I used the oven cleaner soak method go get some really crusted stuff off the bowl so it is at least clean. I still need to see if I can flatten the vent covers and replace the missing one.
Next I turned my attention back to the wood parts. I started sanding the top and other surfaces to prepare for staining. One of the handles had a split so I glued that back.
I'll leave that a couple days before I unwrap it.
Some of the shortest boards on the top were split so I pulled them off and glued/pinned them back together. I'm really happy with my Irwin clamps. They cost a lot more than the ones from Harbor Freight but they don't fall apart the first time I squeeze the grip. I also really like that Hitachi trim nailer. It drives 18 ga. nails up to about 2" long.
I also used the nailer to tighten up some of the boards on the doors. I tapped them back into place and then drove nails in at crossed angles to hopefully hold them tight. Once the cart is squared up, I'll nail the top boards using this to help hold it square (along with the corner braces suggested by buckie.) I'll then fill the holes it leaves so they should be hardly noticeable.
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master thread and other sub-threads.