Well I’m a new guy both to this forum and to woodworking. I’ve been lurking around here for a little while and I have seen some real quality work and I have learned a thing or two from the postings here. So, I thought I might jump in and say hello and maybe show a couple of things that I have made. Though a couple is all that there is too show as it takes me a long time to make stuff and I’m kinda’ dumb and I generally have to make many messes before I make something that is “debateably?” a piece of furniture.
So here is a picture or four of my first project, completed some months ago.It is only just a simple bookshelf thing. It is soft maple, stained cherry ,and poly. Dadoes and rabbits made on my TS for joinery.
Sorry the pics. are poor quality but so is the camera and the photographer who took them.
Replies
lungfish,
First of all, welcome to the forum. As you said, this is a great place to learn. I've been a part of the forum for only a few months but have found it to be a great tool for reading as well as asking questions or just making a comment here and there.
Your bookcase is a good start but, if you don't mind, I'd like to make a comment or two. Rabbets and dados are great for adding stability to a design; I try to hide them if at all possible. This can be done by several methods. Example: stop dados for shelves; bisket joinery on all points - no rabbets or dados; rabbets and dados as you did but edgeband the front with thin strips of your primary material.
I attached a couple of photos of a shop cart I built. It is made from oak plywood with 1/8" solid oak edgebanding. The plywood is joined much like your cabinet. Edgebanding was applied to both the front and back after the carcase was assembled.
Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Bill that's a nice cabinet, thanks for showing it to me. It is a good example for future projects.
I tend to agree with Dusty though about the joints. I like to have them show, especially if they have come out well.
I can see covering up plywood but I'm not sure I want to put edge banding on solid stock. ( actually I've never tried to use edgebanding at all before and I would probrably just screw it up) It seems to me to defeat the purpose of using real wood. Unless maybe to hide end grain?.I want to show it off not hide it.
I appreciate your advice and will look forward to hearing more from you in the future.
Thanks again.
lungfish ,
What a great start and a nice bookcase . IMHO exposed joinery such as your dados can be a beautiful thing . Especially when done crisply. It is sort of an honest approach , and it looks from your photos that you used solid stock . It is really a personal preference . I would never cover nice joints of solid stock , plywood absolutely unless it is a utility grade piece . I would encourage you to continue your journey and keep learning with each process and each new project. No one knows it all, but here on Knots forum you can get wonderful info and tips and tricks that took many of us years and years to learn.Sanding and prep before finishing are paramount for consistent and quality finishes.
dusty
LF,
That's a great first project! I think you're going to have a great time with all of this.
Charlie
Thanks for saying nice stuff and encouraging a newbie.
I will post a pic. of my second project, I think is a little more impressive ( though that is not saying much) later when I have some time. Right now I'm off to work.
Dusty I guess you noticed the finish isn't to very consistant or very pretty I am working on that.
Thanks,
James
lungfish ,
It was hard to tell from the photo , but it looked like either glue or putty , near each joint . Sometimes I have actually scraped glue into the pores . Maybe sand a bit more aggressive to clean all up a bit .
dusty
Hey, nice work! I'm also fairly new to woodworking as well as to this forum. I started about five years ago. My first real project was a vegetable bin from a U-Bild plan. I had to build it twice before it looked like something I wanted people to see in my kitchen!
Very enjoyable hobby! Keep up the good work!
Go, Man, go!...
Looks like woodworking to me! I think you'll find the more you do, the better you get, and the better you get - the more you do. And it becomes more and more fun! It's better than anything you can buy and something you've crafted makes the best gift.
Call me crazy...
Thanks Crazy Ray
Have a look at project #2
The cabinet is made of solid red and the top is hard maple.
Finished with minwax tung oil finish but not sure was the best choice for a finish. Some eeked back out and left gooey blobs on the doors. I think I will have to do something about the finish...someday.
I think it came out pretty good for only my second project.
lungfish,
Nice work! What did you use on the corners of the top? Brass plates? Interesting design with the doors and a flip top as well.
I'm still learning how to use different finishes, but I'm thinking if all you've used is tung oil so far, then it can be wiped down with mineral spirits or naptha to get rid of the oozes. Let it dry overnight and apply another coat, wiping it thoroughly as you go.Bill Arnold - Custom Woodcrafting
Food for Thought: The Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Thanks BArnold . Yea the corners have little brass"embellishments" that match the hinges. I thought they would look cool and protect the corners. I'm thinking the same thing about the finish. I could probrably just clean it up with MS and put more oil on. I'm also considering just trying something different altogether but not sure what.
Heres a picture of a bathroom accessory that I made recently. It holds magazines in a convenient location. It's cherry with tung oil finish on it.
the pictures are kind of dark that's because my camera s@#$.
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