This week I finally installed the last of the casing from my trim project and I spent a good amount of time researching and planning my large bandsaw mill build.
Built with Brazilian cherry and curly cherry plywood for the panels. My first cabinet style project.
Rustic Step Stool by Shaun
I made this rustic step stool to access higher areas of my garage workshop (every storage space counts!!) It is made out of old pallets that and finished with a coat of boiled linseed oil.
Holzapffel Workbench by Scott
If I had known how great it was using a proper bench earlier, I would have built this bench a year ago. Seriously, if you have a 2×4 bench that wobbles, burn it and build one you can be proud of and weighs 300lbs.
I had come across some downed poplar trees on my in laws property back in December of 2013. I ripped a couple of 50″ sections down the middle with a borrowed chainsaw and brought them back to my shop. I had no experience with this type of thing, but I built a little sled and milled all the logs on my 14 ” (no riser block) band saw. I stacked, stickered, labeled, and strapped all the milled lumber together and stuck it up in my attic.
Flash forward to April of 2015 when I started the crib. Since it was a girl, the wife wanted it to be painted. I used some old fir beams I had lying around and some 8/4 poplar offcuts to make the two end assemblies. They are basically just a frame and panel construction with floating mortise and tenon joinery. I don’t have a domino, so I just use a simple jig and edge guide with my router to make the mortises.
I knew the poplar I milled myself wasn’t the best. I used it to make all of the slats (30 total) since they weren’t very crucial to the structure. I attached all the slats with floating tenons as well… on both ends… which meant a total of 64 mortises to be routed! I know I don’t have to tell you about the monotony of crib slat production. I then put together a little indexing jig to correctly space the corresponding mortise in the crib rails.
Fortunately, my son’s nursery furniture converted to a full size bed which left me with a spare crib mattress, spring frame, and assembly bolts. I got some threaded inserts which I secured in the end of the crib rails so I would be able to break it down. Lastly, I milled all my own molding “trim” to create some faux panels on the ends and cap the top and bottom. The finish is homemade chalk paint protected by a few coats of polycrylic. I made a small end table, and modified an old dresser to complete the whole nursery “set” I guess.