Do it yourself woodworking projects are fun activities that you can do at home and a good alternative to buying brand new furniture. It is also a good way to restore old furniture or make something new out of your furniture that has been stuck in your garage for long. It just takes a little creativity and you can do many projects by yourself.
Even if it is just your first time to do it on your own, you can however find some great resources that you will find useful in making your do it yourself woodworking project successful. You may however start with some simple projects to make it easier to complete. However, here are some tips that you might also find useful in your woodworking project.
-Your choice of wood. One of the things that you may need to decide when starting on a woodworking project is the wood to use. You can choose either softwood or hardwood in your projects or any kind of species depending also of the project you are making. Most often, hardwoods are used for indoor projects like cabinets or furniture and softwood are often for outdoor projects. In fact, softwoods are even used as lumber in most construction projects as they are easy for construction especially when you are using woodworking tools. If you are just starting, it may be wise to start with softwoods to make your project a little easier for you.- Sanding your wood is also important as this creates a smooth finish to your woodworking project, makes your project durable from wear and tear, and of course allows your painted project to be long-lasting. One of the most important tips in sanding your wood is to go with the grain. Going against it will create marks on your wood and may not look good with the finish or the paint. Also start with the coarse-grit sandpaper down to the finer ones.
- In choosing your woodworking finish, make sure you are using something that fits your do it yourself woodworking project. There are different choices of finish and each of them have distinct properties - oil, varnish, urethane, wax, shellac, lacquers, make sure you know what is best for your project. If you want a tint of orange to your finish product, shellac may be a good choice to enhance the appearance of dark-colored woods. If you are doing an outdoor project, varnish may be suitable for you as this finish is resistant to moisture and solvent and also protects the wood from scratches.
One great tip if you are just starting out with a do it yourself woodworking project is to start with something that you are comfortable working, and from there, you can learn more tips and techniques in your woodworking. It is also important to be extra careful in working with your tools especially in working with your lathes, and make sure you got good quality tools especially if you are looking forward to more woodworking projects in the future.
Even if it is just your first time to do it on your own, you can however find some great resources that you will find useful in making your do it yourself woodworking project successful. You may however start with some simple projects to make it easier to complete. However, here are some tips that you might also find useful in your woodworking project.
-Your choice of wood. One of the things that you may need to decide when starting on a woodworking project is the wood to use. You can choose either softwood or hardwood in your projects or any kind of species depending also of the project you are making. Most often, hardwoods are used for indoor projects like cabinets or furniture and softwood are often for outdoor projects. In fact, softwoods are even used as lumber in most construction projects as they are easy for construction especially when you are using woodworking tools. If you are just starting, it may be wise to start with softwoods to make your project a little easier for you.- Sanding your wood is also important as this creates a smooth finish to your woodworking project, makes your project durable from wear and tear, and of course allows your painted project to be long-lasting. One of the most important tips in sanding your wood is to go with the grain. Going against it will create marks on your wood and may not look good with the finish or the paint. Also start with the coarse-grit sandpaper down to the finer ones.
- In choosing your woodworking finish, make sure you are using something that fits your do it yourself woodworking project. There are different choices of finish and each of them have distinct properties - oil, varnish, urethane, wax, shellac, lacquers, make sure you know what is best for your project. If you want a tint of orange to your finish product, shellac may be a good choice to enhance the appearance of dark-colored woods. If you are doing an outdoor project, varnish may be suitable for you as this finish is resistant to moisture and solvent and also protects the wood from scratches.
One great tip if you are just starting out with a do it yourself woodworking project is to start with something that you are comfortable working, and from there, you can learn more tips and techniques in your woodworking. It is also important to be extra careful in working with your tools especially in working with your lathes, and make sure you got good quality tools especially if you are looking forward to more woodworking projects in the future.
well, we shipped out a couple more fine slabs of claro walnut from goodhope hardwoods today. ive been buying slabs from them for about 10 years now and ive never been disappointed. these two were no exception ... click the photos to enlarge them ...
a crotch slab my client found for me in the specials section on their website, a category that comes and goes as needed apparently. this client chose the same simple block base we have used on tables like this before ... 
the table above is part of our shaker series with 1.5" thick solid steel bases. this client wanted to have his base blackened, a patina process we do with a chemical called redi brown from, i think, triple s chemicals ? in LA. ill have to look it up.
sam did a beautiful job applying the patina and neutralizing it, and we then sprayed on a couple coats of clear satin metal finish.
we started with two of these slabs ... the one on the wall we previously made into a coffee table and shipped it to aspen; the horizontal one is now the coffee table above, and the one on top of the stack standing vertically became the dining table.
here trevors chiseling in the butterfly keys to restrain the natural drying cracks.
ready to plane flush ...
off to the finish room for its first coat of gloss ...
and today, jim took off in the town and country for north east hampton, long island. i cant feel too sorry for anyone who gets paid to take six ferry rides over two days, even if it is a long drive ... he was ready to go when he left. youve got to be at least a little amazed that we can get two 7 plus tables and 8 chairs in here and still have room for more, even if there will be some assembly required on delivery ... and, its a smooth ride to boot ... 
