I love radiators – I grew up in a house full of them and always liked being able to cozy up next to one when I felt cold. But the dining room radiator is right in the room’s focal point, and it’s not pretty. It looks like this:

It’s half white because we were going to paint it until we realized what a mess we were making. I did a little research, and while it seems painting it won’t hurt the output too badly, a radiator cover would look ten times better and could actually improve it’s efficeincy. It would also keep people and pets from accidentally searing their flesh on the hot metal.

Something like this would be ideal, but we can’t afford to order one custom-built, so we’ll have to go a little simpler.

Wolf Radiator Enclosures makes neat ones. Their flat paneled design is my favorite. Szaki’s Woodworking’s styles are simpler still, and they also sell plans for $35.00. I don’t think I’d bother buying plans though – Easy2.com has some pretty thorough directions and an interactive tutorial to help you make your own, free of charge:

http://www.easy2.com/cm/easy/diy_ht_index.asp?page_id=35694140

The optimistic part of me thinks I could tackle this project if Teague gives me a refresher on the table saw – I haven’t used one since shop class in 8th grade. The pessimistic part of me remembers what my homemade gumball machine looked like, and fears the radiator cover might fare even worse.