Here's an example of how your woodworking skills can help even if you're not, strictly speaking, woodworking.
Over in the WoodNet Woodworking Forums, member TomFromStLouis has posted photos of an interesting and unusual box he just built:I made this box using a number of different samples of maple: curly, spalted (with and without ambrosia beetle stains), straight ambrosia, and burl. I made veneers and laminated both sides of some 1/4" MDF. Then I assembled sized pieces with the katalox frame elements. Katalox is a Mexican timber that is hard and close grained with a tendency to tear out. There were lots of glue-ups. To unify the colors a bit and deepen both woods I used garnet shellac for the finish.
Over in the WoodNet Woodworking Forums, member BarryO has posted photos of his "Arts & Crafts, Greene & Greene aquarium stand. It's a beauty, and as Barry explains, it had to be:My son and I had convinced [my wife] to go along with having a BIG aquarium in the living room. So this was going to be a showpiece, not a backroom utility tank. I wanted the stand to look like a piece of furniture. Most commercial stands sit flat on the floor, and have doors that are wider than they are tall, both of which are cues that scream “fish tank stand”. So I came up with a design that stood on 4 legs instead. Also, the front consists of 4 narrow doors, rather than 2 wide ones. Rather than using something like ebony or walnut for the plugs and inlays, I decided to use something more, uh, “whimsical”. Hey, it’s an aquarium stand, right? So I used bloodwood. Not only is it very colorful, as a South American wood it’s very appropriate for this stand, as the tank will hold South American species of fish.
Over in the WoodNet Forums, member Bob_MN just posted photos of an Ash kitchen table that he just completed. He said this was his first venture in turning legs.They turned out pretty good. Not perfect, but if they were, I'd have to quit. :-) My Leigh FMT came in handy on the joinery. Natural finish. 4 coats of General's Arm-R-Seal. The table is 48" Long X 30" Deep X 30" Tall. The legs are 3" square at the top.
It's getting to be that time of year when most of us will actually consider sitting outside on a porch or deck. WoodNet member Jeremy_s finished this beautiful cypress bench for his wife just in time.After months of working on other projects and side jobs (and being a little lazy), I finally got this done for my wife. Design is from a gardening magazine my wife was reading. I made changes and improvements. It sets comfy.
Things are hopping in the WoodNet Woodworking Forums. Here's a second mahogany project posted this week. The coffee table was built by member dvan1901, and he says in building it, he encountered a lot of firsts:My first time using mahogany... first cabriole legs, scalloped corners on the top, double bead on the top, shaped aprons. The finish is a wet sanded BLO with a wet sanded Watco Dark Walnut and 5 coats of a wipe on poly.
Over in the WoodNet Woodworking Forum, member kscott posted photos of his latest project, a set of window tables he made for his wife. I assume thy are called window tables because you place them under a window to hold house plants, hence the marble in the table top. The wood is mahogany.Different colors of mahogany originally all dyed with Moser's alcohol soluble dye. Bush oil followed by Deft. First time I used either. Lots of experiments on sample pieces before I went for it. Dyed before assembly and finished after.
WoodNet Forums member 2exhausted designed this end table for his living room as a project in which he could gain experience using shop sawn veneer. He gives special thanks to John Fry who helped him through whole process.Learned how to make shop sawn veneer, learned an easy way to make perfect cuts on a sled and the correct sequence of gluing everything up..doing the edge band in walnut proved to be a real challenge.
Over at WoodNet Forums, member TomFromStLouis posted in-process photos and how to for an unusual project he just finished:A friend of mine bought a 1965 Austin-Healey 3000. Suddenly I began to think that here was a fellow I always appreciated, but perhaps not as much as I should have. When I commented that the after-market steering wheel did not match the figured walnut dash, he handed me the original wheel covered in cracked Bakelite.
WoodNet Forums member ash has just posted a couple photos of his latest project, a traditional coffee table, made, not surprisingly, of ash.This is my version of a classic coffee table. Wood is northern ash, stain is Gemini custom made + NGR tints. Finish is SW Pre-catalyzed over vinyl sealer.
Those of you who are regular Woodsmith readers will recognize the Classic Cherry Bed in the photo. It complements several bedroom furniture projects that had appeared in earlier issues.This bed is a combination of many plans I have seen. Many of the features are from the Woodsmith plans (classic cherry bed), however, I did not curve the upper rails and all of the slats are real M&T joints. The side rails are 1.5" think and attached with KD fasteners (the mortise type, not surface mount).
The rails on the headboard/footboard, the side rails and the legs are all laminated from 4/4 stock and "veneered" with 1/16th shop sawn "Veneer", the rails are also capped with a decorative piece that hides the lamination.
Over in the WoodNet Woodworking Forums, member Steven has posted several photos of rocking horses he's making for his grandchildren. In doing so, he's carrying on a family tradition begun by his father who made a rocking horse for Steven's children.Family built items hold that special appeal. Around 30 years ago my Father built this rocking horse for our first child. She is now married and starting a family of her own and her daughter now has her rocking horse.... Over the years this simple rocking horse will get built many more times as needed as our 6 children start their family's.
WoodNet Forums member NoTalentRookie has posted an interesting step-by-step photo essay of his making of the reindeer (actually several of them as gifts) in the photo. He shows where he started: at the firewood pile.I have no idea whether or not they'll hold up in the long run and not crack apart. I didn't take any time for acclimation, or sticker drying. However the firewood has been cut for a year or so, and the tree was standing dead when it was taken down.
WoodNet Forums member NickBee built this plant stand of Poplar with Walnut plywood.This project presents a few firsts for me. It’s my 1st project with rail / stile / panel construction and it’s the 1st project I completed on my new router table. Now I know there are easier ways out there to accomplish the end result but it was cool to complete this project with: One router bit, One router table fence setting, No specific measurements required.
Somebody's going to be very happy this holiday. WoodNet Hand Tool Forum member LloydParker posted this photo of a mallet he just finished turning. It made of Osage Orange. Beautiful.
WoodNet Forums member stevenstorey has just posted photos of his new workshop.I started it August 29th and completed Oct 30. The walls are 7'4" at the wall going to 8'2" in the center... The model I got came from Tuff Shed. It is 12 x 16'8" ( 200 SF ) the max that the city would allow. It does have a concrete foundation.
WoodNet.net Forums member QSAWN says he's "finally finished" building three cribs for his three new sons.Well, it took me about a month to complete 90% before the boys were born and 8 months to complete the last 10% after they were born.
Here's the end view of a hope chest that Joe Grout recently built and posted in the woodworking forum at Forums.WoodNet.net.Solid red oak, finish is water white lacquer nothing else. I did not snap a pic but the bottom is aromatic cedar.
Fall is in the air, and winter can't be far behind. At some point this winter, you'll need something that will give you hope that the warm weather will return. I think WoodNet Woodworking Forums member Purds may have built just the thing: A beautiful porch swing.I was much faster on this project than the last one (a dresser that took two years). This took less than two weeks, and most of that time was waiting for the finish to dry/cure.I used plans my wife found and wanted emulated, though the plans called for painted pine/plywood, and I used plywood and red oak. I know it will fade, but I like the look of the colors right now.
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