A Cherry and Walnut Plant Stand

Next Project. What wood do I have enough of to make something useful out of?   

1. Cherry.  Thick board found.  I can make a new plant stand with cherry as the top and walnut as the legs. 

2. Walnut.  5/8"diameter dowel legs.

Now there are two.

I like small simple projects such as this plant stand.  A simple but interesting top, with a simple set of legs below.  A small amount of material is needed. My CNC is already set up to cut the top and has a fixture ready to cut the tenons on the leg tops.  When done with those tenons the fixture can be reconfigured to hold the top to cut the mortises for the legs. 

I had a thought about mass production.  I could move the setup for cutting tenons to a different area on the CNC, and leave the angle jig set up for cutting the angled mortises on the top. Use G-code and 3 post processors so it will remember 3 home positions.  No, I don't have any plans to mass produce this plant stand.  A worthwhile mental exercise though. Readying  and clamping down the block for the top so it's center is always in the same place is a challenge to overcome. Blocks would all have to be the same overall dimension. 

The block of cherry wood was marked and clamped to the bed of my CNC.   Toolpaths for rough cut and finish cuts were created.   This top is cut from one solid piece.  While being rough cut it pointed out that the bit I was using was very dull.  The smell of burning cherry wood isn't horrible, but the smoke created persisted far too long.  That dull bit was thrown away. 

A lower point of view.

With walnut legs for contrast each part, legs or top, can be appreciated separately.  A bit more visually interesting than the monochrome stance if legs matched the top.  A design consideration I coined is "scenario of use".  Will a simpler plant stand all made of the same wood look best among the other things in the same room or space it ends up in?  Or perhaps the two woods/two colors both compose well among other things they share space with. 

Comments are welcomed. Self promoting ads aren't. 

4D

A Walnut and Cherry Wood Plant Stand

Walnut and Cherry

Often a project leaves useful scraps that also could be made into something useful.  That was the case with this simple plant stand. Some walnut salvaged from a previous design was re-configured to become the top. It became an eight inch diameter inverted dome cut from the glued up walnut.   

Walnut Top.  Ready for leg sockets

Lining up with the marked leg socket center

One socket cut.  

Four short sections of 5/8" diameter cherry dowels became legs. Each leg socket is perpendicular to the dome arc. The legs radiate out from the center of the arc. 

Standing up for the first time.

Deciding how simple or complex in detail the legs can be is a worthwhile iterative pursuit.  I've started with a simple cylinder with the bottom cut off to be flush to the surface it stands on. The sockets/mortises have a bump on their perimeter.  The legs ends have a notch to fit around the bump.  The reference orientation is what made it easy to cut the angle on the bottom of the legs as seen in the first photo.  

For detail I could add some plant inspired carving along the length of one or more leg.  I could simply roundover the ends or create more of a bullet shape or pencil tip shape.  I have the dowels connected but not yet glued into the top. It stands up to be observed and inspiring so this decision may be easier. If I do add more detail I'll post an updated photo.  With a plant on top to draw focus this little stand may be happy enough just supporting it rather than competing for attention.  ;)

A version with a cherry top and walnut legs:  Simple Plant Stand

A version with a white ash top and red zebra wood legs: Ash Plant Stand

Comments are welcomed and appreciated. 

4D