Expert: Jamie Yocono - 11/23/2006

Question
Hello
I have been considering constructing log furniture any suggestions ? how to books or classes

Answer
Hi Kevin,

You're in luck, there are a lot of books and a few videos out there that will be helpful. I've written some titles below, and I believe most of these books are available on Amazon.com's website. But I have a tip for you regarding a tool that will be helpful, too.

A few years ago, I taught a class on making walking sticks. We used a metal hame for the top of the walking stick. And that required a perfect 3/4" tenon on the tops of our sticks. There are some tenon cutters out there that are made for cutting tenons on twigs and logs. They make it unbelievably simple to make furniture, and you should definitely consider buying a couple of different ones (different sizes) to make your log furniture exploration a little simpler.

I bought my tenon cutter at Lee Valley Tools, here's a link to their page on those cutters:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=45539&cat=1,180,42288

I used the power tenon cutter, so that I could put it in my drill, cut a twig to length, and then machine a tenon at both ends. If you're familiar with rustic furniture, you know that most of it is assembled with tenons that fit into holes. So if you have a tenon cutter, and the matching size of a drill bit, you can assemble just about anything.


Anyway, here are the books:

Build Your Own Log Furniture  by Les Smith and Dan Swesey

Making Rustic Furniture: The Tradition, Spirit, and Technique with Dozens of Project Ideas by Dan Mack

Making Bent Willow Furniture (The Rustic Home Series) by Brian Cameron and Brenda Cameron

Making Gypsy Willow Furniture: Step-By-Step Guide to Making Rustic Furniture (Schiffer Book for Woodworkers) by Bim Willow

A Bend in the Willows: The Art of Making Rustic Furniture by Paul Dolphin

Making Twig Furniture & Household Things by Abby Ruoff, Sia Kaskamanidis, and Edward Turner

With one of these books, and a tenon cutter, you should be able to produce rustic furniture without too much difficulty. If you're building bigger things, like beds and tables, you'll just need bigger tenon cutters and bigger drill bits. I recommend pinning your joints with a small dowel, as well as gluing them together. If the glue ever fails, which is possible with rustic wood, the pin will still be there to hold everything in place.

OK, good luck, I hope this helps. Please feel free to write back if you have any further questions after reading this. And if this answer was helpful... please take a minute and rate my service. Thanks!

Jamie Yocono
Wood It Is! Custom Cabinetry
Las Vegas, NV
www.wooditis.com