion designs until I found one I liked – spray can automotive primer to fill the grain and edges.

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The 6 X 5/8 X 3/8″ ring is cut from the BB ply, and the 5/8 x 3/8″ sticks are pine.  One sheet of glass will go behind all of this.

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Now it’s all caulked and filled and drying; sanding and primer to come tonight.

Forrest


Edited 3/29/2009 7:17 pm ET by McDesign

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Replies

  1. FastEddie | Mar 30, 2009 02:21am | #1

    Awsome. 

    "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

  2. User avater
    Sphere | Mar 30, 2009 02:38am | #2

    I love it!

    You smell onions?

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

     

    They kill Prophets, for Profits.

     

     

    1. Snort | Mar 30, 2009 04:01am | #3

      Neat, but what are you doing in your spare time?http://www.tvwsolar.com

      I went down to the lobby

      To make a small call out.

      A pretty dancing girl was there,

      And she began to shout,

      "Go on back to see the gypsy.

      He can move you from the rear,

      Drive you from your fear,

      Bring you through the mirror.

      He did it in Las Vegas,

      And he can do it here."

    2. User avater
      McDesign | Mar 30, 2009 04:08am | #4

      Ahh - DW just explained it to me - thought maybe it was part of the bean thread that I refuse to read, on general principles.

      Forrest

  3. theslateman | Mar 30, 2009 11:12pm | #5

    Forrestt,

    Got any magic carpets in that house ??

    1. User avater
      McDesign | Apr 01, 2009 03:22am | #10

      Just for you - the painted frame sitting on a real Turkish carpet we brought back from Istanbul while Saddam was suddenly in Kuwait and things were complicated and our travels in that part of the world was cut short and I didn't take the job in Riyadh -

      View Image

      Forrest

      Edited 3/31/2009 8:24 pm ET by McDesign

      1. theslateman | Apr 01, 2009 12:01pm | #11

        Thanks Forrest,

        That truly is a magic carpet then !!

        Glad to see you're posting some more picture threads again.

        Walter

  4. DaveRicheson | Mar 30, 2009 11:42pm | #6

    >>One sheet of glass will go behind all of this.<<

    Forrest, that just calls out for some art glass. It would be more awsome than it already is with stained galss matching the mullions and back lighted from either you sons room or the vaulted room.

    Betcha your DW can do it too.

    1. plantlust | Mar 31, 2009 02:02am | #7

      I agree, you could go CRAZY w/different colours and glass bevels.  Then when the light shines thru it you would get really cool rainbows.

       

      plantlust - fantasizing about an oriel window w/beveled diamond shaped panes of glass...

      Woodchuck. It's what's for dinner.

      1. User avater
        McDesign | Mar 31, 2009 02:18am | #8

        Ah - perceptive!

        This was the original plan - I grew up with this on my window sash, a couple of pounds of hand-cut glass crystal inkwell.  Enough lead to really make the rainbows.

        View Image

        Not sure if I'll put it in this window, it's so out of the way, and doesn't get direct sun.

        Forrest

        Edited 3/30/2009 7:19 pm ET by McDesign

        1. User avater
          FatRoman | Mar 31, 2009 05:20am | #9

          I had something like that on my window stool when I was a teenager. Left a nice scorch mark on the stained trim courtesy of Mr. Sun. I THINK my parents have forgiven me by now :)Nice work as usual. Look forward to seeing how it turns out.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

          View Image

        2. plantlust | Apr 02, 2009 01:17am | #15

          BwaHAhaHAHA!

          plantlust - spending other peoples' money<smirk>

          I'm tired of worrying about my job. I'm tired of this recession. I'm tired of worrying about money. I'm tired of war. I'm really REALLY tired of WINTER!

          1. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 12, 2009 01:33am | #16

            Installed today - still need to make the light box behind it, but the boy moves over tonight!

            I made some little aluminum L-clips to hold the glass against the back of the window frame.  I didn't have wood screws short enough, so I threaded #4 X 1/2" s in until the painted inside began to bulge, then unscrewed them, nipped off 3/16" or so, and screwed them back in.

            The glass guys did a super job - it was hard to neck-in there after the big flared curves.  They even radiused and polished that area to kill the stress riser.  $49 for double-strength plate glass.View Image

            View Image

            View Image

            View Image

            Forrest

            Edited 4/11/2009 6:37 pm ET by McDesign

          2. theslateman | Apr 12, 2009 02:05am | #17

            For chriss sake Forestt , get outta that office and back workin' so you can wow us with more of this stuff !!

            All my thumbs up for that fine piece !!

            Walter

          3. User avater
            FatRoman | Apr 12, 2009 04:39am | #18

            it was hard to neck-in there

            Necking is always a difficult prospect right behind a window, I find.

            Ingenious per usual my friend. Always a pleasure to see your creations.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

            View Image

          4. splintergroupie | Apr 12, 2009 07:47am | #21

            <<The glass guys did a super job>>What i was thinking, too. Did you take in the frame or just a template? I'll bet they'd love to see pics at least.

          5. stevent1 | Apr 12, 2009 02:26pm | #22

            Very nice indeed!

            Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood

          6. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 12, 2009 03:40pm | #24

            I took them the frame, and they used it as a template; then packing-taped the glass to it.  I put my clips on before I removed the tape.  The glass has never left the frame because I was afraid it would hinge there and snap.

            Darned happy I got it up without breaking!

            Would have been safer to do it in pieces, I think.

            They did like the window - I've got to e-mail them a pic

            Forrest

          7. splintergroupie | Apr 12, 2009 06:26pm | #25

            And fingers crossed it never has to be replaced!

            OK, time to get crackin' on a yin-yang symbol...

          8. User avater
            Huck | Apr 13, 2009 06:32pm | #26

            time to get crackin

            uh, I don't think that's the optimum expression for window making/installing"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn

            CaliforniaRemodelingContractor.com

          9. User avater
            Huck | Apr 12, 2009 02:32pm | #23

            cool!

            View Image"...craftsmanship is first & foremost an expression of the human spirit." - P. Korn

            bakersfieldremodel.com

          10. User avater
            Mongo | Apr 13, 2009 08:30pm | #27

            Forrest, That's excellent. I think it's great to give your kids "special rooms", made by you, for them.I made each of my kid's a built-in platform bed, my daughter's is a "mousehole bed", my son has variation of that.Nice work there.

          11. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 14, 2009 12:48am | #28

            Cool!  Got pix?

             

            Forrest

          12. User avater
            FatRoman | Apr 14, 2009 02:32am | #29

            Right here. And it is a really cool idea.http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=37445.9'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

            View Image

          13. User avater
            Mongo | Apr 14, 2009 03:49am | #30

            Good memory to be able to find that!

          14. User avater
            FatRoman | Apr 14, 2009 04:31am | #31

            For once the search here paid off. But I did remember running across that thread before. And I'm glad to have found it again. Have to think about building something similar in the near future.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

            View Image

          15. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 14, 2009 01:20pm | #32

            Okay - DW and the kids have seen that bed - they all want one!

            Seriously, that's just the coolest bed - I had a book as a kid showing a Scandanavian one like that, and always wanted one.

            May have to do something like that once I start on the attic playroom and bedroom.

             

            Ah - wait.  Actually, I'll HAVE to build one!

             

            Forrest - lovin' this place

          16. User avater
            Mongo | Apr 14, 2009 06:58pm | #33

            I built a similar one for my son, but he wanted a more open front, and he didn't want the raised paneling on the front. His room is semi halloweenish...a sort of a pumpkin and black color combo. With the same colored pumpkin/black cork on the walls. It looks much better in person than in photos, I think the strong colors throw off the white balance of the camera.

          17. Ryan1 | Apr 14, 2009 08:55pm | #36

            Mongo, that is the coolest bed for a kid. Nice work! Your children are lucky to have such a talented father. Would you elaborate on just how the front panel is fixed/removed from the unit on your daughter's mousehole bed?I have a 1-month old son and I'm filing that thread away for future reference. Super cool stuff....Edited to add: Forrest's Turkish window is pretty awesome as well...Edited 4/14/2009 1:59 pm ET by Ryan1

            Edited 4/14/2009 2:00 pm ET by Ryan1

          18. User avater
            Mongo | Apr 15, 2009 06:18am | #37

            Thanks Ryan.I don't want to hijack Forrest's thread so I'll try to start a new post with photos tomorrow. I built that bed years ago, so I think I have photos on a couple of different computers.

          19. User avater
            Mongo | Apr 15, 2009 08:51pm | #38

            Ryan, here's the new thread:http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=118988.1Hope it helps!

          20. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 15, 2009 08:52pm | #39

            I had just found it!

            Post more!

             

            Forrest

          21. splintergroupie | Apr 14, 2009 07:10pm | #34

            I think FHB had an article on Skandinavian beds.Oh, wait, i'm the queen of research...Issue 118, page 94.

          22. User avater
            FatRoman | Apr 14, 2009 07:33pm | #35

            You could replicate your Turkish design for the opening, no?Pretty soon we're going to be seeing you wearing a fez in your photos.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

            View Image

      2. DaveRicheson | Apr 01, 2009 02:24pm | #12

        We once did an addition for a lady that was an antique freak (and she was old too). She bought several stained glass piece from a  architectural salvage company. We had window insert made out of some of them and she wanted one placed in a wall like Forest has, only there was only attic space behind it. We had the electrician back light it with a 4' florescent light and diffused the source more by placing a layer of 1/8" white Plexiglass in front of the fixture.

        That one small piece got more compliments than the 8 other inserts we did in the doors and windows. The other pieces were beautiful themselves, but than one on the high wall inside the vaulted ceiling literally had an inner glow (g) that said "look at me".

        I can see Forest's window with colors surrounding a beveled glass center. It would be awsome.

        1. User avater
          McDesign | Apr 01, 2009 03:39pm | #13

          I think y'all have convinced me! - we've got tons of stuff here at work to make a diffuse lighted backplane - I even have a repaired color-changing driver and some RGB LEDs, so it could fade through a billion colors (1024x1024x1024), like that vid I posted, but with a several-hour cycle time. 

          I think it will be a cool nightlight for DS above his bed, and only use 10-12 watts.

          Forrest - gonna' do it

          1. DaveRicheson | Apr 01, 2009 11:46pm | #14

            Hooray!

          2. mikeroop | Apr 12, 2009 04:52am | #19

            I'm curious forrest how you laid out the frame work? Looks really cool in place . can't wait to see it with the light.

          3. User avater
            McDesign | Apr 12, 2009 05:23am | #20

            Thanks!  As far as layout - I fooled around on AutoCAD until I got the proportions I wanted.  The bottom is obviously just a rectangle, and the sides are actually circles bulging out above it.  The top is a triangle of some angle, and I faired its straight legs into the circles, just bending a piece of aluminum into a smooth curve and tracing it from peak to tangent to the circle, and duplicating it on the other side.  This gave my shape template.  I filled in between the studs flush with 2x and plywood, cut away to this shape, drywalled over it, and sawed out the shape.

            Then - drew the shape again on a piece of Baltic Birch, offset a cut line 1/4" to the inside all around (to slip into the RO), and offset it 3" to form the outside cut line.  I cut all this with TS, bandsaw, and jigsaw as appropriate.  Drum-sanded back to my lines. 

            Then, tacked in some 9/16" X 3-1/2" wide pieces of pine for the bottom straight pieces, leaving it 1/4" proud of the front surface for a detail line.  Cut some strips of wiggle wood a bit long, then carefully nibbled them shorter until I could cram them against the curves on either side (bracing between the tops of the straight pieces at the waist).  All nailed with 15gauge air nailer.

            Fun project!

            Forrest - had to bed down with the boy on  the floor tonight - he was nervous in the new room

            View Image

            Edited 4/11/2009 10:24 pm ET by McDesign

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