Thread: Oh my gosh, it actually stands up!

I really enjoy working with my hands and building things but as my wife reminds me, straight lines aren't my friend. However, I managed too build a toy bin for the kids this winter and it came out pretty well, not counting a couple things that were fixed with putty and sandpaper.
This time I decided to better myself. I wanted to build a console table. So here it is. I still need to affix the shelves properly and stain it, but other than that, it's done. I used 3/4" red oak plywood. Everything us (or will be) affixed with pocket holes via the ever handy Kreg jig and some wood glue.
The shelves are 8" tall to hold DVDs. The top shelf is smaller, 4.5" or some such. I don't remember. The shelves are 37" long and 7" deep. The table top is 10 deep and 42.5" wide. It used just over half of a 4x8 sheet of plywood. If I had shrunk it a couple inches in height and width I probably could have gotten two out of it. Maybe if I had planned it all out other than in my head...

Looks great,back in the day I built all my kids furniture,from rocking horses to cradels to beds.now there kids are using the stuff.

Once upon a time I was a professional cabinet maker and if there is anything I learned: there is no such thing as a straight line, measure as much as you like nothing will fit perfect and a $50 chisel is a much more accurate tool than a $50,000 CNC router.

(Boy,there's one way to anger a machinist)

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Once upon a time I was a professional cabinet maker and if there is anything I learned: there is no such thing as a straight line, measure as much as you like nothing will fit perfect and a $50 chisel is a much more accurate tool than a $50,000 CNC router.

(Boy,there's one way to anger a machinist)

The only thing I've come close to getting straight on a big scale is a deck (thank you laser level and sighting junk I borrowed from my dad. Not to mention the square I made out of some 1x3... 8' x4'. It was a bear to use but the deck didn't fall apart.

This is my first "real" venture in to something decent looking. I really want to learn how to make proper dovetails and make some nice wooden boxes. I'm trying to decide if I want to go cheap and learn with the Japanese saws and have lots of frustration, or spend more money than SWMBO would like and buy a dovetail jig for my router, which would be pricey but fun to play with.

Are many great books on wood joinery,and many ways to join wood.
Hand cut dovetails are a beautiful thing to see.