# First big Walnut Build



## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

Hello All, I haven't posted any projects lately as I have been busy as ever in my wood shop. I picked up a project that took me some serious time and some hair pulling but I finished it with flying colors. 

It was just an 18'x14' Sheetrock room nothing special. I was to transform this room into a study/library for some very high end clients. I did the entire build from scratch. Rough cut everything, walnut plywood for panels and cabinet boxes. I hand made all of the trim from the casing, to the crown moulding. All the crowns started out as 6"x1&3/16 rough stock and I formed all on my table saw after I made a custom jig to fit the miter slots. This project was awesome the size and magnitude is hard to explain.


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## Alchymist (Jan 2, 2011)

Beautiful. I can imagine a lot of man hours there....


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## Paul W Gillespie (Jul 7, 2011)

Well done. I cannot imagine what the material costs were for that kind of project. Looks great.


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## TonyM (Nov 12, 2013)

*Gorgeous work!*

Totally changed the area into a different place altogether. Nice. Walnut messes with my sinus' but I love working with it.
TonyM


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## guglipm63 (Feb 27, 2013)

Very nice indeed


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

What!!!!!
Your sick!!!! That's true craftsmanship at its best Ryan. Nice work man!!!!


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

guglipm63 said:


> Very nice indeed


Thank you All, I was rather challenged with this one. It ended up being about 500-600 board ft of walnut, I had 140 bft just in the doors. I'm at 5.50 bft for walnut at the moment. I bought my sawyer out of his stock near about. Plywood was pushing 150 a sheet for 3/4 went through twelve 3/4" and twelve 1/2". After milling and stain and topcoats well you can imagine. I think I was at about ten thousand in materials after all was said and done. The counter top is solid not a laminate or plywood face framed with solid. The Ctop is 1-1/2 thick solid walnut joined and glued. I used a Queen Anne bit for the front edge. Very nice masculine edge. It was crazy how I joined the top before glue up. Obviously I could not run ten ft long pieces through my 6" jointer so I used my new bad to the bone festool 3&1/4 hp router with the long and short guide rails hooked together. I used woodpecker hold down clamps on the underside of the rail on either end, using the back side of the rail for the straightest edge I was able to use a 1" top bearing flush trim to get my final finished joint. Tedious but efficient.


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

Dominick said:


> What!!!!! Your sick!!!! That's true craftsmanship at its best Ryan. Nice work man!!!!


Hey Dom, long time no write. Thank you buddy. Hey are you looking forward to you cabin this winter? I bet you are. I want to do some ice fishing never done it before I'm an angler for sure just never had the opportunity. Catch some for me this season. 

Pretty bad ass huh. I have got some awesome interior designers that hook me up with the coolest projects. Hey if they want to spend it I'll build it. 

Ryan


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## Travico (Dec 25, 2012)

HOLY MOLY! That is a LOT of FINE WORKMANSHIP! I'm JEALOUS!


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## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

Ryan4Custom said:


> Hey Dom, long time no write. Thank you buddy. Hey are you looking forward to you cabin this winter? I bet you are. I want to do some ice fishing never done it before I'm an angler for sure just never had the opportunity. Catch some for me this season. Pretty bad ass huh. I have got some awesome interior designers that hook me up with the coolest projects. Hey if they want to spend it I'll build it. Ryan


I may not get up there as much as I'd like to this winter, due to my job. 
But I'm glad I live across the street from a lake here at home. I love ice fishing and I'll be going out as much as I can. 
Hope you can get out in the ice this season.


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## Paarker (Mar 20, 2013)

Walnut is my favorite wood! When I remodeled my bath I made the cabinets from walnut and some people thought I was nuts to use it. You did some fabulous work there and you should be proud. Some day I hope I can come close to what others do.


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

Paarker said:


> Walnut is my favorite wood! When I remodeled my bath I made the cabinets from walnut and some people thought I was nuts to use it. You did some fabulous work there and you should be proud. Some day I hope I can come close to what others do.


Walnut is a somewhat difficult sub straight. There are so many spots in the lumber that will tear up my knives. The burls are the most beautiful part of the wood but most difficult to manipulate. Holy cow some seemed like stainless. Tough lumber but the most beautiful finished product. 

My iPad didn't take the best pics. It usually does an awesome job. Sorry everyone.

R4C


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## Lola Ranch (Mar 22, 2010)

Nice work! you remind me of me. High end residential cabinets and millwork was our bread and butter 

Bret


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## hands made for wood (Nov 2, 2007)

Oh my goodness gracious. R4C, I am inspired by your work! I hope I can be that good one day! haha I am such a fan of walnut. I really hope I have a client that will want something this good one day!

How long did it take you in all? Or did you already state how long..

Well done my friend!
Levi


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## USMCSergeant (Aug 21, 2012)

WOW what a transformation! Great job!


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

hands made for wood said:


> Oh my goodness gracious. R4C, I am inspired by your work! I hope I can be that good one day! haha I am such a fan of walnut. I really hope I have a client that will want something this good one day! How long did it take you in all? Or did you already state how long.. Well done my friend! Levi


Yeah it took me a good bit of time. About a month and a half total! I don't have a super shop or anything so that slowed the process a good bit. I do have all the tool I need just not enough space to build and finish all at once. I had to fabricate all trim and build all cabinets then rearrange shop to get the staining and lacquer sprayed. Pain in the butt! Got it done when I said I would though and that's what matters. A custom job like that, well you just can't put a rush on you know? 

Thanks to everyone who has scoped out my latest post all input is welcome. Make dust as often as you can!!!!

R4C


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## gmiller0605 (Dec 29, 2012)

Oh my! That is absolutely fantastic!!

You, sir, are a true master of the art. Completely stunning.


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## hands made for wood (Nov 2, 2007)

Ryan4Custom said:


> Yeah it took me a good bit of time. About a month and a half total! I don't have a super shop or anything so that slowed the process a good bit. I do have all the tool I need just not enough space to build and finish all at once. I had to fabricate all trim and build all cabinets then rearrange shop to get the staining and lacquer sprayed. Pain in the butt! Got it done when I said I would though and that's what matters. A custom job like that, well you just can't put a rush on you know? R4C


We should be friends..... hahaha I can relate like you wouldn't believe! Single car garage, trying to do high end custom built ins, cabinetry, and trim. Then like you said, finishing is the biggest pain, cleaning all the dust, clearing half the shop so you can set up some poly before you get to spraying. I feel your pain man... 

I would love to chat with you sometime! 

Take care,
Levi


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## Carvel Loafer (Dec 31, 2011)

Beautiful, such lovely wood and work. :thumbsup:


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Well done sir, well done. A month and a half is about what it takes me to build a recipe box!  

So tell the truth, does this make every other room in the house look like $^*%? :laughing:


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

hands made for wood said:


> We should be friends..... hahaha I can relate like you wouldn't believe! Single car garage, trying to do high end custom built ins, cabinetry, and trim. Then like you said, finishing is the biggest pain, cleaning all the dust, clearing half the shop so you can set up some poly before you get to spraying. I feel your pain man... I would love to chat with you sometime! Take care, Levi


Yeah man that's what I thought, where are you living? I cant even really call my shop a shop. I'm looking for a space right now or possibly a home to by with add on potential. I can't keep doing the big stuff in this shop its nerve racking and well flat out slow. I do a lot of work for an interior design firm, she got the project and did deck out the other main rooms of the house. 

Check it out though! The Homeowners approved me for trimming out the elevator in the same house (yes there is an elevator in the house) with the same trim as the study! 
AAAAAAAAAnd they want me to construct a ladder for the study that is no doubt solid walnut! I think I'll put some really cool brass accents at the side of each tread or something cool like that? Any ideas?


Ryan


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

hands made for wood said:


> We should be friends..... hahaha I can relate like you wouldn't believe! Single car garage, trying to do high end custom built ins, cabinetry, and trim. Then like you said, finishing is the biggest pain, cleaning all the dust, clearing half the shop so you can set up some poly before you get to spraying. I feel your pain man... I would love to chat with you sometime! Take care, Levi


Hey also, check out my other threads! "It is Finished" , My Walnut Dining Room Table , Table transformation, I think i put a few more on this forum just remembered a few! 
Check them out when you get a chance. It's good stuff


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## Ryan4Custom (Mar 18, 2013)

Ryan4Custom said:


> Hey also, check out my other threads! "It is Finished" , My Walnut Dining Room Table , Table transformation, I think i put a few more on this forum just remembered a few! Check them out when you get a chance. It's good stuff


Hello all, I've been working on the ladder for the library. Now I'm sure everyone thinks of a ladder with a guide rail at the top and wheels at the bottom for a library. This is not the case as I did not ever design this project with that style ladder in mind but here is what I came up with.


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## Tom King (Nov 22, 2013)

A tip of the hat!! Really nice work.


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