Here you can see one of my initial SketchUp drawings. A number of changes were made from the original piece in the magazine. The 6-panel doors have become wide 3-panel doors (more on that in a second). You’ll also notice I only sketched in one curved leg for reference. The actual cuve is based off a template from a previous project, and I am not good enough with SketchUp to display it accurately. So this was just a very rough visual reference.

I am incredibly psyched about the doors on this piece. The three raised panels on each door will be made from birdseye maple. But as you see in the sketch, the center of the panel is walnut. So the plan is to veneer a thin sheet of solid walnut over a piece of solid birdseye maple. Then with a big panel raising bit, I will run the piece through, cutting through the walnut and revealing the birdseye beneath. You can definitely expect a video on this process.

After sending the first image to the client, it was brought to my attention that the legs are actually supposed to be made from 8/4 stock. The original doesn’t have this, but in order to match a previous piece I made for him, they need to be thicker. So back to the drawing board. Now here’s an image with the thicker leg stock (without the curves drawn in). I actually like the look of the thicker legs better and frankly, the straight leg design really appeals to me. But, its not my cabinet! haha.

Once the overall design and look of the piece was established and agreed upon, I made another sketch for my own purposes. I like to have a few skeleton sketches that I can print out and bring into the shop. This helps me figure out the joinery details and visualize the exact sizes and positions of the internal parts. It also helps me eliminate any errors before they occur. I would much rather have to redraw a SketchUp model than recut a piece of wood.

So that’s what I’m up to. I need to pick up some 8/4 stock for the legs today, then I can start the milling process. I won’t be filming the entire project, but I will make a few episodes from parts of the process that I think you might find interesting. Wish me luck!

When I see a piece of wood I think to myself “what a waste”, so I store scraps and miscellaneous sized pieces. My shop is full of wood. Yet when I get into the shop, I have no idea where to start even though I have plenty of vision. How do you jump into starting a project? I have problems starting if I know I’m not going to have time to finish it that day, which is why I have recently only been turning pens.

And my response:

What makes this question difficult to answer is the fact that it deals with personal motivation. What motivates me may not necessarily be the same things that motivate you. Having gone through this variation of “woodworkers block” in the past, I’ll share my own story and maybe you’ll be able to get something useful out of it.

When I first started my woodworking business, I had a real hard time managing my time in the shop. As a former hobbyist, I was accustomed to thinking in terms of 1-2 hour shop sessions. So I had this misconception locked in my little brain that a “day” in the shop consisted of about 1-2 hours worth of work. Obviously, if I wanted to stay in business, this wasn’t going to fly. Thanks to a suggestion and a smack upside the head from Nicole, I started breaking my projects down into a simple list of steps. So instead of feeling overwhelmed by the distance between the start and finish, I am focusing on simply finishing the next step. As a goal-oriented person, it feels good to have a to-do list, and scratch those items off my list at the end of the day. For me, it was just a big change in my mentality and approach. And breaking a project down into smaller more manageable goals was the most satisfying and efficient way to reach the seemingly distant finish line.

So lets say we are making a table. On Day 1 we’ll layout the parts on the rough lumber and then mill the lumber to rough size. On Day 2 we’ll mill the parts down to final size and layout/cut the joinery. On Day 3 we’ll finish sand and assemble. On Day 4, we’ll apply the finish. Now, of course, you’ll have to adjust these daily goals to fit your actual time-frame and work style, but you get the general idea.

So with that in mind, write yourself a schedule at the beginning of every project. Chances are you won’t follow it exactly but you’ll get more accurate with every project. The sense of structure will help you feel like you are actually making progress even if you only have a few hours a day in the shop. Hope that helps.

This video shows how I am using some of of the unique features of the Festool Domino to build a sturdy Step Stool. I am focusing specifically on the Domino because this is in preparation for my upcoming demonstration at the Festool booth at the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas.

In the final part of this episode, I show you how to make a curved template for the bottom rails. I also discuss joinery, finishing, and glue ups. I also show you what I find to be the easiest way to attach a solid table top to a base. This episode moves fast so hang on to your hats!

Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 1)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 2)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 3)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 4)

Tabletop glueup and smoothing. Milling aprons and discussing joinery options. A demonstration of the Festool Domino.

Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 1)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 2)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 3)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 4)

In this episode, I select and prepare the stock for the table legs and table top. I also review strategies for cutting thick stock, stabilizing large knots, and milling extra long boards.

Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 1)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 2)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 3)
Arts & Crafts Table (Pt. 4)

For the very first time on The Wood Whisperer, we are going to build a full piece of furniture. I had a commission recently for a beautiful Arts & Crafts table made of alder. Only problem was, I needed to get it done quickly. And unfortunately, trying to film a podcast at the same time would prove detrimental to my promised time-frame. But since I felt this was a great project for you to see, I filmed as much as a I could and as fast as I could. So if things look a bit rushed or not as polished as usual, cut me a little slack.

Here’s the final cut list: Table Top: 36″W x 72″L (4) Legs: 29 1/4″L x 3″W x 3″T (2) Long Aprons: 64″L x 3 1/2″W x 3/4″T (4) Short Aprons: 28″L x 3 1/2″W x 3/4″T (8) Side Slats: 16 1/4″L x 3″W x 1/2″ T

Note: I will be using the Festool Domino to construct this entire project. If you plan on cutting traditional integral tenons for this project, please include 3″ extra length on all apron pieces for 1 1/2″ tenons, and 2″ extra length on all side slats for 1″ tenons.

In part 1 of this episode, I show you the process that I go through whenever I begin a new project. This involves some educated guesses and the use of SketchUp, a free program that allows you to easily draw 3D renderings.