My very first woodworking project was creating a simple shoe bench that functioned as shoe storage on the bottom and a seating area on top. L-brackets were used below each board and all screws were joint-compounded to create a smooth image. The bench was sanded and finished with a dark wooden paint sealer.
The main take away from this project was the ability to create a smooth finish with techniques, such as joint compounding. If I were to complete this project again I would Kreg Screw the legs of the bench and remove the L-brackets.
Bench
Bandsaw Box
In the Spring of 2018 I created a bandsaw box. Taking two pieces of wood, I did a glue up process, and cut the piece of wood on the bandsaw. Due to the shape of the box, I struggled with gluing the base of the box back into place. Next, I sanded the box and placed two coats of semi-glass sealant on the box.
The main take away from this project was becoming more comfortable with the bandsaw machine. Through this experience I learned how to change the blade of the bandsaw and practiced a glue up.
Joint-Connection Box
I created a box using numerous joint connection techniques: finger, rabbet, dowel, and bevel. The bevel joint was cut on a table saw at a 45 degree angle. The finger joint and rabbet were cut using a dado blade on the table saw. I decided not to use a jig and made multiple passes at the table saw until the joints connected. The dowel joint was cut using a drill press.
The main take away from this project was exploring numerous joint-connection techniques. I also became comfortable with changing the blade of the table saw with a dado blade.
CNC Chair
I created a chair out of 3/4" plywood with a CNC router. Taking a .dwg file, I programed the VCarve and set up the ShopBot program before carving the parts. After running the software, I discovered the drill bit did not fully cut through my plywood. Taking a box cutter, I scrapped out all my pieces and removed the tabs that were implemented in my VCarve file. Next, I sanded the edges of each piece and glued all connections together.
The main take away from this project was becoming more comfortable programming the CNC router.
