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Patrick Nailon
05-08-2008, 11:32 PM
Hello all. Patrick Nailon, from Tustin, California.

I've just started woodworking as of December '07, so 6 months or so.:)

So far, I've built two desktop bookshelf units (one for my boss, one for my sister) and a floor model two-shelf bookcase, a tavern mirror that looks great next to our front door, and my latest project, a walnut writing table, featuring walnut plywood, solid walnut edging, a birch/oak drawer (with walnut facing, of course), and legs of MDF blanks glued together and walnut veneered.

I hope the pictures I'm trying to upload will be visible enough. Hoping to make new friends here.

gary Zimmel
05-08-2008, 11:39 PM
Patrick

Welcome to the Creek...

Great looking first projects. Keep them comming.

Brian Kent
05-08-2008, 11:47 PM
Patrick,

Welcome, new friend! You have some wonderful furniture there - a real feel for grain movement and proportion. Well done.

I used to work in Tustin - now in Riverside, CA - and love the Rocklers and Woodcraft in your area. I assume the Reel Lumber in Anaheim is as good as the one here.

Well, I'm glad you are here. There is at least one other member in Tustin. You will find tons of information and support at the Creek.:D

Brian Kent

Patrick Nailon
05-09-2008, 12:29 AM
Patrick,



I used to work in Tustin - now in Riverside, CA - and love the Rocklers and Woodcraft in your area. I assume the Reel Lumber in Anaheim is as good as the one here.


Brian Kent

Brian,

Yea, I love Rockler! I was pleased to discover them and the great stuff they have. My daughter loves their rocking horse. She will ask to be taken there - what can I do? (My daughter, Athena, is 4 1/2).

My next project is the French Workbench from Chris Schwarz' book. Of course, I also have a hallway to redo in our new house. That's how I got into woodworking in the first place. I'll bet a lot of the members got their start the same way.;)

Ken Fitzgerald
05-09-2008, 12:38 AM
Patrick ....Welcome to the Creek! Wade right in the water's fine!

Gary Breckenridge
05-09-2008, 1:29 AM
Welcome to the creek.:cool:

Dewey Torres
05-09-2008, 2:25 AM
My next project is the French Workbench from Chris Schwarz' book.

Welcome to the Creek!
One of your first useful threads will be Pat Germain's "Dairy of a Madman's Workbench". He is building the same French workbench as you. Enjoy:

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ght=madman%27s (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=83549&highlight=madman%27s)

Dewey

Jim Becker
05-09-2008, 8:07 AM
VERY productive for a noobe! Welcome to the 'Creek, Patrick! I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work, too.

Alex Yeilding
05-09-2008, 10:04 AM
Very nice looking work, Patrick. And I don't just mean "for a newbie".

and legs of MDF blanks glued together and walnut veneered.

Can you elaborate on what this is? I think of MDF as a good substrate for veneer where it is not load-bearing. But I fear that it will be too weak for legs. If the legs of this table are of MDF, I'd suggest being VERY careful when moving it (this advice because I know someone ;) so oafish that he recently managed to break a wooden leg on a table he was moving), and make certain that when you have carpets cleaned, floors mopped, etc., that the legs stay far away from water. MDF will suck up any water in the near vicinity and swell up.

Pat Germain
05-09-2008, 2:37 PM
Welcome aboard, Patrick. As Dewey pointed out, I'm just starting the Christopher Schwarz French workbench. I hope you can follow along with my mistakes and successes. (I'm in a pause on the workbench right now while I setup a new bandsaw. I'll post some pictures of that endeavor in the General Woodworking forum.)

BTW, I grew up in Garden Grove, not far from Tustin.

Grady Cowardin
05-09-2008, 2:46 PM
Those all look pretty darn good. A lot more than I could muster after a few months of tinkering. Welcome.

Clara Koss
05-09-2008, 4:10 PM
great work... neat, professional.... nice color ...

Richard M. Wolfe
05-09-2008, 4:15 PM
Welcome to SMC, Patrick. Nice projects.

Brent Ring
05-09-2008, 4:34 PM
Thats alot of big projects in a short time window - awesome work as well. Do you have a day job? :) Welcome to the creek! This is the best group around, IMHO!

Patrick Nailon
05-09-2008, 4:34 PM
Very nice looking work, Patrick. And I don't just mean "for a newbie".


Can you elaborate on what this is? MDF will suck up any water in the near vicinity and swell up.

Thanks for the kind words.

The MDF legs were in the original design (from a book that's at home, I'll put the name online tonight when I get home), so I built it as it was written. I purchased Ultralight MDF as it was available at my local lumber dealer. I don't know if it will be less structurally strong, but who knows? The legs feel very solid and strong and hold the table up well. I'm very careful with moving it (I carried it myself from the garage into the house, negotiating doorways and halls with caution).

As for the bottom of the legs - I modified the original design. Fearing that my table legs might come out a touch off in length, I drilled into the bottoms of all the legs, and put in T-nuts, and adjustable felt feet. So now the MDF never touches any floor, and I have great adjustibility wherever I put the table. As you can see in my picture, the table is half on a rug, half on the floor - with the adjustable feet, it's dead on level.:D

Jeff Bratt
05-09-2008, 6:07 PM
First off - great projects, welcome, and keep making sawdust! Amazing work after just 6 months...


I don't know if it will be less structurally strong, but who knows?

Second - about MDF - the structural properties of wood and MDF are pretty well known. And you were following the plans you had. However, MDF - especially low density MDF - is much weaker (3-7 times) than most solid woods used for furniture and I've never seen MDF used for legs in this manner. I'm sure your table feels sturdy, MDF is relatively heavy, and it will certainly hold up for its intended uses. However, it's the unexpected stresses that can be most damaging. Someone sitting on it, or a leg being banged (hard) while moving could have damaging consequences - these things can be stressful even for a solid wood leg.

You seem to like Arts and Crafts type designs. Might I recommend some additional resources - to expand your collection of books and plans. There is full-blown revival of interest in this style, plus it especially appeals to many woodworkers, so there are many resources available.

I like many of the Tauton Press (Fine Woodworking) publications:
In the Craftsman Style
The Fundamentals of Woodworking, Volume 1 (actually 3 books)
The Essentials of Woodworking series
- which includes Practical Design Solutions and Strategies
The Furniture of Gustav Stickley
Any books about Greene and Greene

Darrell Peart's website - http://www.furnituremaker.com/

Patrick Nailon
05-09-2008, 10:35 PM
Thats alot of big projects in a short time window - awesome work as well. Do you have a day job? :) Welcome to the creek! This is the best group around, IMHO!

Yes, I have a day job. I only get to work in a few hours here and there to do my projects. On weekends and in the evening after my daughter goes to sleep. The walnut table I completed in a month during the worst part of tax season (my wife's an accountant and we're both taking accounting classes online, so you can imagine how little time I'd have to do woodworking), and now I'll be doing some house updating then start on the workbench.

J. Z. Guest
05-11-2008, 1:45 AM
Super nice Patrick! I wish my work looked that good after only 6 months!

That was a lot of work on that writing table, with all the veneering!

I built a few bookshelves similar to yours with the tusk tenons. I think it is a fine example of mechanical engineering.

Dave McGeehan
05-11-2008, 8:17 AM
Patrick, you're a newbie? You must be a fast learner. Very good veneering. Beautiful work.

Dave

John Thompson
05-11-2008, 12:00 PM
I am going to compliemnt you twice, Patrick. First that is very good work for 6 months into the hobby. Second.. that is more than some produce in 6 years in some cases.

At that pace based on the current work.. you have potential to be a very outstanding craftsman in this hobby.

Well done in both arena's....

Sarge..