Yeah testing is good - I happen to be going thru much the same process at the moment - think I'll use a closet for my test area. What wall color are you going to have in there? You should test stains in relation to the new wall colors. One more thought about color relationships - fir shellacked in amber, garnet, mahogany, etc. was used a lot for woodwork and floors during early 1900s, a time of very deep, rich, saturated wall colors. I think the reason why fir/vintage pine gets a bad rap is that in more recent times people try to pair it with whites and wimpy light colors that cant hold its own against the strong red/gold tones of the wood. I just put up a test patch of a deep mossy green on the wall next to my fir trim and yowza--there is this synergistic effect between the deep green and te wood that I can't explain. Simply stunning. My philosophy has always been try to redefine the problem as a non-problem, where ever possible - and in this case its easiest to let the wood be what it is! But color is intensely personal thing - so do what you gotta do (if it was something like oak, maple, chestnut, etc. I'd probably put up more of a fight against staining it .)

Bump. ***Attention Buehl***----- I emailed the GW Staff to ask if it would be possible to add ALL your wonderful compiled info to the Sticky. They emailed me back saying they want you to contact the manager and they would be happy to update the Sticky. (You probably have an email from them in your mail.) Thank you Buehl for all your work!! I know I have saved this thread and referred to it several times. You are a jewel!

It is a worthy thought, but very hard to execute. The "breaking point" for Lexan or polycarbonate panels is the 24 inch mark. Up to that dimension, you do not have to allow for expansion of the material; beyond that, like 25 inches and more, you would. And that would be difficult to do in a cabinet totally built of Lexan. Some brief comments: 1. I have used the stemware racks mounted across my windows in the dining room, and hang all my stemware there. Since they are wooden, I placed them so they make the windows appear to have muntins. Then the glassware, or even Swarovski crystal stars, hang nicely shining without much obstructing the view of my back yard. I have tried cafe curtains across the bottoms of those windows, but I see no reason why this would not also work with base cabs below. 2. Look at any cafeteria, and you will see that the stacks of plates are on a spring or hydraulic tray that rises and falls as plates or saucers are removed or added to the stack. It would go into a base cabinet which could be a really great way to use the dead corner space in some kitchen configurations. You know, where the base cabs make an "L" and you have an awkward time reaching the contents. 3. I saw an inspiration photo of wooden cabs hung in front of windows. They have glass front and back, so the light comes through. There are also examples of glass front/back cabs across the upper area over a bar separating the dining room and the kitchen. 4. I've seen at IKEA the use of clear material for the bottom of a cabinet, so that any light below it would shine UP as well as down. This would illuminate the interior of the cab also without restricting full use of the bottom shelf. 5. I wish to point out that commercial airliners have windows made of thick Lexan or polycarbonate...or at least they did once upon a time. And I have used 24" wide and 8' tall panels to enclose our sun porch with .24 of an inch thick (almost a quarter inch) as the material. This is also our material of choice for the clerestory windows in our new masterbath and master closet. Plus we also used the same material for the back porch windows. I've also brought some small pieces to use as shelves in our curio cabinet in my DH's cape house, lovely since I can put a short rope light on a dimmer inside the base of that cab and it will be hidden totally. I think it will illuminate all three of the shelves, sized 14w x 11.5 deep. Out of Lexan of course. I heartily recommend that you explore the attributes of Lexan before you invest your funds in a big project using this very strong and expensive material. I love it. But I also realize that it scratches. You must clean it with care. It will melt if you place heat too close to it. So locating your toaster under a cab made of Lexan could cause it to deform. Or maybe your microwave? But using Lexan in certain spots where scratches don't show, or heat won't be present, you have a really fine material. So take a look at that workhorse GLASS (not fiberglas) as the front and back of your cabs, and you may have the same effect without the expense. I'm not sure what they make "nonglare glass" out of, but it feels like glass to me. That is also expensive, just not quite as much as Lexan. I like your willingness to think outside the box. And when brainstorming, I don't put down any ideas because the first salvo might not win the game, but it gets the game started. They are trying to make unbreakable glass now which can be affordably used in homes subject to hurricane forces, and they may soon have it done. So if that is affordable for windows, I see no reason it could not be affordable for mostly-glass cabs or other items, like aquariums are. But with some strong framework to keep it in shape. Hope this helps.

shades, I have a dolly (no straps tho) but I still couldn't move things. could maybe stack a few smaller boxes on it. jed has some stretch bands? with hooks on the ends that he uses. I actually have 2 small ones like his. should buy longer ones. yes, I have different people say they'll come do stuff - but then something happens and they don't show up. I've been trying for over 3 wks to get new front tires. my mechanic said he'd get some for me and put on. then stuff happened at his shop (to do with wind storms here), after that his elderly mother needed help up in phx... I had a test scheduled and had to cxl it! he got here and took wheels off to have tires put on... then many days later on NYE day he made it here and put wheels on front. and left. about 2 hrs later I got in car to go to store and heard horrible noise when backing the car up. couldn't go anywhere. he finally made it back here on sat. Tires were wrong size. too big and were hitting the struts. He put those on the back and my back tires on the front so I could at least go to the store. he's coming back tomorrow to take car to the tire shop to have them changed and rotated back. good grief! that something so normally simple would be such a bear to get done. this has also had me stranded in my own house for days. I wanted to get out and pick up take out from local Mexican rest. - tired of my own 'cooking' - lol! (finally got my 'dinner' today!) Then Jed over watered my plants last sunday and ran me out of water - but I didn't know it... had to shut down the pump til more water could be delieved - on Wednesday! (that was today and I now have water again). just thinking of these things tires me... oh, and in between these things my son landed himself in the hospital in the Midwest with a blood infection. been in there 5 days, has something connected to him/in him by his heart. could have died / or lost his leg. will be able to go home (info from dd) but will need to return to hospital every day for 10 days to have more antibiotics put in whatever that 'thing' is attached to him. he says it's called cellulitis (what he has). I would have guessed that meant he had cellulite - he's way too thin and fit for that! And with my fibro I've been sleeping a ton again. and cold, damp weather outside here - that doesn't help. I hope anyone reading this survived...