I spent the weekend planing and resawing some oak for a fireplace mantle I’m making on commission and some tiger maple for a candle box I plan to build. I also have to get busy on a cradle for my second grandchild. I built one four years ago when my oldest presented me with my first. A month ago my daughter called me as soon as she knew she was pregnant so I could start working on hers.
I’m taking a little time off work after Christmas and hope (need) to spend most of it in the shop. Made me wonder what others are working on.
Brandon Ford, Lincoln City, OR.
Replies
I just completed (this morning) my last set of Shaker oval boxes for gifts to friends, family and good clients (as opposed to "bad" clients!). 15 sets of five nesting boxes each, so 75 boxes total.
As paid work, I'm also finishing up two small, rectangular boxes with patina-ed (sp?) copper tops, as well as an Arts and Crafts-style ottoman. I'm just about to start construction on another demilune hall table, and am finishing the design of a set of small tables that standing together serve as a coffee table and separately work as small cocktail tables.
Then there's MY list... :-)
Happy Holidays,
David
Look, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!
Dear Davamoore: To build 75 Shaker Boxes for gift to family and friends it means that you must have a method to build them rapidly. Do you mind sharing the secrets with all of us on this forum?
Thank you in advance
John Cabot
John, my secrets to building Shaker boxes rapidly and by Christmas are as follows:
1. Start early. 2. Stay off Knots. 3. Cheat.
OK, just kidding, but there is some truth to all of those. I did start this project in October, knowing that I wouldn't be able to build the boxes all at once, but in fits and spurts. And as much as I enjoy the forum here, I have tried to get my behind into the workshop before I sat it down in front of the computer. I'll get to cheating later...
The first thing I did was determine how much material I would need for the tops and bottoms, with some extra for screw-ups (about 20%), and prepare that all at once -- or at least before I did anything else. For the cherry boxes, that meant veneering panels with some really beautiful figured cherry veneer I purchased last spring, some on 1/4" baltic birch plywood (for larger boxes), some on 1/8" baltic birch plywood (for smaller boxes). For the curly maple and walnut boxes, that meant re-sawing and then thickness planing.
Once the lid material was complete, I turned my attention to the band material. Here's where the cheating comes in: for the cherry and maple boxes, I purchased pre-cut bands from John Wilson in Charlotte, Michigan. His bands come already thicknessed and cut to width and length, for various size boxes. You still need to cut and bevel the fingers and pre-drill the tack holes.
For the walnut boxes, I re-sawed my own bands, slightly greater than the correct, finished thickness, and cut them to length and widths. I then used a scraper plane to remove the milling marks and bring them to final thickness. I then cut all of the fingers on all of the bands and pre-drilled all of the holes.
Prep work done, I was ready to begin the construction and finishing. I only have two sets of shapers for each size box, and since the boxes must dry 24 hours before cutting and attaching the lids and bottoms and between some coats of finish (shellac not included) -- and I didn't always have all day to work -- I set up my process this way, moving two sets of boxes through each step together:
Day One: For two complete sets of five nesting boxes (say, sets A and B), bevel fingers; boil, bend and tack sides; put on shapers; let dry.
Day Two: Cut, shape and attach lids and bottoms for box sets A and B. For new sets C and D, bevel, boil, bend, tack, place on freed-up shapers, let dry.
Day Three: Finish-sand box sets A and B and apply first coat of finish (which varied, depending upon the wood and the look I was after); set aside to dry. Cut, shape and attach lids and bottoms for box sets C and D. For new sets E and F, bevel, boil, bend, tack, place on freed-up shapers, let dry.
Day Four: Apply second coat of finish to box sets A and B; finish-sand box sets C and D and apply first coat of finish; set all four sets aside to dry. Cut, shape and attach lids and bottoms for box sets E and F. For new sets G and H, bevel, boil, bend, tack, place on freed-up shapers, let dry.
And so on... basically, it was a matter of moving each set one step up in the process, then bringing each subsequent set up to the next stage, and adding a new set until all of them had gotten started (I made an odd number of sets, so was inefficient on the last group and only beveled, boiled, bent a single set).
Each box got 4 coats of finish; I sanded lightly with 320 grit sandpaper after coats 2 and 3, and rubbed out coat 4 with #0000 steel wool. And I wasn't always able to do everything I'd planned in a single day, so there was some spillover. But it was fairly organized, and worked much better than taking each pair of sets from start to finish, since it the processt took full advantage of "down time" during drying.
Too much information, I'm sure, so I'll stop... right... NOW.
DavidLook, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!
Noticed several Arts and Crafts projects going here which made me wonder...
Has anyone seen, or is anyone making, the Arts and crafts furniture featured recently in Popular Mechanics? I figure I can talk about that particular magazine here since it isn't exactly of the same genre... I saw a couple back issues at the library with plans for a dining table, chairs, and a sideboard. Really neat stuff, not what I normally associate with this particular publication. Anyway, just wondered if anyone else saw it and what they think.
The sideboard I'm building for my wife is from Popular Mechanics. I believe the article was from Nov. 2001.
I too was surprised to find the plans in the magazine but was pleasantly surprised to find that the plans matched our entertainment center almost exactly. Heck, I will hopefully save about $2,250 by building this myself with all quartersawn white oak, no plywood, and cedar drawers (I'm matching my entertainment center). I even got a benchtop mortiser in the deal. Now when I tell my wife how much we saved I can possibly get a band saw and a cyclone dust collector. Oh well, I can dream can't I? :)
Michael
I've been carving some rather goofy folk-art blanks for the 'artist' to paint, got tired of that - here's a couple of picts of todays project - cherry medicine cabinet for the bathroom, picking up where I left off last year, had just a mirror hanging on the wall - don't claim it to be 'fine', but fits right in here - ash and poplar door is a salvage that has been floating around for 20 years - someone had painted the raised part of the inside panel a very pretty milk paint blue that I was able to save during the 'hot tank' strip many years ago -
Working on a maple and lacewood sleigh bed for my daughter. Headboard and footboard will have curved panels with four 13 1/4' lacewood diamonds veneered on each side. It has been a fun project so far.
Im building a alder vanity w/medicine cab
At Darkworks Customer satisfaction Job One..Yea yea were all over it , I got my best guys on it.........
I'm making a simple but handy gift for 12 friends/relatives: 2X4's cut into 23" long pieces, planed down to 1" thick, 1/4" rounded edge all around one face, then that face gets18 thin kerf slots cut into it at a 45deg angle. I condition/stain/poly them and rub a little Christmas decal onto the top front and they hang on a nail and hold 18 Christmas cards neatly organized.
Bat boxes for X-mas presents (just say no to West Nile).
Two wastepaper baskets.
Cedar Under-the-bed storage box.
Picture frames and more picture frames.
I feel like one of Santa's over worked elves.
Just this afternoon finished trimming out a house. Custom base, case, new doors, chair rail, etc. Went pretty good. No big shop projects started, but there's a gun cab in design stage. That needs to happen this winter.
" You are young, my son, and as the years go by time will change and even reverse many of your present opinions. Refrain therefore awhile from setting yourself up as a judge of the highest matters." - Plato
I'm working on one of those bad jobs. I'm making 45 treads and risers, piano key style (the wood is going the short way) out of 3/4" x 1 1/2" #3 maple flooring that was a machine shop floor. It doesn't have any finish on it and its only going to have a coat of oil put on it. Its really really bad looking. The boards have oil, grease, dents, holes, you name it. Its not going to be sanded flat or anything.
The house is new. In Laguna Beach. They can afford any wood they want and they pick this junk. Cant figure out rich people!
The only good thing is. I'm making good money.
Jeff in so cal
68 f---65% raining
I am working on a contemporary cabinet on the cover of FWW #152 cabinet is done in cherry and walnut, I am making the front doors now , still need to make drawers and top.
Just about to start my biggest job commission yet, a Arts & Crafts dining table, 6 chairs, and a hutch. All in cherry. But I'll have to wait a bit longer, my wife is due in three days with our first child. Could be tomorrow, could be next year. Wenever it is, I can't wait!
Just finished some awsome endgrain cutting boards, (maple, cherry and myrtlewood) for the other end of my business.
Jeffrey
Building a new Arts and Crafts bungalow complete with oak wainscoting, oak and mahogany floors, custom base, chair and crown. Today another coat of oil on the bedroom floors.
Also a small stereo cabinet, built-in of course to hold the TV up.
Also a new drill press stand in the shop.
I am just finishing up a nut bowl that was ordered by a relative. It is approx. 11" diameter x 6" deep. I am using a segmented design to use up some of the many scraps in the shop. the bowl is all walnut (it is a nut bowl..ha)
Also working on a closed form container. Approx 6" diameter at widest, and 10" tall. It is basically the same bowl that is described @ turnedwood.com (a great site for anyone interested in segmented turning)
In the last stages of overhauling a rent house, made a vanity cabinet for the bathroom. Will probably refinish hardwood floors between Christmas and New Year.
Restoring an oak secretary desk/bookcase that someone painted red on the inside.grrrrrr Someone gave this to my daughter when she was living in Morristown New Jersey several years ago. I knew when I saw it someday it would find its way to my shop here in Texas. It did, I guess that what dads are for.
In the planning stage my youngest Daughter is having a house built in San Antonio TX. It will be finished in Mar./Apr. 03. I will then build a built in entertainment center.
And various other projects, mostly thing for my family. One day when I get time I will build me a ...........
God Bless Happy Holidays
les
My shop was starting to fill up with various cutoffs and shorts from previous projects and unusually colored or figured boards I've set aside. So in September, I set a goal of using this stuff to make one decorative box per week (in addition to my regular furniture output) as Christmas presents for parents, sisters, and so forth. Well, as you may have guessed, I had to make three boxes last week and will have to do another three or four this week just to keep on schedule. Nonetheless, I'm having fun and learning a bit, doing hand-cut dovetails, table saw box joints, and splined miters. Species used include curly maple, padauk, poplar, mahogany, walnut, butternut, purpleheart, red birch, European beech, ebony, olive ash burl (veneer), and lacewood (and no, I didn't use them all in one box).
I’m in the process of finishing a cherry reading bench, also started working on a small maple writing table and at the same time I’m trying to organize my shop since I had to move it to my home suddenly. To say the least it’s a world wind around here and I don’t know witch way I’m going half the time and of course to top everything the holidays are here. I need a vacation!!
Happy holidays all.
Rickl
P.S. I forgot about my wife’s server I need to refinish the top by the 24th since we have about twenty people coming over. Help!!
Not what most of you would call "fine" woodworking, but I'm about 60% finished with a dozen game boxes (a couple ash, one walnut, a few oak, one cherry...) plus one walnut Bible box for Christmas gifts. I was thinking about returning most of the wood because it wouldn't seem to make a tight-fitting miter, but then I thought maybe it wasn't entirely the wood's fault.
The next project: shoveling knee-deep sawdust out of my basement garage.
What am I working on?
Nervous breakdown mostly. ;)
So many half-finished projects, Christmas shopping not even close to done. At least the significant other will wait for her present to be finished by my brother. A pair of earrings featuring black coral and 18K gold. Not that expensive because Vik does the labour and I simply pay for the material.
A pair of sawhorses. Or is that saw-horses? Before you start saying thats not a true woodworking project, I'll cut you off at the pass. I will be doing a gazebo featuring a timber framed roof and I need to practice my skills, so I am building a pair from some fir timbers.
The tops are 8 1/2" wide, 5" thick and some 60" long with legs and feet out of 3 1/2" by 5 1/2" fir. The weight is a concern, and I was thinking of planing the top down an inch or so. I had planned on straight legs but soon changed my mind for angled ones. This meant cutting the shoulders of the tenon at some 9 degrees, and this means the tenons couldn't be cut with a dado blade. I eased the corners of the top with a inch wide 45 degree bevel and I plan on taking a router to the legs to round them over.
I tried clamping them to the mitre fence and angling the table saw blade. It left a lot of material and the cheeks were at a slight angle. I should consider myself lucky as this is all that happened. Hence, my question about tenon jigs for a table saw in the tools area.
They will need a knee brace to resist spreading forces but I did plan ahead. When I don't need them, I'll use them to support a tabletop in the gazebo. I'll send some photos along when I finish them.
Finishing up 7 frames for my wifes paintings. She keeps me busy.
Next up is a Shaker hall table and an entainment center.
Matt-
The kitchen table, after more than a year, is nearly done. The structural work is done except for one support in the middle. This is my first major project. I was hoping to have it completed by Christmas. But I've run out of time and it will probably be done in time for my wife's birthday in February. Hopefully I can borrow someone's digital camera when it's done and show it in the gallery.
Also a manger for my mother's Christmas skit and a picture frame for my father.
Edited 12/18/2002 12:17:37 AM ET by jase
Christmas Angels for the "outlaws".
Dovetailed Recipe Box for Mom.
Commisioned work on display cabinet/boxes for arrowheads and artifacts(sp?).
Hopefully make some money to build a futon that I've been wanting to do.
With the help of some of the people on this thread with ideas, I am finishing several Christmas projects for needy kids. Built some wooden cars for the boys, and doll cribs for the girls. It's a great feeling to give something to kids who wouldn't have a Christmas present. Everything was taken to the fire department for distribution, so no one will know where it came from. My wife and I try to give to them rather than splurge on ourselves.
Len (Len's Custom Woodworking)
I'm working on my first "custom designed" piece of furniture - a small maple armour (38"w x 14" D x 70" tall) for our bathroom. When I say custom designed I mean it being designed to meet my wife's requirements mostly and mine a little bit if I'm lucky. Since we're going to Germany for a 6 month work assignment right after the first of the year, I'll be lucky if I get the base completed before we go... Oh well, something to look forward to when we return.
Happy Holidays!
Terry in Delray Beach, FL
I just finished a qs white oak hutch, mission style for my wife. Also a matching corner cabinet. Both have leaded glass doors. My first attempt at fww. Exceeded my expectations, may not for others. With the scraps am making mission style candle holders for gifts, wifes idea. Also am in the middle of creating a pallet headboard. Found some really nice oak pallets at work about a year an 1/2 ago. So far it's not looking to bad. Also my first post.
Just fininshed up most everything. A classic cherry bed (woodsmith)only mine is made out of white oak with bocote inlays in the head and foot boards. Book case head board bed, red oak. 4 mantel clocks , walnut. hope chest , notty pine lined with cedar. all christmas gifts. Now I'm working on 3 vanities for a friend of mine who has a cabinet shop. all made out of solid maple. wife's curio cabinet seems to get push to the side, but she's next in line. and the list goes on !! merry christmas
I'm working on my first big project...a Mission-stle sideboard for my wife as a secret for her Xmas and Birthday present.
Michael
I just finished an Arts & Crafts chest of drawers..my most ambitious project to date.
See the Wood forum for pictures.....
I need to hunker down and get the 2-story garage/shop started in 2003...
lp
Among the other great Christmas items mentioned here I would like to add one myself. Over the years making different types of wooden gifts I have made range of things from tables , jewelry boxes, coasters, to detailed picture frames but my favorite one, and most popular, is the good old bandsaw box. Here is the model for this year. Make sure your you tune up your bandsaw by adding a new blade and adjust the bearings to machine standards.
*glue your shorts together and square them up*choose your shape and mark your lines*cut sides first, preferably on the table saw*cut front or main body depending on what shape you like.*hollow out interior making little trays and even drawers and doors out of the hollowed out pieces from the main body.*glue sides and main body back together and make sure you have included allowance for any lid swing*add desired fabric*carefully mark and drill for your brass pins.
..Pike..
Well I got the bed done. Assembled it and put it in her room while she was out shopping with Mom. Whe she got home I told her that her she was getting her christmas present from me early and that it was in her room. Her first reaction was "I liked it the way it was a minute ago" which was just a mattress and box spring on the floor. My feelings would have been hurt if she wasn't three years old, (actually they were a little bit but such is life as a parent). I showed her how the lacewood pattern matched the drawer pulls on her dresser and changing table and she warmed right up to it after that. She proceeded to show me how well she could climb up on it and how much her barbies liked it so things are good again.
Anyway the bed held many new challenges for me mostly dealing with the curved panels and veneer joining. I think I managed to pich two of the most difficult woods possible for this project, hard maple and lacewood, but all in all it came out as I envisioned. I attached a pic but it is awful. What can you expect from a 10.00 digital camera. Will try to post better pics later.
Larry and Tom, beautiful stuff. I saw the dresser in the Gallery and even though i think i've been A&C'd out, i liked it. Wonderful kid's graphics with those woods, Tom.
Pike, i have some reservations about "gluing my shorts together" as a first step. Is this really necessary?
Thanks for the kind words, Splitie!
lp
LoL! Your right, probably a step better unwritten. Most woodworkers don't need any glue for their shorts to stick together. - Have a great Christmas!
Tom, great looking bed! In time, your daughter will come to appreciate it as much as it deserves to be appreciated.
And I know how you felt, partly: I bought my nephews (4- and 8-years-old) some pretty cool (I thought) art project/fun/creative books/supplies/junk for Christmas this year. They're endlessly drawing, building, etc.
Uh-uh... my sister and brother-in-law bought them an X-Box this year. All week long the house rang with the sounds of speeding engines, crashing metal and rapping rollerbladers, all impressively animated.
My sister tried to make me feel better. "They'll be bored with it in a week," she said. She's probably right, but she didn't have to worry: Since I haven't played a video game since Pong and Pac-Man, I had a blast myself. "All hail the Road Racing King of Iron City!" (I kicked butt, in a souped-up blue Lotus, no less!)
DavidLook, I made a hat -- Where there never was a hat!
Thanks for the compliment on the bed. I'll try to post some better pics of it in the gallery when I get a new camera.
My daughter has already come to like the bed and I would probably be in trouble if I tried to take it out now. She thinks it's pretty funny when I tell people about her initial reaction though.Tom
Rabbit hutch, nothing special except to those that live in it. I was looking for one but bought all three.. They are dwarf red...somethings... not really sure but they are cute when all three vi for space on my sholders and affectionately nibble on my ears. They have a two story home now with a ramp from the first floor to the second.
I don't want to shock them with a camera right now but soon I will post a pic or two. So wait for the pictures before you call me a big 6'4" 250lb whimp.
A chair.
The one thing that I hate to work on........ MY house!!! LOL
WoodBeaver
Finished a new mahogany desktop for restored desk (although I may rub some 0000 wool over it if I'm brave). Also a crude canoe stand, using trestle and tusk tenon joinery. Will be starting shaker nightstands soon. All in all, a pretty productive woodworking year, thanks to the help I receive here. Todd
A timberframe house using the double frame method. White Oak inside timbers, black walnut outside timbers, cherry cabinets, hardmaple flooring, tamarck joists and eastern white pine sub floor.
Yes I'm doing it myself. (although I do get some help sometimes)
Yes, my good friend, you deserve the award this year.. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year....
...tamarck joists and eastern white pine sub floor...
So....you've been reduced to using softwoods, have you? I saw the pics in BT--pretty little jewelry box there, m'dear. Got any friends left? <G>
what are friends?
what's worse, I nailed and glued the floor joists and subfloor together! not a single mortice joint or anything just glue and nails, I'm soooo ashamed!
FRENCHY.... what, did home D have a sale..! MC dude and tell the sig O great job for just hangin with ya this year... Merry Christmas, the saga has been a blast.
I am installing a Veritas twin screw vise to my workbench. Then I hope to get back to harp building.
Harpmaker
After reading what everyone was doing (those who responded to your comment), I decided to add my short list.
I just finished a chess board for a client who also happens to be my boss(at my day job), for his son for Christmas-delivered it last Monday, 2 days before my drop dead date. It was made of Wenge for the black wood, End cut Ash for the white, and Framed with Bolivian Rosewood. The blocks forming the checkerboard are all attached to one another by floating tenons so there is a slight movement, and it allows Hygroscopic movement without tearing anything apart. The pieces are slightly rounded leaving a visual effect of tiles, and then buffed at two levels of abrasive, leaving it a wax finish.
The end cut Ash with its wild grain created a look like a contour map and gave a sense of shape and form, while the Wenge is brittle and straight grained.
It was one of those projects that you play with to get things to fit and work. The Bolivian Rosewood is a lovely shade of tan with bold streaks of black buffing out superbly, has resinous quality that sands and buffs extremely well.
Other projects, a cherry shelf/end table to hold my favorite magazines close to my bed- like Fine Woodworking, tool catalogs, etc.
On the back burner is a computer table and hutch. If and when I get time.
Ted
Hello, I am working on a 8X10 rolling table to put my Jet cabinet saw on so that I have a nice table surrounding my saw I am about half done I am putting about 16 regular drawers in it and about 5 heavy duty full extension drawers and I should have room to neatly put away portable planers and router tables etc.
Good luck on your projects Sincerely yours Brian
I'm endlessly working on my 1928 farmhouse. I have a large chicken barn so I have plenty of space to store wood for projects. The latest project is wrapping up my downstairs bathroom. I designed it to be a modern Victorian Folk even though my house is a farmhouse. The best part was ripping out the old bathroom. I found an old boot in the wall (balloon framing) and the floor was lined with newspapers from the 30's.
I've also been working at a neighbors house restoring his 200+ year old post and beam farmhouse. It's one of the oldest houses in town. He's a restoration specialist so I expect to learn some things.
Kris
Limerick, Maine
I am working on a bench top for a workbemch I got from a retired cabinet maker. The bench is actually a 9 drawer (maple ) sort of dresser a 72 inches long. The drawers are very heavily made and I recently primed and repainted the cabinet with a nice oil based paint. It was too dinged up to really refinish.
The top is 8/4 ash with a front vise, tail vise and round dog holes. The top weighs a ton. I have it flat to 1/16 to 1/32 and that is as flat as I care to mess with.My arms ache from planing the stuff. It will get a little danish oil and wax. Ash is wonderful for bench tops. It resists denting is pretty and cheaper than hard maple.
Frank
Edited 12/29/2002 3:06:47 PM ET by BISCARDI
Making money
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