Lazy mans joinery....

[TrollSpiel]

Hi.

I am even more amazed how good it looks now i know how quick you finished it !!

 

what sort of strength does the biscuit and glue give ? it is a way i would prefer to do a piece like that given the choice, purely as i would look at the screw heads every time and kick myself for not having them hidden.

 

Yes my plan was to dry the oak first, i have 3 lovely butts waiting to be milled, and several more still standing, and although these 3 were standing deadwood, they have a high moisture content still, i believe they will warp all shapes for indoor use unless i dry them first.

I am really taken with what you have done, i was thinking along the lines of an oak office desk, but having seen that, i think an oak desk with storage for my files etc above. very similiar to yours, (sorry for pinching the idea).

 

Another line i was looking into was more a "rough and ready" type of furniture for my garden, bench or chairs and a table. obviously this would be after i have made the mrs a dining table !!!! should never have let her see this section of the site.

 

Regards, Rob.

 

 

Thanks again Rob...

 

The speed thing? I'm doing carpentry 80% of my working hours, so like anything you do all the time... If I was doing a reduction on a 120ft beech, I'd be mincing about on it all day yet my mate joe would do it in a third of the time.. anyway, too old for all that!

 

Biscuits..ever glued and screwed something? It's a whole lot more solid isn't it?, than just screwed. If you're joining big boards for table tops etc, you'll certainly want to biscuit or t&g them before gluing / clamping. You need to be accurate and can do it with a router; me, I've a nice biscuit jointer and can do my joints pretty quick - but 300£ is a lot to spend if you don't use it a lot.

 

Good luck with the Oak! I know there's guys here with a lot more knowledge & experience than me re: drying timber, but I've had mixed results so far with it. Ive some oak I cut 20 years ago, that's lovely. But some 3" slabs in my kiln, and they've cupped! Yet the 2" ones on the bottom of the stack are looking ok. I think it's a temperamental wood. Besides, since I started milling, I found some other really nice woods, so I'm veering away from oaky stuff at the mo.. I'm going to build a twin pedestal desk for my reading room, from a load of incredible yew I cut - and i'm going to take a month to build it ! I added a pic here of some of that yew; incredible looking stuff, wild magic grain. I made a wall hanging from a bit of it (cut about & shaped) - but useless with a camera!

 

Copying is a great form of flattery mate - take my ideas and build on them, you'll probably make something nicer!

 

Lastly - cos this post is turning into a bit of a Book! - a pic of some big slabs of chestnut (some others I have are 108 across) and these are going to get turned into big tables, I have enuff 2 & 3" slabs to make 5 tables. Get your hands on something this size for your wifes table!

[TrollSpiel]

And a few bits missing?

 

 

what do you think I am? ..'kin Ikea?

[ashman]

Thanks again Rob...

 

The speed thing? I'm doing carpentry 80% of my working hours, so like anything you do all the time... If I was doing a reduction on a 120ft beech, I'd be mincing about on it all day yet my mate joe would do it in a third of the time.. anyway, too old for all that!

 

Biscuits..ever glued and screwed something? It's a whole lot more solid isn't it?, than just screwed. If you're joining big boards for table tops etc, you'll certainly want to biscuit or t&g them before gluing / clamping. You need to be accurate and can do it with a router; me, I've a nice biscuit jointer and can do my joints pretty quick - but 300£ is a lot to spend if you don't use it a lot.

 

Good luck with the Oak! I know there's guys here with a lot more knowledge & experience than me re: drying timber, but I've had mixed results so far with it. Ive some oak I cut 20 years ago, that's lovely. But some 3" slabs in my kiln, and they've cupped! Yet the 2" ones on the bottom of the stack are looking ok. I think it's a temperamental wood. Besides, since I started milling, I found some other really nice woods, so I'm veering away from oaky stuff at the mo.. I'm going to build a twin pedestal desk for my reading room, from a load of incredible yew I cut - and i'm going to take a month to build it ! I added a pic here of some of that yew; incredible looking stuff, wild magic grain. I made a wall hanging from a bit of it (cut about & shaped) - but useless with a camera!

 

Copying is a great form of flattery mate - take my ideas and build on them, you'll probably make something nicer!

 

Lastly - cos this post is turning into a bit of a Book! - a pic of some big slabs of chestnut (some others I have are 108 across) and these are going to get turned into big tables, I have enuff 2 & 3" slabs to make 5 tables. Get your hands on something this size for your wifes table!

 

 

To be honest with you, milling and joinery are fairly new to me, i have always had an interest in timber, and making things out of it, now i am in a situation with some spare time on my hands, and i have access to some very large oak trees, it seems a shame to log them up as i have always done, so thinking of turning my hand at creating something much better than logs.

 

I agree from what i have learnt about oak, it can be temperamental to dry, my first thought from what you say about the boards cupping on the top of the stack, do you have them banded ? as the ones on the bottom are ok, they have enough wieght on them to hold shape, but the top wont.

 

I have to work with oak at present as that is all i have available, and quite a lot of it, although i see you also use chesnut, what type is it, i have a very large horse chesnut to come down soon, i always thought this was only good for firewood, i would love to think i am wrong !

 

Where in kent are you based ?

[TrollSpiel]

To be honest with you, milling and joinery are fairly new to me, i have always had an interest in timber, and making things out of it, now i am in a situation with some spare time on my hands, and i have access to some very large oak trees, it seems a shame to log them up as i have always done, so thinking of turning my hand at creating something much better than logs.

 

I agree from what i have learnt about oak, it can be temperamental to dry, my first thought from what you say about the boards cupping on the top of the stack, do you have them banded ? as the ones on the bottom are ok, they have enough wieght on them to hold shape, but the top wont.

 

I have to work with oak at present as that is all i have available, and quite a lot of it, although i see you also use chesnut, what type is it, i have a very large horse chesnut to come down soon, i always thought this was only good for firewood, i would love to think i am wrong !

 

Where in kent are you based ?

 

Mine is a big old lump of sweet chestnut Rob - I've another bit the same size of Ash to do, but cos I want thinner boards, I think I will take it to a mill.

 

I'm in Rochester.

[Len Brennan]

I like that kind of thing, very much along the lines of the sadly departed Tim Stead.

The Workshop of Tim Stead

[TrollSpiel]

Thanks for the website tip, Len

[Blaisey]

Cheers mate u insired me to get on buy a mill and larger saw as it turned out. Its only pine but its all I had available.

 

My wife is thrilled and makes us both be able to work at the same time.

 

Many thanks

 

Blaisey:thumbup1:

[TrollSpiel]

The greatest compliment ;-)

[alex_w]

Just followed the Tim Stead link. Amazing stuff. This has to be the most amazing piece of furniture I have seen in a long time.

 

http://www.timsteadfurniture.co.uk/Images/dtables/table1.jpg

[TrollSpiel]

Just followed the Tim Stead link. Amazing stuff. This has to be the most amazing piece of furniture I have seen in a long time.

 

http://www.timsteadfurniture.co.uk/Images/dtables/table1.jpg

 

oef ! that's stunning.