This small bench is my own take on a classic footstool design. It is constructed from maple and cherry, and features three sets of hand-cut, half-blind dovetails and two sets of angled through-tenons.
Dimensions: 24″ Long x 12″ Wide x 15″ Tall
Materials: Solid Cherry, Maple.
Finish: Hand-Rubbed Oil with three coats of Paste Wax
Photos by Allison Seeman.
Faced with limited options for lining the bed of the truck (screw-in plastic shell or spray-on rubber,) I decided to make my own bed liner using Ipe (pronounced EE-pey). When it’s all said and done, the liner, or deck, will be constructed similar to a porch deck – long boards running the length of the bed will screw into shorter cross-beams (or joists, if you will.) But first thing’s first…
I used standard 8′ 1×6′s for this project (available from most hardwood or flooring suppliers), and ripped them down to 5.25″ to fit evenly between the wheel wells of the truck bed. Fresh-cut ipe smells a lot like garbage water mixed with a trip to the zoo – hence the mask.
I next used a 1.5″ Forstner bit to drill a series of holes in two of the planks. These will later serve as stops for the bench dog-style hold-downs.
Finally, I sanded the planks and cross-pieces down to 220-grit. Next step: finishing…
The thinking behind this blog (as the kids are calling them these days) is to give people an idea about just what all goes into making a custom piece of furniture, and to share a few of my (mostly borrowed) methods of working. My goal is to document (as best I can) each piece I make, every step of the way, and to share some of the joy and excitement (and frustration) of making a piece from scratch.
Thank you, and happy woodworking…
Clark.
Dimensions: 20″W x 26″H x 11″D
Materials:Solid Black Cherry
Finish:Hand-Rubbed Oil Finish with two coats of Natural Beeswax
Price:Private Commission
Honorable Mention: 2006 Texas Furniture Makers’ Show
Photos by Allison Seeman.
This simple yet elegant bench is constructed from one massive, “12/4″ (or three inch) thick plank of rock maple. It is equally at home in the living room, the office, or the gallery. If properly taken care of, I believe this piece will last several hundred years. The version shown here seats two comfortably, but three- and four-seat versions are available.
Dimensions: 42″L x 24″D x 17″H
Materials: Solid Maple
Finish: Three Coats of Hand-Rubbed Oil, Three Coats of Natural Beeswax
Photos by Allison Seeman.
This light, elegant desk was built for a jeweler. It is constructed from cherry, lacquered ash, maple, and aircraft-grade aluminum, and is built in such a way as to allow the user to disassemble and move the entire piece with ease.
Dimensions: 75″W x 40″H x 18″D
Materials: Solid Cherry, Cherry Veneer, Lacquered Ash, Maple, Aircraft-Grade Aluminum
Finish: Finished with Catalyzed Lacquer and Natural Beeswax
Photos by Allison Seeman.
