My first ever "project"

[Ryan W Taylor]

Edit: No idea why they are upside down!

Critiques welcome!!!

So I've been looking to get into woodworking for the last couple years but I was always scared. I finally built up enough equipment that I knew I needed to start on something and I decided that I wanted to build some speaker stands. I ended up drawing these out last week on a notepad and after probably about 40 hours this is the finished product. I'm not sure what I'm going to do for finishing after I put the second coat of stain on. If you guys have any suggestions please by all means send them my way! I made some mistakes and my joints are a bit on the rough side but for a first project I think they came out all right.

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[lowell holmes]

I would go to Lowes or Home Depot and by a small can of varnish and a small can of shellac. I would play with them on scrap wood until I know what I want.

[Ron Citerone]

Looking good, you seem to be off to a great start in a great hobby!

[Andrew More]

Really nicely done. A couple of minor suggestions to up your game.

First, I'm noticing a few lines going across your pieces. There's one on a leg, and another on a top. Guessing it might be snipe. If you buy the tables, and set them up correctly for your 735 that should go away. If you to be cheap, you can make a longer table out of melamine and run that through the planer bed. Cost you 3/4" of capacity, but again, no snipe. The other options are to sand it down, or run the pieces long and cut them off.

Second, I think you might be better off with a slight amount of tapering on your legs, but that's purely a taste thing. If you like it, that's all that matters.

[Ryan W Taylor]

Thanks for the info! The snipe did come from the 735 and ironically the tables were on there when I purchased it...it was the floor model. I will have to take a straight edge out there tomorrow and align them with the deck of the unit.

As for the taper...I thought about that. I have to make a taper jig for that though, and right now I am working off of a Hitachi jobsite saw so that could be interesting? I will need to find some good plans for a tapering jig first though.


Really nicely done. A couple of minor suggestions to up your game.

First, I'm noticing a few lines going across your pieces. There's one on a leg, and another on a top. Guessing it might be snipe. If you buy the tables, and set them up correctly for your 735 that should go away. If you to be cheap, you can make a longer table out of melamine and run that through the planer bed. Cost you 3/4" of capacity, but again, no snipe. The other options are to sand it down, or run the pieces long and cut them off.

Second, I think you might be better off with a slight amount of tapering on your legs, but that's purely a taste thing. If you like it, that's all that matters.

[Andrew More]

Thanks for the info! The snipe did come from the 735 and ironically the tables were on there when I purchased it...it was the floor model. I will have to take a straight edge out there tomorrow and align them with the deck of the unit.
Okay, didn't see them in the picture. Also you might want to raise them just slightly from the main bed, like a couple thou.


As for the taper...I thought about that. I have to make a taper jig for that though, and right now I am working off of a Hitachi jobsite saw so that could be interesting? I will need to find some good plans for a tapering jig first though.
Should be doable in about 15 minutes. Either you get a piece of plywood, with two hold downs (https://www.woodmagazine.com/workshop/jigs/2-jigs-for-fast-accurate-tapers), or you get two boards with a hinge at one end, and something to hold it open at the other (https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/tablesaw/true-cut-taper-jig). Finally you can do tapered legs on a jointer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZTXvsrzbSQ), though it's a bit of a party trick, rather than a serious approach.

[Jim Matthews]

Nicely done.

A sheet of drawer liner will keep the speakers from moving around.

I would use a wipe on polyurethane and allow it to cure outside for a few days.

Pics when they're in action, please!

Kudos

[Frederick Skelly]

Nice job Ryan!

[Lee Schierer]

Nice work. As far as finishing goes, my suggestion would be for future projects. As you probably have already discovered, applying finish inside a tight space like the interior portions of your stands is a royal pain. Next time, assemble all your parts to confirm proper fit and function, then disassemble and apply painters tape over joint areas then apply your finish (stain and finish) to the interior portions before assembly. Finishing the out side can be done after final assembly.

[Todd Mason-Darnell]

Nice work. As far as finishing goes, my suggestion would be for future projects. As you probably have already discovered, applying finish inside a tight space like the interior portions of your stands is a royal pain. Next time, assemble all your parts to confirm proper fit and function, then disassemble and apply painters tape over joint areas then apply your finish (stain and finish) to the interior portions before assembly. Finishing the out side can be done after final assembly.


What he said--took me several projects to figure this out...

Also, on the finish, I would look at a wiping varnish--like General Finishes Arm R Seal. They are very forgiving to apply (stick to Satin) and are very durable.

[Ryan W Taylor]

I have already ordered some hardware and will be making this probably tomorrow! Thank you!

Okay, didn't see them in the picture. Also you might want to raise them just slightly from the main bed, like a couple thou.


Should be doable in about 15 minutes. Either you get a piece of plywood, with two hold downs (https://www.woodmagazine.com/workshop/jigs/2-jigs-for-fast-accurate-tapers), or you get two boards with a hinge at one end, and something to hold it open at the other (https://www.woodmagazine.com/woodworking-plans/tablesaw/true-cut-taper-jig). Finally you can do tapered legs on a jointer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZTXvsrzbSQ), though it's a bit of a party trick, rather than a serious approach.

Thank you and will do!

Nicely done.

A sheet of drawer liner will keep the speakers from moving around.

I would use a wipe on polyurethane and allow it to cure outside for a few days.

Pics when they're in action, please!

Kudos

Thank you!

Nice job Ryan!

Great suggestions and I was thinking about how it was such a pain as I was applying it. Lessons learned for the 2nd project...which the wife has already mentioned should be a coffee table.
Nice work. As far as finishing goes, my suggestion would be for future projects. As you probably have already discovered, applying finish inside a tight space like the interior portions of your stands is a royal pain. Next time, assemble all your parts to confirm proper fit and function, then disassemble and apply painters tape over joint areas then apply your finish (stain and finish) to the interior portions before assembly. Finishing the out side can be done after final assembly.

I need to look at that and see how it works. I am going to be honest.....staining/finishing is by far my weak point. I really know jack and crap about it. I need to go to finishing school if you will for finishes.

What he said--took me several projects to figure this out...

Also, on the finish, I would look at a wiping varnish--like General Finishes Arm R Seal. They are very forgiving to apply (stick to Satin) and are very durable.

[Charlie Jones]

Those look really good. I built my first cabinet in the garage with very few tools and finished it in a spare bedroom. Every time I go to our bathroom I look at it. The warped solid wood door, poor sanding and the lumber from Lowe’s. My wife loves it. If you care about the craft you will get better, but plan on having those stands around for awhile. I always figure the worst piece I ever build will be the one that survives for generations!

[Phil Mueller]

Nicely done, Ryan. There’s no bigger complement than when the misses asks for more! You did good.

[Wes Grass]

Those look like the most impractical saw horses* I've ever seen. And all that time wasted on finishing them.

;-)

* My first project.

Nice work.

[Thomas Wilson]

Nice job. They look like Greene and Greene Craftsman style. It is a good look and very much in style.

[Scott Winners]

Pretty ambitious first project. Came out good I think. My first project was a wooden spoon, I ended up burning it in the wood stove.

Looks like you have alternating grain on your glued up top panels, good. I put off glue ups while I was learning more basic stuff and still haven't made a dado here.

Looks to me like you are off annd running. Taper legs, yup, more advanced, prefinishing, yup, more advanced. Practice/ trial finish styls on scraps, yup, you are leaving the beginner level in your dust. Carry on!