I am in the process of designing and choosing the wood for our new bedroom furniture set. I have plenty of red oak and hard maple, along with some curly maple in the shop. I wood like to use the lumber in the making but I worry a little bit of the final look of the oak/maple contrast. I have searched in the projects section for a maple / oak furniture and haven’t found one. I have seen a lot of cherry/maple, walnut/maple etc. but never oak/maple.

The first piece to be built will be a chest of drawers. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to for a solid wood carcase or frame and panel, so everything is pretty much in the air right now.

Any suggestion is welcome and any link to a picture of a oak / maple piece would be nice

thanks

Well, I couldn’t afford the 350$ + for the wooden screws, and I didn’t like the look of the black plate on the veritas twin screw vise. So I built my own using 2 tail vise screws (40$ each)

First I built the big wood pieces that will old the metal nuts. I didn’t want to use through bolts and opted for a drawbore mortise and tenon attachment.

I used the smallest bit that I could for the hole, The screw is 1 1/16 and I used a 1 1/8 bit. I found It helps to reduce sagging but it calls for precision. I waxed the holes because the screws do run tight. but pretty smooth nonetheless. Once the screw holes were drilled. I marked and drill the holes for the nut’s screws. Note wich nut goes with wich hole, the nuts might not be exactly the same. At the end It will help making the screw run smoother.

I dry fit the blocks and hold them very tight with clamps, then I aligned the vise chop and clamp it also. I then used the drill bit I used for the hole to mark hole center on the chop.

Now I can attach the nuts. While I tighten the screws, I monitor how easy the vise screw runs.

I decided to install the nuts in this manner instead of boring its way into the block. I think it might help to reduce sagging plus it is easier to install

I didn’t picture the process of the attachment of the vise screw head to the chop, but it is the same as with the nuts. I then try the vise. Once satisfied I removed the chop and proceeded with the drawbore holes

Oh yeah, I also glued them. LoL they won’t come off!

25 inch beetween screws, chop 4 inch tick 6 1/4 by 33 ash from 8/4 lumber

little tapper permitted, I guess more if the holes in the chop were bigger, something to thing of, maybe a future modification

Almost no sagging, If you run the screws in synch (not tapered) the chop runs nice, when some taper, they put on more resistance. Overall very satisfied.

Now it is COMPLETED

thanks

I have completed the bench, I still don’t know if I will install the veritas twin screw vise or install a wood hook, making it a holtzapffel – roubo hybrid. So I will wait for now and start using the bench as is

the drawbore mortise went pretty well, No broken peg out of 12 joints (24 pegs!). I was glad to have this nice peg cutter powered by a drill and socket , it went pretty fast.

All ash pegs end were whittled, then lightly sanded and then waxed. I have also marked the peg with location when it is fully in. The pegs moisture were at 10%. I sure wished they had been dryer.

The joint were tighten by clamps prior to the insertion of the peg. I used glue for the base only. No Glue for the base / top joints.

for the top mortises, I used the router with 1/2 spiral up bit , then chiseling the corners.

Holes in the side of the top were done using a guiding jig

I then finisned the top with one coat of linseed oil and beewax mix. The outer and mid sections is oak, the two sandwich sections is ash

then on to the pine shelf

I wanted to add the wagon vise but then I looked at my small record vise on my utility bench and decided to use it instead. I mortised a slot underneet the bench, Using the top side as a cheek

The top holes were done with drill and jig with 3 1/2 inch o.c. the vise chop is ash

I am overall very satisfied, specially that this was my first furniture project. I would like to thank guys like Mike, Kem and Damian who have posted blogs on their own holtzapffel project which gave me some guidelines.

Now on to another project!
Thanks for watching

Before I made the base joinery, I planned the top and it’s end grain

the circular saw on one side, the flush bit for the rest

I got some hobby time lately and was able to make all mortises and tenons for the base.

I used the drill press for the mortises, it is not as clean as a routed mortise but it is quiet and I can do them while the kids are asleep, which is when I get most of my shop time. I used a chisel afterward to flatten the wavy wall.

The tenons where done using the table saw for the short shoulders and the bandsaw for the wide shoulders. The bandsaw has the advantage to leave a somewhat cleaner surface, plus it is hooked to my dust collector.

I didn’t square the mortises and I used my chisel to round the tenons

Then I dry assembled the bench and rout the chamfers

I just had to put the top on the base and show it off to my girlfriend

next things to do, drawbore the legs joint and mortise the top. I don’t have any alignment pins so I am little nervous about that. I will wax the pegs and hope. If I understand correctly, if the joint are already a good fit and you drawbore it 3/32. Then this means that the peg takes all the stress and to find its way in, it will need to bend towards the shoulder then outwards without breaking. right??

I am getting ready to make the joinery for the legs and stretchers. I wonder if I should build the joint tight or leave some space for wood movement. The stretchers (tenon) are 5 inch in width by one inch tick. In the book, they call for a tight joint. I wonder what will happen when that 5 inch wide tenon expend in width.

the legs are pretty beefy 3 by 5 inch

thanks

Top is now ready for final flatenning and finishing. I got the two half pretty much aligned on final glue up so it shouldn’t be too hard. Thanks to my planner and jointer. I sure love my DJ20 jointer

I would like to get some suggestion on finishing the top. I am thinking about a mix of linseed oil with beewax, or varnish. I hope that after the finish applied, there will be a greater contrast between the ash and oak. It is sure not like a walnut and maple contrast.

Next to do: the stretchers and the base joinery

Here is some shots, thanks for watching

Should I leave the top there for an outfeed table to the bandsaw and do another one for the workbench !? :o)

I have all legs and top parts milled, legs are glued, top pieces ready for glue up.

top is ash and red oak, 3 inch thick 24 inch wide and 72 inch long
legs are red oak.
vises jaws will be ash

I have not decided yet on the layout of the top pieces, I have 6 peices of oak and 8 of ash, So like in the picture (hard to see) it might choose to be (from the front) 2 oak, 4 ash, 2 oak 4 ash 2 oak

By the way this is my first ever project, and I hope to not do a major mistake because I am out of dried lumber

Here is the legs glued, When doing this, I have not paid attention to the grain ring orientation and I don’t know if I should have. In the picture you can see that one leg was face glued with end grain ring opposed and on the other leg, the end grain were in the same orientation. I sure would like some feed back on this. on the bottom picture, some nasty cracks appeared after glue up and I wonder why. The boards were in humidity equilibrum with the shop and I sticked stack them a few days after rough cutting them. Again feedback much appreciated

My initial idea was to build a standard 2- 1/2 inch thick laminated top from 8/4 maple lumber. But I am short of 8/4 lumber and want to keep waste and price under control. So I am thinking of making only the first 7 inch from the front edge up and doing the rest of the top with the boards face up, each board will be around 5 inch wide. My lumber is kiln dried and plainsawn. My main worry is stability

I would like to get some comments or suggestions on how I could go by with this approach and if it make any sense.

also I am thinking of mixing some oak in the lamination, any issue with that? kiln dried also

thanks

3 to 4 red pines of 10” in diameter are going to be put down near my cottage and the owner is asking me if I want them. I have a chain saw mill, so I could get some decent lumber out of them. I would like to know the qualities of red pine for furniture making.