As A Form of "Therapy", Woodworking Works!
Within the past two or three years, I have developed a keen interest in working with wood. Whether I am making furniture, home decor, refinishing old stuff or something else, woodworking has become a rather therapeutic activity for me. I never really worked with my hands growing up, other than with a baseball or basketball, so building stuff with wood is filling that gap for me now as an adult.
I have always appreciated the art form, especially when it comes to furniture. It is absolutely amazing to see what people are able to create from former trees. Just do a simple image search of 'amazing wood furniture' and you will see what I mean. While my own creations are nothing to write home about, I am always proud of the completed product and usually find some use for them in the house. Eventually, I might even make a bit of extra income from the pieces I create - if I can bring myself to part with them.
Here are a couple examples of furniture I have made recently, with descriptions:
1. Coat Rack
This coat rack really came from inside my head. I had not seen something like this myself, though I am sure it's not completely unique in its construction. I began with two pine 1x3 board and a red oak 1x3 board. I glued them together, somewhat similarly to an inlay, clamped them together for a substantial amount of time, then added bolts through the structure as well for added strength (probably not needed, but liked the look of it). Once this was done, I tested out my first use of Danish Oil to finish the wood. It was unbelievable to see how much the Danish Oil brought out the grain and color of the wood, and how they differed. This was the look I was hoping for, too, which is always nice!
To finish, I built the base with another red oak board in the pattern below to make sure it was stable, and also so it would appear contemporary. After this was assembled, I reapplied more Danish Oil (4 or 5 coats in total). I found the hooks for the coat rack at Hobby Lobby, and I thought they worked well. This project cost me about $80-90 and took maybe 8 to 12 hours total.
2. Lamp Table
I really like how this side table turned out. This was inspired by a coffee table my wife, Megan, and I made a couple years ago. This smaller table is a better made version, built to match the look of that coffee table. I started with a piece of MDF board I had lying around by cutting it into a nice size for a table next to our couch. Then I actually glued and clamped cedar closet-lining planks across the width. Once they were dry, I sawed off the overhanging edges to make them flush. I attached a border of thin trim pine pieces around the outer edge.
I used hardware to attach the legs so they could be adjusted to level the table. Once they were level, I attached another board around the outside to make the table look a little better. For some reason, just the legs connected didn't look as aesthetically pleasing. I attached leveling feet as well, to protect the floor. Finally, I sanded the table with 80, then 220 so that it was super smooth. To finish it, I applied four coats of polyurethane. I think this cost me $50-60 total. This thing is silky smooth and looks really good, in my assessment. It's even Lambo approved!
For me, woodworking is a form of usable art that I create based on a need we have for our home. If we have a factory made piece in the house, it is very likely that I will eventually want to replace it with something I make. There is nothing inherently wrong with factory furniture, but the cost savings alone are well worth putting in the effort myself. I hope you enjoyed this post, and I look forward to posting more projects in the near future! -EB
