Project Information
This week I just finished my first Arts and Crafts furniture project. I have always enjoyed the Arts and Crafts style and finally decided to make a piece myself. This nightstand is for my wife and from what I can tell--she really likes it.
I followed the plans in Wood Magazine's Arts and Crafts Furniture book (ISNB: 9781402711749), but made a number of adjustments from the original. For instance, instead of red oak, I used QSWO. Instead of 1/4 ply for the sides and back, I used solid white oak. The drawer pulls are different and I also constructed the drawer boxes differently. Lastly, I used a different stain color. The basic style and dimensions are drawn from the book, however. The last photo shows a comparison between the book's nightstand (left) and my version (right).
For the finish, I decided to go simple. I considered fuming the oak with ammonia, but that seemed to be a bit of a hassle. I also considered Jeff Jewitt's recipe, but I was looking for something a little simpler and less expensive, especially since finishing seems to be my least favorite part of the whole process. After experimenting with a few Minwax stains I settled on Early American, which both captured the color I wanted and seemed to highlight the ray flecks.
This has been my favorite project to date and I'm looking forward to building more A&C furniture. Thanks for looking.
I followed the plans in Wood Magazine's Arts and Crafts Furniture book (ISNB: 9781402711749), but made a number of adjustments from the original. For instance, instead of red oak, I used QSWO. Instead of 1/4 ply for the sides and back, I used solid white oak. The drawer pulls are different and I also constructed the drawer boxes differently. Lastly, I used a different stain color. The basic style and dimensions are drawn from the book, however. The last photo shows a comparison between the book's nightstand (left) and my version (right).
For the finish, I decided to go simple. I considered fuming the oak with ammonia, but that seemed to be a bit of a hassle. I also considered Jeff Jewitt's recipe, but I was looking for something a little simpler and less expensive, especially since finishing seems to be my least favorite part of the whole process. After experimenting with a few Minwax stains I settled on Early American, which both captured the color I wanted and seemed to highlight the ray flecks.
This has been my favorite project to date and I'm looking forward to building more A&C furniture. Thanks for looking.