| Project by bobasaurus | posted 69 days ago | 398 views | 1 time favorited | 11 comments |  |
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This is a planter I made for the final project in a basic woodworking class. The legs are made from laminated white oak and walnut, the rails and bottom are hard maple, and the thin vertical strips are cherry. All the joinery is mortise and tenon, and the finish is several coats of Minwax Helmsman spar urethane (satin). The whole project took me quite a while, even with a full shop of fancy tools. Hopefully I can create something of the same magnitude in my small home shop someday.
The hardest part was making the through mortises to hold the bottom cross-lapped pieces. The mortising machine kept blowing out the hard maple when the bit exited the piece, even with scrap clamped underneath for support, so I did it mostly by hand with chisels. There were some gaps in the final product after gluing, so I also spent lots of time cutting little pieces to fit in the openings.
This thing was a beast to move around… it weighs over 40 pounds and is pretty ungainly. I think it looks pretty nice with the tree in my folks house.
11 comments so far
Beginningwoodworker
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4123 posts in 566 days
posted 69 days ago
Nice planter!
-- CJIII Future cabinetmaker
a1Jim
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16684 posts in 470 days
posted 69 days ago
Unique planter good job.
-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon
CedarFreakCarl
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565 posts in 946 days
posted 69 days ago
Very very nice!
-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC
Wingstress
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208 posts in 408 days
posted 69 days ago
Nice craftsmanship. Its not my type of style, but you did a really great job… Keep up the good work…
-- Tom, Simsbury, CT
huff
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1608 posts in 178 days
posted 69 days ago
I really like your design. Works perfect for that tree. Well done.
-- John @ Myrtle Beach
Cantil3v3r
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62 posts in 69 days
posted 68 days ago
I really like it man…although I kind of want a big burly trunk in there, maybe a mature dwarf citrus tree. Also with the Helmsman Spar Urethane any thoughts of putting it outside on a patio or why did you choose that finish?
Nice job!
Splinterman
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4827 posts in 254 days
posted 68 days ago
Hey Bob,
Nice design, build and finish….....well done.
-- I will just keep doing it till I get it right.
bobasaurus
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16 posts in 77 days
posted 68 days ago
Cantil3v3r, I originally intended for this thing to sit outside, but changed my mine considering how it would eventually deteriorate no matter what finish. I don’t want all that hard work to just crack and rot away in the sun and the elements.
jockmike2
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7299 posts in 1139 days
posted 68 days ago
Looks very nice, especially with that tree in it. Nice mix of woods, nice build.
-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com
mtnwild
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2013 posts in 420 days
posted 68 days ago
Very nice! Great inside or outside…...........
-- mtnwild (Jack), It's not what you see, it's how you see it.
RexMcKinnon
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652 posts in 88 days
posted 68 days ago
Very nice planter. Perfect fit with the tree.
-- If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!