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31K views 128 replies 31 participants last post by  stefang 
#1 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
 

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#2 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
What, your not done yet? :) I'm watching this series, my first compensated project is in the pipeline.
 

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#3 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
I'm also quite interested in how well your projects turn out and if the quotes are in the ball park as to what you really want to profit beside experience. Will you require and tools you don't already possess? I'll be watching the build.
 

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#4 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Good for you Smitty. You'll either make a little pocket change or learn a few things. Estimating is pretty easy in theory. In reality its what makes or breaks a business. Tracking the progress is the second most important task IMHO.

Plus, we'll get to follow. Win-win
 

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#5 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
I'm definitely looking forward to this blog!
 

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#6 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
...and I'm still watching the clock over your shoulder!
DanK
 

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#7 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Good luck, will be following along with anticipation.
 

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#8 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Kevin, no, I'm not done yet. :) But when I am, you'll be the third one to know…

Don't need any additional tooling than what I have, Russell. And I'm into the build a little ways now and the estimates are holding pretty solid so far.

For Don and Dan, I really feel the oversight! Seriously! So the way I'm going to think of hours vs estimate is this: would I do a second, exact order for the same estimated hours? We'll see.

And thanks, Dean and Pat, for checking in! It's going to be different from what I've done to this point, for sure.
 

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#9 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Following along here, as well, Smitty. I'm rooting for you!
 

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#10 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
You will br fine.
When I do estimates for 1st time work I try to be fair.
First I make sure material cost is covere, that is quite simple.
Labor is the struggle, I estimate enough time to complete the job if everything goes well, when it takes longer because of some unforseen issue I usually eat the loss. TIME is only time, I want the customer to be very satisfied, so if it takes me longer than normal to do a GOOD job I will. (Example: 2 extra hours out of my time at night is not the end of the world to have a satisfied customer)
I usually try to quote a price and STICK to it, nothing worse in my mind than being pennied to death AFTER someone is finished.
 

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#11 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Chips, that's a terrific approach that is my own, I just didn't put it into words as well as you have. Thanks! And I appreciate the support, Candy!
 

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#12 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
I certainly hope you make a lil profit, Smitty! I cannot imagine trying to estimate labor costs, since I sell my little projects months after being built. I hope this will lead to a steady inflow of commissioned pieces!

BTW, how do you keep up with time? An actual timer in the shop? Or just writing down figures after each session? I used to own a shop timer for keeping up with time, but it died after being thrown 40 feet against a steel wall in a moment of frustration. :(

Do you find yourself using power tools more since the build is being timed, or are ya using vintage hand tools as always?

Love the progress shots I've seen thus far! Best of luck!!!
 

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#13 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
No change in the way I build things just because it's 'timed,' mostly because each step has already been done in another project or another and is practiced/familiar. To record time spent is a reflection the next morning on what I got done and how much time it took. Take last night, for example.

- Went over to the shop around 6:30, left the shop at 10:30
- Worked on one element of the build, got done what I wanted
- I figure two hours of work.

How?

Well, I took a couple pictures for the Epic Thread, check LJs a few times, did some sharpening, moved a few bench tools around, talked with my wife when she came over, etc. etc. So the time actually working can fairly be set at the two hour mark.
 

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#14 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Great questions Terry.

Thanks for sharing this with us Smitty.
 

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#15 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Good for you Smitty, thanks for sharing also. I saw the progress in the furniture maker's forum and it's looking very good.
 

Attachments

#16 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Nice Smitty, are you going to turn the legs?
Cant wait to see all the different vintage tools you use.
 

Attachments

#17 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
For anyone following, next installment has been posted!
 

Attachments

#18 ·
The Concept

In the not-too-distant past, a young lady and her new husband spotted a 'farm house table' project on Pinterest and thought about building it for their new house. A family member recommended me as someone who might be interested in completing the project for them.

Furniture Table Rectangle Outdoor furniture Wood


It's the first thing I've ever quoted and been paid to make in my shop. Going through the estimating process was introspective, in a way; deciding how long it would take to build vs. actual, billable time was something I'd never considered before in a project. It also meant dividing the tasks into chunks that could be estimated and tracked. An hourly rate had to be set, and materials estimate were needed. And while that was being pulled together, the anxiety of possibly not getting the work set in as well. I asked a few questions, pondered life as a for-profit wood butcher and decided to move towards accepting the challenge. All while internally questioning my own ability to make the piece.

At the end of the process, I was happy with the quote sent forward; there were hours to do all portions of the work in a productive way (I wasn't going to bill for learning curve or set-up time, for example). By counting actual, working hours and not setup time, 'thinking,' and trial and error, the actuals data I'd collect during the build would be valid and reusable for like-tasks in subsequent bids. I also placed a small adder percentage on materials to cover shopping, taxes, etc. Finally, I made it a fixed price offer; even if it took longer (and I somewhat expected it would, being my first time out of the gate) no more would be charged.

Before the quote was sent, however, I was asked to include a second piece: a buffet table built to match the farmhouse table in overall design and style.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


I agreed, updated the quote and sent it for the client to consider. When the 'half down' check arrived, the clock started ticking! I'll capture some of the work for this blog series, and hopefully it'll turn out alright. Thanks for looking!
Good start Smitty.
 

Attachments

#19 ·
Legs for the Table

The on-line build instructions call for all-pocket-screw construction of the table frame as well as the tabletop. I didn't think that type of joinery was the best option, especially for matching legs to aprons. Not enough resistance to racking. And I can joint and glue up a top without pocket screws as well. Finally, there's the practical matter of not owning a pocket hole system and not wanting to buy one. So right away I decided to go with M&T joints at the corners and glue for the tops.

Another feature of the on-line build was pre-turned legs from Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. The first time I went to check out those legs for the table portion of the quote, my local store had exactlyone of them in stock. More importantly, it was rather spindly looking compared to the one in the on-line pictures. Pretty wide grain lines, too. Those would do fine for the buffet side board, but they didn't strikeme as being optimal for a 3' x 6' table, so I started looking for options.

I have a set of vintage table legs from a take-down several years ago; they're 3" and beefy, more like the inspiration piece, and tight-grained walnut.

Wood Gas Metal Pipe Cylinder


For them to work in this build, a straightforward mod was needed. I took some pics of the process:

Wood Gas Motor vehicle Auto part Metal


Wood Gas Auto part Nut Machine


Wood Hardwood Gas Gun accessory Ammunition


Wood Gas Machine Machine tool Auto part


Wood Metal Pipe Hardwood Cylinder


Once off the lathe, each leg get the range of sanding grits and rasps as required to make all transitions disappear in look and feel. Very pleased with the outcome. So with the table legs now ready to go, I picked up a set of four for the buffet at a second nearby store and was set to go. The new and old blend incredibly well, I must say (maybe a side by side later, sorry). That's all for legs, then, so until next time thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#20 ·
Legs for the Table

The on-line build instructions call for all-pocket-screw construction of the table frame as well as the tabletop. I didn't think that type of joinery was the best option, especially for matching legs to aprons. Not enough resistance to racking. And I can joint and glue up a top without pocket screws as well. Finally, there's the practical matter of not owning a pocket hole system and not wanting to buy one. So right away I decided to go with M&T joints at the corners and glue for the tops.

Another feature of the on-line build was pre-turned legs from Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. The first time I went to check out those legs for the table portion of the quote, my local store had exactlyone of them in stock. More importantly, it was rather spindly looking compared to the one in the on-line pictures. Pretty wide grain lines, too. Those would do fine for the buffet side board, but they didn't strikeme as being optimal for a 3' x 6' table, so I started looking for options.

I have a set of vintage table legs from a take-down several years ago; they're 3" and beefy, more like the inspiration piece, and tight-grained walnut.

Wood Gas Metal Pipe Cylinder


For them to work in this build, a straightforward mod was needed. I took some pics of the process:

Wood Gas Motor vehicle Auto part Metal


Wood Gas Auto part Nut Machine


Wood Hardwood Gas Gun accessory Ammunition


Wood Gas Machine Machine tool Auto part


Wood Metal Pipe Hardwood Cylinder


Once off the lathe, each leg get the range of sanding grits and rasps as required to make all transitions disappear in look and feel. Very pleased with the outcome. So with the table legs now ready to go, I picked up a set of four for the buffet at a second nearby store and was set to go. The new and old blend incredibly well, I must say (maybe a side by side later, sorry). That's all for legs, then, so until next time thanks for looking!
Going with M&T-good man!

And nice legs by the way! (I wonder if ZZ Top had these in mind when they wrote the song…...?!)
 

Attachments

#33 ·
Table Aprons

Okay, the first two installments have been short and to the point, a format that will continue throughout this series.
.
.
.
Uhm, NOT.

Time for another blog entry, of course, but this one will have some rambling about this tool or that, and include some pictures that some label as 'Tool Porn.' Ahh, now that's the way to write a blog series on LJs, right? So with that teaser out of the way, time to talk about aprons. And I don't mean these:

Shoulder Arm Leg Purple Day dress


But these:

Triangle Font Bicycle part Ladder Auto part


Apron measurements came straight from that diagram, except that I added an inch to either end of all the apron cuts to account for tenons. It was a very straightforward activity, jointing the long edges of each apron, top and bottom. The #8 Jointer (Heft & Hubris) is a tool that simply refuses to stop once it's in motion; no hand tools compare to the feeling you get using this beast.

Wood Gas Motor vehicle Auto part Engineering


But I digress. To do the jointing means taking passes with the #8 along the entire length of the stuff until at least a near-full-length shaving is taken. Flat should be attained at that point, and it's confirmed with a winding stick of your choosing. The second quality check comes with the square; you want the new edge to be square the board's face. If it's not there are a couple of options that I'd like to explore.

The first is technique. Let's say the edge runs away from the face, like this:

Wood Rectangle Parmigiano-reggiano Hardwood Ingredient


Conversations here on LJs tell me it's somewhat common to inadvertently hold a plane off-level like this when jointing. Could be a left hand/right hand balance thing, or even an imperfect clamping of the piece to be worked. Doesn't matter, it happens. To fix it is to hold the plane such that it takes the high side down a little with each pass of the tool until the outside skew is gone. And that's the way I usually addressed the problem. It typically meant taking a bunch more passes, though.

Instead of adjusting my grip on the plane, this time I tried something different that was mentioned in Robert Wearing's Woodworking Essentials: using the lateral adjust on the cutter to correct the skew. I adjusted the cutter of the plane in such a way that it counters the worker's tendency to apply the slant in the first place. In other words, in this example, I extended the cutter a bit more from the sole of the plane on side that is towards me at the bench, and with two passes:

Hand tool Wood Tool Brush Hardwood


The result was spot-on square.

And by the time I was half-way through the overall exercise, I was taking level swipes for flat and hitting a couple more to address skew without even checking for square along the way and it worked every time. Funny how I'm that predictable.

Once the aprons were dressed and cut to the length, it was time to mark them for tenons. The key here is having a tool that can reliably capture and apply markings from the mortises that are already in place (my M&T equivalent of 'tails first' is to cut mortises first, but astute readers will have noticed in the second blog the reclaimed legs were pre-morticed) to the stock that will receive the tenons. Where to mark? Good question.

Besides being made of 2×4s, the apron design included a piece of 1x stock on the bottom of each apron as a detail. I like it, and want to add it to both pieces. The depth of the resultant ledge was wag'd visually by making a pattern piece that featured tenons to fit the mortises extant in the legs and a 1x ledge that ended with some setback from the surface of each leg (if that makes sense).

My pattern pieces:

Wood Rectangle Floor Wood stain Flooring


The side marks of the tenons to be cut were transferred to a marking gauge.

Office ruler Wood Wood stain Hardwood Household hardware


And in case you just missed it, when it comes to marking gauges there's no substitute for rosewood and brass (see Galoot Index): the Stanley #198. Here's the business end of the tool:

Finger Household hardware Gas Auto part Engineering


And a blurry pic of the Stanley logo w/ No. 198 on one of the marker stems:

Wood Tool Cylinder Gas Wood stain


Defining the thickness of the tenons is easy (that's what doing mortises first does for you!); I needed to set the gauge based on the face of the apron stuff. Here's taking those settings from the gauge and putting them to a piece of apron stock:

Wood Hand tool Stonemason's hammer Hardwood Wood stain


I cut the tenons out of the 2×4 apron stuff with bench hook and backsaw (no glamour there), and for awhile had legs and apron pieces scattered around the shop.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Natural material Toolroom


Follow-on fit checks went well, so it was time for glue-up. First, the short ends were put together. The 1x stock held the legs square to the apron, BTW.

Wood Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood Lumber


Then the long sides.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Six foot bar clamps and ratchet straps come in handy at times like this.

Loom Table Wood Floor Gas


Checked everything for square and ensured all four legs were solidly on the floor, too. Let the glue cure overnight, glued and nailed the 1x adder stock to the aprons then applied primer to everything.

Wood Interior design Hardwood Machine Metal


That completed the table frame! Enough of this installment, so until next time thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#34 ·
Table Aprons

Okay, the first two installments have been short and to the point, a format that will continue throughout this series.
.
.
.
Uhm, NOT.

Time for another blog entry, of course, but this one will have some rambling about this tool or that, and include some pictures that some label as 'Tool Porn.' Ahh, now that's the way to write a blog series on LJs, right? So with that teaser out of the way, time to talk about aprons. And I don't mean these:

Shoulder Arm Leg Purple Day dress


But these:

Triangle Font Bicycle part Ladder Auto part


Apron measurements came straight from that diagram, except that I added an inch to either end of all the apron cuts to account for tenons. It was a very straightforward activity, jointing the long edges of each apron, top and bottom. The #8 Jointer (Heft & Hubris) is a tool that simply refuses to stop once it's in motion; no hand tools compare to the feeling you get using this beast.

Wood Gas Motor vehicle Auto part Engineering


But I digress. To do the jointing means taking passes with the #8 along the entire length of the stuff until at least a near-full-length shaving is taken. Flat should be attained at that point, and it's confirmed with a winding stick of your choosing. The second quality check comes with the square; you want the new edge to be square the board's face. If it's not there are a couple of options that I'd like to explore.

The first is technique. Let's say the edge runs away from the face, like this:

Wood Rectangle Parmigiano-reggiano Hardwood Ingredient


Conversations here on LJs tell me it's somewhat common to inadvertently hold a plane off-level like this when jointing. Could be a left hand/right hand balance thing, or even an imperfect clamping of the piece to be worked. Doesn't matter, it happens. To fix it is to hold the plane such that it takes the high side down a little with each pass of the tool until the outside skew is gone. And that's the way I usually addressed the problem. It typically meant taking a bunch more passes, though.

Instead of adjusting my grip on the plane, this time I tried something different that was mentioned in Robert Wearing's Woodworking Essentials: using the lateral adjust on the cutter to correct the skew. I adjusted the cutter of the plane in such a way that it counters the worker's tendency to apply the slant in the first place. In other words, in this example, I extended the cutter a bit more from the sole of the plane on side that is towards me at the bench, and with two passes:

Hand tool Wood Tool Brush Hardwood


The result was spot-on square.

And by the time I was half-way through the overall exercise, I was taking level swipes for flat and hitting a couple more to address skew without even checking for square along the way and it worked every time. Funny how I'm that predictable.

Once the aprons were dressed and cut to the length, it was time to mark them for tenons. The key here is having a tool that can reliably capture and apply markings from the mortises that are already in place (my M&T equivalent of 'tails first' is to cut mortises first, but astute readers will have noticed in the second blog the reclaimed legs were pre-morticed) to the stock that will receive the tenons. Where to mark? Good question.

Besides being made of 2×4s, the apron design included a piece of 1x stock on the bottom of each apron as a detail. I like it, and want to add it to both pieces. The depth of the resultant ledge was wag'd visually by making a pattern piece that featured tenons to fit the mortises extant in the legs and a 1x ledge that ended with some setback from the surface of each leg (if that makes sense).

My pattern pieces:

Wood Rectangle Floor Wood stain Flooring


The side marks of the tenons to be cut were transferred to a marking gauge.

Office ruler Wood Wood stain Hardwood Household hardware


And in case you just missed it, when it comes to marking gauges there's no substitute for rosewood and brass (see Galoot Index): the Stanley #198. Here's the business end of the tool:

Finger Household hardware Gas Auto part Engineering


And a blurry pic of the Stanley logo w/ No. 198 on one of the marker stems:

Wood Tool Cylinder Gas Wood stain


Defining the thickness of the tenons is easy (that's what doing mortises first does for you!); I needed to set the gauge based on the face of the apron stuff. Here's taking those settings from the gauge and putting them to a piece of apron stock:

Wood Hand tool Stonemason's hammer Hardwood Wood stain


I cut the tenons out of the 2×4 apron stuff with bench hook and backsaw (no glamour there), and for awhile had legs and apron pieces scattered around the shop.

Wood Hardwood Flooring Natural material Toolroom


Follow-on fit checks went well, so it was time for glue-up. First, the short ends were put together. The 1x stock held the legs square to the apron, BTW.

Wood Automotive exterior Gas Hardwood Lumber


Then the long sides.

Wood Flooring Floor Wood stain Hardwood


Six foot bar clamps and ratchet straps come in handy at times like this.

Loom Table Wood Floor Gas


Checked everything for square and ensured all four legs were solidly on the floor, too. Let the glue cure overnight, glued and nailed the 1x adder stock to the aprons then applied primer to everything.

Wood Interior design Hardwood Machine Metal


That completed the table frame! Enough of this installment, so until next time thanks for looking!
Nice post, Great progress.
I use the same technique with my #8 as well, works like a champ.
 

Attachments

#46 ·
Buffet Framework

Simple enough here, right? Duplicate the look and feel of the aprons on the Farmhouse Table, but at the size and scale suited to a buffet with drawers.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


Whereas the table needed 2×4s for apron material, a buffet needs more height for drawers but less width of stock overall. I took the biggest clue from the squared-off stock at the top of the turned legs; it was that dimension setting the height of the casework and nothing else. So with a 3/4" undercap taken into account, I needed good 1×8 stock. Off to the lumberyard, then!

Property Wood Building Shade Sky


Okay, maybe I'm not that far out in the sticks. But I did have to shop for material!

Anyway, had to do a slight rip of the 1x stock at the table saw. Because both edges will either butt up to the table top or be sandwiched to the undercap, the boards were good 'straight from the saw.' For the mortises on each leg, I used the Steel City hollow chisel mortiser.

Automotive tire Engineering Audio equipment Machine Wood


And the RAS to cut tenons on the 1×8 apron material, a couple of which needed tweeking with the #92 shoulder plane.

Wood Hand tool Tool Wood stain Hardwood


The front of the table needs some kind of framework that gets me three drawers in this piece. And while I wasn't completely sure of the entire subassembly, I did know the solution would involve a couple dovetail keys at the tops of each front leg. It's something also picked up from Robert Wearing, and I used it the first time ever (and last time, as it figures) on the Mission Style Nightstand project.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Natural material


A measurement of the back apron reveal told me the dimension of the front key board, less dovetails of course. Some cutting at the bench and on the legs got me this:

Wood Tool Ingredient Hardwood Lumber


Table Wood Picture frame Floor Flooring


From there it was a relatively simple series of steps to add three defined outlines for the drawers, keeping these frames set back from the fronts of the legs as the aprons are. I think the drawers will be slightly inset from there, but that's getting just a bit ahead of myself. Here's the assembly I came up with, and it fits nicely. Oh, and ignore the top that's in the picture, that's another installment.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Building material


I'll be able to drive a few screws into the top, through the key board, making everything nice and tight. I will not be adding screws to the length of the back side, to allow for movement across the grain of the top. The ends will be screwed via elongated holes in 'screwstrips' fastened to the side aprons. In other words, fixed in place on three sides. With a top that's 1 1/2" thick, it should work fine. Here's a pic of said 'strip' on the buffett table as it was being glued in place:

Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Chair


There's also the under strip visible on that end cap pic!

So take a look again at the image of the table with frame in place. It was clamped in place, and will stay t hat way until it's all pieced together with lower frame, shelf and top. Now to work those tops for each of these frames, and design that lower shelf… How those things come together are topics for future installments, so until then thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#47 ·
Buffet Framework

Simple enough here, right? Duplicate the look and feel of the aprons on the Farmhouse Table, but at the size and scale suited to a buffet with drawers.

Plant Table Rectangle Wood Wood stain


Whereas the table needed 2×4s for apron material, a buffet needs more height for drawers but less width of stock overall. I took the biggest clue from the squared-off stock at the top of the turned legs; it was that dimension setting the height of the casework and nothing else. So with a 3/4" undercap taken into account, I needed good 1×8 stock. Off to the lumberyard, then!

Property Wood Building Shade Sky


Okay, maybe I'm not that far out in the sticks. But I did have to shop for material!

Anyway, had to do a slight rip of the 1x stock at the table saw. Because both edges will either butt up to the table top or be sandwiched to the undercap, the boards were good 'straight from the saw.' For the mortises on each leg, I used the Steel City hollow chisel mortiser.

Automotive tire Engineering Audio equipment Machine Wood


And the RAS to cut tenons on the 1×8 apron material, a couple of which needed tweeking with the #92 shoulder plane.

Wood Hand tool Tool Wood stain Hardwood


The front of the table needs some kind of framework that gets me three drawers in this piece. And while I wasn't completely sure of the entire subassembly, I did know the solution would involve a couple dovetail keys at the tops of each front leg. It's something also picked up from Robert Wearing, and I used it the first time ever (and last time, as it figures) on the Mission Style Nightstand project.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Plank Natural material


A measurement of the back apron reveal told me the dimension of the front key board, less dovetails of course. Some cutting at the bench and on the legs got me this:

Wood Tool Ingredient Hardwood Lumber


Table Wood Picture frame Floor Flooring


From there it was a relatively simple series of steps to add three defined outlines for the drawers, keeping these frames set back from the fronts of the legs as the aprons are. I think the drawers will be slightly inset from there, but that's getting just a bit ahead of myself. Here's the assembly I came up with, and it fits nicely. Oh, and ignore the top that's in the picture, that's another installment.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Building material


I'll be able to drive a few screws into the top, through the key board, making everything nice and tight. I will not be adding screws to the length of the back side, to allow for movement across the grain of the top. The ends will be screwed via elongated holes in 'screwstrips' fastened to the side aprons. In other words, fixed in place on three sides. With a top that's 1 1/2" thick, it should work fine. Here's a pic of said 'strip' on the buffett table as it was being glued in place:

Wood Flooring Floor Hardwood Chair


There's also the under strip visible on that end cap pic!

So take a look again at the image of the table with frame in place. It was clamped in place, and will stay t hat way until it's all pieced together with lower frame, shelf and top. Now to work those tops for each of these frames, and design that lower shelf… How those things come together are topics for future installments, so until then thanks for looking!
Making great progress.
I like using the dovetail keys as well, I will be cutting a couple in the next day or two for a Shaker End Table I am building.
Keep up the good work.
 

Attachments

#60 ·
Table, Buffet Tops

Bought 12' 2×6s at the local lumber yard, brought them into the shop and cut them into even 6' lengths via RAS,

Sewing machine Wood Sewing machine feet Machine tool Workbench


… ensuring every end was from the saw, nice and square. Jointed the seven boards needed for the table using the #8 and a square, a process discussed in detail in the previous installment.

Table Wood Hardwood Flooring Door


20/20 hindsight, but I should have addressed the radius corners of the 2×4s by ripping them before jointing, but I didn't do that until the second (buffet) build. Here's the table top in one of the dry-fit setups:

Wood Table Flooring Floor Wall


When it was all set, there were several glue lines that I knew wouldn't take stain. So let the jack planing begin!

Dartboard Wood Darts Hardwood Wood stain


That went very well, and was actually quite fun. I made great progress the first night, spending about a half-our dressing the glued-up top. When I returned to the shop later the next day, however, the top had begun to curl. Argh. Stupid wet lumber!

At this point I stopped work on the top with just a little bit to go. I placed it on the completed table frame and added Jorgensen f-clamps at the corners.

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Floor


When two legs pulled up off the floor, I added sandbags to the top; those are my granddad's cabinet shop sandbags, btw. I appreciate them with each use I find for them; he probably knew all of the uses, just didn't think to tell me in my younger days. ☺

The sandbags were only needed for a couple of days, then all was level again. Clamped and unfinished is just how the table will remain until such time the final planing is done and it's ready for stain and paint.

The buffet top benefited a bit from 'lessons learned,' with all pieces ripped to square corner dimensions prior to jointing and gluing. And even though this material had been sitting in the shop several days longer than the stock used on the farmhouse table top, it moved like crazy after glue-up… I mean, severe wind. Work with the jack plane addressed it (had to traverse top and bottom, about 20 gals of shavings),

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Flooring


but even then had to apply clamps and once again reach for the sandbags to spring it back where it needed to be.

Wood Natural material Hardwood Pet supply Fur


So I have frames and tops made for the table and buffet sideboard at this point, and it was pretty quick after those were made that I added primer to them. Good progress, I'd say, and everything has been running pretty close to estimate by my count of productive time. The tricks remaining include drawers and lower shelf, so that's what I'll do. Next time! So until then, thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#61 ·
Table, Buffet Tops

Bought 12' 2×6s at the local lumber yard, brought them into the shop and cut them into even 6' lengths via RAS,

Sewing machine Wood Sewing machine feet Machine tool Workbench


… ensuring every end was from the saw, nice and square. Jointed the seven boards needed for the table using the #8 and a square, a process discussed in detail in the previous installment.

Table Wood Hardwood Flooring Door


20/20 hindsight, but I should have addressed the radius corners of the 2×4s by ripping them before jointing, but I didn't do that until the second (buffet) build. Here's the table top in one of the dry-fit setups:

Wood Table Flooring Floor Wall


When it was all set, there were several glue lines that I knew wouldn't take stain. So let the jack planing begin!

Dartboard Wood Darts Hardwood Wood stain


That went very well, and was actually quite fun. I made great progress the first night, spending about a half-our dressing the glued-up top. When I returned to the shop later the next day, however, the top had begun to curl. Argh. Stupid wet lumber!

At this point I stopped work on the top with just a little bit to go. I placed it on the completed table frame and added Jorgensen f-clamps at the corners.

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Floor


When two legs pulled up off the floor, I added sandbags to the top; those are my granddad's cabinet shop sandbags, btw. I appreciate them with each use I find for them; he probably knew all of the uses, just didn't think to tell me in my younger days. ☺

The sandbags were only needed for a couple of days, then all was level again. Clamped and unfinished is just how the table will remain until such time the final planing is done and it's ready for stain and paint.

The buffet top benefited a bit from 'lessons learned,' with all pieces ripped to square corner dimensions prior to jointing and gluing. And even though this material had been sitting in the shop several days longer than the stock used on the farmhouse table top, it moved like crazy after glue-up… I mean, severe wind. Work with the jack plane addressed it (had to traverse top and bottom, about 20 gals of shavings),

Table Furniture Wood Wood stain Flooring


but even then had to apply clamps and once again reach for the sandbags to spring it back where it needed to be.

Wood Natural material Hardwood Pet supply Fur


So I have frames and tops made for the table and buffet sideboard at this point, and it was pretty quick after those were made that I added primer to them. Good progress, I'd say, and everything has been running pretty close to estimate by my count of productive time. The tricks remaining include drawers and lower shelf, so that's what I'll do. Next time! So until then, thanks for looking!
Great post and progress, love those shavings!
I tend to think some of the twist I get after glue ups comes from me over tightening the clamps, I still have a lot to learn.
Good luck with the rest of the build.
 

Attachments

#67 ·
Buffet Lower Shelf

To get shelf in place between four turned legs is a challenge I'd not considered before, much less undertaken. Should the shelf have concave rounds at each corner to match profiles with the legs, with dowels to hold them in place? Or should the same setup have notches cut in the legs for additional holding power? The shelf will sag, being in the neighborhood of 50" long; is additional support needed? What can be done to mitigate sagging? All of this, and more, with the certain knowledge there's little margin for error. Make the shelf board too short, and I'm pulling the legs out of square in some way. Unintentionally too long, same thing. As Winnie the Pooh says, 'think, think, think.'

I don't know how high off the floor a lower shelf should be, or how much room is enough above the shelf, so I reached for a cut-off 1x and used it to make a horizontal mark on the inside of each the left and right pair of legs; the plan is to notch in a pair of dado'd rails that in turn will hold the shelf. Four stopped dados in turned legs… sounds fun, right? I thought so, too. Mess up, and it's back to Lowes for another leg (or two, or three, etc.). Oh, well. Gotta learn sometime, right?

Each side rail was cut somewhat long (how much longer was a wag…), as I didn't really care how deep each end extended into a leg. Had to be at least 3/8", but not as much as 3/4" as that'd weaken the leg (or so I think). From there, I wanted to rails to set in the dado fully, if that makes sense. So getting an even depth was a focus (to have full contact when the rail is pressed into place and glued). Hard to chisel on a tapered and turned leg, but I've covered that. Held a rail end against a leg and traced a rectangle. First I did a couple shallow cuts at the top and bottom of each 'mortise' with the gent's backsaw, then got busy chiseling.

Wood Floor Office ruler Plank Wood stain


Lots of fit checks for each, of course.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Automotive wheel system


The way I kept the legs perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other was low-tech; I measured the distance between the centers of each side leg and checked that it was the same at the bottom of the legs using a couple small marks; when the distances matched, I was done chiseling. Clamp-up of the pieces then confirmed all was well.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Gas Composite material Engineering


With the rails figured out, attention turned to the actual shelf itself. I looked around the shop for materials to use; there was a nice piece of 1×12 pine leaning against the back wall… But with any kind of weight applied, that thing would sag something fierce. After pondering some kind of support structure for the shelf and coming up with nothing aesthetically neutral, the long piece of red oak caught my eye. It'd lend weight to the piece at a low center of gravity, which is good, and is more rigid than the pine alternative. Finally, it was cheap. Very cheap. Okay, it was free; a handyman-for-hire friend of mine pulled a couple long and wide pieces from an office as part of a renovation and gave them to me vs. sending each to the dumpster. I didn't think to include the shelf board in the quote, either, so this was a win-win.

Width needed was around 12 ½", board was not wide enough. So a couple rip cuts with a second piece of the red oak stock, and jointing w/ Heft & Hubris, resulted in stock that needed a final rip, so I got a chance to use my 'new' panel marking gauge.

Wood Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Hardwood Art


Wood Table Floor Wood stain Flooring


Simple but effective iron tool. Long point that slides up and down a trapezoidal shaft, small 'hook' on the end.

Wood Cross Rim Religious item Automotive wheel system


Tableware Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


With the shelf board done (yay! I made a board!), I added a dado to each side rail w/ the Stanley #45.

Wood Urban design Motor vehicle Wheel Engineering


Table Wood Floor Flooring Outdoor bench


Then did a fit check of the shelf. All was good! Here it is, in place and hit with some filler where it sported a couple finish nail holes from it's former life.

Wood Shelving Floor Table Flooring


And of course, another sandbag sighting; they're always in use with these pieces. For dry-fitting, the sandbags and clamps work together to add stability. For glue-ups, the sandbags really drag the piece down on all four legs, getting good contact across the board.

Now that everything is constructed, it's safe to glue up to final form, lightly sand any surface imperfections and apply sealer / primer. Easy enough, right? Right! Here it is, then (glue up went on without a hitch!):

Wood Interior design Floor Loom Flooring


The drawer frame will be included in the glue up just prior to fitting the drawers, and that's another installment. Until then, thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#68 ·
Buffet Lower Shelf

To get shelf in place between four turned legs is a challenge I'd not considered before, much less undertaken. Should the shelf have concave rounds at each corner to match profiles with the legs, with dowels to hold them in place? Or should the same setup have notches cut in the legs for additional holding power? The shelf will sag, being in the neighborhood of 50" long; is additional support needed? What can be done to mitigate sagging? All of this, and more, with the certain knowledge there's little margin for error. Make the shelf board too short, and I'm pulling the legs out of square in some way. Unintentionally too long, same thing. As Winnie the Pooh says, 'think, think, think.'

I don't know how high off the floor a lower shelf should be, or how much room is enough above the shelf, so I reached for a cut-off 1x and used it to make a horizontal mark on the inside of each the left and right pair of legs; the plan is to notch in a pair of dado'd rails that in turn will hold the shelf. Four stopped dados in turned legs… sounds fun, right? I thought so, too. Mess up, and it's back to Lowes for another leg (or two, or three, etc.). Oh, well. Gotta learn sometime, right?

Each side rail was cut somewhat long (how much longer was a wag…), as I didn't really care how deep each end extended into a leg. Had to be at least 3/8", but not as much as 3/4" as that'd weaken the leg (or so I think). From there, I wanted to rails to set in the dado fully, if that makes sense. So getting an even depth was a focus (to have full contact when the rail is pressed into place and glued). Hard to chisel on a tapered and turned leg, but I've covered that. Held a rail end against a leg and traced a rectangle. First I did a couple shallow cuts at the top and bottom of each 'mortise' with the gent's backsaw, then got busy chiseling.

Wood Floor Office ruler Plank Wood stain


Lots of fit checks for each, of course.

Wood Floor Flooring Hardwood Automotive wheel system


The way I kept the legs perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other was low-tech; I measured the distance between the centers of each side leg and checked that it was the same at the bottom of the legs using a couple small marks; when the distances matched, I was done chiseling. Clamp-up of the pieces then confirmed all was well.

Wood Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies Gas Composite material Engineering


With the rails figured out, attention turned to the actual shelf itself. I looked around the shop for materials to use; there was a nice piece of 1×12 pine leaning against the back wall… But with any kind of weight applied, that thing would sag something fierce. After pondering some kind of support structure for the shelf and coming up with nothing aesthetically neutral, the long piece of red oak caught my eye. It'd lend weight to the piece at a low center of gravity, which is good, and is more rigid than the pine alternative. Finally, it was cheap. Very cheap. Okay, it was free; a handyman-for-hire friend of mine pulled a couple long and wide pieces from an office as part of a renovation and gave them to me vs. sending each to the dumpster. I didn't think to include the shelf board in the quote, either, so this was a win-win.

Width needed was around 12 ½", board was not wide enough. So a couple rip cuts with a second piece of the red oak stock, and jointing w/ Heft & Hubris, resulted in stock that needed a final rip, so I got a chance to use my 'new' panel marking gauge.

Wood Musical instrument accessory Wood stain Hardwood Art


Wood Table Floor Wood stain Flooring


Simple but effective iron tool. Long point that slides up and down a trapezoidal shaft, small 'hook' on the end.

Wood Cross Rim Religious item Automotive wheel system


Tableware Wood Wood stain Hardwood Varnish


With the shelf board done (yay! I made a board!), I added a dado to each side rail w/ the Stanley #45.

Wood Urban design Motor vehicle Wheel Engineering


Table Wood Floor Flooring Outdoor bench


Then did a fit check of the shelf. All was good! Here it is, in place and hit with some filler where it sported a couple finish nail holes from it's former life.

Wood Shelving Floor Table Flooring


And of course, another sandbag sighting; they're always in use with these pieces. For dry-fitting, the sandbags and clamps work together to add stability. For glue-ups, the sandbags really drag the piece down on all four legs, getting good contact across the board.

Now that everything is constructed, it's safe to glue up to final form, lightly sand any surface imperfections and apply sealer / primer. Easy enough, right? Right! Here it is, then (glue up went on without a hitch!):

Wood Interior design Floor Loom Flooring


The drawer frame will be included in the glue up just prior to fitting the drawers, and that's another installment. Until then, thanks for looking!
This is going to be a beautiful piece and you are doing such a nice job on it. You have such an interesting shop and I certainly want to follow along.

helluvawreck aka Charles
http://woodworkingexpo.wordpress.com
 

Attachments

#81 ·
Buffet Drawers

Started work on the drawers over the weekend, when the center slides came in from an internet order placed last week. Haven't dealt with slides before, so there's some apprehension. Picked out what I needed at The Home Depot, but their stock was depleted. Hence the mail order. Anyway, I have the hardware and know there's a 1/4"clearance needed for each slide. But enough talk, how about action?

I marked a piece of pine stock -bought as buffet casework- as drawer fronts by tracing the drawer frame right onto the board. With a little handplane work on ends and edges, each of them was a pretty good fit to the buffet.

Furniture Product Wood Bed frame Floor


Pulled oak stock from my 'drawer sides salvage stock,' six pieces that'll do nicely.

Wood Shelf Shelving Publication Wood stain


Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


Each piece had to be cut to the proper length, and I did that at the RAS. Then the dados had to be cut; that was done with the #238, ensuring the 1/4" clearance was in place for the center slide.

Sewing machine Wood Bumper Bicycle tire Bicycle part


Then it was time to start the half-blind dovetail process for each of the drawers. Doing these is likely my favorite bench activity, beginning with set-up of the #198 Gauge (told you I loved this tool). Once I knew those overall limits, I could lay out the dovetails. Not having mastered the use of dividers for this, I've settled into the habit of dovetail marking via chisel:

Ruler Wood Office ruler Finger Wood stain


It works for me! And once those were marked, it was a simple matter of cutting tails on three pairs of drawer sides with the Disston gent's saw, removing waste with the Disston 10B coping saw and chiseling out whatever was left with the Stanely SW #720 re-issues.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


Wood Collar Dress shirt Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Wood stain Tool Table Hardwood


When all tails were cut, it was onto marking and cutting of each drawer front.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Lumber Flooring


Wood Paint Wood stain Art Creative arts


First one wasn't bad (some rust in the ole' skillset):

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Flooring


Second and third ones benefitted from having the tails marked with knife vs pencil.

Brown Wood Rectangle Textile Beige


Wood Tool Flooring Hand tool Hardwood


End of the day and I had two drawer fronts mated with their sides, about 90 minutes invested in this subactivity thus far. Seeing drawers stuck in place gave me a good feeling this would all pull together eventually!

Furniture Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Hardwood Machine Engineering Flooring


By the end of the next shop session, all three drawer sets were done, to a near-complete install of 3/4" drawer backs that are dado'd into the sides (side dadoes cut at RAS):

Saw Wood Flooring Floor Workbench


Wood Hardwood Rectangle Gas Wood stain


Because the center drawer slides anchor through the bottom and into the drawer backs from underneath, the backs were cut flush with the top of the drawer sides. Bottoms were made from a piece of 1/4" plywood I found along the back wall of the shop. Old stuff, very nice stuff.

Some glue up action took place over the next couple days.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Metalworking hand tool Tool


Wood Hardwood Engineering Gas Plywood


A bunch of fitting and fettling to get each of them working the way I wanted them too, work that blew through the guesstimated time. Install of the slides was straightforward.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Gadget


But again, fitting drawers is not a fave activity. Guess it'd be better using false fronts that screw into the drawers. Maybe next time. But I learned a lot (and I'm talking about drawer installation, not estimating).

Wood Gas Shipping box Box Metal


Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


I will say, after being motivated to try it based on a video Red posted, it's a damn fine activity to trim drawer sides with the Stanley #9! Why? More area in front of the iron to register against the piece, ensuring a flat run. Worked awesome.

Wood Tool Table Writing desk Gas


Wood Packing materials Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain


And as you can see in that last close up, I added a bead to the bottom edge of each drawer with the #66.

Wood Saw Flooring Tool Gas


Plane Wood Table Smoothing plane Wood stain


All was fit and glued up with drawer bottoms and backs, and drawers were officially done. Oh, the knobs are 'legacy' and will be painted / installed later. Let's call this 'done' for now, so until next time, Thanks for Looking!
 

Attachments

#82 ·
Buffet Drawers

Started work on the drawers over the weekend, when the center slides came in from an internet order placed last week. Haven't dealt with slides before, so there's some apprehension. Picked out what I needed at The Home Depot, but their stock was depleted. Hence the mail order. Anyway, I have the hardware and know there's a 1/4"clearance needed for each slide. But enough talk, how about action?

I marked a piece of pine stock -bought as buffet casework- as drawer fronts by tracing the drawer frame right onto the board. With a little handplane work on ends and edges, each of them was a pretty good fit to the buffet.

Furniture Product Wood Bed frame Floor


Pulled oak stock from my 'drawer sides salvage stock,' six pieces that'll do nicely.

Wood Shelf Shelving Publication Wood stain


Table Rectangle Wood Flooring Wood stain


Each piece had to be cut to the proper length, and I did that at the RAS. Then the dados had to be cut; that was done with the #238, ensuring the 1/4" clearance was in place for the center slide.

Sewing machine Wood Bumper Bicycle tire Bicycle part


Then it was time to start the half-blind dovetail process for each of the drawers. Doing these is likely my favorite bench activity, beginning with set-up of the #198 Gauge (told you I loved this tool). Once I knew those overall limits, I could lay out the dovetails. Not having mastered the use of dividers for this, I've settled into the habit of dovetail marking via chisel:

Ruler Wood Office ruler Finger Wood stain


It works for me! And once those were marked, it was a simple matter of cutting tails on three pairs of drawer sides with the Disston gent's saw, removing waste with the Disston 10B coping saw and chiseling out whatever was left with the Stanely SW #720 re-issues.

Wood Rectangle Flooring Floor Wood stain


Wood Collar Dress shirt Hardwood Wood stain


Wood Wood stain Tool Table Hardwood


When all tails were cut, it was onto marking and cutting of each drawer front.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Lumber Flooring


Wood Paint Wood stain Art Creative arts


First one wasn't bad (some rust in the ole' skillset):

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Plank Flooring


Second and third ones benefitted from having the tails marked with knife vs pencil.

Brown Wood Rectangle Textile Beige


Wood Tool Flooring Hand tool Hardwood


End of the day and I had two drawer fronts mated with their sides, about 90 minutes invested in this subactivity thus far. Seeing drawers stuck in place gave me a good feeling this would all pull together eventually!

Furniture Wood Rectangle Wood stain Hardwood


Wood Hardwood Machine Engineering Flooring


By the end of the next shop session, all three drawer sets were done, to a near-complete install of 3/4" drawer backs that are dado'd into the sides (side dadoes cut at RAS):

Saw Wood Flooring Floor Workbench


Wood Hardwood Rectangle Gas Wood stain


Because the center drawer slides anchor through the bottom and into the drawer backs from underneath, the backs were cut flush with the top of the drawer sides. Bottoms were made from a piece of 1/4" plywood I found along the back wall of the shop. Old stuff, very nice stuff.

Some glue up action took place over the next couple days.

Wood Hardwood Wood stain Metalworking hand tool Tool


Wood Hardwood Engineering Gas Plywood


A bunch of fitting and fettling to get each of them working the way I wanted them too, work that blew through the guesstimated time. Install of the slides was straightforward.

Wood Wood stain Hardwood Flooring Gadget


But again, fitting drawers is not a fave activity. Guess it'd be better using false fronts that screw into the drawers. Maybe next time. But I learned a lot (and I'm talking about drawer installation, not estimating).

Wood Gas Shipping box Box Metal


Wood Table Gas Hardwood Wood stain


I will say, after being motivated to try it based on a video Red posted, it's a damn fine activity to trim drawer sides with the Stanley #9! Why? More area in front of the iron to register against the piece, ensuring a flat run. Worked awesome.

Wood Tool Table Writing desk Gas


Wood Packing materials Rectangle Hardwood Wood stain


And as you can see in that last close up, I added a bead to the bottom edge of each drawer with the #66.

Wood Saw Flooring Tool Gas


Plane Wood Table Smoothing plane Wood stain


All was fit and glued up with drawer bottoms and backs, and drawers were officially done. Oh, the knobs are 'legacy' and will be painted / installed later. Let's call this 'done' for now, so until next time, Thanks for Looking!
Excellent reading, and nice work, Smitty!
That looks like a fine excuse to buy a No.9.
:)
 

Attachments

#93 ·
A Bench is Added

I exchanged some emails with the client during the course of the build -pics of what was in-work, along with pictures and any questions I had- and the subject of seating came up. I'm not a chairbuilder so I couldn't help there, but when the conversation included benches I was hooked. Specifically, adding one to the build that uses turned legs and matches the table / buffet set. Prepared a simple quote and got the job. So here's what it took to make a bench!

The legs are bought, and match the buffet exactly

Wood Hardwood Flooring Engineering Plywood


Aprons are 2x material, but what kind? I purposely didn't include material cost of aprons in the bench quote because I knew I had something that'd do. And with a trip to the in-house "Land of Detrius," some very straight-grained fir stock appeared that's perfect bench material (yeah, sneak peak in the pic above):

Wood Creative arts Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Salvage from a couple of two-panel wood doors my BIL dropped off sometime last year. Didn't have room to store them forever, didn't need them, so I ripped the stiles into decent sized stock and put it aside. Now, it's getting used. Good stuff. Anyway, M&T joinery will fit this apron stock to the legs. Used the Steel City mortise first, then cut the tenons at the RAS. To check my work, I pulled the four legs and four apron pieces together. It rocked. No, not 'rocked' as in 'awesome,' but rocked as in 'not level / flat on the floor.' That means doing some fine-fitting when glue-up time came.

Wood Finger Thumb Wood stain Engineering


Wood Hand tool Tool Wood stain Hardwood


Glued and clamped up the end-cap assemblies and that step was complete.

Wood Table Hand tool Tool Hardwood


Second fit check now says the bench frame is now square, with all four legs hitting the floor, so the side aprons can now be glued up. To be on the safe side, while the glue cured for an hour or so I weighted the bench down with the Shop Sand Bags.

Table Wood Workbench Flooring Hardwood


The Top of the Bench rq'd the last of my 2×6 stock, milled up the same way the buffet table top had been.

Wood Saw Carpenter Floor Flooring


Wood Composite material Engineering Automotive exterior Lumber


Furniture Outdoor bench Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


Stain and clear coat remains, but bench is done! Thanks for looking!
 

Attachments

#94 ·
A Bench is Added

I exchanged some emails with the client during the course of the build -pics of what was in-work, along with pictures and any questions I had- and the subject of seating came up. I'm not a chairbuilder so I couldn't help there, but when the conversation included benches I was hooked. Specifically, adding one to the build that uses turned legs and matches the table / buffet set. Prepared a simple quote and got the job. So here's what it took to make a bench!

The legs are bought, and match the buffet exactly

Wood Hardwood Flooring Engineering Plywood


Aprons are 2x material, but what kind? I purposely didn't include material cost of aprons in the bench quote because I knew I had something that'd do. And with a trip to the in-house "Land of Detrius," some very straight-grained fir stock appeared that's perfect bench material (yeah, sneak peak in the pic above):

Wood Creative arts Wood stain Hardwood Flooring


Salvage from a couple of two-panel wood doors my BIL dropped off sometime last year. Didn't have room to store them forever, didn't need them, so I ripped the stiles into decent sized stock and put it aside. Now, it's getting used. Good stuff. Anyway, M&T joinery will fit this apron stock to the legs. Used the Steel City mortise first, then cut the tenons at the RAS. To check my work, I pulled the four legs and four apron pieces together. It rocked. No, not 'rocked' as in 'awesome,' but rocked as in 'not level / flat on the floor.' That means doing some fine-fitting when glue-up time came.

Wood Finger Thumb Wood stain Engineering


Wood Hand tool Tool Wood stain Hardwood


Glued and clamped up the end-cap assemblies and that step was complete.

Wood Table Hand tool Tool Hardwood


Second fit check now says the bench frame is now square, with all four legs hitting the floor, so the side aprons can now be glued up. To be on the safe side, while the glue cured for an hour or so I weighted the bench down with the Shop Sand Bags.

Table Wood Workbench Flooring Hardwood


The Top of the Bench rq'd the last of my 2×6 stock, milled up the same way the buffet table top had been.

Wood Saw Carpenter Floor Flooring


Wood Composite material Engineering Automotive exterior Lumber


Furniture Outdoor bench Wood Rectangle Outdoor furniture


Stain and clear coat remains, but bench is done! Thanks for looking!
Guy's a fricken machine! Just churning' the stuff out. Good looking bench Smitty, client should be pleased. I know I would be.
 

Attachments

#116 ·
Finish and Deliver!

Sorry, but there just aren't bunch of pics for this installment… I did show the 'client' several stain choices, and they picked 'double coverage' of Early American 203 (as I recall).

Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor


Made good use of Minwax' Wood Conditioner, then stained tops apart from bases (those got primer, of course, then acrylic latex 'White', several coats for good coverage.

Bottle Ingredient Glass bottle Alcoholic beverage Drink


Table top shows planes marks (they wanted, I obliged), to good effect.

Brown Wood Table Floor Wood stain


Last trick was rubbing out the three-coat poly / danish oil finishes on the buffet and farmhouse table. Liberal use of wax and steel wool, dry for a half-hour, buff out and done. Made for a very nice-to-the-touch finish.

Table Tableware Wood Wood stain Hardwood


My daughter kindly posed with the completed set prior to delivery. The table is large, but sure looks smallish in the background!

Outdoor bench Table Furniture Plant Outdoor furniture
 

Attachments

#117 ·
Finish and Deliver!

Sorry, but there just aren't bunch of pics for this installment… I did show the 'client' several stain choices, and they picked 'double coverage' of Early American 203 (as I recall).

Wood Rectangle Flooring Wood stain Floor


Made good use of Minwax' Wood Conditioner, then stained tops apart from bases (those got primer, of course, then acrylic latex 'White', several coats for good coverage.

Bottle Ingredient Glass bottle Alcoholic beverage Drink


Table top shows planes marks (they wanted, I obliged), to good effect.

Brown Wood Table Floor Wood stain


Last trick was rubbing out the three-coat poly / danish oil finishes on the buffet and farmhouse table. Liberal use of wax and steel wool, dry for a half-hour, buff out and done. Made for a very nice-to-the-touch finish.

Table Tableware Wood Wood stain Hardwood


My daughter kindly posed with the completed set prior to delivery. The table is large, but sure looks smallish in the background!

Outdoor bench Table Furniture Plant Outdoor furniture
Finished product is great. Super job, Smitty.

With this one under the belt will you welcome more commissions in the future?
 

Attachments

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