Process
From initial design through joinery and finishing — a look at how each piece comes together.
Design
Every piece is designed with the client's specific needs in mind. Each space is unique and the requirements vary according to the intended use of the object. Whether making sketches by hand or using design software, I try to communicate the style and functionality of the piece. For more complex pieces, it is necessary to make full size drawings to accurately determine how elements will fit together in the whole.
Making full size sketches makes it easier to grasp the proportions of a piece and plan out joinery.
Using SketchUp software allows me to see a piece in its entirety before I begin cutting material. It also helps the client gain a better understanding of how a furniture piece will fit in their home.
Layout
The next step is to choose the appropriate lumber and transfer the design idea onto the raw wood. At this point it is sometimes necessary to adjust the design to match the lumber available. Letting the wood dictate design can create a better outcome than attempting to force a design onto an unwilling board. And it can even lead to a better design than originally conceived! I use chalk to mark out the oversized shape of a piece and then proceed to trim the board on the bandsaw.
For this coffee table, I chose a board that matched the desired width. The client wanted a live edge piece and this one worked perfectly.
This is a part of the base for the veneered dining table. I did my best to place the sapwood at the edge of all 4 similar parts to create a consistent theme.
Joinery
As often as I can in my fine furniture pieces I use traditional mortise and tenon joinery. In this method, the joinery is integral to the components themselves, i.e., a tenon is cut out of a board rather than added to it as with a domino/floating tenon. I cut tenons using a combination of the table saw and band saw, and use a shoulder plane and/or chisels to achieve the final fit.
I generally use a router to cut out mortises. Setting the fence and the depth of cut allows for consistency and repeatability.
A router bit leaves a round end and I need to square it using a chisel.
Here you can see finished mortises on the front and back posts of a bench in the making.
Another view of the mortises in a chair post.