In a furniture making course, freedom was given to make an original piece.
I chose to create a bar cart inspired shelving unit for a one-bedroom apartment.
Inspiration
Design
The intended design is to be
a simple shape with a focus
on the quality of construction
and contrast of materials.
Early Shaping
I decided to use black walnut for the shelves
because of walnut's natural appearance.
The dark grain and light sap tone on the ends
of each piece gives a beautiful contrast.
Edges
The edge of each board is just as important as the top,
therefore, they require the same amount of care.
By this point the edges needed to be cleaned with a
table saw to form an even straight edge.
During this part of the process,
I quickly learned how to be careful
when working against the grain of wood.
When using the planar to level out the wood,
the edges started to rip off in large splinters.
Finishes
I decided that I wanted a natural finish
to center the beauty of the wood's grain.
This can be simulated with a wet rag as a
baseline for how the finish should look.
I decided to move forward with Wipe-On Poly as
it gave the exact appearance of the baseline sample.
Final Boards
TOP
MIDDLE
BOTTOM
Hardware
The choice of hardware creates
a contrast from the wood as its
cast iron appearance adds
an industrial aesthetic.
In The Space
Inside the cart's intended space,
it is an incredibly versatile shelving unit that is
able to move with ease on lockable castor wheels.
Learning Experience
One aspect I learned from my first opportunity woodworking
was how the raw wood stained my hand afterwards.
The stain lasted no longer than a day or two, but it was an odd experience.
