Table

Here is a table that I just finished.  This is really the first thing that I have built completely of my own design.  The legs are made from ash and the top is a piece of a walnut "crotch".  A crotch is where a tree trunk splits in two directions.  I wanted to leave the top as close to it's natural shape as possible, hence the knot hole.  It also has some really nice figuring.

Most of the work on this was in the legs.  The are joined with mortise and tenons and there are no mechanical fasteners. They start out at just under 2 inches thick at the top and taper in both thickness and width over their entire length to about 1/2 inch at the bottom.  The top sits into notches in the legs and it is free floating; there is no glue, screws, or anything else connecting the legs to the top.  I constructed it this way because of the grain pattern in the top.  Wood expands across it's grain so I didn't want to have a situation where the top would expand and crack with changes in moisture. 

The top itself is not flat.  It is twisted and the end where the knot hole is slopes in the opposite direction of the rest of the top, but it is very smooth.  I had to do this for two reasons.  The first being that the piece of wood I started working with was not very thick.  If I were to flatten it completely it would have ended up being about an eighth of an inch thick.  Secondly, I wanted to make sure I had the knot in the table top and I didn't want to plane away the figuring in the wood.  

 Here it is.  My photography skills leave much to be desired.

 In different lighting:

Woodworking

So, I start woodworking as a hobby a little less than a year ago, kind of on a whim.  I had never done any woodworking before but a friend of mine had a table saw for sale.  I bought it and away I went.  Since then I've converted my garage into a fully (mostly) equipped wood shop.  I say mostly because I still need to get a lathe.   I should note that I did take "Woods 1" in high school but the only thing I remember from that is to not cut your fingers off with the radial arm saw. 

Woodworking is in my blood.  My grandfather has been a carpenter and a woodworker for his entire life. And my father is the type of guy that can make or fix ANYTHING.  And I really do mean anything.  I've learned a lot from both of these men and I know what I have been taught is just a fraction of what they know. 

Anyway I decided to start Woodworking.  I watched a few Youtube videos on things that I wanted to do, or a magazine article here and there, but for the most part I just kind of make it up as I go. Though the first couple things that I built I did from plans in magazines.  They helped guide me quite a bit and taught me some helpful things as well.  I've decided that I am going to post the things I make on here, because why the hell not.  I have to say I am kind of self-centered when it comes to wood working.  Self-centered in the way that I want to make what I want to make.  I find it to be a great creative outlet and in that sense I don't want to work inside of someone else' box, I do that for 40 hours a week. 

It's My Blog and I'll Post If I Want To.

Ok, first things first.  Blog name changes-  I changed it because limiting this to breakfast just isn't happening.  Not enough breakfast 'round these parts.  The name will probably change again once I come up with something more inspired.  The URL may change too, we'll see.  I've also decided that I am going to post whatever I feel like.  Why not, it's my blog.