My projects are listed in reverse chronological order, with the projects at the top of the gallery being the most recent projects, and the projects at the bottom being my earlier work. I like to see the project in chronological order because it shows the progression of my skills.
Scraper Planes
Sep 2009
From the day that I finally successfully turned a burr on a card scraper, I have been deeply in love with scraping. No more piles of used sandpaper littering my shop floor. No more fine dust getting in my lungs and irritating my sinuses. And no more sanding through half a dozen grits only to discover that the slats on the bed I am making no longer fit just right, but rather fit too loosely.
Shop-made Hand Tools
Jul 2009
Here are some wooden hand tools that I made in the shop. Each tool was designed to solve a particular problem or set of problems. For some of these tools, I could have simply bought a new tool or restored a Stanley, but it was an expensive option. Besides, I quite enjoy making my own tools to my personal specification.
Staved Vessel
Jul 2009
Ever since watching the “Staved Vessel” episode of Woodturing Workshop, I have wanted to try the technique. The idea uses regular 4/4 stock for the core of the vessel, as opposed to hollowing out a solid chunk of wood. This is my first attempt, so taking that into consideration, I am happy with the results. The proportions are not what I had hoped for, as it can be difficult to transpose the dimensions of the staves into an image of overall proportion of the vessel. I have since written a Ruby plug-in for drawing staved vessels in Sketchup. That way I can specify the diameters of the top and bottom, as well as the height, and instantly see what it looks like. From there, I can take measurements of the staves.
Auxiliary Storage Unit
Jun 2009
With all the deals on lumber purchases and leftover stock accumulating over the years, my shop was beginning to over flow, even getting to the point of becoming a safety issue. Something had to be done!
Wooden Hand Planes
May 2009
Ever since I started using hand tools, I have wanted to try making a wooden hand plane. I have heard many rave about wooden hand planes, and now that I have made these, I am sold. It takes a little practice to learn how to adjust a wooden hand plane, but once you get it down I am sure you, as I now do, will reach for your wooden hand planes often.
Jewelry Armoire
Mar 2009
It all started with my wife being continually frustrated with her jewelry box. A jewelry box, as she points out, proves inadequate for more than a few necklaces. In spite of effort, the necklaces inevitably become tangled. Wall mounted jewelry cabinets are a step up, but still do not provide a lot of space.
Live Edge, Live Oak bowl
Aug 2008
I named this the “Live Bowl” since not only is it a live-edge bowl, but also it is made from Live Oak. It is made from the crotch of a large branch that broke off a tree.
Bering Tops
Jun 2008
I got an early start on Christmas presents this year (for once). These will be for my sons and nephews—although several adults, including my wife, have attempted to lay claim to several of them. I have been making furniture for some years now, but I am still relatively new to turning, and I wanted to learn/practice face work. The non-wood parts come in a kit that uses a bearing. All but those made from Zebra Wood started out as laminations. For some I bansawed and then glued back together with a piece of commercial veneer in between. Turning can be…. is very addictive.
Asian Ladder Shelf
Jan 2008
I had set out to make a David Marks Bent-Laminate Shelf Stand . But one morning I awoke with an inspiration. The night before I had been browsing the internet for furniture ideas and came across some ladder shelves. At some point, my subconscious must have made the connection.
Linen Closet
May 2007
I have always hated the linen closet in our house. It has always seemed to cause more of a mess and be counter to organization than anything else. At twenty-two inches deep, it suffers from the usual problems of having such deep shelves: things get shoved in the back and forgotten.
Under Stairs Storage
Mar 2007
Wasted Spaces. Almost every home has them—but cookie cutter homes are notorious for wasting space. In fact wasted spaces are so pervasive that there is even a home improvement show called "Wasted Spaces".
Tatami Style Bed
Feb 2007
I got the idea for this bed from a photo of a tatami bed. The legs and the rails fit together without hardware, kind of like on of those wooden puzzles. It is a combination of cross-lap and bridle joints.
Bird's eye Maple Kitchen Cabinets
Jul 2006
It is practically a rite of passage for hobbyist woodworkers: building kitchen cabinets for one's own kitchen. My personal approach to cabinetry is that the case-work should be functional and serviceable, and the artistic aspects reserved for the exterior: the doors, drawer faces, etc. I prefer the European style of cabinetry, also known as frameless cabinetry. This well thought out system of cabinetry uses inexpensive materials to build quality case-work quickly. With the time I save on building the cases, I can focus and spend more time on the face-work.
Walnut Burl Occasional Table
Feb 2006
This is the one from Woodworks Episode 206, which means that it is not my design but David Marks' design. This is my first commercial veneer project, and in fact I had the rare privilege of having David Marks inspect my veneer work on this project while attending one of his classes at the Woodcraft in San Carlos. This project also marks a milestone for me since from this project on I stopped using woodworking plans. (Sorry David.)
Black and White Shelf
Dec 2005
"There isn' a single drop of glue used to hold this project together." Brag the plans for these wall shelves. And it is true! The shelf supports slide in a dovetail groove and are held in place with a peg.
TV Cabinet
Oct 2005
Made almost exclusively with pocket hole joinery screws. This was made from a plan, but I cannot for the life of me remember where I got it.
Hanging Wall Case
Nov 2003
This was a Christmas present for my mom. It is specifically for storing and displaying spools of thread.
Dovetail Shelf
Jun 2003
This is my first 'real' woodworking project. It had been sitting in the closet for a couple of years before I decided to put it in my office. It was there that I developed a new, perhaps nostalgic, appreciation for it. It was there, recently, that I was watching the video Design Thoughts on a Shaker Inspired Bench just released by the one and only Todd Clippinger. I noticed that the drawers on my shelf and the drawers on his bench were similar, only mine had none of the niceties and design elements that he enumerated in the video. I had to chuckle at myself. It was then that I realized that this first project of mine represented that I had a lot to learn, but at the same time represented that I had a lot of potential.