DawgTalkers.net Forums Thread Like Summary - Any Furniture Makers Out There?

I like woodworking. I won't say I am good at it, but I enjoy the process. I put my earbuds in and listen to music while creating wood projects. I began w/breaking down pallets that I picked up for free and made things out of them. Signs, planters, tables, jewelry hangers,bookcases, ottomans, storage benches for the deck and pool, picture frames, etc. I forget what it is called, but I made my daughter a shoe organizer for the foot of her bed that is covered w/fabric and she and her husband can sit on if they want. I thought it was cool to take away someone else's trash and create something useful and attractive.

I still do some of that, but I don't have as much time as I used to. I have also added working in w/some expensive wood. I'm really into making tables right now. Some w/aprons and some w/out. I am about to start a series of small end tables. Around 24" inches in height w/about a 24" inch table top. Give and take for variety. I have a guy who wants me to make them for his furnished apartments. In the past, I have used kerf mount corner braces for tables and made my own triangular wooden corner braces to go w/aprons. I have used surface plates, wooden mounting plates, hanger bolts and threaded inserts, and cleats for tables w/out aprons.

I have some ideas on which of these works best, but I thought it would be good to ask you guys if you had any tips that you would like to share w/the community.

Didn’t see this thread coming,lol

I’m not, but I admire those who work with wood. My father in law is a creative genius with wood. Has the saws and all that, but his best attribute is he’s very adept at imagining a finished piece and than he just makes it happen. He carves a lot, made our coffee table in fact.

I dabble in it. I built 2 6 shelf pipe supported shelving assemblies that sit in the family room on either side of the fireplace. I used 8/4 cherry, sanded to 400 grit, stained caramel and polyurethane finish. I will say they are beautiful, and everyone that’s sees them has been impressed. The bottom shelves are 15 1/2 inch with the rest 11 1/2 inch. The stereo gear including turntables need a home. They are abut 62 inches wide and just over 8 feet high. That took some time.

I took some of the leftover cherry and built 2 matching record racks a couple years later. They are similar to the open crate Peaches design, but with an open front. The end pieces have mitered corners.

This year, I built 3 more record racks using the same design.

Generic tools, small 10 inch dewalt table saw, miter jigs, drill, pipe clamps, sanders, hand and belt. I borrowed a friends biscuit cutter last time, and will probably buy one if that project comes along. There is a craftsman router in a box that has not been used in 30 years.

I am tempted to buy a planer and band saw. My dream is to build a new dining room table.

My wife is supportive of my hobby and probably could keep me busy for several years.

My hesitancy is I do not like sanding.

I have done some woodworking, none of it very exotic, and much of it not so good. Hats off to those who can do it well. I really love well done work and admire the craftsmanship. Most of my success has been stripping antiques for our house.

One of my loves for years has been the Shakers and especially their wood skills. I can highly recommend studying their furniture, dimensions, designs, and finishes. I owned three publications that collected their shop drawings and tips with the dimensions. They used dovetails and other joinery. I loaned the books to a friend. They must have been very good, and I say this because none of them found their way back home. You seem to speak about your projects with a connection beyond factory grind and production. As I studied these folks and saw their settlements and efforts, I was taken by the honesty in their work as their worship, hands to work and hearts to God. The simple symmetry just holds my eye. I really enjoy working in cherry most of all.
What a pleasant break this thread has proven itself to be. Success, pal!

I dabble, but nowhere near as often as I'd like. In fact, I haven't had the opportunity to even try any projects for almost two years. I moved about 18 months ago and my shop still isn't set back up, but as part of getting the new place, I did treat myself by buying a sawmill so that I can make my own lumber (can handle logs up to 30" diameter by 16' long). I'll be using that to build my new barn next year... I just need to go out in the woods and pull down a dozen or two Ash trees for the posts and beams. I currently have white oak, maple, ash, and black cherry logs waiting to be milled.

As for woodworking projects, to me, it's the perfect way to lose myself in something. Shut out the world and get covered in saw dust. The projects I'm looking forward to most are making some outdoor patio furniture from the white oak, making all new interior doors from the maple, and maybe a new dresser from the cherry but with spalted hackberry for the drawer faces.

My wife is a perfectionist, to a fault.'

Put a small deck in the front of our house, years ago. Had a railing - with spindles. I intentionally put one of the spindles in upside down. I assembled the railing in my barn. She never said anything, but I know it drove her mad.

Years later, we tore that deck and railing out and installed a composite deck in place of the wood deck. I did all of the ground work, got to where I was just cutting the composite boards to length in order to install them with the "hidden" method - the screws can't be seen.

She asked if she could help. I said no. She helped anyway, much to my chagrin. I had many of the boards laid out, not fastened. Her "This one isn't straight." That's because I'm not screwing that one in, I'm doing THIS board, not that one. That one will be straight when I get THIS one done. Here, take the screw gun. Put the placers in place like this, I'll align the next board, and you screw it in. No, hon, you didn't put the placers in like I told you.........."