Design and Fabrication Podcast Por Benham Design Concepts arte de portada

Design and Fabrication

Design and Fabrication

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Mixed media artist Brian Benham from Benham Design Concepts demonstrates how he designs and fabricates high-end custom furniture and works of art he makes from concept to completion. This is a Video Podcast, Please vist https://www.benhamdesignconcepts.com/podcast/ to watch.© 2024 Benham Design Concepts Arte Economía Gestión Gestión y Liderazgo
Episodios
  • Building a Reception Desk for Local Art Gallery
    Jul 5 2025

    Today, I’m excited to share my latest project—a custom reception desk for a local art gallery! This piece isn’t just functional; it’s designed to enhance the gallery’s aesthetic while keeping operations smooth. The desk features a hidden drawer for storing packing paper (to safely wrap sold artwork), display corners for featured pieces, and plenty of cabinets and cubbies to keep everything organized.

    Step 1: Building the Cabinets

    Since all the cabinets were the same height, I started by ripping the sides to width on the table saw and cutting them to length with a track saw. After referencing my cut list, I set up a stacked dado blade to cut all the shelf dados at once. Then, I adjusted the dado stack to cut rabbets for the backs, bottoms, and top braces.

    Cabinet construction is straightforward, but ensuring everything stays square during assembly is crucial. I pre-sanded and pre-finished some parts that would be tricky to finish later. For assembly, I used wood glue and a few staples for reinforcement. Each cabinet was slightly customized—some were sized for a printer, while others accommodated shopping bags and other essentials.

    To simplify installation, I built the toe kick separately. Using offcuts from the cabinets, I ripped them to width and constructed a base. Cleats stapled to the cabinet bottoms allowed them to clip into the toe kick, making alignment and on-site assembly much easier.

    Step 2: Crafting the Legs

    The legs taper from about 3.5 inches at the bottom to a few inches at the top. To achieve this, I laminated 8/4 material, planed it smooth, and carefully matched grain patterns to hide glue seams. After the glue dried, I cleaned up the joints and cut the legs to length.

    A custom jig helped me cut the tapers on the bandsaw. Since the legs taper on multiple sides, I saved the first cutoff to use as a spacer for the remaining cuts.

    Step 3: Decorative Panels & Frame Assembly

    For the lower decorative panels, I book-matched 5/4 material, ensuring a seamless grain pattern. After glue-up, I ran them through the planer for a smooth finish.

    The frame was built using 1/4 stock, with dados cut for the panels and a large rabbet for glass installation. I opted for two passes with a standard blade instead of a dado stack to avoid burning and ensure a cleaner cut.

    Stopped dados on the legs were routed out, and I squared the ends with a chisel. The center dividers needed stopped rabbets for the glass gridwork, so I used a router with a plywood fence for stability.

    Step 4: Hidden Drawer for Packing Paper

    The hidden drawer was a fun challenge. I cut matching dados in two boards—one for the slide and one for the glide. The drawer front is secured with dowels for strength, and the extended back acts as a cantilever, preventing tipping when fully extended. A bit of paste wax ensured smooth operation.

    Step 5: Glass Installation & Final Details

    A local glass shop provided frosted glass panels, which I carefully measured and cut (though I did break one—always order extra!). Quarter-inch hardwood strips were pinned in place to hold the glass securely.

    For the filing cabinet drawers, I used a Leigh dovetail jig for precision. Blum soft-close hardware was installed (ignoring the confusing instructions at first) with the help of a jig for accurate hole placement.

    Step 6: The Desk Top & Final Assembly

    The desk top was made from 1/4 stock with floating tenons for alignment. After glue-up, I sanded and finished it before installing LED strip lighting under the top and shelves.

    Due to its size, I could only test-fit the desk in sections in my shop. The final piece now resides at the Hunter Wolfe Art Gallery in Old Colorado City—if you’re nearby, stop in and check it out!

    Final Thoughts

    This project was a great blend of functionality and craftsmanship. If you enjoyed this breakdown, consider subscribing to my channel for more builds, and a huge thanks to my Patreon supporters for making these projects possible!

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  • Building a Bench with a Stone Leg
    Jun 30 2025
    A Unique Woodworking Journey

    Woodworking often blends creativity, craftsmanship, and problem-solving. In this project, I set out to build a bench unlike any other—one that incorporates a massive granite boulder as a leg, refined joinery, and an elegant wooden arch. This custom bench project was built for a Colorado Springs Client. Here’s how it all came together.

    The Stone Leg: The Most Demanding Part

    The project began with the most physically challenging task—working with the granite boulder. Since the stone was too heavy to lift alone, I used an engine hoist to move it from my truck. Once positioned, I scored the base with an angle grinder and broke off the excess with a coal chisel to reduce weight.

    But that wasn’t enough—I wanted the bench to be movable by one person, so I spent an entire day hollowing out the rock with a 4-inch angle grinder. By the end, my arms felt like they’d grown three sizes!

    Inspiration Behind the Design

    The idea for this bench came from architect Erick of 35×40 Design. He once designed a house where a boulder was craned through the roof to become a fireplace. That got me thinking: How can I incorporate raw stone into fine woodworking?

    After some brainstorming—and a hike through Oregon’s Cascades—the vision clicked: a bench that bridges organic stone with precise joinery.

    Carving the Bench Top to Fit the Stone

    With the rock hollowed and manageable, I milled lumber for the bench top. The next challenge? Carving an opening in the wood to fit the irregular stone shape.

    1. Initial Layout: I drilled holes and chiseled out the rough shape.

    2. Tracing & Refining: Placing the board over the stone, I traced the outline from underneath.

    3. Power Carving: Using an angle grinder with a carving disk, I removed material up to the marked line.

    4. Final Fit: As I got closer, I switched to rasps and files for precision, ensuring a snug but slightly loose fit to allow for wood movement.

    Constructing the Wooden Arch & Supports

    The bench’s arched backrest required laminating thin walnut strips around a plywood form. After gluing, I:

    • Cut the arch to length with a Japanese pull saw.

    • Shaped the ends to match the leg’s angle using a bandsaw and hand plane.

    • Hand-cut through-mortises for the cross braces, carefully chiseling to match the arch’s curve.

    Assembly & Finishing Touches

    Before final assembly:

    • I reinforced the hollowed stone with spray foam to prevent cracking.

    • Added a steel bracket to secure the wood to the stone, carefully drilling and welding custom-fit rods.

    • Applied a water-based dye to the mahogany to enhance its grain.

    Finally, I epoxied the arch in place, using screws (later replaced with decorative dowels) for clamping pressure. The last step was bolting the top to the stone—tight enough to hold, but loose enough to allow for wood movement.

    Final Thoughts

    This project pushed my skills in stone carving, joinery, and design. The result? A functional yet sculptural bench that blends natural stone with handcrafted wood.

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  • Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves
    Jun 13 2025
    Building an Oval Table with Abstract Shelves and Sculpted Legs

    For today’s Custom Furniture project, I set out to build a unique oval table with abstract lower shelves and sculpted legs. The process was a mix of careful planning, improvisation, and a little bit of trial and error—especially when my daughter compared the Oval Table design to Squidward’s head from SpongeBob SquarePants!

    Milling the Lumber and Glue-Up

    I started by milling the lumber as usual, but when it came to the glue-up, I decided against using dominos for alignment—something I typically rely on. Since I was cutting an oval shape and some abstract curves later, I didn’t want to risk a domino being exposed on the edges.

    Instead, I cut some cauls and covered them with packing tape to prevent glue adhesion. These helped keep the panels flat during the glue-up. To make clamping easier, I spaced the clamps off the workbench with scrap wood, allowing room for the clamps to slide underneath the material.

    Cutting the Oval Shape

    After the glue-up, I crafted a quick shop-made oval-cutting jig. I’m no mathematician, but the basic idea is that the jig has two sliding pivot points—one controlling the length of the oval and the other controlling the width. I double-stick taped the jig to the center of my workpiece and made several shallow passes with the router until I cut all the way through.

    Shaping the Lower Shelves

    The lower shelves only extended halfway across the table, so I glued up two shorter blanks and traced half of the oval onto them. After rough-cutting them on the bandsaw (leaving the line for cleanup), I used double-stick tape to attach the top to the lower shelf. Then, with a bearing-guided bit on the router table, I matched the shelf’s curve to the tabletop.

    Where the oval transitioned into the abstract shape, I blended the curves with a disc sander. My daughter’s observation that it resembled Squidward’s head was too amusing to ignore—so with her approval, I refined the shape and cut it out on the bandsaw. After cleaning up the cuts at the spindle sander, I used double-stick tape again to make a matching copy for the second shelf.

    Designing the Legs

    Originally, I thought using the oval’s arch for the legs would be clever, but after sketching it out, I realized it looked too busy with too many steep curves. Instead, I opted for straight legs with a curved top section, resembling the shape of a calla lily flower.

    To cut the legs safely, I used a table saw for the straight portion and switched to the bandsaw for the curve. Then, I refined the shape at the spindle sander and hand-sanded with a flexible strip to ensure a smooth transition.

    To prevent kickback at the router table, I added small plywood blocks with CA glue at the start and end of the template. This gave the router bit a solid surface to engage before cutting into the workpiece.

    Joining the Legs to the Table

    The legs were notched to fit into the tabletop and shelves. A dado stack cut the notches, but since the tabletop was curved, there was a small gap. I fixed this by chiseling a concave curve into each leg to match the table’s shape.

    During a test fit, I noticed a gap on the lower shelf due to Squidward’s sharper curve. I marked the leg’s position, sawed a notch with a Japanese pull saw, and refined it with a chisel until everything fit snugly.

    Final Shaping and Finishing

    For a smooth roundover on the legs, I used a router table with starter blocks to prevent catches. After knocking off the blocks, I trimmed the leg tops at the miter saw (though in hindsight, the table saw might have been safer—lesson learned!).

    A hand-sanded chamfer along the edges softened the transition between the legs and the table. Before final assembly, I pre-finished the pieces with wipe-on satin polyurethane, masking the joints to avoid glue interference.

    Assembly

    With nine joints across seven pieces, I opted for slow-setting epoxy. The band clamp, as usual, proved frustrating and was eventually abandoned. Despite my daughter vetoing the name “Squidward Table,” I’m really happy with how it turned out!

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