Turning $1,000 of Maple into a Premium Kitchen Island

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0JSb1kFLVs

Making this rolling kitchen island was an exciting project for me, both because I really liked the design and the final build, but also because it was the first project that I had commissioned by a complete and total stranger who found me online. One of the benefits of getting custom work done is that my clients, who are both quite tall, were able to tweak the height of the island so it'll be comfortable to use, rather than being stuck with something a standard size. And for me, I got to try out a lot of new things on this build, which is always a lot of fun.

This is the first significant piece that I build using my new-to-me 8-inch Grizzly jointer, which is a fantastic addition to the shop, and if you have the room, I can't recommend picking one up enough. I found mine used for about half of what it would have been new.

It's also the most complex domino joinery project that I've done with my recently acquired used Festool Domino, and I'm proud to say that out of the dozens of mortises I cut, only one was in the wrong place, and that was easily hidden enough.

The only major challenge I had in this project is that the countertop arrived broken in half, so I had to repair it multiple times before I found something that I was happy with. Next time, I'll probably just bite the time bullet and return it instead of fixing it, but at the end of the day, it came out great.

If you're in the vicinity of Massachusetts and are interested in having me build you a custom island of your own, or any kind of custom furniture like nightstands, bookshelves, desks, coffee tables, or just some kind of something for that awkward space in the corner of that room right over there, then reach out and let me know! I'd love to work together to build a story piece that fits in your home like it was built for the space - because it was.