Fun with Scraps of Walnut

[Chris Griggs]

I spent the day at home today,while my plumber cracked open the sidewalk in front of my house and replaced my water supply line. Decided to have a bit of fun in the shop since I was home anyway.

I had a weird little (about 16" long) off cut of walnut sitting near my bench with a "live edge" so I decided to make a little wall shelf with it and some a couple other scraps. I'm not really that in to the whole slab, live edge, Nakashema kinda thing, but this actually turned out kinda cool.

Plus it was a good chance to work on my sliding dovetail skills. Here are some pics form this afternoons build and and the little shelf after a coat of BLO. Nothing fancy, just 3 pieces of wood joined with stopped sliding dovetails.

I'm not sure why I made it or what I'l do with it, but I had fun, and think its kinda a cool little thing. As always, questions, criticism, and personal insults are welcome.

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[Chris Griggs]

And a pic on what this thing might look like on a wall (imagine it without my hand)

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[Lonnie Gallaher]

CG,

Great little shelf. How is a shelf like that attached to the wall?

LLG

[Chris Griggs]

CG,

Great little shelf. How is a shelf like that attached to the wall?

LLG

Thanks! Haven't figured that part out yet. Guess I will probably drill some holes or cut some grooves in the back of the vertical supports and inset some little hanging hoops over them so when the hoops/hooks catch on a nail or screw in the wall, the nail/screws will be hidden in the recess.

[Steve Voigt]

Looks good Chris, and it's cool to get a window into your workshop. I didn't know you were a Nicholsonian. I really dig the vertical grain on the apron of your bench.

[Winton Applegate]

I'm not sure why I made it or what I'l do with it, but I had fun, and think its kinda a cool little thing.

Chris,

What you made reminds me of my meditation bench. No I didn't make it. Bought it at a local shop long before I could make any thing even passable out of wood. It has square drive screws though. So it's real, right ?

So
you can always take up SITTING (as opposed to just sitting) and . . .
DOING nothing, consciously and with your full and undivided attention, and BEING happy for NO REASON. Many people feel that is too much work though so take it slow and for short duration to start with so as not to strain your self.

questions

How can I become independently wealthy with no effort on my part ?

criticism

Nice figure in the walnut.
That is a funny looking work bench. It will be better when you finish getting the dog holes mortised out square

personal insults are welcome.

Personally I think I am too short, unappealing to look at and have a personality that only a wolverine mama could love (but not for long).
Well that was more of a criticism wasn't it ?
Hold on I'll think of something.

PS: Thank you for showing us what real woodworking looks like. Just when I was beginning to think this is a forum for sharpening obsessed plane fettlers.

[bridger berdel]

looks a little waney....

[Jack Curtis]

Hey, Chris, pretty neat shelf. Where did you get that tiny spokeshave (looks like LV)?

Oh well, never mind, found it on the LV site. Thanks for including the photo.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks guys.

Winton, you crack me up. Might be a little small for a bench , though actually I was kinda finding myself wishing I had brought the curves on the vertical in less so that it could be more stable free standing...might have made a nice little desk top shelf or something.

Steve, come to think of it those are my first pics into my new shop (just moved a few weeks ago). You'll notice the tan epoxy floor and white drylock walls...I did all that before I moved in. Lot of work, but totally worth it...its so much cleaner and brighter than bare concrete...no more nasty concrete dust everywhere too. Yep, that's my Nicholson. I like it a lot. If I had had the space at the time I made it I would have made it longer, and I might rethink the QR vise in the end vise position, but its served me very well. I'm planning a new bench this year, as much as I like the Nicholson, the new one will be a totally different design.

Jack, yep you found it. Its the LV mini spokeshave. I am loving this thing...would have never guessed how handy it would be. It takes an amazingly smooth/steady cut despite it diminutive size. The only "hiccup" is you need to make sure you don't get the blade too oily, don't take too heavy a cut, and make sure you really tighten down the cap well, or the blade can move a bit. Its not really a major problem, but it can happen if you don't pay attention to those things. Seriously though, I absolutely love it...would have never guessed how handy it would be.

[Mike Holbrook]

Chris I always thought you were a scrappy guy, I just never realized in how many dimensions this trait manifested itself. We have a good number of Black Walnut trees on our property and plans to thin out the timber. All I have to do is talk the wife into letting me rent an excavator again, for some reason she thinks we might end up with a lake. One day I intend to make some boards, love that wood.

[Judson Green]

Nice shelf. Just love those smaller projects.

[Chris Griggs]

Thanks Mike and Judson,

Mike, are you going to get that stuff kiln dried or just wait 10 or so years to use it air dried?

Judson, yeah I love small projects. Lots of immediate gratification....I get so little time in the shop sometimes I start to loose interest in "real" furniture projects well before they are finished. I guess that's why it might be good to have a few going at a time...than I could work on whatever is of interest at the moment. Still, quick little thing like this are very satifying.

[greg Forster]

you gotta winner here; I just love this piece- the proportions, wood selection (maybe fill the holes with black epoxy?),
the size(larger would not be as eye-catching)
this says Art Boutique all over it

Chris, I am impressed

[Chris Griggs]

you gotta winner here; I just love this piece- the proportions, wood selection (maybe fill the holes with black epoxy?),
the size(larger would not be as eye-catching)
this says Art Boutique all over it

Chris, I am impressed

Thanks Greg. I agree about the holes being filled. I was just thinking the same thing about it this morning. I'm not sure what I'd fill them with though, I worry black epoxy could look kinda plasticy and out of place...if I fill them want something dark like black epoxy but I want to make sure its kinda dull so it doesn't stand out from the oiled wood surface.

I was also thinking of making a couple bigger ones but not too much larger becasue I think this live edge stuff has more charm when its done to a small scale. I have a few of these live edge off cuts, that aren't really thick enough to make anything substantial out of them, but they'd almost all make for good wall shelves. And they are pretty quick and easy to make, while still being a good chance to do some somewhat fun/challenging joinery.

[Judson Green]

I've mixed up hide glue and swarf (from a rasp or big toothed file) of the same species and had pretty good results. Takes oil well.