Bending wood into one-of-kind furniture.

So, the big question is…do you prefer curved lines over angular or straight lines? Countless studies have been done on this topic for centuries and the research unequivocally shows that people prefer curvature over rectilinear shapes as they tend to be more beautiful and calming. While visiting my good friend Paul at Copper Pig Woodworking, we were brainstorming potential project ideas that revolve around the Stadium shape that he frequently incorporates into his work. This geometric shape has such a soothing construct with so many potential applications in furniture design. We were discussing how it could be used in a larger cabinet and not just in smaller boxes that he had made numerous times over. And that’s when he pulled a sketch for a whiskey cabinet out of his back pocket that I immediately fell in love with…the shape, the design and the endless opportunities for customization of the design. Now, I don’t drink, so in my head, I just replaced the word whiskey with coffee or seltzer. But it took all of about 3 seconds and I turned to Paul and said “let’s build it.” And that’s when the 2-1/2 year journey began. Sadly, I accept full blame for that, but that’s all water near a bridge…



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[KeithJohnsonCustomWoodworking]

Cabinet A (brass powder and epoxy door and drawer) = $4, 800.00 USD.
Cabinet B (carved door and drawer) = $5, 200.00 USD.

[robertlee]

That's not furniture, that is art. Beautiful work.

[owlheadwoodco.]

I love how Keith full embraces the " It takes a village " aspect of the generous woodworking community. There was at least half a dozen separate makers that had small parts in helping the pieces of this come together. Well done!

[ivansantos]

I just started woodworking, and I must say I’m thankful for all you trailblazers and mentors. Thanks for sharing!

[fletchro]

Great video! You told the story of the build and didn't get too bogged down in minutiae. Great shots, good sound, good lighting!🎉🎉

[rongoldberg]

Keith, are you aware how amazing you are? Seriously, besides being an accomplished woodworker, you videos are to; notch, expertly filmed and edited. You are a YouTube gem!
Best,
Ron (McLean VA)

[oilcitywoodworks]

Well the 2.5 year wait was well worth it! What beautiful art you have created there. Really really love them and these are the types of items I want to build one day. I also agree on collaboration. The woodworking and creativity community is everywhere, one just has to look around and reach out. Bravo, sir. I love them.

[timmills]

You guys really killed this one. All the details and craftsmanship truly made these priceless. Knowing that you got to build something so cool with a fiend makes it even better!

[steveman]

You and I have different ideas when it comes to "morning coffee kicking in". Or at least I hope ;)

[jewdd]

Omg this is gorgeous!!! I love all mid century but these round whiskey cabinets are glorious

[simoncapizzi]

I really liked how you showed the design evolution of the door. It's cool to see how designs go from paper to reality.

[markstockton]

The cabinets are absolutely stunning. The detail made possible by blending your strengths really made them come to life in the end. Congratulations on an amazing build.

[dougmcilwaine]

Keith, what a wonderful video. The cabinets are beautiful and it was fun watching the journey of them being built. With regards to the brass turning green when exposed to shellac, it may be that the shellac is slightly acidic in pH, and when it contacts the brass (which contains around 60% copper), it oxidizes the copper to form a copper oxide that is green. Think about the statue of Liberty which is greenish in color. Copper turns green when oxidized, and that copper oxide layer actually protects the copper from further oxidation. David Marks taught a class where he showed how to gild wooden pieces with copper or silver leaf, then apply sulfide based chemicals to the metal to form beautiful colors (called interference colors). While not exactly analogous, it is similar in that the process forms deposits on the surface of the metal which add color. Thanks so much for your wonderful videos.

[TomCGhost]

Okay. You asked in the beginning. And yes I actually do like the bigger sets. Only because I have a bigger collection. The cabinets have wonderful detail. But are so limited to just 2 bottles, that Im sure there is a economic principle for cost vs quality vs utility and how there is a perfect balance to reach a broad market. I like the look of these cabinets, but I need something bigger to accommodate me. I would love to see an entire hutch done with similar detail.

[TotalBoat]

Absolutely loved following this build journey! It truly is a stunner!

[benpepin]

I respect the door design you chose but you guys were crazy not going with the first two. They were STUNNING

[MCsCreations]

Damn... What a beautiful work, Keith! You guys killed it! 😮
Really well done!!!
Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[keithklein]

Hi Keith,
Great job, great collaboration. I’m not a wizard of design, but one of the lessons I’ve learned mathematically is that harmonizing curves is not easy, whereas rectangular forms can be made to look harmonious almost by intuition alone. So I wasn’t terribly surprised that you abandoned your firs design, and settled on a more linear approach. And hexagons follow naturally from circles, so you hit on the right solution. In fact a hexagon can be constructed using just a compass and a straight edge, so it’s bound to harmonize with the semicircular ends of the stadium design. And speaking of mathematics, I guess that you used N+1 clamps, where N is the number that fit comfortably. As usual, the video production was top notch.
Cheers,
Keith

[saturncjc]

Those look exactly like the one I never thought of or made! Truely amazing! Thank you!

[joelw]

Right now I’m building a walnut / mahogany bed frame for my 2 year old. And between building for clients and family time I have been working on it for 2 months. It’s taking up so much space but I think I’ll be finishing today. My favorite
Part. Rubbing that hard wax oil. I can’t wait. Can’t wait to see another video. Good luck Keith.