Members’ Side Tables
I found making the guides for the side table project a little tricky as I still need to improve my working accuracy. The end result looks great though. The project delivered some excellent learning points that I can carry forward. Looking forward to the next project. Thanks again. Kind regards Barry.
Hello Helen and Richard, After seeing my side table build my sons asked for a similar design but in different sizes. The design was very adaptable and easily scaled down. I thought you would like to see the end results. Thanks for such informative, entertaining and professional videos. Regards, John Seddon, Argyll
Members’ Spoon Racks
I made it from ash and european walnut, having failed miserably with my first attempt in pine. That said, it was never less than a pleasure to be working on this project and I have learned an awful lot, particularly about the importance of accuracy in preparing the wood (and I only sliced my finger open once). The feeling of satisfaction is enormous and it is the most complex thing I have built to date.
Spoon rack from a discarded mahogany-ish table top. The wood was heavily "rowed" and a pig to plane. Resorted to an embarrassing amount of sanding, I don't own any moulding planes, so the cove was formed with a rebate, followed by sandpaper round a dowel, and the beads on the drawer front were made with a homemade scratch-stock. Fitted small brass "turn-buckles" to the underside of the drawer opening. In one orientation they act as limiters to the draw movement (both in and out) and in the other they pass through small apertures in the drawer back to allow it to be removed. David A
Photo before finish. I used Oak for bulk of the rack, and put one walnut panel in middle at the back just to break it up a bit. I made it as a Christmas present for my mum. The first time I saw the introduction video for the spoon rack I knew I had to make one.
Richard, a couple of pictures of the one I made. I used ash for the body and the drawer is oak. Both are just finished with a clear wax which has worked really well on the ash. I really enjoyed following the videos. My daughter has already claimed the finished product and as I have twin daughters I need to get on with the next one! Best regards Robert
Just finished the spoon rack. I had so much fun doing it and learned such a lot without realising it. A few mistakes along the way, but it's the best way to learn. Thanks Richard and Helen for such entertaining and informative videos. John Seddon Kintyre Scotland.
Hi Richard and Helen, Here are a few images of the spoon rack I completed a couple of weeks ago. I'm fairly happy with results, I still struggle to get dovetails tight - and have done for a while - still not sure quite what I'm doing 'wrong' but they're OK. Also not having a round for the front moulding, I just rounded it off like the piece above it. I think it is an excellent idea as test piece, lots of different techniques and tools used, but small enough to make relatively quickly, and complete to a 'good enough' standard by even a relative beginner. As someone who has made a couple of canoes, I thought it was particularly interesting the you included some freehand shaping as well as the discipline of truing and squaring. Fran Bemrose
Members’ Workbenches
It was much more difficult and complicated work than I thought it will be... but the satisfaction in doing and making... that is something. My is 270 cm in width, 90cm in height, and 65cm deep. It took me four weekends to make. More than few mistakes made. Wrong measurements, resulting in gaps here and there. Not looking for twist or neglect them, resulting in problems with twisted bench frame (fortunately that twist correct itself). Doing things in the most laborious way. Now I can make all the mistakes that there are in woodworking world, with comfort of my workbench 🙂 I'm Polish. Around here, woodworking workbench is called "Strugnica". You can translate that as a "planing bench". On photos you can see whole proccess. Now is the time to organize all things in shop. There is a long list of items to build. Things like saw vise, sawing bench, tool shelf based on Paul Seller bookcase. And now about video series. What I really like about your series is that you not only explaining how to build, but also why it's constructed that way and not the other. For example, you talk much about top movment over time, and how all construction elements are design to minimise that movement. Or when you talked about workbench height. You explain this with very concrete arguments for both low and high workbench. And you left the decision to others what they need. Another thing is that you go step by step, exactly, not skiping any obvious thing. I do not recall the moment in which I miss some information that I needed. What I like is that you are focusing on getting job done. I mean live for this, you have to be efficient. There is a lot information about how to make thing beautiful. But how to make thing efficiently... that is a valuable information. So, please continue this in your videos. -- Pozdrawiam Aleksander Stacherski
This is the state of affairs with my bench build as of now: The top has to be prepared and a vise needs to be attached.
I had to move my bench together with all my tools to where I used to practice drums. The bench is ready to be used (despite the fact that it could use a planing stop and some coats of oil). For attaching the aprons and top I didn't had long enough nails... I can't resist the pun: I had to screw it up, but I think I nailed it. 🙂
A lot of work went into this, but the whole process was very satifying! A great project for beginners all the way up I'd say - I've only be doing this sort of thing for about a year and was able to follow along...made plenty of mistakes, but the end result is rock solid and a pleasure to use. One note - I'd install a vice like Richard uses - the Record QR one I had was a real pain to install (but worked out in the end)! A brilliant series - looking forward to the next one already (after I've made the spoon rack...for all my, er, spoons) Thanks Richard for a fun series