I am posting this as a way to inspire other beginners like me, I see too many posts about how many tools, how big a workbench? Which vises and all our (and I include myself) obsession with having the perfect bench and tool sets.
I had an average walnut board, and (IMO) what turned out to be a gorgeous cherry board.
Few grooves and dados
test fits
draw a curve and cut it
start refining with spokeshave
wrestle the damn thing together, glue+clamp, rub some linseed oil+turpentine mix, and you get this.
I will confess I do have more tools than I need, but at the time I don't even have a workbench, this was all done on an old (see pictures) Workmate which sits outside, the rest was done on a bench hook sometimes on that Workmate, sometimes on the kitchen island!!!
It is far (far) from perfect, in fact it is worse than some work I have done earlier, but the cherry boards save the day (IMO). I really like to combine cherry that has those dark stains with walnut.
Having mentioned the sophisticated "workbenches" used, here are the tools used:
Old Stanley #5-1/2
Lie Nielsen #60-1/2
Spokeshave
Coping saw
two (two!!!) chisels
Record #50 (okay I admit this is not on everyone's toolbox, but I have done grooves like that with chisels alone).
joinery saw (a crappy crown gents saw I think is all I used - owning a LN set of saws)
Stanley #3 smoother
All I needed were those few tools and a reason to start. If you just start, the worse thing that can happen is you'll get the most precisely cut firewood and a whole lot of knowledge. I am guilty of waiting for the perfect tool or workbench, or even the perfect project, but just going at it is always better and inspiring.
This was done in a very short time (spread over some more considerable time). Pick an easy project like this and just go at it.
peace
Pedro