Frank's Trailer Works Client Number #0001

I want to first apologize for the piss poor quality of the pictures in this post. My shop has florescent lighting and I have yet to figure out how to take pictures that are even close to color correct under those lights. It has been remarkably cold here and when it is cold the bulbs take a long time to come up to full brightness. So you are all going to need to use a little imagination as to the brightness of things. Sorry again.
So now on to my post. As a few of you might know, I am starting up a trailer restoration and customization company. It will be called Frank's Trailer Works. I hope to take the things I have learned as a professional woodworker and put out a product like most never seen inside a trailer. I will offer a full range of services, but hope to eventually do the complete package. Yes, I will even polish your trailer for you on an hourly rate. Frank's Trailer Works Client #0001 is now in the shop.

Client #0001 is a 1961 Ambassador. I have been given the privilege of making the bathroom cabinets look like new again. However, the factory never put out cabinets like I am going to do. We will not be changing the design or layout, but the wood species is going to be entirely different. The trailer came in oak stained a medium brown as you can see by this vanity. The client did go over it with Howard's Feed -n -wax, but the quality of these early sixties trailers was just not all too special. Very little attention to detail was given and, frankly, it shows.

This is the veneer we are using for all the doors and drawer fronts. It is called ropey cherry. This grain pattern is not uncommon, but occurs once in about 5,000 logs. Virtually all of it is cut into veneer and laid up on plywood or into sheets like this. This is actually one of the most spectacular sheets I have ever seen. This photo does very little justice to the color and complex grain pattern. With a light stain or natural finish, the grain will look a mile deep. What a pleasure to have the client pick out such a tremendous species and such a beautiful pattern to boot.

For the bases of the cabinets and wardrobes we are using this veneer. It is also cherry, but is quarter sawn. To quarter saw the log is split into quarters and then sawn parallel to the center. The yield is not large, so it is not too frequent to have the mills cut cherry this way. The veneer produced has a very straight grain and there are many ray grains through out. Once again, when sanded to 180 grit and a natural finish is applied the grain just pops out. This bathroom is going to be a pleasure to be in. My client will probably spend more time in here than he usually would just looking at how beautiful the grain is.