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Custom Woodwork by Stuart Baker
Every piece has a story.

"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it!"; Kurt Vonnegut.

Living Room Shelves: Built entirely from Red Oak and Black Walnut personally harvested from family-owned woodlots in Northwestern Wisconsin. These Shelves are the largest project I have attempted to date and are an upgrade to a prototype that I constructed in the 1970's which we have used in our living room until a couple years ago.

Stool #10
Living Room Shelbes

September 2012:

This new one is made from oak and walnut. The original was made from some cheap pine 2 X 4's with particle board shelves. I stained everything dark walnut - which hid some of the butchering I did in making it (I'd like to think I have improved and I know that I now have better tools - I cut the miters for the original on a home-made miter box.)

The old unit had been moved a number of times and had seen a lot of kids, dogs, and cats over the years. It was finally retired last year When we took it down to paint the living room, it just stayed down. It was deemed to old and natty for the new look.

Shelf Close up
Closer view

This picture gives a better view of what's going on with this unit's construction. Nothing is attached to the wall or floor. The weight of the unit holds it in place and the weight of the shelves give it stability and rigidity the more weight the better.

This has taken me a long time to finish this project, so I will probably have to keep it. I believe it will be acceptable for the newly painted living room.

Shelf Close up
Side view

This picture gives a an idea of the depth. None of the shelves touch the wall which leaves plenty of room for wall treatments like this wainscoting.

This also leaves room for wider shelves if needed for phonograph turntables and the like.

I'm still working on more shelves. I have most of them completed but it's been too cold in my workshop to apply the finish coats of Polyurethane.

Shelf Close up
More Shelves

Finally completed more shelvs. This is a long shelf made from red oak and black walnut - both heartwood and sapwood.

Shelf Close up
More Shelves
Top Close up
Close up

A Closeup of the tops of the standards along with the wall plate that holds things together. .