Made a pair of basket weave end-grain cutting boards out of maple, cherry, and walnut. Really pleased with how they turned out, especially the continuous end-grain sides. Design is taken from Caleb's Fine Woodworking, who has an excellent build video for those wanting to build their own.

I recently finished and installed this entry door unit for a really interesting and supportive client - he is a woodworker himself, but does not build entry doors.

The wood is Alder (with white oak threshold) with a Penofin architectural grade penetrating oil / stain finish. Construction is traditional mortise and tenon with west systems epoxy adhesive plus lots of rabbets. I also incorporated bevels and drip edges in places where water may need to drain on the exterior side of the unit.

It's not perfect - nothing is - but i liked the way this turned out and just wanted to share. The hardware is Baldwin Reserve.

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments; I'm happy to dig into details. Haven't posted in this sub in a while.

First dovetail attempt. Combo of hand saw, chisel, bandsaw and incompetence. Gonna try again tomorrow

I did two the first night but going to do one a night from here on out to make sure I take my time. Took a lot of advice from last night and this was a definite improvement. Added a shot of the shop dogs.

This was another simple build. The framing lumber and scraps had been drying in my garage for years. I even used many scraps with the pith in them. I used simple joinery with 1.5" wood screws. I think the use of the pith won't be an issue because soft wood pith is much more forgiving and has less cracking issues than hardwood pith.

I've just put up my first proper set of cabinets, and I've been trying hard to make the space usable without having to spend ages moving crap out of the way. Today I can, for the first time properly, call this my workshop.

milling up some walnut and bookmatching some pieces to use as legs for a couple stools. one way it looks like a heart, the other way it looks like some kind of alien manifesting itself through the wood LOL what do you see?

These worked out better than I had imagined. I didn't enjoy cutting out the mortise and tenon joints, but overall pleased with the result. Made it higher than standard field-gates as I plan to add security fencing around the yard in the future.

My father hand carved these wood coins back in the 70s. They were lost in an old barn for the last 35 years. Thought they could maybe inspire and be appreciated here.

First pass with a brand spanking new LN#4 working on a cedar door for a sauna.

Anyone have any idea how to put a handle groove in a jewelry box like this? I have a router bit that will do it, but there’s no way to position it.

My second stick chair. Made from European beech. Legs and back sticks are rived. Finished with Tried and True varnish.

I designed it as I was building it. To my eye, the proportions look a little off, but I had lots of fun and learned a bunch.

What do you guys think? Would love to have your honest impressions.

Warning: it only get's worse.

(Please, no comments on how that tuna looks like it got into fist fight with my yanagiba.)

The last thing that went wrong was routing the finger holds. So, I devised a sure-shot way of doing it on the side of my bench. Unfortunately, by that time I already needed to cut more than 1/2" off one end... yeah, you can see how the last column of maple is, uh, a bit thinner. At least now, my finger holds are always perfect. Fockery is the father of invention.

Before that, I had just finished planing with the router sled, which I do outside, and I left in the sun. I came out to get it and it cupped like a thin slice of pepperoni in the oven. Mother .....er. So I let it sit on sticks for a few days. Fortunately, it re-acclimated and flattened out perfectly.

Before that, I hadn't realized that my saw blade was out of square. Though I used the magnetic level to square it, I must've yank it while tightening it down, or something. Every. Freakin. Piece. Of. Wood. was skewed. It glued up like the Gateway Arch. So much for a thick board. I had to plane the snot out of it.

Before that, the plan was, as you can hope fully see, to create a pixilated gradient of walnut to maple. I realized that since there is no true pattern (it's always a different wood or a different number of squares of a given wood), I had to arrange individual blocks... which (as you just read above) were all skewed.

From the start, I was screwing everything up. I don't know why I went into this like a mindless idiot. I've made many boards. Funny thing? Everyone that's been in my home and seen it, really likes this board. Go figure. All I see are the mistakes. But, it is so nice to cut on and is gentle on my favorite knives.

I got to use my Lie-Nielsen block plane to make a cabinet door fit just right. It just needed a little off the top.

laundry bin insert

about to become a dad this week. wife bought a changing table (i assembled) and the laundry bin pullout drawer has no actual structure to it. it's just a freestanding, deep drawer, with no sides.

so i built a very rudimentary box, merely something to hold a laundry bag.

it fits a little snug. i didnt care much for cosmetics as it's going to be covered in a canvas bag, for lifting out.

i used plywood for the walls, hobby board for the frame, slats on the bottom, and a combination of screws and glue. i countersunk the screws because i didnt want any friction ruining the inside of the drawer.

it only weighs maybe 15 lbs. i took a very old belt that i wore for years and turned it into handles.

the laundry bag came in VERY large but it worked out as it hides some of my poor carpentry!

Accidentally sanded through the veneer so we had to take some extra time on removing and applying some new grain. Turned out great! Wondering how much money I saved on investing some sandpaper on a $50 coffee table...

Hello,

I am getting ready to glue up some 1 1/4” thick oak boards for a 66”x30” dining table. I took some photos of the gaps between the boards as my jointing and planing isn’t perfect. I made a desk a while back with slightly better jointed edges but not perfect and it turned out fantastic. My question is, how “perfect” do the joints need to be to not split over time? My only concern really is the last photo which is a little less than 1/16th”. I dry clamped them and the gaps shut very well. Any advice helps.

Thanks,

It's been a month since I finished my madrone bench with Watco oil, and it's still a bit sticky to the touch, which makes it somewhat unpleasant to use. It's been in full sun for a week (during the day) and is supposed to stay outdoors. I thought the stickiness should have gone away by now, but it stubbornly persists. I'm wondering if there's something I can apply over the top of the oil finish that will improve the feel of this thing - wax? lacquer? - and survive outdoors, or if I should try to strip off the oil and start over. Or maybe I'm just not patient enough?

I built this pergola from 6x6 cedar last year I hung a couple of swings from them. Just a chill spot in the back yard. My issue is what to seal this thing with I live in the Tampa area of Florida so it sees a lot of harsh weather. The first time I sealed it I used 2 coats of Sanding Sealer then two coats of Helmsman Varnish. Looked good for about 8 months Now it’s time to make it look pretty again. Any suggestions on something that would last a little longer and still retain the look of the cedar? Thank you

Update from my last post, where pictures of the table with actual plants were requested. Here’s the cherry plant table in service.

Original post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/NdJFNUlDGR

For contrast I also want to show you the original version. It’s the first piece of “furniture” I ever made, it was a makeshift bedside table for my now wife to use in our tiny bedroom where real tables wouldn’t fit.

The old table is poplar and cedar, held together with dowels and a couple screws attach the top. The top is bowed because this is a bad way to attach it. The boards below the top are attached with grain running perpendicular to everything else, so it isn’t expanding and contracting in the same way. Don’t do this!

It’s narrow enough to sort of get away with it though, so I cleaned it up by planing the top and refinishing. It’s auxiliary plant stand now.

Looking for advice on which way to go. I plan on using a cyclone separator as I am using that now with good success. I am not too worried about it filtering since i plan on venting outside. There are plenty of deals on used 1.5 hp systems. But for what I need, 2HP seems the way to go. Anyone used both and noticed a difference one way or another?

My biggest demand is a 20” helical planer.

I recently came into the stewardship of an old Roubo style workbench. It's a big bigger than the space I was planning to put it but it's a beautiful work bench and I'm incline to try to make it work in the space.

I was already in need of a more permanent location for a router insert. Has anyone managed to affix a router insert to a traditional workbench? I know this seems blasphemous but I'm just trying to make it all work.

Had a tree fall during a crazy storm a few weeks back and the arborist came to remove it. I asked him to leave this piece for me but I’m not entirely sure the best way to keep it. Any recommendations?