In an effort to relieve our backlog of viewer submissions, this is a grouping of several projects from multiple woodworkers. We will do a few of these over the next few weeks so there will be plenty of eye candy!
Cypress Planter by Dennis
This is a cypress planter I made for my mom. The panel assemblies were constructed using a 90-degree jig and some spacers for uniform gaps. The vertical slats are screwed to the rails with stainless steel screws. I cut mortises in both the posts and the horizontal rails of the panels and assembled them with loose tenons and Titebond III. Inside the planter are 2 horizontal stretchers that support the plastic liner purchased from Lowes. The legs are chamfered on the bottom to avoid chip out. The mitered top assembly was reinforced with glue and pocket screws to ensure they do not separate. The liner fits snug, but it can be removed and replaced if needed.
A majority of my time was spent on the finishing of this project. I consulted and went with the finish recommended by The Wood Whisperer. 9 coats of Epifanes Marine Varnish later, I was done. I applied 6 coats of gloss and then 3 coats of satin to get a perfectly smooth finish. I am very pleased with the look and with some luck, it will hold up just as well.
Cedar Lined Chest by Micah
The majority of materials I purchased for $1.70 Per Board foot and planed them down to just over 3/4″. I got the inspiration for this project from my dad when he built five of them years ago. I used one of his as a model but made mine slightly larger. This is my first project with raised panels in it. I did not find them hard to route, but I couldn’t take very much material off at a time. The base of the chest is made of 1×4 with 1/2in dcx ply on the top.The dimensions of the chest are 52 1/2” wide x 22 3/4” high x 21 1/4” deep. For the finishes I used Golden Oak by Minwax and for the sealer I used clear Satin by Minwax. All in all it was a great learning experience.
Ben’s Kitchen Cabinet
I am a student and got into woodworking the summer of 08. My apartment had no counters in the kitchen so when I went home for a visit I made this. I thought the top was cool, it is end grain ash. Nothing fancy about the rest of it but I was happy for the experience. Most people don’t even notice the mistakes. The whole project is ash but some as you can see is stained. I used a linseed oil finish for the body and a mineral oil and mineral oil/beeswax for the top which I just use as a large cutting board. I know ash has open grain and is not ideal for cutting boards but it has attractive end grain I think and it is cheaper than maple or walnut, so I just make sure to keep it clean and stay on top of re-applying mineral oil/beeswax. I enjoy looking at the projects on the site and I hope someone enjoys seeing this and gets an idea!
Dave’s Shop Cabinet
This a cabinet I made for my new Delta Planer. The base and shelf is made from 3/4 birch ply. The door and drawer front are Oak that I had left over from a blanket chest project that went horribly wrong. The drawer itself is made from poplar and 1/4 birch ply for the drawer bottom. The top is made from 15/32 Arauco ply (never heard of it but it was cheaper than most) doubled up and then routed with a 1/2 inch round over bit. My only regret is I used screws instead of brad nails, but I do not have a compressor or brad nailer yet. It’s on the list though. I used bullseye sealcoat for a finish, (two coats with a light sanding with 120 grit in between). I think it really brought out the grain in the Oak. I have only been woodworking seriously now for a little over a year and have made some decent projects so far, but this is my very first attempt at cabinet making.
Dave,
If you are in the market for a brad nailer look at Amazon.com. They have reconditioned Porter-Cable Brad Nailers for $39.99. I have used my Porter-Cable nailers for years without a problem.
Kind Regards,
Frank
Dennis, good name. :)
I like the planter, especially the nice clean lines.
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Micah,
Hard to see the detail with such small pictures, but it looks as if you’ve done a beautiful job. Would like to see some larger pictures.
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Ben,
Wow, that tops pretty cool. Love the patterns. I like the contrasting colors.
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Dave,
Thanks for the idea. I have a DeWalt planner that sits on the box that it came in for its stand, but i think a cabinet like this will be perfect. Great job.
Everything is well built. I really like the design of the Cypress planter!
Ben, I have a question for you: How did you come up with the final design of your top? Was it pre planned, or a happy accident? Did you lay it all out beforehand, and use careful cuts, or did you cut everything to size by “piecing together the puzzle?”
I really like the cypress planter. In my garage I have some cypress cutoffs from the local mill and was thinking about something similar. Somehow Dennis’ planter looks even better than the one I had imagined building. Nice job.
I like the other projects, too…
Wife really likes the cypress planter by Dennis…Anyway, we can get the plans?
Joe
I’ve made planters as well… Much bigger ones, but absolutely UGLY in comparison to these fine beauties – I’m not even sure I can call it woodworking, it’s more a glue-and-screw-it-toghether kind of job! :-)
The link if you ever wanted to have a look anyway (I believe it could be usefull to some people) :
http://www.shamwerks.com/terra.....30_eng.php