Shaker End Tables

[WoodAddict]

Great work so far and exciting times ahead after the website launch! Congrats on the website and some of the work in the gallery

 

[chingerspy]

Glad you got a response and now know what was meant by gallery shop

There are a few of them in Letchworth where I work now and then. High street shops with a mixture of mid-high end furniture in them from local makers. There are usually one or two pieces the same or in different woods. Ideal for what you are producing as long as the price is right of course as they will no doubt then mark the piece up a fair amount.

You never know, commissions may come from it

 

[Chems]

Thanks WoodAddict and Chinger.

I've been looking for a Gallery like the one you describe chinger but don't think there any near me.

My website domain comes with free advertising for a certain amount and I've listed a google add and facebook add, already got a few hits from facebook.

 

[TrimTheKing]

Nice work Chems

One thing, Just noticed a typo on you website homepage, unique has an extra 'i' in it on your page. Second paragraph "can also ship uniquie pieces".

:wink:

Other than that it's quite a nice site.

 

[Chems]

Trim, change it, thanks for reading it so carefully. What would one do without all the help from UKW?!

I also set up a facebook page cause apparently its one of the best way to improve your search engine rating and I'm on googlemaps.

 

[big soft moose]

Trim, change it, thanks for reading it so carefully. What would one do without all the help from UKW?!

I also set up a facebook page cause apparently its one of the best way to improve your search engine rating and I'm on googlemaps.

few other points re your hompage mate

you need a comma after based in northamptonshire " Based in Northamptonshire, Timberworks..."

the capitlisation on " Bookcases to Dining Tables, Hardwood or Painted Finish, Free Standing TV Cabinets to End Tables ... " looks wrong - I realise you are doing it for emphasis but really capitals should only be used at the begining of a sentence or for propper names.

and also the sentence "I'll be happy to make a piece unique for you" looks ungramatical

imo it should either be " I'll be happy to make a unique piece for you" or "I'll be happy to make a piece unique to you"

and finally the phase "Hardwood or painted finish" - what happensd if i want a hard wood piece in a painted finish ? Imo that should either be "hardwood or softwood" or "natural grain or painted finish" , or both

hope thats helpful

 

[Dibs-h]

Very nice Chems - I will have to make a mental note - never to show any of your work or posts to Wifey! My list of things to do would just increase infinitely! :lol:

 

[Chems]

Trim, change it, thanks for reading it so carefully. What would one do without all the help from UKW?!

I also set up a facebook page cause apparently its one of the best way to improve your search engine rating and I'm on googlemaps.

few other points re your hompage mate

you need a comma after based in northamptonshire " Based in Northamptonshire, Timberworks..."

the capitlisation on " Bookcases to Dining Tables, Hardwood or Painted Finish, Free Standing TV Cabinets to End Tables ... " looks wrong - I realise you are doing it for emphasis but really capitals should only be used at the begining of a sentence or for propper names.

and also the sentence "I'll be happy to make a piece unique for you" looks ungramatical

imo it should either be " I'll be happy to make a unique piece for you" or "I'll be happy to make a piece unique to you"

and finally the phase "Hardwood or painted finish" - what happensd if i want a hard wood piece in a painted finish ? Imo that should either be "hardwood or softwood" or "natural grain or painted finish" , or both

hope thats helpful

BSM, it is helpful, I will get onto changing it. I think you an my partner should meet, shes a cambridge graduate and the amount of stick I get for grammar and miss use of commas in things I write even texts is unreal!

Dibs, I'll do an exchange if you build me a nice workshop like yours!

 

[Chems]

 

[ByronBlack]

Looking good - but in the fourth photo, there is some blade burn on the side of the top nearest the camera - I'm sure you know that know, but thought i'd mention it just in case.

 

[Chems]

I was tempted to get it off before I took the photo but I felt that was dishonest! Still got quite a bit of cleaning up to do, legs need a bit of sanding and theres a tiny bit of glue squeeze out. Nice thing about the domino is you don't need to use much glue on the faces so it minimizes the clean up.


Anyone seen any good plans for a DIY router lathe? I've seen a few but a lot of them seem to be made with a bearing type thing to hold the shaft.

 

[Chems]

 

[Eric The Viking]

I know everyone has a different view, but aesthetically, I love them. They have great proportions - very balanced.

This thread even prompted me to get a book on Shaker design from the library yesterday!

 

[wizer]

Very nice. I'm not sure if I'd ever want to have a shaker table in my house. But I'd like to build one.

 

[Chems]

I know exactly what you mean Wizer, love to look at it and liked making it but wouldn't have one myself.

Eric, shame I can't take credit for the design, I just followed the traditional plans. I've been researching them on the internet to get a feel for price, which varies from around £600 to £350 each and the difference between nice ones and machine made ones seems to be the legs, if the legs are tapered enough they don't look delicate enough, but to tapered and they'd look silly.

 

[Eric The Viking]

the difference between nice ones and machine made ones seems to be the legs, if the legs are tapered enough they don't look delicate enough, but to tapered and they'd look silly.

I know just what you mean.

It's the same with the pulls you've made. They finish the piece, and their size and shape is very important as your eye is drawn to them. too big and they'd dominate, making it almost comic; too small and the piece would look too plain.

In fact, I think they make all the difference. Before your last pictures I was thinking, "that's nice, worth a look sometime." I was interested but not enthusiastic and happened across the book on Shaker design, so thought "why not". But they're far more balanced with the knobs than without, to my mind, anyway.

I like Louis XV commodes too, mind:

Funny stuff, aesthetics...

 

[OPJ]

Just seen the thread and I think you've done really well considering! :wink: They look and suit the piece very well. That's always one of the hardest parts for me; creating something looks good but doesn't overpower the rest of the piece or look to dull. Not sure what I'm going to do for this curve-front cabinet yet but, at least I have a proper lathe now!

If you do find yourself wanting to do more in future, I'd also recommend you look in buying a small, second-hand 'midi' lathe, like the one Pete mentions in the other thread. I wouldn't gone for one of those myself and saved some space, if only Pete wasn't selling his M900 for £75! :roll: :wink: The great thing about those Midi lathes that, when you do want to upgrade, you shouldn't have any trouble selling it on. Also, with the Record Power model at least (DML305, I think?) there's an optional bed extension, in case you want to turn longer work.

Time to get some oil on that timber then! In case you haven't seen my latest blog post, I strongly recommend the hard wax oil from Chestnut.

 

[mr grimsdale]

I made one for myself based on the Woodworking Magazine download People liked it and I've now sold a few. Not sure abt the copyright but it's in the public domain, not an exact copy etc so should be OK I hope! There are a lot of them about, it's a classic design, a useful little table.
Yours looks good. The only thing I'd do much differently would be the DTs. There seems to be a new fashion for thin half pins on the edges which looks a bit odd to me, esp as you have a fat one in the middle. I'd have it the other way around.
I reckon it's easier to think of DTs only in terms of the pins (and pin holes); it's the pin ends you see and notice first, they are the main design feature. The tails just fill the space between them - forget tails!
There are no rules - you can do what you like, but I think the thin edge pins are weak and could break. Also if you need to trim the drawer there is no thickness to remove. Just a thought.

 

[Chems]

I used the leigh jig to do the dovetails so the pin laylout is a little dictated by that. If I was to do them again I'd get a little DT saw and hand cut them, not worth setting up the jig for 2 drawers.


Olly, thanks for the words on the knobs. As your biggest WordPress fan I have of course read your latest blog and intend to get up to GoodTimber today to get some of that Hard Wax oil if I get time.

 

[big soft moose]

Just seen the thread and I think you've done really well considering! :wink: They look and suit the piece very well. That's always one of the hardest parts for me; creating something looks good but doesn't overpower the rest of the piece or look to dull. Not sure what I'm going to do for this curve-front cabinet yet but, at least I have a proper lathe now!

If you do find yourself wanting to do more in future, I'd also recommend you look in buying a small, second-hand 'midi' lathe, like the one Pete mentions in the other thread. I wouldn't gone for one of those myself and saved some space, if only Pete wasn't selling his M900 for £75! :roll: :wink: The great thing about those Midi lathes that, when you do want to upgrade, you shouldn't have any trouble selling it on. Also, with the Record Power model at least (DML305, I think?) there's an optional bed extension, in case you want to turn longer work.

Time to get some oil on that timber then! In case you haven't seen my latest blog post, I strongly recommend the hard wax oil from Chestnut.

you could always put the m900 on ebay (you'd probs get more than 75 notes) and get yourself a smaller one - theres a baby perform type axminster lathe on ebay at the moment currently sitting at £41

the m900 is a great lathe but its total overkill if you are only going to turn knobs and pulls.