I've done a bit of rough woodworking, but nothing furniture-related yet. There's a community shop nearby with all the tools and some experienced members. A basic rectangle table seems simple enough: I plan to plane the boards to even thickness, use dominoes or dowels for joining, and cut the ends to the same length. The legs could complicate things, but I'm thinking of keeping it simple for my first attempt. I also need to consider hardware for wood movement and a poly finish for durability. Am I overlooking anything, or is this a doable first project? I'll be using hardwood from my local lumber yard suitable for furniture making.
1 Answer
Honestly, it's totally doable! Just a couple of tips: I wouldn't bother with doweling the boards since it can create tight tolerances that aren't necessary. Just using glue should be fine for long grain joins, but biscuits or dominoes can help with alignment. One more thing, since those boards are going to be long, use a jointer or a track saw for a cleaner joint. You'll do great with this project—have fun making it!