Some Woodworking Updates

In the past couple of years I've made a few wood projects I'd like to share here.

A box for Dana

 Our friend Dana passed away in 2021. His daughter, recalling the cherry tree in their yard when she was young, asked me to built a cherry container for some of her father's cremains. The box was constructed using mostly hand tools.

I wanted to try bending wood. After seeing some tool totes online I decided to make one using an oak dowel for the bent handle. I soaked the dowel in water plus fabric softener for a week, then in hot water for about an hour. I placed it into a rough jig and clamped it overnight. The rest of the tote is made from old shelving (the bottom and ends) and leftover tongue-and-groove paneling (the sides). No nails, screws or glue were used.

Tool Tote

I also wanted to try working with greenwood (i.e. freshly cut, not seasoned). A neighbor's maple tree lost a large limb in a storm, so I used two pieces of it to make a stool. The ends of one piece were sealed with shellac to keep it from drying, and set aside. The other piece was split with froe and maul for the legs, which were shaped using drawknife and spokeshave. When the legs were ready, the other piece was split and barked to make the seat, then drilled for the legs to be inserted. Because the legs were drier than the seat, they swelled as they absorbed moisture from the seat. And the seat shrank as it dried. That's how greenwood furniture joints become tight without use of fasteners or glue. After nearly a year the legs are as tight as ever.

Maple greenwood stool