Category Archives: Furniture

stool table

Music Stool (seconds as an occasional table)

CLICK TO SEE PHOTO IN OUR FURNITURE GALLERY

Sometimes at the end of a day I am too tired to stand to practice my trumpet.  I needed a stool.  But the stool will be in our lounge room and I wanted it to be useful when we are sitting there with visitors, rather than just being in the way.

We also had some shaped sticks of ash that we bought cheap years ago and intended to use to make bar stools.  It seemed a good idea that the plan would be based around using these.

This project was quite quickly drawn up to my size and use requirements but it sat in the queue of projects, frequently bumped by the need to make boxes for galleries or items of furniture for other people.  When Shane began work on it (during the final stages of making our bed) it took only about 4 hours to make, spread over about 2 weeks.

TIMBER

Victorian ash and red ironbark

Greyhound bed

Greyhound Bed

CLICK TO SEE PHOTO IN OUR FURNITURE GALLERY.

Some time ago, we began planning our new bed.  Shane had been practicing some Japanese joints and this seemed a good opportunity to use them.  We liked the idea of having a knockdown bed with interlocking joints and no bed bolts.

The first test was to be a bed for our son’s guest bedroom.  It seemed a good idea as we use the bedroom around once a week and we were keen to get our mattress off the floor.  After drawing up a plan for the base and practicing the joints themselves, that bed quickly took shape and we were using it by the end of April 2018.  Originally without fixings, we soon decided that we needed to screw the slats in place.

For our own bed we wanted to incorporate a bedhead but still make it knockdown with no fixings.  After more planning, drawing, discussion, it was time for a quarter size scale model.  Seemed a pity to waste the model so Shane showed the drawings to our other son and his family and asked if they would like the scale model bed for their greyhound.  We suggested putting the bedhead at the longer side to better suit sitting against a wall but otherwise: a quarter scale sized model with a purpose.

It took Shane some time to complete the bed for our favourite greyhound.  Nearly done, he asked the greyhound’s hoomans which way up they wanted the arched rail of the bedhead.  It was delivered and assembled in mid-August 2019. 

At last! time to make ours.  With most of the hard thinking already done, our bed was completed at the start of May 2020.  I say completed but there is provision for a kumiko panel between the top two rails of the bedhead and first there will to be at least one prototype.

JOINTS

  • All 3 versions have lap joints with through tenons.
  • Bedheads are jointed using wedged through tenons.
  • Our bed also has the slats dovetailed into side supports (no screws required).
  • All three are knockdown and more easily transportable. 

TIMBER

  • Guest room bed:  black walnut from a farm in NE Victoria.
  • Greyhound bed:  yellow stringybark from the Blue Mountains, NSW.
  • Our bed:  apple box from Yackandandah, Victoria.

If your canine family member needs a bed that is also a furniture piece, we are happy to discuss the possibilities and pricing.  Just email with your size requirements.  Email and enquires are obligation and cost free.