A post that is relevant and off topic at the same time. Funny how it works out at times.

If you want something done right, do it yourself… and if you want to be sure, do it twice. Or rather; if you’re doing something you haven’t done before, in a material you don’t want to go to waste, it can be a good idea to make a prototype or full size model.

More details and loads of photos after the jump:

To back up one step; the shelf in my bathroom was simply too small for what I wanted to put on it. I decided to make a new one, but since teak is expensive, I ripped a piece of pine into the same size as the teak plank I had bought for the project. This let me not only make sure the idea I had didn’t use up more wood than I had available, but also let me do a test fit in the bathroom to make sure the shelf would fit in it’s intended position.

Tools used was a table saw, an electrical drill, files, sandpaper and a ratcheting screwdriver with interchangeable bits… and patience.

In the end both my Better Half and myself are very happy with the new shelf – we both got the space we need to keep our things in order, and none of it sits on the actual sink.

The main guideline throughout the project was “measure twice, cut once” – as opposed to the more common “measure with micrometer, mark with chalk, chop with axe” method – and it paid off. I believe anyone can make a shelf like this, even without power tools – it’ll just take a bit more time and elbow grease.