Walnut Floating Night Stands

Here's the latest from my shop. I've crafted a couple floating (wall-hanging) nightstands to go with the massive walnut and waterfall bubinga bed I made this past year. 

I rather enjoy the idea of floating furniture, but there is a bit of function here as well. I built under-dressers into my bed design and I wanted to have functional drawers all the way up to the headboard... that would not bash into nightstands. 

I was fortunate to source some fairly wide clear walnut from a local sawyer. 

So I got to work on the hand-cut dovetails. 

This dovetail pattern has become somewhat of a 'signature' of mine. It just pleases my eye every time. 

Using some of the remnant pieces of waterfall bubinga from the headboard seemed like the right touch for the drawer fronts. 

Now the mounting... french cleats! They're a basic gravity holding mechanism. I made these out of white oak scraps. There are matching cleats built into the back of the nightstands, reinforced with glue, dominos, etc. 

The cleats are mounted into stud with big arse Spax lag bolts. Below you can see how it 'hangs." There's even a bolt or two in the night stand cleat so nobody could ever bump the stand upward off its mount. 

Also below you'll note the power cords coming down through a little access hole. There is a power strip back there to consolidate things. 

Once mounted, and all power cords situated, we can close the little access door I created behind the bookshelf. Ain't I clever. 

Here's some finished photos to bring it home. 

It's nice waking up to fine joinery every day. It sure is. 

I'll leave you with this thought, dear ones...

"The reverence that the object maker has for the materials, for the shape, and for the miracle of his skill transcends to God, the Master Craftsman, the Creator of all things, who uses us, our hands, as His tools to make these beautiful things." - Sam Maloof



Dan Westfall

May 2022

Here In The Middle

"So I don't wanna go home now
Stuck here in the middle alone now
Everybody's singing their song now
But I'm still reeling...

I'm not trying to run away from
This beautiful life I've been given
I'm not looking for freedom
Maybe just a little meaning
Here in the middle..."

Make the Best of It

The Lord's timing makes me smile sometimes. This week I'm teaching our youth group about Joseph. Specifically, Genesis 37, where Joseph had some crazy dreams that he would one day be blessed by God and rule over many. His brothers, in a jealous rage, ripped the 'coat of many colors' off his back. Then they tossed him in a cistern and left him for dead. Alas one brother had the idea they could make some money off the deal so they sold him into slavery instead.

Of course, I didn't experience anywhere near the trauma Joseph did as a seventeen-year-old boy but I've always drawn hope from his life. Pondering this, I made some notes and applications that would work in speaking to the youth of our church. I even shared with our pastor about a "Joseph moment" I had the day I left for college. I remember that day vividly. I've told my wife for years how that drive was a major turning point in my life. Wouldn't you know it, the day after I shared that story with pastor, my mother sent a birthday card with a few photos. One of which was this:

Westfall House Rules

Those of us raising kids are attempting this task in a much different environment than we were raised. The technology age has its upsides and....major downsides. Inspired by the book "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters," my wife and I have organized and articulated our approach. I realize these rules might not jive with everyone's convictions, but they're a good starting point for us. If anyone has more wisdom/experience/feedback, we're open ears.

The primary principle I learned from that book is that our protective instincts are there for a reason. Our children might not appreciate the guidelines right now, but eventually they will find comfort in the fact that we are protecting them in love. It's a profound and noble responsibility.

A Man Named Dale

"I never knew the silence could make me so deaf, 

I never knew that I could miss someone I've never met, 

Miss someone I've never met..... yet,"   -Wes King

My father died while my mother was still pregnant with me. When I was a child I pretty much accepted this reality. I've known for as long as I can remember and that's just the facts. Emotions would only stir when I visited his place of rest.

And I Thank Them For Mothering Me When I Needed It

"I have been mothered by a whole tribe of women, some who had children of their own, and some who didn't. I thank God for each of them, and thank them for mothering me when I needed it, and for giving me such a rich variety of images for what it means to be a mother. Mother's Day is about looking through our lives and recognizing the act of mothering everywhere we see it, and more than that, recognizing that when any of us mother - when we listen, nurture, nourish, protect - we're doing sacred work." -Shauna Niequist

I wish I could make gifts from my shop for every occasion, but there's just not enough time. So, I seem to sprinkle gifts around to my loved ones whenever I can. This year I decided to make some trays for two ladies who've had a lasting impact on my life. 

Sue became a part of my life in high school, Pam in college. Both women had a special maternal influence that lasted into adulthood. Although I don't get to spend the time with them I'd like, I always know these two ladies are praying and pulling for me. It means a lot. 

So for Christmas this year I made two matching trays for Pam and Sue. They were made using a plane, a saw, some chisels, and my hands. I selected some of the prettiest cherry and curly maple I've come across. 

Dawson's Live Edge Desk

Here's a rundown of the desk I made for my son this fall. The concept for this project starts with my neighbor and friend Jim stopping by my shop one day. He said he had some walnut slabs in his garage that had come from a tree in his yard. He'd milled it up over a decade ago. Of course, I told Jim he had a buyer if he ever wanted to part with them. A few weeks later he took me up on my offer. 

They were wonderful live edge black walnut boards. None were much longer than 5 ft, but they were plenty wide and clear. I selected two of the slabs below for a desktop. 

They still had the bark on after all these years. I removed it with a drawknife but did my best to leave the sapwood and the natural profile. 

My Fatherless Days

Preface: Along with the woodworking madness, I’ve decided to author a few personal blogs. Personal, meaning I’m likely to ramble about my faith, my family, and just about anything else that relates to “worker” as opposed to the “wood.”
I suppose in a way I’m relating to the throngs of online bloggers out there. It’s a form of expression. Perhaps a way to organize thoughts that seem stuck in my head until I can write them down. Maybe folks will get something out of this, maybe they won't. I just know I need to write it. 


While my mother was still pregnant with me, my father passed away due to lingering health issues from a nasty car accident. The stepfather I called "Dad" all growing up was a man named Jack.

"What were you thinking, I have a right to ask
Is there a reason, Other than your past?
The great pretender, Why was I the last
To see through your skin? Is there a chance....you'll ever change?"

Walnut Turntable Stand - A Wedding Song

This special piece was made as wedding gift for my cousin and his bride to be.  They gave me some ideas concerning turntable stands, and I went to work. 

Walnut Bookcase with Swept Legs

This is the first piece I've made that was inspired by just one special board.  I remember my sawyer saying, "Don't know what I'm gonna do with this one. It bowed really bad on the crotch end when it was drying."  It took me about 3 seconds to realize exactly what I was gonna make with that unique board.  I dig the look of swept legs, and mother nature had done half the work in this case. 

The rest of the design was mostly just in my head from Arts and Crafts bookcases I've admired. 

Onken Morris Chair

Popular Woodworking has a compilation book entitled, "Arts & Crafts Furniture Projects." I've built a couple of pieces from that book but I've been coveting a Morris chair that belongs to my favorite author (Christopher Schwarz) for some time now. This chair was built Oscar Onken and his "Shop of the Crafters," early last century.  Onken's work is a German/Hungarian take on the Craftsman style, which is why I'm so attracted to it. 

Walnut Bookshelf with Ebony Accents

It's been awhile since my last post.  I have been making some furniture, I just need to take time to blog about it.

Our previous home had built-in bookcases around the fireplace. We didn't realize how much we would miss that shelf space when we moved.  We've got piles of books everywhere!

As my skills and means have been progressing,  I set out to make a bookshelf with strong joinery....and no plywood!  I really liked a Robert Lang Craftsman bookcase I saw in Popular Woodworking #170, so rolled with it.  Of course, I customized it to my tastes.

Puzzle Board with Drawers

This a quick blog pertaining to how I made a puzzle board.  The materials are a 1/2 sheet of cherry cabinet grade 1/4" ply...well, the stuff with the mdf core. And some 4/4 walnut. 

I believe the sheet was cut down to two 24x36" pieces. I ripped some walnut 3/4" x 1" for dividers. Thus the space for the drawers will be 1"tall.  In the picture below I'm gluing (weighting) the dividers in place. Precision is a must, otherwise you'll have wonky sliding drawers. 

Dining Set Tutorial #7 - Cherry and Walnut Dining Table

Now for the table. Building this baby felt like a cakewalk after the hours involved in those chairs. Back in the day when I was milling up the 8/4 walnut for the chair legs, I set aside and laminated pieces for the Table legs. You can see the pattern in the middle. Each triple-laminated blank rendered two legs without waste.

Dining Set Tutorial #6: Captains Chairs

This is where we get to the custom furniture part. My clients (aunt and uncle) were split on the chair back design.  My uncle enjoys lower back support, as do I.  My aunt, not as much.  The compromise was to make two captains chairs with a different back.  This added several hours to the build, but also gave me the opportunity to push my skills and creativity. 

I should note, this is some of the most technical handwork I've pulled off to date, so I'll attempt to explain as best I can. I know, pictures do most the talking. If your not adept with joinery terms, you may need to google a few terms. 

Anyway, notice the captains chair below is glued up without the back slats. Well, in order to give some lower back support, the back slats are going to go all the way to the seat. So, I can insert the custom backslats later when I install the seat. 

Dining Set Tutorial #5 Sculpted Seats

Down to bidness. Here's the steps I used for the sculpted seats.

Using the chair as a pattern:

Dining Set Tutorial #4 Glue Up and Lower Stretchers

Lots of action in this blog. If you've been reading, you know I'm a better woodworker than I am a writer. Hopefully the pictures help. Ha!

Glue Up:

New town, new house, new shop. I've got the the chair parts laid out on my bench just as I left off this past summer. 

Reclaimed Dining Table with Dovetailed Breadboards, Part Two

Part two starts with the base. You can see I half-lapped some massive timbers in an "X". I marked the large dado, cut the kerf on the tablesaw, and cut the waste out on the bandsaw. Little tip: cut the dado slightly undersized, then make tiny passes with the jointer (or hand plane) on the side of the leg until you have a perfect fit.

Reclaimed Dining Table with Dovetailed Breadboards Part One

Yikes! It's been a couple months since I've posted a darn thing. This summer I accepted a new job in management with the railroad, which involved relocating to a different part of Iowa. So, new job, new house, new shop... it's almost set up and ready to roll. In other words, I've been a little busy.

That said, I want to jump back and blog a cool project that I collaborated on with one of my best buds back in Council Bluffs. He's a painter who specializes in faux finishes and the like. One day he got a hold of some nice reclaimed barn wood and we started kicking around ideas for a dining table.

Over a couple of Newcastle Ales we narrowed down dimensions for the table. We also goofed around on the interwebz a bit looking for ideas. Per my usual, we stole various design aspects/ideas and came up with something we liked. With this particular lumber, I had the challenge of making odd-shaped, not-so-uniform boards and timbers and working them into the design and joinery. It all worked out pretty well......and here's how I did it.

Dining Set Tutorial #3 Front Legs and Curved Back Rails

Front Legs

Finally, an easy chair part to make. The front legs are 1-5/8"x 1 -5/8' x 16"long. It's pretty easy to mill some 8/4 stock down to 1 -5/8" and rip them on the tablesaw. Ideally you'd use riftsawn stock (diagonal end grain) so that the grain looks similar on all four sides, like this: