Well, I’ve been a woodworker for over 45 years and so, obviously, have seen a revolution in what’s available to the smaller shop. Everything from abrasives (I started using the dried skin of a dog fish) to adhesives to routers to….everything. I’m retired now but we did have a sidleline business for a good few years making principally Arts and Crafts pieces here in the UK. However, I’m busier than ever on a 500 square metre barn conversion with all the2nd fix including doors, frames, cornice, picture rail etc. plus lots of furniture. Mostly in European oak. We live next to orchards and, about 10 years ago, the farmer cut down the very old Bradley apple trees as they were past their best. I managed to get a lot of the timber and, you’re right, apple moves and shakes like anything. But it’s a beautiful timber and it’s proximity makes us very happy. Taste personal whilst skill is universal. So, whilst I can’t say that the piece here is not to my taste, I do admire the skill in the making. I rarely use stain by itself although all of the oak has been finished in a smoked oak stain just because it replicates the old fumed oak colour that the A&C makers loved. If I do want a contrast, I tend to use minimal pieces of stained and my favourite is to use Ferrous acid (steel shavings in vinegar) to react with the tannins on the wood. I prefer that not quite opaque look as you can steel see the grain. But, that’s just my taste. Dovetails are a pet subjects of mine. They evolved during the centuries when the adhesives were so prone to failure under stress. Therefore, there was a need to have mechanical joint to hold pieces together. We don’t have that issue and, so, I suggest that dovetails are a vanity joint. Nothing wrong with that if you want to show other woodworkers how good you are but I find they are used all too often detracting from the design rather than enhancing it. I designed a large bureau for a client and we gradually got to what she wanted; finally, she agreed but asked if we could possibly remove those arrow things as they were too fussy for the overall aesthetic. She was right. I agree entirely about using a router for the flat bottoms - by far the most accurate way. I would suggest clamping a piece of timber next to your chisel line and use that piece to ensure your chisel is totally perpendicular. I know there is a fashion to have almost concave bottoms but I’ve never felt the need. Anyway, first video of yours I’ve watched. Very impressed not only by the skill but also by the quality of the camerawork etc. so, a rare thing for me, I’ve subscribed.
your channel is criminally underviewed. I've watched about 10 of your videos now they're all really well made and at least as well made and done as many larger channels. I hope you continue to grow the effort you put into the video aspect as well as your projects. gorgeous work.
Thanks for your kind words, it has been hard keeping at it but I really enjoy making these videos. I'm in it for the long haul so we'll just have to see how long it take!
That Applewood is lovely. I tend to enjoy the natural wood colors, but as you say, the black really makes the colors and grain of the Applewood pop. Well done!
I'm a huge fan of the Apple, the way it looks similar to Cherry but has a more medium brown color really makes me like it! Overall I've become a huge fan a local woods since they tend to have more figure then anything you'll find at the lumber yards!
Yeah it's a hard choice, part of me want's to leave the shelf empty to see the back the other part of me want's to fill it with a new collection of woodworking books!
I’ve been binging your videos this weekend and must say your work is amazing. There’s a great mix of hand tool and power tool use, which is just the type of woodworking I want to be doing. I also love your use of different timbers and how you explain the pros and cons of using them. Your designs are some of the most tasteful I’ve seen on youtube; veering more towards traditional than the mid century modern style that youtube is saturated with. Keep up the good work!
It's definitely an interesting wood, I still have to find some creative ways to use this stuff with all the cracking but I think a little epoxy should make nice stable panels!
Oh. My. God… This has to be one of the biggest “Aha” moments I have had watching a woodworking video… Using my machine dovetail template as a line up guide for transferring my marks on my hand cut dovetails. Thanks bud! Beautiful job, and from one Albertan to another, stay warm and stay safe in the shop!
I know how you feel, I was setting up one day for my hand cut dovetails and I went to grab my saw that was sitting beside the jig and the light bulb just went off! Glad I could share that little tip, and it's good to hear from another Albertan surviving the cold!
I enjoy watching an artist at their craft. Not only are you an incredibly gifted woodworker, you are also a gifted videographer and your videos are always a joy to view.
Morgan, once you have hand sawn the side, pins and or tales, knife line along the base to be cut out and you'll get a better finish. I hand chisel back to that line. If you are getting an uneven line using the router then there is very slight rocking of the router. Maybe a shallower cut will assist with that?? As for the rough base, Rob Cosman recommends a spare chisel be ground to 17 degrees for this job in softwood. Further Hayward (1950's) recommends chiseling down on one side and pairing in at 45 degrees until only about 1/6" is left, leaving the outer edge. Then, when it's flipped over to chisel the other side the timber is still supported by that remaining outer edge and is less include the break away. Also, even if it is rough, it's end grain, it's hidden and the joint is where the strength is. The glue just holds it in place.
So the router is actually the perfect solution for me, it was able to give me a good clean and square baseline. I'm not a fan of chiseling the baseline mostly because I find it tedious, if I didn't have the whole router setup and it was my only choice it wouldn't be a big issue. When I was chiseling the baseline I used a method similar to the one you suggested where I would cut in at an angle from both edges so I would end up with a small V. It worked well but again is more tedious than just setting up the router and getting something that's perfect!
It is a very interesting wood, the color is very different from most of the other woods I work with so I'm excited to see how it blends into more projects!
Gosh, that applewood looks great against the black color! Almost reminds me of a cedar look. Love me some wall hanging cabinets! I think they are my favorite projects.
It really is an interesting wood, the amount of color variation in it is amazing compared to most of the other woods I've messed around with! My favourite thing about it that it looks alot like cherry but less red, which fits my style a little more. Hanging cabinets really are the best, the only problem is you can only build so many of them before you run out of wall space!
I really like the look of the applewood. I’ve been wanting to dry out the black stain on open grain woods, hopefully soon. You may like Rob Cosmans method for making dowels by the way!
Avoid black stain! What you're going to want to find is India Ink, you can usually find it on Amazon for fairly cheap, works 100x better than stain and will actually turn the wood pitch black!
That's really interesting, I never thought to strap it together but it does make sense. I'm hoping this spring/summer to try and collect a whole bunch of logs to get milled so I will give it a shot then and see if that can save the wood!
@@morganhurst_redridge I just watched a video today from the “Workshop Companion” where he strapped some lumber down that he milled himself. Interesting video.
Great job! From the quality of your bookshelf to the style of video and music, this was a great video. Also, I appreciated you making sure we knew how challenging apple wood was. You got my subscription!
Thanks, I love hearing when people like the project but it's also really nice to hear you like the way I made the video to! Apple wood is definitely a bit of a pain but with how unique it is,, it's makes the work worthwhile.
A really nice, and understated piece of furniture. I was wondering whether, as opposed to nailing the back panels, leaving them loose, and slide in a channel of some kind. Or would this allow for too much movement? I really enjoy your 'mellow' way of presenting your work. Keep it up. 🙂
You can definitely do it that way the only problem you might run into is that it makes the glue up a little more complicated since you have to deal with more parts. Mostly for simplicities sake I always mount my back panels after the glue up, that way it also makes it easier to work inside the cabinet after the glue up. The other problem, specific to this project is that you wouldn't be able to stain it without coloring those back pieces. When you start looking to add stain or paint to a project you really have to take the time to figure out how to add the non-stained pieces after everything else is done. I hope that makes sense, if it doesn't just let me know!
If you decide to do another similar with ash. You could try burning it. That should give you a similar look but not be as dark. Could look very nice. I do like this one with the contrast between the ash and the apple however. Looks great!
I love the color that you get when you burn ash or oak really deep then brush it! The only problem I've run into is glued panels will sometimes crack or deform from the heat so I'm not sure how to use it in a piece of furniture.
Maybe dowels would do the trick? Or you could prep your stock then burn it, then join the panels. That way you aren't heating the glue. You could even try epoxy to join them? Could be a fun project. Maybe try it on something smaller for your self. Maybe a hand tool cabinet or something? Have fun, and keep up the good work!
I really enjoy your content. Keep up the videos. I milled up a few apple and maple boards from trees in my neighborhood and the apple dried pretty wonky with cracking, cupping and twisting whereas the maple is dead flat.
What I was told by the sawyer who cut my logs, fruit woods like apple, pear, and cherry tend to have alot of built up stress because of the weight they have to carry so when they dry they're more likely to warp and crack. It seams like a good theory, I just can't find anything to back it up online, so I have to just take his word for it.
As the owner of a portable mill, there's a lot of warp and twist you never see in graded materials. I have 2 cherry boards that both cupped and twisted and turned against me inside of a week after they were sawn.
@@morganhurst_redridge Or the utterly gorgeous looking white oak boards that I had to split down the middle and surface because they cupped. 9-1/2" wide no more.
Leather dye is the best, works so much better than the various 'ebony' stains. I use 1/4" brass rod instead of the dowels for this sort of drawer to avoid having to make the dowels.
Those ebony stains are one of the biggest jokes there is, especially since the tin always shows this perfectly black wood! The brass rods are a great idea, after doing these drawers I don't want to be making that many small dowels any time soon.
I've also had great luck with Noodler's Black fountain pen ink on things like hard maple. Same experience with the ebony stains; worthless. The Noodler's does a great job.
Lovely looking piece.. and great video with good amount of information and flow.. I watch a lot of woodworking on youtube and this style will certainly hook the viewers in. I really like your work and process and hope you get the recognition and following you deserve..
What 1/4" chisel were you using to clean out the waste in the tales board. I like it. When you speak of a "clean" base in your dovetales are you speaking of the crush that happens in the centre area. There is a simple solution to that if you are talking of that.
It's the Veritas PMV-11 chisel, the set is really nice and holds a good edge. If you search for chisels on my channel I have a video talking about the set.
I'm glad you asked, because I completely forgot that I used osmo there! Checking each of the drawers, I can't find any ink on them so I would say it worked well.
Great job! Turned out fantastic. BUT.... I don't see any Lost Art Press books on that shelf. You're going to want to correct that. But seriously, looks great.
I know! I have the digital version of the Chairmaker's Notebook but I definitely want to get more of their books, preferably in the physical form to fill out this shelf!
Thanks, I try to use the imperfect vs perfect look as a design feature whenever I can. In this case, I filled the gaps to give the perfect look which I think looks a little better with the more modern black finish, but in a project like the tea cabinet I did a while back I really liked the imperfect look of the dovetails so I left some minor gaps.
@@morganhurst_redridge credit belongs to the creator, its very hard to visualize the contrast out of the plan, it's crazy fun beautiful, hope this your's will bring you up and more.
Your furniture is PERFECT, but your Edit style is so so sooooo BORING bro. I just drag the skimmer to see the final result cause you only cut, cut, and cut con camera
Well, I’ve been a woodworker for over 45 years and so, obviously, have seen a revolution in what’s available to the smaller shop. Everything from abrasives (I started using the dried skin of a dog fish) to adhesives to routers to….everything.
I’m retired now but we did have a sidleline business for a good few years making principally Arts and Crafts pieces here in the UK. However, I’m busier than ever on a 500 square metre barn conversion with all the2nd fix including doors, frames, cornice, picture rail etc. plus lots of furniture. Mostly in European oak.
We live next to orchards and, about 10 years ago, the farmer cut down the very old Bradley apple trees as they were past their best. I managed to get a lot of the timber and, you’re right, apple moves and shakes like anything. But it’s a beautiful timber and it’s proximity makes us very happy.
Taste personal whilst skill is universal. So, whilst I can’t say that the piece here is not to my taste, I do admire the skill in the making. I rarely use stain by itself although all of the oak has been finished in a smoked oak stain just because it replicates the old fumed oak colour that the A&C makers loved. If I do want a contrast, I tend to use minimal pieces of stained and my favourite is to use Ferrous acid (steel shavings in vinegar) to react with the tannins on the wood. I prefer that not quite opaque look as you can steel see the grain. But, that’s just my taste.
Dovetails are a pet subjects of mine. They evolved during the centuries when the adhesives were so prone to failure under stress. Therefore, there was a need to have mechanical joint to hold pieces together. We don’t have that issue and, so, I suggest that dovetails are a vanity joint. Nothing wrong with that if you want to show other woodworkers how good you are but I find they are used all too often detracting from the design rather than enhancing it. I designed a large bureau for a client and we gradually got to what she wanted; finally, she agreed but asked if we could possibly remove those arrow things as they were too fussy for the overall aesthetic. She was right.
I agree entirely about using a router for the flat bottoms - by far the most accurate way. I would suggest clamping a piece of timber next to your chisel line and use that piece to ensure your chisel is totally perpendicular. I know there is a fashion to have almost concave bottoms but I’ve never felt the need.
Anyway, first video of yours I’ve watched. Very impressed not only by the skill but also by the quality of the camerawork etc. so, a rare thing for me, I’ve subscribed.
your channel is criminally underviewed. I've watched about 10 of your videos now they're all really well made and at least as well made and done as many larger channels. I hope you continue to grow the effort you put into the video aspect as well as your projects. gorgeous work.
Thanks for your kind words, it has been hard keeping at it but I really enjoy making these videos. I'm in it for the long haul so we'll just have to see how long it take!
That Applewood is lovely. I tend to enjoy the natural wood colors, but as you say, the black really makes the colors and grain of the Applewood pop. Well done!
Thanks, I definitely prefer the natural wood too but it's fun to play around with other colors every now and then!
That apple wood is beautiful, very rich warm tone next to the dyed oak. Well worth the trouble I'd say - nothing like home grown.
I'm a huge fan of the Apple, the way it looks similar to Cherry but has a more medium brown color really makes me like it! Overall I've become a huge fan a local woods since they tend to have more figure then anything you'll find at the lumber yards!
Planer was the chef's kiss 👍🏻
That turned out so nice dude! Im glad you kept the shelf empty in the middle, that back panel is too gorgeous to cover with books!
Yeah it's a hard choice, part of me want's to leave the shelf empty to see the back the other part of me want's to fill it with a new collection of woodworking books!
Looks really smart mate ! Really like the contrast between the black and the Apple wood
I've always been a fan of high contrast in photos and figured it was time to bring it into woodworking!
I’ve been binging your videos this weekend and must say your work is amazing.
There’s a great mix of hand tool and power tool use, which is just the type of woodworking I want to be doing.
I also love your use of different timbers and how you explain the pros and cons of using them.
Your designs are some of the most tasteful I’ve seen on youtube; veering more towards traditional than the mid century modern style that youtube is saturated with.
Keep up the good work!
Awesome, thank you!
Outstanding !!!!! Got me wanting to find some of that apple wood. That contrast between woods never disappoints
It really is beautiful wood, just watch kijiji or facebook marketplace and you might just get lucky like I did!
Beautiful !
I’ve never seen apple wood till I watched your videos. I do like the book matched planks on the back. And that black ink turned out great.
It's definitely an interesting wood, I still have to find some creative ways to use this stuff with all the cracking but I think a little epoxy should make nice stable panels!
I really enjoyed this Video. It is sooo much more satisfying than watching any movie. Love it❤
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Wow!
Thanks!
Looks amazing
Oh. My. God… This has to be one of the biggest “Aha” moments I have had watching a woodworking video…
Using my machine dovetail template as a line up guide for transferring my marks on my hand cut dovetails.
Thanks bud!
Beautiful job, and from one Albertan to another, stay warm and stay safe in the shop!
I know how you feel, I was setting up one day for my hand cut dovetails and I went to grab my saw that was sitting beside the jig and the light bulb just went off!
Glad I could share that little tip, and it's good to hear from another Albertan surviving the cold!
Gorgeous. I love apple wood.
It's definitely a unique looking wood!
The apple wood was a home run! Couldn’t have picked a better contrast. Excellent
Thanks, it's kind of annoying stuff to work with but the color makes it well worth it!
@@morganhurst_redridge my desk is almost complete. I took a few details from yours
Fantastic piece! Beautiful combination of wood species.
Thanks!
I enjoy watching an artist at their craft. Not only are you an incredibly gifted woodworker, you are also a gifted videographer and your videos are always a joy to view.
Thanks for the kind words Mike!
Morgan, once you have hand sawn the side, pins and or tales, knife line along the base to be cut out and you'll get a better finish. I hand chisel back to that line. If you are getting an uneven line using the router then there is very slight rocking of the router. Maybe a shallower cut will assist with that?? As for the rough base, Rob Cosman recommends a spare chisel be ground to 17 degrees for this job in softwood. Further Hayward (1950's) recommends chiseling down on one side and pairing in at 45 degrees until only about 1/6" is left, leaving the outer edge. Then, when it's flipped over to chisel the other side the timber is still supported by that remaining outer edge and is less include the break away. Also, even if it is rough, it's end grain, it's hidden and the joint is where the strength is. The glue just holds it in place.
So the router is actually the perfect solution for me, it was able to give me a good clean and square baseline. I'm not a fan of chiseling the baseline mostly because I find it tedious, if I didn't have the whole router setup and it was my only choice it wouldn't be a big issue.
When I was chiseling the baseline I used a method similar to the one you suggested where I would cut in at an angle from both edges so I would end up with a small V. It worked well but again is more tedious than just setting up the router and getting something that's perfect!
It's beautiful. The applewood has a quietness that stands out, very nice.
It is a very interesting wood, the color is very different from most of the other woods I work with so I'm excited to see how it blends into more projects!
Incredible character on the Applewood back. Great looking piece; nicely done.
I was really impressed when I got it milled, especially all the compression figue hidden all over!
Gosh, that applewood looks great against the black color! Almost reminds me of a cedar look. Love me some wall hanging cabinets! I think they are my favorite projects.
It really is an interesting wood, the amount of color variation in it is amazing compared to most of the other woods I've messed around with! My favourite thing about it that it looks alot like cherry but less red, which fits my style a little more.
Hanging cabinets really are the best, the only problem is you can only build so many of them before you run out of wall space!
This is one of my favourites you made. Stunning piece, you should be very proud!!!
I'm really surprised how much everyone is liking this project. When I was planing it out I didn't expect to be such a hit!
I edge joint panels with my #7 too. Nice job on the dovetails.
It really is the secret to a good glue up!
Excellent commentary.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great work Morgan. You do some excellent work.
I appreciate that!
I really like the look of the applewood. I’ve been wanting to dry out the black stain on open grain woods, hopefully soon. You may like Rob Cosmans method for making dowels by the way!
Avoid black stain! What you're going to want to find is India Ink, you can usually find it on Amazon for fairly cheap, works 100x better than stain and will actually turn the wood pitch black!
thank you Morgan . the apple wood is pretty .
If it wasn't for all the cracking it would be one of my favorite woods!
@@morganhurst_redridge
@@morganhurst_redridge next time try strapping the apple would down in sticker form . looks like it was forced dried.it too fast
That's really interesting, I never thought to strap it together but it does make sense. I'm hoping this spring/summer to try and collect a whole bunch of logs to get milled so I will give it a shot then and see if that can save the wood!
@@morganhurst_redridge I just watched a video today from the “Workshop Companion” where he strapped some lumber down that he milled himself. Interesting video.
great project
Thanks!
Beautiful! The contrast is striking and quite appealing.
Thanks, I knew this was going to have some good contrast but it definitely came out looking better than expected!
Great job! From the quality of your bookshelf to the style of video and music, this was a great video. Also, I appreciated you making sure we knew how challenging apple wood was. You got my subscription!
Thanks, I love hearing when people like the project but it's also really nice to hear you like the way I made the video to!
Apple wood is definitely a bit of a pain but with how unique it is,, it's makes the work worthwhile.
Wonderful job 😊
Thank you!
A really nice, and understated piece of furniture. I was wondering whether, as opposed to nailing the back panels, leaving them loose, and slide in a channel of some kind. Or would this allow for too much movement?
I really enjoy your 'mellow' way of presenting your work. Keep it up. 🙂
You can definitely do it that way the only problem you might run into is that it makes the glue up a little more complicated since you have to deal with more parts. Mostly for simplicities sake I always mount my back panels after the glue up, that way it also makes it easier to work inside the cabinet after the glue up.
The other problem, specific to this project is that you wouldn't be able to stain it without coloring those back pieces. When you start looking to add stain or paint to a project you really have to take the time to figure out how to add the non-stained pieces after everything else is done.
I hope that makes sense, if it doesn't just let me know!
If you decide to do another similar with ash. You could try burning it. That should give you a similar look but not be as dark. Could look very nice. I do like this one with the contrast between the ash and the apple however. Looks great!
I love the color that you get when you burn ash or oak really deep then brush it! The only problem I've run into is glued panels will sometimes crack or deform from the heat so I'm not sure how to use it in a piece of furniture.
Maybe dowels would do the trick? Or you could prep your stock then burn it, then join the panels. That way you aren't heating the glue. You could even try epoxy to join them?
Could be a fun project. Maybe try it on something smaller for your self. Maybe a hand tool cabinet or something?
Have fun, and keep up the good work!
Love this piece Morgan. Looks incredible.
Thanks!
Beautiful project; subscribed!
Thanks and welcome
Wow this one is particularly beautiful. Very nice work!
Thanks you, the black case definitely seems to be a crowd favorite!
I really enjoy your content. Keep up the videos. I milled up a few apple and maple boards from trees in my neighborhood and the apple dried pretty wonky with cracking, cupping and twisting whereas the maple is dead flat.
What I was told by the sawyer who cut my logs, fruit woods like apple, pear, and cherry tend to have alot of built up stress because of the weight they have to carry so when they dry they're more likely to warp and crack. It seams like a good theory, I just can't find anything to back it up online, so I have to just take his word for it.
@@morganhurst_redridge sounds like a logical explanation!
As the owner of a portable mill, there's a lot of warp and twist you never see in graded materials. I have 2 cherry boards that both cupped and twisted and turned against me inside of a week after they were sawn.
That's good to know! I'd love to be able to mill my own lumber someday, so little lessons like this are pretty useful!
@@morganhurst_redridge Or the utterly gorgeous looking white oak boards that I had to split down the middle and surface because they cupped. 9-1/2" wide no more.
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks!
Leather dye is the best, works so much better than the various 'ebony' stains. I use 1/4" brass rod instead of the dowels for this sort of drawer to avoid having to make the dowels.
Those ebony stains are one of the biggest jokes there is, especially since the tin always shows this perfectly black wood!
The brass rods are a great idea, after doing these drawers I don't want to be making that many small dowels any time soon.
I've also had great luck with Noodler's Black fountain pen ink on things like hard maple. Same experience with the ebony stains; worthless. The Noodler's does a great job.
Lovely looking piece.. and great video with good amount of information and flow.. I watch a lot of woodworking on youtube and this style will certainly hook the viewers in.
I really like your work and process and hope you get the recognition and following you deserve..
Thanks, I'm moving to only doing this style of video for the next few months because I'm hoping it'll help me grow, but we'll have to see!
Thanks for sharing the pencil trick!
It's definitely saved me a few times!
Amazing! Love your work!
Thank you so much!
nice
Thanks
What 1/4" chisel were you using to clean out the waste in the tales board. I like it. When you speak of a "clean" base in your dovetales are you speaking of the crush that happens in the centre area. There is a simple solution to that if you are talking of that.
It's the Veritas PMV-11 chisel, the set is really nice and holds a good edge. If you search for chisels on my channel I have a video talking about the set.
Now that time as passed, How successful was the osmo at keeping the ink off the birch drawers?
I'm glad you asked, because I completely forgot that I used osmo there! Checking each of the drawers, I can't find any ink on them so I would say it worked well.
Great job! Turned out fantastic. BUT....
I don't see any Lost Art Press books on that shelf. You're going to want to correct that.
But seriously, looks great.
I know! I have the digital version of the Chairmaker's Notebook but I definitely want to get more of their books, preferably in the physical form to fill out this shelf!
Leather dye?
Yup, had a bottle of it and figured I'd put it to use. Now I would probably go for GF dye stain instead but in a pinch the leather dye worked well.
My guy mistakes make the dovetails genuine. Looking pretty good from my house though.
Thanks, I try to use the imperfect vs perfect look as a design feature whenever I can. In this case, I filled the gaps to give the perfect look which I think looks a little better with the more modern black finish, but in a project like the tea cabinet I did a while back I really liked the imperfect look of the dovetails so I left some minor gaps.
nice voiceover a great piece of art simple beauty of contrast
Thanks, I've always been a fan of contrast, I really love how it can pull focus to specific parts!
@@morganhurst_redridge credit belongs to the creator, its very hard to visualize the contrast out of the plan, it's crazy fun beautiful, hope this your's will bring you up and more.
Your furniture is PERFECT, but your Edit style is so so sooooo BORING bro. I just drag the skimmer to see the final result cause you only cut, cut, and cut con camera
Thanks for the view
Beautiful!
Thanks!