A house-full of furniture

[Dandan]

Hi all,
After reading the 'bucket list' thread, it reminded me that my list includes replacing pretty much every piece of furniture in our house with something made by me.
I'm currently building a workshop to allow me to do just that (it's in the projects section but is just a hole in the ground right now!), but when I am ready to start making some stuff, I have to deal with the fact that I'm a complete newcomer to fine woodworking, so I've no real idea in what order I should tackle the projects.
I think I underestimated the skill level required for some of the more complex projects, I imagined that purchasing the right quantity of timber and watching a few Youtube videos would result in a perfect finished product, whereas the reality is more likely to be a glue-spattered, geometrical oddity that could be most generously described as a 'learning experience'.
The more I read this site, the more I appreciate the levels of experience and skill behind the pieces, which is something I'm keen to try and accrue, but I'd like to do it without too many furniture-based casualties along the way.

So with my new, suitably humbled attitude to woodworking, what order would people suggest that I approach a whole house worth of furniture?
I have a couple of things that will need to be at the top of the list, namely a workbench, doors, windows and frames, but as these are all for the workshop and not for the house then I am willing to let them be of a somewhat more amateur finish.

After that, these are the major items that I'd like to make, in what I *think* might be a sensible order:

Coffee table
Bookcases x4 or 5
Internal doors x5
Bedframe
Desk
Large sideboard
Front door
Dining Table (probably not chairs)

There will no doubt be smaller items in between these things which might be a good way of honing skills (and generating christmas presents for the family) but I think that's the bulk of it.
I'm under no illusions that I could complete this list any time soon, I'm happy that it will most likely run to decades rather than mere years, but I'm after any input as to what projects might be harder or easier than others, cheers!

 

[sawdust1]

Wow i've finally got in first ! Better type this quick.
Hi Dandan, you have not said what your skill level is but i would suggest start with the easiest and smallest first,
then if things don't go right you have not spent and wasted to much on materials.
Coffe table and bookcase would be the easiest.
Best of luck.

 

[Racers]

Bookcases first they are half laps rebates, then coffee table, mortice and tenon etc bed frame big M&T, then buy internal doors (life is too short) Sideboard rebates M&T flat panels, Desk more of the same, Dining table and chairs. you can make a chair with out angled joints.



Pete

 

[david123]

A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step. I wish you luck and perseverance. What tools are you intending buying, or do you have?
Have you thought about going on a woodworking course?
You have come to the right forum for advice.

 

[Droogs]

Why not start off making treen type items. Such as a bread box (dovetails), tall square tubes for pasta (finger joints), magazine rack (M&T) or letter holder etc. You then practice all the joint types etc and not waste a lot of wood doing so. Once you are happy with your skill level you can then scale it all up to make furniture pieces

edit for typos

 

[John15]

After you have built your workshop and got your basic tools I would recommend a 5 day beginner's course to set you on the right path. There are several schools around the country. I enrolled at Peter Sefton's in Upton-upon Severn and found it extremely useful. www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.com.

John

 

[custard]

If you're serious about making furniture that you'll be proud of, then here's the single most important cabinet making lesson to learn.

Good craftsmen and women are never outcome focussed, instead they're exceptionally process focussed.

They don't think about making a coffee table, rather they focus their entire attention on each single step in that process and never allow themselves to get distracted. So this morning's job might be jointing three boards together to make the top, that challenge fully occupies their thinking and they would never consider rushing through it to get onto the next step. The coffee table will be done when it's done, all they're concerned about now is jointing that top to the highest limit of their abilities.

Right now you've got a hole in the ground that will one day be a workshop. That's the next step in your process that will lead to a house full of furniture. Providing you've got a rough road map of the entire journey you don't need to be too concerned today about the order in which you'll build the furniture tomorrow. Right now your exclusive focus should be on the turning that hole into solid foundations.

Good luck!

 

[owsnap]

After you have built your workshop and got your basic tools I would recommend a 5 day beginner's course to set you on the right path. There are several schools around the country. I enrolled at Peter Sefton's in Upton-upon Severn and found it extremely useful. http://www.peterseftonfurnitureschool.com.

John

no doubt those look really good, but for the money spent on them you could build your workshop/buy all your tools &machines needed and still have some money left to buy timber to build the actual stuff you want for a very very very long time.

Cost and Duration
3 Month (12 weeks) – £6,800
6 Month (24 weeks) – £11,600
9 Month (35 weeks) – £14,750

From the OP's post I can see the guy wants a new hobby and a way to build all of the furniture himself, the best way would be to get some cheap timber and try to build his first table, by the time he has finished building it he may already have changed mind on his new hobby.

I imagined that purchasing the right quantity of timber and watching a few Youtube videos would result in a perfect finished product, whereas the reality is more likely to be a glue-spattered, geometrical oddity that could be most generously described as a 'learning experience'.

you are spot-on about that, it's actually a learning experience, when I look at my first few things I built I have to think wtf was I even doing (hammer). I did not get any better untill I had finished probably making my 3rd table and countless of other smaller stuff.

 

[rafezetter]

+1 on Pete's list of proceedings - That's how I would do it and I'm probably not much further along the skill level than you.

Custards advice is also spot on, it's how I make things, and why I won't make any decent money doing it anytime soon without an actual workshop. I let the process just flow as is needed, each step is the whole of what I need to do, time considered almost irrelevant.

The current woodwork I'm doing now is refinishing some ash kitchen doors - applying a custom look, using two techniques I've never previously used, and a finish application that's also new to me and somewhat technical, and though the time spent is in excess of what I've told her I'll charge, I also know that when the doors get fitted I can walk away with absolute confidence there will be no repercussions down the line.

This only comes from either many many years of experience - or a methodical approach; taking the time to research, practise anything new and when doing the final form, stopping and checking at each step.

Look forward to seeing your WIP's and lots of pictures

Edit: I have to agree with owsnap about the courses - doing it right off the bat is folly, get at least the bookcases x5 under your belt, maybe even the coffee table, and then and only then if you still desire to purse the hobby to a point whereby you think spending that kind of money is worth it to you, do so, as it'll be some of the best money you'll ever spend.

If you need help before that - holler on here, there will be members close enough that may be able to give you a few pearls for the cost of petrol and biscuits.

 

[Jacob]

I'd say don't try to be too original. Copy stuff you like. Even better if you can pull something apart to see how it goes together.
Everything has already been designed and sorted by previous experts!

 

[ED65]

I think this is a dream that many woodworkers have had at some point (few stick with it once the reality of the undertaking sinks in!) and it's great that you're realistic that it might take decades. The worst thing, and I've seen this more than once, is new woodworkers thinking they can populate their house with beautifully made pieces in just a couple of years starting from zero. And save money doing it!

If you ignore finish for the moment and instead think about how things are put together, ask yourself if the joinery is more important to you than the look of the finished item, or if both are of equal importance. If the completed pieces looking the part is what you care about the most and they don't need to be built using traditional joinery that'll make your life a lot easier in many cases, and this doesn't have to mean any compromise in terms of strength.

Some people use a variety of joinery options from project to project not because it's necessary but because they want to keep things fresh, try new things and maybe learn a new joint now and then. But it's okay to use the same easy/quick joining method again and again if it makes pieces fit for purpose and you don't get bored.

So with my new, suitably humbled attitude to woodworking, what order would people suggest that I approach a whole house worth of furniture?

Begin with smaller, simpler things and go from there.

Some other random thoughts:

• Build your workbench and some workshop aids before you tackle any furniture.
• Learn to love plywood and MDF and get used to how much quality stuff can cost.
• Be realistic about the time penalty of working with hand tools versus working with power tools, particularly when it comes to dimensioning stock.
• Switch from working with softwood to working with hardwood as soon as possible if you intend most of your furniture to be built from hardwoods.

 

[owsnap]

btw here's an excellent website where there are SIMPLE, and I mean super super super simple plans on how to build just about anything.
http://www.ana-white.com/

Yes it has a women's name in it, but it's excellent People there share their own works etc.
I only got in to woodworking because I found that website, started to look what other people have made and saw their plans and realized that everything is so damn easy to make. So I wanted a new table, I bought some clamps(some terrible terrible clamps) and some timber and just had a got at it, was so pleased with my first work even when I'm looking at it back now it has come out just terrible

 

[No skills]

This is all lovely advice but somewhat cart before horse.

Get the workshop built and then build your workbench, a good mortice and tenon bench build will teach you quite a bit and give you some confidence to try other things.

As an armchair expert that's all I'll say.

 

[Cordy]

Good craftsmen and women are never outcome focussed, instead they're exceptionally process focussed

So this morning's job might be jointing three boards together to make the top, that challenge fully occupies their thinking and they would never consider rushing through it to get onto the next step

Inspiring words there Custard

As a novice I needed a whole afternoon to fit the back slats to this Adirondack -- only took 20 seconds for

Norm

 

[Dandan]

Well thanks everybody, some fantastic advice, I was expecting 3-5 almost identical lists of furniture, not 12 posts of valuable tips and advice, much appreciated!

Yes, I know I'm probably getting ahead of myself, there is a fair void between a workshop-shaped hole in the ground and a matching dining table and chairs, but unfortunately I have quite an un-fulfilling desk job and I work away from home so I have a lot of time to ponder what I am going to get up to in my precious future weekends.

The workshop build should provide a fair bit of learning in itself, especially towards the end with the more detailed parts like the doors and window frames, then the ubiquitous workbench, so it will probably all just naturally flow from there, learning a new joint and realising that would help make a nice bookcase, trying out veneers and making a coffee table, I guess I needn't worry about planning ahead overly.

Skill-wise, I'd say I'm a keen beginner in terms of fine woodworking, I have a decent understanding of most hand tools from doing what I would consider basic carpentry; a couple of sheds, a built in wardrobes, shelves, mantelpiece, bit of wood panelling (and going back further, go-karts, dens, whatever I could make with the tools my dad would let me use), so the motor skills are there, but their application in really fine, accurate work is new to me.

I have a small collection of hand tools, some new, some from my dad, his dad and even his dad, most of which need some care and restoration before I use them in anger. I'm keen to learn to do everything using hand tools but I'm also happy with the practicalities of having machines to do the job with less effort so I will be populating the workshop with some powered equipment, most of which I have already secured via a wholesale purchase of workshop machinery from a very nice user on here.

Thanks again for all the advice, no doubt I will be asking for a lot more in the future, and i'll be sure to share all of my mistakes as well as my successes.

 

[John15]

Owsnap,

If you read my post more carefully you will see the beginner's course is 5 days, not several months.

John

 

[RobinBHM]

Hi Dandan,

I would suggest whatever project you decide to embark on, think about the design and the construction, then post some sketches on here to bounce ideas with forum members. One of the difficulties with a beginner is choosing wrong construction methods making either a successful outcome impossible or requiring machinery or skills out of reach. A little bit of guidance at the beginning will make a huge difference.

Its surprising that great furniture can be built by simply screwing things together. The key is often the accurate cutting of boards or timber, rather than fancy jointing etc