programmes
programme one : Free Standing Mirror
To make the freestanding ash mirror with steam-bent legs
Paul shows how to build a basic steam press using materials
readily available from a buildersí merchants. He has some
steel handles commissioned for the mirrorís pivot mechanism
and inlays the frame with a shop bought banding. He also visits
a timber yard in Yorkshire to learn more about the colour
variations in American ash and discovers that Northern rather
than Southern ash is better for steam bending. Paul also goes
to a specialist glaziers in Worcester to have the mirror glass
cut on a state-of-the-art CNC router. Material costs are less
than £100 but the piece is worth £800.
programme two : Skinny Rib Bench
Whilst making one of the most sculptural pieces of furniture,
the skinny rib bench, Paul looks in depth at the characteristics
and looks of different timbers. There are curves all over
this piece - on the ribbed seat, the legs and the sides. This
allows Paul to look at the complexities of manufacturing curved
mortice and tenon joints with templates, formers and jigs
and he puts some bendy steel to good use as ruler. Material
costs - £40; value - £600.
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programme three : Plasma Screen
To get the elegant curves in the cabinet for a walnut plasma
screen Paul uses flexiply with kerfs (saw-cuts) and he shows
how to keep the grain consistent on the walnut drawer and
door fronts. To create a diffuser for the hidden lighting
in the end pods, Paul puts plastic A4 wallet files to a new
use and demonstrates how to avoid the problems of veneering
such a large curved object. Material costs - £120; value -
£1400.
programme four : Bubble Mirror
The striking contemporary design of the American Black Cherrywood illuminated
wall or 'bubble' mirror incorporates modern technology - a
touch switch hidden in the bubble panels. The bubble panels
are simply thin lengths of cherry with random sized holes
drilled out through which the light diffuses. Paul visits
a specialist in hardwoods - John Boddy Timber yard in Yorkshire
- to learn how go about grading cherry. Material costs - £100;
value £450.
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programme five : Hall Stand
For the top of the hall stand there is a choice of materials
- wood inlaid with marquetry bandings or glass inlaid with
mini spaghetti l.e.d. strip lights or slate or marble or the
cheaper option of black laminated MDF. But Paul chose elm
for the pedestal and had a piece of matt granite to contrast
for the top. The most difficult job on this is to keep the
front of the pedestal appear to be made of one piece of solid
timber with a cut out for a drop down drawer in the middle.
As not everyone has access to large pieces of woodworking
machinery, Paul visits a large timber yard in Barking to show
that it is still possible to make furniture without these
machines. Material cost (with granite top) £200 (£60 without);
value £1200.
programme six : Zebra Sideboard
One of Paulís specialities is to mix other materials with
wood. To achieve the zebra sideboardís delicate leg designs,
he has designed them from steel, which are plasma cut ‚ as
Paul shows, you can do this easily at home and just hire in
the machine. The top and shelf are made of solid maple and
the ëwibbly wobblyí line in the top is made from an apoxy
resin, coloured to match the dark steel ëzebraí back and legs.
Inset in the back of the top are some coloured slimline LED
down-lighters for displaying pieces on the under shelf. Paul
learns more about maple from the American hardwood export
council. Material costs ‚ less than £100; value £1350.
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programme seven : Coffee Table
For the 1950s inspired walnut coffee table Paul shows us
how to veneer colour core MDF. He has chosen MDF over solid
timber, for stability and to alleviate warping. As a design
feature the black MDF tongues are left as visible joints in
the solid walnut tapered legs. To learn more about the properties
of this now fashionable wood Paul visits one of the few mills
in Britain that can convert American hardwoods from raw lumber
and he shows how simple is it to use a sandblaster and template
to decorate the glass undershelf. Material costs ‚ less than
£150; value £1000.
programme eight : CD Unit
To make the 6 drawered maple and walnut CD unit Paul uses
a modern jointing method ‚ the biscuit joint. The importance
of subtle design features is demonstrated in the shallow curved
sides (achieved with flexiply) and tapered top. He finds special
telescopic ball baring runners to allow the drawers to be
fully extended and reveals a clever tip for bulk manufacturing
‚ in this case the drawer fronts. Material costs - £250; value
£1500.
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programme nine : Chest of Drawers
One of the first pieces you might tackle as a furniture maker
is a chest of drawers. Paul has designed a simply constructed
yet elegant unit made of maple with an MDF carcass. He uses
a reclaimed riven slate roof tile as a feature for the top
and makes some steel handles as a colour match for the slate.
The drawer boxes are made of solid oak and jointed using a
traditional dovetail but instead of cutting each with a saw,
Paul uses a specially designed dovetailing template with a
router. He visits a timber yard to learn about the properties
of maple and how it is graded. Material costs ‚ just over
£200; value £1100.
programme ten : Dining Table
The oak extendable dining table is designed with exposed
decorative joints so needs no extra drop-in leaf (alleviating
the annoying problem of where to store it). Great for compact
modern interiors, it can be pulled out to seat two extra guests.
The interconnecting ëfingersí are positioned close enough
so when pulled apart, they form an elegant slatted table top
in the middle. Paul demonstrates how you could make the interconnecting
top extension with templates and a jig. And, as an alternative,
he visits a specialist firm who cut the colour core MDF with
a precision CNC router. Material costs £100 (if you make your
own finger system), £200 (if you have it cut on a CNC router);
Value £1200.
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programme eleven : Hi-Fi Cabinet
To make the Hi-Fi cabinet Paul has to use sheet material
- cherry veneered MDF. It would not be possible to make this
large piece of furniture from solid timber. To hide any exposed
MDF edges Paul veneers them with ready glued veneer stripes
and a special heated roller instead of the traditional method
of using an old iron. The weight of the cabinet in supported
on a solid steel base which Paul buys in sheets and welds
together ‚ another easily used machine that can hired and
used at home. The steel is picked up in a detail on the cranked
door - strips of steel inlaid in routed out grooves. Material
costs - just over £100; value £850.
programme twelve : Glazed Sideboard
To make the decorative frosted glass doors on the glazed
sideboard Paul shows us an alternative to sand blasting the
etched design ‚ he commissions some easy to adhere sticky
back sheets which also double as toughening for the glass.
The carcass is made of biscuit joined oak veneered MDF and
the legs of solid oak. To avoid the problem of ësmiles and
frownsí in large sections of timber, like top of the cabinet,
Paul explains how to position the planks before gluing them
up. Value £1500.
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programme thirteen : Cherrywood Chair
The elegantly curved plank back of the cherrywood chair is
made in a vacuum bag press. Paul shows how to use one. He
looks at flexible wood alternatives - flexi-ply, flexi-MDF
and birchply - and shows how to make a former to achieve the
curved shape in the vacuum press. Chairs are notoriously difficult
and costly to manufacture and take many prototypes when designing
a new one. This one is based on one Paul has made in the past
but he continues to perfect the piece and redesigns the legs.
The easiest way of finishing the chair is to spray lacquer.
If you donít have a booth, itís still possible to do, as long
as itís outside! Value £900.
programme fourteen : Bed
For the last 2 shows in the series, Paul makes the largest
and most complicated of the designs - a contemporary walnut
and birch ply bed and with matching bedside tables. In the
first show Paul makes the special curved corners of the bed
using sheets of birchply laminated over a former and the 2
long feet. Each foot is a ribbed frame covered in plywood
and veneered in walnut to match the solid walnut side rails.
Paul visits a timber yard that specialises in American hardwoods
to discuss their advantages over European varieties ‚ American
timbers can be bought in longer lengths and with less of the
light sapwood inherent in walnut. By the end of the first
show Paul glues and fixes the frame together using exposed
metal bolts that add to the contemporary look.
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programme fifeteen : Bed-side Tables
In the final show, Paul makes the bedís matching sidetables
using the same laminated, curved birchply corners. He visits
a mill that can machine up all your timber (and even the MDF
bed slats) to save you forking out thousands on specialist
equipment for your workshop. Matching the shape of the feet,
Paul shows to make the stylish upholstered headboard. Once
the bed and tables are complete, Paul gives an introductory
masterclass in finishing. Different timbers and pieces of
furniture suit different finishes, whether lacquer, wax, oil
or varnish. Value (for bed and two side tables) £2750.
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