I greatly enjoy your content, but I especially appreciate your design focus. Your comments are spot on. I spent many years early in Woodworking suffering with paralysis by analysis. I would anguish over unnecessary details and ultimately end up not creating the thing that I wanted to create for fear that it would not be quality work. Eventually, you either give up the hobby or you get past this which fortunately I have. I wish I had had someone like you and this channel to inspire me back then but hopefully you do this for others. Thanks for all you do.
Very nice. I got some pretty warped walnut from my wife's uncle. I think I'll go make a thing with it! I've been wondering what to do with it. Making a small, shallow shelf is just the ticket. Thanks for some inspiration. I'll gift it back to him so he has a memory of the tree he cut down 20 years ago.
Nothing wrong with using keyholes to hang pieces. I've been doing it for 50 years without anything crashing to the floor. Nice shelf, the various hand chamfers make the piece far more interesting than a routered edge treatment. I'm prone to looking through the bargain bin at my wood supplier. Every now and then I find a board that inspires me to do something different. From a design standpoint those projects don't always turnout great, but at least I challenged myself, learned something, and had fun with it. Loved those wall hung bookshelves by the way. Thanks for sharing.
I love keyholes for larger picture frames. One screw in a stud, I can hang off of and I weigh clear over 250lbs. In pictures I always set holes 16 or 25” on centre and once hung always level! Bam!
At first glance, I thought, yeah, that’s a nice little shelf. Then you put the bottle and glass on there, and I was like.. “I need one of those by the front door when I get home from work..” 😂🎉😂
Thanks for sharing. I also alternate long vs. short duration projects. I am making Becksvoort’s 15 drawer cabinet and about half way through; it will take me another 150 hours to do (hobby woodworker and lots of dovetails so slow going). After that, I want something that doesn’t take too long to do. Recently, as a hobby to my hobby woodworking, I’ve taken some wood turning classes. WOW! In just a hour or three I can have a completed project. Very nice to be able to finish something so fast.
I know that the wood grain did not turn out as you intended, but I like it better this way. It looks like you intended the curve to follow the grain, but in your finished piece, the wood grain draws your eye up into the display on top. I especially like how that darker contrast line on the front matches the vase, or the bourbon, quite well. It may not have been the shelf you wanted, but the shelf you needed.
What a cool build! My son has been asking for some floating shelves and I have some cherry that would be perfect for that purpose. The sliding dovetail is a great idea.
A lovely little piece made for all the right reasons. The hand shaping gives that edge a bit of motion/dynamic that you couldn't achieve with a router. It's a nice touch.
You turned me on to keyhole attachment about a year or two ago. I love the simplicity of the attachment and how tight it is on the wall, like a floating shelf. When you first mentioned the grain direction, I thought what is he talking about, that curve goes well with the piece....
Your description of and seemingly justification for the artistic process is honestly refreshing and quite lovely. Thank you kindly. This gives me motivation to build. as someone who is relatively new at this craft (a mere couple of years) I can certainly attest to the notion of needing that accomplishment itch scratched. I make a mistake on an object and am furious. many mistakes are critical and then beget the wood to some other use (occasionally my shop wood stove). Alas. Thanks again
Alright, I'm gonna be the guy to say it. Erik, if your bar needs to hold a lot of weight...You're not drinking fast enough. In all seriousness, beautiful little project. It's always nice to see a pro take a step back and make something simple yet elegant with just an off-cut and a few hours in the shop. Oh, and I aspire to get to a point where grain orientation is my "mistake." Mine usually involve a lot of swearing and making of a whole new piece.
Very nice! I think as long as the key hole tracks are cut deep enough it’s a great hanging method. Side note. I love seeing the channel growth over the past year or so after you consciously decided to do content at the pace you enjoy. Keep doing your thing!
I had all kinds of fun making a dozen tool holders for my french cleat wall. Every one a little different, made out of a variety of scraps, nothing perfect, yet they have their own style.
Great build and design. I think small pieces like this are a great opportunity to “play” with designs and techniques and then just scale them to other larger pieces.
Even your “scrapwood” projects are gorgeous 🔥and I love your design approach to your work. I’m very fortunate that woodworking is a hobby that I found later in life, and brings me so much joy. Doesn’t matter what I make, I’m proud that I made it !
Knowing your proclivity for hand shaping edge profiles, etc., how do you build that time into the cost of a commission. I live by the rule that I don't charge for my "school" work but spending an hour plus on small details because you enjoy that seems to fly in the face of a business mindset.
I’ve never been an artistic person and you definitely coax it out of me and give a comfortable space to do so. Thanks. And I’ll be honest, when you started talking about the shaper origin, I flashed back to Forrest Gump pitching his flexolite ping pong paddle, but you you pulled the nice up on the airplane and did the sliding dovetail. Don’t confuse me, I listen to every influencer and their beef jerky, meal plans, vpn and understand it’s part of trade off. You stopped my eyes rolling.
Yup. Joy. Could not agree more. Most of us do this because we love doing it. Good to slow down sometimes and appreciate it - dwell a bit in that pocket of joy.
what you say is so true ;) as i get better skills i look back at stuff i did before and i saw all the flaw and mistake ive made.......but man at the time i was so happy to do it and that what important
I absolutely love this project. And you grain direction is fine. It is in shadow and underneath, so anyone in your home won't notice. And you did not offend the woodworking gods by being too perfect. Sometimes, I worry about you because you probably have offended them with perfection!😂❤
You remind me that I really have to get my router table thing resolved. They are just so useful. PS: I modified your finish regime somewhat. Instead of the two final beeswax & oil coats, I do one, then finish with one application of micro-crystalline wax ( Renaissance ). Soooo smooth...
You need a Grimple tray, old English term for "things to be collected:. Be wary of getting a lathe, they are addictive. I have never kept one of my walnut pieces, so don't know about it turning orange as it ages. It makes me sneeze and itch not days, so I don't work with it any more.
Always a treat! Fun is essential, at least that's what my nurse told me. Call it upcycling and put a green sticker on for bonus karma :) The idea to mill extra boards, or prep other extra/ spare material to size is super handy imo. also the ability to test stuff without touching your precious final pieces. Keyholes are great, it is an age-old, tried and tested system that works, just like french cleats. If it's simple and it works... Have you considered making (retro)futuristic designs? You have shown a lot of amazing stylized/classicwithatwist/artful/MCM things you show. Like if the Jetson's ordered an entertainment center, what would that look like?
Excellent topic, as after many bespoke Christmas presents I just made a nice tool tote that no one asked for, out of mostly off cuts. Itch scratched. 👍
Ok, so I’m not 100% sure what your vision was for the grain on that support but I *love* the dramatic effect of the grain swooping in toward and terminating at the arc. I also think the effect from the front with the grain pattern on the front ( being extra “thick” because of the angle of how it meets the arc) is quite striking. I appreciate the frustration in missing your target, but this time I think you aimed for a 9 and hit a 10 through a happy accident.
In a hundred years, you will probably look back on the grain configuration and laugh! Don't sweat it, it looks great! Thanks for inspiring my next project!
Another enjoyable and informative video. For most people the grain orientation wouldn't even be a factor but for you, oh boy, I can only imagine how that bugged you. Hey ho, that's life though. 😂 Made me laugh though, your 'scrap' pieces are often as big as stock I use for planned projects. Hilarious but I suppose that's the difference between a professional and a hobbyist?
I'm sure this is a nice little project, but my eyes really popped at the sight of the ceepycrawly box that was among your enjoy-yourself-projects-slideshow. How did you work the legs ...? Bandsaw? Whittling knife?
I like a simple design mainly because it ALLOWS THE WOOD TO SPEAK UNINTERRUPTED by complex lines or shinny hardware. Wood "speaks" so softly and in order to honor it, I like to keep my designs less complex and I almost never use exposed metal hardware.
Wood is wood and walnut is walnut. That looks like a simple little things no one cares but in matter of design... It's clearly not mdf with paint and makes a lot of difference in a room.
You were unhappy that you got the grain on the upright "wrong", and I can see what you're saying. But in the end, it worked quite well. Sort of a contra-flow.
One thing I would have tried (because I just may be even more anal about grain orientation than you 👀) is a low-contrast veneer where the cut was made (not a focal point, but a point of interest) and continue as planned. Keep up the great work. Your videos are SO digestible.
I greatly enjoy your content, but I especially appreciate your design focus. Your comments are spot on. I spent many years early in Woodworking suffering with paralysis by analysis. I would anguish over unnecessary details and ultimately end up not creating the thing that I wanted to create for fear that it would not be quality work. Eventually, you either give up the hobby or you get past this which fortunately I have. I wish I had had someone like you and this channel to inspire me back then but hopefully you do this for others. Thanks for all you do.
Very nice. I got some pretty warped walnut from my wife's uncle. I think I'll go make a thing with it! I've been wondering what to do with it. Making a small, shallow shelf is just the ticket. Thanks for some inspiration. I'll gift it back to him so he has a memory of the tree he cut down 20 years ago.
Nothing wrong with using keyholes to hang pieces. I've been doing it for 50 years without anything crashing to the floor. Nice shelf, the various hand chamfers make the piece far more interesting than a routered edge treatment. I'm prone to looking through the bargain bin at my wood supplier. Every now and then I find a board that inspires me to do something different. From a design standpoint those projects don't always turnout great, but at least I challenged myself, learned something, and had fun with it. Loved those wall hung bookshelves by the way. Thanks for sharing.
The caption at 2:29 should be 9¼" = 235mm (first two digits transposed) 😉
U just inspired me to build a beside table for my wife. Thank you. Lovely video.
I love keyholes for larger picture frames. One screw in a stud, I can hang off of and I weigh clear over 250lbs. In pictures I always set holes 16 or 25” on centre and once hung always level! Bam!
At first glance, I thought, yeah, that’s a nice little shelf. Then you put the bottle and glass on there, and I was like.. “I need one of those by the front door when I get home from work..” 😂🎉😂
Thanks for sharing. I also alternate long vs. short duration projects. I am making Becksvoort’s 15 drawer cabinet and about half way through; it will take me another 150 hours to do (hobby woodworker and lots of dovetails so slow going). After that, I want something that doesn’t take too long to do. Recently, as a hobby to my hobby woodworking, I’ve taken some wood turning classes. WOW! In just a hour or three I can have a completed project. Very nice to be able to finish something so fast.
I know that the wood grain did not turn out as you intended, but I like it better this way. It looks like you intended the curve to follow the grain, but in your finished piece, the wood grain draws your eye up into the display on top. I especially like how that darker contrast line on the front matches the vase, or the bourbon, quite well. It may not have been the shelf you wanted, but the shelf you needed.
What a cool build! My son has been asking for some floating shelves and I have some cherry that would be perfect for that purpose. The sliding dovetail is a great idea.
A lovely little piece made for all the right reasons. The hand shaping gives that edge a bit of motion/dynamic that you couldn't achieve with a router. It's a nice touch.
You turned me on to keyhole attachment about a year or two ago. I love the simplicity of the attachment and how tight it is on the wall, like a floating shelf.
When you first mentioned the grain direction, I thought what is he talking about, that curve goes well with the piece....
A nice way to enjoy a Saturday morning coffee admiring a beautiful thing made by a master woodworker! Thanks Erik
Your description of and seemingly justification for the artistic process is honestly refreshing and quite lovely. Thank you kindly. This gives me motivation to build. as someone who is relatively new at this craft (a mere couple of years) I can certainly attest to the notion of needing that accomplishment itch scratched. I make a mistake on an object and am furious. many mistakes are critical and then beget the wood to some other use (occasionally my shop wood stove). Alas. Thanks again
Alright, I'm gonna be the guy to say it. Erik, if your bar needs to hold a lot of weight...You're not drinking fast enough.
In all seriousness, beautiful little project. It's always nice to see a pro take a step back and make something simple yet elegant with just an off-cut and a few hours in the shop.
Oh, and I aspire to get to a point where grain orientation is my "mistake." Mine usually involve a lot of swearing and making of a whole new piece.
I love watching your process. One thing you have helped me with, is if I like, sometimes that is all that matters.
Very nice piece, I have been eye ball'n a shelf like that but with a small drawer under it. Thank you for the inspiration.
Very nice! I think as long as the key hole tracks are cut deep enough it’s a great hanging method.
Side note. I love seeing the channel growth over the past year or so after you consciously decided to do content at the pace you enjoy. Keep doing your thing!
I think that the reason i enjoy making shop furniture so much. There is no stress about it not being perfect.
I had all kinds of fun making a dozen tool holders for my french cleat wall. Every one a little different, made out of a variety of scraps, nothing perfect, yet they have their own style.
Great build and design. I think small pieces like this are a great opportunity to “play” with designs and techniques and then just scale them to other larger pieces.
Even your “scrapwood” projects are gorgeous 🔥and I love your design approach to your work.
I’m very fortunate that woodworking is a hobby that I found later in life, and brings me so much joy.
Doesn’t matter what I make, I’m proud that I made it !
Another great video, Erik. I can really see Ms. Huff's influence in your work. 🙂
Knowing your proclivity for hand shaping edge profiles, etc., how do you build that time into the cost of a commission. I live by the rule that I don't charge for my "school" work but spending an hour plus on small details because you enjoy that seems to fly in the face of a business mindset.
Beautiful piece and the vase looks amazing also have you received your play button ▶️ yet
I’ve never been an artistic person and you definitely coax it out of me and give a comfortable space to do so. Thanks.
And I’ll be honest, when you started talking about the shaper origin, I flashed back to Forrest Gump pitching his flexolite ping pong paddle, but you you pulled the nice up on the airplane and did the sliding dovetail. Don’t confuse me, I listen to every influencer and their beef jerky, meal plans, vpn and understand it’s part of trade off. You stopped my eyes rolling.
Turned out beautiful. I think the grain looked great as finished. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice! What a difference a hand edged profile makes 👌🏽
Yup. Joy. Could not agree more. Most of us do this because we love doing it. Good to slow down sometimes and appreciate it - dwell a bit in that pocket of joy.
what you say is so true ;) as i get better skills i look back at stuff i did before and i saw all the flaw and mistake ive made.......but man at the time i was so happy to do it and that what important
I love that shelf!! Beautiful and I've got to say, the grain orientation gives it another dimension. I call that a happy accident!!
I absolutely love this project. And you grain direction is fine. It is in shadow and underneath, so anyone in your home won't notice. And you did not offend the woodworking gods by being too perfect. Sometimes, I worry about you because you probably have offended them with perfection!😂❤
nice to see a simple elegant "thing" made and explained by you. thankyou. i enjoyed that.
Love the play projects, as that's what all of mine are. Also love your style and skill.
I loved the simplicity of that piece. It brought me joy to watch.
Clean and elegant. Great to see the keyhole idea, I hadn't thought of that and I have a job co.ing where I need to mount like this :)
These little scrap projects are so accessible. They're some of your best vids, and my favorite pieces.
Nice build. Makes me want to give it a try. Ah, question... Is that Old Elk in the coffee mug?
Love it when you do an end of commission project Erik, you come up with some amazing things to do. Thanks for the video.👍👍
Simple, beautiful and useful. William Morris would have loved it. Great work.
You remind me that I really have to get my router table thing resolved. They are just so useful. PS: I modified your finish regime somewhat. Instead of the two final beeswax & oil coats, I do one, then finish with one application of micro-crystalline wax ( Renaissance ). Soooo smooth...
Simply gorgeous!
You need a Grimple tray, old English term for "things to be collected:. Be wary of getting a lathe, they are addictive. I have never kept one of my walnut pieces, so don't know about it turning orange as it ages. It makes me sneeze and itch not days, so I don't work with it any more.
The consistency is wicked!!
I've gotta say that spider box is super cool!
Always a treat! Fun is essential, at least that's what my nurse told me.
Call it upcycling and put a green sticker on for bonus karma :)
The idea to mill extra boards, or prep other extra/ spare material to size is super handy imo. also the ability to test stuff without touching your precious final pieces. Keyholes are great, it is an age-old, tried and tested system that works, just like french cleats. If it's simple and it works...
Have you considered making (retro)futuristic designs? You have shown a lot of amazing stylized/classicwithatwist/artful/MCM things you show.
Like if the Jetson's ordered an entertainment center, what would that look like?
Excellent topic, as after many bespoke Christmas presents I just made a nice tool tote that no one asked for, out of mostly off cuts. Itch scratched. 👍
Nice little project Eric!
But what about the color of your front door😄
Great work and video showing
The vase was better
you gave me a fun idea for bedside tables in the guest room, simple and clean, thanks!
Hey, is that the MLCS (or whatever they are calling themselves this week) power lift pro in your router table?
Need to learn more from you like your work please can you teach watching from Botswana 🇧🇼
I like it 🙂
Love it. Always appreciate your work my friend.
Ok, so I’m not 100% sure what your vision was for the grain on that support but I *love* the dramatic effect of the grain swooping in toward and terminating at the arc. I also think the effect from the front with the grain pattern on the front ( being extra “thick” because of the angle of how it meets the arc) is quite striking.
I appreciate the frustration in missing your target, but this time I think you aimed for a 9 and hit a 10 through a happy accident.
Thank you. Nice project. Enjoyed your philosophy of joy
Good design requires repetition and variation, so I agree with your choice to do hand shaping
In a hundred years, you will probably look back on the grain configuration and laugh! Don't sweat it, it looks great! Thanks for inspiring my next project!
If any of us can laugh at this in 100 years it will be a great thing indeed 😂
That was great, it gave me the fizz ! Thank you for all your time and effort. 1in7
Should consider all your projects scrap wood projects and see where it takes you 😊
It’s awesome to just have FUN woodworking! After all, that’s why we started in the first place! 😃👊
Drywall anchors were a must.......
Another enjoyable and informative video. For most people the grain orientation wouldn't even be a factor but for you, oh boy, I can only imagine how that bugged you. Hey ho, that's life though. 😂
Made me laugh though, your 'scrap' pieces are often as big as stock I use for planned projects. Hilarious but I suppose that's the difference between a professional and a hobbyist?
It seems so obvious now. 🙈. Thanks for sharing how to complete this dovetail joint.
I'm sure this is a nice little project, but my eyes really popped at the sight of the ceepycrawly box that was among your enjoy-yourself-projects-slideshow. How did you work the legs ...? Bandsaw? Whittling knife?
Burbon does look a little better sitting on it lol
I like a simple design mainly because it ALLOWS THE WOOD TO SPEAK UNINTERRUPTED by complex lines or shinny hardware. Wood "speaks" so softly and in order to honor it, I like to keep my designs less complex and I almost never use exposed metal hardware.
2025 off to a grand start. Thanks for sharing yet another thing of beauty.
You’re supposed to push with spoke shaves?? Beautiful piece and great vid brother! 😊
Great video. Just found your channel. Looking forward to your videos.
Yea 1” roughly 25mm so what ever inch in decimal x 25 is good to ok conversion
Great little piece. Did you consider offsetting the support left or right to give a little more tension to the design?
Thanks Erik for doing this thing.
"The origin is really good for beginner woodworkers". What beginner can afford that?
I'm a simple man. I see Erik has a new video, and I click.
Great build! If you dont mind me asking what chissels do you highly recommend? I see you have a few sets in your cabinet behind you.
Your on screen graphic said 9 and 1/4 inches is 325mm… it’s not haha it’s 234.95mm
Your use of keyholes to hang your shelves, are the wall screws in studs?
Love this Project 🫡
Wood is wood and walnut is walnut. That looks like a simple little things no one cares but in matter of design... It's clearly not mdf with paint and makes a lot of difference in a room.
I just apparently honesty about your whole process and decision making. #makeathing
(2:28) Is your metric is slipping Erik? Or is that a typo? Did you transpose the first two digits? It should be 235.
That is a nice thing.
9.25" is approx. 235 mm not 325 (think you got the numbers in wrong order (sorry for the pedantic comment)
Ah. I was coming to be “that guy”. Thanks for beating me to the punch ;)
Hey! I wanted to be that guy 😂
You were unhappy that you got the grain on the upright "wrong", and I can see what you're saying. But in the end, it worked quite well. Sort of a contra-flow.
I enjoy all your videos, but I have to say that like the “Arty Erik” vids very much.
Very manly here but love Muranos. Have a collection of them. Not very fan of whisky. 😅
10” is 254mm
It’s 235 mm, not 325mm! 😜 2:30
Have you ever dropped the pencil from your mouth to a moving blade? 😅 jk, love your stuff! My favourite YT channel.❤
I want to disagree with you about the dynamic chamfer, just to be a dick and troll, but looks great, and working with hard tools is such a joy.
I like the bourbon better.
It’s only dropped two minutes ago for me, but I’m like #245
I cannot sit here while you call a 3 foot x 15" plank worth about £100 a 'scrap' 😂
❤️
Could you not have just shouldered the other end the way it should have been and let the bad shoulder be a gap at the back?
I was thinking the same thing. Then the grain would have been how he wanted and the gap would be against the wall where no one would see it.
Have you considered a career with the US government? Your math is *chef's kiss*
One thing I would have tried (because I just may be even more anal about grain orientation than you 👀) is a low-contrast veneer where the cut was made (not a focal point, but a point of interest) and continue as planned. Keep up the great work. Your videos are SO digestible.
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
Very krenovian philosophy
Comment
Oh god, it took 5 mins to hear "Origin"…… *click!