Making Your Own Oak Furniture
Wooden furniture is always a wonderful feature in any home. However, it is not always the most affordable. Oak furniture in particular has become quite pricey due to the scarcity and the popularity of the wood. The other problem is of course that you can’t find the right style or decorative patterns that you may prefer for the room that you need the oak furniture for.
It is a very nice DIY project (and it could become an ongoing hobby) to make your own oak furniture to your taste, exactly the way you want it. It’s not a difficult endeavour and all you need are a few tools, some patterns and a lot of imagination and determination.
Step one is always to buy a good quality wood. Since you’re making furniture out of oak, you’ve already determined that oak is a hardwood that is very durable and strong. Look specifically how the grain runs and how the cut runs along the grain. It is also important to examine the wood that you want to buy for any defects that could spoil your beautiful piece of furniture.
Once you’ve bought the wood that you need, it’s time to gather the equipment that you’ll need to make the furniture. These could include handsaw, electrical saws, jigsaw, chisels, various types of planes and a lathe.
Next you need to consider the pattern that you want to carve into the wood. These are readily available on the internet or in books or magazines. In this step you will also need to gather pencils, rulers and other aids to help you mark off the pattern and where you would like to cut the wood.
With the choice of your oak and the patterns that you want to use, you also need to consider the kinds of finishes that you want to use on your furniture. Although you can leave the oak furniture unfinished, it is not advisable to do so as it could make the furniture more vulnerable to damage – especially to fluid spills. The options here are a little limited as oak has its own, distinctive colouring and very seldom needs to be stained. However, a thin layer of veneer can be applied to help protect the wood, as well as give it a high gloss.
Once you’ve put everything together, you can start working on your project. It may be a little difficult, as oak is a hard wood which means that it is hard to cut and carve. You will need a lot of patience and love to finish this piece of furniture.
Finally, as is tradition with oak furniture, carve your initials and the date into the piece of furniture. Then check your furniture for quality – just as you would check a store-bought item – and praise yourself for a job well-done. You have created a piece of furniture that will survive the passing of many generations.