David Yoho
Abridged Works
I have been designing and building furniture and cabinetry semi-professionally for over 20 years. Through the years I have financed many of my tool purchases from money I've made from commissioned work. I really love the smell while cutting the various hardwoods I've worked. You can tell what kind of wood you're cutting just from it's scent. Red oak has a sort of sour smell, spruce has a buttery smell, and birch is sweet smelling.
One of the driving reasons for the new and larger house my wife and I had constructed more than ten years ago was to gain a larger shop space. My shop started in a very small tool shed in the back yard of our first home. It had room to grow in the single car garage of our second house. Currently, I'm in a two-car garage and have just about filled it with even more tools and machinery. I guess the old saying that you never have enough shop space is true, but for now, I'm in heaven!
Below are some samples of my work. I'm very proud of the work I've done and I'm constantly working to learn and improve new skills. I have also included links to photos of my workshop, a list of tools I currently own, and some other interesting woodworking sites.
I was honored to have an article written about me for "Today's Woodworker", published in the December - 2001 issue of Woodworker's Journal eZine. I'm also proud to say I'm now the Editor of Shop Shots for the popular WoodCentral Website, which is hosted by the former Editor of American Woodworker Magazine, Ellis Wallentine.
If you live in or near the Central Virginia area and would like to inquire about having something custom made, an email link has been provided below. All comments and questions are welcome and I'd enjoy hearing from you.
Mahogany Butler's Table
The butler's tray table, which was popular in 18th century England, was seldom copied in the American Colonies. However, a few examples, such as the one from which this table was adapted, have come to light. The tray was found at an auction in Washington County, Maryland and probably dates back to about 1770. The addition of a base with cross stretchers and legs in the Chippendale style, creates an attractive and functional coffee table.
The table measures 45 3/4" x 31 1/4" x 17" H with the top open. With the top closed, it measures 36 3/4" x 22 1/4" x 22" H. The hinges are polished brass butler's table hinges, which are spring loaded and have positive 90º stops.
This table features a clear finish, which is suited for use in a family room or other room where it will see everyday use. The finish starts with an application of clear Danish oil, which is then rubbed in using 320 grit paper to help close the pores. This is followed by two coats of dewaxed shellac. To provide protection for the shellac, a single coat of polyurethane was applied. The final step in the finishing process is a coat of a quality paste wax, rubbed on using #0000 steel wool and buffed to a beautiful luster.
Mahogany Cedar Lined Chest
Classic frame and panel construction allows for wood movement and prevents the problems associated with it. Mahogany was used for the lid, base, and frame. The raised panels are red oak. The inside of the chest is lined with aromatic cedar. There is a lift out tray at the top for storing small items and it is made from aromatic cedar too.
Walnut Chest on Chest
Here are two pieces of furniture I built for our bedroom. The first is a classic chest on chest. The second will be a duplicate of the lower chest. I've selected walnut as the main wood for this project.
These two pieces of furniture will compliment the lingerie chest I built earlier. The ogee bracket feet on the lingerie chest come from the same pattern but are half the size of the feet for the chest on chest. Pictures of the lingerie chest can be seen below.
This chest on chest has very graceful lines - from the gentle curved ogee feet to the beveled and fluted corner posts on the front of the lower chest. Since walnut molding is not readily available, I had to make my own. The chests feature three different moldings; there's a base molding at the bottom of the lower chest, a transition or "waist" molding between the lower and upper chest, and a nice two-part cornice molding around the top of the upper chest.
Both pieces required a total of 11 drawers and 22 brass drawer pulls. The drawers feature dovetail joinery for the fronts and ride on wooden guides.
After many, many hours of hand rubbing the finish onto each part of these two pieces, they are finally ready to be put to use. For the woodworkers in the group that would be interested in my tip for applying a great finish on an open pore wood like walnut that allows you to fill the pores and apply the finish all in a single step, send me an email and I'll let you in on a cool way to do it. This process made the finished walnut feel like glass.
This Web page incorporates a new technology that allows the viewer to be able to feel how smooth the finish on these chests really is. This works with any brand of Web browser software and any desktop computer. This "Virtual Touch" technology is easy to use. Simply put your hand up to your monitor screen and touch any part of the picture below. I think you'll agree, the finish is as smooth as glass ;-).
Walnut and Cherry Mantle
I had the unique opportunity to build this fireplace surround and mantle when a friend called and asked if I could make one for a new house he was building. At first, he wanted a simple rustic looking mantle shelf. After some discussion, he looked at some samples and decided on a more finished look. His main criteria was that it not be too ornate looking.
What makes this project special is the wood I used. When my friend called to ask about making the mantle, he also asked if I could use a 16-foot timber he had. I said I'd need to see it and asked if he could bring it by my shop. He said he thought it was walnut and it was stored in a barn at his father-in-law's farm. I advised him to use a chainsaw to cut the timber in half so he could transport it home in a pickup truck.
When he arrived at my shop, I went out to see it. I immediately noticed the two original ends had tenons on them. This told me the timber came out of an old post and beam structure somewhere. He told me his father-in-law bought the property back about 1950 and there was an old dilapidated barn on it. Several years later he constructed a new barn and used what could be salvaged from the old one. This timber must have been extra and they just stored it up in the rafters until my friend removed it to bring it here.
The surface of the two 8-foot 6" x 6" timbers looked very rough. The outside faces were hand-hewn, which gives some idea of its age. He wanted to know if I could get enough usable wood from the timbers to make the mantle we had discussed. I wasn't sure at this point, since I needed to see the condition of the wood once it was cut into boards. The first order of business was to remove several cut nails I could see in the timbers. I used a metal detector to locate a couple that broke off below the surface. After removing all the nails I could find, the next step was to cut the timbers into boards. I contacted a friend with a bandsaw mill to see if she could cut them and what she would charge. Having someone saw these was much better than trying to do it myself. While sawing, she did cut into one nail I missed, which added an additional charge to the bill, but it was still worth it in the long run.
With the boards home, I studied them, took measurements, and decided there was enough clear walnut to build the entire mantle with the exception of the moldings I planned to use. Since my friend said he loved cherry, I recommended making the moldings from it since the two woods look good together. I worked up a sample of both woods with some oil finish on them so he could get an idea of how they would look. He gave me the go-ahead and I got to work.
To mount the mantle to the wall, I attached vertical poplar mounting cleats to the wall just inside of each pilaster and one horizontally just below the top mantle shelf. I used my brad gun to nail through the pilaster sides and into the cleats. After positioning the mantle shelf flush to the wall, I drove brads along the rear edge into the top cleat and along the front edge from below. I positioned the bead molding around the firebox opening and tacked it into place. I finished by filling all the nail holes.
Pulpit and Chancel Rails
The folks at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Richmond, VA were ready for a change to the front chancel area of the sanctuary and asked me to build new chancels rails and a pulpit. One of the members was a retired architect and drew up a working set of scale plans for me to work from. I had total control of the details such as milling profiles and construction methods.
The new pieces had to match the existing sanctuary furniture and profile as closely as possible. I used mahogany for the raised panels, pulpit top, lectern top, rail caps, baseboards, and molding. Poplar and birch veneered plywood were used for the painted surfaces.
Frame and Panel Toy Box
I built this frame and panel toy box for a customer as a Christmas present for their granddaughter. He wanted something simple and large enough to store all her toys. To hold down the expense, we decided to use solid poplar and give it a brownish stain. Since this was for a very young child, I used a "soft-down" flap stay to support the open top and used pegboard panels in the rear to allow air circulation in case a child crawled inside with the top down.
To attach the breadboard-style ends for the top, I used a sliding dovetail joint, which would allow the solid panel of the top to expand and contract as needed. It is attached to the case with a continuous hinge. The end and front panels are raised panels, and the finish is a walnut stain followed by several coats of polyurethane for protection.
Concerning his TS-Aligner, David says: "I still have and use my TS Aligner. My shop and tools wouldn't work as well without it. I purchased it so long ago I can't even remember but it's been my go-to tool of choice when setting up or checking my equipment. Thanks for a valuable asset to my shop." David has many more projects on his web site including several with detailed photos on construction.
Last revised: November 18, 2007.
Photos and descriptions used by written permission Copyright © 2006-2007 David Yoho. All rights reserved.