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Woodworking
Adirondack Chair: Built from a design by Norm Abram, the proportions of this chair
are the nicest I've seen in any of the numerous Adirondack Chair plans. I modified the plans with the updates
that Norm discusses for the Adirondack Loveseat project. The chair was relatively easy to make and came out wonderful!
Lessons Learned: I'm still looking for a successful outdoor finish.
The finish I used did not hold up as promised on the label. Because of this, the chair has since obtained major weather damage.
Completion Date: January 2002
Marble Roll: This project, designed for a young relative, is composed of nine 20" ramps
and six tall (18") and six short (9") ladders that can be stacked to 27" tall.
It is much larger than it looks in this picture. In this configuration, it is almost 5' wide and 2' tall.
I put my new drill press to work by drilling more than 250 holes.
Finish: I used a special food-safe salad bowl finish to ensure the project is child-safe.
Completion Date: December 2003
Shaker End Table: With its thin tapered legs and simple drawer construction,
this table was an excellent learning experience and fun to build.
Finish: This project was built out of pine, which is notoriously hard to finish. Since pine is such a soft wood,
it absorbs stain inconsistently and often comes out splotchy. To prevent this, I used an advanced staining technique
that I found in the July 2003 issue of American Woodworker magazine. The article defines a six step process including a
sanding sealer base coat, then a water based dye stain mixed from a powder. This is followed by two coats of
shellac and a semi-opaque glaze. Over all of this goes a few finish coats of polyurethane.
This was a long and difficult process, but in the end it came out pretty nice. But in the near future, I think I'll stick with
simpler finishes.
Completion Date: January 2004
Shaker Wall Clock:
This elegantly simple Shaker clock has several surprisingly complex woodworking joints. The clock case is straightforward
but the two doorframes presented a challenge. The doorframes use mortise and "haunch" tenon joinery for strength.
The original design called for a wooden panel over the pendulum door, but I deviated from the plan by using a glass panel.
Although this goes against the Shaker belief of minimal decoration, I like being able to see the pendulum.
Wood: I built this project from oak which I found for free. There is a lumber milling facility outside of my city.
I asked the owner if I could go through his reject pile of lumber that he was throwing away. He said yes and I took home
two SUV loads of oak in various small sizes. This is the first of many projects for which I will use this wood.
Completion Date: In Progress
If you enjoy any of the projects you see here, please
send me an email and let me know.
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