What's the most difficult woodworking project you've ever done?

I’m still working on it… ;^)

It’s a reproduction ~ 1765 Connecticut tea table in tiger maple, with scalloped skirts, cabriole legs, and carved bun feet. It was started in a class taught by one of the Society of Antique Period Furniture Makers founders. We met at the museum on a day that it wasn’t open to the public, and measured, templated, and photographed the original back in June. I’ve got about 60 hours in, and I’d say I’m 50% complete.

Due to other projects, I’ve done very little on it over the summer, and am just getting going again. This is my first period piece, so it’s definitely interesting work.

I’ll happily share it when complete!

-- It's all good, if it's wood...

My 30×40 two story shop.

-- Clint Searl.............We deserve what we tolerate

This was a fun project. No plans to go by, just an idea I got while making a bandsaw box. The chest is approx.
48” wide, 32” tall and 22” deep. The top drawer when opened, actually has 3 different sized dovetailed drawer boxes attached to the single drawer front. The bottom drawer when opened, actually has 2 different sized dovetailed drawer boxes attached to the single drawer front. Blum Undermount slides (which was a real challenge to align on a curved surface)

The case was built with bendable plywood and veneered with Wormy Maple.

The front and back was laid up with solid Wormy Maple and the drawer fronts where cut from the front slab so the grain would flow through the drawer fronts and face frame.

Even though the handles where made from seperate Wormy Maple, I tried to pick grain that still looked like it flowed with the grain of the drawers.

Mounted on recessed caster so you can roll it around because it’s heavy as all get out and nothing to get a hold of the pick up. lol.

I still have the chest, but my daughter has laid claim to it, so it resides in her bedroom.

It was the first project I posted on lumber jocks over 3 years ago.

-- John @ http://www.thehuffordfurnituregroup.com

Wail’ sheeeott! If we are going there then it has to be my elevated astronomical observatory on a +16ft pier with less than 2 arcsec deflection. Pretty much, just me and the girlfriend did +90% of the work with some critical help on three days of of the construction lasting three months. Lots of woodworking!

http://www.horizontalheavens.com/WebGallery/Elev-Building_Construction/index.htm

HOMEPAGE OF THE GOOD STUFF:
http://www.horizontalheavens.com/

-- HorizontalMike -- "Woodpeckers understand..."

Is that a hot tub under the ‘scope house? ;^)

-- It's all good, if it's wood...

Uh… almost. We can still see the Space Station passing from the Hot tub… 8-)

-- HorizontalMike -- "Woodpeckers understand..."

lofty expectations followed by reality checks, changes ones focus to achieving what we once thought impossible

to even bigger dreams of what we are capable of

Life starts perfect and slowly turns fugly

we decide where are abilities stop

I hope that mine will never cease

I hope I never reach the answer you ask for

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

work and the task at hand is never as complicated as the people who surround you with emotion who over ride objectivity

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

Okay, now I’m jealous, Mike. Awesome observatory and nice shot of the Cone and Fox Fur! I didn’t realize you did some astroimaging.

BTW, that looks like a TI ProDome. I built three of them for 3RF. We got 80% through the projects and the organization shifted priorities. Eight years later, they sit in a dilapidated state and will have to be replaced someday. Those would have been my toughest projects, but since they were never really complete – the smaller 10 footer was at least functional robotically, albeit not complete – I can’t really choose them for my hardest project, I suppose. I did manage this shot of the Pleiades remotely through that setup before it ruined completely:

Pleiades - M45 here

The toughest project would definitely be my kitchen renovation. It may never get finished because I’m just too busy doing everything else, including a guitar and a new wetbar with kegerator. Woot!

Edit: Okay, now I remember…I’d been to your site before, Mike. Forgot that you discovered that planetary nebula. Too cool!

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com

all hubble observations are done in black and white

the colour added is mere speculation of a hired artist

-- "Good artists borrow, great artists steal”…..Picasso

These are all fantastic, inspirational, and beautiful.

@Barry…I can’t wait to see it! Tag me or something so I don’t miss it! ;-)

@Clint…maybe I’ll build my own pool house? Hmmmm.

@Huff…wow…how beautiful, innovative, and useful.

@HorizontalMike…love the elevated astronomical observatory and that you and your girlfriend did it together…give her a hug for me!!!

@Moron…two words for your post…timeless and beautiful….except your last one. lol ;-)

Keep them coming guys! I’m so happy I asked!

This took me a while…

.

So did these! ;-)
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/52869 (two full summers)
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/24145 (~2-3 months)
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/36725 (~80 hours)
http://lumberjocks.com/projects/14772 (~100 hours)

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

I look in the rear view mirror at this one and everything is gauzily dreamlike:

Walnut and alder. I learned to use air tools with many-toothed wood removal business ends. I purchased two dear rasps and they were worth it. Most importantly, I learned to trust my eyes and my hands and my intuition way more that I had thought possible. There is no denying that building one of these can easily become a spiritual experience.

I thank Sam for his inspired design and generous heart, and Charles Brock for his helpful video and book.

Thanks, WoodGoddess, for sending me back there.

Kindly,

Lee

-- "...in his brain, which is as dry as the remainder biscuit after a voyage, he hath strange places cramm'd with observation, the which he vents in mangled forms." --Shakespeare, "As You Like It"

Lee,

Exquisite! Thanks for sharing.

-- John @ http://www.thehuffordfurnituregroup.com

Moron:

Any more posts about astronomy from you and you’ll definitely earn your name.

Learn a little something about spectroscopy and perhaps you’ll see what the Hubble “colors” are all about.

Everything is black and white with CCDs…even your digital camera. The difference is that color filters are ON the chip with your camera (Bayer matrix) and in FRONT of the chip with much of our astronomical images. The HST uses spectral band filters to highlight specific gas emissions, namely hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Both Horizontal Mike and I have such amateur images at our sites using the same technology and techniques. While there is some interpretation to be done – and therefore variance when processing the images – there is a ton of scientific objectivity. Heck, there’s chromatic subjectivity with ALL images, astronomical or not, film or digital, but it doesn’t make them any less important, instructional, or inspirational.

And as for “earthy colors,” we only see what we are designed to see, namely in the 400nm to 650nm range depending on our age and health. Just because you don’t see a spectra doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist anymore than a bear fart doesn’t stink if you aren’t in the woods to smell it.

Sorry to hi-jack the thread, but it really bothers me when people speak out of ignorance to the point where it insults others’ considerable efforts. Shame on guys like us for hoping people would actually appreciate and not insult our work.

-- jay, www.allaboutastro.com