My first project - Woodworking Talk

ironhead · 12-20-2008, 03:28 PM

I am starting to build rustic style furniture with hand tools only and this is my first project. It's as simple as it gets. I needed a handrail for the steps going up to our house so I went into the woods behind it which looks like a war zone thanks to hurricane Ike and cut a piece of limb to use. We are trying to give our house a cabin look and feel so I thought this would be a good idea. All I used was a hatchet, pocket knife, and a screw gun to mount it to the wall. I will stain it in the spring when it warms up.

BHOFM · 12-20-2008, 03:34 PM

Very nice, by spring you may not want to stain it,
just some oil.

Turning nothing into something is what it is all about.

Handyman · 12-20-2008, 06:21 PM

Hey Iron head, I love what you did to the handrail. It's those little details that make a place feel like home. Great idea, and a great job as well.

rocklobster · 12-20-2008, 06:48 PM

Looks great. Makes me wish I needed a handrail somewhere.

Rob

breakfastchef · 12-20-2008, 07:04 PM

As they say in France...chez cool!!

ironhead · 12-20-2008, 09:14 PM

Thanks for the replies guys. Its simple even for a first go but its a start. I've got a cedar tree on the trailer that I cant wait to make something out of. Anybody know how long it takes for say a 3" cedar log to dry enough to carve out mortises and tenons without having too much shrinkage?

The log from the tree is about 12" at the bottom and 4" at the top but it had lots of long thick branches that are screaming " Do something with me "

Later
Ironhead

Norman Pyles · 12-20-2008, 10:56 PM

What a great idea, and welcome to the forum. I live about a 150 miles up the Ohio from you.

joesdad · 12-20-2008, 10:59 PM

Careful there ironhead, you may turn into a junkie like the rest of us and start swerving while you're driving cause you were too preoccupied by a cool looking tree on the side of the road. That rail looks really cool,forget the stain, just clear coat it with something that has maybe an amber tint and let mother nature do the rest.