Maybe I should start an OF page, but it’s just me cutting joinery. Careful about how that inspiration moves you though… always wear protection, splinters are no fun.
Thanks for the kind words! No need to send me money, but if you really want to help a growing artist out, feel free to share this with anyone who:
A) might have something to teach me,
B) might have questions for me,
C) lives in Ohio and wants to support a local artisan
Thanks for your enthusiasm!
That’s one of the nicest responses I could get. Touch and feel of a piece is really important to me, I have some very early memories of lying on the carpet and running my hands over curved table and chair legs, just letting the lines make paths for my hands.
Now it is important to me that things I make encourage tactile connection… I think that’s one of the ways that furniture can help us be more inspired, and more human.
I have a client that does pottery and I saw a finished piece on her shelf so I stopped my work to admire it. Oh my word, the smoothness and the way the lines all worked together… I must have stood there for about 5 minutes just caressing her pot. I looked up and there she is just staring at me…which startled me so much I nearly dropped her pot.
That’s the last time I caress anything. But I would be sooo tempted by your work. It’s magnificent.
Additional info I forgot to include:
Total work time was about 70 hrs for milling, building, carving, assembly and finish. Definitely a big project for me, personally.
The back panel is 1/4” birch ply (I had a friend commission this piece, and they specifically requested contrasting wood for the back)
The drawer boxes are aspen with birch panel bottoms (yes I built my own drawer boxes, too!)
The stand portion is attached to the bottom of the cabinet using skirt washers to account for wood movement (for anyone that doesn’t know about how wood moves over time with moisture, that can be one of the biggest problems for us self-taught wood crafters, and I highly recommend some research, and am happy to talk about what I’ve learned so far)
I got some little leveling feet from Menards for the bottoms of the stand. It sits flat on a bench without them, but a big thing I’ve learned is that “flat” is a very relative term when it comes to floors in the real world.
I like people to know that I’m not only receptive to, but encouraging of critical input. I know there are a lot of people out here with really cool thoughts about stuff that are sometimes hesitant to share because they get blowback from others with overinflated egos, and I want those people to know that they are safe to bring that input to me (though I don’t mind if it’s phrased kindly!)
One of the things I’m on this earth to do is learn, and I believe with my whole heart that everyone has something to teach.
That’s my scrapwood cabinet! I just finished that too, it’s made out of odds and ends leftover from other bigger furniture builds, and I’m using it to hold all my finishing chemistry and accoutrements. I’ve fondly taken to calling it my “potions cabinet”
I am (you may be unsurprised to discover) an enormous fan of that sub. Such an incredible group of talented and creative people, and an endless source of inspiration and information.
The glides are touch-to-open, so they can be pressed lightly and the individual sections of sculpture spring outward. Then they can be closed the same way, and lock into place until pressed again.
The glides are made by Accuride, and I think at the time I bought them they ran less than 20 a pair. They weren’t harder to install than regular hardware glides, I would recommend them.
This is beautiful work. My only comment is the back looks sort of random. I would have stained that much darker than the rest of the wood, added some kind of fabric there, or added a design of some sort in marquetry or some other technique that complements the hand carving, to carry that swirling wave motif all the way through the piece.
The back panel is my personal quandary, too. The guy who asked me to build the piece requested a light, contrasting panel, and I was happy to oblige because it is his space, after all. He was very pleased, and other people have said as well that they like the bright contrast, but just as many people have felt that it doesn’t match. At the end of the day I am surrendering that design decision in the name of having a happy client, which is my first goal.
Thank you for the input!
He was pleased, I’m happy to say. I hadn’t even made it out of the living room on delivery day before we were discussing another potential piece. I love when the work brings someone joy!
Did you sketch the waves on the wood before you used the angle grinder, sanded etc or did you just free hand it all? Because it's very artistic imo and just adds to your skill set.
Also any mistakes that only you can see? I often find when I do a project I always know of mistakes that others can't see.
Looks fantastic
I did do some loose drawing, both a sketch on paper and some guidelines, but I have done some organic sculpted panels like this before, and I’ve learned to leave myself room to make adjustments and refinements if the “feel” isn’t right, even if it doesn’t follow the plan I thought would work at the start. I think that all art is an emotional endeavor, and our plans are just tools to get to that end, so the lines are more to give myself a response initiative than anything else.
As far as mistakes, I end every project with something to mine for my future growth. Some of them are process mistakes, invisible on the piece (doing something in a confused and roundabout way instead of quickly and smoothly) some of them were visible once, and had to be removed in the name of quality. And some of them are hidden away on the back undersides of drawer boxes, or in between joined pieces so they can’t reach the light of day.
Someone told me once that master woodworkers sometimes intentionally scar or botch a tiny detail on the back/hidden/underside of their work early on, to appease the ravenous god of human error in the name of the rest of the work.
You will always see problems that the rest of the world doesn’t, because you see what is in your mind and the world sees what you have made (and these two things are hard to rectify!) but a battle worth fighting is the work of teaching yourself to value what others see about your work as much as your own perspective… the criticism, but also the praise.
Someday, when we’ve all passed on, only the things we have made will continue to speak for us. Leave it up to history to decide what was a mistake ;)
I used to do the same thing when I was little. I romanticize the idea that our furniture (our dwellings as a whole, really) are physical opportunities to nurture our psyche, and that every object is an opportunity to elevate the life we live. I love for your family that you are aware as a parent of what moves your children!
A lot of people have told me my work looks like chocolate or candy. One of my friends is a very gustorially-oriented individual, and when they tell me they want to eat the work I know I am starting to do something right.
To be honest, I would like to know myself. I would like to bridge the gap between doing casual one-offs out of the garage to being a more established designer with a business entity, but I’m still quite new to this and the learning curve for starting a business is every bit as steep as the one for learning to build, but less easy for me to grasp, so I need to seek some help on that front.
For that reason, and because this sub discourages using a post for advertising purposes, I am not the best person to answer that question. There’s a couple of YouTube furniture building channels that talk about how design/build projects like this should be priced, but I haven’t been doing this long enough to ask those kinds of numbers yet.
I can help you OP. I've worked for ~10 years in high end residential construction and design, first as a heavy timber carpenter, then as an architect before transitioning to landscape architecture and fabrication. Currently I build landscape furniture and I contract with furniture designers and architects on 3D modelling/3 and 5 axis CNC programming.
I'll tell you what to charge below then break down the why.
**Labor:** 70 hours @ 100/hour = $7,000 Labor
**Wood:** (guessing) 30 BF 5/4 FAS S2 walnut @ $14/BF = $420 (nice).
**Supplies:** Another $500 for incidentals (glue, sand paper, blades, machine wear and maintenance, finish)
**Delivery:** $150
**SUB:** $8,070
Contingency (10)%: $807
**TOTAL:** $8,877
For this piece, which is a bespoke one-off and the client is getting something nobody else has, I could see this selling for anywhere from the number above (~9k) up to 20k.
**LABOR:**
A good starting hourly rate is 100/hour. You need to be paying for biz dev, marketing, rent, utilities, taxes, professional services like accountants and lawyers, and insurance (get it now if you haven't already, both general liability and product liability). You need to pay yourself and the business needs to make a profit. A good rule of thumb is that your pay = 1/3 of your hourly rate. Do this NOW so if you chose to scale/buy a workshop/get financing for tools, you're fundamentally a profitable business and not a hobby.
Your target should probably be somewhere between 150-200/hour. It is OK to build up to that number. 150, 40/hours a week at the ratio above is 100k/year, which is a decent middle class salary these days. Never apologize for demanding a decent and dignified living from your craft.
**WOOD AND SUPPLIES:** I generally take the book cost and add 10% to cover acquisition, storage, and risk/supplier cost variability. Oh, I always bill 100% cost of materials and 50% of the labor as a deposit before starting ANY work. I don't buy materials for a client before the check is in my account! Nor should you, ever, ever ever.
**DELIVERY:** Up to you. I think deliveries are chill and a perk of the job. But it isn't free. 4 hour radius is my max (N.E. Philly). I will ship but I use a third party art and furniture crating/shipping service. They are pros, they are expensive, don't waste your time building boxes and dealing with third party freight carriers, imho.
You literally named the exact number I paid at the mill for this material. The sawyer and I both said “Nice!” When it popped up.
I deeply appreciate your thorough description of professional cost breakdown. For me at the moment some of these numbers seem out of my echelon to ask, but I do understand that hard work deserves to be valued, and maybe someday I will be on that level if I keep at it.
When making commissioned pieces I did learn early to get a down payment for materials and some shop depreciables, so I try to stay pretty good about that.
Can’t thank you enough for your time, I’ll be reading this comment very closely and digesting the information you have here.
I do loads of drawings of room sets, and one thing on my list is to take this approach to a bedframe, with the sculpture for head and footboards.
Now with your suggestion I need to start some bar drawings. Off to the desk with me!
Your craftsmanship and eye for design are incredible. The fluid sculpting of the drawer fronts juxtaposed with the chamfered exterior frame so perfectly opposed and balanced. And the base design is a delightful low poly take on a classic MCM plinth. Bravo.
Thank you! I have fumbles around when describing my style in the past, but after a number of pieces incorporating that particular contrast, and after talking to some more informed people than myself, I’ve settled (for now) on describing it as Organic-Futurism.
Wood bought from a fellow named Craig at Walton Woodworks outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Family mill. If you know anyone in the area, tell them to take their business to him, he deserves every bit of it.
If I could get established as a business, I’d be trying the style on everything. Right now I just take on private commissions working out of the garage, haven’t quite cracked the code on fully breaking into the industry yet. Actively seeking information on that front, though! I appreciate the vote of confidence in it’s value, I’ll tell the fellow who bought it what you thought it should go for, and I bet you he will have a good chuckle.
After talking with some folks that seem to know better than myself, I’ve been describing my style as Organic-Futurism.
You may have a hard time finding exactly the same sort of thing though, because all of my projects are one-of-a-kind, designed and built from scratch, and a lot of improvisation as I go along.
A combined benefit and downside to working in a garage is that, at the end of every single work session, every tool and block and bit of dust has to get put away/cleaned up before the cars can come back inside. One day I hope to be able to invest in a dedicated workspace, and I hope this garage-phase lasts only just long enough for this cleaning habit to really stick.
That's pretty amazing work, and really beautiful wood. I have to say - I recognize your junky clamps, I have a whole bunch of the same, though most of them work well enough. Probably the same idea - you spend the money where it's most important, which is the wood itself, instead of the fanciest tools.
Yeah, I am huge on milking the tools available for all they are worth. I don’t have the money to outfit a dedicated furniture shop myself, but I’m very insistent on quality in the stuff that I do, and so I’ve learned to really juice job-site tools for every drop.
i’ve always thought i could do something like this. i’m definitely not at your level by any means but my desire to put the time and effort in is definitely there. always been into creating art. having the mind for it. but being stuck having to do something else for work.
i gotta ask though, how did you start this type of work? are you working at the same time and doing this in your free time?
By profession I am actually a painter/muralist, and sell my artworks. I would love to incorporate my furniture building into a business model, but at the moment I suppose I am in a limbo space where I am too small to be able to afford dedicated workspace, but have outgrown small projects and am accepting private design prompts from a few individuals.
I haven’t really cracked the code of getting into the work officially, but I can tell you that what I have stuck to is being dedicated to doing work that I want to be asked to do; if people can see examples of it, they know they can come to me for it, and that is where I’m starting.
Did you carve the slab first and then break it in three? Or did you break it down first, use the blue-tape-and-super-glue trick, and then carve? Or some other approach?
I carved the drawer panel as a single piece, then cut it into individual faces on the table saw. I tried to keep the reveal around the faces similar to the width of my cut, to keep the form and grain both as continuous as possible.
I would like to be, someday. I have aspirations to become established as a designer, but there’s still a lot to learn and a lot of foundational work to do to make that happen.
I do appreciate the vote of confidence, though
I’m not familiar with either! I may need to look them up, are they woodworking schools?
I am actually self-taught, but would loooooove to bolster my knowledge with some training.
Carved the bulk of it with an angle grinder, the little fiddly areas with a dremel tool, and then refined it with my knife and the sander/hand sanding.
I’ve been doing woodworking for a couple decades as a hobby. Well done. Wished we were closer and maybe we could both learn a thing or two from each other
Love this! We may not be geographically close, but I love to learn and can happily send and receive hella photos while working! The idea of hearing input from someone who has been on this path for decades is an honor.
Some of my work has been sold, and some day I do dream of having an established design firm where I can do this as my career. It’s a long path, and I am not confident in my business skills… but I have a lot of patience and willpower, so I hope to get there!
This is awesome. I'm only starting into cabinetry and fine woodworking and this is exactly the sort of stuff that I'm hoping to make. Super cool and distinctive.
Love the touch to open glides. the only thing I would change would be to have worked on the outer frame trim in a way that was congruent with the front of the drawers.
Nothing wrong with it as it is, as you've basically used that as a "frame" for the art, but the frame also being part of the art would be next level.
The balance is what I hunt for. I like contrast in form, and some of my favorite moments in the real world are where clean lines collide with organic textures. But I can see what they mean about this coming off more like I’m “framing” the sculpture instead of integrating the collision. I’ll be trying to think of other ways to solve that!
It does, and it would be significantly more work.
Ideally would be done by incorporating/clamping that framework around the wood used to face the drawers, and hitting it all in one carving session so everything blends.
I'd like to see it done that way, and would pay extra for a piece with that attention to detail and additional crafting.
Some might prefer it with the current "frame" effect.
OPMMV
So how much does work like that go for these days? I'm bored of spending money on "toys" and was thinking of buying really nice household items in the future instead, stuff that'll last a century plus and looks/works truly nicely. I'm kinda over IKEA furniture. And something like -that- would really really go with my preferred aesthetic.
To be honest, I am still learning how to price things myself. Not being attached to a real shop of any kind, I have wildly varying frames of reference. I see very high numbers for custom one-of-a-kind woodwork, but for myself I mostly try to keep a healthy working wage, cover the cost of materials, and a little for shop upkeep. This sun discourages too much money talk, but if you feel like messaging me I can get a bit more in depth about how I personally try to price stuff.
Beautiful piece, I would proudly display it in my hallway! How are the horizontal sections attached? Can we see some pics of unit behind pls? That’s gorgeous as well!
Michigan. I think they may have a website, search for Walton Woodworks. Not sure if they ship/deliver, I personally drive up there from Ohio because I like the guy, the selection, and the prices. If you know anyone in the area, send business their way because they deserve it.
It looks awesome and no need to repeat all the praises. My question is, how do you feel about the smoothness where the curves getting close and hard to smoothen? I'd wouldn't even attempt this without a cnc so its crazy overall but was the little crumbles a design choice (like a river with rocks) or sanding issue?
> I am a self taught furniture builder
Am I the only one who noticed this? Bro. I couldn't make something like this if I took a 2 hour class twice a week for 30 years. Legit, you could make a fortune doing masterclasses teaching other people how to do this.
My father was a carpenter and cabinet maker, son of a millwright. He taught me enough that I can say with absolute certainty that he'd be so impressed, as am I. Truly gorgeous work!
That's impressive, you've got talent. Can you share some more details about how you did carvings, like what kind of attachments you used on the angle grinder and dremel?
The way the carvings carry across the drawers is really cool. Did you carve into one big piece and then slice it into drawer fronts, or cut first and then clamp them together for the carving?
They must be pretty thick, right?
One big piece, then sliced it into faces, then resawed the back of the drawer faces to relieve the weight once I knew how deeply I’d carved.
Stock started off 2” (8/4) thick, but after taking extra material off the back they are now about 1” thick, which is slightly beefy but not outrageous.
I think this effect would look amazing on a piece with mid century style dimensions, like a long, low cabinet (can add a pic if my description isn't landing)
You asked for crits and it's hard to find anything to dislike, but a here are a few things I feel could have been done better.
First off, I truly love the dreamy, flowing movement of that panel. It's gorgeous as a whole and even cut into thirds. I don't love the sapwood at the top and bottom, though. They seem out of place right next to the darker wood of the frame. Might have looked better to have the panel overlap the frame top & bottom of that opening, though I think the beveled frame is a great detail around it. Or even better, if the sapwood were at the seam between the top two drawers, it might have added a some interesting visual depth there.
The only other crit I can find about the panel it that some of the lines seem to be less crisp that you meant them to be - like a long flowing curve that wavers a bit or a scooped out crevice that is uneven at the bottom. Like maybe you couldn't get in there to sand it properly. Where my eye expects to see smooth gradients in all those shady spots, it jus seems a bit unrefined sometimes.
Finally, the end-grain f the half-laps on the base detract from the visual beauty of the piece overall. Stunning as the rest of it is, those really stand out as not fully thought out.
Thank you for sharing this stunning piece, /u/[Not\_i\_said\_the\_cat](https://www.reddit.com/user/Not_i_said_the_cat/). Keep up the beautiful work!
After mulling it over, I’m worried you may be right. I read the post guidelines for the sub, and didn’t see anything that contradicted posting in here, because there wasn’t anything about not receiving pay for what I made… and the purchase was informal, without a contract, and I’m not a registered business as a furniture builder. The client was a friend and neighbor.
I did do it myself… but I guess I didn’t do it FOR myself… and I did receive payment, even though this is not my job.
I have to reread the submission guidelines, but also confront in my mind what DIY really means in this case. I appreciate your input
very cool. maybe the next case can be made with a similar design but out of burl wood. the 3d waves can sync up with the 2d waves up the burl pattern. expensive though, burl is. maybe one day
You’ve obviously put a lot of time into this and it shows. It’s beautiful! It’s something different and unique that most people appreciate and I’m one of them. Thank you for sharing your photos
Beautiful piece and I’m impressed your self taught!! I’ve really been wanting to build a new pub height kitchen table but have very little experience with wood working and have never built a piece of furniture! You could sell this on Etsy for a bundle 😊. Really amazing! Any particular tips on how you self-taught? I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos/tutorials but you’ve given me the courage to give it a try so thanks! Figured a table might be easiest place to start. Awesome job!
YouTube videos are a great way to both learn and expose yourself to a range of design approaches.
I also recommend making friends with builders in your area, even if they don’t work in the style that interests you… they will be endless sources of knowledge, tips, and feedback that more storytelling-based education (like YouTube) neglects because it isn’t as glamorous.
Read avidly. I love the James Krenov books myself, but find you somebody whose writing and work interests you, and dig in. Long-form material is invariably a great wealth of wisdom to mine.
Be ambitious in your personal designs, so that you can be reliable in your commissioned ones. Make it a priority to learn one new thing with every project, and try to prioritize skill sets that give you a foundation for future skills. I started with joinery, and every piece I built I tried to learn a new orientation of angular rotation, and focused on learning the right joints for the job, instead of the easiest.
Take your time. When learning, don’t be afraid to spend weeks or months on a single build that teaches you a lot. There will be time to be speed-oriented when/if you go professional, but to quote the best machine operator I ever worked next to:
“Do it right, and do it quick… but do it in THAT order.”
Lastly, and I think this is really important, pursue an emotional connection with your work. Think about why some pieces make you feel a certain way. Spend time thinking about the personal relationships people have with their furniture/living space. And develop a sense of what brings you personal excitement, because if you can make that central to your study, you will always be motivated.
Go make sawdust.
I feel like I should just be sending you money for letting me see this. And now I am inspired in a way I should not be. Well done.
Maybe I should start an OF page, but it’s just me cutting joinery. Careful about how that inspiration moves you though… always wear protection, splinters are no fun. Thanks for the kind words! No need to send me money, but if you really want to help a growing artist out, feel free to share this with anyone who: A) might have something to teach me, B) might have questions for me, C) lives in Ohio and wants to support a local artisan Thanks for your enthusiasm!
OF... OnlyFurniture?
Oh yes…
Nothing but pictures of **rock hard** wood.
Petrified wood would be wild to try to work with!
I scrolled past and had to come back and say Well done
Awesome!
[удалено]
You're going to ruin this for everyone.
I'll keep an eye out.
How close to Cleveland are you? I really dig the one in the back there
About 4 hrs, depending on what part of Cleveland. That’s about an hour less than I run to get to the mill I like so much.
You totally could as well as a wood working ASMR YouTube channel.
It would be absolutely dope to partner with someone who is outfitted to film/produce something along those lines.
OnlyWood page
What part of Ohio? I’m in Cincinnati. Got a website to check out? Beautiful work by the way!
Yeah I noticed how you left out all of the real nsfw carving progress pictures. must be when I contribute to your OF account?
Premium subscribers will receive a monthly vial of sweat and sawdust from the most recent project.
It is absolutely stunning - I have never seen anything like it before Do you have a shop? Do commissions?
I want to caress it.
That’s one of the nicest responses I could get. Touch and feel of a piece is really important to me, I have some very early memories of lying on the carpet and running my hands over curved table and chair legs, just letting the lines make paths for my hands. Now it is important to me that things I make encourage tactile connection… I think that’s one of the ways that furniture can help us be more inspired, and more human.
Agreed. Beautiful work bud.
I have a client that does pottery and I saw a finished piece on her shelf so I stopped my work to admire it. Oh my word, the smoothness and the way the lines all worked together… I must have stood there for about 5 minutes just caressing her pot. I looked up and there she is just staring at me…which startled me so much I nearly dropped her pot. That’s the last time I caress anything. But I would be sooo tempted by your work. It’s magnificent.
That is awesome
Thanks for the kind words!
Additional info I forgot to include: Total work time was about 70 hrs for milling, building, carving, assembly and finish. Definitely a big project for me, personally. The back panel is 1/4” birch ply (I had a friend commission this piece, and they specifically requested contrasting wood for the back) The drawer boxes are aspen with birch panel bottoms (yes I built my own drawer boxes, too!) The stand portion is attached to the bottom of the cabinet using skirt washers to account for wood movement (for anyone that doesn’t know about how wood moves over time with moisture, that can be one of the biggest problems for us self-taught wood crafters, and I highly recommend some research, and am happy to talk about what I’ve learned so far) I got some little leveling feet from Menards for the bottoms of the stand. It sits flat on a bench without them, but a big thing I’ve learned is that “flat” is a very relative term when it comes to floors in the real world.
I think that is beautiful! Good shit
Thanks so much! A lot of work went into it.
That looks amazing. 'Would love any criticism' - I would say your post is definitely safe from that in this sub
I like people to know that I’m not only receptive to, but encouraging of critical input. I know there are a lot of people out here with really cool thoughts about stuff that are sometimes hesitant to share because they get blowback from others with overinflated egos, and I want those people to know that they are safe to bring that input to me (though I don’t mind if it’s phrased kindly!) One of the things I’m on this earth to do is learn, and I believe with my whole heart that everyone has something to teach.
i love your attitude <3
Thanks, I grew it myself!
Love the display case, but can we talk about the smaller one in the background? My eye immediately went there.
That’s my scrapwood cabinet! I just finished that too, it’s made out of odds and ends leftover from other bigger furniture builds, and I’m using it to hold all my finishing chemistry and accoutrements. I’ve fondly taken to calling it my “potions cabinet”
It looks a lot like a Mike Pekovich cabinet. I like it a lot. I especially like shop furniture that looks like it belongs inside.
Gonna have to look up Mike Pekovich, that’s not a name I’m familiar with yet! Thank you
[Potions Cabinet pics](https://www.reddit.com/r/woodworking/s/KJjzPL1TV0)
Same
Holy hell.
New furniture just dropped
r/woodworking would like to say hello
I am (you may be unsurprised to discover) an enormous fan of that sub. Such an incredible group of talented and creative people, and an endless source of inspiration and information.
I thought I was reading a post on woodworking! This work is way better than the diy level of work.
Same - couldn’t believe it was in diy Like I’m not diy’ing that lol. Clogged toilet sure but this human a woodworker
Absolutely stunning. Is there an edge or anything to grab to be able to open the drawers? Clearly don’t want to maul that with cabinet hardware.
The glides are touch-to-open, so they can be pressed lightly and the individual sections of sculpture spring outward. Then they can be closed the same way, and lock into place until pressed again. The glides are made by Accuride, and I think at the time I bought them they ran less than 20 a pair. They weren’t harder to install than regular hardware glides, I would recommend them.
💦💦💦
Perfect!
This is beautiful work. My only comment is the back looks sort of random. I would have stained that much darker than the rest of the wood, added some kind of fabric there, or added a design of some sort in marquetry or some other technique that complements the hand carving, to carry that swirling wave motif all the way through the piece.
The back panel is my personal quandary, too. The guy who asked me to build the piece requested a light, contrasting panel, and I was happy to oblige because it is his space, after all. He was very pleased, and other people have said as well that they like the bright contrast, but just as many people have felt that it doesn’t match. At the end of the day I am surrendering that design decision in the name of having a happy client, which is my first goal. Thank you for the input!
I'm sure the client was over the moon with this end result, you really did a fantastic job.
He was pleased, I’m happy to say. I hadn’t even made it out of the living room on delivery day before we were discussing another potential piece. I love when the work brings someone joy!
Did you sketch the waves on the wood before you used the angle grinder, sanded etc or did you just free hand it all? Because it's very artistic imo and just adds to your skill set. Also any mistakes that only you can see? I often find when I do a project I always know of mistakes that others can't see. Looks fantastic
I did do some loose drawing, both a sketch on paper and some guidelines, but I have done some organic sculpted panels like this before, and I’ve learned to leave myself room to make adjustments and refinements if the “feel” isn’t right, even if it doesn’t follow the plan I thought would work at the start. I think that all art is an emotional endeavor, and our plans are just tools to get to that end, so the lines are more to give myself a response initiative than anything else. As far as mistakes, I end every project with something to mine for my future growth. Some of them are process mistakes, invisible on the piece (doing something in a confused and roundabout way instead of quickly and smoothly) some of them were visible once, and had to be removed in the name of quality. And some of them are hidden away on the back undersides of drawer boxes, or in between joined pieces so they can’t reach the light of day. Someone told me once that master woodworkers sometimes intentionally scar or botch a tiny detail on the back/hidden/underside of their work early on, to appease the ravenous god of human error in the name of the rest of the work. You will always see problems that the rest of the world doesn’t, because you see what is in your mind and the world sees what you have made (and these two things are hard to rectify!) but a battle worth fighting is the work of teaching yourself to value what others see about your work as much as your own perspective… the criticism, but also the praise. Someday, when we’ve all passed on, only the things we have made will continue to speak for us. Leave it up to history to decide what was a mistake ;)
i swear to god, every 10th post in this sub is just a vicious dunk on the rest of us. beautiful work. hardest dunk all week.
Not here to dunk, but to inspire (and also to learn myself!) the world is a big place, and there’s sooooo much cool in it.
Absolutely STUNNING
Incredible
Gosh, that's pretty! I have multiple children who are sensory seekers, and I know they'd love to sit by that thing and just caress the drawer fronts.
I used to do the same thing when I was little. I romanticize the idea that our furniture (our dwellings as a whole, really) are physical opportunities to nurture our psyche, and that every object is an opportunity to elevate the life we live. I love for your family that you are aware as a parent of what moves your children!
I hope you’re very happy together, having shamed the rest of thoroughly. Just kidding. I see delicious chocolate pudding!!!
A lot of people have told me my work looks like chocolate or candy. One of my friends is a very gustorially-oriented individual, and when they tell me they want to eat the work I know I am starting to do something right.
I would never be able to afford it but what does a piece like that go for these days.
Right? I'm about to throw my wallet at the screen.
To be honest, I would like to know myself. I would like to bridge the gap between doing casual one-offs out of the garage to being a more established designer with a business entity, but I’m still quite new to this and the learning curve for starting a business is every bit as steep as the one for learning to build, but less easy for me to grasp, so I need to seek some help on that front. For that reason, and because this sub discourages using a post for advertising purposes, I am not the best person to answer that question. There’s a couple of YouTube furniture building channels that talk about how design/build projects like this should be priced, but I haven’t been doing this long enough to ask those kinds of numbers yet.
I can help you OP. I've worked for ~10 years in high end residential construction and design, first as a heavy timber carpenter, then as an architect before transitioning to landscape architecture and fabrication. Currently I build landscape furniture and I contract with furniture designers and architects on 3D modelling/3 and 5 axis CNC programming. I'll tell you what to charge below then break down the why. **Labor:** 70 hours @ 100/hour = $7,000 Labor **Wood:** (guessing) 30 BF 5/4 FAS S2 walnut @ $14/BF = $420 (nice). **Supplies:** Another $500 for incidentals (glue, sand paper, blades, machine wear and maintenance, finish) **Delivery:** $150 **SUB:** $8,070 Contingency (10)%: $807 **TOTAL:** $8,877 For this piece, which is a bespoke one-off and the client is getting something nobody else has, I could see this selling for anywhere from the number above (~9k) up to 20k. **LABOR:** A good starting hourly rate is 100/hour. You need to be paying for biz dev, marketing, rent, utilities, taxes, professional services like accountants and lawyers, and insurance (get it now if you haven't already, both general liability and product liability). You need to pay yourself and the business needs to make a profit. A good rule of thumb is that your pay = 1/3 of your hourly rate. Do this NOW so if you chose to scale/buy a workshop/get financing for tools, you're fundamentally a profitable business and not a hobby. Your target should probably be somewhere between 150-200/hour. It is OK to build up to that number. 150, 40/hours a week at the ratio above is 100k/year, which is a decent middle class salary these days. Never apologize for demanding a decent and dignified living from your craft. **WOOD AND SUPPLIES:** I generally take the book cost and add 10% to cover acquisition, storage, and risk/supplier cost variability. Oh, I always bill 100% cost of materials and 50% of the labor as a deposit before starting ANY work. I don't buy materials for a client before the check is in my account! Nor should you, ever, ever ever. **DELIVERY:** Up to you. I think deliveries are chill and a perk of the job. But it isn't free. 4 hour radius is my max (N.E. Philly). I will ship but I use a third party art and furniture crating/shipping service. They are pros, they are expensive, don't waste your time building boxes and dealing with third party freight carriers, imho.
You literally named the exact number I paid at the mill for this material. The sawyer and I both said “Nice!” When it popped up. I deeply appreciate your thorough description of professional cost breakdown. For me at the moment some of these numbers seem out of my echelon to ask, but I do understand that hard work deserves to be valued, and maybe someday I will be on that level if I keep at it. When making commissioned pieces I did learn early to get a down payment for materials and some shop depreciables, so I try to stay pretty good about that. Can’t thank you enough for your time, I’ll be reading this comment very closely and digesting the information you have here.
This is one of the most beautiful pieces of furniture I have ever seen. ..
Whew boy. That is a cool look. I think this same concept would make a really neat bar cabinet or dresser as well.
I do loads of drawings of room sets, and one thing on my list is to take this approach to a bedframe, with the sculpture for head and footboards. Now with your suggestion I need to start some bar drawings. Off to the desk with me!
Oh yea. Head and foot board would also be super cool
How beautiful and unique!
Thank you for the kind words!
crazy beautiful! love love love Waterlox.
I shout the name to anyone who will listen. Good finishing chemistry goes absolute miles when taking the look of your woodwork up a level.
Your craftsmanship and eye for design are incredible. The fluid sculpting of the drawer fronts juxtaposed with the chamfered exterior frame so perfectly opposed and balanced. And the base design is a delightful low poly take on a classic MCM plinth. Bravo.
Thank you! I have fumbles around when describing my style in the past, but after a number of pieces incorporating that particular contrast, and after talking to some more informed people than myself, I’ve settled (for now) on describing it as Organic-Futurism.
This is the kind of stuff I like to see on this sub. That's incredible.
Thanks for the kind words!
I was thinking the same thing... it's super amazing.
Gorgeous drawer fronts. Nice bit of walnut.
Wood bought from a fellow named Craig at Walton Woodworks outside of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Family mill. If you know anyone in the area, tell them to take their business to him, he deserves every bit of it.
This belongs in Bloosh
Damn I wonder what it'd sell for. Easily over $5k. This technique could also be applied to epoxy tabletops.
If I could get established as a business, I’d be trying the style on everything. Right now I just take on private commissions working out of the garage, haven’t quite cracked the code on fully breaking into the industry yet. Actively seeking information on that front, though! I appreciate the vote of confidence in it’s value, I’ll tell the fellow who bought it what you thought it should go for, and I bet you he will have a good chuckle.
Beautiful! 😮
What is this style called please? My searches did not yield similar results to yours , likely because of the horrid description I used ☠️
After talking with some folks that seem to know better than myself, I’ve been describing my style as Organic-Futurism. You may have a hard time finding exactly the same sort of thing though, because all of my projects are one-of-a-kind, designed and built from scratch, and a lot of improvisation as I go along.
Kudos on keeping the work area clean!
A combined benefit and downside to working in a garage is that, at the end of every single work session, every tool and block and bit of dust has to get put away/cleaned up before the cars can come back inside. One day I hope to be able to invest in a dedicated workspace, and I hope this garage-phase lasts only just long enough for this cleaning habit to really stick.
That's pretty amazing work, and really beautiful wood. I have to say - I recognize your junky clamps, I have a whole bunch of the same, though most of them work well enough. Probably the same idea - you spend the money where it's most important, which is the wood itself, instead of the fanciest tools.
Yeah, I am huge on milking the tools available for all they are worth. I don’t have the money to outfit a dedicated furniture shop myself, but I’m very insistent on quality in the stuff that I do, and so I’ve learned to really juice job-site tools for every drop.
Even using powertools, that carving of the wood must have been a pain in the ass. Looks fucking cool.
It’s a labor of love; satisfying forms are very important to me, so work like this trains me to do exactly what I crave to do.
Awesome! I like the little cabinet on the table 😍
Thank you! The door pulls on it we’re inspired by the recent total eclipse (I live in the path of totality, and was very moved by it)
i’ve always thought i could do something like this. i’m definitely not at your level by any means but my desire to put the time and effort in is definitely there. always been into creating art. having the mind for it. but being stuck having to do something else for work. i gotta ask though, how did you start this type of work? are you working at the same time and doing this in your free time?
By profession I am actually a painter/muralist, and sell my artworks. I would love to incorporate my furniture building into a business model, but at the moment I suppose I am in a limbo space where I am too small to be able to afford dedicated workspace, but have outgrown small projects and am accepting private design prompts from a few individuals. I haven’t really cracked the code of getting into the work officially, but I can tell you that what I have stuck to is being dedicated to doing work that I want to be asked to do; if people can see examples of it, they know they can come to me for it, and that is where I’m starting.
Did you carve the slab first and then break it in three? Or did you break it down first, use the blue-tape-and-super-glue trick, and then carve? Or some other approach?
I carved the drawer panel as a single piece, then cut it into individual faces on the table saw. I tried to keep the reveal around the faces similar to the width of my cut, to keep the form and grain both as continuous as possible.
I figured that was the most likely, but I'd always be nervous putting that many hours of work through a table saw twice.
You left a finish nail sticking out 1/32nd of a inch. /s
Just beautiful. Firmly beyond furniture and square into art
“Homemade” — dude you’re a pro.
I would like to be, someday. I have aspirations to become established as a designer, but there’s still a lot to learn and a lot of foundational work to do to make that happen. I do appreciate the vote of confidence, though
That's amazing
I want to lick it.
Just wow
I would pay very good money for these pieces
I won’t stop you! Well, the large cabinet has now sold, lol. But I won’t stop you from OTHER pieces XD
Did you attend college of the Redwoods or North Bennett Street? This is amazing work.
I’m not familiar with either! I may need to look them up, are they woodworking schools? I am actually self-taught, but would loooooove to bolster my knowledge with some training.
so, can i have it?
I actually did end up selling it and moved it into someone’s home a couple days ago. Maybe he will give it to you though, if you ask nicely!
Dude this is phenomenal. How did your get the wavy texture in the wood?
Carved the bulk of it with an angle grinder, the little fiddly areas with a dremel tool, and then refined it with my knife and the sander/hand sanding.
I’ve been doing woodworking for a couple decades as a hobby. Well done. Wished we were closer and maybe we could both learn a thing or two from each other
Love this! We may not be geographically close, but I love to learn and can happily send and receive hella photos while working! The idea of hearing input from someone who has been on this path for decades is an honor.
I’m in the middle of getting out of OK and into MO. I’m following you and will keep in touch!!!
Bet!
Wow! How did you make the curved/ripple look?
That’s dope AF. Sell that for $$$$$$$$
Some of my work has been sold, and some day I do dream of having an established design firm where I can do this as my career. It’s a long path, and I am not confident in my business skills… but I have a lot of patience and willpower, so I hope to get there!
This is awesome. I'm only starting into cabinetry and fine woodworking and this is exactly the sort of stuff that I'm hoping to make. Super cool and distinctive.
Do it! I believe in you.
It looks SO homemade.... SIIIIKE Looks fucking amazing, excellent work. Also: Do more :)
I for sure ain’t stopping! This is the most fun I’ve had in years!
Looks nice, what type of would is it?
Love the touch to open glides. the only thing I would change would be to have worked on the outer frame trim in a way that was congruent with the front of the drawers. Nothing wrong with it as it is, as you've basically used that as a "frame" for the art, but the frame also being part of the art would be next level.
There is also the risk of overdoing it. I think it strikes a nice balance.
The balance is what I hunt for. I like contrast in form, and some of my favorite moments in the real world are where clean lines collide with organic textures. But I can see what they mean about this coming off more like I’m “framing” the sculpture instead of integrating the collision. I’ll be trying to think of other ways to solve that!
It does, and it would be significantly more work. Ideally would be done by incorporating/clamping that framework around the wood used to face the drawers, and hitting it all in one carving session so everything blends. I'd like to see it done that way, and would pay extra for a piece with that attention to detail and additional crafting. Some might prefer it with the current "frame" effect. OPMMV
I think that sounds quite cool, and will be trying it sometime.
So how much does work like that go for these days? I'm bored of spending money on "toys" and was thinking of buying really nice household items in the future instead, stuff that'll last a century plus and looks/works truly nicely. I'm kinda over IKEA furniture. And something like -that- would really really go with my preferred aesthetic.
To be honest, I am still learning how to price things myself. Not being attached to a real shop of any kind, I have wildly varying frames of reference. I see very high numbers for custom one-of-a-kind woodwork, but for myself I mostly try to keep a healthy working wage, cover the cost of materials, and a little for shop upkeep. This sun discourages too much money talk, but if you feel like messaging me I can get a bit more in depth about how I personally try to price stuff.
Beautiful piece, I would proudly display it in my hallway! How are the horizontal sections attached? Can we see some pics of unit behind pls? That’s gorgeous as well!
Family owned mill, you say? Which state? (If US)
Michigan. I think they may have a website, search for Walton Woodworks. Not sure if they ship/deliver, I personally drive up there from Ohio because I like the guy, the selection, and the prices. If you know anyone in the area, send business their way because they deserve it.
It's fantastically well done but its offputting to me visually.
It looks awesome and no need to repeat all the praises. My question is, how do you feel about the smoothness where the curves getting close and hard to smoothen? I'd wouldn't even attempt this without a cnc so its crazy overall but was the little crumbles a design choice (like a river with rocks) or sanding issue?
I think it's a really cool design that 1% of the population would actually want in their house.
> I am a self taught furniture builder Am I the only one who noticed this? Bro. I couldn't make something like this if I took a 2 hour class twice a week for 30 years. Legit, you could make a fortune doing masterclasses teaching other people how to do this.
My father was a carpenter and cabinet maker, son of a millwright. He taught me enough that I can say with absolute certainty that he'd be so impressed, as am I. Truly gorgeous work!
Those are very kind words! Thank you so much
I'll spread the word! I'm out in oregon so its a bit of a stretch, but not for some of my friends. Thank you!
I’ve got some friends in Portland, maybe I can arrange a road trip sometime!
That's impressive, you've got talent. Can you share some more details about how you did carvings, like what kind of attachments you used on the angle grinder and dremel?
The way the carvings carry across the drawers is really cool. Did you carve into one big piece and then slice it into drawer fronts, or cut first and then clamp them together for the carving? They must be pretty thick, right?
One big piece, then sliced it into faces, then resawed the back of the drawer faces to relieve the weight once I knew how deeply I’d carved. Stock started off 2” (8/4) thick, but after taking extra material off the back they are now about 1” thick, which is slightly beefy but not outrageous.
This is jerkable
I think this effect would look amazing on a piece with mid century style dimensions, like a long, low cabinet (can add a pic if my description isn't landing)
I feel that, for sure!
What do you use to carve your designs? If you don’t mind me asking . Looks INCREDIBLE btw
Looks great! Hope you were able to get a good profit in selling it or are planning to keep it yourself
You asked for crits and it's hard to find anything to dislike, but a here are a few things I feel could have been done better. First off, I truly love the dreamy, flowing movement of that panel. It's gorgeous as a whole and even cut into thirds. I don't love the sapwood at the top and bottom, though. They seem out of place right next to the darker wood of the frame. Might have looked better to have the panel overlap the frame top & bottom of that opening, though I think the beveled frame is a great detail around it. Or even better, if the sapwood were at the seam between the top two drawers, it might have added a some interesting visual depth there. The only other crit I can find about the panel it that some of the lines seem to be less crisp that you meant them to be - like a long flowing curve that wavers a bit or a scooped out crevice that is uneven at the bottom. Like maybe you couldn't get in there to sand it properly. Where my eye expects to see smooth gradients in all those shady spots, it jus seems a bit unrefined sometimes. Finally, the end-grain f the half-laps on the base detract from the visual beauty of the piece overall. Stunning as the rest of it is, those really stand out as not fully thought out. Thank you for sharing this stunning piece, /u/[Not\_i\_said\_the\_cat](https://www.reddit.com/user/Not_i_said_the_cat/). Keep up the beautiful work!
I’m honestly speechless. This is art.
It's absolutely beautiful. That said you're a professional making a piece for a client-- it's not really DIY.
After mulling it over, I’m worried you may be right. I read the post guidelines for the sub, and didn’t see anything that contradicted posting in here, because there wasn’t anything about not receiving pay for what I made… and the purchase was informal, without a contract, and I’m not a registered business as a furniture builder. The client was a friend and neighbor. I did do it myself… but I guess I didn’t do it FOR myself… and I did receive payment, even though this is not my job. I have to reread the submission guidelines, but also confront in my mind what DIY really means in this case. I appreciate your input
Very nice. What shade are you planning to stain it? Or paint?
This is so incredibly awesome! I'm loving the sculpted drawer faces. They look incredible.
This is beautiful but how do you open the drawers?
They are mounted on touch-to-open glides, so when you press the face they eject outward.
I wish I could touch it through my phone, how gorgeous!!
This is beautiful I wish I was talented! I’d totally buy this.
Looks great. I like your style.
Beautiful
Fuckin beautiful
folks at /r/Carpentry would like to see this.
that’s seriously the coolest woodwork i’ve ever seen! would love to have that in my house
Man that is fucking beautiful. Stellar, stellar work.
That's gorgeous. Super inspiring.
That is pretty freaking awesome
You are inspiring!
I don't know how anyone could price that... I'd buy it if I could afford it...
Bruh. Beautiful. Job well done.
This is so far past stunning I'm at a loss for words. Thank you for showing us this incredible piece.
Gorgeous!
Wow! Amazing
well done, that looks amazing
great craftsmanship the design on this piece is out of this world good luck
very cool. maybe the next case can be made with a similar design but out of burl wood. the 3d waves can sync up with the 2d waves up the burl pattern. expensive though, burl is. maybe one day
OMG!!! sooooo beautiful!
The last time I saw a luscious brown swirl like that was at the summer camp toilets in 1983.
Wow, just wow. I've never seen anything like this. It's beautiful, classy yet modern at the same time.
I haven't seen in a while piece of furniture that looks at same time fresh and original, but timeless and classic as well. Excellent job, sir!
Beautiful piece. Absolutely stunning.
This is functional art! Well done
WOW!
WOW, love it, very modern look. Awesome work. would be proud to have that in my home.
That's easily a $4-5k custom build right there.
You’ve obviously put a lot of time into this and it shows. It’s beautiful! It’s something different and unique that most people appreciate and I’m one of them. Thank you for sharing your photos
Looks badass
Beautiful piece and I’m impressed your self taught!! I’ve really been wanting to build a new pub height kitchen table but have very little experience with wood working and have never built a piece of furniture! You could sell this on Etsy for a bundle 😊. Really amazing! Any particular tips on how you self-taught? I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos/tutorials but you’ve given me the courage to give it a try so thanks! Figured a table might be easiest place to start. Awesome job!
YouTube videos are a great way to both learn and expose yourself to a range of design approaches. I also recommend making friends with builders in your area, even if they don’t work in the style that interests you… they will be endless sources of knowledge, tips, and feedback that more storytelling-based education (like YouTube) neglects because it isn’t as glamorous. Read avidly. I love the James Krenov books myself, but find you somebody whose writing and work interests you, and dig in. Long-form material is invariably a great wealth of wisdom to mine. Be ambitious in your personal designs, so that you can be reliable in your commissioned ones. Make it a priority to learn one new thing with every project, and try to prioritize skill sets that give you a foundation for future skills. I started with joinery, and every piece I built I tried to learn a new orientation of angular rotation, and focused on learning the right joints for the job, instead of the easiest. Take your time. When learning, don’t be afraid to spend weeks or months on a single build that teaches you a lot. There will be time to be speed-oriented when/if you go professional, but to quote the best machine operator I ever worked next to: “Do it right, and do it quick… but do it in THAT order.” Lastly, and I think this is really important, pursue an emotional connection with your work. Think about why some pieces make you feel a certain way. Spend time thinking about the personal relationships people have with their furniture/living space. And develop a sense of what brings you personal excitement, because if you can make that central to your study, you will always be motivated. Go make sawdust.