Woodworking

making small pieces of wood from large ones

  
         
 

One of the priorities in remodeling/revising our new home was getting the "woodshop" set up. In exchange for this, the initial projects supported the further remodeling efforts - such as the library shelving and the like.

But once those projects were under control, it was possible to get to many long-delayed wood projects. One of the first was to make a coffee table from one of the 2' x 7' pieces of walnut purchased in New Orleans in 1970. Then a few end tables and tables/stools for the library and for the kids.

 
   
Furniture
    
 

This is the coffee table in walnut. The legs and top were from American Black Walnut carried around since 1970. The skirt material was purchased locally.

   
 
This is Rob's old toy chest from the 1980's made from African mahogany purchased in New Orleans in 1970. I finally added the legs and base in 2005
  
         
 
One of two footstools I made for the library. The top is a burled veneer, the rest is oak to match the library shelves and floor. The other footstool is enclosed on two sides to double as a shelf. Yes, we have already outgrown the library. 2005
 
         
         
 
This is a simple table combining walnut and cherry, which look better together than I had thought. It was a good way to use up some walnut shorts I had lying around the shop. They had some nice figure and the top looks pretty good. This is the first time I used the miter-dovetail-tenon joint on the corners of the top. It is a very solid joint and does not move which is not necessarily a good thing when doing a panel this wide.
  
 
 
         
         
 
This is an endtable for the living room. the top is bird's eye maple veneer, my first veneer project. The side panels are quilted maple, resawn to 1/4" thickness and the rest is cherry. The handle echoes the shapes of the complex miter dovetailed tenon joint used in the corners of the top. A very difficult joint, but pretty.
 
         
 
This is another veneer project with a matched burlwood top and side panels also veneered over baltic plywood. The drawer is of old honduras mahogany. I still have to turn the knob for it, a year later. The casing is oak, which contrasts nicely with the darker wood. This is probably the last of my veneer projects, as I prefer working with solid wood.
 
 
 
 

 

    
 
Puzzle Box - this was a Christmas present for Rich, who likes secret passages and mysteries
  
 
 
 
It's basically a shelf / end table made of walnut and oak paneling, with a walnut top. But it has 5 secret compartments in it. The first is opened by using a coin to turn two screws 90 degrees. This releases the top, which lifts up and off at a false tenoned joint. To see how it works click here.
  
 
 
 
This end table was a Christmas present for Ellen. It is made of oak with lignum vitae knobs and the drawer bottoms are aromatic cedar, since it is designed to hold her current knitting projects - safe from the cat. The casters are so she can easly roll it into the library when she wants to knit there. The top is heavy slate floor tile so she can have her teapot on it and not worry. Drawers hand dovetailed, of course, and the casing tenons let through. The top edge also has dovetailed corners.
  
 
 
         
  Christmas 2007 projects. The first was a table of the last of the afromasia I had on hand. Used walnut for the legs, which picked up some brown stripes in the afromasia very nicely..  
 
 
         
  I made a practical file/end table for each of the boys. With a tile top. Walnut and oak to match some of the prior projects.  
         
 
 
         
   
Other Projects
    
 
 
 
 
Studio Easel for Rob - shown in the middle of workshop at its most cluttered.
      
         
 

For Christmas 2006, made a guitar for Tom from a kit by Stewart MacDonald.

It sounds pretty good, and looks alright for a first effort. May make some more.
 
 
under construction
  
Tom tries it out, Christmas
  
 
 
 
Spruce soundboard, ebony fretboard
Rosewood back and sides, mahogany neck
    
 
 
 
 
Rob playing Tom's guitar
  

Tom playing Rob's guitar

(Martin D-15)

  
         
         
   
Workshops
    
 
The work shop - at least the woodshop side, after post-Christmas rush has settled down
 
         
 
The ship model shop - before cleanup. The Niagara model for Ellen is on the bench. The Raleigh is stowed in the box to the left in the foreground. Plans above, and the "rigging table", on casters, is also in the foreground. Very useful as it rotates easily and frees up the workbench when rigging a model