As per title, turning a couple of pieces like this:

Into two beautiful shelves like this:

Hmm.

Still, going to try.

I’ve done the google and this seems to be fairly comprehensive, but:

A) Misses out how to carve/drill/sand out a bit more curve/shape – and what tool would I need..
b) Will just a normal sander do instead of a belt (in the instructions linked) and
C) Any advice from people that have done this before?!

Finish will be using some left over osmi poly x oil.

Cheers!

From the YT vids I’ve seen of this stuff you need some good tools for removing material fairly quickly for the carving bit. The rest can be done by hand/orbital sanding for the desired finish. Could always give it a go with hand tools for the carvy bit. Proper satisfaction and less risk of blowing through a bit you don’t want gone. Bit would take a fair bit longer.

Just read your comments along side the guide. I’d say you can skip part 3 and jump straight to 4. Some wire/sanding attachments for a drill/grinder are going to be the tools you need to get some shape into it.

If it were me, I’d draw the desired shape on the plank of timber.
Knock off the bark with a chisel and mallet. Then take a handsaw and saw at couple of inch intervals – more frequent at the really curvy bits – all along the board from the edge up to the line I’d drawn. Knock out the waste with a chisel. A spokeshave could help you create the shape. Also a cabinet scraper. This kind of thing: https://www.workshopheaven.com/arno-cabinet-scraper-set.html?googleshopping&msclkid=672e6764b62b1df3c0c0061a68d23a30&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=RT%20-%20Shopping&utm_term=4574655568488712&utm_content=arno%20cabinet%20scraper%20set%20100716
Then sand.
You’ll need a work bench and some clamps to hold it in place – sounds obvious but it’s often the most tricky part for those without a workshop.
Will be lovely if you get anywhere near the second photo.
I deffo need a garage with a work bench, I’ve just realised how much I miss doing woodwork!

I’ve done the google and this seems to be fairly comprehensive, but:

A) Misses out how to carve/drill/sand out a bit more curve/shape – and what tool would I need..
b) Will just a normal sander do instead of a belt (in the instructions linked) and
C) Any advice from people that have done this before?!

Finish will be using some left over osmi poly x oil.

Yeah that guide seems fairly in line with what I tend to do.

Not a shelf but same principle in this table I made a few years back.

I quite like to use an angle grinder with a flap disc to take off the bulk of the bark along the edge. This can also be used to carve and accentuate any curves or features that you want to.
The tool needs respect though so know what you’re doing. Very easy to either take too much material off, or for the tool to catch and kick and cut your head off or something.

Otherwise, knock off the bark with a chisel and mallet, and then you CAN use an orbital sander or pad sander but you will be limited by the radius of any curves.
You can of course do much of it by hand, starting with a fairly aggressive grit.

A ‘normal sander’ (if you mean a sheet sander or an orbital sander) will be fine yes, but as I say, you may find yourself limited with the tightness of any curves perhaps.
A belt sander can work well as you can use the roller part of it to get into your curves.
It can certainly be done without though.

Osmo is a beautiful finish. I use it for nearly everything.

I apply it with a clean rag, let it soak in for a few ticks, and then rub it off hard with blue paper towel along the grain. I find you don’t want to leave too much on there else it goes sticky.
Leave it a day, then repeat, and that’s it.
Osmo only say 2 coats so that’s what I do.

I’ve used a 6″ angle grinder with a sanding pad it it removes a lot of material very fast. Alternatively there are the carving disks for angle grinders but I have never tried them but they look like they have potential for major kick back so I think I would want chainsaw gloves on, ideally with lower Armco er as well.

Pretty much agree with kayak21 if you are sanding – belt sanders can be used pretty judiciously but be wary of taking too much off, orbitals are fine – fit a bigger pad than specified and the flappy bits get into gaps (until they get torn off), delta sanders can be pretty effective (but slower) if the shape is right so don’t get too hung up on the gear.

I would add don’t go anywhere near it with wire as suggested above, small fragements will inevitably get caught up in the grain and the tannins in the Oak will stain blue-black. You can use abrasive fibre pads which are basically like your standard kitchen plastic scourer pads but bigger. These come in varying “grades” like sandpaper and are very good if you have interesting waney edges that you want to take the roughness off but retain some texture – I find them good on Yew, Elm etc where the texture under the bark is interesting but hav also used on Oak.

The only thing I’d suggest otherwise is that you should try to start with a piece close to the rough form you want to end up with. Your top pic of Oak is never going to end up looking like the lower one without (a) a tonne of work or (b) looking pretty contrived. It can look good (different good) but I wouldn’t force it into something like the lower one. Assuming you haven’t bought the boards already that is. If you’re looking, then most Euro Oak will be pretty plain, you need a more rustic grade or something pippy (how the lower one might be described). Other species like Yew, Elm, anything described as pippy might be closer to what you’re envisaging unless you’re attempting to match existing pieces.

Pretty much agree with kayak21

I wouldn’t. He was two versions before me and is now obsolete.

😀 @kayak23

I’m still working on Kayak XP

What @bajsyckel said about timber shape, your board in the first picture won’t have the shape and accompanying grain pattern of the second picture.

You need a wonkier bit of wood.
More likely to find that in a firewood pile than a milling pile.

I’m still working on Kayak XP

I much prefer iKayak OS; it just works. Far better integration, stability and quality.

As for ‘waney’ edge boards; I’m not a big fan, personally. What iKayak has done looks fantastic, because it’s done right. Perfect blend of the natural edge, and the milled edges and surfaces. But that shelf in the first post; that just looks a bit shit in my opinion. Ugly knobbly bits sticking out that add nothing to the form or function of the piece. Kind of thing you’d see in an Urban Outfitters or similar high st shop.

Some cracking advice, thank for taking the time – and some really useful pointers about wood type and keywords like ‘pippy’ – although it’s getting expensive, fast, for the more characterful stuff 🙂

Edit: Bloody hell! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254832279391

Not quite a waney edge but shows a couple of different ways to remove and refine the shape of wood.

Have a look on English Woodlands Timber for some waney boards.

Also have a look at Surrey timbers who unsurprisingly, are in Surrey.

Thanks again all. I really like the look of this, cut down the vertical to give me the two shelves I need without being too ‘out there’ on the wavy edge front – plus half the hard work’s been done!

Any expert eyes spot anything I can’t with this piece?

Thanks.

Edit: And if anyone can recommend a cheap belt sander that will probably only be used once….(this is a birthday present btw, if anyone is wondering why I don’t just buy some shelves – which would probably be cheaper!)

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224609297911

Looks like nice piece of yew. A few thing to consider …
It’s rough sawn so will very likely have a degree of bow and twist that you’ll need to correct if you want it to sit flat on your shelf supports. Ideally you’d use a planer thicknesser or router sled to do this but I’m guessing you may not have access to these.
Rip cut the board in half before you flatten it as cutting through the wood fibres can cause the board to twist, particularly as the grain isn’t straight.
It’s air dried, there’s no moisture content stated but it’s hard to get below 18% by air drying, particularly at this time of year. It will twist, bow and shrink as the moisture content reduces further.
Because of the above, I’d be looking to purchase a board that’s already been planed flat and at a moisture content of 10-12%. You’ll still be able to sand it and oil / wax it to make it a special present.

Really helpful insight, thank you, which led to me making a very cheeky offer on this – which was surprisingly accepted.

Kiln dried & planed both sides.

Eek. All a bit real now. Needs to be ready by next Wednesday.

I can cut down the middle of it with a hand saw, right? Italian Walnut apparently, if that makes any difference.

RE the walnut – certainly has character, the linear faults (pretty typical for walnut grown in poor conditions) might need a fair bit of careful work as you plan to cut down the length of the board (by hand?). Without getting hands on difficult to say but it could prove easier to sort these (epoxy is pretty common, easy, but expensive if you make a mess) before cutting to dimension while the rest of the board offers some stability.

RE shaping the edges – walnut sapwood is very soft, belt sander is really overkill. I’d look at suitability for hand working with abrasive pads described earlier, or maybe sandpapers if necessary.

RE the Yew – not that it’s relevant any more but I expect the carriage costs are ~£20 or so, making the timber price ballpark what I’d expect. Air dried properly for a decent length of time it should be OK and Yew does air dry pretty reliably so wouldn’t worry about that or moisture content being too high if it’s had enough time in proper conditions.

Where are you bearnecessities?
Anywhere near Warwick and I can cut it down for you if you like. 👍

Leeds, thanks, but worrying now if the walnut was a bad decision – hadn’t noticed the faults.

Argh.

Cancelled the walnut (which will probably get me an arsehole marker on eBay). The yew is a much better shape for what I’m after.

I’m clearly out of my depth, but still determined to waste a load of money making something to stick a bloody candle & spider plant on..

Edit: And if anyone can recommend a cheap belt sander that will probably only be used once…

Nothing cheap really, because the problem with cheap is they are clunky,cumbersome,underpowered, prone to stalling because the motor is pants and unlikely to last long.

I’d recommend a Makita 9911. About 80 quid and a joy to use. Light, easy to handle and industrially rated so will probably in hobby use go on indefinitely, so can always be relied upon.

Alternatively there are the carving disks for angle grinders but I have never tried them but they look like they have potential for major kick back so I think I would want chainsaw gloves on

Those disks are dangerous in so many way – gloves are the least of your worries – your hands are holding the safe end of the tool its the rest of you thats in the firing line. The problem with the disks compared to a conventional chainsaw is a saw only really kicks back on one direction and you can take measures to guard against that – the design of the tool guards against it –  where as those disks can kick suddenly kick in any direction. I’ve also had a couple of them shatter and at 10,000rpm the pieces bounce around the room quite a lot! So you can get hit anywhere, from any direction.

For the job in hand though – they just take off too much material too quickly – you can be skimming a little bit off and they’ll suddenly bite on the wood and pull themselves in and quickly munch through the bit you wanted to keep. On the scale you’re working a flap disk is much more controllable  – very dusty though.

So I’m now the proud owner of this and picking it up in the morning.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224609297911

Apparently it’s been air dried for a year and is at 16%.

A local cabinet maker is going to run it through a thicknesser and cut in half.

Joy.

Last question: I have a sheet sander and a mouse sander, but am I better investing in an orbital to do the surfaces – and will that double up in place of a belt to do the waney/live edge as it doesn’t seem that intricate? Working on Yew is a bit niche by the looks of it and not much out there on youtube.

Cheers. Again.

Take note, Yew is a poisonous timber, so make sure you wear a mask that isnt a simple paper one. Although it’s unlikely to lead to death which is the fantastical claims made by some due to a Roman naturalist and philosopher Pliny the Elder notes on the timber, it has been known to cause dermatitis and irritation of the throat and lungs in modern studies.

Pliny the Elder notes on the timber

Nominative determinism at play I see!

Just to mention that chainsaw gloves have very little protection. They only have protection over the back and knuckles of the left hand and very little at that. The way in which failures and accidents happen with chainsaws, there are many other parts you would rather have protection for. They are also generally poorly designed unless you are Postman Pat which makes them cumbersome.

I’m a regular chainsaw user and I don’t use them or know any other regular users that do.

I’d avoid chain carving discs for angle grinders, as maccruiskeen says, dangerous as hell.

A well known and experienced woodworker Stumpy Nubs

If the thicknesser is set up properly with sharp blades the surfaces will be very smooth. If there’s a small amount of ripple then your current sanders should be good enough to remove it. I’d give them a try before buying a purchasing an orbital sander if you’re unlikely to use it again.
For the waney edge, the ideal tool is an angle grinder with flap disc or coarse sanding pad. This will remove the sharp high points that will otherwise rip through the sanding sheets. You can then smooth with your mouse sander, it will be slower than a proper orbital sander but should be adequate. If you don’t have an angle grinder remove the sharp points first with a chisel or sharp knife.

Hand plane it 😆 Get that real feel for working timber to the correct dimension and finish.

Actually a planed finish is better than a sanded one. With a plane or even scraper the surface is sharp and the grain is better highlighted, sanding leaves a soft surface.

Best tool for that would be a Stanley or Record No6.

I’ve recently done the same with very little clue of what I was doing. Picked up a 3m piece of chestnut to make some shelves and a breakfast bar.

Managed it all with a saw, orbital sander and Dremel (for routing out a space for led strip under the shelves) and happy with the results. Hardest bit for me was deciding how much of the edge to remove but I guess that’s just personal preference.

If I was doing it again I’d bought a new blade for the saw and spent more time getting the breakfast bar a bit flatter but luckily not noticeably twisted.

That looks dope @jamesfts 👌

It does. That’s live edge done properly. Creates just the right contrast between the ‘industrial’ and the organic. The man-made and nature. Nice.

But for Christ’s sake; fix that **** wonky switch!!! Jesus **** wept…

Hand plane it 😆 Get that real feel for working timber to the correct dimension and finish.

Heh! Thing is; if you’re experienced with a plane, you could achieve just as good a finish as a planer/thicknesser, without needing a planer/thicknesser. Perhaps 5-10 years practice hand-planing wood, should see you right. 😉

Cheers for that, wasn’t sure how rough to leave it so just stopped when I found some interesting colour/pattern etc.

But for Christ’s sake; fix that **** wonky switch!!! Jesus **** wept…

Don’t worry – the electrics weren’t finished at the time, I think I was waiting for some longer fittings. All sockets and switches now perfectly straight with screw heads aligned!

That does look brilliant, Jamesfts.

I picked up my slab and am a bit miffed at myself as it needs a lot more work than I thought, and I’m fairly sure the pics were a bit sneaky in the ad as to what was in focus and what wasn’t.

For example:

Anyhow, my problem now and this cabinet maker chap seems a really decent sort. I’m off tomorrow to see him for the thicknesser and cutting, so will also plumb him for his advice at the same time!

Thanks again though, I’ve read every message a few times over but you’ll either next see a picture of the finished product or a nice toasty fire going in the wood burner.

@Jamesfts. It’s a lovely colour 😀

Heh! Thing is; if you’re experienced with a plane, you could achieve just as good a finish as a planer/thicknesser, without needing a planer/thicknesser. Perhaps 5-10 years practice hand-planing wood, should see you right. 😉

I only use the plane for twisted exotic grains or where knots are an issue. I couldn’t live without my P/T. As great as it is it is problematic with interlocking,exotics and the like and the thicknesser can do more damage that you want. Best kit is a drum sander, but even a small one of those is 1100 quid.
Sometimes though it’s fun hand planing, and a hell of a workout too 😆

Do you use an electric (hand) planer, there’s been a few times where it’s seemed like the right solution but can’t figure out how much experience you need not to **** the job up.

@bearnecessities

I wouldn’t worry about the damage, looks like it’s on the edge so likely able to take it back enough so it’s either passed the point of damage or smoothed in so not noticeable.

The end of the long shelf above had far worse damage which I was going to cut off but decided to see how far I could take it back first. Ended up leaving it as it turned into quite a nice shape/feature.

For the love of God don’t use that angle grinder attachment.
You don’t use a chain saw at the nose section for a good reason

This might be a better option.

You don’t use a chain saw at the nose section for a good reason

This be the reason 😆 I think the OP gets the picture and in all honesty i dont think the disc being talked about was a chain disc but rather more a sanding wheel