The last 6 months have been, at best, stressful, and my shop time has suffered. Just after Christmas I was asked if I could repair or make a piece for a motor home. It is a cover below the "furnace" for venting. The previous owner had managed to break it, and then tried to repair it with wood putty. This is the original:
See "Broke 1"
and
See "Broke 2"
I am not sure of the original wood type, but it was whitish and stained cherry. I got a chunk of cherry and made the new frame. I was able to save the louvers and use them. I couldn't match the original profile on the inside of the frame, but came close enough to what the owner wanted. The finish is one wash coat of shellac and 3 coats of water based poly. The color came out very close to the original. The owner was thrilled, and I made a few bucks. I also made two pens for the owner and his wife from the scraps of cherry., not shown. So, here is the completed piece, delivered on Thursday to a thrilled customer.
See "Finished"