February 2021

Slab Sink Surprise, By Mark Dow

Materials: Walnut

This sink was designed and made because live edge slabs (and any slabs) deserve to be something more than river tables and countertops.  The sink, and the counter below it, started as the same slab of walnut to give some continuity to the entire installation. Fabrication of the sink was accomplished with a router for slab flattening, a track saw, a table saw, and a custom table saw sled, making this build very approachable for most woodworkers/makers. The fabrication is straightforward with the majority of the build time being taken by the finishing process, which is multiple coats of epoxy with the final coat sanded to 2000 grit.

You can find Mark Dow on Instagram: @MakerMarkDesigns

January 2021

The aMAZING Table, By Roman Dziennik

Materials: Walnut and Hickory

The aMAZING table was designed to be an interactive piece of furniture that combined an arcade feel with a modern aesthetic. The understructure consists of a half lap joint making the Xframe and then a mortise and tenon is used to attach the legs. Using an Arduino and two stepper motors the maze can achieve XY motion, moving a marble around the labyrinth.

I made the table during my Junior year when I took a rogue furniture design class, while studying Electrical Engineering Technology. Getting to use the school’s machinery and CNC let me turn some locally sourced Walnut and Hickory into the table.

This is my first major piece of furniture so it was not all biscuits and gravy, the Xframe is a bit wobbly and some braces could have made it stronger. The table is also flat-packable which does not help the sturdiness situation but does mean I can move it very easily. Overall, I would say it is a success as my first piece of furniture and I hope to keep making interesting intersections between wood and electronics.

Follow RWD Design on Instagram: @RWD.Design

December 2020

Skate Bench III, By Zoe Van Brunt

Materials: Ash

This is the third iteration of a series of benches I’ve come to think of as the “Skate Series.” The name comes from the pill shape and the exposed end grain from the four legs making it look like a skateboard and its wheels if viewed from above.

I made the first version in my second woodworking class more than three years ago. Ever since I’ve wanted to make improvements. The one I’m most proud of is the continuous edge profile that moves from the legs to the underside of the bench which needs to be made in three steps: legs and bench bottom before the glue-up, and the transition between the legs and the bench after.

The maloof joints were also a necessary improvement to make the leg joint strong. That took some experimentation since the steep angle of the legs prevents the dado from being cut on the table saw. The router does the lion’s share of the work on this piece.

One thing I noticed in writing this that there are a lot of threes here: the number of iterations and the number of steps to create the edge profile to name two. The rule of three says that three is the most satisfying number. Of the things that I have made so far, this is the most satisfying for me, except for those three things I can do to improve it further…

Follow ZVB Woodworks: Instagram @zvbwoodworks

November 2020

A New Passion, BY Christopher Stepanian

Materials:

This piece was created as a project for an object design class. The inspiration came from the architecture at the Portland Japanese Gardens here in Oregon. I wanted to incorporate the fences at the gardens, so the linear structure is the main focus of the chair.

This was my first piece of furniture and I learned so much from it! I don’t have a place for my design work yet but my Instagram is @chrisrstep and that's where I would put updates when they come!

October 2020

Skyline lounge, by tony tang

Materials: Baltic Birch Plywood, Maple, & Red Oak

The Skyline Lounge started with the idea of creating the illusion of a floating chair on a cloud. But after making the cloud, I quickly realized it wasn’t a great idea. So, the next idea is naturally a skyline base. I made the maple bent lamination first, and the skyline is not based on any actual city skyline. Instead, I just drew a skyline that fits under the “s shaped” seat.

I learned a lot while making this project: how to do bent lamination, cut accurate compound miter angles, and never design a project with 55 same things. (Sanding the 55 baltic birch plywood seating stripes took forever!) Also, this project is the first time I made something just because I had the idea. After finishing it, I have no place to put it in my house, so it sits at my friend’s home for now until I find a buyer.

Follow & Watch: YouTube TT Build

SEPTEMBER 2020

TABLE-S, BY RICO VAN ESSER

Materials: Ash

Inspired by a tree trunk, Rico, an interior design student from Mechelen Belgium, created his tree structure table using Ash. The table consists of one central leg, which is made up of nine smaller legs. Each leg has a unique shape that together represents an abstract imitation of a tree. The table is also constructed in such a way that can be completely disassembled when necessary.

August 2020

SPRINKLE CHAIR, BY EMILY BELLE HUNT

Materials: Sprinkles, Resin, & Ash Wood

“I created this chair in a furniture design class while I was in architecture school. The goal of this project was to explore the fabrication and capabilities of resin as a piece of furniture, specifically as a chair. The chair is made of two types of sprinkles and resin, and the legs are made of an Ash wood. The chair was cast from a blue foam insulation board mold that I CNC routed. The semicircular, continuous tub chair design paired exceptionally well with the use of resin, as it allowed for an extremely strong and solid piece of furniture. The sprinkles were a fun way to displace the amount of resin that would have been needed to create the chair. And the bottom of the legs were painted pink to finish the chair off and tie everything together.”

Follow: Instagram @archi_em Website emilybellehunt.com

June 2020

PLEKS CARGO RACK, BY INEZ MEEUS

Materials: Plywood

“I made this plywood cargo rack to put at the front of a bike during my internship at Achilles Design in Belgium.

Because it’s made of plywood, people can change it as much as they want. I love making things that can be used as a blank slate so that people can turn it into something that represents them.

It’s also really easy to assemble. Just take some wood glue and clamps and you’re ready to go. During the design process I really enjoyed playing with the contrast between the layers of the plywood and the veneer to give it something extra. It was also my first time working with a CNC machine so I learned a lot and had a lot of fun trying out different things.” 

MAY 2020

LOCKDOWN CORNER TABLE, BY ERIK SKOGEN, Ph.D.

Materials: Scrap Wood, aka Ipe Flooring and Douglas Fir Beams

“I've been making things out of wood since I was about 14 years old. Just scrap wood projects using a crappy miter saw and whatever bolts and screws were laying around.  Fast forward about 31 years and I’m still making scrap wood projects but my technique and designs have improved (so have my tools – key point), I think I’m ready to make the plunge into more expensive projects…

…’Lockdown corner table’ is a scrap wood project to solve a problem with sectional sofas.  It’s made of extra Ipe flooring and Douglass Fir beams that were cut and milled (using my newly built tapering jig). It is the perfect addition to our family room.”

April 2020

Pennel With Porch, By Jamie Christensen

“When our dog’s old Kennel was looking a bit tired, it was time to replace it with something a bit different. So I built this! I made it using 18mm Birch Plywood and only used a track saw for all of the cuts. It's an outdoor Kennel and so far has survived the English winter weather!”

Follow: Instagram @thirdrulestudios

March 2020

King Bed “Blushing Betty”, by Nate Crilly Woodworks 

Materials: Soft Maple/Hairpin Legs

“We wanted a low profile modern bed that would make a statement in our space. We gravitate towards a mid-century feel in our home, but like a modern twist, and are not afraid to experiment with color. I envisioned a design that would have a retro feel, but was something fresh and new, and a little outside of the box. I added a graphic detail to the headboard by routing shallow grooves in a random triangular pattern, which I think gives it a playful feel. It works very well with the nightstands I finished earlier this year. Most importantly, my wife loves it, and there is nothing better than a happy client, especially when you have to share a pink bed with them every night!”

Follow: Instagram Nate Crilly Woodworks (@natecrilly)

February 2020

Volkswagen Bus Model, by Jolien Brebels

“I made these Volkswagen buses for my mom and me because we are big fans of the bus! So I tried to make them out of wood and this is the result! I also like to work with old skateboards, so I decided to make the surfboards out of it. I'm actually pretty proud about the end result.”

Jolien is 26 years old and lives in Belgium. Not only does she enjoy making wooden toys for her friends and family but also makes simple wooden toys for charity. You can follow her YouTube series, Wooden Creations, and, Creatiedroom, by following the link below.

Follow: YouTube www.youtube.com/c/JolienBrebels