So you are planning to make your furniture on your own. Well! It’s always thrilling to imagine the final product but it’s back wrecking to go through the procedure of making furniture. With this step-by-step guide, you can equip yourself with each and every aspect of furniture building. Buying new furniture every time you need one is definitely not a good idea. We are here to help you with the query of how to build custom furniture and how to start furniture building.
Step-1 Proper planning
The first and foremost thing to consider is if you are a beginner in furniture making, try to start with something easy and basic without any fancy cutouts. Once, you mastered making joints and fixture you can go ahead trying some complex ones.
Imagine what you want to make. Draw the proper sketch of your imagination along with measurements. You can do it either by hand or by using computer programs like Solidworks or Sketch out. Try to make a detailed view of every cut and joint.
Figure out the stuff you are going to need, like lumber sheets, joinery, fixtures. Get 20% extra lumber than your requirement to cover errors by your part or issues related to woods.
Step-2 Preparations
Prepare your tools properly because a dull blade can charge you a wrecked piece of wood and increase your ultimate cost. Don’t go crazy over tools if you are a beginner try to borrow as many types of equipment as you can. Practice the cuts and curvature on cardboard before trying it on the actual piece of wood. Always use Jigs to hold the piece for better measurement and precision.
Step-3 Working procedure
Carefully observe your lumber sheets and mark the measurement with a piece of chalk. Always remember to avoid any resin pockets, fissures, curves, or bowing cups on your final product. Make your cuts accordingly. Make your cut ½ inch wider and 1 inch longer to leave a margin for future finishing. Try to use a radial saw as it is more manageable and easy. Always make your cuts according to the grain pattern on the wood. Ensure your measurements twice before making each cut.
If you need panels cut then in 2 or 2 ½ inches pieces with the help of a table saw. For the jointers, adjust the fence to get the needed width and keep it at 90 degrees with the table. Always wear safety goggles and use pushing sticks while working on the table saw to avoid any accident. Remember to pass your wood from the long side otherwise; the cuttings won’t look finished and pretty.
Step-4 Start Putting Your Custom Furniture Together
After cutting every piece you needed, it’s time to figure out what goes where. Try a dry fit of every part before actually glue them up. Keep an eye on the grain pattern and try to be as accurate as possible. Finally, fix all the pieces neatly with the glue.
Sand the furniture before applying stains and dyes. Sand the board at 120 grit and ends parts for at least 220-320 grits so that dyes get absorbed evenly. Now it’s time to apply the dye. But before rushing to finish the product always plan your staining pattern so that it looks précised. Let it dry for several hours. Once you are satisfied with the results seal your wood with Tung or Linseed oil to minimize the effect of temperature and humidity changes. Finish your product with 3 coats of varnish. Let it dry between each coat.
So, finally, you made it! Your very own customized furniture. It’s time to enjoy your creativity.
Pro-Tip for Building Custom Furniture
Once you are successful in making simple ones try a bit creative and curved ones. You can refer to beginner’s book of carpentry or YouTube tutorial videos of professionals for making measurements and cuts.
A Final Word on Building Custom Furniture
We hope this article has given you some inspiration on how to build custom furniture. If you’re looking for a step-by-step guide for beginners, we recommend taking the time and reading our blog post introduction where we outline all of the steps in more detail. You may also want to read through our conclusion which provides tips for common mistakes that people make when building their own piece of furniture. Whether it’s your first project or you’re an expert at DIY projects, there are many ways to get creative with woodworking skills!
Have any questions about our suggestions? Reach out anytime- we’d love to help with your custom furniture needs.