A few other woodworking projects

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After retiring for the 2nd time, I decided to work part time at Rockler Woodworking and Hardware.  During my 5 years there (left in 2020 at the height of the pandemic), I had the opportunity to teach some of the woodworking classes they held.  One class was the making of the side table shown in Photo 1.  It was a nice piece and offered insight into tapering legs, mortise and tenon joinery, and making a chamfered panel using either the table saw or the router table.  I liked the piece and decided to adapt the plan for a desk.  The result it is shown in Photo 2.  The frame and legs are made of poplar and painted with General Finishes Black Milk paint.  The drawer fronts and desk top are cherry, finished with 3 coats of General Finishes Semi Gloss Arm-R-Seal Oil and Urethane top coat.   I really like the dimensions and the design of both pieces and the desk has served me well.

The dresser valet was a gift for my son.  It's made of walnut and ambrosia maple book matched panels.  A simple design and build.  Finish is 3 coats of  3:1 Boiled Linseed Oil, Mineral Spirits , and MinWax Satin Wipe on poly, lightly sanded with a gray 3M pad between coats.  After the finish was dry, I waxed the valet with a beeswax and mineral oil mix, buffed with a white 3M pad. 

The last item is a gate leg drop leaf table in Cherry.  My wife wanted one and she liked the Norm Abrams design I showed her so, here it is.  Not a complex build at all.  The most work went into the turning of the legs but otherwise, straight forward design and build.  I wanted to just put a natural top coat on the piece but my wife had other plans.  She wanted the traditional 'red' cherry look so I used General Finishes  Georgian Cherry gel stain and 2 coats of General Finishes Gloss Water based finish.

14 Comments

Very well done Dave.  I really like them all.  You are a true craftsman!

Mike

Each one would make a great project by its self. 

The black milk paint looks good with the cherry. 

James McIntyre

Thank you both.  I thought that I would share some things other than the automobile models, though that is what I have been doing most of recently.  And James, I thought that the black and cherry would be a nice match.  it worked well I think.
Some nice projects there, well done.

Main Street to the Mountains

Some great looking traditional projects. Interesting that you've moved on to auto models and the whole range of different  skills they require. In some ways smilar to me - from 'tradtional', standard items to things smaller and more complex!
What great projects! I really like the black with cherry (I've used that same combination).  
Nicely done!

Ryan/// ~sigh~ I blew up another bowl. Moke told me "I made the inside bigger than the outside".

Lovely furniture builds Dave, look like heirloom pieces to me, stunning 🤩 
Madburg:  grandkids will push in some directions but the truth is that while I enjoy large scale projects like furniture, there is only so much room for those items.  Now, I’m not saying toys don’t take up space, but a more , uh, compact space.  I’ve also turned many pens and miniature bird house ornaments.  😉. As a kid, I loved plastic models and so the current work is a return to that interest, only adding in woodworking.  I’m having a wonderful time, and the CNC has added an even broader dimension in my shop.
Oh my. Yes, yes Dave!!  There's only so much room in a house. I moved onto making small boxes as my wife 'politely'  suggested we didn't need anymore furniture!!! When the boxes started covering the surfaces of the furniture, she said enough, but suggested why didn't I sell some! Hmmmm a difficult decision. But it's worked, the gallery I use, is very happy to sell what I make, and at the price I want. There's no request for boxes to a set price - what would have been repetitive batch production. So I'm happy, I make exactly what I like, and don't cut corners on costs - but it's still hard to part with some.  Alas the gallery is closing in June....... So I might start cluttering the house again. Perhaps time to look at pens!!
PDave,

Nice projects


Petey

Madburg: I will tell you that pens are just as addictive and that after 50 or so, everyone you know will have a pen and then they start to collect in storage cases, etc.   As Little Black Duck said in another post :Not a slimline.  that's the other thing.  I have never really liked the ubiquitous slim line pen and so shy away from them.  But even then, you will amass a number of ball point, fountain, gel tips, etc.  But, all I can really say is Enjoy what you are doing.  It the act of creation that is the enjoyment;  you'll figure out what to do about storage and display.  Good luck to you!

If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD