Towel Dispenser - Walnut and Soft Maple

Side Table - White Oak

Entertainment Center - American Ash

Coffee Table - White Oak

Guests to my house are usually surprised to learn that this table was made without a single nail or screw. Its incredibly solid and has zero wobble. Its rigidity comes from twelve mortise and tenon joints, the strongest joint known to woodworking. At the request of my wife, I hid the tenons by using "stopped tenon" joinery. The solid white oak certainly adds to its strength, given oak's density of about 700 kg per cubic meter. The entire structure was glued-up at once with about 15 clamps. It's a bit scary to know that this table will outlive me. I hope my children enjoy it long after I am gone. Finishing involved rubbing in two coats of a clear gel stain followed by four coats of satin clear varnish (Pratt & Lambert #38).

Tool Box - Red Cedar

This red cedar toolbox taught me plenty of valuable woodworking lessons. Each side panel is actually made of three strips of wood glued edge-to-edge. This technique allowed me to manipulate the final look of the piece. In this case, I put white rim along the top and bottom. Without any chiseling skills, I was compelled to make dovetails with a router and jig. The red cedar certainly had an aroma when cut. To me, cedar smells like the gerbil cage I had as a child. Sanded to 220 grit and finished with a clear gel stain, it came out prettier than anything I thought I'd ever make.