Solid Wood Woodworking Resources

[Bill Evans]

I am transitioning from building and equipping my small shop to learning woodworking and designing and building small projects. I quite like the idea of building out of solid reclaimed wood if possible and I am looking for resources to point me in the right direction.

So does anyone have any good links or books they would share to nudge me along into solid wood woodworking?

Thanks, Bill

[tim weidman]

bill craigslist is great for reclaimed wood. got a couple hundred board feet of oak beams from an old papermill and had it resawn to usable 1 inch thick boards. total cost $330. also see alot of barnboard. well worth a look.

[Bill Evans]

Thanks for the info on finding reclaimed wood. I will definitely keep my eyes on craigslist.

I am also hoping to get some information on designing and building furniture with solid wood. Are there some good books or websites to help me along?

It seem there are bunches of references and plans for building using plywood but I haven't found good resources for solid wood woodworking?

I would appreciate any leads.

Thanks, Bill

[Richard M. Wolfe]

For a lot of the plans using plywood you could substitute solid wood panels if you want to build that way. Two things to keep in mind are that building using solid wood will be more expensive and plywood is less prone to movement due to the way it's made.

Craigslist is probably the best resource for reclaimed wood but you have to watch it like a hawk as really good buys are snapped up in a short time. People who make a business or at least a partial business of selling reclaimed wood will probably want more for it.

[Stephen Edwards]

You're already at the right place for design ideas for building solid wood furniture! Look in the projects forum here at SMC. Check out the design forum for suggestions and help.

There are other good forums on the net, too. This one is my favorite because it's so comprehensive and because there's such a wealth of knowledge to be found here.

I can't begin to tell you how much I've learned from other woodworkers here, much more knowledgeable than I am. What's really cool is that most are willing to share their knowledge and skills, from design to applying the finish, with others.