build furniture

I would love to learn how to work with wood, and build my own furniture

I just finished up a garden box that’s generally based on an idea I read about in the New York Times a few months ago – a shallow, wooden box with mesh underneath it in which greens and herbs can be planted. I bought the supplies at Home Depot and Z helped me learn some basic wood fabrication techniques. I used Really Cheap Wood so it’s not the straightest thing in the world, and I had some measurement flubs of sorts, but I stained it to make it look a little less “rustic” and pretty soon I’ll be planting some seeds in it!

Not sure what my next project will be – maybe some bathroom cabinets? Also not sure when to mark this as done… I’d like to be a little more proficient at fabrication than I currently am.

this is the first thing i did on my list, started and finished in two days, although this seems fast its not really, my dad has all the tools and pieces in his factory, just needed to get in there and do it, anyway i built a bright green book shelf 160cm tall

i read every issue of readymade magazine and i live just down the street from a tool-lending library

Originally when I wanted to do this I
a) neeeded furniture
b) had more free time
c) had fewere hobbies.

Now I’d rather spend my hard earned cash on something simple from Ikea and spend my time at Borders reading ;)

Due to a random, unfortunate incident which involved my medicine cabinet spontaneously falling off the wall (kind of on my head… ow! and the shattered tempered glass everywhere wasn’t fun to deal with either), I am now designing a mirror + shelf combo to go in its place. Since I have yet to find any wood shop facilities and live in a studio apartment, my dad is going to build it since my youngest sister just left for college and he is bored at home and needs a reason to go into the basement and hide from my mom.

It’s a start!

I built (with my dad’s help) a set up shelves that I used for my own personal entertainment center in my room. It has room for my stereo, all my video game systems, my video games, my DVD player and my tv sits on top. By making it myself, I was able to make sure that everything fit, and was the perfect size. You would never get that if you went out and bought something. And it looks halfway decent, too! People should do more things for themselves like this instead of just having someone else do it or going and buying something premade.

I have made several pieces of furniture. I’m always amazed at how cheap and crappy store bought furniture is. I like my furniture to be solid and feel like it will last as long as me. I made my bed. I used Ironwood for the posts, it is a very hard timber and makes the bed very solid. There is someting very satisfying about working with timber, and the smell of freshly cut wood.

I’ve built a few tables—dining room, coffee, bedside. Built a couch, but it didn’t come out really well. Want to do much more

Well I have started working on refinishing furniture. I have aquired some tools such as a coping saw, back saw, router, circular saw, hammer, staple gun, and some others. If only I had some good wood. I have lots of ideas, just need the wood to do them.