Hi from Brisbane, with pics.

[Woodbeetle]

Hi All

Just joined up after slowly getting into woodwork over the past year or so.

I thought I would share a couple of the projects I done so far.

1. Workbench - All the timber for this came from the tip. Its got a table saw and a router mounted underneath and probably weighs about a tonne:)

2. Dining Table - The top is made from sliced railway sleepers, with ebony and burl butterfly keys along the joins. There is also some beetles in epoxy resin in the knot holes. The frame is made from an old railway sleeper from the tip.

3. Rustic Branch Chair - Made from unusual shaped branches I have collected and a couple of bits of Black Wattle firewood for the seat.

Looking forward to getting to know the forum and getting some handy tips and tricks from you all:)

[In2Wood]

Hi there Woodbeatle

Nice to have you on the forum. Nice looking bench but I'd hate to have to shift it on my own! Also like the look of the table top - what have you embedded in the table?? - is it paui shell or something else? I have done something similar and used glasscoat as the epoxy - is that what you have done? Looks nice anyway> Hope you enjoy learning from the forum as there is lot's of experience floating around to learn from.

Clive O

[tdrumnut]

Gidday woodbeetle welcome to the forum, enjoy your stay.Nice work on the furniture and workbench btw, keep up the good work.

[crowie]

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Woodbettle".
Wow you are sure one talented woodworker, great photos.
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you keep showing off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers crowie

PS - Especially loved the bettles in clear resin on the table....very cool.

[JJF]

Welcome to a forum

[Christos]

Welcome to the forum.

Interesting pieces you have created.

[Woodbeetle]

Hi there Woodbeatle

Nice to have you on the forum. Nice looking bench but I'd hate to have to shift it on my own! Also like the look of the table top - what have you embedded in the table?? - is it paui shell or something else? I have done something similar and used glasscoat as the epoxy - is that what you have done? Looks nice anyway> Hope you enjoy learning from the forum as there is lot's of experience floating around to learn from.

Clive O

Hi Clive O

Thanks for the welcome. Yes not looking forward to the day I have to shift it:) I think the only way will be to jack it up onto heavy duty castors and winch it up onto a car moving trailer.

The table top has different types of beetles embedded in epoxy. I haven't done anything with Paui shell yet, but I bought some recently on a trip to new zealand with a view to using them in a table at some stage.

I have not used Glasscoat before but have seen it in Bunnings, is it nice to work with? I used Crystal Clear Casting Resin from Aldax.com. Ive tried a few different brands but have found that to be the best so far, it has a very low viscosity which makes it easy to get any bubbles out and sets water clear.

What type of stuff did you embed?

Cheers

Steve

[Woodbeetle]

Gidday woodbeetle welcome to the forum, enjoy your stay.Nice work on the furniture and workbench btw, keep up the good work.

Hi tdrumnut

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words

Steve

[Woodbeetle]

G'Day & Welcome to a top forum "Woodbettle".
Wow you are sure one talented woodworker, great photos.
You'll find a heap of helpful & knowledgeable blokes & ladies on the forum and for most very willing to assist.
Make sure you keep showing off your handiwork as everyone loves a photo, especially WIP photos with build notes.
Enjoy the forum.
Enjoy your woodwork.
Cheers crowie

PS - Especially loved the bettles in clear resin on the table....very cool.


Hi Crowie

Thanks for the welcome and the kind words.
Im sure there will be more photos to come, woodworking has become quite an obsession of late:)

Cheers

Steve

[Woodbeetle]

Welcome to a forum

Thanks JJF

[Woodbeetle]

Welcome to the forum.

Interesting pieces you have created.


Thanks Christos

[In2Wood]

Hi Steve

I have only used Glasscoat, and once I learned how to mix it properly (ie not get too many bubbles in it, and keep it warm) then it worked well. I have embedded a small frog on a bed of river gravel in a lake I created using black coloured epoxy. The trick is to get the bubbles out once the glasscoat has been poured and I just used a small gas blowtorch. I haven't heard of the product you used but might try it next time.

Cheers

Clive

[chambezio]

G'Day Steve
Welcome to the family. This site is such a great resource for information on very broad tpoics.
I am really taken by your chairs made from tree branches. I can imagine that the biggest part of putting them together is gathering the right shapes to come together to create the final form. Can you give us a "how to" mainly about how you joined the pieces together?
They are truly artistic and functional. Great work!!!

[Wongo]

Some interesting pieces there sir. Welcome.

[Glenrob]

Very nice work WB....I like your distinctive style. I like people who don't play by the standard rules.Keep up the great work.Bob

[Woodbeetle]

G'Day Steve
Welcome to the family. This site is such a great resource for information on very broad tpoics.
I am really taken by your chairs made from tree branches. I can imagine that the biggest part of putting them together is gathering the right shapes to come together to create the final form. Can you give us a "how to" mainly about how you joined the pieces together?
They are truly artistic and functional. Great work!!!


Hi Chambezio

Thanks for the welcome.

Im a tree lopper by trade and whenever I see an odd shaped branch in one of the trees I'm working on I bring it home and throw it on the ever growing pile in the backyard. Then when I have a free sunny day, I get them all out and spread then on the lawn and start making a basic shape, (cable ties are handy for holding things in place at this stage)

Once I have a basic frame, I just clamp the two pieces I want to join, pre drill and screw together. It kind of feels like cheating in a way, and in the future I would like to make them just using mortice and tenon joints and wooden pegs but this will do for now while I'm still practicing.

Then its just a matter of trying different pieces in different places just by holding it against the frame and seeing what it will look like and then screwing them on one by one. Makes for a very relaxing time I find, cricket on the radio, a couple of beers and slowly creating something that would have gone through the wood chipper otherwise.

I made the slats by first slicing with a chainsaw then smoothing and shaping with a Turbo Plane (Arbortech) attachment for the angle grinder.

I will take some more work in progress photos of the next one and put them up.

Cheers

Steve

[Woodbeetle]

Some interesting pieces there sir. Welcome.

Thankyou Sir:)

[Matador]

Hi Woodbeetle,Welcome to the forum. Excellent woodwork you have done there,especially the beetles in the table I like that.Keep up the great work, looking forward to your next lot of photo's. Cheers Graham,