Custom Furniture and Custom Woodwork Joinery Options

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This is the most basic joint I do, and I reserve this only for pieces that don't require higher-strength joints. Things like small desk shelves and appliance covers can be made with this joinery. The holes for the screws can be filled with dowels, then cut flush to the face of the board they are drilled through.

This joint is only a little more complex than pocket screws, but provides added durability by allowing glue contact across a decent surface area. It also eliminates the exterior holes that are visible with pocket screws. The legs of these meditation stools were joined to the seats using dowel tenons.

Box joints are constructed by creating an offset series of cuts in two joining boards which then slide together like fingers lacing together. They work fine when the boards are aligned in the same direction, such as the boards around a box or chest, but wouldn't provide the durability needed for opposed-grain joints like a rail attached to a stile.

The mortise and tenon is the go-to joint for creating long-lasting and durable pieces of furniture. It is made by creating a housing in the face of one board which accepts a tenon on the end of another board. It provides excellent strength and durability by maximizing the surface area of the glue, and also provides good mechanical strength.

Miter joints are one of the more visually appealing because they allow a seemingly continues grain structure around a box, tray, or other small piece. But the most basic form of the joint doesn't provide as much strength as others due to the end-grain glue surfaces. This is why splines are added. A spline is a narrow piece of wood that is added into the joint to increase the surface area for glue. This provides durability and a decorative contrast.

Dovetails provide excellent strength and a decorative appearance. They are made by creating "tails" in one board that interlock with "pins" on another. They are essentially a modified box joint that provides significantly more hold than a square-cut joint. This joint can be used for a variety of functions, but isn't suitable for some joinery where a mortise and tenon is most appropriate.

This basic finish option will be the most common for most woods. It is a basic finish using any film-forming clear coat, such as polyurethane, clear acrylic, lacquer, shellac, or any of a variety of clear or semi-clear finishes. It results in some of the most true-to-nature color for the wood while still providing substantial protection. This serving tray and the photo transfer were finished with a clear water-based finish.

Dyes can be used to add decorative effects, enhance figure, or assist in color matching. Dye is excellent for adding color with less potential to muddy the grain than pigment stains because they penetrate into and bond directly to the wood fibers. Dyes and pigments are often used in conjunction with each other to achieve specific colors and depth, and to accentuate different features of the wood.

Pigment stains lay down solid particles of color on the surface of wood -- especially in the tiny grooves between the fibers, in pores, and in the fine scratches left by sanding. Pigment stains can be used for a variety of purposes. The walnut coat rack above was dyed, sealed with shellac, then glazed with an oil-based pigment stain before clear coating.

For custom furniture and other pieces that will get mild exposure to UV light, such as pieces that sit under windows, I may use marine varnish as part of the clear coating process. For outdoor pieces that use costly woods, I will do all the clear finish layers with marine varnish, or possibly epoxy topped with marine varnish. This outdoor garden bench is made from western red cedar and quartersawn white oak.

If a wood needs to be stabilized due to softness, rot, or insect damage, I will soak and fill all voids, recesses, and rotted wood with clear epoxy that will cure into a hard plastic that provides strength and stability. It also produces a gorgeous deepening of the wood's natural colors. This spalted maple meditation stool seat was soaked and subsequently finished with epoxy. Stabilized wood can often be finished with a "regular" film finish so long as it is structurally sound.

Pieces for use in cooking, serving, or storage of food will be finished using the best finish for the job at hand. Technically, all regular film-forming finishes are food-safe once fully cured, but many aren't suitable for certain uses. For example, film finish should never be applied to a cutting board -- the film can chip off into the food, which isn't a serious safety concern so much as it is unpleasant. Vessels for storing dry goods will be finished with the desired finish and left to cure for up to 30 days (for film finishes) before shipping.