Your Favorite Small Scale Neanderthal Projects/suggestions?

[Clayton Lambert]

I've recently wrapped up several jobs/projects, and am interested in exploring some new and challenging things to build in my spare time. My favorite styles of furniture tend to be the more primitive/rural ones, but I also appreciate a lot of pre/eary industrial styles.

When I say small scale, I mainly mean things that dont require a lot of materials ( I mostly work with reclaimed wood, so building a highboy or a giant trestle table are things that don't really happen).

Any suggestions?

[David Dalzell]

I like to build jewelery boxes when I am between larger projects. It is fun to experiment with different joinery techniques and harmonizing different types of wood. They also make well appreciated gifts.

[Jim Koepke]

Clayton,

I am a little embarrassed for not welcoming you to the Creek earlier. So welcome to the Creek. What part of the world do you call home?


When I say small scale, I mainly mean things that dont require a lot of materials ( I mostly work with reclaimed wood, so building a highboy or a giant trestle table are things that don't really happen).

Have you ever watched Steve Ramsey at woodworkingformeremortals.com/ ? He has recently posted a few projects made from pallet wood.

I have made small tables, stools, saw horses and chairs out of reclaimed lumber. What can be reclaimed and how much determines what kinds of projects.

Do you currently need furniture of any kind?

I have an adirondack style love seat in our living room currently. Recently finished a bedside table for the wife made of scraps and reclaimed lumber.

jtk

[Brian W Smith]

Got an interesting build coming in a day or so..........file under,general "tooling" up.

The back story is ongoing.What to do with drops/scraps.Have semi-production items going through shop right now(hall tables amongst other things),the challenge was to come up with something to utilize some resaw "drops".

The neanderthal part....is a serpentine clamping,"caul".Just going to make one.Rough dimensions will be 16" long x about 2 1/2" high.This is a 2-side form.The resaw drops are going to be glued/clamped in,taking about as much time as writing about it.So,I can keep working on the production stuff.Hope to get two glue-ups done a day.Once we have a cpl dz or so,they'll be the sides for 18th cent candle bxs.

So,in response to your post......sometimes it's not the original "build".But how well your time gets utilized.The challenge was/is not the item.....it's creating something from nothing(drops),and "making" time which heretofore,didn't exist.

[James Conrad]

You could make some shop tools like bench hooks or dogs. Here a couple of projects with Roy:

http://video.unctv.org/video/2263884494 (http://video.unctv.org/video/2263884494)

http://video.unctv.org/video/1425807116/

And, Welcome!

[David Weaver]

Moulding planes. Straight up. You can make them entirely with hand tools, including the irons. If you're making primitive furniture, mouldings are always nice to have.

[Chris Griggs]

I had a lot of fun building this shaker lap desk (http://mysqlweb.myftp.org/Woodworking/Plans/shakerlapdesk.pdf). Its surprisingly useful too (albeit mostly as a portable junk drawer)

[Zach Dillinger]

My spice chest is probably my favorite small-scale thing I've made.

280523

[Jim Foster]

Roubo Bookstand seems like a fun, interesting project. Only requires one relatively small piece of wood.

http://video.pbs.org/video/2172468729/

[Mike Allen1010]

My spice chest is probably my favorite small-scale thing I've made.

+1 for spice chest- not much material required and chance to do joinery, mouldings and whatever decorative inlay, etc. you're interested in. Hopefully I added a link here to some pics.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?206692-Pennsylvania-Spice-Box-Finished-Hiding-The-Mistakes-Pictures&p=2143995&highlight=#post2143995

Mike

[Christian Thompson]

I built a tea caddy earlier this year that was a fun project. Similar to a spice chest there are examples with mouldings, veneer, inlay, etc...

280525

[Frederick Skelly]

How about some shop furniture, like a small saw till? I did mine in poplar with a shellac finish. It was quick, enjoyable and usefull.
Fred

[Clayton Lambert]

Thanks for all your suggestions-- and the welcomes to the forum-- A little about me-- Im 27 and Live in Louisville Ky. I learned a lot of what I know about woodworking from working for a couple years in a shop here in town building and installing kitchen cabinets. That kind of work is obviously power tool driven, but we did use planes and chisels ;)

As I said before, my tastes lean to the 18th century and early 19th century, so I quickly found myself wanting to reproduce the joinery proportions, tactile feel and imperfections of the antiques I saw, which in my opinion are things that give hand tool made objects a recognizable human touch that sets them apart from things made with jointers, planers and router bits, and then covered in an half an inch of lacquer... but I digress

You all have given me a lot of interesting things to look into. I've been eyeing that particular shaker lap desk plan or perhaps a tea caddy for a while.

Zach-- very cool spice chest ( I also enthusiastically followed your recent hanging cabinet reproduction which turned out wonderfully )

I think perhaps now that I've finished resharpening my planes and saws after the last build, Ill finally take some time to learn how to use sketchup. After that-- Ill keep yall updated :)

[Derek Cohen]

I've recently wrapped up several jobs/projects, and am interested in exploring some new and challenging things to build in my spare time. My favorite styles of furniture tend to be the more primitive/rural ones, but I also appreciate a lot of pre/eary industrial styles.

When I say small scale, I mainly mean things that dont require a lot of materials ( I mostly work with reclaimed wood, so building a highboy or a giant trestle table are things that don't really happen).

Any suggestions?


My spice chest is probably my favorite small-scale thing I've made.

280523

Zac, that's the only thing you have ever built, so of course it is going to be your favourite! :D

Beautiful. And I liked the write up in PW.


Hi Clayton

The last piece I did, or the current one I am building, is always the favourite. :)

I cannot say that everything I do is purely "Neanderthal". I will use a bandsaw to aid in thicknessing, and often other power tools where they are better. All finishing and joint-making is handtool work, however. Dimensioning as well for the most part.

I also work with reclaimed timber. Some of it is from trees that were urban salvage. Other wood comes from demolitions. My current project is a chair, and this has been all hand work (I will include a lathe here). This project has required large sections of wood, generally 5"x5", so that is not what you are looking at.

A smaller piece made by hand and with offcuts was this lap desk in She-oak and Jarrah - all dimensioning, joining and finishing:

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Lapdesk_html_mf1294d9.jpg

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Lapdesk_html_75b59759.jpg

Details here: http://www.inthewoodshop.com/Furniture/Lapdesk.html

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Zach Dillinger]

Of course its the only thing I've made Derek. I am new to this "making furniture" thing... ha!

Thanks for the kind words. It is obviously my most well known piece.

OP here is another option... white pine dresser that I grain-painted.

[lowell holmes]

Shaker Candle Boxes make good tune up projects.

I have found the Ladies like them. I made about 8 a few years back that my wife gave to a women's social group and they still brag about them.

IIRC, they were made of cherry.

[David Kuzdrall]

Build a hand tool such as a backsaw. There are enough resources for how-to and where to buy parts on this site such that your research time can be kept short.