Tips and tricks to further improve your work.

Building a Cabinet for Music Equipment with Alberto

 

There’s no doubt last year was full of difficulties. However, Woodwork Academy was glad to be able to contribute to so many inspiring projects! Alberto’s cabinet for music equipment was definitely one of them.

Alberto reached out to Lluis online to arrange a meeting, and the two gentlemen agreed to bring the idea to life. At that point, Alberto hadn’t done any of the WWA workshops so Lluis taught him everything from the very first step.

For this interview, we asked Alberto about the core idea behind his project, his experiences of working with Lluis and all the valuable lessons he took away from the learning process.

 

Tell us a little bit about this recent project that you have been building with Lluis and why you decided to do it.

First of all, I have always been fascinated by woodworking for some reason, but I could never gain any experience which frustrated me. However, the big push came when I spent some time during my holidays at the mountain hut that I co-own with my friends in Italy. I realised that it required renovation. 

In addition, I also needed some furniture quite promptly at home in Berlin so I decided to start as soon as I could.

How was your experience? What did you learn by building the project?

The experience with Lluis was so amazing that it exceeded my expectations. I knew nothing at all about woodworking, and all at once, I was building something for myself while learning a craft at the same time. It was pretty awesome.

The project I worked on was a difficult one though, not for beginners for sure. It was a big cabinet with drawers, but that was exactly what I needed. So basically, I was Lluis’ apprentice during the making of the cabinet with the invaluable advantage of his expertise. He explained to me each step of the building process and he guided me through the realization of the furniture. 

That meant I learned how to use the machines we needed and everything that came along with it. Some moments of the production were trickier than others. I really had to focus more on those, but Lluis made sure everything went smoothly. 

Without any previous knowledge, and since this was my first woodworking experience, there’s no way I could replicate anything like that on my own. After the  project, I decided to complete workshops so I did both the Beginners’ and Intermediates’ Workshops at Woodwork Academy.

Last but definitely most importantly, Lluis focused on safety before anything else. The machines in the shop are top notch and Lluis makes sure of the safe working conditions from the start. All in all, it was a great experience.

 

Music Cabinet

Music Cabinet - Drawer

Any words of advice for other people interested in woodwork?

Yes, my advice is to find someone who can teach you. It is worth it to have somebody who is showing every step before your very eyes. So, if you are starting from scratch, I totally recommend having some first-hand experience with a teacher or a more experienced worker. 

I guess everybody needs to do a few guided projects before being able to stand on their feet and access the plethora of knowledge that is available today. And if you live in Berlin there is no better option than Lluis and Woodworking Academy.

 

If you’re ready to learn how to woodwork, you can create your own furniture at our Beginners’ Workshop! If you’re interested, follow us on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll let you know when you can sign up for the next one! See you there!

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Behind-the-Scenes: Building a Fresh Oak Staircase

Oak Staircase - Final Project

The summertime is mainly about relaxation, right? Well, not for Jenny and Andre who asked Lluis Mateu to help build a brand new staircase from fresh oak for their project – Kunterbunthof – in Züsow, Germany.

2Kunterbunthof is a three-hectare land where guests can take a breath, sit around a campfire and meet inspiring people while enjoying silence and Spanish wines. Lluis first met the couple when he contributed to construction of the structure of an annex for the old farmhouse. This time an outdoor staircase was the challenge.

For this interview, we asked Lluis about the core idea behind this project, his experiences working with the steady oak and all the valuable lessons he took away from the learning process.

How did you start the project, what was the planning like?

Since it was a public building (a holiday apartment to be more exact), we needed a basic structure calculation to make sure that our staircase would pass any standards for safety regulations. After the decisions were made, we received oak planks slabbed from a trunk about 65mm thick. They came directly from the sawmill.

Oak Staircase - Raw Wood

What were the most significant reasons behind the choice of wood? What are the most important attributes of oak?

Oak is a very strong and steady wood. Due to the fact that this staircase is for outdoor use, we needed something weather resistant (heat, cold, rain, snow etc.) Not to mention that the building itself was also made of oak since that was the way they built back in the days.

Historically they didn’t spend much time drying the wood. They used to cut the tree and use it almost immediately, which meant that the wood dried and moved after it was already in place. We did it the same way, so we had to pay attention to how much the wood would move once all the moisture was gone.

Oak Staircase - In Progress

What were the main steps of the building process? What were the trickiest parts?

The very first step was accurate planning, finding the right angles and the appropriate height of each stair. We had been planning for such a long time that there were nights when I was even dreaming about the staircase…

As we did not have a straight sideline, all of my calculations were based on an imaginary middle line that I made with a tense string from the top of the apartment to the ground. This solution provided the benchmark for setting the angles and performing other measurements.

Finding the right angles was definitely the trickiest part as somehow we had to transform the data we got from the string in order to find the placement for the actual boards. The problem is that with a staircase, accuracy is very important. If you make a 1mm mistake and you add this difference for every step, you can end up with more than 1cm at the end which is way too big of a discrepancy.

Oak Staircase - In Progress

How was your experience overall? What did you enjoy the most?

I have never worked with fresh wood before, so I had to consider what type of joints to use that would allow for movement of the wood and keep them from splitting. Each step was held in place by one wooden nail, which happens to be the most common technique that woodworkers used to apply when working with fresh wood.

First, they make a hole in the fresh wood and then they hit a dry wooden nail into it so when the fresh wood eventually dries out, it holds the nail stronger. Due to the fact that the wooden nail doesn’t lose moisture, it’s simply better than glue.

Anyway, my favorite part was the final sculpting at the end of the process and the moment when the staircase was finished and I could quietly leave my signature in the wood.

What are the main takeaways from the project? What did you learn?

I learned that no matter what the challenge is, you can do it with time, proper planning and the necessary toolkit. There is always a moment when you need to stop thinking and jump into the void.

Oak Staircase - In Progress

What would you suggest for those who would like to build a staircase with fresh oak by themselves?

First, always ask around and get some advice. Then just do it. Never use any metal that is not stainless-steel as oak has very specific tannins that react with steel or metal and make it rust quickly and leave dark stains on the wood.

Oak Staircase - Final Project

If you’re ready to learn how to woodwork, you can create your own furniture at our Beginners’ Workshop! If you’re interested, follow us on Facebook or Instagram and we’ll let you know when we’re back in the workshop so you can sign up! See you there!

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How Lluis and Pit Built a Gorgeous Workbench During Lockdown

How to Build a Workbench - Woodwork Academy

The recent restrictions due to COVID-19 have had a significant effect on the places where people can physically gather to think and create together. Woodwork Academy is no exception. However the workshops of all levels are truly missing their ambitious participants; the workspace under Paul-Lincke-Ufer 41 did not remain empty. Former Woodwork Academy student, Pit, with the assistance of WWA founder, Lluis Mateu, decided to build a practical and steady workbench during the gloomy days of February. Using Padlet’s Furniture Making with Handtools as a guide, they worked hard every afternoon until this fascinating outcome came to life.

For this interview, we asked Pit about the core idea behind his project, his experiences of working with Lluis and all the valuable lessons he took away from the learning process.

How to Build a Workbench

 

How did you meet Lluis and what have you done with Woodwork Academy before?

I met Luis at the Beginners’ Workshop at Woodworking Academy. At that time, I liked the idea of being able to use the workspace after the course. Being in the workshop opened up a new perspective of what would be possible to build in that place.

How to Build a Workbench

Tell us a little bit about this recent project that you have been building one-on-one with Lluis and why you decided to do it.

I was always interested in furniture building. In contrast to my job, where I juggle political processes and social interactions, I liked the thought of building something that is actually tangible and finished at some point. So I made my first small building attempts at home, then I took the Beginners’ Workshop at the academy and really fell in love with wood as a building material.

My window sill at home just wasn’t a decent place to really work on developing my skills further. So I started researching on workbenches and came up with the design – a hybrid – between a moravian and a roubo style workbench. I also wanted a more furniture-like appeal of the piece because it will be sitting in my living room. This is the reason why we chose the nice and also sturdy materials of maple and walnut.

Then I was able to take a few days off from work. Lluis was ready to go, so we started building.

How to Build a Workbench

How was your experience? What did you learn/enjoy/ accomplish in the days of building the project?

To sum it up, it was a really great experience! Lluis invited me to do the whole process together starting from collecting the wood at Holz Lehmann to finishing the bench. Right from the beginning, I felt warmly welcomed by the people in the workshop and a strong connection to Lluis as a teacher and as a co-conspirator. He included me in every part of the process and always had a task for me at hand that I could do by myself. Since I wanted to work with hand tools, he focused on hand tool tasks for me. Every time, while Lluis was watching and teaching me, he was also focusing on taking the project further, one step at a time, until it was finished.

My basic take-aways are definitely that wood is such a beautiful and very formable material, but it also takes a lot of time and effort, patience and precision (and sharp tools) in order to make it look beautiful and work construction wise.

By the aspect of beauty, I also mean the process of working on the bench, not just the finished piece. There were moments in the workshop when I totally lost track of time because I was so immersed in the project which in the end was the main incentive behind the whole idea of the build in the first place. Seeing the finished bench at the end felt like a big win.

How to Build a Workbench

Any words of advise for other people interested in woodwork and the Woodwork Academy?

There is a lot of knowledge about woodworking out there that is easy and accessible for free. First step would be to look around, do your research, and find out what you are interested in building. But then, there is this huge difference between theoretically knowing how – or what to build – and actually being able to do it and have all the tools for that. This is where the Woodwork Academy comes in as a great place to have a good, guided start to get in touch with wood and the tools.

How to Build a Workbench

How to Build a Workbench - Woodwork Academy

If you’re ready to learn how to woodwork, you can create your own furniture at our Beginners’ Workshop. And if you’d like to know when we’re back in the workshop, follow us on Facebook or Instagram for updates. See you there!

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How to Finish Your Wood Furniture at Home

Hi folks! Just wanted to say a quick hello and check that everyone is keeping safe and healthy. Like many businesses, we stopped all workshops and classes in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, but we’re back in the workshop and hosting new classes every month! If you’re looking for more opportunities to continue after your woodworking class we hope you’ll enjoy this article on how to finish your wood furniture at home! — Lluis

 

Challenging times can foster a lot of creativity. Which is why we thought it would be nice to still talk about what you can do with your woodworking projects, even from home!

You may be looking at items you’ve had at home for a while. Or maybe you’re looking at a lovingly crafted new piece of furniture from a Woodwork Academy class and thinking about getting it sanded, smoothed and looking great. Either way, you may want to customize it further to fit the style of your home. This is where ‘finishing’ your piece can really make a difference, so this article is dedicated to different options to finish your wood furniture or other woodworking projects at home!

The Most Important Question for Finishing Wood at Home

 

Would you prefer to enhance the existing natural colour of the wood? Or would you prefer to change the colour entirely in your? Below are some of the best finishes for wood furniture that you can do at home.

 

Finish your wood furniture with varnish, wax, oils, or stains

Keeping things natural.

If you, like me, are already happy with the natural colour of the wood and don’t want to change it completely, you can just go ahead and jump straight to applying a finish. There are three main finishes you can use.

 

Varnish

Varnishes create a very durable protection on wood, but leave a somewhat artificial look. Polyurethane in particular is a very protective resin. Varnishes in general prevent wood from ‘breathing’ and can protect pieces from changes in humidity. Stained varnishes are available and can be matte, semi-gloss or glossy. 

Although varnishes do not penetrate wood, there is a varnish made from the segregation of the female lac bug that comes as dried flakes. When dissolved in alcohol, it creates a thin liquid shellac. This type of varnish is available pre-mixed and is often used in high-quality furniture and musical instruments. A quick note: It is very slow to apply!

 

Wax

The perfect, natural product for finishes – wax – is typically sourced from beeswax. Easy to apply, a wax finish for wood furniture can be painted directly onto the piece with a scraper. You’ll just need to remove excess and brush until it shines. Wax for finishing your wood can be used as paste or liquid – simply spread evenly and clean any excess with a clean, wool or cotton cloth before it dries.

 

Oils

There are several different types of oils for finishing wood. Most of them have a base of linseed oil and are mixed with other components to change characteristics, like being thin and runny in order to dry faster.

What I find is that oils tend to be versatile and are especially good for use in a dusty environment. They are also very forgiving (perfect for a workshop). If you have done a good job sanding and making sure that there are no scratches, you will likely be happy with the result.

Each oil finish has unique properties, and you may find that certain finishes are better for some projects than others. Be sure to follow the instructions for any and all finishing product you do end up choosing. Remember that once applied with a cloth, brush, or sponge, wait a little while, and then be sure to mop up any excess with a clean, dry cloth before the finish dries completely. An old t-shirt works well!

An important note! Oil can be highly flammable so you have to be careful in how you dispose of the cloth. After completing your oil finish, set out the cloth to dry completely and place in a metal can before you get rid of it.

Changing the colour of the wood with staining

 

When talking about changing the colour of your work, this doesn’t mean painting over the piece itself (which you can do of course. You can also still maintain the natural grain from the wood itself and simply enhance it by using a transparent stain. Here you can really let your creativity shine and use anything mixed with water such as rust, tea, coffee, wine, curcuma, red beet, essentially anything that will stain the wood.

You can also use natural earth colours mixed with water or alcohol (I prefer alcohol as it dries quicker and requires less sanding afterwards).

 

Step by Step Guide to Finishing Your Wood Furniture at Home

  1. Choose the kind of stain you would like to try.
  2. Collect some scrap of the same wood. You’ll want to test it first!
  3. First coat the piece you’re working on with water in order to get the fibres raised. Allow to dry.
  4. Sand with a high grain sand paper (first with 180, then brush clear and again with 220).
  5. Using a sponge or brush, coat the entire piece with your water-based stain. (Experiment with various dilutions to achieve the saturation you want)
  6. After applying your chosen stain, be sure to use a clean, dry cloth to dry the work so it doesn’t look patchy. The idea is to allow the wood to absorb what it needs, and to remove all excess.
  7. Once your piece has dried, if the wood feels coarse, you can lightly sand it again with 220 grain

 

Now that the wood has been stained and dried fully, you can apply a protective finish using oil, varnish or wax. You can also find all-in-one finishes that are oil-, wax- or varnish-based that are already stained.

The process for this follows the same basic structure: apply evenly with a sponge, roller or brush, being sure to remove any excess with a dry, clean cloth, than allow time for each coat to dry before lightly sanding if it does not feel smooth. Repeat if necessary.

I cannot recommend using wood varnish when staining wood, as it stays on the surface and does not penetrate the wood grain, which makes it harder to leave an even surface – be sure to use clear varnish instead and if you want to stain do it into two steps.

Those are our tips tips and tricks to finish your wood furniture or other woodworking piece at home!

Have any questions or comments about finishing wood furniture at home? And if you know of any tips and tricks, let’s get a discussion going in the comments.

 

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