| Project by Brandon | posted 06-03-2011 10:02 PM | 15293 views | 28 times favorited | 26 comments |  |
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This week I just finished my first Arts and Crafts furniture project. I have always enjoyed the Arts and Crafts style and finally decided to make a piece myself. This nightstand is for my wife and from what I can tell—-she really likes it.
I followed the plans in Wood Magazine’s Arts and Crafts Furniture book (ISNB: 9781402711749), but made a number of adjustments from the original. For instance, instead of red oak, I used QSWO. Instead of 1/4 ply for the sides and back, I used solid white oak. The drawer pulls are different and I also constructed the drawer boxes differently. Lastly, I used a different stain color. The basic style and dimensions are drawn from the book, however. The last photo shows a comparison between the book’s nightstand (left) and my version (right).
For the finish, I decided to go simple. I considered fuming the oak with ammonia, but that seemed to be a bit of a hassle. I also considered Jeff Jewitt's recipe, but I was looking for something a little simpler and less expensive, especially since finishing seems to be my least favorite part of the whole process. After experimenting with a few Minwax stains I settled on Early American, which both captured the color I wanted and seemed to highlight the ray flecks.
This has been my favorite project to date and I’m looking forward to building more A&C furniture. Thanks for looking.
-- "hold fast to that which is good"
26 comments so far
Luke
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290 posts in 3607 days
#1 posted 06-03-2011 10:19 PM
Love it, love the flakes and rays!
Mike Gager
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665 posts in 4187 days
#2 posted 06-03-2011 11:43 PM
nice color!
scarpenter002
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#3 posted 06-04-2011 12:52 AM
Nice job. Love the design and finish.
-- Scott in Texas
saddletramp
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1180 posts in 3558 days
#4 posted 06-04-2011 01:12 AM
I’ve always like A&C and that one’s a beaut.
-- ♫♪♪♫♫ Saddletramp, saddletramp, I'm as free as the breeze and I ride where I please, saddletramp ♪♪♪♫♪ ...... Bob W....NW Michigan (Traverse City area)
hlpaint
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26 posts in 4287 days
#5 posted 06-04-2011 01:28 AM
I like your version better, the choice of wood, handles, the wood color, the idea of going with solid wood on sides. Very nice. This piece will out live us all.
-- The guy who makes no mistakes hasn't done anything
Paul Lajoie
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139 posts in 4024 days
#6 posted 06-04-2011 01:58 AM
Your hooked on A & C now!! I just finished my 7th piece in the winter, can’t wait to start my next one!!!
Oh bye the way, great looking end table.
Paul
CanalboatJim
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208 posts in 4425 days
#7 posted 06-04-2011 03:34 AM
Great project Brandon. Your stand is the better of the two.
-- Jim Westbrooks
istringer12
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9 posts in 3471 days
#8 posted 06-04-2011 03:52 AM
Nice table. I admire the precision of the piece and the workmanship.
Dark_Lightning
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4243 posts in 4029 days
#9 posted 06-04-2011 04:14 AM
Very nice! I like the A&C style, too. I’ve done patination of copper with ammonia and really like the results. You have to be sure to get the right product, and most importantly, be careful with it. It’s pretty nasty if you aren’t careful. Jeff Jewitt’s recipe seems to avoid all the nasty ammonia problems.
-- Steven.......Random Orbital Nailer
Beginningwoodworker
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13345 posts in 4593 days
#10 posted 06-04-2011 06:19 AM
Nice looking nightstand.
MayflowerDescendant
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414 posts in 3706 days
#11 posted 06-04-2011 07:39 AM
AWESOME piece! Bravo! Thanks for sharing.
-- Glen - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Tim Pursell
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500 posts in 4702 days
#12 posted 06-04-2011 10:24 AM
Your enhancements to their design make big improvements to the overall look.
Great job, thanks for posting it.
-- http://www.etsy.com/shop/tpursell?ref=si_shop
Skylark53
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2824 posts in 3980 days
#13 posted 06-04-2011 04:32 PM
Beautifully done. Nice selection of oak and your finish looks terrific.
-- Rick, Tennessee, John 3:16
Luke
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546 posts in 4214 days
#14 posted 06-06-2011 05:42 PM
I like it. Especially the hardware. Nice job.
-- LAS, http://www.abettersign.com
Brandon
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4380 posts in 3871 days
#15 posted 06-06-2011 06:41 PM
Thanks! The hardware was in the clearance bin at Woodcraft. It was a dollar a handle—-I cleaned them out.
-- "hold fast to that which is good"
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