Bent Out of Shape

More progress on the curved counter cabinet since my earlier post.  Here is the backside of the oak plywood just after I cut the deep slits to make it bendable.  Notice the closer spacing of the cuts on the right-hand side, because that area has a tighter bend.

Persuading the oak to stay in place takes a lot of pressure, a lot of expanding glue, and a lot of wood clamps.  Plus dozens of pneumatic-driven finish nails. 

And voila', all of the curved stuff  done except for the trickiest part.  The hole is where the access panel to get to the sink plumbing will go. 

Here is that access panel, now under construction. Each backer board curved to precisely mate with each edge of the opening... hopefully. 

Birdman from Wimberley

Ann and I cleaned out the birdhouses last weekend so they'll be ready for new residents next year.  And thankfully this year we were not met with any swarms of bees or wasps inside as in past years.  Our theory is now that they have a whole people-house nearby to build under the eaves and in every other nook they can find, they don't care so much about the birdhouses.

Once opened we found a couple of different types of nests, one which was all twigs and they one pictured which had a lot of moss and other soft stuff inside.  If I was a baby bird I'd pick the soft one, even if the rent was a bit higher.  But I assume the twig-only model was made by a type of bird that always builds that way.  I know that Doves are known for assembling a few skimpy sticks and calling that a nest, but Doves would never fit into these houses.  Next year we'll pay closer attention to who is going in and out of each one and ID them.  Maybe require a photo ID card for entry (far-right style) to be sure we are not being defrauded...