As we move along our personal woodworking path, the concept of “challenging” will obviously change. I remember the first time I saw a Greene & Greene piece. I thought I would never have the skill to execute all of those fine details. With numerous Greene & Greene-inspired pieces behind me now, I am looking to expand my horizons in other areas, though I must admit I still have several Greene & Greene pieces on my “must build” list including several of their chairs. By the way, the Blacker House Rocking Chair pictured left was made by Darrell Peart. Chairs, in my opinion, have the potential to be some of the most complicated pieces of furniture to build. In addition to looking cool, chairs ultimately must be comfortable. No matter how beautiful a chair looks, if it hurts your butt when you sit in it it could be considered a design failure.
So out of the list below, what projects do you consider to be the most challenging? Have something that ins’t on the list? Leave a comment with your thoughts.
The rocking chair Marc pictured here is probably one of the most difficult projects I have ever tackled.
The commission started out as simply a Blacker armchair (which is a very challenging piece). Before I got started my client called and asked if we could make it into a rocker. Without hesitation I said “sure!” What I should have said is “sure – but that’s going to be a LOT MORE MONEY! “
To give the design a life as a rocker I splayed the legs out (looked boxy with legs straight down). But splaying the legs made all the resulting joints compound!!! A very difficult and challenging project was now (in my mind) near impossible. (why did I do this to myself again !!!!)
This was before I started having CNC templates made ( parts of the design is beyond CNC anyway). I spent several weeks making jigs by hand – but mostly just scratching my head. I would wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat wishing I had never taken the project on – “ I had really done it this time – this one is over my head – I‘ve taken the deposit and have no choice but to go forward though”
I really felt like I had accomplished something when I finished the project. I also felt very relieved! I learned an enormous amount and brought a lot more related projects within my reach. Its good to challenge yourself from time to time – we do need to develop our skills but then stretch them a bit – otherwise our progress stagnates.
Darrell
Your first project and the first time your apply a new technique (joint, detail, or process) is generally the most difficult build.
my post should say High boy is the most dificult please edit that part sorry i am on my laptop and it messes up the typing
I have to say the most difficult is the from. Cabriolet legs to the carving to the piston fit drawers it is the most difficult piece i have done.
i’m 13 and i can’t imagine building a chair. (not good at furniture) But from my experience building a ukulele, i can’t imagine anything harder than building instruments. It’s very fiddly and it has a lot of elements that need to come together perfectly in order for it to work. I wanted to build an instrument, and i thought i was starting small with a uke. Boy, was i wrong. Now, about 6 months later, i finally am starting at square one with a solid-body electric guitar. ( still, by no means simple, but easier) No bending any sides ( thank god), but there’s a lot of wiring to be done. Wish me luck!
Chair making also intrigues me and much for the same reasons as curved pieces.
I would say anything with a high degree of curvature. Everything must be fitted by hand, for the most part. Wouldn’t you know, that’s what I’m most drawn to!?
I think building a 17th century high boy is one the hardest pieces of furniture to build.
But what a sense of pride when it’s all finished standing there in front of you to remain for centuries to come.
An old friend, now deceased, once told me that he could build tables and casework all day long, but a chair was beyond him. He said he was lucky to have a friend who could build chairs, but not casework, and they helped each other. That’s one of the nice things about woodworking: it can be a solitary craft, but it can also be a very social one. The hall table is a thing of beauty, and I’m anxious to see the TV stand.
Any project that contains compound miters hurt my head and test your skills of setting up your equipment. Cheers
They’re all tough for those of us with no skills…
I have told my woodworking friends many times, if you want to take your woodworking to another level, build an acoustic guitar. The level of precision and attention to detail required at all steps is the ultimate challenge. One famous luthier is often quoted as saying “building a guitar looks hard, it is harder than it looks”…:-). Having built a few acoustic instruments over the years, it has given me the confidence to try any project.
This is a project within the reach of all woodworkers with the availability of kits which have a variety of steps complete to suit the individual – and as to the sound – it will be just fine.
I would love to build chairs, but I definitely feel like I need some more skills first. The next category up in difficulty would be a musical instrument. At least kitchen cabinets (on that list) are easy. But now that I think about it, there are some tricky things there too, like doors. I do agree with Frank that the most important thing is to get started.
The easy ones are usually the most challenging. The ones that are tough are fun and exciting therefore drawing me in and getting me motivated. The easy ones are boring making me dread them, souping them up and making them challenging is the challenge. Adding different aspects or using techniques that are new to me or difficult makes the easy ones not so easy and worth doing.
Not to sound overly philosophical, but for me the most challenging project is always the next one. I have this psychological hangup in that I will think of something, plan it out, then start coming up with problems I forsee and talk myself out of it numerous times. Then once I start it I’m like a man obsessed and during the actual process the project becomes easy. For me the challenge is starting it. I enjoy the process so much, but looking at the big picture I always psyche myself out.
as a college student studying to become a luthier, I realized that all the woodworking I did before was nothing compared to making a musical instruments, because you can’t just mill parts and glue them together there are so much science involved.
I agree. Building a high-quality classical guitar was the most demanding project I have yet to attempt. Building a cabin boat was the second most difficult. Very few straight lines or ninety degree joins on either project. And fit and finish has to be of the highest order.
DD