I made these tables for our bedroom. They sit on either side of our bed. The construction is mortise and tenon. I used a cordless drill and chisel to make the mortise and a router table to make the tenons. Then I used a hand saw to cut the shoulders. I cut a small dado in the sides to accept the little blocks that will hold the top to the base so the top can move with seasonal expansion and contraction.

I dovetailed the front/top apron into the legs, and used a double tenon joint for the bottom/front apron. The drawers are made with half blind dovetails in the front and through dovetails for the back. I hand cut the dovetails. And one other part I find to be interesting, I beveled the bottom of the drawer into the sides and just used one little dab of glue on the center of the drawer front to allow the bottom (solid poplar) to expand.

I sanded down to 220, then brushed on two coats of cabot poly, then used 2 cans of spray cabot gloss poly to get an even coat.

From: Guy Bucey

Website: The Dovetail Chronicles

Location: Brunswick, NY

Hobbyist or Pro: Hobbyist

Project Name: Media Cabinet

Wood Species: Walnut

Finish Used: Sanded to 400 grit, used one coat of 1 lbs cut shellac to seal pores, this helped in blotching issues that I was having on test pieces with the quarter sawn walnut, 2 coats boiled linseed oil sanding to 600 in between coats and finished with renaissance wax.

Project Description:
This being my first project, I wanted to start out by building something that would benefit my wife and I. We were in desperate need for a new T.V. stand and with the right design I would be able to implement all the different techniques and knowledge for woodworking that I have acquired from The Wood Whisperer site.

I am very inspired by Shaker furniture, not only the visual design but also the construction. When designing this a lot of my inspiration came from the Shakers. I know that Shakers definitely were notthinking of T.V. stands when they made furniture, but hopefully they would be able to appreciate this one. Creating a piece from design through construction and into the finish is an amazing process. It really brings out your creative side and also your problem solving side.

You learn a lot when building. The experience that you gather is invaluable. Hopefully for other woodworkers who are just starting out this piece will be inspiring and show that no matter what skill level you are, if you put your mind to it and stick with it you can build anything. So, get out there and start building!!!

A three step stool made from walnut. It is a shaker design that I found on the internet. A curved bottom makes the piece sit on the floor better as well as making it look lighter. The steps are attached with number 10 biscuits and a brace at the back makes the project stable. The picture I found on the internet had no dimensions so I had to make my own.

16″ tall (to the top step)
12″ long (at the bottom)
12″ long for each of the steps
5″ high (at the tallest part of the curve)

My wife really wanted a new table. We purchased our old one just after we were married and it was used then. We shopped all over and didn’t really find anything that fit us or that was in our price range. So I took some ideas from several other tables and got on Sketch-up and in my basic way got to work designing what I thought might look good. And this is what I came up with.

From: Tim Grimwood

Website: Youtube.com/user/tlgrimmy

Location: Calimesa, CA

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: Multiple layers of Tru Oil gun stock finish, sanding with high grit sand paper in between coats (4-5 very thin coats). I took down the sheen after the final coat with #0000 steel wool to give it more of a satin finish.

Wood Species: Walnut

Project Description:
I used a taper jig to cut the angles. The dual recesses on the jig allow you to cut both compound angles by just flipping the setup over. The goal was a large dodecagon, so I determined the interior angles of a dodecagon and divided that in half to get the bevel. I picked the taper based upon what size circles I wanted at the top and bottom. To glue all of these pieces together, I laid out many large strips of packing tape and butted the tapered pieces together on top of them, which looks like a large hand fan;). I used a TON of Titebond, not worrying about excess and simply wrapped it into the tapered dodecagon shape. I tightly wrapped the whole unit with tape until it wouldn’t budge. After the glue dried, I used a power planer (handheld) to hog off the lion’s share of the corners to round things out, the I went at it with a smaller belt sander to get closer to final dimensions. Then it was just a lot of work with a card scraper and sand paper. I used a violin plane (Ibex) and some rasps to shape the top and then cleaned it up with card scrapers and sand paper. Once again, I’ve included pictures from another project to give an idea of what the process looks like. I ordered an african goat skin from, conveniently, goatskins.com, soaked it in warm water to soften things up and cut it into an oversized circle (about 5″ too large on the radius). I took some 1/4″ steel bar I picked up at Ace and bent them into appropriately sized circles, using a board with a a couple of lag bolts in it to help me bend them (two of the same size for the top and one much smaller for around half-way up the drum). I welded them with a mig welder. I took 1″ thick strips of cloth, sprayed the back with spray adhesive, and wrapped the rings with the strips.

The process of heading the drum is a bit in depth to cover here, but check out this website for more info. After heading the drum using nearly 100 ft. of rope! (about $20 at drumrope.com….gotta love these witty names;) I had to shave the goatskin on top! I simply took a razor blade and had at it like you’d shave yourself, being careful not so cut the skin. After shaving it, I sanded it nice and smooth to give a good hand-feel and shape the tone a little. You have to re-tension the head after a few weeks as the skin stretches. It was loads of fun and my brother loves it!

From: Bob Lossie

Website: www.makingtimeclockshop.com

Location: Lake City, PA

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Finish Used: Clear Satin Finish

Wood Species: Black Walnut

Project Description:
My wife and I have two great friends that live across the street from us. We traditionally exchange a gift of some sort with them at Christmas time. Whenever they are over at the house they always comment on how much they like the Anniversary Clock that I designed and built. This year I decided to build one for them. I hope they get as much enjoyment out of it as I did making it for them.

This clock was built using Black Walnut. All the trim was fabricated and the top was covered with Black Walnut veneer. The clock features Glass Panels on all four sides with a door on the back to allow easy access to the battery and setting the time.

I have been a weekend woodworker for over 25 years. Recently I have been designing and building clocks. I am a draftsman and in my spare time enjoy making blueprints and then building the clocks. With every design I try to improve my woodworking skills with something more challenging than the previous design.

A very nice turning submitted by Michael. I have yet to try a segmented bowl but the results clearly make it worth all the effort!

From: Michael Harman

Website: Lumberjock’s Profile

Location: Dayton, OH

Amateur or Pro: Amateur

Wood Species: Walnut, Cherry, Birdseye Maple

Project Description: This is only the second segmented bowl I’ve turned and it was really a surprise how easy it was to construct and turn. Turning this bowl was way easier than I thought and very enjoyable. I won’t win any design competitions with my simple design but the outcome is really great and does not take long. I would encourage anyone to give it a try. I have simply a Jet 1014 lathe and common lathe tools. It is a quick and satisfying project.

Process: I glued up several 8-sided rings (painters tape to hold the segments together): this makes it faster. When I got them all assembled I stacked them and clamped them in place. I included a piece of plywood on the very top to mount the faceplate. I inserted a piece of paper between the top ring and the plywood mount. I was able to turn them only a few hours later. Once the outside and bottom were shaped using a roughing and spindle gouge, I was able to break the paper bond from the plywood and flip the piece around, mounting it on a chuck. I turned the top edge and inside with a gouge and scraper. The scraper, utilized at a downward angle to engage the hook edge properly, is really the key.

Finish: Sanded 120-400 grit and buffed with cotton cloth while on the lathe: finished with only 1 coat of tung oil.

Here’s a video Michael made of the turning process:

Outtro music provided by El Saxofonista! Thanks Horacio.

Well today, I went to a local lumber dealer, Spellman Hardwoods. I was picking through what I considered to be a less than great selection of walnut, when I came across this board. At first glance, it looked rather rough and I almost threw it to the side. But the light hit it just the right way and I could tell that something beautiful lay within. The wild grain, the knots, the undulating waves of darker and lighter colors, were all subtle signs that this board was going to be something to behold, if treated properly. So I threw the board in with the rest of my loot and took it home to see if I was right.

I brought the board into the shop and quickly sprayed the surface with nothing more than water. Immediately, the wood came to life with swirls, curls, and contrast! My brain was immediately filled with the endless possibilities of what this deceivingly beautiful plank could become. Now because of the wild grain and knots, I doubt very much I will use this as a solid structural member for anything. Most likely, it will become a veneer panel, a drawer front, or something else where I can admire its beauty without depending on it for structural integrity.

So don’t be so quick to overlook that ugly duckling of a board. It could very well be the highlight of your next masterpiece! Have you ever found a diamond in the rough? Tell us about it!

I love the modern style of this piece. Jonathan has creatively solved some common organizational issues with today’s home entertainment systems. And his wood choice, colors, and finish are great! Let’s check it out:

Well Marc I’ve been watching all your videos and reading up for a couple months now and I finally built up the confidence to take on a “big” project. I saw a design for a bookcase which I really liked and decided to incorporate it into the entertainment center. I used Ash and Peruvian Walnut. Only the panels for the doors are veneered MDF. I had to hand cut the notches in the shelf support and cut it to 10 degrees so my DVR would fit. Finished only with two coats of shellac with a 220 grit sanding in between. Just wanted to say thanks for the great and most helpful videos. Keep up the great work.