Changing Table: An Update

So last night, I assembled two of the dividers into the two sides and today, I put in the solid shelf that will hold three baskets full of diapers and wipes and all sorts of baby-changing tools. It took a long time to get to the point where things weren't sitting in a pile or in any way resembled furniture. This is my first piece of furniture if you don't count the little thing I built to hold a TV or the shelves in my office. This is different, made out of red oak, and built to last a lifetime. It's somewhat challenging because real wood (as opposed to plywood) tends to bend and warp when left to it's own. Part of the challenge is getting it to be perfectly straight / flat / whatever when it's where you want it. I ended up hammering and pounding and clamping this thing to get it to stay where I want it. As it stands now, I could put several friends on it and it would be absolutely fine. It'll probably handle baby clothes and wet wipes quite well.

Here it is:

Just look at those lines!!!... I love thinking about how things match up and fit together and how the components actually contribute to the structure of the piece. Also, consider that with the seasons, this piece will grow and shrink (front to back). Wood swells with humidity and we can expect this piece to stretch and shrink throughout the year. I'm trying to build it with that movement in mind so that things stay flat and straight. This reminds me of how God built each of us. He knew there would be movement, and that perhaps we'd move counter to His expectations of us. If I can make a dresser that can stand up to how we'll use it, imagine what God used to make us humans. It makes my head hurt to think about it!